Saturday, September 11, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
"You owned that run!"
SATURDAY
Slept in until 8am and woke up ready to run! The 16 assigned miles sounded so much easier then 20 the prior weekend. Jeff and I headed over to Alki. From my 1st step of the run, I felt strong and focused. Stella prevailed through out the entire run. My average pace was 8:43. I finished hard, as assigned. It felt GREAT and I was pumped up!!! Jeff proclaimed "You owned that run!" Look out, Canada, here comes Stella.
SUNDAY
My schedule read: 115 miles!! Last super long ride!!! Follow race day nutrition. Transition run: 1 hour.
I am an exceptionally directionally challenged human being, very prone to getting lost. I really wanted to focus on riding rather then staring at maps, so I signed up for the Sound to Mountains Ride (Seattle to North Bend). This way, I just had to follow the painted blue anteaters on the road. The ride was 104 miles. In order to get the additional mileage, Jeff and I rode from home to the start at Magnuson Park. It was actually really peaceful riding at 6:30am in the mist. From the start, we turned out of Magnuson onto the Burke Gilman Trail and the mist became more like drizzle. The route took us from Seattle to Bothell to Snohomish to Lake Stevens to Munroe to Duvall to Carnation to North Bend. The rain was steady through about 60% of the ride with a slight wind. It was not comfortable.
Around mile 50 of 115, my mind starting playing tricks on me. It was screaming - I don't want to be here, why am I riding in the rain? For the next 15 miles, my mind drifted. My sunglass lenses were covered inside and out with drops of water making it difficult to see the directional anteaters. Then, I saw a rider coming toward me heading in the opposite direction in a TN Multisports jersey. She was tucked down in her bars in a tight aero/racing position, laser focused, and moving lightening fast. It was Johna Koenig! She did not see me, but she sent me a message loud and clear. Get on it, slacker! I snapped out of it. Thank you, Johna.
At mile 65 of 115, I stopped at the ride rest station and had a croissant and sent a text message to Jeff who was at mile 77. I am pretty sure that croissants are the way to go mid ride. It tasted fantastic! Maybe I should have a croissant with butter and jam in my special needs bag in Canada.
Speaking of eating, during a ride like this, I need to eat around 250-300 calories per hour and about 1000mg of sodium. This alone can be daunting. Here is a partial list of what I ate during the ride.
CarboPro= 450 Calories,
Electrolite Pills=24 = 4000 mg sodium
Power Bar Gels= 5 = 550 Calories, 135g carbs, 1000mg sodium
Power Bar Fruit Smoothie Energy Barb=220 calories, 43g carbs, 180mg sodium
Organic Energy Chews=320 calories, 80g carbs, 160 mg sodium
Croissant = 231 calories, 26g carbs, 424mg sodium
Other energy chews and shot blocks, ran out so I do not have the nutritional information
Back to the ride, the rain continued to come down pretty steadily. The course was on the hilly side. Little by little, I made my way to Bybee Nims Farm in North Bend, the finish line and the location of our car which we parked the night before. At mile 110, there was a never ending, killer hill up to Snoqualmie Falls. Just like Yellow Lake Pass in Canada! When I arrived at the Farm, there were 5 volunteers clapping. I was SO GLAD to see them. My bike computer read 117 miles. I did it! My longest ride!
Jeff was my bike catcher, as he reached to grab my bike, I was in a bit of a fog. He told me that he had finished his run and that I needed to get out there. I changed and headed out again. My slow run took me down a country road where I saw a deer and a friendly dog decided to run with me for a few minutes. Stella was no where in sight.
Sunday was my hardest training day EVER. It was designed to be that way. Riding on Sunday after the fatigue from the run on Saturday is going to help me in Canada. (well, it better!) Today, Monday, my muscles are stiff and the couch is my friend.
Slept in until 8am and woke up ready to run! The 16 assigned miles sounded so much easier then 20 the prior weekend. Jeff and I headed over to Alki. From my 1st step of the run, I felt strong and focused. Stella prevailed through out the entire run. My average pace was 8:43. I finished hard, as assigned. It felt GREAT and I was pumped up!!! Jeff proclaimed "You owned that run!" Look out, Canada, here comes Stella.
SUNDAY
My schedule read: 115 miles!! Last super long ride!!! Follow race day nutrition. Transition run: 1 hour.
I am an exceptionally directionally challenged human being, very prone to getting lost. I really wanted to focus on riding rather then staring at maps, so I signed up for the Sound to Mountains Ride (Seattle to North Bend). This way, I just had to follow the painted blue anteaters on the road. The ride was 104 miles. In order to get the additional mileage, Jeff and I rode from home to the start at Magnuson Park. It was actually really peaceful riding at 6:30am in the mist. From the start, we turned out of Magnuson onto the Burke Gilman Trail and the mist became more like drizzle. The route took us from Seattle to Bothell to Snohomish to Lake Stevens to Munroe to Duvall to Carnation to North Bend. The rain was steady through about 60% of the ride with a slight wind. It was not comfortable.
Around mile 50 of 115, my mind starting playing tricks on me. It was screaming - I don't want to be here, why am I riding in the rain? For the next 15 miles, my mind drifted. My sunglass lenses were covered inside and out with drops of water making it difficult to see the directional anteaters. Then, I saw a rider coming toward me heading in the opposite direction in a TN Multisports jersey. She was tucked down in her bars in a tight aero/racing position, laser focused, and moving lightening fast. It was Johna Koenig! She did not see me, but she sent me a message loud and clear. Get on it, slacker! I snapped out of it. Thank you, Johna.
At mile 65 of 115, I stopped at the ride rest station and had a croissant and sent a text message to Jeff who was at mile 77. I am pretty sure that croissants are the way to go mid ride. It tasted fantastic! Maybe I should have a croissant with butter and jam in my special needs bag in Canada.
Speaking of eating, during a ride like this, I need to eat around 250-300 calories per hour and about 1000mg of sodium. This alone can be daunting. Here is a partial list of what I ate during the ride.
CarboPro= 450 Calories,
Electrolite Pills=24 = 4000 mg sodium
Power Bar Gels= 5 = 550 Calories, 135g carbs, 1000mg sodium
Power Bar Fruit Smoothie Energy Barb=220 calories, 43g carbs, 180mg sodium
Organic Energy Chews=320 calories, 80g carbs, 160 mg sodium
Croissant = 231 calories, 26g carbs, 424mg sodium
Other energy chews and shot blocks, ran out so I do not have the nutritional information
Back to the ride, the rain continued to come down pretty steadily. The course was on the hilly side. Little by little, I made my way to Bybee Nims Farm in North Bend, the finish line and the location of our car which we parked the night before. At mile 110, there was a never ending, killer hill up to Snoqualmie Falls. Just like Yellow Lake Pass in Canada! When I arrived at the Farm, there were 5 volunteers clapping. I was SO GLAD to see them. My bike computer read 117 miles. I did it! My longest ride!
Jeff was my bike catcher, as he reached to grab my bike, I was in a bit of a fog. He told me that he had finished his run and that I needed to get out there. I changed and headed out again. My slow run took me down a country road where I saw a deer and a friendly dog decided to run with me for a few minutes. Stella was no where in sight.
Sunday was my hardest training day EVER. It was designed to be that way. Riding on Sunday after the fatigue from the run on Saturday is going to help me in Canada. (well, it better!) Today, Monday, my muscles are stiff and the couch is my friend.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Why did I not do this earlier?
I have not written all week because I have been tired. The lasting fatigue that comes with IM training is unbelievable. Even on days after light work outs, my body craves extra time to snooze which is not possible due to other responsibilities like my day job. Despite the fatigue, the work out week was pretty good. 3 highlights:
1) Wednesday Bike Fit with Rusty Pruden - Coach Teresa had recommended a bike fit for me quite some time ago. It was super tough making the time. Maybe part of me was delaying because I do not like change on the bike. I have come so far and am always worried that little changes (new wheels, bike fit) will set me back and I just can't go back. (For those of you who do not remember or know, my 1st bike experience as an adult was getting my tire caught in the street car track in Portland. After that, when I first started clipping in 2008, I had a horrible time with falling over at inconvenient places like stop signs. It was not pretty...When I finally figured out how to not fall over, my average speed was about 9 miles per hour, not really enough to race) Rusty made adjustments to the seat, handle bars, stem (?), and brakes. He patiently explained what he was doing and why. He made me feel like my lack of technical bike knowledge and dependence on Jeff for anything mechanical was OK. He gave me the same advice that Jeff has told me in the past - shoulders down, back flat. Would the changes set me back to the spaz that set out to tackle the bike in 2008?
2) Thursday night South Lake Washington Loop (25-26 miles) with Melinda - after a hard day at work, the fresh air, solid effort, and friendship was a huge pick me up. And, Rusty's changes made me more comfortable on the bike! Now I can ride down in the drops without reaching so far. The seat hits me in a totally different way. Why did I not do this earlier? THANK YOU, Rusty!
3) Friday night swim at Green Lake. There is some rowing competitive series or training going on during the day in Green Lake and they have buoys set up in lines going across the Lake with a rope attaching them about 6' under water. What this means for me is that I could focus on my extending my stroke and form rather then sighting as often. My 60 minutes swim felt good.
Made it through the week...Time for a Saturday run. Spell Check does not recognize the word spaz.
1) Wednesday Bike Fit with Rusty Pruden - Coach Teresa had recommended a bike fit for me quite some time ago. It was super tough making the time. Maybe part of me was delaying because I do not like change on the bike. I have come so far and am always worried that little changes (new wheels, bike fit) will set me back and I just can't go back. (For those of you who do not remember or know, my 1st bike experience as an adult was getting my tire caught in the street car track in Portland. After that, when I first started clipping in 2008, I had a horrible time with falling over at inconvenient places like stop signs. It was not pretty...When I finally figured out how to not fall over, my average speed was about 9 miles per hour, not really enough to race) Rusty made adjustments to the seat, handle bars, stem (?), and brakes. He patiently explained what he was doing and why. He made me feel like my lack of technical bike knowledge and dependence on Jeff for anything mechanical was OK. He gave me the same advice that Jeff has told me in the past - shoulders down, back flat. Would the changes set me back to the spaz that set out to tackle the bike in 2008?
2) Thursday night South Lake Washington Loop (25-26 miles) with Melinda - after a hard day at work, the fresh air, solid effort, and friendship was a huge pick me up. And, Rusty's changes made me more comfortable on the bike! Now I can ride down in the drops without reaching so far. The seat hits me in a totally different way. Why did I not do this earlier? THANK YOU, Rusty!
3) Friday night swim at Green Lake. There is some rowing competitive series or training going on during the day in Green Lake and they have buoys set up in lines going across the Lake with a rope attaching them about 6' under water. What this means for me is that I could focus on my extending my stroke and form rather then sighting as often. My 60 minutes swim felt good.
Made it through the week...Time for a Saturday run. Spell Check does not recognize the word spaz.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Stella Took a Dive and Kept Running
Sunday - After sleeping in a bit (recovering from 4 1/2 hour ride and 45 minute run in Lake Stevens yesterday), Jeff and I headed over to Alki for a 20 mile run.
When I 1st started training for marathons, I would get in a groove and forget everything and just run and run. My friends in DC at the time would call me Stella when I hit my groove like that. Looking back, it was probably the few times that I was properly hydrated and fueled with calories, since I had no idea back then of the importance of what you eat and drink during endurance sports. Today, Stella was back! After about mile 5, I was flying with a HUGE smile on my face. That is, until I flew off the curb onto the pavement. That's right. At mile 10.2, my foot hit a high curb and the rest of me went airborne and landed in the middle of the street. (graceful as ever) My water bottle went one way, my gel bottle, the other and 5 people came running over to see if I was OK. My right knee was bleeding and my hands were a little scraped up. While one woman and family went into their home to get 1st aid, a real estate agent who was running a nearby open house stayed with me. He asked me what I was training for. When I told him Ironman, his response was "Oh, you're OK," implying that for an Ironman this little scrape was nothing. The kind lady and family returned with a bag of ice, band aid, Neosporin, and a full water bottle. They offered to drive me back to the car. They were SOO NICE. Honestly, the scrape is pretty small, you can barely see it now. The dramatic fall looked a lot worse then it really was. I finally got up and started running again. After a few miles, Stella came back. I was flying again, feeling great. At about mile 14-15ish, I saw Coach Mark running the other way. Yeah! At mile 19.5ish, Coach Teresa yelled "Go, Barb" off her balcony as I passed. Yeah!
This was my longest training run for Ironman Canada and I feel like I nailed it. I am happy and horizontal right now after a chocolate malt milk shake and late lunch at Luna Park Cafe.
When I 1st started training for marathons, I would get in a groove and forget everything and just run and run. My friends in DC at the time would call me Stella when I hit my groove like that. Looking back, it was probably the few times that I was properly hydrated and fueled with calories, since I had no idea back then of the importance of what you eat and drink during endurance sports. Today, Stella was back! After about mile 5, I was flying with a HUGE smile on my face. That is, until I flew off the curb onto the pavement. That's right. At mile 10.2, my foot hit a high curb and the rest of me went airborne and landed in the middle of the street. (graceful as ever) My water bottle went one way, my gel bottle, the other and 5 people came running over to see if I was OK. My right knee was bleeding and my hands were a little scraped up. While one woman and family went into their home to get 1st aid, a real estate agent who was running a nearby open house stayed with me. He asked me what I was training for. When I told him Ironman, his response was "Oh, you're OK," implying that for an Ironman this little scrape was nothing. The kind lady and family returned with a bag of ice, band aid, Neosporin, and a full water bottle. They offered to drive me back to the car. They were SOO NICE. Honestly, the scrape is pretty small, you can barely see it now. The dramatic fall looked a lot worse then it really was. I finally got up and started running again. After a few miles, Stella came back. I was flying again, feeling great. At about mile 14-15ish, I saw Coach Mark running the other way. Yeah! At mile 19.5ish, Coach Teresa yelled "Go, Barb" off her balcony as I passed. Yeah!
This was my longest training run for Ironman Canada and I feel like I nailed it. I am happy and horizontal right now after a chocolate malt milk shake and late lunch at Luna Park Cafe.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday - The alarm rudely interrupted my sound slumber at 5:15am. My 1st thought was - WHO DID THIS TO ME? Why would my alarm go off when it is still night time? Then, it came to me through the fog - 6:30am cycling class. Time to get up, get caffeinated, and get to TN Multisports. I was heading out the door when I noticed that the mud on my bike had not magically disappeared over night. I blame the 5 day old mud on living in a condo with no access to a hose. Hmmm...
I arrived at class with 2 minutes to spare. Kirsten (who saved me with hydration and sustenance in Canada) and Steph were there are ready to go. Mark wrote our 1 hour and 10 minute work out on the white board. The work out is designed to build strength using cadence and heart rate in intervals. This is when I realized that I forgot my heart rate monitor. UGGH! Damn 6:30am! My bike was making all sorts of irritating noises which Jeff has since diagnosed as the derailleur rubbing against the chain. (I admittedly have no clue about anything mechanical) The class was challenging, but no impossible. As I got in my car afterward, I felt energized. What a great work out.
My 2nd coach assigned work out of the day was a 30 minute run which I did at night. Me and one of my favorite running partners, Keisha, our Irondog, ran around Green Lake. She set a steady, strong pace, running in front of me barking at me to encourage me to stick with her. It was so fun and was too short!
Thursday - I got home from the grand opening of the beautiful new Courtyard Pioneer Square at 7:30pm and checked my schedule - a 45 minute easy spin out on the bike. I popped the muddy bike on the trainer and cranked the Comcast Party Favorites channels, (Michael Jackson, The Commodores, Black Eyed Pea, but the song Knock on Wood was the BEST!) and busted out that work out in no time. Thank you, Teresa, for the light work out tonight after a long day. It is 9:30pm. Time for dinner.
I arrived at class with 2 minutes to spare. Kirsten (who saved me with hydration and sustenance in Canada) and Steph were there are ready to go. Mark wrote our 1 hour and 10 minute work out on the white board. The work out is designed to build strength using cadence and heart rate in intervals. This is when I realized that I forgot my heart rate monitor. UGGH! Damn 6:30am! My bike was making all sorts of irritating noises which Jeff has since diagnosed as the derailleur rubbing against the chain. (I admittedly have no clue about anything mechanical) The class was challenging, but no impossible. As I got in my car afterward, I felt energized. What a great work out.
My 2nd coach assigned work out of the day was a 30 minute run which I did at night. Me and one of my favorite running partners, Keisha, our Irondog, ran around Green Lake. She set a steady, strong pace, running in front of me barking at me to encourage me to stick with her. It was so fun and was too short!
Thursday - I got home from the grand opening of the beautiful new Courtyard Pioneer Square at 7:30pm and checked my schedule - a 45 minute easy spin out on the bike. I popped the muddy bike on the trainer and cranked the Comcast Party Favorites channels, (Michael Jackson, The Commodores, Black Eyed Pea, but the song Knock on Wood was the BEST!) and busted out that work out in no time. Thank you, Teresa, for the light work out tonight after a long day. It is 9:30pm. Time for dinner.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Are you tired? GOOD
Waking up yesterday, Tuesday, my muscles were more weary then sore. I must have hit snooze 5 times before actually coaxing myself out of being horizontal. My scheduled work out for the day was at the Track with the team followed by a short 1/2 hour recovery swim.
During my warm up laps at the track, I felt a little hot. How is it that a girl who grew up in the heat and humidity of Virginia could feel hot in 77 degrees? The coaches separated the Ironman and Marathon athletes from the rest of the group. In the back of my mind, I was hoping that this would mean we were getting a lighter work out because of our challenging weekend. NOT AT ALL. The assigned work out was 6 miles non stop around the track at a 1/2 marathon pace, alternating speed by 5 seconds or so every other loop. I started out with my 1st loop at 5K pace, 1:57. Too fast to maintain for 6 miles, it should have been more like 2:10 or 2:15. I spent the next 3 loops trying to slow myself down and hit a steady pace. Mark, one of our coaches, asked me if I was tired when I ran past him. YES! His response - GOOD! Good? Grown! This helped me focus even more. I am going to be tired during Ironman and will need to keep going and going and going.
Then, my stomach starting hurting. Could it have been the salsa that I had at lunch? Why did I do that? What was I thinking? The next 4 miles on a queasy stomach did not feel so great. I did not want to stop. What if my stomach hurts on August 29? I finished 5 of the 6 miles assigned. Not the best work out, but I pushed through some challenging miles. I did not make the swim, knowing that I needed to let my stomach calm down a bit. Today will be a better effort.
During my warm up laps at the track, I felt a little hot. How is it that a girl who grew up in the heat and humidity of Virginia could feel hot in 77 degrees? The coaches separated the Ironman and Marathon athletes from the rest of the group. In the back of my mind, I was hoping that this would mean we were getting a lighter work out because of our challenging weekend. NOT AT ALL. The assigned work out was 6 miles non stop around the track at a 1/2 marathon pace, alternating speed by 5 seconds or so every other loop. I started out with my 1st loop at 5K pace, 1:57. Too fast to maintain for 6 miles, it should have been more like 2:10 or 2:15. I spent the next 3 loops trying to slow myself down and hit a steady pace. Mark, one of our coaches, asked me if I was tired when I ran past him. YES! His response - GOOD! Good? Grown! This helped me focus even more. I am going to be tired during Ironman and will need to keep going and going and going.
Then, my stomach starting hurting. Could it have been the salsa that I had at lunch? Why did I do that? What was I thinking? The next 4 miles on a queasy stomach did not feel so great. I did not want to stop. What if my stomach hurts on August 29? I finished 5 of the 6 miles assigned. Not the best work out, but I pushed through some challenging miles. I did not make the swim, knowing that I needed to let my stomach calm down a bit. Today will be a better effort.
Monday, July 26, 2010
TOUGH IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME
32 days until IM Canada and I decided to start a blog. WHY? I think the reality of what I have committed myself to do (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) on August 29 just sunk in. I am excited and scared. There is a good possibility that I, a regular person masquerading as an athlete, can cross the finish line.
This past weekend I travelled to Penticton, BC with my teammates at TN Multisports to train on the course. Prior to this weekend, I hoped the conditions were worst case scenario so that I would experience the toughest circumstances before the race. The logic was that the race would then seem easier. (In reality, nothing is going to make this race seem easier)
FRIDAY
We spent the day driving - 6 hours from Seattle to Penticton, BC. On Friday night, we did a 45 minute swim in slightly rough waters. The temperature was nice and I felt good about it. it is still hard to imagine doing that swim with 2600 other people in the water. Yes, 2600!!!
SATURDAY
112 miles through multiple mountain passes in 96 degree weather. Yes, almost 8 hours of my butt on a bicycle seat.
This past weekend I travelled to Penticton, BC with my teammates at TN Multisports to train on the course. Prior to this weekend, I hoped the conditions were worst case scenario so that I would experience the toughest circumstances before the race. The logic was that the race would then seem easier. (In reality, nothing is going to make this race seem easier)
FRIDAY
We spent the day driving - 6 hours from Seattle to Penticton, BC. On Friday night, we did a 45 minute swim in slightly rough waters. The temperature was nice and I felt good about it. it is still hard to imagine doing that swim with 2600 other people in the water. Yes, 2600!!!
SATURDAY
112 miles through multiple mountain passes in 96 degree weather. Yes, almost 8 hours of my butt on a bicycle seat.
- The 1st 40 miles and last 12 of the course are pretty flat, otherwise it is mostly climbing and descending. At around mile 20, I heard a whooshing noise which I thought was some sort of bird before I realized that was my borrowed race wheels singing. Around mile 35, we rode through a wet construction site, spashing mud EVERYWHERE. The bike and I were covered!
- Everyone had told me that Richter Pass was the biggest challenge on the course. Mentally, I planned for a 45 minute relentless climb. At the top, our Coaches were waiting with cold water and encouraging words. My question for them - was that IT? I liked it!
- 7 or so long rollers later and I hit was what to be the greatest challenge of the day for me...YELLOW LAKE. I started climbing this long, steep pass at the peak of the heat of the day. I stopped part of the way through to have some water and wound up staring off into space for a while. A cyclist passed me and told me that it was only about 5 more minutes of climbing. This was enough to get me back on the bike, laboriously climbing at a pace that was so slow that I am surprised that the bike did not topple over. It was more like 20 minutes. I got 2 rewards for reaching the top - 1) An amazing view of Yellow Lake with majestic mountains in the background 2) Kristen and Steve from TN were waiting with cold water, ice, and fuel. Seeing them was a game changer for my last 12 or so miles which is mostly a fast, winding downhill, smiling the whole way.
- When I finished the ride, I felt really good. I was not worn out or dehydrated. THIS IS PROGRESS!!!
- I ran my 20 minutes in what seemed like over bearing heat and met the rest of the team in the water to cool off.
SUNDAY
- 7am 1/2 hour team swim in calm waters
- My training schedule called for a 3 hour run. Since I have been running marathons for 10 years, I thought this was going to be the easy part. WELL, I was wrong. I have never run 3 hours after cycling almost 8 hours the day prior and am not used to the heat. The run was more challenging then the bike the day prior. Despite the cold sponges over my head and ice down my shirt to cool me off, I struggled. As I ran, I was thinking about whether I had lost my sanity the day that I signed up for this race. It was a fantastic feeling to see the my team mates in the Park as I ran in. I DID IT!
MONDAY
We drove back to Seattle today and the fatigue really hit during the drive. Today is a day off for recovery and back at it tomorrow. I feel fantastic about the weekend. It was tough, but it was supposed to be tough. My friend, Teri Hackney, says "Tough is your middle name" to me to encourage my progress and this weekend she is right...Tough is my middle name.
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