Weeks 5-7: Catching Up

It's been a busy few weeks, and the name of the game was flexibility.  A bunch of workouts got cut or moved around, but the upside was discovering that I'm getting (slightly) better at taking it all in stride.  Here's a quick recap of the past few weeks' training.  As always, more detailed recaps are on my dailymile page.

Week 5:

Swim -- 1.1 mi

Bike -- 47.5 mi

Run -- 18.0 mi

We had a big crew race on Monday, which meant that I didn't really get my rest day.  So I decided to skip Tuesday's ride and make that the rest day instead.

Hooray for awesome fan photographers!

Then Mom came to visit for the weekend!  Which meant that my Saturday morning long ride was followed by a trip to the other side of the river for eating, shopping, drinking, and more eating.

Amazing post-ride brunch. Yes, that is a pile of fries with ground up hamburger, egg, and cheese.

Mint Juleps & Kentucky Derby watching

Visit to the Boston Marathon memorial

Mom's flight didn't leave until Sunday evening, and I didn't realize that one of the pools was closed for an entire week (thanks, NCAA water polo tournament!) so I accidentally missed my chance for the Sunday swim.  But I at least still got the run in.

Week 6:

Swim -- 2.2 mi

Bike -- 54.3 mi

Run -- 14.5 mi

I had a big presentation on Thursday that I needed to prep for, so I skipped Wednesday's evening run.  I also flipped Saturday and Sunday because of predicted thunderstorms on Saturday.  Of course the storms never materialized, and it was still rainy on Sunday morning so I ended up on the trainer anyway (and cut the ride ten miles short because I couldn't stand the idea of 40 miles on the trainer).  But not a bad weekend of training.

Thursday evening post-presentation celebration

Week 7:

Swim -- 2.4 mi

Bike -- 65.5 mi

Run -- 16.1 mi

Friday's swim got pushed to Thursday because I knew I had to drive out to Woburn for a vet appointment on Friday, but otherwise the workouts stayed pretty much on schedule.

Of course my dog would end up in physical therapy.  Takes after me!

It wasn't a great running week for me, with two runs cut short thanks to stomach and foot trouble, but it was a big week for the swim and the bike.  On Saturday, I went for a 40 mile ride on real live roads with a few friends.  I hit 30+ mph on a downhill without cranking on my brakes the whole time, rode one-handed long enough to wipe my nose, check my pockets, etc., and did a tiny bit of a climb standing up on the pedals.  And also once again came very close to my first clip-out-fail fall but saved it at the last minute.  On Sunday, I swam a mile without any significant breaks and it wasn't terrible.  So I'm feeling a little less panicked about the swim now.

Snack break in Concord!

In other exciting news, I finally signed up for a pre-70.3 sprint triathlon!  Really happy I'll have the opportunity to try out open water swimming before the big day.

Escape the Cape

Really looking forward to a recovery week this week!

I also realized that I screwed up and started my plan a week early, so I'm trying to figure out how best to deal with that.  I might stick with the plan and add a bit more of a taper (the plan as is doesn't have much of one) but am open to suggestions ...

Week 4: Crew Season

This was supposed to be a "recovery" week, but the peak of intramural crew season had a different idea.  In addition to the normal schedule, I had an hour long crew practice on Tuesday morning and our first "race" (qualifying time trial heats) on Thursday morning -- which meant four days in a row of two-a-days!

Swim -- 1.5

Bike -- 47.3

Run -- 14.4

The major development this week was taking the bike outside for the first time this season.  I was nervous, since riding with clipless pedals anywhere near traffic massively freaks me out, but it went much more smoothly than expected.  I'm getting much better at clipping in, and didn't have any near misses clipping out this time (compared to the approximately 1.75 close calls per ride I averaged in my few rides with them last summer).  As usual, I got about 30 minutes into the ride before I realized that the really annoying headwind was actually created by me moving forward at 15+ mph.  Someday I'll get used to it, I guess!  Good news was that riding outside seems to be slightly less uncomfortable than riding on the trainer, for some reason.

I'm also trying to be a little better about my nutrition, making sure at least some of my calories are healthy instead of just eating a lot of food.  And I've started thinking about what I'll be able to to eat before and during the race, so I'm experimenting with shotbloks, gu, bonk breakers, etc.

Soup + Salad + Bread is better than pizza, I guess ...

Got a free sample of this at the B.A.A. 5K -- tasty, but also basically apple sauce

No race this Sunday, but it was still a pretty packed day.  I've never had to worry about what time the pool opens on weekends before! (answer is 9am)  But the early(ish) swim was total worth it, because it was followed by this:

Tavern brunch buffet!  There may or may not have been chocolate cake, too.

Game four!

Free (gigantic) tshirt!

Lil Phunk!

I was NOT super excited about heading out for a run after the game (especially after I came home to a bunch of dog vomit) but I got most of the mileage in at a faster than expected pace.

Here's the plan for this week:

The main change was another crew race today (we kicked butt, in case anyone was wondering).  It was a hard workout and an early wake up, which means today didn't really feel like a rest day.  I'm debating scrapping tomorrow's trainer ride to give my body a real chance to recover before diving into the hardest week yet.  I'm also realizing that 5.5-7 hrs of sleep per night is NOT cutting it on this training schedule.  Getting 8-9 hrs per night is going to be a priority in the coming weeks.  So with that, I'm off to bed!

Week 3: What A Week It's Been

Well, last week was quite a week [warning - explicit language].  I'm pretty much exhausted, emotionally and otherwise, so I'm going to keep this one short.  If you're really curious, you can find details of the individual workouts on my dailymile profile.

This week's total mileage:

Swim -- 1.2 mi

Bike -- 52.1 mi

Run -- 16.6 mi

This week's workouts were pretty much on schedule, aside from Friday's swim, which I had to scrap because of the shelter in place order.  I had big plans to finally get the bike outside for Saturday's 30 mile ride, but ended up back on the trainer when my afternoon was taken up by the rescheduled Bruins game, which J just happened to have tickets to.

Trainer ride was miserable, but this was worth it

I rewarded myself for the trainer awfulness with some post-ride pad thai #yum

This week is a "recovery" week in the plan, which I'm pretty excited about.  Especially because I'm going to have to add in at least two crew outings -- one practice and one time trial race!

That's it for now - hope everyone has a good week!

Week 2: Boston

I don't have a lot to say about what happened yesterday at the Boston Marathon.  It was tragic and horrible.  After spending the early afternoon watching the race at Chestnut Hill Ave (between mile markers 22 and 23) I was on my way to meet my runner at the finish area when I started to realize something bad had happened.  I spent a scary 20 min or so walking through Back Bay with an uncharged cell phone, emergency vehicles and personnel everywhere, and no idea how bad things were or where in the last miles of the course my boyfriend had been when the explosions occurred.  But we were lucky, and neither of us had made it to Boylston -- my Green Line train had stopped at BU East and he was stopped on the course before the Mass Ave underpass, less than a mile short of crossing his first marathon finish line.  It was a disappointing, unbelievably sad end to what should have been a great event on a happy day.  But I'm incredibly thankful that all of our friends and family members are safe and were quickly accounted for.  Thank you to everyone who called/texted/emailed/facebooked to check on me, and to the nice doorman who let me charge my phone in his building's lobby so I could get some information and let everyone know I was ok.  My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by yesterday's events, especially those who were injured or killed and their families and friends.  While there are a lot of questions and very few answers at this point, one thing we know for sure is that there will be more races -- we will keep running, and we will keep cheering for friends, family members, and total strangers.  So with that in mind, on to a recap of last week's training (including the B.A.A. 5K on Sunday) and a preview of what's on the schedule for the week ahead.

Last week's total mileage:

Swim -- 1.5 mi

Bike -- 46.5 mi

Run -- 14.6 mi

We also had our first crew practice on the water on Tuesday, which was a fun extra workout. Like last week, I was completely exhausted most of the time I wasn't working out.  But this week I wasn't hungry all the time (even lost my appetite for a while) and actually started to feel tired in some of the workouts, especially the last swim.

Eating most of this ridiculous ice cream cake may have had something to do with me never wanting to eat again

Once again, the highlight of the week was Sunday's race, this time the B.A.A. 5K.  But first I should back up to Saturday, which started with a trip to the marathon expo for number pickup before my afternoon 25 mile trainer ride.

Race bib!

Believe it or not I actually didn't spend any money at this one

But I did manage a sneaky Ryan Hall photo

And picked up my already-paid-for race shirt

I wasn't expecting much from the race, since a) I hate 5Ks and b) my legs were already exhausted.  But I'd had an amazingly fast 3+ mile run on Friday, so I decided go for it anyway.  I lined up at the beginning of the 9 min pace group and started running.  And somehow a slightly sub-9 pace didn't feel too bad!  J was waiting for me at the corner of Charles and Beacon, and snapped this amazing action shot before I shoved my unneeded (but totally awesome) polka dot running jacket at him.

Running is fun!

The course was pretty crowded, and I never really had room to run until the last quarter mile, at which point I felt like I was going to puke if I pushed the pace any harder.  I even stopped at the first water station (which I never do these days) because I hadn't had anything to drink that morning and the pack slowed down so much going through I figured I might as well get some water out of it!  Bottom line was that the second mile (including the water break) was a bit slower but overall I held on to the pace for my second-fastest 5K ever with an official time of 28:01.

Thankful for a happy memory of crossing this finish line

The splits were slightly off because my gps picked up some significant extra distance with all the turns on the course, which was too crowded to run tangents very well.  But I'm pretty happy with them.

Then after a quick stop to change into a dry shirt and scarf a chocolate chip bagel and bottle of Gatorade (yummy!) I jogged the four-ish miles back to Cambridge, changed into my swimsuit, and went to the pool for an exhausted 1000 yd swim.  After which I met one of my best friends (who was in town for the marathon and is a super awesome runner) for a 2+ hour brunch, and then met up with J and friends for a pre-marathon pasta dinner.  It was an exhausting but wonderful day.

Coming up this week, more of the same, with slight mileage increases.

I had mixed feelings about whether to join #runforboston with a run today.  At first I wanted to stick to the plan and just ride my bike.  To not let this horrible event disrupt my training in any way.  But then was driving down Storrow Dr when I saw a runner in a yellow Boston Marathon shirt on the Esplanade and I almost started sobbing in my car.  I wanted to be out there.  So I compromised.  I rode the trainer for the planned 40 minutes (sprints and all), and then took my new B.A.A. shirt for a run around the block.  I know it didn't change anything, but it felt pretty good.

Sweaty Selfie!

Week 1 Survival and a Cambridge City Run Recap

I survived the first week!  Definitely got a little preview of how difficult this training is going to be.  Only a few days in I turned into a bottomless pit for food and by the end of the week I was exhausted.  I'm not sure I've ever been as excited about a rest day as I was today!

Friday: so proud of myself for taking a break from burritos for a big bowl of pasta with veggies I decided to take a picture

Bringing the weekly total mileage to:

Swim -- 1.3 mi

Bike -- 40.1 mi

Run -- 15.3 mi

I'm trying to be good about fitting in some of my PT strengthening exercises while I'm sitting around watching tv, but a) there isn't a lot of sitting around watching tv time these days, and b) if there is it's because I'm too exhausted to move!

I also had a slight freak out when I looked at the official race website and saw the time cutoffs for the legs of the race. From the start of the final wave, the closing time for the swim is 1 hr 10 min, the bike 5 hr 30 min, and the run 8 hr 30 min.  I was thinking it would take me about 7 hrs 30 min to finish the race, but I have literally NO IDEA whether I'm going to be able to make those cutoff times, especially on the swim.  I'm trying not to let the cutoffs make me too time-obsessed during training, but it's not easy!

The highlight of the week was definitely the Cambridge City Run on Sunday morning.

The morning didn't get off to a great start when I woke up exhausted after less than 5 hrs of sleep thanks to a combination of the NCAA tournament schedule and a ridiculous shortage of cabs in Boston on Saturday night.  But it was a beautiful morning (just a little windy) and I was feeling ok by the time I jog/walked the 2.5 miles from my apartment to the start of the race at Fresh Pond.

I met up with a (much faster) friend at the start, and a few minutes later the gun sounded and we shuffled across the line with several hundred of our new friends.  The course was pretty crowded, especially toward the middle where the 3 mile walk course joined up with the run course, but dodging people was actually a nice distraction and it felt great to actually be passing people for a change! I didn't think I would be able to keep up with said faster friend for long, but she was planning on an easy run and I somehow gutted it out until the last mile.  I usually complain about running with other people, especially with faster people, but after a week of solo training this was a really nice change.  By mile 4 my legs were completely done and not willing to put up with any change in elevation.  I remembered a pretty decent hill in the last mile, so I told my running buddy to go ahead while I stopped at the water station and took a little break.  I slowed waaay down and walked part of the last hill, but still managed to finish without slacking off the pace too much (splits are a tiny bit off because my watch recorded 5.06 miles total)

 My official time was 49:30, but I think that must be gun time instead of net time because my watch had 48:43.  Either way, a better performance than I expected after a full week of training with a 20 mile ride the day before!

After the race, things got even better.  We met up with another friend (and former Reach the Beach teammate!) for brunch at Johnny D's in Davis Square.

They had me at "parrot mimosa". 

The parrot mimosa in it's natural post-race environment.  Tropical mimosa >> beet juice.

Eggs, toast, home fries, cheese grits, AND chocolate chip banana bread pancakes? Yes, please!

Ladies brunching

This photo doesn't do justice to the amount of ridiculously bright running gear present

After brunch, I was NOT excited about having saved the swim for the last workout of the week.  All I wanted to do was pass out on the couch and catch up on tv.  But after a brief digestion break, I headed to the pool (the fancy one I hadn't tried yet!) and got my laps in, including a full 300 yds with flipturns and no breaks, which was a first.

Here's what's up for this week:

Plus at least one crew practice and the B.A.A. 5K as part of Sunday's run.  Back next week with the report!

70.3 Training: Week 1

It's April, which means it's finally time to start my training plan for Ironman 70.3 Racine!

Here's the plan for this week:

And, of course, this week's wild cards:

• an intramural crew team tank training session on Wed
• the Cambridge City Run 5 miler on Sunday

The tank session shouldn't actually be much of a workout.  We'll probably spend more time getting grilled on our seat numbers than actually rowing, so I'm planning to add it to Wednesday's scheduled swim and run.  The boathouse is conveniently located on the river (shocking, I know) so I should be able to go straight from rowing to running.

For the weekend, I'm planning to do the swim planned for Sunday on Saturday morning, then meet a runner friend for packet pickup and lunch, then get in my 20 mile bike ride.  Haven't decided whether use the trainer or take the bike outside for the first time this season -- will depend on the weather and who I can convince to join me (I still can't fix a flat and don't trust myself not to bite it with my still-new-to-me clipless pedals, so I don't like to do long rides alone).  Then Sunday will be the five mile race with a possible 1-2 mile warm-up jog to or from the start.  Or I'll be too tired from Saturday and take the bus ...

Back next week with a report on week 1 and a preview of week 2 of the plan!  And after repeated demands from "the people" (coughcoughkatiecoughcough) I will eventually post some sort of Austin recap.  Really.  Promise.

2013 Goals

Run my third marathon
Over that past two years, I'm three-for-three on injuries during marathon training cycles, with only two marathons to show for it.  This year I'm skipping a spring marathon attempt and focusing on the fall.   "Chicago Marathon registration opens" is already marked in my calendar.

Run a sub-5 marathon
My first two marathon times were a 5:28:01 at Chicago in 2011 and a 5:10:53 at Rock 'n' Roll USA in 2012.  If I'm being honest, I was not happy with those times, and still feel a little strange calling myself a marathoner.  Based on my performances in shorter races, I should be able to run a full marathon somewhere in the 4:30-4:40 range, so 5 hours seems totally reasonable.

Finish my first triathlon
This one is a holdover from last year.  I have the bike, I took the swim classes, it's time to make this happen. And while we're on the subject ...

Finish an Ironman 70.3
Not long after tackling the marathon, I started to think about going longer.  My body doesn't seem to be in any kind of shape for an ultra at this point, so this seemed like the logical next step.  I'll even admit to having full Ironman ambitions, too.  But not this year.  I'm not crazy.

Run a sub-28 5K
My last two years have been so distance-focused that I've let my speed (such as it was) go to $#%!.  While I've come a long way from my first 5K in 2010 (a 32:21 finish that resulted in my breakfast meeting the pavement), I've significantly fallen off the sub-28 PR I ran in 2011.  Running two of three holiday 5Ks this year in under 29 minutes on very little training has given me the confidence boost I needed to think about running sub-9 pace again.

Run a sub-2:10 half marathon
I'll still aim to break 2 hrs someday, but with some other big time efforts underway this year (hello, marathon and 70.3) I'm not sure 2013 is the time to try.  But the half marathon used to be my favorite distance (before a few miserable races this past summer) and I'd like to get that back.

Turn Klaus into a proper running buddy
I love my puppy, but so far he is not my favorite running buddy (his favorite place to run is directly under my feet).  I know my goals for this year are going to require an ambitious training schedule, so turning some runs into dog-exercise time will be a crucial time saver.

Time to get off the couch, buddy!

That's all for now.  Happy New Year, everyone!