Posts Tagged ‘ Triathlon Training ’

Pink Power Race Report: Better Late Than Never

09/07/2011

On August 21, I competed in the Pink Power triathlon in Richmond, VA. After listening to me talk on and on and on and on about triathlons and triathlon training, good and bad, my sister decided she wanted to do this too. I’m not sure how I convince other people to join me in this crazy endeavor. It’s not really that much fun. Crossing the finish line though is fun, and I must have talked to my sister enough to make her think this was a good idea. Liz trained hard and she had an awesome race. Me? Could have been better but I crossed the finish line. I didn’t train enough and I wasn’t ready for the hills in Virginia, even though Liz warned me over and over and over again that this was a hilly race. I signed up thinking this would be an easy race. All...

A Hurricane, New Sneakers and Post-Race Running

08/31/2011

I did what I thought would be my last triathlon of 2011 on Aug. 21, but it looks like that may change. This tri was challenging, hilly and hot. HOT has been a theme in my races this year. So I think I’ll go back and try this one again in October. I owe you a race report and you’ll get that soon. After this race, I spent a week, doing, well, nothing. I went for one walk. That was hot too. And humid. Hurricane Irene blew through Long Island on Sunday, and even if she was a tropical storm by the time she got here, she did her damage. We fared well by my house (lost a small tree and lots of branches), but others on LI and the other areas in her path had a tougher time. I’m just grateful it wasn’t worse than it was. Behind...

Road Rules: Cars v. Bicycles

08/02/2011

I am not a fan of bike training. It’s not that I don’t like being out on my bike. In this heat, the breeze that comes from moving at a decent pace makes the exercise tolerable. When I can get a good momentum going, I feel powerful. I can log a lot more miles in a lot less time than swimming or running. For some reason though, on the bike, I feel invisible to the cars that I’m sharing the road with. And trust me, I’m not small enough to be invisible to anyone. Here’s the thing. When I’m out on my bike on the road, I follow the rules. I wear my helmet. I stay on the right side of the road. I obey traffic lights and stop signs. I stay off the main roads as much as possible because cars going really fast scare me. Even so,...

From Running To Runner

05/26/2011

I have been running for almost two and a half years now. Slowly. I started with Couch 2 5k and now I can run 5-, 6-mile distances as long as I keep my pace, although 3-4 is still my favorite distance. I’ve been running for more than two years. The thing is, I didn’t start running to become a runner. I started running so I could compete in a triathlon. I have resisted the running along the way. Almost always, I would start out on a run, wishing I was home already, wishing I could walk, feeling the twinges in my knees or hips. Running was a chore with fleeting moments of serenity or accomplishment. Running has been about finishing a run. Being done for the day. During my St. A’s training, in the freezing cold, I had to practice running without headphones, I had to make sure I...

And the Tire Saga Continues…

04/19/2011

I got home from work last night around 5:30 and got dressed and right out on my bike to see if this time, the tire would hold up. It did better, but not good enough. Last night, I made it about 13 miles before I heard and felt the ominous thump…. thump…. thump…..Race distance is 24 miles. This simply won’t do. Needless to say, my bike is now in the hands of someone with infinitely more experience than I have at fixing tires. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. Rain will probably prevent me from riding tonight, so I hope to get a ride in tomorrow at some point to make sure my bike will be able to go the distance. This is not stress I need this close to race day! Race day is May 1, by the way. This week in St. Petersburg, temperatures are climbing...

Mercury Retrograde, Flat Tires and Wind

04/18/2011

On what was pretty much my last long brick chance this weekend with the bike I will be riding at St. Anthony’s, the weather gods were just not cooperating. Nothing was. I blame Mercury retrograde. When it goes backwards, Mercury can muck up pretty much anything. On Saturday, our training day, wind and rain was predicted for Long Island. So we went to train bright and early, 7:00 am, before the weather got ugly. When we left, it was breezy. By the time we got to Hecksher State Park, where we ride and run, gale force winds had set in. 30, 40 mph sustained easy. We started out anyway, rode a couple of miles (could have walked faster), turned around and racked the bikes back on the car. The wind was so strong, it was knocking us off of our bikes. And it was cold. The heat in Florida...

Into the Home Stretch

04/11/2011

This weekend included a BIG brick training, a 24-mile bike ride and 4-mile run at the notoriously windy Hecksher State Park. I’ve been working up to this with shorter bricks for the last month. Early Saturday morning, when we ventured out for training, the wind was tolerable, a first since we started training there. Cold, but not as windy. There was fog still in the park at 6:45, the first time I think I’ve ever been happy to see fog because it meant the winds weren’t whipping the way they usually are on this bike course. Recent advice from my triathlete cousin included not starting out too fast on the run coming off the bike. He need not worry there. Getting off the bike after 24 miles (my longest ride to date) on Saturday, I could barely lift my leg over the seat, much less run or even walk....

‘It’s ok to show up and suck until you can show up and shine’

04/04/2011

The other day, my daughter sent me a link to this article: How Yoga Changed My Competitive Life Forever. In short, Deborah Dunham (the author), a highly competitive, perfectionist triathlete decided to give yoga a go, only to realize it’s not as easy as it looks. Does it look easy? I didn’t think so. For any one of us attempting something we haven’t done before or don’t do as well as we’d like, it’s a must-read. The take-away for me is that it’s ok to keep trying, even if we don’t do it so perfectly the first time or the 10th time or the 100th time. Being a perfectionist myself, this is a tough lesson to grasp. I started doing Pilates with the daughter a couple of months ago, in addition to my triathlon training. I knew I needed to strengthen my core, and Pilates is all about strengthening...

Look Ma, No iPod!

03/28/2011

When I run, I like my music. I rely on it to get me through the dips, to drown out the negative voices that tell me to walk all the time and to cover up the sound of my breathing when it gets ragged. The iPod is a tool that makes getting out the door to go running just a little easier. Because as much as I enjoy running once I’m out there doing it (or maybe more accurately when I’m done), getting out the door is still a challenge. It’s much easier to stay cozy on the couch, especially when it’s cold and windy. Unfortunately, USAT doesn’t allow iPods in any leg of a triathlon. So…. if I’m going to have some fun in this race, I have to get used to running without my iPod. Today I did. I went out for my run and left my...

Logging The Miles

03/22/2011

Sunday was my best workout day yet. And with 6 weeks to go, I’m confident that I’ll be able to cross the finish line at St. Anthony’s on May 1st. I may need a wheel chair to get to the after-party, but I’ll cross the finish line! I started my day with my planned workout, a 6.2-mile run. I walked a .2 warm-up and started running. I didn’t stop running until I’d completed my second loop of my 3.2-mile course, so my total run was 6.2 miles, no walking. The run took me 1:14 minutes, just under a 12-minute mile pace. For me, that pace worked perfectly for that distance. I felt strong until about 5.4 miles and then the legs really didn’t want to work anymore. But there wasn’t much more to go and I knew I had it. It still amazes me how much of running success...

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