Ok, well clearly I did not post my race report "within a few days" of completing the race. Instead I waited for over a month to actually sit down and write about my Ironman experience.
Here goes nothing...
Thursday: I, of course, procrastinated my packing until the night before I was to leave for Coeur d'Alene. I went running around Portland to try to find Glucose (my favorite race drink) only to find that no one carries it anymore. Opps, should have practiced with Gatorade during training since I ran out of Glucose the week before my taper. I went through my list, checked everything twice and figured I'd just deal with the Gatorade issue. (Fortunately for me, I did not have any issues with nutrition on race day!)
Friday: Bright and early, Katie Cashman, Molly, Pat and I all wake up, pack my car, and head out. I drove, which was probably good because I kept thinking about how I couldn't believe that the Ironman weekend had arrived. I was beyond nervous and had NO clue how this race was going to go.
As we got closer to Spokane and then to Coeur d'Alene, the butterflies in my tummy grew. The first order of business was to stop in at the Athlete's Village to check in and pick up my race stuff. Once there, I ran into Leslie, Shannon, Alana and David! It was fun seeing them AND they were able to point me toward the Athlete's Village (note to self: make sure to print off maps of where you need to go if you've never done a particular race before).
Getting in line to check in, my nerves were at an all time high. I was struggling to remember my race/bib number for the check in guards at the tent. You basically pay your USAT race-day membership (if you are not a member) and then proceed to another tent. In the tent, you fill out all of these liability waivers, which I was too nervous and over-whelmed to understand, and then you proceed through to a different tent. In the 2nd tent, you'd wait in line until a volunteer called out your number. At that point, you'd go sit down at a table with one of the volunteers, who would walk you through your entire race packet (the timing chip, numbers for your bike/helmet, etc). Once done, I was free to leave or explore the vendors.
We left to go check into the cabin we were staying at in Post Falls, ID (about 10 minutes from downtown Coeur d'Alene). The cabin was AWESOME. We had a huge deck and access to the lake. We unloaded all of our stuff (and my gear) and settled in for the Ironman weekend (YIKES!).
Friday night was the Athlete's Pre-Race dinner and race briefing. Katie joined me for this, which I was so thankful for because I was so nervous (a theme is emerging). They had inspirational videos and speakers, the mayor of CDA to welcome us, and the different race directors to talk to us about the different portions of the race and race course. I was trying to concentrate and take all of their words in. There were so many questions I had about the race day, such as, how do transitions work (you get transition bags to set your gear up in - nothing is set up by your bike, which is what I was used to from previous races), what should I put in my emergency bags, when/where was I supposed to drop off the bags, and where did I put my wetsuit once I was done with the swim portion? Fortunately for me, I had friends who had done Ironman races before and were able to help me out with my questions. TO ANYONE DOING AN IM RACE, GO TO THE ATHLETE'S DINNER!! It's included in your race entry fee and it was fun/inspirational!
Saturday: Needless to say, my nerves had increased. I kept thinking about how I couldn't turn back. In less than 24 hours, I was going to be waking up, putting on my race outfit and heading down to the start of the Ironman race. I was so nervous.
Saturday was when I had to drop off my transition bags and my bike. I had laid everything out and was double checking EVERYTHING before I put the stuff in the appropriate bag to take it down to the race start (you drop off the bike and run transition bags and keep the emergency bags to drop off on race morning). Once there, it was pretty easy to see where the bags were dropped off and where my bike was to be left. We had these bracelets on, so the whole weekend, you could tell who was in town for the race by looking at someone's wrists (it was kind of fun).
Once done, Cash, Pat, Molly and I went to Spokane to visit our old college stomping grounds and have lunch. To give you an idea of how little my brain was functioning, I kept referring to my Gu packets as Jew packets (opps) and on the drive back to our cabin from Spokane, I saw two guys riding motorcycles with matching shirts that I thought said "Mariners!" and which I publicly exclaimed with excitement, only to be corrected ("um, actually Kelly, the shirts say 'Marines.'). Oh. Man. So. Nervous.
For dinner, we cooked a big pasta meal. I so badly wanted a beer with dinner but refrained. And then the TNT crew that was in town for the IM to support Johan and me called. It was so fun chatting with everyone on the phone and knowing that they would be there race day to cheer me on! THANKS TEAM!!!
Darrell told me over the phone that I probably wouldn't sleep much, boy was he right. I tried going to bed by 8pm or so because I had to be up by 4:30am and down to the race area by around 5am to get ready for the race start, which was 7am. Yeah, I didn't sleep much. I tossed and turned and somehow eventually fell asleep.
Sunday: RACE DAY! I woke up to my alarm around 4:15am. I brushed my teeth, put in my contacts, got dressed, and made my race day breakfast of bananas, peanut butter and plain oatmeal. It took me about 20 plus minutes to gag down. Once done, Cash drove me down and dropped me off at the race start/athlete's village. I dropped off my emergency bags for the run and bike, and then walked around, drank a Gatorade, peed many times, and eventually put my sunscreen and wetsuit on.
Heading down to the race start, I ran into folks from a Bay Area Chapter of Team in Training. They had raised funds for LLS to be there. I was so proud of them and cheered them on (and they returned the favor). Once 7am was drawing near, 2,000 or so athletes were all trying to get down to the beach. It felt like we were being herded. I chose to start my race in the back of the pack and to slowly head down and get in the water. I was nervous about getting punched or kicked in the face and knew I could take my time in the swim. My goal was just to finish by midnight, so no racing.
The Swim: The gun went off and I started walking down toward the water. Again, my strategy was to let the fast folks go ahead of me. No need to be right in the pack. I got in the water and started to swim, taking my time to warm up. The wind had picked up and there were decent sized waves. On the way out, we were swimming right into the waves, which meant that I was kicking more and harder than I wanted to do. The swim course was a rectangle and we were swimming counter-clockwise around, so once I got to and around the the first turn buoy, I was then facing the waves on my breathing side, which sucked. I breath on my right and that's where the waves were crashing over me. There were numerous times that I swallowed Lake Coeur d'Alene water and had to stop and catch my breath.
The first loop was done in about an hour, which was a bit slower than expected, BUT I had decided that if I could do the swim in 2 hours, I'd be ok and have enough time for everything else. Of course, if I could finish the swim faster, then I'd have just that much more time for the bike and run, but with the waves, I finished in 2 hours and several minutes (or 1 minute, I can't remember).
By the second loop of the swim, I was getting cranky. I was done with the waves and my stupid wetsuit kept coming undone at the top portion (where the Velcro is). I was seriously regretting not wearing my sleeveless because I kept having to slow down/stop to get more water into the shoulder area.
Eventually I finished and got to run under the arch and up toward the transition area. Up the sand bank, I was trying to get my arms out of the wetsuit like I usually do out of the swim in order to pull the suit down to my waist, but I was struggling and eventually found myself at the volunteers that were there to help strip me out of the wetsuit. They were giving me instructions, but I was having a hard time mentally processing what they were saying. Eventually, I understood and they got me out of it. Then the next step was to run and grab my Bike Transition bag, which was lined up on the grass. This is where I ran into Mike P., who helped me find my bag and got me to the changing tent.
The Changing Tent: Never in any triathlon race I've done before, has there been a changing tent or an opportunity to completely strip down during a race. I had decided to swim in my bike shorts/top, so all I had to do was put on my shoes, gloves, helmet, etc. in the tent. No sooner had I entered the tent then there was a volunteer who helped me dump out my bag, handed me what I needed, and then she RE-PACKED my bag with my wetsuit (the volunteers are AMAZING at the Ironman race). Then I was ready and there were sunscreen volunteers outside of the tent to lube me up with sunscreen, which I gladly accepted. Fully dressed and greased up, I jogged toward the bike rack area. I could hear family/friends cheering for me (thanks guys/gals)!
I grabbed my bike and ran toward the bike mount area.
The Bike: Getting on my bike and peddling for the first few miles made me nervous. I've never felt my legs so much at the beginning of the bike before. I tried to just ease into the ride because I needed to warm up the muscles and was hoping/praying that my legs wouldn't feel that crampy for the entire ride. The cool thing about the bike (and run for that matter) is that I got to go through the downtown area about 4 plus times, which helped emotionally because I knew I'd get to see my family/friends. And without fail, they were there cheering me on for the few seconds they got to see me.
The first loop was awesome. I started to feel great a couple of miles in and was riding probably a bit too fast. I was passing people and loving my bike (I rode Roo). I got out to the rolling hills portion and was still having fun. The hills were tough but not as bad as I had thought they would be. There were some steep portions but they weren't long, so I always emotionally knew that the end of the hill was near or in site, which was awesome.
The whole bike I was looking forward to the last 12 miles, which looked on the map to be all downhill. Well, once I got to that portion, the wind was blowing and was blowing directly against me, so I couldn't just easily pick up speed or recover and roll down the hill. I had to work at the downhill, which seriously pissed me off. I was now cranky and mad going into my second loop. It was at this point, starting the second loop, that I started to lose it emotionally. I knew I was slowing down but didn't have a bike computer on my new bike to tell me just HOW slow I was going. I knew I needed to average about 14 miles an hour to make it through the 112 miles in 8 hours. But with hills, I didn't know just how fast I needed to go on the flats to make up for my slow climbing speed. Needless to say, I couldn't do the math in my head and I was starting to cry. The wind was making me feel cold and was getting in my way of an easier bike ride. I was mad.
I started whining and crying to myself and it was at this point that I was back through the downtown before heading off to the rolling hills by Haden Lake. That's when my friends/family cheered loudly for me and I could hear Cash yell "yes you CAN Redhead!" That's when tears formed in my eyes and I decided that YES I could. I could keep rolling forward until they pulled my from the course. So that's what I did. I kept rolling forward even if I had to slow down my pace. And then I got through the toughest/steepest hills in the beginning of the rollers and didn't have to walk, so that perked up my attitude. I could do this! And then every mile marker beyond 76 miles became a new personal record for the longest ride I'd done in my life, so that made me feel better too. And somehow I started to laugh and smile again. Somehow I started enjoying the ride again from mile 81 onward.
So I kept rolling forward and the funny thing is, no one ever pulled me off the course. In fact, I was even able to pass a bunch of folks in the last 12+ miles! And I even made it off the bike in less than 8 hours, which was a HUGE accomplishment for me. Getting off the bike in about 7 hours and 45 minutes gave me enough time to get through transition to give me exactly 7 hours for the marathon, which I needed!
I HAD MADE IT! I had finished the bike before the cutoff, which was my biggest concern. It was funny because during my emotional breakdown on the bike, I was thinking about quiting and how if they did pull me from the bike, I wouldn't really mind and was kind of hoping that would happen. I had never done a marathon before and had NO idea how I was going to do that after the 112 mile bike.
The Changing Tent Again: I wasn't sure if I could completely strip down in the changing tent. I had planned to change out of my bike shorts/shirt into fresh/dry clothes for the run, but was kind of nervous that when I'd strip down, a volunteer would yell at me and say "oh my gosh, what are you doing?!?!" But they didn't. Instead they helped me to change (handed me what I needed). Jess Haddy was there and gave me chicken broth, which was the most AMAZING thing I'd ever tasted in my life! She helped me out of the tent, held my stuff when I was in the port-a-potty and cheered me on as I started my run.
The Run: I felt great! My legs were feeling MUCH better than I thought they would, which HAD to be because of my tri bike. I was SO glad I chose to ride my Quintana Roo over my Serotta. For the run portion, I had set my watch to beep at 5 and 1 minute intervals. I jogged for 5 minutes and then walked/recovered for 1 minute. This strategy worked well for the first 7+ miles. After mile 7, everything started breaking down. I started running for 3 minutes and walking for 2, then walking for 3. By mile 13, starting my 2nd loop, I was walking a majority of the run. My knees were killing me. I got back into the downtown and ran into Pat and Sheryl. Sheryl told me that I still had about 4 hours until midnight and could totally walk the last 13.1 miles in 4 hours. I TOTALLY needed to hear that at that point. By this point in the race, my brain was definitely NOT able to do any kind of basic math. I had NO idea if I was going to make it to the finish line but I did know that I HAD to keep shuffling/running.
The aid stations on the run were AMAZING! They had chicken broth, which was the most amazing thing! It was warm, had a hint of flavor, and was salty. AMAZING! And they were exactly at every mile, which was so wonderful. I began to count down the miles by the aid stations I encountered. I made sure to walk through every aid station and take in whatever I needed (calories, liquid, electrolytes, etc).
By the 2nd loop, it was getting dark. The wind had died down, but the weather was rainy (more of a steady mist). The race folks decided to pull the space blankets and put them at aid stations so the runners could have some sort of protection/warmth, which was awesome. I did most of the 2nd loop with a silver space blanket wrapped around me. It was also by the 2nd loop that I had stopped my watch and had decided to run/walk point to point. I'd jog to the next tree and then walk to the light post. I also at this point discovered the my pinky toes were in major pain. I knew there were blisters forming, but had to keep moving. I had to consciously keep my toes curled so they wouldn't rub on the bottom of my shoes. It definitely threw off my form, which probably added to my knee pain.
It was also during the 2nd loop that I saw my friends/family again. I was in tears at this point and wanted to stop. Molly looked at me and told me that I was ahead of schedule and could TOTALLY do this! Cash and my dad also confirmed this and they all cheered me onward with tears in my eyes.
By the end of the last loop (about mile 18, I think) I saw Crystal and her dog Sachel. She walked with me and tried to help keep me positive and moving forward. She is an Ironman and fully knew what I was going through and just told me to keep going. And then off I went. I had emotionally broke down at this point and was totally whining to God and to myself. I had come SO far and was so worried I wouldn't make it to the finish line in time. I knew I was going slow but I was in so much pain that walking was my only option. It's amazing just how tired I was. I was struggling to pump my arms because my biceps were sore/tired. I've NEVER experienced that during a race before!!
I had decided that after the final turnaround point, I would begin to jog/walk point to point again. And it was at this point I was able to catch up to 3 people walking fast. One was an Ironman and had completed about 6 races. Her friend was a IM virgin like me, and so she kept talking to us and telling us that we were going to do it and become Ironmen. I found that I TOTALLY needed people to tell me that during the last loop of the run because I didn't know if I would. I could believe it when the volunteers and other participants were telling me, but I couldn't say it to myself until I was at the finsh line.
At about mile 24, I saw Crystal again. She walked with the 4 of us and told me that Darrell and the gang were waiting for me around mile 25 to cheer/run me in. It was at this point that I left the group I was walking with to jog/walk again.
Eventually I found Ilana, Jeremy, Leslie, Darrell (and then Sheryl and Dan). They totally jog/walked me in for the last mile or so.
I can't even begin to describe the feeling of rounding the last corner and seeing the finish line in the distance. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of entering the cheering chute and hearing the announcer say my name and say "Kelly O'Gara, you ARE an Ironman!" I thought I would sob at the end, but I just couldn't stop smiling! INCREDIBLE!
I did it! I finished the race with about 20 minutes to spare. I got my medal and finisher's shirt. I am officially an Ironman!
A VERY special thanks to everyone that texted, facebooked, called me, cheered for me AT the race, etc. Your love and support ABSOLUTELY carried me through that race! Words cannot express how much it meant to me! Thank you!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Ironman Race Pictures
Here are some pictures of my race weekend...
The drive to Coeur d'Alene:
Packing my car with groceries (we had to fit all my gear PLUS the 4 of us and my bike into my little Echo):
Me in my wetsuit for a practice swim before the race:
At the Athlete's Village (to register my name at the Ford Cheer sign):
The swim start (race day):
Transitioning out of the swim:
The beginning of the bike:
Finally done with the bike and heading toward transition:
Starting the run:
At the finish line:
The drive to Coeur d'Alene:
Packing my car with groceries (we had to fit all my gear PLUS the 4 of us and my bike into my little Echo):
Me in my wetsuit for a practice swim before the race:
At the Athlete's Village (to register my name at the Ford Cheer sign):
The swim start (race day):
Transitioning out of the swim:
The beginning of the bike:
Finally done with the bike and heading toward transition:
Starting the run:
At the finish line:
Monday, June 22, 2009
I did it!
I did it! I'm officially an Ironman!!!
My race report will hopefully be up in the next day or so!
Thanks to everyone's support, thoughts, words of encouragement, etc. You all are amazing and literally kept me going during the race. I knew I had a big group of friends/family cheering me on and it kept me moving. THANKS EVERYONE!!!
My race report will hopefully be up in the next day or so!
Thanks to everyone's support, thoughts, words of encouragement, etc. You all are amazing and literally kept me going during the race. I knew I had a big group of friends/family cheering me on and it kept me moving. THANKS EVERYONE!!!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Track My Progress on Sunday...
My bib # is 2067 and I think you should be able to track me at: http://ironman.com/
I will let you know how it went/goes next week!
IEEEEE.....
I will let you know how it went/goes next week!
IEEEEE.....
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It's Here...
I can't even begin to describe the thoughts and emotions that have been raging through me these last few days. I'm nervous, I'm scared beyond imagining, and I'm excited. This all reminds me of my first half Ironman race. I remember that race morning I had a mixture of emotions too. I wanted to cry and throw up all at the same time, but once I got in the water and began my swim, I felt good and the butterflies went away. Then I just focused on enjoying my race, and that is what I need to focus on for Sunday: enjoying my race.
Thankfully this year I'm not sick!!! At least I have that going for me!!! (I raced last year's half Ironman sick. It sucked big time.)
The Beast is here. There is nothing else I can do to prepare. I don't know if I'm ready, but I can't change that fact between now and race day, so I might as well enjoy the adventure that I'm on. And yes, it will be painful. I can't even imagine the mental toughness and games I will need to play with myself to keep myself going on Sunday. But I want to keep going. I so BADLY want to reach that finish line!! And the SCARIEST part of this whole race is the not knowing. I don't know if I will finish. I don't know if I will get there. I believe I have a chance and can do it, but ANYTHING can happen.
And it's amazing the nervousness I feel. I know I did not train as I should have done for this race. I'm not in peak physical condition. I haven't gone the full distances in the bike or run this whole season, and I am basically a fool. Life got in the way of training, but here I am. I am days away from the BIGGEST challenge of my life to date, and there is nothing I can do about it. SO I might as well laugh, smile, and have tons of fun. I can cheer other people on and I can keep moving one step at a time. It's just a long workout Kelly. Sure you may not be ready, but just have fun anyways.
I went into Race for the Roses with that kind of a spirit and I had a BLAST AND my fastest half marathon time. So, maybe there is something to be said about that kind of an attitude?
I really have no idea how this race will test me. What do I have in me? Do I have what it takes to keep going? Do I have what it takes to reach the finish line in time? I don't know, but I want to find out. Actually, I have no choice. I WILL find out because this race is coming whether I want it to or not.
It's weird how this race is consuming. I couldn't focus at work today AT ALL and I'm sure that tomorrow will be worse since I'm leaving on Friday! I've even been dreaming about Ironman. At least in each of my dreams, I actually do get to the finish line (awesome!). Last night's dream was odd. I was in the transition from swim to bike but it was at night. My bike was missing (my friends were supposed to get it to me in time but it was still on it's way), so instead, I had to hop on a little kids bike and start riding. I was like, "man I hope my friends come soon with my bike because 112 miles on a single speed kids bike is going to be rough," but off I peddled anyway. It was weird.
I guess I just have to believe, right?! UGH!!! I don't even know what to say/write/think/feel/etc. Oh man, Ironman Coeur d'Alene, ready or not, here I come!
Thankfully this year I'm not sick!!! At least I have that going for me!!! (I raced last year's half Ironman sick. It sucked big time.)
The Beast is here. There is nothing else I can do to prepare. I don't know if I'm ready, but I can't change that fact between now and race day, so I might as well enjoy the adventure that I'm on. And yes, it will be painful. I can't even imagine the mental toughness and games I will need to play with myself to keep myself going on Sunday. But I want to keep going. I so BADLY want to reach that finish line!! And the SCARIEST part of this whole race is the not knowing. I don't know if I will finish. I don't know if I will get there. I believe I have a chance and can do it, but ANYTHING can happen.
And it's amazing the nervousness I feel. I know I did not train as I should have done for this race. I'm not in peak physical condition. I haven't gone the full distances in the bike or run this whole season, and I am basically a fool. Life got in the way of training, but here I am. I am days away from the BIGGEST challenge of my life to date, and there is nothing I can do about it. SO I might as well laugh, smile, and have tons of fun. I can cheer other people on and I can keep moving one step at a time. It's just a long workout Kelly. Sure you may not be ready, but just have fun anyways.
I went into Race for the Roses with that kind of a spirit and I had a BLAST AND my fastest half marathon time. So, maybe there is something to be said about that kind of an attitude?
I really have no idea how this race will test me. What do I have in me? Do I have what it takes to keep going? Do I have what it takes to reach the finish line in time? I don't know, but I want to find out. Actually, I have no choice. I WILL find out because this race is coming whether I want it to or not.
It's weird how this race is consuming. I couldn't focus at work today AT ALL and I'm sure that tomorrow will be worse since I'm leaving on Friday! I've even been dreaming about Ironman. At least in each of my dreams, I actually do get to the finish line (awesome!). Last night's dream was odd. I was in the transition from swim to bike but it was at night. My bike was missing (my friends were supposed to get it to me in time but it was still on it's way), so instead, I had to hop on a little kids bike and start riding. I was like, "man I hope my friends come soon with my bike because 112 miles on a single speed kids bike is going to be rough," but off I peddled anyway. It was weird.
I guess I just have to believe, right?! UGH!!! I don't even know what to say/write/think/feel/etc. Oh man, Ironman Coeur d'Alene, ready or not, here I come!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Ironman Handbook
I recently received the 2009 CDA Ironman Athlete's guide (or whatever it is called). It's a 32 page document describing the race weekend, rules, schedule, etc. I read through it and probably will read through it several more times as I develop my plan for the race, but let me tell you...last night was the first read through and I ended up dreaming about the Ironman race ALL night! Ugh, can I really handle 2.5 more weeks of the suspense?!?!?!! Seriously! I'm totally excited, and I am practicing my positive thinking and visualizing (picturing me at the finish line with tears of joy/pride/astonishment/exhaustion running down my cheeks with my fist in the air saying "I did it!").
Slow and steady - my race motto. One step at a time. Continual forward progress (or whatever Seth says - I need to learn that quote).
I'm nervous and excited and am working on just being excited.
Hey Ironmen...any words of wisdom, advice, tips, things to know, etc??
Slow and steady - my race motto. One step at a time. Continual forward progress (or whatever Seth says - I need to learn that quote).
I'm nervous and excited and am working on just being excited.
Hey Ironmen...any words of wisdom, advice, tips, things to know, etc??
Monday, June 1, 2009
I think I'm taking Roo to the Ironman race
Yesterday I was supposed to do an 80 plus mile ride. And like most mornings when it's my day off and I don't have anyone I'm meeting, I slept in and procrastinated getting on my bike. I even toyed with the idea of skipping the bike ride and going for a long run or swim instead. But eventually I talked myself into going, which meant I wasn't on the road until about 12:17 pm.
On to my usual route: East on Marine Drive to Troutdale, then up the Old Columbia Gorge Hwy and onward to Women's Forum, from which I decided to once again take on Larch Mountain (I am really starting to LOVE that ride!!). I was running out of time, so I only went up to the 8 mile marker, but I was seriously debating continuing to the top. I love that climb and how beautiful it is! If I had started earlier in the day, to the top of Larch I would have gone. I am definitely feeling stronger and officially decided on this ride that Roo will be my companion during the bike portion of the race. I am going to leave the Serotta at home.
A couple of things I realized on this ride:
+ The Quintana Roo SCREAMS down hill in comparison to the Serotta (so much fun!).
+ Paying attention 100% of the time on the bike is critical, especially when flying down hill (there were two points that I almost lost control and flew off my bike or hit the shoulder - kind of scary but it didn't really slow me down).
+ I'm addicted to Facebook (at some point on my ride, I was stopped and decided to take some of the pictures below, when I saw the little "Facebook" icon on my phone and decided to check it out, only to realize that I was facebooking while biking!! So wrong! Don't worry, I was stopped w/ both feet on the ground when I was doing this, but still).
+ I'm getting stronger on the bike (I wasn't as tired or fatigued and today I feel minimal soreness - AWESOME)!!
I wish I had another month of training though! I think then I'd be a bit better prepared for this crazy race that's in 3 weeks!! YIKES! I'm getting excited though. I was on the Ironman CDA website last night to look at the weekend schedule of events! I can't believe that I'm actually going to race in an Ironman!! And I think there is a chance I will finish even though training didn't go as it should have!! Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope!!!
Below are some pictures I took with my phone on the ride (I need to remember to bring my real camera next time):
On to my usual route: East on Marine Drive to Troutdale, then up the Old Columbia Gorge Hwy and onward to Women's Forum, from which I decided to once again take on Larch Mountain (I am really starting to LOVE that ride!!). I was running out of time, so I only went up to the 8 mile marker, but I was seriously debating continuing to the top. I love that climb and how beautiful it is! If I had started earlier in the day, to the top of Larch I would have gone. I am definitely feeling stronger and officially decided on this ride that Roo will be my companion during the bike portion of the race. I am going to leave the Serotta at home.
A couple of things I realized on this ride:
+ The Quintana Roo SCREAMS down hill in comparison to the Serotta (so much fun!).
+ Paying attention 100% of the time on the bike is critical, especially when flying down hill (there were two points that I almost lost control and flew off my bike or hit the shoulder - kind of scary but it didn't really slow me down).
+ I'm addicted to Facebook (at some point on my ride, I was stopped and decided to take some of the pictures below, when I saw the little "Facebook" icon on my phone and decided to check it out, only to realize that I was facebooking while biking!! So wrong! Don't worry, I was stopped w/ both feet on the ground when I was doing this, but still).
+ I'm getting stronger on the bike (I wasn't as tired or fatigued and today I feel minimal soreness - AWESOME)!!
I wish I had another month of training though! I think then I'd be a bit better prepared for this crazy race that's in 3 weeks!! YIKES! I'm getting excited though. I was on the Ironman CDA website last night to look at the weekend schedule of events! I can't believe that I'm actually going to race in an Ironman!! And I think there is a chance I will finish even though training didn't go as it should have!! Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope!!!
Below are some pictures I took with my phone on the ride (I need to remember to bring my real camera next time):
Saturday, May 30, 2009
3 Weeks & Counting....
Ieeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm excited, nervous, and excited and nervous (oh! and scared) all at once!!!
Ieeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ieeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Mmmm SUN!
There is something about beautiful weather to make training fun and enjoyable (der - yeah that statement was so profound - hello Captain Obvious)! And yet even though that statement is totally obvious, I always find myself shocked that I actually enjoy training when it's nice outside. When the sun is shining, I have no problem throwing on my shoes and going for a run or a bike ride (no layers, no rain gear, no problems!). When the weather is not so nice, I forget why I like to train. I forget that I even LIKE training!! I should probably move back down to California where I can really train year round with minimal crappy weather.
I went for a run today and was just really enjoying being outside. I was lost in thought, enjoying the flowers and just moving along. I decided that if I can take this mentality into race day, then I will have fun no matter WHAT happens!! It will just be a nice day to be outside for 17 hours, that's all! No biggie! (Yeah, keep telling yourself that Kel!)
I also find it funny the kinds of songs that I will get stuck in my head during a long swim, bike, or run. Like today for example, I was running up a hill and needed a BIG distraction so I would keep going. I found myself singing an old childhood song that I just changed the words to in order to fit what I was doing:
"One little, two little, three little steps; four little, five little, six little steps; seven little, eight little, nine little steps; ten little steps up the hill!"
The song was totally catchy and the next thing I knew, I was up the hill. A few blocks later, I found myself still singing the song - yep, the song was officially stuck in my head.
Tomorrow: an 80+ mile bike up to the top of Larch and back down.
Only four more weeks until my Ironman race (YES! This beast will almost be over with!! I'm so ready to get on with my life and not have this race hanging over my head! Ugh, it's half ironman races and half marathons for me from here on out!! [You're probably thinking, "yeah right Kelly." And you may be right.])
I went for a run today and was just really enjoying being outside. I was lost in thought, enjoying the flowers and just moving along. I decided that if I can take this mentality into race day, then I will have fun no matter WHAT happens!! It will just be a nice day to be outside for 17 hours, that's all! No biggie! (Yeah, keep telling yourself that Kel!)
I also find it funny the kinds of songs that I will get stuck in my head during a long swim, bike, or run. Like today for example, I was running up a hill and needed a BIG distraction so I would keep going. I found myself singing an old childhood song that I just changed the words to in order to fit what I was doing:
"One little, two little, three little steps; four little, five little, six little steps; seven little, eight little, nine little steps; ten little steps up the hill!"
The song was totally catchy and the next thing I knew, I was up the hill. A few blocks later, I found myself still singing the song - yep, the song was officially stuck in my head.
Tomorrow: an 80+ mile bike up to the top of Larch and back down.
Only four more weeks until my Ironman race (YES! This beast will almost be over with!! I'm so ready to get on with my life and not have this race hanging over my head! Ugh, it's half ironman races and half marathons for me from here on out!! [You're probably thinking, "yeah right Kelly." And you may be right.])
Monday, May 18, 2009
Beautiful Day for a Ride
So, yesterday, I got up at 7 am, geared up, and went for a long bike ride with my friend Molly's dad Dick. He's training for a century bike ride that's in a couple of weeks, and as you know, I'm training for that crazy Ironman in 4-5 weeks, so we decided that a ride would be good. Well, actually, Dick wanted to go for a ride and forced me to go with him. J/K I willingly went along...
So, the sun was out, the weather was BEAUTIFUL and I decided to take Dick out on a ride East on Marine Drive, up through the Old Columbia Hwy to Women's Forum. Once there, our choices were to either head down past Crown Point toward the falls, or to head up Larch Mountain. In the end, we choose Larch.
I was struggling on this ride. My legs were fatigued from the run I did on Saturday and I found myself grinding away on the easy climb to Women's Forum. Plus, I haven't done much climbing with my Roo, which DOES NOT have a granny gear, so I was a bit nervous about the Larch choice, but I found climb to not be as bad as I expected. There were definitely a few stretches that I was wishing for an extra gear or a granny gear because I was SLOOOOWLY peddling. I think a jogger would have been running up the hill faster than I was peddling. Ok, maybe a speed walker would have easily passed me. But I kept at it, one rotation after another. And then the hill would let up and I could pick up my cadence again.
I didn't and don't have a computer on Roo, so I had NO clue as to how far up I had gone. I was thinking it had been about a mile or two. The next thing I knew, I saw the "5 Mile" marker and saw Dick waiting a little past it. He said that at our current stopping point, the round trip mileage would be over 60 (about 66 miles) and asked if I wanted to keep riding. I was thoroughly enjoying the climb, the sun, the view of the forest and actually wanted to keep climbing, so we decided to go up another 2 miles and call it good with a 70 miler.
Again, the 2 miles flew by (not in actual minutes because I'm a SLOW climber, but in mental minutes - meaning, I wasn't aware of the time and was mentally having fun on my ride). Then we began the descent. I LOVE that down hill ride from Larch, down the Old Columbia Hwy, back to Troutdale. It's fast and doesn't have many twists and turns to slow you down. And I felt good. I was able to maintain about 18-19 miles an hour the whole ride home (once we got down off the hill - like at Marine Drive).
The other thing I focused on during this ride was my neck position. The last long ride I did, which was only 54 miles, my neck was KILLING me at the end. I had spent a ton of time in the aero position and kept straining my neck up to see the road ahead of me. This time, I alternated my body position and really focused on keeping my head and neck in line, which helped because I got done with the bike ride with NO neck pain (huge improvement). The only pain was in my butt - I definitely need more time in the saddle!!!
Overall, it was a great ride. I'm getting stronger with hill climbing BUT am still not sure what to do about race day. Do I ride Roo or my Serotta? Roo is a tri bike, and the pluses are:
+ the aero position, which allows me to rest my upper body AND gives my legs another position that is less fatiguing
+ again, the mechanics of the bike, which do make a difference as far as muscle usage and fatigue (yeah, this is so scientific, I know - but I feel a difference when I'm just spinning on the Roo compared to the Serotta - like my legs can just relax in the aero position)
+ it doesn't have the granny gear, so if I get strong enough, I will be faster up the hills
The negatives are:
- Roo doesn't have a granny gear, so with ALL the hills, will it be less fatiguing to spin at a higher cadence in the granny gear on the Serotta while slowly climbing, or will the lack of the granny gear be balanced out by the aero position?
- My lower back was seriously fatigued from the aero position (I am focusing on core strengthening, but I don't want to have a sore back going into the marathon run)
- The bike seat hurts (it's the one that came with the bike), but I could always swap it out for one of the seats on my other bikes, which I do enjoy WAY better
Positives to riding the Serotta:
+ The granny gear and the mountain bike cassette, which allow me to climb forever EVEN if I'm not in the best of cycling shape
+ The bike seat is ergonomically correct - HUGE plus!
The negatives:
- No areo bars (I already looked into adding them, which wasn't ideal and is what led me to getting Roo in the first place)
- The granny gear which means I will be SLOW up the hills. I could always "not" use it, but I've tried that in past races/climbs before and it never works - I always drop into it because I can
I have no idea. There are so many unknowns AND the key will be trying to save my legs for the run as BEST as I can. We shall see.
My plan right now is to keep training with Roo because she is harder and will make me stronger. AND if I get enough mileage between now and the race and feel like my legs will be better off, I will ride Roo. Otherwise, I will ride the Serotta, knowing that I climb forever in that granny gear. Hmmm...
Today: I did a 1 mile recovery swim, nice and slow. It felt good to loosen up my muscles and spend time in the water. I then hopped in the hot tub and put the jets on my lower back. Overall, I feel great physically today! Muscles are recovering nicely and I'll be ready for a spin class tomorrow.
So, the sun was out, the weather was BEAUTIFUL and I decided to take Dick out on a ride East on Marine Drive, up through the Old Columbia Hwy to Women's Forum. Once there, our choices were to either head down past Crown Point toward the falls, or to head up Larch Mountain. In the end, we choose Larch.
I was struggling on this ride. My legs were fatigued from the run I did on Saturday and I found myself grinding away on the easy climb to Women's Forum. Plus, I haven't done much climbing with my Roo, which DOES NOT have a granny gear, so I was a bit nervous about the Larch choice, but I found climb to not be as bad as I expected. There were definitely a few stretches that I was wishing for an extra gear or a granny gear because I was SLOOOOWLY peddling. I think a jogger would have been running up the hill faster than I was peddling. Ok, maybe a speed walker would have easily passed me. But I kept at it, one rotation after another. And then the hill would let up and I could pick up my cadence again.
I didn't and don't have a computer on Roo, so I had NO clue as to how far up I had gone. I was thinking it had been about a mile or two. The next thing I knew, I saw the "5 Mile" marker and saw Dick waiting a little past it. He said that at our current stopping point, the round trip mileage would be over 60 (about 66 miles) and asked if I wanted to keep riding. I was thoroughly enjoying the climb, the sun, the view of the forest and actually wanted to keep climbing, so we decided to go up another 2 miles and call it good with a 70 miler.
Again, the 2 miles flew by (not in actual minutes because I'm a SLOW climber, but in mental minutes - meaning, I wasn't aware of the time and was mentally having fun on my ride). Then we began the descent. I LOVE that down hill ride from Larch, down the Old Columbia Hwy, back to Troutdale. It's fast and doesn't have many twists and turns to slow you down. And I felt good. I was able to maintain about 18-19 miles an hour the whole ride home (once we got down off the hill - like at Marine Drive).
The other thing I focused on during this ride was my neck position. The last long ride I did, which was only 54 miles, my neck was KILLING me at the end. I had spent a ton of time in the aero position and kept straining my neck up to see the road ahead of me. This time, I alternated my body position and really focused on keeping my head and neck in line, which helped because I got done with the bike ride with NO neck pain (huge improvement). The only pain was in my butt - I definitely need more time in the saddle!!!
Overall, it was a great ride. I'm getting stronger with hill climbing BUT am still not sure what to do about race day. Do I ride Roo or my Serotta? Roo is a tri bike, and the pluses are:
+ the aero position, which allows me to rest my upper body AND gives my legs another position that is less fatiguing
+ again, the mechanics of the bike, which do make a difference as far as muscle usage and fatigue (yeah, this is so scientific, I know - but I feel a difference when I'm just spinning on the Roo compared to the Serotta - like my legs can just relax in the aero position)
+ it doesn't have the granny gear, so if I get strong enough, I will be faster up the hills
The negatives are:
- Roo doesn't have a granny gear, so with ALL the hills, will it be less fatiguing to spin at a higher cadence in the granny gear on the Serotta while slowly climbing, or will the lack of the granny gear be balanced out by the aero position?
- My lower back was seriously fatigued from the aero position (I am focusing on core strengthening, but I don't want to have a sore back going into the marathon run)
- The bike seat hurts (it's the one that came with the bike), but I could always swap it out for one of the seats on my other bikes, which I do enjoy WAY better
Positives to riding the Serotta:
+ The granny gear and the mountain bike cassette, which allow me to climb forever EVEN if I'm not in the best of cycling shape
+ The bike seat is ergonomically correct - HUGE plus!
The negatives:
- No areo bars (I already looked into adding them, which wasn't ideal and is what led me to getting Roo in the first place)
- The granny gear which means I will be SLOW up the hills. I could always "not" use it, but I've tried that in past races/climbs before and it never works - I always drop into it because I can
I have no idea. There are so many unknowns AND the key will be trying to save my legs for the run as BEST as I can. We shall see.
My plan right now is to keep training with Roo because she is harder and will make me stronger. AND if I get enough mileage between now and the race and feel like my legs will be better off, I will ride Roo. Otherwise, I will ride the Serotta, knowing that I climb forever in that granny gear. Hmmm...
Today: I did a 1 mile recovery swim, nice and slow. It felt good to loosen up my muscles and spend time in the water. I then hopped in the hot tub and put the jets on my lower back. Overall, I feel great physically today! Muscles are recovering nicely and I'll be ready for a spin class tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Wall
Well, considering that I have less than 7 weeks now, and I just started a new job that is rather demanding (but exciting and amazing), I am refocusing my training a little. I'm going to focus and work on the bike and swim as hard as I can and then run when I can. I basically need to get myself to a place where I can finish the bike and swim portion in ten hours so that I can give myself 7 hours to finish the marathon in a shuffle, walk, crawl sort-of-fashion. Training has been TOUGH to stay on top of and I'm just trying to fit in cardio workouts where I can. Why must I add more to the challenge of training for an Ironman?! As if training weren't enough, I decide to change jobs and slack off. Ugh! (Ok, slack off is not really correct - I guess the training has just had to take a back seat to other life priorities, so I am just doing too much right now.)
I have decided that Ironman distance is probably not for me only because I really like having a social life and the training has just been too hard to stick to/keep up with. I haven't wanted to give up hanging out with friends in order to fit in that 6 hour bike ride on Saturday. But that will have to change a bit here because this race is coming whether I like it or not! (I'm noticing a theme with this blog with the repetitive use of "shoulds" and "have tos.")
Luckily my new job allows me to have Monday off, and since most of my friends work on Monday, I should be able to use that day for LONG training rides/runs/swims. And then if I can just keep up with the rest, I'm hoping there is a chance that I will get to the finish line. I HAVE to get to that finish line by midnight because I DO NOT want to train for another one of these races! And I'm stubborn enough that just not finishing an Ironman will bug the tar out of me, so of course I will sign up again if that is what it will take. So, I am hoping/praying that I can some how pull this off, even if my race time is 11:59 and 59 seconds, I will TAKE IT and call it good!!!
I think half Ironman distances and half marathons will be my favorite length. They are challenging enough that you have to train, but manageable enough to still have a life. We shall see!
Tomorrow: 2 mile swim and possibly some time in the saddle if I can make it to the gym in time.
I have decided that Ironman distance is probably not for me only because I really like having a social life and the training has just been too hard to stick to/keep up with. I haven't wanted to give up hanging out with friends in order to fit in that 6 hour bike ride on Saturday. But that will have to change a bit here because this race is coming whether I like it or not! (I'm noticing a theme with this blog with the repetitive use of "shoulds" and "have tos.")
Luckily my new job allows me to have Monday off, and since most of my friends work on Monday, I should be able to use that day for LONG training rides/runs/swims. And then if I can just keep up with the rest, I'm hoping there is a chance that I will get to the finish line. I HAVE to get to that finish line by midnight because I DO NOT want to train for another one of these races! And I'm stubborn enough that just not finishing an Ironman will bug the tar out of me, so of course I will sign up again if that is what it will take. So, I am hoping/praying that I can some how pull this off, even if my race time is 11:59 and 59 seconds, I will TAKE IT and call it good!!!
I think half Ironman distances and half marathons will be my favorite length. They are challenging enough that you have to train, but manageable enough to still have a life. We shall see!
Tomorrow: 2 mile swim and possibly some time in the saddle if I can make it to the gym in time.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Race for the Roses
Today I completed the Race for the Roses Half Marathon here in Ptown. I was nervous because I have not felt so confident about my training program over these last few months, but I decided to focus on having fun and enjoying my run. The weather was sunny, clear and warm. The half marathon distance is half of what I will be running in June, so for my racing self-esteem, I was really hoping that the race would not kick my butt.
During the run, I worked on pushing my pace a bit. I am learning that I can actually run faster than I think that I can. I am not sure what clicked, especially since I have not been running as much or as hard, but something clicked and I was running faster than I usually do for longer distances.
It was an amazing day. At mile 2, I realized I was running about a 10 min per mile pace or a bit faster, then the hills hit me and my pace slowed. By mile 4, I was at the turn-around and was able to start heading back down hill. Unfortunately, I didn't really gain as much time as I hoped on the down hill, but the mile markers were coming faster than I expected. My mental game felt strong, and I just enjoyed my run. There was no dread or any major physical pain. I decided to run without an ipod in an attempt to practice my mental toughness since I can't use an ipod on the Ironman.
Around mile 9, I was at the industrial part of Front Road where there was a turn around, so I got to see all of the faster runners. That is where I discovered that I was between the 10 minute per mile pace person and the 10:30 minute per mile pace person. I was amazed and stoked! Was I really running that fast and that consistently?!?! Usually, by mile 9, I am slowing down and running closer to a 12 minute per mile pace. NOT TODAY!
I focused on my stride and a faster turn over and kept running. I finished in 2 hours and 14 minutes, which KICKED my 2007 Eugene 1/2 marathon time in the butt! I was better trained in 2007 and ran Eugene in 2 hours and 31 minutes. And today, with less training and way more hills on the course, I ran the Race for the Roses 17 minutes faster than Eugene. I just felt elated and pumped. I can DO this Ironman in June! I am GOING TO DO IT! There is no tri but only do!
I have 17 hours to get 'er done. It is going to happen.
Hey, and GO TEAM!
During the run, I worked on pushing my pace a bit. I am learning that I can actually run faster than I think that I can. I am not sure what clicked, especially since I have not been running as much or as hard, but something clicked and I was running faster than I usually do for longer distances.
It was an amazing day. At mile 2, I realized I was running about a 10 min per mile pace or a bit faster, then the hills hit me and my pace slowed. By mile 4, I was at the turn-around and was able to start heading back down hill. Unfortunately, I didn't really gain as much time as I hoped on the down hill, but the mile markers were coming faster than I expected. My mental game felt strong, and I just enjoyed my run. There was no dread or any major physical pain. I decided to run without an ipod in an attempt to practice my mental toughness since I can't use an ipod on the Ironman.
Around mile 9, I was at the industrial part of Front Road where there was a turn around, so I got to see all of the faster runners. That is where I discovered that I was between the 10 minute per mile pace person and the 10:30 minute per mile pace person. I was amazed and stoked! Was I really running that fast and that consistently?!?! Usually, by mile 9, I am slowing down and running closer to a 12 minute per mile pace. NOT TODAY!
I focused on my stride and a faster turn over and kept running. I finished in 2 hours and 14 minutes, which KICKED my 2007 Eugene 1/2 marathon time in the butt! I was better trained in 2007 and ran Eugene in 2 hours and 31 minutes. And today, with less training and way more hills on the course, I ran the Race for the Roses 17 minutes faster than Eugene. I just felt elated and pumped. I can DO this Ironman in June! I am GOING TO DO IT! There is no tri but only do!
I have 17 hours to get 'er done. It is going to happen.
Hey, and GO TEAM!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Don't Say You Can't
Needing a little Youtube inspiration?
Don't Say You Can't
This one makes me cry!
Or what about this one (I got excited for racing watching this one - oh man, so scary and exciting)!
Ok, I'm ready to get serious again! I can totally do this!
Don't Say You Can't
This one makes me cry!
Or what about this one (I got excited for racing watching this one - oh man, so scary and exciting)!
Ok, I'm ready to get serious again! I can totally do this!
Monday, March 30, 2009
To the Gym & Beyond!!
To borrow Buzz Lightyear's saying, "to infinity and beyond," today marks the day that I'm going to turn this training around! This is something I should have been doing all along, but I've been in a weird place the last few months. Things that were once important to me were put on the back burner in a lot of aspects of my life. BUT NOT ANY MORE (at least I hope - man, I still don't sound confident and convinced). Today I am going to the gym after work and I will follow my training schedule every day this week! No excuses! That's the plan. And then on Sunday I will be running in the Race for the Roses Half Marathon, which is good. That will force me to get in a long workout this weekend. Ugh, I just hope I am not self-sabotaging. I want to do this race. I have wanted to race and complete an Ironman for at least four years now (if not longer). Here is my chance, so what am I doing with that chance?! Where is the focus and the determination?!
It is like I need to get my heart back in the game. Why do I want this? Why am I pursuing this goal? This is no minor race. And the fact that April is in two days is CRAZY! April, May, then JUNE! June 21st - DDay! Dooms Day, Don't be a Dufus and Start Training Now Day, Do It Day!
Ok, so clearly I have a knack for stressing myself out and being a little over-dramatic. So, here is what I should focus on: just today's workout. I still have about 82 days until my race. If I pull it together and start training, I may still have a good chance of getting to that finish line in June. So, what do I need to do today to make sure I get to the gym and give it my all? I guess I just have to do it.
Don't tri...do!
That is it! A choice between action and contemplation. Just do it and then think about it later. As Coach Seth says, "continual forward progress" (I think that is the mantra - someone correct me if that is wrong). One foot in front of the other. The finish line is a fixed point. As long as I keep moving, at some point, I will arrive at my destination. Which means that starting today, I need to take my next step forward, which is getting to the gym and completing my workout.
It is like I need to get my heart back in the game. Why do I want this? Why am I pursuing this goal? This is no minor race. And the fact that April is in two days is CRAZY! April, May, then JUNE! June 21st - DDay! Dooms Day, Don't be a Dufus and Start Training Now Day, Do It Day!
Ok, so clearly I have a knack for stressing myself out and being a little over-dramatic. So, here is what I should focus on: just today's workout. I still have about 82 days until my race. If I pull it together and start training, I may still have a good chance of getting to that finish line in June. So, what do I need to do today to make sure I get to the gym and give it my all? I guess I just have to do it.
Don't tri...do!
That is it! A choice between action and contemplation. Just do it and then think about it later. As Coach Seth says, "continual forward progress" (I think that is the mantra - someone correct me if that is wrong). One foot in front of the other. The finish line is a fixed point. As long as I keep moving, at some point, I will arrive at my destination. Which means that starting today, I need to take my next step forward, which is getting to the gym and completing my workout.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
It's Gonna Take a Miracle...
(WARNING...this one is a long one in order to make up for missed blogging!)
Anyone hear of a good two month training program for the Ironman distance? No? Oh, is that because it's a major endurance race that takes months of conditioning in order to get your body ready for the beating that a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run dish out?! Ok, that's good to know.
I have pretty much screwed up my entire training program. I have a little over two months until CDA and somehow I need to get my butt in gear. Let's rewind four weeks and see what happened...
Week of Feb. 23rd:
I left for the Bahamas on a 7 day kayaking trip that left from Northern Exuma Island. It was an amazing trip! I got to camp and paddle and forget all about such everyday nuisances like cell phones, emails, my job, you know, the usual. But what I didn't do was train. The paddling was really leisurely and not so majorly cardio-focused. The beaches were not very long, so the idea of running back and forth forty times to get about 3 miles of running in did not really seem very motivating. And I did get to swim in the ocean twice, but that was more sight-seeing vs. cardio training. So, there went one week of preparation for CDA. But here are some of the things I got to see...
Week of Mar. 2nd:
Back to Portland and planned to go for a run with my pal/housemate Molly. She had plans to run 9 miles at Forest Park. I was up for the challenge but decided I should just take it "easy" and run 8 miles since I had not been running. The run started off just fine, I took it slow and ran by myself. I had my ipod and was listening to Motown tunes for the first mile until the head phones started having issues. I took them off and started to focus on my breathing and foot placement on the uneven terrain. This was probably better because I cannot use an ipod during the race, so I should really be training like I'll race.
Eventually I hit the mile 4 marker and headed back down the hill. Things were still going well. I had a moment or two where I thought that I should have turned around at the 3.5 marker but I didn't follow through with that thought. On the way down, I started feeling my knees. It felt like the second I passed the Mile 2 marker, signifying that I had completed 6 miles, both knees started hurting. The last two miles were spent with me wanting to scream and curse. I should have just stopped and walked, but I am stubborn and felt like I should have been able to run 8 miles. So I gimped along at a painfully slow shuffle. I tried to pick up my pace at one point, thinking that lengthening my stride would help, but it just caused my knees to feel more pressure and pain. I wanted to scream. I think I may have started crying out of frustration, but I kept shuffling along. I had a permanent grimace on my face and wanted to yell at anyone that I encountered on the trail. I must have looked evil.
My legs were tired and struggled with the uneven terrain, so every foot strike on the rocky ground sent a frustrating pain through my knees (not a sharp pain but a dull, pressure filled pain that makes me want to ball my fist and punch something or bite my lip until it bleeds). Fun times! But I did it! I completed the 8 miles and did not walk. I hurt and was frustrated at my lack of training, but I did it. I felt like I should be further along, and yes, truthfully, I should be.
The next day, I had planned to ride my bike starting from McMenamin's Edgefield up to Women's Forum. It is a short 20.5 mile ride or so. This was my test on my new bike considering I have not done any hill climbing with Roo and she does not have a granny gear. After the previous day's run, I was sure that this ride was going to kick my butt. But instead, I was pleasantly surprised. It was easier than I remember some of my "beginning" rides during previous tri seasons. I love the aero position and it felt good climbing, even though the grade is not as steep as I will need to get used to. But overall it was a confidence boosting ride!
Here are some pics I took with my cell at Women's Forum:
Week of Mar. 9th:
The 15K Shamrock run! I had a couple of days of cardio prior to the race (a 2 mile swim, some elliptical work and maybe a spin session - not enough for Ironman training). I was nervous about the run considering that the weekend before my knees had crapped out at 6 miles and this race was 9.3 miles of hill climbing, gradual down hill, and lots of cement pounding. Plus the weather was windy, rainy, and just plain delightful (kidding - it was miserable). But I took my time, focused on my form, and felt good. At mile 4, somewhere on the Terwilliger curves, my left knee started up. I felt nervous but tried to think positive and utilize my running mantra ("I am a runner...I run with the greatest of ease"). And something worked because my knees held up. I was even able to pick up my pace at Barbur Blvd all the way to the finish line (I was even passing people - it was AWESOME)! I finished the 9.3 miles in 1:36:47, and I felt good afterwards! HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT so you would think that training was back on track, right?!
Week of Mar. 16th:
Enter NCAA March Madness and college basketball. The Zags made it to the Sweet 16 and training essentially stopped for me.
Need I say more?! GO ZAGS!
Anyone hear of a good two month training program for the Ironman distance? No? Oh, is that because it's a major endurance race that takes months of conditioning in order to get your body ready for the beating that a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run dish out?! Ok, that's good to know.
I have pretty much screwed up my entire training program. I have a little over two months until CDA and somehow I need to get my butt in gear. Let's rewind four weeks and see what happened...
Week of Feb. 23rd:
I left for the Bahamas on a 7 day kayaking trip that left from Northern Exuma Island. It was an amazing trip! I got to camp and paddle and forget all about such everyday nuisances like cell phones, emails, my job, you know, the usual. But what I didn't do was train. The paddling was really leisurely and not so majorly cardio-focused. The beaches were not very long, so the idea of running back and forth forty times to get about 3 miles of running in did not really seem very motivating. And I did get to swim in the ocean twice, but that was more sight-seeing vs. cardio training. So, there went one week of preparation for CDA. But here are some of the things I got to see...
Week of Mar. 2nd:
Back to Portland and planned to go for a run with my pal/housemate Molly. She had plans to run 9 miles at Forest Park. I was up for the challenge but decided I should just take it "easy" and run 8 miles since I had not been running. The run started off just fine, I took it slow and ran by myself. I had my ipod and was listening to Motown tunes for the first mile until the head phones started having issues. I took them off and started to focus on my breathing and foot placement on the uneven terrain. This was probably better because I cannot use an ipod during the race, so I should really be training like I'll race.
Eventually I hit the mile 4 marker and headed back down the hill. Things were still going well. I had a moment or two where I thought that I should have turned around at the 3.5 marker but I didn't follow through with that thought. On the way down, I started feeling my knees. It felt like the second I passed the Mile 2 marker, signifying that I had completed 6 miles, both knees started hurting. The last two miles were spent with me wanting to scream and curse. I should have just stopped and walked, but I am stubborn and felt like I should have been able to run 8 miles. So I gimped along at a painfully slow shuffle. I tried to pick up my pace at one point, thinking that lengthening my stride would help, but it just caused my knees to feel more pressure and pain. I wanted to scream. I think I may have started crying out of frustration, but I kept shuffling along. I had a permanent grimace on my face and wanted to yell at anyone that I encountered on the trail. I must have looked evil.
My legs were tired and struggled with the uneven terrain, so every foot strike on the rocky ground sent a frustrating pain through my knees (not a sharp pain but a dull, pressure filled pain that makes me want to ball my fist and punch something or bite my lip until it bleeds). Fun times! But I did it! I completed the 8 miles and did not walk. I hurt and was frustrated at my lack of training, but I did it. I felt like I should be further along, and yes, truthfully, I should be.
The next day, I had planned to ride my bike starting from McMenamin's Edgefield up to Women's Forum. It is a short 20.5 mile ride or so. This was my test on my new bike considering I have not done any hill climbing with Roo and she does not have a granny gear. After the previous day's run, I was sure that this ride was going to kick my butt. But instead, I was pleasantly surprised. It was easier than I remember some of my "beginning" rides during previous tri seasons. I love the aero position and it felt good climbing, even though the grade is not as steep as I will need to get used to. But overall it was a confidence boosting ride!
Here are some pics I took with my cell at Women's Forum:
Week of Mar. 9th:
The 15K Shamrock run! I had a couple of days of cardio prior to the race (a 2 mile swim, some elliptical work and maybe a spin session - not enough for Ironman training). I was nervous about the run considering that the weekend before my knees had crapped out at 6 miles and this race was 9.3 miles of hill climbing, gradual down hill, and lots of cement pounding. Plus the weather was windy, rainy, and just plain delightful (kidding - it was miserable). But I took my time, focused on my form, and felt good. At mile 4, somewhere on the Terwilliger curves, my left knee started up. I felt nervous but tried to think positive and utilize my running mantra ("I am a runner...I run with the greatest of ease"). And something worked because my knees held up. I was even able to pick up my pace at Barbur Blvd all the way to the finish line (I was even passing people - it was AWESOME)! I finished the 9.3 miles in 1:36:47, and I felt good afterwards! HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT so you would think that training was back on track, right?!
Week of Mar. 16th:
Enter NCAA March Madness and college basketball. The Zags made it to the Sweet 16 and training essentially stopped for me.
Need I say more?! GO ZAGS!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Did Someone Say Bahamas?!
Yep, you heard me correctly...I am leaving on Monday for a 7 day kayaking trip in the Bahamas. So, needless to say, I will be taking a little hiatus from training. BUT I'm bring my running shoes and I will get to swim in the ocean, so maybe I will not lose too much ground. UGH! I'm really getting nervous for this Ironman race.
:-}
So, until March 6th, train hard and I'll post pictures/stories as soon as I'm back!
Ciao amici!
:-}
So, until March 6th, train hard and I'll post pictures/stories as soon as I'm back!
Ciao amici!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Night Running
After a frustrating day yesterday, and after almost wanting to ram this poor person off the road in front of me, I realized that driving to the crowded 24 Hour Hollywood gym to exercise in my already agitated state was PROBABLY not the BEST idea. Instead I opted to drive home and go for a run around 6:50 at night. I HAD SO MUCH FUN! It was quiet, I could think, and I wasn't scared at all! I think that the run did agitate my cold, but otherwise, it cleared my head and was exciting.
I did get a little lost though w/ no sun as a guide/marker. I was running in NE Portland and got turned around on Alameda St. It curves and I thought I was still running West when I got to an intersection that said "24th & Mason" and I was on 24th! "Wait, don't the numbered streets run North/South?!" But instead of stopping and investigating, I kept running, thinking that the sign must have been turned around. I still literally "felt" that I was running West. Nope. It was so weird when I realized that I was actually running North. I felt so disoriented and wacky. But I corrected my mistake and continued on.
I won't make it a habit to run at night, but it was a beautiful night and I REALLY enjoyed the run!
I did get a little lost though w/ no sun as a guide/marker. I was running in NE Portland and got turned around on Alameda St. It curves and I thought I was still running West when I got to an intersection that said "24th & Mason" and I was on 24th! "Wait, don't the numbered streets run North/South?!" But instead of stopping and investigating, I kept running, thinking that the sign must have been turned around. I still literally "felt" that I was running West. Nope. It was so weird when I realized that I was actually running North. I felt so disoriented and wacky. But I corrected my mistake and continued on.
I won't make it a habit to run at night, but it was a beautiful night and I REALLY enjoyed the run!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
On a roll...
...to not making it to the finish line.
So this week (thus far) has been a no-exercise week for me. I'm sick, I leave today for Boise, and I am not very motivated. I keep thinking "ok, next week will be different." But unless I say "today will be different" and I ACTUALLY do something about it (oh, like getting my butt to the gym), I will never get to that finish line in June.
So, I am bringing my running shoes with me to Boise and am hoping that I will get some form of cardio in for the weekend.
So, there is my update...pretty much NOTHING really to update you about other than the fact that this week I have not made ONE SINGLE TRAINING DAY! I hate being sick!
So this week (thus far) has been a no-exercise week for me. I'm sick, I leave today for Boise, and I am not very motivated. I keep thinking "ok, next week will be different." But unless I say "today will be different" and I ACTUALLY do something about it (oh, like getting my butt to the gym), I will never get to that finish line in June.
So, I am bringing my running shoes with me to Boise and am hoping that I will get some form of cardio in for the weekend.
So, there is my update...pretty much NOTHING really to update you about other than the fact that this week I have not made ONE SINGLE TRAINING DAY! I hate being sick!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rez-is-tance
So, I am learning things on this journey. For instance, last Saturday I went on a six mile run up at Forrest Park with my pal Molly. We started at the mile 0 marker at the NW Thurman entrance. I set my watch at zero, ready to start the watch once my feet started to move. I looked at Molly, most likely groaned, and then proceeded to run.
The run was slow going. I had stayed up too late the night before and basically have not been taking very good care of myself lately. At mile marker 1, I was at about a 10:50 minute per mile pace. But I was feeling good, breathing steadily, and was actually enjoying my run.
Long-legged Molly picked it up (she's such a good runner and a good friend - I love that girl), and I was left with my thoughts, the view, and the sounds of my feet pounding on the gravel and my breaths breathing in and out. I just focused on relaxing and on stopping the limiting thoughts that keep me feeling like I have to run at a certain slow pace. The irony is that once I stopped resisting and thinking too hard, I was actually able to run faster than I usually do without much more effort.
I was reminded of a quote from Danny Dreyer's Chi Running book, and it was this basic concept that I focused on during my run on Saturday:
On that run, I was offering no resistance. I was focusing on my body and how it felt to run. When I developed a painful side-stitch at mile 4.5, I just focused on deep breathing through my nose, and within minutes, the pain was gone. I focused on form and on being 100% present to what I was doing, which was running. And amazingly, I had no knee pain and was able to pick up my pace. I finished the 6 miles in about 59 minutes, which means I was able to pick up my pace to faster than an 11 minute per mile pace. Of course, the run back from the 3 mile marker was mostly downhill, which helped! But usually downhill wreaks major havoc on my knees (stupid FLAT feet)! But no, Saturday was a good run!
And I know that during the next 20 weeks, I will have some horrible, painful, should-have-stayed-in-bed kind of runs, but I suppose it is all a part of the journey. I need to stop resisting and trying to control what I do or don't do. And this motto needs to extend beyond my workouts. I know that when I stop resisting, life happens. And how much more peaceful and calm and enjoyable is life when I'm not kicking and screaming and resisting?!
But this is just all a part of the process. And I can't get caught up in what everyone else is doing and what I'm "not" doing. This is about me and my journey to that finish line in June. It's about pushing myself to limits that I have yet to experience. It's about finding out what I'm truly made of. Can I do this? Yes, I think that I can.
The run was slow going. I had stayed up too late the night before and basically have not been taking very good care of myself lately. At mile marker 1, I was at about a 10:50 minute per mile pace. But I was feeling good, breathing steadily, and was actually enjoying my run.
Long-legged Molly picked it up (she's such a good runner and a good friend - I love that girl), and I was left with my thoughts, the view, and the sounds of my feet pounding on the gravel and my breaths breathing in and out. I just focused on relaxing and on stopping the limiting thoughts that keep me feeling like I have to run at a certain slow pace. The irony is that once I stopped resisting and thinking too hard, I was actually able to run faster than I usually do without much more effort.
I was reminded of a quote from Danny Dreyer's Chi Running book, and it was this basic concept that I focused on during my run on Saturday:
"I've been using the theme of Relaxation to learn to run more effortlessly and, also to see how it applies to the rest of my life as well. So far it seems to apply in every situation. As long as I stay relaxed and centered, I more easily accomplish any job set before me -- whether it's running a 10K, cooking a meal, or commuting in rush-hour traffic. It seems so much easier to do anything when you offer up no resistance to doing it, especially when it's something that you don't like to do! If my legs offer no resistance, the run happens as it should. If I offer no resistance, my life happens as it should" (pg. 56).
On that run, I was offering no resistance. I was focusing on my body and how it felt to run. When I developed a painful side-stitch at mile 4.5, I just focused on deep breathing through my nose, and within minutes, the pain was gone. I focused on form and on being 100% present to what I was doing, which was running. And amazingly, I had no knee pain and was able to pick up my pace. I finished the 6 miles in about 59 minutes, which means I was able to pick up my pace to faster than an 11 minute per mile pace. Of course, the run back from the 3 mile marker was mostly downhill, which helped! But usually downhill wreaks major havoc on my knees (stupid FLAT feet)! But no, Saturday was a good run!
And I know that during the next 20 weeks, I will have some horrible, painful, should-have-stayed-in-bed kind of runs, but I suppose it is all a part of the journey. I need to stop resisting and trying to control what I do or don't do. And this motto needs to extend beyond my workouts. I know that when I stop resisting, life happens. And how much more peaceful and calm and enjoyable is life when I'm not kicking and screaming and resisting?!
But this is just all a part of the process. And I can't get caught up in what everyone else is doing and what I'm "not" doing. This is about me and my journey to that finish line in June. It's about pushing myself to limits that I have yet to experience. It's about finding out what I'm truly made of. Can I do this? Yes, I think that I can.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Fun Facts From IronCrazy.Com
I was googling today, looking for Ironman inspiration, when I found this blog.
Here were the fun facts he listed about the 2007 World Championships in Kona:
Um, Laurent Jalabert is A-mazing...that last factoid blows my mind!!!! See! You do not need to be an awesome swimmer to do triathlons/ironmans!! :-)
Man, finishing under 10 hours!!! I just want to finish under 17, which is now starting to make me develop cold sweats and accelerated heart beats when I think about!!!! I NEED TO TRAIN!!!! Ok, ok, calming down now.
I think I'm also getting super nervous because Monday marks the OFFICIAL Week 1 of 20 Weeks until my race! This is it! No more messing around. I can't miss any more training days or workouts. And I think I'm freaking out a bit more because 5 weeks just flew by like *that*, so how fast is 20 weeks going to just zip by?!?!?!?!
I am starting to note some races I want to do for my training: the 15K Shamrock Run, the Race for the Roses 1/2 Marathon, the Cherry of a Century ride out in the Gorge, and possibly the Hagg Lake swim in May. Ugh, I'm getting a little bit scared and am not feeling so confident. I really need to do a mental check and kick my butt into gear.
Thanks to all of you for supporting me and reading this here blog.
T minus 143 Days and counting...
Here were the fun facts he listed about the 2007 World Championships in Kona:
Chrissie Wellington’s race at Ironman World Championship 2007 was her second Ironman race ever. Her first race was Ironman Korea which she won only seven weeks before Ironman World Championship.
Chris McCormack ran a 2:42:02 marathon - this is a 3:50 min/km pace! After a super hard bike! At horrible Hawaii heat!
First 28 competitors finished the Ironman World Championship race under 9 hours. Average time difference between these competitors was 1 minute 35 seconds. This is a hard race for sure: with so much talent such a small amount of people went under nine hours. For example, Challenge Roth which is considered the fastest race in the world (world record course) had 32 athletes finish under nine hours. However Challenge Roth does not have so many professional competitors. Ironman World Championship had 70 PRO finishers and around 90 PRO competitors and Challenge Roth had approx. 50 PRO competitors, I am not aware how many of them finished.
291 competitors finished under 10 hours. Average time difference between them was 21 seconds. Average time between competitors who finished during the hour between nine and ten hours was 13 seconds. Super competitive! This means that if you gained one second every 3 km of the run you could climb one spot. So one second every kilometre would be three spots. Etc etc… It is surely a race with the most pressure ever!
Laurent Jalabert, ex Tour de France cyclist, exited the swim at 1145th spot and finished the bike after 4:45:49 in 105th spot. Laurent Jalabert passed a total of 1040 competitors which means he passed someone every 16 seconds! I imagine that if he did not have to do so much passing and avoiding other competitors he would surely have a better bike split.
Um, Laurent Jalabert is A-mazing...that last factoid blows my mind!!!! See! You do not need to be an awesome swimmer to do triathlons/ironmans!! :-)
Man, finishing under 10 hours!!! I just want to finish under 17, which is now starting to make me develop cold sweats and accelerated heart beats when I think about!!!! I NEED TO TRAIN!!!! Ok, ok, calming down now.
I think I'm also getting super nervous because Monday marks the OFFICIAL Week 1 of 20 Weeks until my race! This is it! No more messing around. I can't miss any more training days or workouts. And I think I'm freaking out a bit more because 5 weeks just flew by like *that*, so how fast is 20 weeks going to just zip by?!?!?!?!
I am starting to note some races I want to do for my training: the 15K Shamrock Run, the Race for the Roses 1/2 Marathon, the Cherry of a Century ride out in the Gorge, and possibly the Hagg Lake swim in May. Ugh, I'm getting a little bit scared and am not feeling so confident. I really need to do a mental check and kick my butt into gear.
Thanks to all of you for supporting me and reading this here blog.
T minus 143 Days and counting...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Feels Like Starting Over
Well, last week was a training disaster. I do not regret my "time off" of training but I definitely need to prevent more of these weeks from occurring in the future. We had out-of-town guests, and I let that distract me from training. Today marks the beginning of Week #5 of the 25 Weeks I have to prepare. But I guess that is just life. Life is always full of obstacles of some kind and unexpected detours, and I suppose the day of the race will probably be no different. This is all just a test of my ability to persevere. Thankfully I'm a stubborn Irish redhead, so I already have that going for me. And I would not go back and change last week. Sometimes people are just more important than training. Der!
Today is a swim day. I have not been swimming for almost 2 weeks now, so this workout will be interesting. Oh fun times! I really enjoy the pool and am actually looking forward to this time to clear my head and have some silence.
As for my thoughts on this whole Ironman endeavor...there are still moments when I stop and think about the distances I will be covering, the toll it will take, and the mental endurance I will need in order to keep moving forward, and I think, "Kelly, what the H?!" But yet, there is still this inner confidence that I'm going to get to that finish line. I just do not even have a doubt. And yes, anything can happen and I could not get there, but instead I'm taking that risk, that leap of faith and pursuing something that slightly seems "impossible."
But what does "impossible" really mean? Human history is full of amazing stories of perseverance and triumph over "impossible" goals and experiences. So here's to continuing my journey that will hopefully end in triumph.
Today is a swim day. I have not been swimming for almost 2 weeks now, so this workout will be interesting. Oh fun times! I really enjoy the pool and am actually looking forward to this time to clear my head and have some silence.
As for my thoughts on this whole Ironman endeavor...there are still moments when I stop and think about the distances I will be covering, the toll it will take, and the mental endurance I will need in order to keep moving forward, and I think, "Kelly, what the H?!" But yet, there is still this inner confidence that I'm going to get to that finish line. I just do not even have a doubt. And yes, anything can happen and I could not get there, but instead I'm taking that risk, that leap of faith and pursuing something that slightly seems "impossible."
But what does "impossible" really mean? Human history is full of amazing stories of perseverance and triumph over "impossible" goals and experiences. So here's to continuing my journey that will hopefully end in triumph.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Ebb & Flow
Oh life...how funny and ironic you are sometimes. Let's just say that this week the training is not happening so much. I'm not worried. I can get two long workouts in this weekend and hopefully a swim workout in on Friday, but I have definitely taken more time off than I "should" this week.
Oh the "shoulds."
Oh the "shoulds."
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wind 1, Kelly 0
So yesterday marked the first day that I got to ride my new little bike, which I've now dubbed "Roo" or "Little Roo." I took some pictures and a couple of videos on the ride, which I will try to post (yes, I'm a nerd). It was a great day for a ride: sun, no rain, decent temperature, and wind. WIND?!!! Yeah, wind. Lots of it.
The ride started out great. I had decided to head out toward Marine Drive, which parallels the Columbia River. The sun was shining, there were beautiful views of Mount Hood, and again, no rain. Then I hit Marine Drive and hit the wall of wind that was blowing Westward through the Gorge. I can think of 2 other bike rides in the past that I encountered wind that made it tough to ride, but let me tell you, the wind yesterday was fierce.
Marine Drive is flat, and on non-windy days or days when the wind is at your back, it's a smooth and fast ride. From where I live to Blue Lake Park on Marine Drive is about 14.94 miles (I mapquested it). To give you a little illustration, it took me a grueling 90 minutes to get to Blue Lake Park and an EASY 38 minutes to get back!! NUTS!
Basically, I was humbled by Mother Nature. There were about 4 times on the ride when I had to stop because the wind was so strong that it nearly brought me to a standstill on my bike (while peddling!) and I was about to fall over. CRAZY! And yet, I decided to persist. I'm kind of stubborn like that.
The f-bomb was dropped on more than one occasion on my fight into the wind, and there were a couple of times that I had to stand on my bike to keep momentum in order to move forward because my legs weren't feeling strong enough to keep pushing while I was seated in the saddle. CRAZY! I kept laughing to myself thinking that I must look ridiculous to the motorists passing by! I did at some point try to ride in the aero position (unfortunately, I didn't try this earlier on in my ride!), and I found it to be much easier to peddle and move through the wind (DUH Kelly! Aero position = a more aerodynamic body position = less resistance moving forward...hey, we can't all be geniuses, right?!). I was scared to try it at first because I was being jostled so much by the wind that I was afraid of being blown into the traffic (that almost happened to me once before on a ride out in the Gorge last year - not fun). But honestly, once down in the position, it wasn't so scary or hard to control the bike.
I finally made it to Blue Lake, took in the scenery, and headed back. The fight was worth it for the tail wind that I had on my way back. It was quiet, no sound, as the wind was blowing in the direction I was riding, helping me along. I could ride fast and easy in the aero position and was just flying by. I LOVED IT! I love riding fast on my bike on a flat road.
So, the 2 hour ride on my training schedule ended up to be more of a 2 hour 40 min ride, and I didn't end up going as far as I had hoped. Oh well. What I did learn is that the wind is fierce. You win, Wind! Wind 1, Kelly 0.
The ride started out great. I had decided to head out toward Marine Drive, which parallels the Columbia River. The sun was shining, there were beautiful views of Mount Hood, and again, no rain. Then I hit Marine Drive and hit the wall of wind that was blowing Westward through the Gorge. I can think of 2 other bike rides in the past that I encountered wind that made it tough to ride, but let me tell you, the wind yesterday was fierce.
Marine Drive is flat, and on non-windy days or days when the wind is at your back, it's a smooth and fast ride. From where I live to Blue Lake Park on Marine Drive is about 14.94 miles (I mapquested it). To give you a little illustration, it took me a grueling 90 minutes to get to Blue Lake Park and an EASY 38 minutes to get back!! NUTS!
Basically, I was humbled by Mother Nature. There were about 4 times on the ride when I had to stop because the wind was so strong that it nearly brought me to a standstill on my bike (while peddling!) and I was about to fall over. CRAZY! And yet, I decided to persist. I'm kind of stubborn like that.
The f-bomb was dropped on more than one occasion on my fight into the wind, and there were a couple of times that I had to stand on my bike to keep momentum in order to move forward because my legs weren't feeling strong enough to keep pushing while I was seated in the saddle. CRAZY! I kept laughing to myself thinking that I must look ridiculous to the motorists passing by! I did at some point try to ride in the aero position (unfortunately, I didn't try this earlier on in my ride!), and I found it to be much easier to peddle and move through the wind (DUH Kelly! Aero position = a more aerodynamic body position = less resistance moving forward...hey, we can't all be geniuses, right?!). I was scared to try it at first because I was being jostled so much by the wind that I was afraid of being blown into the traffic (that almost happened to me once before on a ride out in the Gorge last year - not fun). But honestly, once down in the position, it wasn't so scary or hard to control the bike.
I finally made it to Blue Lake, took in the scenery, and headed back. The fight was worth it for the tail wind that I had on my way back. It was quiet, no sound, as the wind was blowing in the direction I was riding, helping me along. I could ride fast and easy in the aero position and was just flying by. I LOVED IT! I love riding fast on my bike on a flat road.
So, the 2 hour ride on my training schedule ended up to be more of a 2 hour 40 min ride, and I didn't end up going as far as I had hoped. Oh well. What I did learn is that the wind is fierce. You win, Wind! Wind 1, Kelly 0.
Video and Pictures from Sunday's Ride
(BLUE LAKE!! I took this picture because I had actually made it to my goal.) 
(Hello Washington! Can you see the white caps on the water?! Yeah, it was windy out there!!) 
(Above is a picture of Mount Hood at the beginning of the ride before I headed off to battle the wind.) 
(And of course, any good nerd should have a picture of herself on her new bike...yep, me on my bike!) And for the videos...I hope this works...
And finally...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
How's Training Going?!
I remember several people saying that they were sick of the question above when they were training for their Ironman races. Now I know what they are talking about and it's only the end of Week #3.
It's a legitimate question, I realize, for my friends and family to ask. It's legitimate because training is my life right now. It's like when people asked the question, "so, what are you going to do when you graduate?" It's like that question because at that time, my life was school and school was ending, so they wanted to know what was next for me. What were my plans for life? Just as now people want to know what is going on with the thing that is consuming my life.
"Consuming" is a strong word. I'm not consumed yet, just focused. At the end of Week #3, I'm realizing that for the next 22 weeks, my free time will almost not exist. Monday through Friday look like this: wake up, get ready for work, go to work, work, go to the gym for 2-3 hours, get home, eat dinner, go straight to bed, and then repeat this pattern the next day. My schedule is much regulated, which is something I'm definitely not used to. I like freedom and spontaneity, but those two things won't get me to the finish line of an Ironman.
And I'm tired. Muscles are sore and fatigued; I missed ALL of my swims last week and feel a little guilty. I can't start slacking now! 2.4 miles of swimming is a long way and that is only the beginning of the race.
Yesterday, I went on a 45 minute run with my friend/housemate Molly. I had done a 40 minute strength training video and a 30 minute easy workout on the elliptical machine before we headed out for our run. The schedule called for a 90 minute run, but with some personal issues, 45 minutes was all that I decided to complete. It turned out to be a good idea for reasons that I won't go into publicly. The good thing was that I still felt good and strong at the end of the run and could have gone longer had the other problem not persisted (a problem that won't be back for another few weeks thankfully). Let me just say that it's tough to be a woman sometimes. :-(
All to say, training is going...it's going...I guess it's just going. Truth be told, I don't really know how to answer that question. How is training going? Well, since I have never trained for an Ironman, I don't really know how it's going? Am I doing enough? Will I be ready with what I'm currently doing? Did I pick the right training schedule? I just do not know yet. I guess, as Molly says, I'll know when I know, and then, I'll know.
It's a legitimate question, I realize, for my friends and family to ask. It's legitimate because training is my life right now. It's like when people asked the question, "so, what are you going to do when you graduate?" It's like that question because at that time, my life was school and school was ending, so they wanted to know what was next for me. What were my plans for life? Just as now people want to know what is going on with the thing that is consuming my life.
"Consuming" is a strong word. I'm not consumed yet, just focused. At the end of Week #3, I'm realizing that for the next 22 weeks, my free time will almost not exist. Monday through Friday look like this: wake up, get ready for work, go to work, work, go to the gym for 2-3 hours, get home, eat dinner, go straight to bed, and then repeat this pattern the next day. My schedule is much regulated, which is something I'm definitely not used to. I like freedom and spontaneity, but those two things won't get me to the finish line of an Ironman.
And I'm tired. Muscles are sore and fatigued; I missed ALL of my swims last week and feel a little guilty. I can't start slacking now! 2.4 miles of swimming is a long way and that is only the beginning of the race.
Yesterday, I went on a 45 minute run with my friend/housemate Molly. I had done a 40 minute strength training video and a 30 minute easy workout on the elliptical machine before we headed out for our run. The schedule called for a 90 minute run, but with some personal issues, 45 minutes was all that I decided to complete. It turned out to be a good idea for reasons that I won't go into publicly. The good thing was that I still felt good and strong at the end of the run and could have gone longer had the other problem not persisted (a problem that won't be back for another few weeks thankfully). Let me just say that it's tough to be a woman sometimes. :-(
All to say, training is going...it's going...I guess it's just going. Truth be told, I don't really know how to answer that question. How is training going? Well, since I have never trained for an Ironman, I don't really know how it's going? Am I doing enough? Will I be ready with what I'm currently doing? Did I pick the right training schedule? I just do not know yet. I guess, as Molly says, I'll know when I know, and then, I'll know.
My New Bike!
Meet my new bike! She doesn't have a name yet, and we are still getting to know each other. When I first got her, I was shocked. I was at Athlete's Lounge with my Dad and the plan revolved around possibly outfitting my Serotta (which I love dearly) with aerobars. Instead, I walked out with the Kilo above. My mind was racing. AEROBARS, BRAKES ON THE HORNS AND SHIFTERS ON THE AEROBARS?!?!?!?! I'm going to wreck. A TRI BIKE?! Am I ready for this?!?!?!?!?!!! I sort of panicked. I hadn't even rode the bike in the "real" world and was feeling VERY nervous about the purchase.
At the same time, the big snow storm hit and my bike was left at the shop. When the snow finally melted and I was able to get back to the store to pick her up, my heart started to open a little. My friend Crystal was with me, and as is necessary for triathletes, all we could talk about was racing, training, and gear. So, it was fun to have her thoughts and tips on my purchase. As I walked out of the store, with my bike rolling along by my side, I realized that this little guy has some major spunk. She felt like a hyper dog or adolescent that just wanted to GO! Words like "zippy" and "peddle fast" came to mind as I looked down at her. The energy was contagious and the next thing I knew, I wanted to hop on and GO.
We are still strangers, but we have over 20 weeks to get to know one another. Welcome to Ironman training little Roo!
Friday, January 2, 2009
One of Twenty-Five
Monday, December 29th marked day 1 of my 25 week training. I don't quite know how I want to format this blog or this particular journal entry. I think I will just type and see what happens.
I'm currently on day 5 of week 1. My plan this week, was/is as follows:
Monday: Run 45 minutes, swim 2500 yds
Tuesday: Run 45 minutes, bike 60 minutes
Wednesday: Swim 1550 yds
Thursday: Bike 60 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run 90 minutes slow, swim (I forgot the yds)
Sunday: Bike 90 minutes (can go longer if I made all this week's workouts comfortably)
So far, almost so good. Here is what really happened...
Monday: I had planned to run my 45 minutes at the gym but realized I left my sports bra at home (NOT GOOD), so instead I opted for a lower impact workout on the elliptical machine for 45 minutes. Then on to the swim. I completed the full workout and actually really enjoyed my time in the pool. Day 1 left me feeling determined and ready for the long haul. I'm ready to do this challenge and meet my goal!
Tuesday: This time I remembered my sports bra and off to the treadmill I went. 5 minutes into the run, I felt fine. I had music on my ipod, which was offering me a nice distraction from not getting anywhere fast on the treadmill. About 7 minutes in, I was losing all steam. I HATE RUNNING ON THE TREADMILL. My breathing was accelerated, I couldn't find the right "speed" setting, and I felt off. I would try to refocus, visualizing running in the IM or outside in Portland, and then, feeling like I had gotten somewhere, I'd look down and realize it had only been about 2 minutes since I last checked the time. UGH! It baffles me just HOW HARD it is to run on a stationary treadmill for time verses running outside. The mental endurance needed is often more then I usually want to give, so at 40 minutes I called the workout good and went in for the spin class at 24Hour. That was a great class! I set my watch (not wanting to cheat myself out of precious cardio minutes) and as expected only got 50 minutes of spinning in the class, so after the class, I hopped on one of the stationary bikes and rode for 15 minutes to make up for the minutes missed on the previous two workouts.
At the end of Day 2, I was feeling tired but good, and realized that no matter the weather, I need to run my running workouts OUTSIDE!
Wednesday: Completed the entire swim workout and actually really found myself enjoying the whole thing. When my last set was over, I was kind of bummed that I was done. I love swimming, especially when I get a lane or side of a lane to myself. Swimming is so meditative. There are no real sounds or distractions. Just the sound of my breathing and the thoughts in my head. I love it!
Day 3, doing great! Then New Years hit...
Thursday: Yep, never made it to the gym. Actually, never fully recovered enough to have enough energy so that a gym workout would have been productive. Ok, rest day is Thursday of this week and Friday = workout.
Now it is Friday and I must head off to the gym. More to come later...
I'm currently on day 5 of week 1. My plan this week, was/is as follows:
Monday: Run 45 minutes, swim 2500 yds
Tuesday: Run 45 minutes, bike 60 minutes
Wednesday: Swim 1550 yds
Thursday: Bike 60 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run 90 minutes slow, swim (I forgot the yds)
Sunday: Bike 90 minutes (can go longer if I made all this week's workouts comfortably)
So far, almost so good. Here is what really happened...
Monday: I had planned to run my 45 minutes at the gym but realized I left my sports bra at home (NOT GOOD), so instead I opted for a lower impact workout on the elliptical machine for 45 minutes. Then on to the swim. I completed the full workout and actually really enjoyed my time in the pool. Day 1 left me feeling determined and ready for the long haul. I'm ready to do this challenge and meet my goal!
Tuesday: This time I remembered my sports bra and off to the treadmill I went. 5 minutes into the run, I felt fine. I had music on my ipod, which was offering me a nice distraction from not getting anywhere fast on the treadmill. About 7 minutes in, I was losing all steam. I HATE RUNNING ON THE TREADMILL. My breathing was accelerated, I couldn't find the right "speed" setting, and I felt off. I would try to refocus, visualizing running in the IM or outside in Portland, and then, feeling like I had gotten somewhere, I'd look down and realize it had only been about 2 minutes since I last checked the time. UGH! It baffles me just HOW HARD it is to run on a stationary treadmill for time verses running outside. The mental endurance needed is often more then I usually want to give, so at 40 minutes I called the workout good and went in for the spin class at 24Hour. That was a great class! I set my watch (not wanting to cheat myself out of precious cardio minutes) and as expected only got 50 minutes of spinning in the class, so after the class, I hopped on one of the stationary bikes and rode for 15 minutes to make up for the minutes missed on the previous two workouts.
At the end of Day 2, I was feeling tired but good, and realized that no matter the weather, I need to run my running workouts OUTSIDE!
Wednesday: Completed the entire swim workout and actually really found myself enjoying the whole thing. When my last set was over, I was kind of bummed that I was done. I love swimming, especially when I get a lane or side of a lane to myself. Swimming is so meditative. There are no real sounds or distractions. Just the sound of my breathing and the thoughts in my head. I love it!
Day 3, doing great! Then New Years hit...
Thursday: Yep, never made it to the gym. Actually, never fully recovered enough to have enough energy so that a gym workout would have been productive. Ok, rest day is Thursday of this week and Friday = workout.
Now it is Friday and I must head off to the gym. More to come later...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)