Merry Chrsitmas!

Just a short note to say that I am still alive, training is taking a bit of a hit during the craziness of the holidays, but I still plan to go for my Christmas Day run tomorrow - the weather is supposed to be perfect.

Have a great Christmas all!

Not the best week

Finally completely over being sick.

I thought that I was better, but my heart rate told a different story. My run and bike on Monday and Tuesday both had very high heart rates. Also, oddly on my run Monday I wasn't sweating very much - normally when I run on the treadmill (okay, or any other time when it is remotely warm) I sweat buckets.

My swim on Tuesday was also iffy (coughing up phlegm while swimming sucks).

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday became rest days - Wednesday was supposed to be a run day but I was still feeling off. Thursday and Friday were a shopping trip to Grand Forks (Black Friday bargains!) and were planned rest days.

I got on the trainer today for 60 minutes and I am happy to report that the heart rate was right were it was supposed to be. This is a relief, as I was getting a little concerned about what was happening. Just in time too, next week is a big week for training including a 1500m time trial in the pool.

I am beginning to see that a HRM is a very valuable training tool - letting you know when you are not fully recovered from illness and to take it easy.

Long run tomorrow, hopefully the snow will stop!

Back at it after being sick

I was sick most of the weekend - really sore, stiff back and then Sunday evening I felt completely run down and shaky. I took Monday and Tuesday off work/training, as when ever I tried to be remotely energetic the shaky feeling came back (along with being exhausted). Monday night also involved coughing - yippee.

Went back to work today and also got in a 45 minute trainer ride and all is good - no issues with the heart rate. This week is a recovery week, so it was actually not the worst timing to get sick.

I also got an e-mail today that I was picked up as a Sugoi Brand Champion! This is very good, since I love Sugoi clothing and could spend way too much money on it without some help.

Friday is a spin-a-thon at work - I get to spin for an hour with a team from my office. We have a former road racer and a few spin class addicts, so we should give the competition a run for their money!

Training is my happy place

I had a really good week training. 7 hours total - just base building but if felt good.

The heart rate training is starting to come together - read that I can 'run' for my whole run - okay jog slowly, but no walk breaks!

Swimming was really good and my butt is getting re-acquainted with riding on the trainer (owie).

One of the other athletes trained by my coach did 9:54 at IM Florida yesterday - his best IM so far and that was even with GI issues the last half of the marathon.

Very inspiring!

Also, today I got the next four week block of training from the coach - there are some really fun looking swims in there (seriously). I have been feeling much stronger in the pool than I expected, so I am enjoying it since I know that come March I will be so sick of pools and chlorine.

Oh, and Winnipeg had 13°C yesterday and 12°C today - I had a fantastic long run outside this morning, sunshine and warm temperatures - in November!

Went to Costco yesterday...

To get some meat and other necessities, simple enough - right?

Nooooo, hubby has to pick up these.

I have dubbed them - "Cinni-crack". These things are so addicting!

There goes trying to eat clean for the next couple of days.

On a positive note, the heart rate training seems to be going better - I am just going to avoid the scale for a bit.

Heart Rate Training - frustration!

I have yet to find a pace on the treadmill that I can stay at without my heart rate going over 150 bpm.

I know that it takes time for my body to adjust, but it is very frustrating just the same.

On the bike, it is not so bad - I actually managed to go up a gear on the trainer last night. This is a good thing, or my sanity would be at stake!

Heart Rate Training

New training schedule that I received from the coach incorporates heart rate training for my runs and bike. HR training is a new world for me, as I have never attempted it before.

I never knew that I could run that slow!

This is the first week and to keep my heart rate under 150 bpm, I have to run so slow - I know that it will get better as I progress, but it is kind of painful not to hit that speed up button on the tread mill.

On the bike isn't as bad, I am on the trainer already since we have had snow and crummy weather. I can keep a decent spin (90 to 100 rpm) in an easy gear, along with keeping my heart rate in check.

I am really looking forward to seeing the benefits over the course of the winter and in to next racing season - if my sanity survives that long!

Ironman Calgary 70.3 - it is official

Okay, I am officially registered for the Ironman Calgary 70.3 (Half Ironman) race on 1 Aug 2010 (August long weekend).

I am really excited to see the hoopla that is involved in an Ironman branded race.

Training starts next Monday!

Back to regularly schedule training...

Meeting with the coach tomorrow. Time to talk about goals for 2o10 and beyond, along with formulating the plan on how to get there.

I am pretty excited. I have some goals that I now know are possible, but a few years ago thought were out of reach. Yes, I know that they will take hard work but I don't mind the work - the work makes me feel stronger and more confident (I guess that is what it is supposed to do).

The only disappointment, our usual meeting place, one of my favourite coffee shops has closed down. I drove by today, taking the boy to a soccer function and the windows of the shop are covered up, no signs indicating if they are going to re-open. It sucks, they had a really good Oreo coffee cake! Alternate locaction for the meeting has been found, but I will miss that cake!

Now what?

Okay, big race is over and I did the slug thing for a month or so.

Now what?

Well, I've decided that I want to do Ironman Canada in 2012...eek.

A year ago, I would have thought this to be an impossible goal, but now I know that I can make it happen. Reading the latest round of IMC race reports has gotten me very pumped about 2012 - I do not want to do IMC sooner than this, as I want to develop as a triathlete before I take on the big one and really enjoy the experience.

In the meantime, back to some sort of training until coach gets me scheduled up for my next racing season. The plan is to do some more Half Ironmans (one next year and one in 2011) and the usual Half Marathons, with some shorter tris thrown in for fun and training.

But first, off to Sweden for work for a week. I will take my running and basic swimming stuff and see how much of either I can get in.

Success!

Okay, I know I haven't updated in forever but just to let you all know I completed my race this past weekend.

I had a good swim, an excellent bike and death march run (stomach issues and the heat) - but I finished and I am willing to do it again!

The boy was a fantastic gear Sherpa for me and had a cold Cherry Coke waiting for me at the finish line. A Mom could not ask for anything more!

Now, for a bit of down time and to get this sunburn to heal.

March, where did it go?

Okay, this late in updating but March went by in a flash and so has most of April.

Training stats for March:

Swim - 18.56 km in 8 hr 53 mins

Bike - 8 hrs

Run - 77.44 km in 9 hrs 37 mins

Not a bad month considering that I got off to a wonky (and pathetic) start.

April is shaping up nicely as well, Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon is coming up on May 3rd, so running is the focus right now.

I am hoping for a good race time, I have always liked this race and I have my current Half Marathon record on this course (last year), so here is hoping that I do it again!

February - eek, what happened!

Okay, February did not go according to plan.

Sick, work, life, etc got in the way of training:

Swim - 12.16 km in 5 hrs 33 mins
Bike - 7 hrs 45 mins (no distance on the trainer)
Run - 56.8 km in 6 hrs 49 mins
Strength - 2 times

I got really frustrated in February due to the hiccups in my training, but then I took a look at last year and I am leaps and bounds ahead from there - so I will put it off to a bad month and move on. The February 'blahs' didn't help either.

Back up and running

Well, I seem to have finally recovered from being sick and also from being sick of winter.

I had a couple of weeks where it seemed like I couldn't stay consistant in my workouts (being sick, schedule stuff, winter blahs). I was getting really frustrated and crabby about it. In hindsight, even during a couple of off weeks, I was getting better training in that I was last year (pre-coach).

I ran the Hypothermic Half this past weekend, about 8 minutes faster than last year and this year I ran it as a long run vice racing it - works for me! Oh, and the brunch was very yummy as usual.

Recovery week this week - I was a little stiff and sore from running on the icy trails on Sunday, so I made sure that I had a torture session booked with the RMT on Monday (owie). Today feels better and I did 60 minutes easy on the trainer, back in the pool tomorrow.

I haven't received my next block of training yet (I should get it this weekend) but next week should be interesting as I have to go out to BC for work, so it should be a swim/run focused week as I won't have a bike there.

I did book our hotel for the race today - there is a soccer tournament that happens in Minneapolis at the same time, so getting a hotel room can be a challenge. So at least week are booked in, now just to continuing to prepare for race day.

Under the weather

I have been tired all week. I thought that it was just not getting to bed early enough at night.

I managed to get 7.5 hrs of sleep last night and still woke up feeling like I could sleep hours more. That and my head was nicely congested. I ended up staying home from work and sleeping for another five hours.

The head is feeling a little better and I am hoping that it is short lived - I am coming to the end of a recovery week, so on Monday training ramps up again. Even though this was a recovery week, my training still sucked.

Off to find decongestant.

Swim, bike, run - also know as my life at the moment

Training in Janurary went pretty well, I managed to:

Swim: 26.8 km - 13 hr 20 min
Bike: 13 hr 30 min (bike trainer, no distance)
Run: 81.9 km - 9 hr 17 min
Strength train: 4 times

I never thought that I would get to the point of swimming over 25 km in a month - me, the kid who used to hate swimming lessons, go figure.

The only downside, is that I stink like chlorine most of the time.

And yest, I am having fun - okay that and the added benefits of developing killer legs and arms is awesome too!

So tired

Busy week both training wise and life wise.

Had an intersting run last night. The boy had a soccer practice at the U of M, so in order to fit it all in, I went and bought a day pass and ran on a treadmill in the famous 'Gritty Grotto'.

There was everyone from girly girl uni students, muscle guys (the weights area faced the treadmills), parents, kids. I was quite surprised at the mix of people.

The past couple of days have been tough, my legs are pretty tired tonight - so I am already in my jammies and have been vegging out all night. Even better, tomorrow is a rest day ;).

eme

Gluttony and the price to pay

First week back to training after the Christmas food fest/feasting.

I think that I was up about five pounds by the end of it!

I am glad to get back to training - feeling like a lazy lump is not my idea of fun. I did stay fairly active during the holidays but just in maintence mode - not training volume.

I've really felt it on the swims this week (2450m on Tuesday and 2500m today) - it could be that I have been out of the pool for over two weeks (pool maintence).

Onward and upward!

eme