Sorry I've been incommunicado recently. I was at a pretty intense training class so I simply haven't had the time to write about my training. I'm still pushing through and getting runs, rides, and swims in, but I'm really hoping to have the time to write more frequently!
My next endurance run is in about three weeks (YIKES!!). It's the Dopey Challenge at Disney World (8-11 Jan, one run per day: 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon) and will total out to 48.6 miles in four days. Yup--it really is well named!!
I've been having problems with my IT band lately (the ligament? tendon? that runs from the side of my right hip to my knee. It hasn't been TOO bad yet, but I can tell that it could be an issue in the making, if I'm not careful. So I've upped my swimming and cycling and have just tried to do only the longer runs that I need, rather than short and long runs. It is not an ideal scenario, but what can I do? I'll just press and hope for the best. Really, with this particular run(s), I'm just going to try and survive it, not PR on any of the distances. It's just too much to try and deal with. I'm going with my friend R and I think we'll have a great time, even if we crawl in at the end. :)
Cycling is going okay. I've been kind of hiding on my trainer (the bike I normally ride fits into a contraption that keeps it steady and adds some tension to the back tire) for the last few weeks--it's either too cold or too damp to make riding outside much fun…add in the shortened days and indoor cycling just seems to become a better idea! Trainer work is hard though--there is no break of riding downhill or with the wind to my back. I'm either going or I'm not, no in-between.
Swimming…ah, swimming. I haven't been back into the Gulf since around October but I joined the YMCA so that I could swim in the mornings. I am military and there are two pools on the bases but they're rather difficult to deal with. One is only open from 1100-1300 (getting away for lunch is problematic) and the other opens a bit late--0600--and is not covered. I live in Florida but this part gets colder than people expect; the last time I tried that pool the water was only about 69 degrees. I do have a wetsuit but that's for the ocean, not to get broken down by swimming in chlorine. After weighing my options, I decided my best bet was to join the Y during the winter. I can start swimming at 0500 and it's an indoor pool so it stays at a reasonable temperature. I'm hoping to get back to the beach soon, but that's difficult to schedule. The beaches here have no life guards and I have to find someone to either swim with me or watch me from the shore. Having someone swim with me is a little easier--quite a few swimmers here--but no one wants to stand on a cold beach watching me swim back and forth. B-O-R-I-N-G. Hopefully after the Dopey I'll be back in the salt water, freezing my rearend off. ;)
OKAY, so--back to the Dopey. I'm still trying to raise money for one of my favorite local non-profit organizations: SOCKS. Save Our Cats and Kittens has been having a rough time as of late and desperately need to raise funds. They are a no-kill shelter that houses their cats in rooms that the cats have full range in…unless they're sick but even then they are well-treated and held in large cages in the "sick room" until they get better and can be moved in with the other healthy cats. They spay and neuter prior to adoption and just generally take awesome care of the kitties in their charge. I would really like to help this organization and am willing to "Go Dopey for SOCKS!" I'll run the 48.6 and if it would be possible for you to donate even $1 per mile (or $1 overall, no amount is too small!!!), I'd be eternally grateful! I know this is short-notice but I want to at least try and make this possible.
Here's an article the local paper posted about the shelter: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/local/local-shelter-faces-lean-times-photos-1.247798?page=0.
Okay, thanks for reading!! :)
Monday, December 23, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Volunteering at Ironman Florida
A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by my coach, P, who wanted me to volunteer at Ironman Florida. Her reasoning was sound: if you volunteer you are guaranteed a spot in next year's Ironman and she believes that I will be strong enough to finish a full Ironman next year.
So, after a few back and forths on my work schedule (it was an insane week at work) and trying to find out whether or not a friend was going to come back from a deployment (unfortunately he was delayed a couple of days), I was able to drive to Panama City Beach Friday after work. I got out there, checked into my hotel, and went down to the site to get a volunteer briefing and t-shirt. I decided to volunteer at the "wetsuit stripper" section. Basically after the 2.4 mile swim, there is a station that volunteers pull wetsuits off of people, so that the swimmers can transition to their biking gear a bit more quickly. Unfortunately, it was right out of the water and mostly in the sand, so the people that had their suits removed got sand on them…and sand STICKS to bodies. It's a real pain, so I felt bad for the people who just went full on, sit down in the sand and get their suit removed, because that sand was most likely clinging to them for the **entire day**…and a 112 mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile run with sand everywhere does not sound like the making of a good time. It's doable, but not the most pleasant way to go about it, I'm sure!
The pros were (of course) out of the water first--some managed to swim the 2.4 miles in right about an hour…incredible!! The longest allowable time was 2:20; standard triathlons rules do not allow the swim to go on for any longer than that. A few people (maybe 10?) did not make the cutoff, which I know had to be crushing. All that time and training to be stopped at the first obstacle…that was rough. The majority made it through, though I think swimming in open ocean for people from landlocked states must be a bit of a shock. The Gulf of Mexico is not a particularly bad place to swim, it has its tides and currents, of course, but it is generally very warm and very clear water. But getting salt water up the nose and dealing with the strangeness of the ocean for the first time on race day could not be easy thing to do. There were three or four who walked into the water but only managed to get out to the breakers before turning back…again, that must have been rough to deal with.
After all of the swimmers were in, I meandered around for a while. What I should have done was gone back to my hotel and grabbed a shower so that I could have stayed out to watch the end of the race. But, hindsight is always 20/20…instead, I decided to volunteer in the women's change tent for the transition from bike to run. The first female finished her ride around 1230…the race started at 0730 and she had managed to complete a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride in five hours. FIVE HOURS. I cannot imagine being able to move like that. The next female was a few minutes behind her and then the gates opened and we were crazily busy. I did see my friend, A, who was doing her first Ironman in the tent--she honestly did really well and I was sorry not to be able to see her finish that afternoon.
I finished in the change tent around 1700 and I was exhausted. I had no idea how much work either of those events were going to be and I was fried. I decided I had to go back to my hotel room and crash…though I did run into P--her son, A, and a few other people from the area were going to be finishing in a couple of hours, but I just could not stay. If I were to volunteer at one of these again, I would pick only one area to volunteer and work one shift, because I heard the end of tri was amazing. People were finishing at the 17 hour mark and with all the cheering and support from the crowd, it sounded like a blast. Next time!!
The next morning, I got up at 0500 to get over to stand in line to register for the next year. Nervous energy is how I go, so I had to make certain I was there early enough to get a spot. I stood in line with a scores of people for about three hours to register. It was really a fun time--we all just kind of stood around BSing. I was next to a lady who was saving a spot for her husband and daughter and then we started chatting with a couple from Quebec, Canada. Since I am from this area, the Canadian couple had a lot of questions about the water…mostly involving tides, sharks, and jellyfish. Jellyfish seemed to be their biggest concern, but I explained that (with a few exceptions) they really aren't too bad. Portuguese Man o' Wars are a problem every so often in this area but the common jellyfish are just uncomfortable. They sting, of course, but it's not incapacitating or even all that painful. I find the sting of a bee to be much worse than the sting of a jellyfish…and I even had one in my bra at the first triathlon I did back in September. Not fun but not drown-worthy. Sharks are in the area, of course, but I don't think they would have gone near the triathlon swim…mostly because it was just an insane mass of people and it probably would have freaked them out more than anything. I'm not saying it's impossible that a shark would wander up, but I do think they would go to quieter waters for better fishing that morning. Lord knows I can pretty much guarantee there wasn't a fish anywhere near that area during the swim!
Anyway, I signed up. I was almost hoping to be turned down, but I would have been so upset had I not been able to register. There is a real fear associated with this…but, like I said earlier, "if your dream do not scare you, then they are not big enough." I think this is big enough…!!
(P.S…I plan to blog about my next year of insanity here!!) :D
(P.S…I plan to blog about my next year of insanity here!!) :D
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
200 miles in Florida
First, I want to thank everyone who donated to the ride!!! I raised almost $1600 for the Wounded EOD Warriors and I'm really proud of that!!! :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
My 200(ish)-mile bike ride went really well. It started in Niceville, Florida, by the EOD Memorial on Eglin Air Force Base. We kicked off at about 0830 and the morning went by pretty quickly. The crowd this year was pretty good--there were about 50 of us and I think the year before only had around 20. It's awesome to see this cause growing, as the WEODW is something very near and dear to me.
My 200(ish)-mile bike ride went really well. It started in Niceville, Florida, by the EOD Memorial on Eglin Air Force Base. We kicked off at about 0830 and the morning went by pretty quickly. The crowd this year was pretty good--there were about 50 of us and I think the year before only had around 20. It's awesome to see this cause growing, as the WEODW is something very near and dear to me.
The route had been adjusted from last year, just a bit…and it was a really good change. Last year, we went through a lot of the smaller range roads, on the north side of Eglin range. They are not dirt roads, but they're just a step up from that…a very small step up! Luckily, this year we were only on one of those roads for about 10 miles at the start of the ride. The bike I have is a tri bike, which means very thin, light tires that does absolutely nothing for shock absorption. So, but the time I got off of that road, I was SO glad to see it go--my teeth were rattling from all of the jarring! Other than that stretch though, it was a really good ride. I rode by myself, which is never a bad thing, but my husband rode support and helped me out every ten to twenty miles. It was always great to see either him or the regular support crew--a chance to stretch my legs, get a nice cold drink, chat for a few minutes. I like to update my FB page as I'm going--why not?? ;)--because I like to think I have people cheering me on and it gave me a goal to keep moving. My husband pointed out that a lot of the pics weren't interesting--hard to make scrub pines and live oaks into a good picture--but I was just so happy to be out there and feeling good that I didn't care. It was a lovely day, weather wise, just a bit warm and partly cloudy. It's nice to get the occasional break from the sun beating down; amazing day for a bike ride!
The first day took 6:52. Sub-7 hours for the 100 miles, so not too bad. I will mention that I found EVERY hill in Florida--they're all on the north side of Eglin range. But the hills are fun; getting up them takes effort, but getting down them is just fun! And the momentum normally will take me to the middle of the next hill. So, a little give and take as far as effort goes. The worst part of the ride was the last five miles. I know that sounds obvious, but it had more to do with the location of the last five miles--on a very crowded road in Panama City Beach, during a high traffic time of day. Didn't get squished (BONUS!!) and finally got to the hotel we were staying at. As soon as I got off of the bike, my legs cramped. Right quad and left calf, so I just gimped around until it all settled down and then we checked into our hotel room and I got HUNGRY. I wanted some real food and, after getting a shower, the hubby and I headed downstairs for a surprisingly delicious meal.
I ate during the ride, of course, but I can only eat so much GU, Honey Stingers, fruit, Gatorade, and other high-sugar foods before I crave something different. Sugar (and salt!) is necessary--riding for so long is a real carb burner and the glycogen stores need to be (have to be) replaced. I can tell when I need carbs, thinking becomes waaaaaay more difficult that it should. Simple math is a real problem and that's when I know I need to eat more. I'm not a fan of public math to begin with, but the problems I try and figure out are simple: "I'm at 14.23 miles right now. How much further do I need to go to get to 20 miles?" If I REALLY have to think about it, it is past time to eat something.
The second day started out really well too. A couple of people had mechanical issues right off, but I was lucky enough to avoid those. Again, I rode alone but enjoyed myself anyway. The route back was far more typical Florida--flat, flat, flat. I really thought I would prefer the flat, but it turns out the hills were easier. It is some work to get up them, but--as I mentioned earlier--there is a lot of give and take with hills. The flats are just work and nothing to look at…the roads just go on forever and, as I was riding along, I could see just sameness well into the distance. My favorite part was near the end (again, I know that seems obvious!), riding by the bay. It was so pretty and shady and just made me happy to be there.
Day two's ride was around 85 miles instead of 100, so I finished it a bit faster. I think that one was sub-6 hours, but it was more than long enough!!
I managed to escape having any major issues. No flats, no injuries, no sunburn, no almost getting run over. The only thing I noticed was the occasional squished snake on the side of the road. I don't mind snakes, so I wasn't all that happy to see that they were dead, but the first one I saw really scared me--a big old diamondback rattler that was as big around as my arm and very long. While I wished he was alive, I would not have wished to see him so close to me and alive, that's for certain. Other than that, no major animal-related incidents either.
I would really like to do this again, but I do not believe I will be able to do this ride next year; I signed up for a full Ironman and only three weeks are between those two events. I volunteered at Ironman Florida on 2 November and decided I REALLY want to be an Ironman…but that's a story for a different day. :)
The first day took 6:52. Sub-7 hours for the 100 miles, so not too bad. I will mention that I found EVERY hill in Florida--they're all on the north side of Eglin range. But the hills are fun; getting up them takes effort, but getting down them is just fun! And the momentum normally will take me to the middle of the next hill. So, a little give and take as far as effort goes. The worst part of the ride was the last five miles. I know that sounds obvious, but it had more to do with the location of the last five miles--on a very crowded road in Panama City Beach, during a high traffic time of day. Didn't get squished (BONUS!!) and finally got to the hotel we were staying at. As soon as I got off of the bike, my legs cramped. Right quad and left calf, so I just gimped around until it all settled down and then we checked into our hotel room and I got HUNGRY. I wanted some real food and, after getting a shower, the hubby and I headed downstairs for a surprisingly delicious meal.
I ate during the ride, of course, but I can only eat so much GU, Honey Stingers, fruit, Gatorade, and other high-sugar foods before I crave something different. Sugar (and salt!) is necessary--riding for so long is a real carb burner and the glycogen stores need to be (have to be) replaced. I can tell when I need carbs, thinking becomes waaaaaay more difficult that it should. Simple math is a real problem and that's when I know I need to eat more. I'm not a fan of public math to begin with, but the problems I try and figure out are simple: "I'm at 14.23 miles right now. How much further do I need to go to get to 20 miles?" If I REALLY have to think about it, it is past time to eat something.
The second day started out really well too. A couple of people had mechanical issues right off, but I was lucky enough to avoid those. Again, I rode alone but enjoyed myself anyway. The route back was far more typical Florida--flat, flat, flat. I really thought I would prefer the flat, but it turns out the hills were easier. It is some work to get up them, but--as I mentioned earlier--there is a lot of give and take with hills. The flats are just work and nothing to look at…the roads just go on forever and, as I was riding along, I could see just sameness well into the distance. My favorite part was near the end (again, I know that seems obvious!), riding by the bay. It was so pretty and shady and just made me happy to be there.
Day two's ride was around 85 miles instead of 100, so I finished it a bit faster. I think that one was sub-6 hours, but it was more than long enough!!
I managed to escape having any major issues. No flats, no injuries, no sunburn, no almost getting run over. The only thing I noticed was the occasional squished snake on the side of the road. I don't mind snakes, so I wasn't all that happy to see that they were dead, but the first one I saw really scared me--a big old diamondback rattler that was as big around as my arm and very long. While I wished he was alive, I would not have wished to see him so close to me and alive, that's for certain. Other than that, no major animal-related incidents either.
I would really like to do this again, but I do not believe I will be able to do this ride next year; I signed up for a full Ironman and only three weeks are between those two events. I volunteered at Ironman Florida on 2 November and decided I REALLY want to be an Ironman…but that's a story for a different day. :)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
A Full in Ohio
My friend J and I ran the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH on 21 September. It was a great run!!
So, this was J's first marathon and she was nervous. But I knew she could do it, so we got into her truck and took two days to get from Florida to Ohio. A really nice drive, through Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and then stopping in southern Ohio. We got there on Friday and went straight to packet pick-up. We wandered around for a bit, got our stuff and listened to Jeff Galloway speak for a bit. After a while it was just time to get to J's friend's house and get some dinner and then off to bed.
The weather, yet again, was amazing. It rained most of the morning before the start, but settled into just being cloudy for a good portion of the run. I love cloudy day runs--normally it keeps the heat down but my shoes stay dry, so it's just a good time the whole way around. The first few miles were fairly easy/comfortable (if you ignore the hills that we aren't used it) and we sailed along.
The marathon's set up was amazing--apparently the Air Force really LISTENED to critiques from previous runners and strove to improve their course. Every single mile there was a water station and every other station had a medical tent. The run actually went on and off the base, so there was a lot to look at and lots of people cheering us on. We ran through a town, just outside of one of the W-P gates (can't remember the name right now) and they were awesome. They decorated their town early for Halloween and had their high school band out (nothing is more motivating than the brass and drum section of HS bands during a run), plenty of others out cheering, the town was just a great time.
Once we got back onto base, one of the sections had an "Alien Town" set up for us. Great music, people dressed up as various Sci-Fi characters and as the Men in Black. It kept us entertained for a while and we soon found ourselves on a beautiful running trail in the back of the base. There were huge oak tree that created a ceiling over the path and made for a beautiful two-ish mile section.
Then we got to THAT PART. THAT PART is the stretch of a marathon where there is nothing but other runners and, in this case, the very boring stretch of road around a runway. It's usually later in the run (between miles 18-22ish) and this is always the part that makes me wonder what on earth I was thinking. It's the mental section of the run--are you tough enough to keep going? Can you ignore the Blerch that wants you to quit? Can you do it? Don't you want to just stop??
Nope--I am many things and stubborn is high on that list. My friend J, around this time, decided to head on in front of me. I'm a slow runner and don't mind if my faster friends want to stretch their legs after a while, so that's what she did. The sun came out about then too and this is where my Florida training came in handy--I was fine. I was not really overly heated, like some of the people I ran past, and it wasn't all that humid, even though it had rained all night. Or maybe it just wasn't as hot and humid as I was used to--regardless, I kept going and finished right around 5:50. I would have been faster, but I stopped to say hi to a friend of mine that lives in OH right at the finish line. It was great to see S, so the minute or two on my time was well worth it. J finished about 10-15 minutes ahead of me, so we met up at the finish.
We spent a bit of time waiting--there was a Spec Ops (TACP?) guy that did the whole 26.2 in full battle rattle. For those that have never worn it, it's about 80 lbs of "stuff." Not the most comfortable way to do a marathon, but a great way to raise money for the charity he was supporting. Pretty amazing guy... Unfortunately, we didn't wait quite long enough to see him, he finished about 20 minutes after we had to call it.
If anyone is looking to do a marathon, I highly recommend the AF one. It was just as well organized as a Disney run, but a lot smaller and easier to navigate.
A Triathlon in Alabama
Two weeks after my Half in Maine, I completed my first Triathlon! It was in Gulf Shores, Alabama--the Alabama Coastal Triathlon. Overall, I had a great time...though I did learn that tris are a LOT different from marathons.
My sister, A, lives near me so I asked if she would ride over with me and hang out. She did, and I enjoyed spending time with her. She may think I'm a bit insane, over my fascination with endurance sports, but I think she likes seeing the different places and hearing my stories, so she's a pretty good cheerleader...as long as I don't wake her up at 0430, lol. THAT she won't do. :)
Anyway, we checked in to our hotel and went down to the expo to get the race packet. They put a paper bracelet on me--like they give people at a bar that are of age--which I promptly took off. I picked up the packet, found the tattoos and timing chips and then we headed back to the hotel. I dug through my goody bag, decided not to wear the provided swim cap and got my things ready for the next morning. I got up, put my hair up, figured out the tattoos (think the temp tattoos that kids wear...used to wear...?) and got down to the car. I was very early (early is in my nature, add in nerves and I was EARLY) and took my time getting my bike out and making certain I got everything out of my car. Then I headed to the transition area to set up...and that's were I discovered things were different.
First thing I was asked about was my paper bracelet. When I told them I had taken it off, I was looked at kind of oddly, but they gave me another one and told me to keep that one on. Oooookay...then they start the announcements. USAT (the governing body for triathlons) have a couple of rules that I, as a runner, was unaware of. Aside from the importance of the bracelet, I learned about all of the disqualifying factors--having a phone or any device that plays music while on the swim, bike or run will cause disqualification. Additionally, any GPS that announces is reason to be disqualified--having a GPS (I have a Garmin) is fine, but no voice. Your number must be displayed on your bike and not wearing your bib on the front of your body on the run is also disqualifying.
In running sports, music devices are discouraged (but no one really listens to that), placing your bib somewhere on the front of your body is preferred, though they just want everyone to have A bib, and nothing else is mandatory. We're just a bunch of happy runners.
Also, I wore my own swim cap--I like it. It's hot pink and makes me happy. I was waiting for my number to come up for swimming and someone walks up to tell me that I have to wear one of the provided swim caps. Uh...damn. I left it at the hotel. So, I ran around and looked for the tent that gave them out the evening before and one of the volunteers gave me one. I ran back to the beach and waiting for about 10 more minutes to start my swim portion.
The swim was in the Gulf of Mexico--beautiful water that day. There was a loop we (the Olympic distance peeps) had to do twice to get in our .9 mile swim. Awesome. Then...the jellyfish...oohhhhhh, the jellyfish. Having been raised near the water, I know that they're not necessarily dangerous, most have a mildly painful sting that is uncomfortable, but nothing life threatening...no Portuguese-Man-o-War, so I was okay. Until the one got into my bra. If you've never had a stinging animal climb into a very sensitive area and sting the crap out of you, I highly recommend not trying it. Seriously. Fortunately, it was just a matter of moving the band of my bra (while not drowning) and releasing my newfound "friend" and I was good to go.
After the two loops and my brief friendship with the jellyfish, I moved on to the bike ride. My absolute favorite. I always feel like an eight year old kid when I'm on my bike; I love it. I started out and enjoyed the ride immensely. I lost a water bottle at one point, but the 25 mile ride was just fun. By the time it was over, I got through my second transition and got into the run, which was a 10K (6.2 miles).
Now, running is what I do. I've been running full marathons for almost five years, so I like it. I'm not very fast, more of a comfortable/steady runner, so coming in late doesn't bother me. But, during the summer, I do try and knock out running as early as possible and it was already about 0930/1000 before I started on the run portion. And it was hot. Alabama in the summer time hot. Fortunately, this was not this group's first rodeo, so they had iced towels at all but the first (and last, because it was an out and back run) water station and that made a hell of a difference. Every time I grabbed a drink, someone was handing me a frozen towel. Awesome.
Overall, my time was not great for an Olympic distance triathlon--around 3:50. I mean I finished, and it was my first one ever, so I was pretty danged thrilled with the time but I didn't place, or even come close.
Or so I thought.
Turns out I placed third in the Athena division. Triathlons have four groups of people men under and over 220 (I think?)--the Clydesdale division--and women below and above 165--the Athena division. Now, I'm (barely) over 165, but I'll own that I am over that weight. I was pretty shocked to find out I placed, but I'm happy nonetheless. :)
Now, I'm on to that Half Ironman...
My sister, A, lives near me so I asked if she would ride over with me and hang out. She did, and I enjoyed spending time with her. She may think I'm a bit insane, over my fascination with endurance sports, but I think she likes seeing the different places and hearing my stories, so she's a pretty good cheerleader...as long as I don't wake her up at 0430, lol. THAT she won't do. :)
Anyway, we checked in to our hotel and went down to the expo to get the race packet. They put a paper bracelet on me--like they give people at a bar that are of age--which I promptly took off. I picked up the packet, found the tattoos and timing chips and then we headed back to the hotel. I dug through my goody bag, decided not to wear the provided swim cap and got my things ready for the next morning. I got up, put my hair up, figured out the tattoos (think the temp tattoos that kids wear...used to wear...?) and got down to the car. I was very early (early is in my nature, add in nerves and I was EARLY) and took my time getting my bike out and making certain I got everything out of my car. Then I headed to the transition area to set up...and that's were I discovered things were different.
First thing I was asked about was my paper bracelet. When I told them I had taken it off, I was looked at kind of oddly, but they gave me another one and told me to keep that one on. Oooookay...then they start the announcements. USAT (the governing body for triathlons) have a couple of rules that I, as a runner, was unaware of. Aside from the importance of the bracelet, I learned about all of the disqualifying factors--having a phone or any device that plays music while on the swim, bike or run will cause disqualification. Additionally, any GPS that announces is reason to be disqualified--having a GPS (I have a Garmin) is fine, but no voice. Your number must be displayed on your bike and not wearing your bib on the front of your body on the run is also disqualifying.
In running sports, music devices are discouraged (but no one really listens to that), placing your bib somewhere on the front of your body is preferred, though they just want everyone to have A bib, and nothing else is mandatory. We're just a bunch of happy runners.
Also, I wore my own swim cap--I like it. It's hot pink and makes me happy. I was waiting for my number to come up for swimming and someone walks up to tell me that I have to wear one of the provided swim caps. Uh...damn. I left it at the hotel. So, I ran around and looked for the tent that gave them out the evening before and one of the volunteers gave me one. I ran back to the beach and waiting for about 10 more minutes to start my swim portion.
The swim was in the Gulf of Mexico--beautiful water that day. There was a loop we (the Olympic distance peeps) had to do twice to get in our .9 mile swim. Awesome. Then...the jellyfish...oohhhhhh, the jellyfish. Having been raised near the water, I know that they're not necessarily dangerous, most have a mildly painful sting that is uncomfortable, but nothing life threatening...no Portuguese-Man-o-War, so I was okay. Until the one got into my bra. If you've never had a stinging animal climb into a very sensitive area and sting the crap out of you, I highly recommend not trying it. Seriously. Fortunately, it was just a matter of moving the band of my bra (while not drowning) and releasing my newfound "friend" and I was good to go.
After the two loops and my brief friendship with the jellyfish, I moved on to the bike ride. My absolute favorite. I always feel like an eight year old kid when I'm on my bike; I love it. I started out and enjoyed the ride immensely. I lost a water bottle at one point, but the 25 mile ride was just fun. By the time it was over, I got through my second transition and got into the run, which was a 10K (6.2 miles).
Now, running is what I do. I've been running full marathons for almost five years, so I like it. I'm not very fast, more of a comfortable/steady runner, so coming in late doesn't bother me. But, during the summer, I do try and knock out running as early as possible and it was already about 0930/1000 before I started on the run portion. And it was hot. Alabama in the summer time hot. Fortunately, this was not this group's first rodeo, so they had iced towels at all but the first (and last, because it was an out and back run) water station and that made a hell of a difference. Every time I grabbed a drink, someone was handing me a frozen towel. Awesome.
Overall, my time was not great for an Olympic distance triathlon--around 3:50. I mean I finished, and it was my first one ever, so I was pretty danged thrilled with the time but I didn't place, or even come close.
Or so I thought.
Turns out I placed third in the Athena division. Triathlons have four groups of people men under and over 220 (I think?)--the Clydesdale division--and women below and above 165--the Athena division. Now, I'm (barely) over 165, but I'll own that I am over that weight. I was pretty shocked to find out I placed, but I'm happy nonetheless. :)
Now, I'm on to that Half Ironman...
A Half in Maine
Back in August (I know it's October, sorry!), I went up North to visit my friend, R, in Boston, Mass. She is a runner too, so she found us a little half marathon to run in the middle of nowhere, southern Maine, during that time.
Before this trip, I had never been that far north in the continental US. The first thing I noticed after I got off the plane in Boston, was the weather. It was awesome! It was still AUGUST and I was not melting. That may seem like a strange observation to some, but I live in Florida. August is meant for misery here--getting up all summer at 0400 to try and squeeze in a run before the sun comes up and it's absolutely too hot to think (or run safely, for that matter) is the norm here.
Anyway, I spent the night with R and her husband P and the next morning, R and I got up to head to Maine. We stopped for gas once we got into Maine and I HAD TO PUT ON A JACKET. Again, Floridian--I don't even like to LOOK at a jacket until November; even the idea of putting one on makes me hot. We went to a beautiful Bed and Breakfast and checked in, then we headed off to go kayaking.
The kayaking was a lot of fun, though the water was stupid cold, lol! I stepped in it to get into the kayak and it actually took my breath away...but the area was so pretty. Our tour guide was a little odd...to say the least...but the views were completely worth it. We had a two hour guided tour and then decided to call it.
The next morning, we got up to do the half marathon. The race was very small--only 200 participants--so there was no packet pick-up, no expo, no bibs, no stress. The race started at 0730...or earlier, if we wanted. The run was held by Blueberry Cove Camp (I think it's a 4H camp) and the director's announcement that morning was that this was an easy-going type of run. He mentioned that if someone was running to win, they were probably at the wrong race...it was set up for people to complete and that was it. No official timing and runners could head out as early as 0630, though there was no guarantee the water stations would be set up that early. We ran through a coastal farming town (the same area we had kayaked in the day before) and the locals were out, en force. They were all very nice and cheered us on. The scenery was simply amazing. Coastal Maine is mind blowing in the summertime, it really reminded me of the time I've spent in Germany in the summer.
I had an epiphany while running--this is why people actually like the summertime. It's not miserable everywhere, in some places summer is quite lovely. And suddenly I also understood the Snow Birds. Snow Birds are older people that live in the north during the summer and come south to Florida for the winter...yup, it all makes sense now. Why not move to Florida? Summer sucks. Why not stay up north? Winter sucks. But the combination of areas and seasons...? Oh yes. I get it.
The run itself was a good one. Finished in just under three hours; there were a few hills that were worth walking up, so we just took it easy and enjoyed. I had not seen my friend R in over 10 years, so we really just took the opportunity to chat and have a good time. She had not been running in a while and was worried about finishing, but I like to think I'm pretty easy to run with (so long as you don't mind going slowly) and we finished in good time. The medal (which was porcelain, not metal) was actually really cool...no T-shirt for that run, which I admit to being disappointed about. It was just such a cool little run and I would've worn that shirt...but, oh well. I have the medal and the pictures and a great memory of a beautiful run with a good friend. I guess if the lack of a t-shirt is my biggest complaint, it really was an awesome run.
Before this trip, I had never been that far north in the continental US. The first thing I noticed after I got off the plane in Boston, was the weather. It was awesome! It was still AUGUST and I was not melting. That may seem like a strange observation to some, but I live in Florida. August is meant for misery here--getting up all summer at 0400 to try and squeeze in a run before the sun comes up and it's absolutely too hot to think (or run safely, for that matter) is the norm here.
Anyway, I spent the night with R and her husband P and the next morning, R and I got up to head to Maine. We stopped for gas once we got into Maine and I HAD TO PUT ON A JACKET. Again, Floridian--I don't even like to LOOK at a jacket until November; even the idea of putting one on makes me hot. We went to a beautiful Bed and Breakfast and checked in, then we headed off to go kayaking.
The kayaking was a lot of fun, though the water was stupid cold, lol! I stepped in it to get into the kayak and it actually took my breath away...but the area was so pretty. Our tour guide was a little odd...to say the least...but the views were completely worth it. We had a two hour guided tour and then decided to call it.
The next morning, we got up to do the half marathon. The race was very small--only 200 participants--so there was no packet pick-up, no expo, no bibs, no stress. The race started at 0730...or earlier, if we wanted. The run was held by Blueberry Cove Camp (I think it's a 4H camp) and the director's announcement that morning was that this was an easy-going type of run. He mentioned that if someone was running to win, they were probably at the wrong race...it was set up for people to complete and that was it. No official timing and runners could head out as early as 0630, though there was no guarantee the water stations would be set up that early. We ran through a coastal farming town (the same area we had kayaked in the day before) and the locals were out, en force. They were all very nice and cheered us on. The scenery was simply amazing. Coastal Maine is mind blowing in the summertime, it really reminded me of the time I've spent in Germany in the summer.
I had an epiphany while running--this is why people actually like the summertime. It's not miserable everywhere, in some places summer is quite lovely. And suddenly I also understood the Snow Birds. Snow Birds are older people that live in the north during the summer and come south to Florida for the winter...yup, it all makes sense now. Why not move to Florida? Summer sucks. Why not stay up north? Winter sucks. But the combination of areas and seasons...? Oh yes. I get it.
The run itself was a good one. Finished in just under three hours; there were a few hills that were worth walking up, so we just took it easy and enjoyed. I had not seen my friend R in over 10 years, so we really just took the opportunity to chat and have a good time. She had not been running in a while and was worried about finishing, but I like to think I'm pretty easy to run with (so long as you don't mind going slowly) and we finished in good time. The medal (which was porcelain, not metal) was actually really cool...no T-shirt for that run, which I admit to being disappointed about. It was just such a cool little run and I would've worn that shirt...but, oh well. I have the medal and the pictures and a great memory of a beautiful run with a good friend. I guess if the lack of a t-shirt is my biggest complaint, it really was an awesome run.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
It's been a while...too long!!!
Hello!!!
Sorry it's been so long since I've written--I was working, taking a class and training. I have pretty much been gogogogogo for almost two months now, but things are finally (!) slowing down! :)
My training has been going pretty well. There was a snag for two weekends where I had to work out an over-training issue, but I did 21 miles last weekend and 24 this weekend, and felt pretty good during them, so I think I'm fine now. This weekend I'm doing a half marathon in Maine (so excited!!!) and then my first triathlon is on 7 September. And then a full marathon in Ohio around the 21st of September. My bikes rides (one 200 mile and one 50 mile) are coming up in October, a full marathon in November and then the Dopey in January!!
I'm VERY nervous about the open water swim for my tri still, and the fact that it's been too stormy/yucky to swim in the Gulf of Mexico lately is making it worse. I'm just going to have to do the best I can but I'm still pretty uncertain about that. I would really like to get a swim in before I head to Massachusetts and Maine, but I'll have to find a "Beth-sitter" for the swim. I won't go swimming alone (for obvious reasons) and most of the beaches here do not have life guards...so, I'm going to see if any of my friends are available to make certain I don't drown or eaten by a shark. At the very least I just need someone to chill on the beach and have a phone handy. :) I'm working on that.
The weather here has been SO rainy this year! We've been cooler than normal because of the rain, but I'm getting pretty waterlogged because of it. I'm willing to bet that this winter is going to be exceptionally mild, based off of the extremely mild summer. To me, that's good and bad--no freezing runs, but no break from the heat and humidity either. The upside would be that biking is much more pleasant in warmer weather and swimming is easier to find/do. The downside is IT WILL STILL BE FREAKING HOT AND HUMID. Ah, the problems of living in a semi-tropical paradise... ;)
I have surpassed my $1K goal for the 200 mile ride in October; I cannot thank everyone who donated enough!!! I'm humbled by how much I was able to raise and look forward to completing the ride.
Sorry it's been so long since I've written--I was working, taking a class and training. I have pretty much been gogogogogo for almost two months now, but things are finally (!) slowing down! :)
My training has been going pretty well. There was a snag for two weekends where I had to work out an over-training issue, but I did 21 miles last weekend and 24 this weekend, and felt pretty good during them, so I think I'm fine now. This weekend I'm doing a half marathon in Maine (so excited!!!) and then my first triathlon is on 7 September. And then a full marathon in Ohio around the 21st of September. My bikes rides (one 200 mile and one 50 mile) are coming up in October, a full marathon in November and then the Dopey in January!!
I'm VERY nervous about the open water swim for my tri still, and the fact that it's been too stormy/yucky to swim in the Gulf of Mexico lately is making it worse. I'm just going to have to do the best I can but I'm still pretty uncertain about that. I would really like to get a swim in before I head to Massachusetts and Maine, but I'll have to find a "Beth-sitter" for the swim. I won't go swimming alone (for obvious reasons) and most of the beaches here do not have life guards...so, I'm going to see if any of my friends are available to make certain I don't drown or eaten by a shark. At the very least I just need someone to chill on the beach and have a phone handy. :) I'm working on that.
The weather here has been SO rainy this year! We've been cooler than normal because of the rain, but I'm getting pretty waterlogged because of it. I'm willing to bet that this winter is going to be exceptionally mild, based off of the extremely mild summer. To me, that's good and bad--no freezing runs, but no break from the heat and humidity either. The upside would be that biking is much more pleasant in warmer weather and swimming is easier to find/do. The downside is IT WILL STILL BE FREAKING HOT AND HUMID. Ah, the problems of living in a semi-tropical paradise... ;)
I have surpassed my $1K goal for the 200 mile ride in October; I cannot thank everyone who donated enough!!! I'm humbled by how much I was able to raise and look forward to completing the ride.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
The Fourth of July weekend
I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend!! I certainly have, though it has been a rather soggy one, the rain here was incredible this weekend...I think overall, this area received 10+ inches. The joys of living in a semi-tropical climate!
My first duathlon went well. It was sponsored by the city of Val Paraiso, Fl, on the Fourth. It was raining buckets that morning--I ran through standing water on the road that was over my ankles several times--but all the rain made the temps pretty cool. Only 75* which was pretty awesome for Florida in July. The swim was in the Boggy Bayou; the water was pleasant, though I worried about both alligators AND bull sharks in that location, lol!! The city made absolutely certain that we were monitored at all times in the water (and I don't think either the sharks or the gators would give that much noise a serious thought) but it was still kinda freaky when I opened my eyes underwater and saw the tea-colored water that is a bayou. Sometimes my overactive imagination is just that though--overactive. I ran the 5K in about 33 minutes and transitioned to the swim. Overall my time was 39ish minutes--well enough to place third in my age group! :)
Friday was a great ride. It was still cloudy and cool and I got rained on a bit on the way home. It was a 16.5 mile ride in 60 minutes. The area I ride in was very quiet that day, and I really enjoyed having it to myself. Sometimes solitude is a good thing, though I enjoy a good group ride as well.
Saturday was long run day...bleh...14 miles in a downpour makes for a miserable time. I checked The Weather Channel before I started running and they claimed a 0% chance for the hours I was out. Unfortunately, the deluge that I went through didn't know it wasn't supposed to happen. I did the first four miles in my neighborhood with my lab, Minoo. The first 2.5 miles was clear but then it started. I went ahead and finished the distance with her and then went back home to drop her off and to decide if I should keep going. I decided to risk it, based off of TWC's reports, but...yeah. It was a gentle rain until about mile three of the remaining 10...but by then I was seven miles into the 14, so I just decided to go. Then the bottom fell out...running through giant puddles, the cars that were passing by were drenching me in sheets of water from the road (they couldn't avoid it, I don't think that was intentional). But the thing that really got me was this: I'm running along, quite miserable but minding my own business, when I look up and see a guy in a van coming towards me stick something out of his window...an air horn. Luckily, I realized what it was and didn't give him the satisfaction of jumping (I may have given him a sign of what I thought...sign language is useful in times like that) but that just kills me. Normally people in this area are very respectful to others (at least in my experiences) and don't do that sort of thing. But seriously--I wanted to punch this guy in the face, old or not. What was the point of scaring the crap out of someone who was already completely miserable, just because? Grrrrr...but again, at least the temps were mild!
I normally do my open water swim on Sundays, but the rip tide current warning made me rethink that. So today was only a brick workout--45 minutes on the bike and then a 15 minute run. My legs were really heavy throughout, but I finished (WITHOUT being rained on, I might add!) and am looking forward to a peaceful day tomorrow.
Here's to rest days!! :D
Beth
My first duathlon went well. It was sponsored by the city of Val Paraiso, Fl, on the Fourth. It was raining buckets that morning--I ran through standing water on the road that was over my ankles several times--but all the rain made the temps pretty cool. Only 75* which was pretty awesome for Florida in July. The swim was in the Boggy Bayou; the water was pleasant, though I worried about both alligators AND bull sharks in that location, lol!! The city made absolutely certain that we were monitored at all times in the water (and I don't think either the sharks or the gators would give that much noise a serious thought) but it was still kinda freaky when I opened my eyes underwater and saw the tea-colored water that is a bayou. Sometimes my overactive imagination is just that though--overactive. I ran the 5K in about 33 minutes and transitioned to the swim. Overall my time was 39ish minutes--well enough to place third in my age group! :)
Friday was a great ride. It was still cloudy and cool and I got rained on a bit on the way home. It was a 16.5 mile ride in 60 minutes. The area I ride in was very quiet that day, and I really enjoyed having it to myself. Sometimes solitude is a good thing, though I enjoy a good group ride as well.
Saturday was long run day...bleh...14 miles in a downpour makes for a miserable time. I checked The Weather Channel before I started running and they claimed a 0% chance for the hours I was out. Unfortunately, the deluge that I went through didn't know it wasn't supposed to happen. I did the first four miles in my neighborhood with my lab, Minoo. The first 2.5 miles was clear but then it started. I went ahead and finished the distance with her and then went back home to drop her off and to decide if I should keep going. I decided to risk it, based off of TWC's reports, but...yeah. It was a gentle rain until about mile three of the remaining 10...but by then I was seven miles into the 14, so I just decided to go. Then the bottom fell out...running through giant puddles, the cars that were passing by were drenching me in sheets of water from the road (they couldn't avoid it, I don't think that was intentional). But the thing that really got me was this: I'm running along, quite miserable but minding my own business, when I look up and see a guy in a van coming towards me stick something out of his window...an air horn. Luckily, I realized what it was and didn't give him the satisfaction of jumping (I may have given him a sign of what I thought...sign language is useful in times like that) but that just kills me. Normally people in this area are very respectful to others (at least in my experiences) and don't do that sort of thing. But seriously--I wanted to punch this guy in the face, old or not. What was the point of scaring the crap out of someone who was already completely miserable, just because? Grrrrr...but again, at least the temps were mild!
I normally do my open water swim on Sundays, but the rip tide current warning made me rethink that. So today was only a brick workout--45 minutes on the bike and then a 15 minute run. My legs were really heavy throughout, but I finished (WITHOUT being rained on, I might add!) and am looking forward to a peaceful day tomorrow.
Here's to rest days!! :D
Beth
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Weekends
My weekends are going to get very busy soon! I've gotten my long runs up to 10 miles and it is just too long to do during the week. I split up Monday's run into a morning seven miler and an afternoon three miler. The afternoon one was HOT...especially after a full day's work...I came home that evening and basically went to bed. I love doing this training, but it is hard to keep up with everything else and the training at times.
Anyway, I thinking my Saturday training will be brick workouts (bike then run) and then Sundays will be an open water swim followed by my weekly long run. This sounds insane, even to me, but I love the challenge of this! Plus it'll make my weekdays a tad bit easier.
Last Saturday's brick workout was awesome. I got in 17 miles on the bike in just over an hour. I rode from my house to Ranger Camp Road (which is a road a lot of cyclists in this area use--very long, light traffic, just a great road to ride on) and back. On the way back, my bicycle chain slipped so I had to fight with that for a few minutes...it wouldn't have been a big deal except I did it on the side of the main highway that is between my house and Ranger Camp, so I was fighting with it while keeping an eye on traffic too. But other than that, the ride was great. The run was a bit tough at first (I think these are called "brick" workouts because your legs feel like bricks by the time it is all over) but it was actually a pretty decent four miles.
Last Sunday's open water swim was both good and bad. I was more comfortable-ish and felt okay about it. But it was pretty rough and stormy out, so it certainly wasn't an easy swim. Regardless, I feel as though I'm improving and that makes me pretty happy. Swimming has been hard for me to get into (at the age of 36 no less) but I'm glad I did.
Just a reminder for my fundraiser!! I know I've mostly been talking about my triathlon training, but I'm still working towards my 200 mile bike ride in October!! I'm almost halfway to the $1K I need to raise for the Wounded EOD Warriors!! Please visit my website at:
https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/CatherynAdams-Brooking
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Summer Camp!
Okay, it was a one day camp. For triathlon training. And very worth the time it took to get through it! Luckily it was a beautiful Florida spring day, so it was nice to be outside for the morning.
The first couple of hours was in the pool to do some swim drills and to be recorded underwater while swimming. The drills were ones I was fairly familiar with but doing them for an hour took the edge off of my normally boundless energy. I haven't gotten my results from the underwater bit, but I am curious about my form. I've only been swimming since November, so I'm no where near being a really good or efficient at it yet. But I am enjoying it (especially pool swims) and like to practice. I still struggle in the ocean (today was a very frustrating swim for me) but pool swimming seems to get easier and easier.
We didn't really do much for the bike portion that related directly to riding. Since it was a tri camp, we reviewed transitions. The way triathlons work is swim, bike, run and the clock keeps running between the sections, so speed is important when going from one to another. I did discover that I need the zip laces for my shoes (regular laces take a long time to tie) and that I need to relax while doing this. The people that were running it kept saying "slow means smooth, smooth means fast." Logical, but hard to remember when I'm trying to go quickly. Of course, I'm not trying to WIN a triathlon, which makes a difference to me--I don't need to worry about five to ten seconds and I need to remember that.
The last parts were running and nutrition, which we did at a fitness center (thank goodness, it got HOT). I think with the nutrition, I'm at a bit of an advantage because of all the runs I've done. While an Ironman, or even a half Ironman, is certainly going to be longer than a marathon, at least I'm used to eating and drinking on the go already. I hope that will keep me from "bonking"...kind of funny, the different terminology runners and marathoners use. "Bonking" during a tri is the same as "hitting the wall" in a marathon. Truth be told, I'd prefer to avoid the situation no matter what it is called. I was recorded while I ran on a treadmill, but I kind of already knew the results--I run with a very erect posture, but I am supposed to lean forward a bit. I'm working on correcting this, but changing a form that I've done for years is pretty hard to do. Not impossible, but it will take time.
Today's swim was very frustrating for me. Another open water swim in the Gulf and for whatever reason, I cannot just relax and SWIM. It took me almost 18 minutes to get down the beach to the .25 mile point (fighting the current) and with the current on the way back, it still took me about 8:30 minutes. Besides the current, I know the reason I was faster on the way back was because I was not stopping and/or lifting my head so much on the way back. I KNOW I can swim the distance, but wish I could figure out how to just calm down and swim. Practice makes perfect, right? Time to just keep it going.
Tomorrow is going to be an eight mile swim before work. I'm looking forward to it, in my weird "yeah, I'm a runner" kind of a way. Running is so simple...no gear, no specific locations, just a run. I think I'm going to take my dog Minoo for the first three miles to wear her still-a-puppy butt out and then do remaining five after I drop her off.
So far, my fund raising for the 200 mile ride in October is going well! I'm already over $400 and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everyone who has donated! I'm thinking it's very possible that I will get to $1000 before the ride in October. This money will be used to help injured EOD men and women and I love to help that cause.
Want to donate?? Please go to https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/CatherynAdams-Brooking
The first couple of hours was in the pool to do some swim drills and to be recorded underwater while swimming. The drills were ones I was fairly familiar with but doing them for an hour took the edge off of my normally boundless energy. I haven't gotten my results from the underwater bit, but I am curious about my form. I've only been swimming since November, so I'm no where near being a really good or efficient at it yet. But I am enjoying it (especially pool swims) and like to practice. I still struggle in the ocean (today was a very frustrating swim for me) but pool swimming seems to get easier and easier.
We didn't really do much for the bike portion that related directly to riding. Since it was a tri camp, we reviewed transitions. The way triathlons work is swim, bike, run and the clock keeps running between the sections, so speed is important when going from one to another. I did discover that I need the zip laces for my shoes (regular laces take a long time to tie) and that I need to relax while doing this. The people that were running it kept saying "slow means smooth, smooth means fast." Logical, but hard to remember when I'm trying to go quickly. Of course, I'm not trying to WIN a triathlon, which makes a difference to me--I don't need to worry about five to ten seconds and I need to remember that.
The last parts were running and nutrition, which we did at a fitness center (thank goodness, it got HOT). I think with the nutrition, I'm at a bit of an advantage because of all the runs I've done. While an Ironman, or even a half Ironman, is certainly going to be longer than a marathon, at least I'm used to eating and drinking on the go already. I hope that will keep me from "bonking"...kind of funny, the different terminology runners and marathoners use. "Bonking" during a tri is the same as "hitting the wall" in a marathon. Truth be told, I'd prefer to avoid the situation no matter what it is called. I was recorded while I ran on a treadmill, but I kind of already knew the results--I run with a very erect posture, but I am supposed to lean forward a bit. I'm working on correcting this, but changing a form that I've done for years is pretty hard to do. Not impossible, but it will take time.
Today's swim was very frustrating for me. Another open water swim in the Gulf and for whatever reason, I cannot just relax and SWIM. It took me almost 18 minutes to get down the beach to the .25 mile point (fighting the current) and with the current on the way back, it still took me about 8:30 minutes. Besides the current, I know the reason I was faster on the way back was because I was not stopping and/or lifting my head so much on the way back. I KNOW I can swim the distance, but wish I could figure out how to just calm down and swim. Practice makes perfect, right? Time to just keep it going.
Tomorrow is going to be an eight mile swim before work. I'm looking forward to it, in my weird "yeah, I'm a runner" kind of a way. Running is so simple...no gear, no specific locations, just a run. I think I'm going to take my dog Minoo for the first three miles to wear her still-a-puppy butt out and then do remaining five after I drop her off.
So far, my fund raising for the 200 mile ride in October is going well! I'm already over $400 and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everyone who has donated! I'm thinking it's very possible that I will get to $1000 before the ride in October. This money will be used to help injured EOD men and women and I love to help that cause.
Want to donate?? Please go to https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/CatherynAdams-Brooking
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Random thoughts
Workouts have been moving along quite nicely. I only take one day a week off, usually Thursdays, and work out either once or twice a day otherwise. This past week it was:
Friday-pool swim
Saturday-bike/run
Sunday-open water swim
Monday-run (weights)
Tuesday-was going to (pool) swim but it was canx'd, so I did lunchtime Spin instead
Wednesday (tomorrow) should be sprint drills (weights)
The biggest thing that is pressing on me right now is the weather. May was a pretty mild one here but June has come in with a vengeance. I'm sure I'll be fine, since I'm an early morning runner anyway, but BLEH!! Summer runs are not pleasant sometimes...but it could be worse. It could always be worse.
My next big run (or any event, really) is going to be in late August. My friend "R" and I are going to MAINE to run the Blueberry Cove 13.1! It's a really small run but it sounds awesome...AND I've never been to New England before, so I'm really looking forward to it!
September 7th is the date of my first triathlon. I mentioned the date to my friend "I" the other day and her question was, "what if there's a hurricane?" Ooooooh. Valid question. I'm hoping since it's coastal Alabama in September that they will have a back-up plan...? I guess only time will tell.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Open water swims and other stuff...
My first open water swim was last Sunday--it was VERY challenging!! I only swam .5 miles and the differences between swimming in the Gulf and in a pool are staggering (to me). It's almost not even the same sport; running on a treadmill and outside are different but there are significantly fewer differences than the pool/open water swims.
The first time I swam was last Sunday. The ocean was fairly choppy (though not too bad) and getting used to the idea that I'm not going to run into a wall in the next 25 yards (and will therefore have to stop to turn around) takes some getting used to. I knew because I was swimming parallel to the shore that I wasn't getting in over my head, so to speak, but getting smacked by the waves and all the nerves I had made it far more difficult than I anticipated.
I will also admit to an irrational fear of sharks. I am from this area of the Florida Panhandle, so I logically know that sharks are not lurking by the shore to eat every other swimmer that comes out there. However, it is my irrational fear. I'm hoping the more I swim, the easier it will become and the fewer nerves I'll have, but I plan to get out there and swim regardless.
I also swam today. The water was amazingly smooth and I got in another half mile. I think I was better this time, but it still did not come easily to me. Practice is something I'm going to definitely be doing for the next few weeks...or, more likely, until the water is too cold to swim in anymore.
This past week I also signed up for the EOD Wounded Warrior 200 mile ride on 12/13 October. It will be a ride from the EOD Memorial on Eglin AFB to Panama City Beach; 100 miles each day. I did this last year too but I'm really hoping this year's ride goes better. I also am going to try to raise $1000 for the EODWWs, so my donation page is at the bottom of this page. I'll repost it as well, in case anyone wants to donate.
I also got a new bike! My Giant Avail is a great road bike, but I really wanted to get a tri bike. I did a test ride on it yesterday (rode about 13 miles) and loved it. I'm feeling very positive about my training and can't wait for that ride in October!
Active.com fundraising page: https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/CatherynAdams-Brooking
The first time I swam was last Sunday. The ocean was fairly choppy (though not too bad) and getting used to the idea that I'm not going to run into a wall in the next 25 yards (and will therefore have to stop to turn around) takes some getting used to. I knew because I was swimming parallel to the shore that I wasn't getting in over my head, so to speak, but getting smacked by the waves and all the nerves I had made it far more difficult than I anticipated.
I will also admit to an irrational fear of sharks. I am from this area of the Florida Panhandle, so I logically know that sharks are not lurking by the shore to eat every other swimmer that comes out there. However, it is my irrational fear. I'm hoping the more I swim, the easier it will become and the fewer nerves I'll have, but I plan to get out there and swim regardless.
I also swam today. The water was amazingly smooth and I got in another half mile. I think I was better this time, but it still did not come easily to me. Practice is something I'm going to definitely be doing for the next few weeks...or, more likely, until the water is too cold to swim in anymore.
This past week I also signed up for the EOD Wounded Warrior 200 mile ride on 12/13 October. It will be a ride from the EOD Memorial on Eglin AFB to Panama City Beach; 100 miles each day. I did this last year too but I'm really hoping this year's ride goes better. I also am going to try to raise $1000 for the EODWWs, so my donation page is at the bottom of this page. I'll repost it as well, in case anyone wants to donate.
I also got a new bike! My Giant Avail is a great road bike, but I really wanted to get a tri bike. I did a test ride on it yesterday (rode about 13 miles) and loved it. I'm feeling very positive about my training and can't wait for that ride in October!
Active.com fundraising page: https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/CatherynAdams-Brooking
Monday, May 6, 2013
The pinkest half marathon ever
Hello!!
I just wanted to write a quick blog about what I've been up to for the past week. My formal training here is over, so I've had a bit more free time than normal this week. Last Sunday (28 April) I ran the Big Sur Full Marathon, and so I took Monday off of working out...weights on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. And Thursday and Friday I also took bike rides around the Monterey area. I do have some pictures to share of one of the rides, but first I have to get them off of my GoPro, so it may be a few days before I post them.
Saturday I took off from working out again, because I planned to run the Diva Half Marathon in San Francisco. It was fab-u-lous!! There were very few men involved (which was something, because even the Princess Half in Disney World in February always has quite a few men...this run, I saw about six men, maybe?) but every person there seemed to be there just to cheer on the woman beside them. It was such an encouraging crowd to be a part of... :)
I only took a few pics before that run because, while the company was great and the route was fabulously flat, it was also the most boring run I've done in CA. We ran along the bay that is along the cities of San Mateo and San Francisco and it was basically a giant mudflat. Not very inspiring scenery, so I left my camera alone for that run. BUT the flat course was great--I finished in 2:42 and am quite happy with the time!
I am going home tomorrow (back to Florida!) and hope to be able to get right back into my crazy workout schedule. My first triathlon is the first weekend of September, so I think I'll be doing more brick (a bike ride followed immediately by a run) workouts. I'm looking forward to those, but kind of wish I could bring the cooler California weather with me. But heat and humidity is what we have in Florida, so I'll survive.
I just wanted to write a quick blog about what I've been up to for the past week. My formal training here is over, so I've had a bit more free time than normal this week. Last Sunday (28 April) I ran the Big Sur Full Marathon, and so I took Monday off of working out...weights on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. And Thursday and Friday I also took bike rides around the Monterey area. I do have some pictures to share of one of the rides, but first I have to get them off of my GoPro, so it may be a few days before I post them.
Saturday I took off from working out again, because I planned to run the Diva Half Marathon in San Francisco. It was fab-u-lous!! There were very few men involved (which was something, because even the Princess Half in Disney World in February always has quite a few men...this run, I saw about six men, maybe?) but every person there seemed to be there just to cheer on the woman beside them. It was such an encouraging crowd to be a part of... :)
I only took a few pics before that run because, while the company was great and the route was fabulously flat, it was also the most boring run I've done in CA. We ran along the bay that is along the cities of San Mateo and San Francisco and it was basically a giant mudflat. Not very inspiring scenery, so I left my camera alone for that run. BUT the flat course was great--I finished in 2:42 and am quite happy with the time!
I am going home tomorrow (back to Florida!) and hope to be able to get right back into my crazy workout schedule. My first triathlon is the first weekend of September, so I think I'll be doing more brick (a bike ride followed immediately by a run) workouts. I'm looking forward to those, but kind of wish I could bring the cooler California weather with me. But heat and humidity is what we have in Florida, so I'll survive.
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Big Sur International Marathon!
Today is the 29th of April!! Which means I ran a marathon yesterday. And not just any marathon--Big Sur was absolutely spectacular, but very challenging. The views were amazing, the entertainment along the route was fabulous and it was a really well organized run. The weather was absolutely perfect AND I beat the six hour cut-off time!
I can go into the details, but there would be a lot of runner jargon about split times, pace, blah, blah, blah. So, I'll just go over the highlights first.
Hills. There were lots and lots of them. And not my usual Floridian "hills" (what we have in Florida are just swells, I have discovered, not real hills), but ones that went on for forever...or at least a mile or two at a time, which felt like forever as I was going up them. I started out with the 5:30 pace group, which is a time I would have loved to finished this run in. I kept on with them until around mile 11, when the Hurricane Point hill began (THAT went on until almost mile 13!) and I needed to figure out how to best manage my pace, not go along with theirs. Which was really too bad, because they were a fun group to run with. But I decided that, for me, walking up the hills and letting gravity carry me down the hills and just running the flats was my best option.
At the bottom of Hurricane Hill were the Taiko drummers; I'm fairly certain this is a Polynesian tradition (though I could be wrong?) and the sound and the beat of those drums could have made me run forever!! At the top of the hill was a classical piano player. He definitely made the climb worth it, to hear both of those and the scenery in between was just amazing.
What can I say about the rest of the run? It was slow going, but I never felt like I couldn't finish. This is one of the few times I've been very careful about my pace though--normally I just run and don't worry about it. But because I'm slow I had to be careful to not hit the six hour mark. The scenery was so distracting that I was generally surprised at each mile marker: "wow, already?"
I really appreciated all of the people along the route who cheered us on, the volunteers were awesome, and it simply could not have been a better day.
I am also proud of the fact that I raised $1116 for Autism Speaks. When I was still with the 5:30 pace group, we were dedicating a mile to a person. When my turn rolled around I dedicated mile seven to my niece, Hannah, who was the reason I started this charity run to begin with.
I'm going to add some runner jargon below--you can find the hills based off of my pace, lol:
Split Time Pace
1 11:51.0 11:51
2 11:46.7 11:47
3 11:59.0 11:59
4 11:43.9 11:44
5 12:17.8 12:18
6 11:51.9 11:52
7 12:10.4 12:11
8 12:23.5 12:24
9 12:25.6 12:25
10 11:55.9 11:56
11 16:45.0 16:45
12 16:01.8 16:02
13 12:29.7 12:30
14 12:24.4 12:24
15 13:47.0 13:47
16 13:50.9 13:51
17 14:24.1 14:24
18 14:49.8 14:50
19 13:25.2 13:25
20 14:23.7 14:24
21 14:23.9 14:24
22 13:25.2 13:25
23 12:43.6 12:43
24 13:53.8 13:54
25 12:57.7 12:58
26 13:32.1 13:32
27 6:21.0 13:09
Summary
5:50:04 26.48 13:13
Overall time: Time: 5:50:05
Moving Time: 5:32:57
Elapsed Time: 5:50:18
Avg Pace: 13:13 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:12:34 min/mi
Best Pace: 5:41 min/mi
Elevation:
Elevation Gain: 2,598 ft
Elevation Loss: 2,910 ft
Min Elevation: 30 ft
Max Elevation: 623 ft
Hills. There were lots and lots of them. And not my usual Floridian "hills" (what we have in Florida are just swells, I have discovered, not real hills), but ones that went on for forever...or at least a mile or two at a time, which felt like forever as I was going up them. I started out with the 5:30 pace group, which is a time I would have loved to finished this run in. I kept on with them until around mile 11, when the Hurricane Point hill began (THAT went on until almost mile 13!) and I needed to figure out how to best manage my pace, not go along with theirs. Which was really too bad, because they were a fun group to run with. But I decided that, for me, walking up the hills and letting gravity carry me down the hills and just running the flats was my best option.
At the bottom of Hurricane Hill were the Taiko drummers; I'm fairly certain this is a Polynesian tradition (though I could be wrong?) and the sound and the beat of those drums could have made me run forever!! At the top of the hill was a classical piano player. He definitely made the climb worth it, to hear both of those and the scenery in between was just amazing.
What can I say about the rest of the run? It was slow going, but I never felt like I couldn't finish. This is one of the few times I've been very careful about my pace though--normally I just run and don't worry about it. But because I'm slow I had to be careful to not hit the six hour mark. The scenery was so distracting that I was generally surprised at each mile marker: "wow, already?"
I really appreciated all of the people along the route who cheered us on, the volunteers were awesome, and it simply could not have been a better day.
I am also proud of the fact that I raised $1116 for Autism Speaks. When I was still with the 5:30 pace group, we were dedicating a mile to a person. When my turn rolled around I dedicated mile seven to my niece, Hannah, who was the reason I started this charity run to begin with.
I'm going to add some runner jargon below--you can find the hills based off of my pace, lol:
Split Time Pace
1 11:51.0 11:51
2 11:46.7 11:47
3 11:59.0 11:59
4 11:43.9 11:44
5 12:17.8 12:18
6 11:51.9 11:52
7 12:10.4 12:11
8 12:23.5 12:24
9 12:25.6 12:25
10 11:55.9 11:56
11 16:45.0 16:45
12 16:01.8 16:02
13 12:29.7 12:30
14 12:24.4 12:24
15 13:47.0 13:47
16 13:50.9 13:51
17 14:24.1 14:24
18 14:49.8 14:50
19 13:25.2 13:25
20 14:23.7 14:24
21 14:23.9 14:24
22 13:25.2 13:25
23 12:43.6 12:43
24 13:53.8 13:54
25 12:57.7 12:58
26 13:32.1 13:32
27 6:21.0 13:09
Summary
5:50:04 26.48 13:13
Overall time: Time: 5:50:05
Moving Time: 5:32:57
Elapsed Time: 5:50:18
Avg Pace: 13:13 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:12:34 min/mi
Best Pace: 5:41 min/mi
Elevation:
Elevation Gain: 2,598 ft
Elevation Loss: 2,910 ft
Min Elevation: 30 ft
Max Elevation: 623 ft
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Tomorrow is the big day!
I hit my goal for Autism Speaks!! To run the marathon, I had to raise $1K...and surpassed my goal by over $100!! I really appreciate everyone who donated--it means a lot me and I'm quite certain to the organization. My niece has a disorder on the spectrum, so it really meant a lot for me to be able to raise money for them. In case anyone is interested, there is more info on my donation page that Autism Speaks set up for me:
http://events.autismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1029858&supid=369166142
While this is not my first marathon, it is my first Big Sur International Marathon. I'm a bit nervous about it--I keep hearing about all the hills!--and there is a six hour time limit. My plan is to run with the 5:30 group, since they do the walk/run that I like to do. I feel as though I'm as ready as I can be...so here's to hoping I make the six hour time limit!!
I have being doing training, but it has been more short/taper type runs and cycling for less than an hour. My husband came out to visit me this week, so I was glad that I was in taper mode and could get up early to knock out my workouts while he was still asleep.
I will post a blog again tomorrow and let everyone know how the run went. :)
Sunday, April 14, 2013
13/14 April (20 miles)
Hello!
This weekend's run was supposed to be a straight 20 miles, on Saturday. Unfortunately, my calf had other plans. I injured my right calf during a mud run about a month ago and have been nursing the injury since. I thought it was back to 100%, but found out otherwise yesterday.
I decided Friday night to get up early (the 20 miles wasn't the crazy part on Saturday...getting up at 0400 to run 20 miles so that I could make it to a 1000 massage appointment...that was the crazy part) so I could knock the run out early, but being a female I worry about running alone sometimes. My thought was to get up, out the door by 0430 so that I could start the first part of my run on base, which is somewhere I worry less about (for the most part).
Unfortunately, the base I'm at right now is very small and built in only two directions--uphill or downhill. I decided to run the first 1.5 miles uphill and get it done...very bad plan. I think that's where I injured my leg again; being a Floridian, hills are still a surprise to me and I can't seem to run them without something happening. As hot as Florida will be when I get back, at least it is flat.
Anyway, I got to mile 6.5 and realized that I couldn't finish the rest without a serious injury. Fortunately I was only around 2.5 miles from the base, so I just did a limp/jog/walk back and got in nine miles. Not the prettiest miles, but nine miles is still nine miles. I came home took and quick nap and went to my massage appointment.
My masseuse just happens to be a long-distance runner herself, and gave me the most glorious massage **ever**. She iced my calf, massaged it, iced it, massaged it and I left feeling like a million bucks. Another short nap and I spent the rest of the day relaxing and hoping I could finish my run.
Turns out, yes. Yes, I could. I did 11 miles this morning without any real problems and actually had a pretty good run. The area I like to run here in Monterey is along the coast and it is amazingly beautiful. This time of the year there are fields of flowers that lead right to the shores. It's easy to get lost in thought, staring at such beauty. On Saturday, I was able to see some of the seal pups along the way but I'm assuming they hide when the sun comes out because I didn't see any today.
I've come to realize that the scenery here is both a good and bad thing. The weather is so amazing that I should be running with really good times...but I tend to get lost staring and wind up slowing down. Can't really complain about it, but it is something I've noticed.
Here are my times:
Saturday:
9 miles, 2:10
Sunday
11 miles, 2:25
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