Am I doing enough?

I mentioned to a my friend Mary a few days ago that even as much as I am working out right now, I just don't feel like I am doing enough. I don't know if that is a good way to think or not. I am following my program almost to the letter so I know I am working out enough but I just feel like I could do more. She gave me some good advice saying that I have to remember that I am training for a sprint and not a full Ironman. She is completely right. I have to remember that this is a process. That being said, I definitely feel like I did plenty this weekend.

Friday was a swim day. Not much new to report here. I am holding true to my plan. Last week was a four consecutive lap week. I swam 16 laps (800 yards) with 4 of those being consecutive. Next week I will kick that up to five consecutive laps and so on.

Saturday is when it got a little interesting. My plan was to go for a long bike ride Saturday. I wanted to get at least two plus hours in. This should give me about 30 miles. However, you know what they say about best laid plans and all. I was planning to ride Saturday afternoon after it warmed up quite a bit. As I was just laying around being lazy that morning, Mary calls and asks if I wanted to run with her. I figured I could just switch my ride til Sunday and run Saturday so I told her sure. Now, there are few things you should know: 1) she's a lot faster than me and 2) I haven't ran more than 4 miles since the half marathon on Jan 8. My plan hasn't called for it (this is part of why I had been feeling like I wasn't doing enough). We were planning to run 5 or 6 miles which I knew meant 7 or 8. I knew that I had the big ride the next day so I told myself that I was only going to run the first six then take it easy on whatever was left. I actually learned a little about myself. Since I wasn't planning to run 6-8 miles that day, I had not prepared myself mentally for it. I did not realize how important that was to me. After about 5 miles I was ready to shut it down. It just wasn't there for me. I also remembered later that I had not eaten much the night before or for breakfast and I really feel that hurt me too. Or maybe I'm just making excuses and it was just a bad day. I wasn't very pleased with my pace for the 6 miles. I ran it at a 9 min 19 sec pace. WAY SLOWER than what I'm capable of. After that it was basically a run walk cool down. I was pretty frustrated with myself but at least I got a solid 55 min workout in. 

Sunday's ride was much better. I got plenty to eat after church so I had no excuses. My plan was the same as before. Thirty miles which should take about two hours or so. I say "so" because I just wasted to get the miles in. I wasn't riding for speed. This was to be my longest ride to date and I just wanted to concentrate on the distance. Going out was good although I may have ridden it a little faster than I should have. I'm still learning what's fast and what's slow for me on the bike. My average pace was 14.5 mph when I made the turn around and although I was planning to not pay attention to my speed, I made it my objective to get my average speed up to 15 mph before I finished the 30 miles. I just can't help myself. If I'm not competing with someone it's like I have to make something up. Maybe it's a sickness. I finished with 32 miles at 15 mph with a 3 mile cool down. I was beat but it felt great all at the same time.

Email Notifications

I've had a few people ask if there was a way to get email notifications whenever I post a new update. I have added a link on the right side of this page to allow readers to sign-up to receive an email for new posts. You will have to put in your email, submit it, then you will get a confirmation email. This is simply to fight spam email.

I also think I had my comments restricted to only readers with an account. I now have it set to allow anyone to post comments so please feel free to make comments. The purpose of this blog is to get encouragement and support. This comes in many forms, so feel free to call me out when I slack as well. That is probably what will motive me more than anything.

So that is it for now. I hope you all sign up!!

Slowly but surely

Man, time management is a killer!

I am really going to try to update this blog more often. My goal is to post an update after every workout which is five days a week. That is a tough goal. If I am not working out, I am either teaching class or prepping for class. I know I have to find the time though.

Enough of that. I made a statement in my last post that I had my best run last Friday. That felt really good to be the one doing the butt kicking for once. So far so good. I don't think I jinxed myself (so far).

Sunday was another brick workout where I rode my bike then immediately ran afterwards. I was supposed to do this with Mary but we couldn't get out schedules to match up so I tackled it alone. The bike ride was good. Nothing to write home about but I was pleased with my effort and performance. I rode 14 miles and averaged about 16.25 mph. I think that is solid for a rookie beginner. The run was a little strange. Mainly I was really pleased that my legs didn't cramp like they did before. I guess they are getting used to the bike. The purpose of a brick is to get your legs used to running coming off the bike. My legs had a bit of the "noodle" feel at the beginning of the run but that quickly worked itself out. I was trying really hard to run slow. I was only running two miles and wanted to keep a 9.5 min pace. I couldn't do it. My legs were still in the rhythm I had on the bike and I was running a bit faster than I wanted. I eventually just accepted it and finished the two miles at an 8 min 50 sec pace.

WINNERS WAKE UP AT 5:30! That is my new montra. Monday morning I was back in the pool at 6:30. I love swimming first thing in the morning. I made the statement a few days ago that I'm not currently a fast swimmer but I'm going to be. Actually that's not exactly true. I am a fast swimmer, I just can't do it for very long yet. I think this is going to be the best part of my race. This sort of sucks because you really don't make-up much time in the swim. It would be much better if the bike were my best sport. Oh well. I swam 15 laps (750 yards). Just like before, I would rest after avery 2 laps or so. After a two lap warm-up, I swam the next four continuously without stopping. My plan is to add a lap to the continuous laps each week until I am swimming half a mile (880 yards) without stopping.

I had a fairly tough run Wednesday morning but only because I made it tough on myself. I had a four mile run planned. I decided to run it as an interval. This is were you run at an average pace for a portion of the run then increase your pace for a portion and so on. Since this was a four mile run I planned to run the first mile at a comfortable easy pace of 9 minutes. I would then increase my pace for the middle two miles before reducing my pace back to 9 minutes for the final mile. I started a bit two fast. After a half mile I realized I was running at an 8.5 min pace. Its getting harder to run slower but I forced myself to slow up a bit. The middle two miles I ran at an 8 min pace. That is fairly fast for me but not crazy. It was tough but I didn't kill myself. I finished the 4 miles at an 8 min 20 sec. pace and I was very pleased with that. I'm not sure if this is the correct way to run intervals but it seemed logical to me. If any experts want to chime in with suggestions please do.

Hills, Hills, Hills; but it was fun!

I think it's pretty obvious that I am back at work. I have not made a post since Tuesday. I will definitely make a concerted effort to do a better job than that in the future. Although I'm not completely sure there are enough people reading this to even notice. 

Now lets get you caught up. I really like my schedule this semester. I only have one class on Mon/Wed/Fri and it is from 10-12. This is great because it gives me plenty of time to get a workout in and still have an easy morning before class.  I woke up Wednesday morning at my now normal time of 5:30. It was pretty cold Wednesday especially at 5:30 so I waited until 7 before getting a quick 3 mile run in. I'm not sure it warmed up at all but at least the sun was beginning to come up and I wasn't running in the dark. The cool weather was actually kind of nice once I got into the run. I ran it at my typical pace of 9 min/mile. Not great for a small 3 mile run but about average for me. Plus it was a hilly which I'm not used to (more on this later). I was planning to go for a bike ride later that day after class and lunch but the weather never warmed up much and I talked myself out of it. There it is. My first skipped workout. This is where you should be leaving commits calling me a slacker, etc. That being said, riding a bike in the cold is painful. 

I've worked my training schedule out to not have any workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I teach class on those days from 8-5 and its just impossible to work anything else in on those days. Plus it's good to have a recovery day. I probably don't need two recovery days right now but I'm sure I'll appreciate it as the workouts intensify. Even though I wasn't working out Thursday, I still got up at 5:30. I'm scared that I'll relapse back into sleeping until 7:00. 

Friday was a REALLY good day. I was at the pool at 6:30 and I was really looking forward to the swim. The main goal for the day was to swim three laps (150 yards) without stopping. I swam two warmup laps, took a small break and started my three continuos laps. I probably could have done four or even five but I was getting pretty tired and still wanted to be able to finish the workout. All total, I swam 14 laps (700 yards) which is more than the 1/3 mile I will need. My goal over the next nine weeks is to increase the number of continuous laps each week until I work up to twelve continuous laps.

The only workout on my schedule Friday was the swim but I wanted to get a run in just for good measure. Remember those hills that I mentioned? Well, I did a little research about the Traditions Triathlon and it appears that the bike and run courses are very hilly. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the Longleaf Trace is great and I love it but it is also flat. I decided I am going to have to do more hill work on my runs and bikes. The Friday run was CRAZY HILLY but it may be the best run I have ever had. A friend warned me to never say that because that statement is always followed a few days later with an injury or some type of setback. I guess I'll put it to the test. It was only a 4 mile run but like I said it was very hilly. It was one hill right after another and they were BIG too. My goal when I started out was to just keep my normal 9 minute pace. After all, this run wasn't even on the schedule. Once I got into the run I was feeling really good so I started pushing it a little harder. I finished the 4 miles with an average pace of 8 min 40 sec per mile! Ive raced faster than that before but never during a workout run and definitely not on hills like those. I'm really proud of that run today.

I've got another run tomorrow and then a big brick workout on Sunday. A brick is where you bike and then immediately run afterwards. Wish me luck and obviously, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Back on the bike

School starts back for me this week and time management is really going to become an issue now. After taking Sunday off to recover from the Saturday triathlon, I went for a bike ride Monday to work out some of the soreness in my legs. This time I went to the trace. I love the trace, I really do. It helped give me a little confidence after the wake-up call on Saturday. The trace is mostly flat which may be just what I need right now until I get in a little better bike shape.

My goal for the day was just to take it easy and spend some time on the bike. After about a mile that went right out the window. My legs were feeling ok and I was a little pissed off about my performance on Saturday so I started hitting it harder. Now my goal has changed to keeping 15 mph average pace. I started at the gateway at USM the trace is a gradual incline as you head west. Going out I was working pretty hard to keep it at 15 mph. A few times it would dip below and once my pace even fell to 14.8 but I just gritted my teeth and pushed harder until I got my average back up. I made the turn at the six mile mark. My pace was right at 15 mph. I new that I would be going down hill ever so slightly on the way back so I updated my goal to 15.5 mph pace. To be as sore as I was, I was hitting it pretty hard. At the end of the ride, I had managed to maintain a 15.55 mph pace for 12 miles. I was really happy with that especially considering this was to be an easy day.

Classes officially started today (Tuesday) and I have an 8:00 class so I had to be at the pool by 6:30 this morning. I'm really starting to enjoy this. There is something about swimming first thing in the morning that is just really invigorating. The swim was great! Don't get me wrong, it was work and I still have to stop to catch my breath regularly but it just feels good to be swimming. I swam 15 laps which is the equivalent of 750 yards. I just need to get to where I can swim it consistently without stopping. I would like to work my way up to being able to swim a full mile without having to stop before the Traditions Triathlon. If I can do that, I should be able to post a great time for the 1/3 mile swim I will have to do for the race.

My First Multisport Day

It looks like this is going to be a series of one eye-opening experience after another. Yesterday I completed my first multisport day. My plan for Saturday was a nice simple bike ride to sort of ease myself into an activity that I have not participated in in quite a few years. I met and had lunch Friday with a friend who was going to ride with me. As we were discussing and planning the ride for the next day, she mentioned that she was swimming that morning and if we are going to ride then I should just meet her for the swim then we can just ride from there. This wasn't exactly what I was planning but I wasn't about to back down from a challenge (from a girl no less) so I said sure, lets do it. At this point, I'm thinking to myself that this is going to be tough but nothing that I couldn't handle. As these thoughts are rolling through my mind, I notice a little twinkle in my friends eye. As if she could read my mind and just wanted to let me know exactly what I am getting myself into, with the slightest of grins creeping across her face (think a mischievous 10 year old), she suggests we go ahead and make it a full tri day with a 5 mile run as well. 99% of the people reading this blog have known me for a very long time and I'm sure you can guess what my response was. Without missing a beat I quickly said "Hell yeah. Lets do it!" That is what I said out loud. However, somewhere deep down inside my head someone was calling me an idiot. By the time lunch was over we were able to talk another friend into joining us as well and we both left the restaurant very excited about the next day.

It's beginning to get a little easier to get up at 5 a.m. I am starting to learn just how beneficial it is to get up that early. I was able to have a nice easy morning before meeting my friend at the pool at 8:30 Saturday morning. The swim was very beneficial if uneventful. I didn't push very hard but instead, I really concentrated on my technique, especially my breathing. I did 9 laps or 18 lengths (450 yards, which is just over a 1/4 mile) and felt great.

Here is where it gets ugly. Saturday is only the third time for me to be on a road bike. EVER! The plan was for a 20 mile roundtrip ride out through Dixie and back. The ride started off well enough but after about six miles of climbing hills, I realized just how much running does not translate to biking. I feel I am in pretty good shape and cardiovascularly I am. However, my legs simply aren't used to pedaling a bike up and down hills for 20+ miles. Saturday was a real learning experience. As disappointing as it was in a pure performance perspective, it was a little encouraging in another. I've got a really good base to build off of. I am just going to have to log the miles and get my legs used to the bike. I know I can be fast, it's just going to take a little time. The bike ride was a total of about 20.25 miles and I averaged a pace of about 12.25 mph. Not very fast at all. I'm anticipating this speed to increase at a fairly rapid pace as my legs get in better bike shape.

When we returned to the YMCA, we quickly changed into running shoes and took off on our run. At first I felt like I was let out of jail. After all, this is what I have been doing for the past three months. I ran that first mile at about a 7:45 pace. That is A LOT faster than I am used to. It didn't take long, however, for the effects of the bike ride to start taking it's toll. About  a mile in, my thighs started cramping up. Obviously I wasn't going to quit so about every half mile I would stop and stretch for a few minutes before taking off again at a fairly easy pace. Other than the cramping I felt pretty good, all things considered. 

When we all were finished (full disclosure: I was easily last. MAN! That really hurts to type) there were congratulations all around. All in all, it was a really great day. I am glad I did it if for no other reason than to know what I am getting myself into and what to expect. The bike distance and run distance were both longer than what I will do on my first sprint triathlon and the swim was only slightly shorter. It is pretty encouraging to know that even right now, if nothing else, I can do it. Now it's just a matter of getting more comfortable with it and FASTER!!

Great to be running again

It was really good to get back to running again today. After two days of swimming and taking a few days off after the half marathon, I woke up this morning super excited to get to run. I ran six miles at a 9 minute pace. Thats a fairly solid pace for me for a midweek workout run. The great thing about it was that I actually held myself back a bit. The last two miles, I really wanted to let it go but decided to just relax and enjoy the run. IT WAS GREAT! It's a good thing too because tomorrow I am joining a friend for a mini triathlon workout. It should be a lot of fun. I'm excited.

Wow, that was humbling

I know I have started my training because this makes two days in a row that I have woken up at 5am. Man, I hope this gets easier! I started my three sport training yesterday. I feel I'm an ok runner right now so I am going to primarily concentrate on my swimming and biking for the first few weeks.

First up, swimming. To answer the question on everyone's minds, yes, I have a speedo (calm down ladies, take a deep breath and count to ten). Although, it's probably not what you're thinking (they are knee length jammers. The name brand is speedo). It took a little getting used to but they are actually really comfortable and easy to swim with.

I have discovered that this is going to be as much a training in time management as it will be in actual athletic training. I showed up at the pool yesterday at 9am. I thought I could get a little work done before I started my swim. Really I just wanted to get fully awake before I started working out. To my disappointment, the pool wasn't open at that time. I had missed my window of opportunity that morning. I was told that the pool was only open from 6:30-8:30 every morning but that I could come back at 11 and that is what I did. I am going to have to really make sure my days are planned more precisely especially once school starts back.

I've always been a really strong swimmer but haven't been in a pool for about 10 years or so. I swam a total of 500 yards (20 lengths of the pool) yesterday. The best way I can describe it is to say that I have a VERY long way to go. I'm really trying to not let myself get discouraged with some of the early performances. I have a tendency to think I can do anything whenever I want to do it and I just have to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. I would swim one length of the pool, rest for about 15 seconds then swim back. This is the process I followed until I finished the 500 yards. I guess it's a little like running for the first time when you are completely out of shape. You run a quarter mile, walk a few minutes then run some more.

I'm a quick learner. I was at the pool at 6:30 this morning. Today was a bit better simply because I had a little better idea of what to expect. My shoulders were a little sore but hardly noticeable. I was slightly pissed off about yesterday's performance but told myself to ignore it and stay focused on today's goal. That in and of itself was a major accomplishment for me. Today I swam a total of 600 yards which is just over 1/3 of a mile, not coincidentally the distance of the swim of the Traditions Triathlon that I am preparing for.

I have had a few requests that I make sure to post photos along with the updates. Ladies, if your lucky I may even post a few of me and the speedo.

140.6!

Up to this point in my life I have never traveled more than about 30 miles under my on power. This blog is meant to chronicle my progress and training as I climb my way toward Ironman Florida in November, 2013. There! I said it and it's out there on the internet, never to be taken back. That was a little harder to type than I thought it would be.

140.6. That is the cumulative miles in an Ironman. If that isn't daunting enough, as of the publishing of this post (1/9/12), I have never participated in a triathlon of any distance. Not even a small sprint. I may be biting off more than I can chew but so be it. It isn't the first time and I'm quite positive it won't be the last. I have 21 months to prepare and I plan to take it one step at a time.

My first goal in this process was to simply get back in running shape. I feel I have been working pretty hard over the past few months. Yesterday, I ran the First Light Half Marathon in under 2 hours which was my primary goal. I just missed my secondary goal of a 9 minute pace by 4 seconds. Granted, I was helped along by a friend who is much faster and helped pace me (although I would like to run that last 10th of a mile again).

I have never been one to embrace social media and I'm not a great writer. I'm lucky if I can string a few meaningful words together much less a few sentences. That being said, I feel this is a good way to help keep me focused on my goal. I have two main reasons for starting this blog; accountability/support and to track my progress. Over the past few months, whenever I had a really good run, I would immediately text a handful of friends to tell them how I did (you know who you are). I'm sure this was annoying as hell so now I can just post my updates here to be viewed at your leisure. I'm also hoping that the few people I'm able to convince/badger/coerce/bribe into following this blog will help hold me accountable and provide support along the way. I'M GOING TO NEED IT!

Now that the half marathon is over it is time to turn my attention to my first sprint triathlon. I have targeted the Traditions Triathlon on March 31 which is roughly 11 weeks away. I'm super pumped to get in the water and on the bike after all the running I've been doing. It's been years since I've done either on a regular basis. My plan is to participate in a handful of sprints this spring and summer, try to find at least one olympic distance and then complete the Half Ironman in Augusta, GA at the end of Sept.

So there it is. That's my plan and there is no turning back. Wish me luck.