Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A Little Faster
Yesterday's run was great! I ran 3.4 miles in 31mins which is a 9:08 pace. My fastest so far this year. As the end of my 5K race season comes to an end, I would like to go out on a high note and set my goal at 3.1 miles in 28mins. If I could hit that, I would be very happy. My first shot comes in 2 weeks. The St. Francis Fall Festival 5k is a local and the race route is almost the same one I run at least once a week. I know in race conditions I can bust out a little over 9 min mile. Lets just hope and see.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Salve Regina's 5K Mansion Run
Last minute 5K race.
Salve Regina's 5K Mansion Run - PR!!!! 29:02 - 9.21 pace.
Salve Regina's 5K Mansion Run - PR!!!! 29:02 - 9.21 pace.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
2 Days in a Row
Well I learned a valuable lesson today, don't run 2 days in a row. Yesterday I ran a little over 4 miles and today I thought I could go out and do another 4, nope. Around mile 2 my legs tightened up and were very sore. I did manage to make it to the 3 mile marker but I had to walk the last mile back to my car. I don't think I will do that again.
Tomorrow will be an easy day. I will bike to the Y and hit the cross trainer for 30 mins, and then jump in the pool for a few training laps. I need to practice breathing!!!! I am going to take every opportunity I can to get in the pool and practice.
Tomorrow will be an easy day. I will bike to the Y and hit the cross trainer for 30 mins, and then jump in the pool for a few training laps. I need to practice breathing!!!! I am going to take every opportunity I can to get in the pool and practice.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Back to Normal
It was back to normal today after taking a few days off. Went to the YMCA, did a quick nautilus circuit and then out for a 4 mile run. I tried to add some speed to my run today. I ran the first mile in just over 8 minutes. After that I settled into my normal pace and finished out the run with conquering the hill from hell. I decided that I can't be a hill wimp anymore. So from now on I will be running up that hill, even if it kills me.
At the Y I checked out the pool schedule to see when they had all lanes available. I figured since I am not really focusing on any events for the next several months that I should at least start swimming. There were 5 lanes available at noon, so I went home for an hour changed into my bathing suit (what do people wear at the pool? The only thing I have is my board shorts. I guess that will do until I get a few pairs of Tri shorts) and I was off to the Y again. Got to the pool and there was an empty lane, YES! I jumped into the pool and the water felt great. I put my swim goggles on and thought about what I wanted to accomplish today. Basically just get in the water and try to swim a few laps practicing my breathing and my arm positions. Everything about the swim today was great except for the breathing. I had alot of trouble with the whole breathing out in the water and breathing in from one side or another. I could not get a rythum down and choked on alot of water. In all I swam 250meters. I didn't feel tired at all. My body felt great, I just need to work on breathing and I should be good to go!
At the Y I checked out the pool schedule to see when they had all lanes available. I figured since I am not really focusing on any events for the next several months that I should at least start swimming. There were 5 lanes available at noon, so I went home for an hour changed into my bathing suit (what do people wear at the pool? The only thing I have is my board shorts. I guess that will do until I get a few pairs of Tri shorts) and I was off to the Y again. Got to the pool and there was an empty lane, YES! I jumped into the pool and the water felt great. I put my swim goggles on and thought about what I wanted to accomplish today. Basically just get in the water and try to swim a few laps practicing my breathing and my arm positions. Everything about the swim today was great except for the breathing. I had alot of trouble with the whole breathing out in the water and breathing in from one side or another. I could not get a rythum down and choked on alot of water. In all I swam 250meters. I didn't feel tired at all. My body felt great, I just need to work on breathing and I should be good to go!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Shoreline Biathlon Race Report
The day was finally here. After a morning or making sure I had everything I need, double and triple checking my list, I was off to the race. You couldn’t have asked for better weather clear skies, little wind and no humidity. I got to the race area around 10:00. The race didn’t start until 11:00 but I wanted to get there early. After check in, I set up my bike in transition and then walked around checking out all the other cool bikes. I went into this race with a few goals in mind. The first goal was to simply finish the race. Second would to finish the race in less than 2 hours and the third, to run the 5 miles in under 50 minutes. Before I knew it, it was 11:00 and the race was about to start. After some announcements and a picture we were off.
Like the other races before this one, I started in the back knowing that a lot of these people are much better runners then I was. As it turned out, I passed a few people and only couple passed me in the beginning. There were no mile markers on the course so I just went by my previous split times to figure out were I was on the course. So for the first mile or so I felt really good. I set a comfortable pace for myself and even passed 2 people, YEAH! Starting from the back you can really see how the group of runners really spread out over time and people settle into there runs. I was with the same group of people the whole 5 miles. A fellow blogger and future Triathlete Michelle ran past me just before mile 2. I tried to keep up, but she is definitely a much stronger runner then I am. There was a water station around the 2.5 mile mark which I decided before the race I was going to walk through. I grabbed 2 cups of water, downed both and I was off again. From there to the end I really didn’t keep track of my time. I was just trying to stay in my rhythm. Within the closing mile or so I focused in on a guy and a girl that was just in front of him. I wanted to pass them before transition, so I kicked my butt in gear and passed both of them right before the entrance into transition. 5 mile run – 47:32 Goal Complete!
Transition went fast. I sucked down a vanilla Cliff Shot gel, drank some nice ice cold water, put on my helmet and was off. The coolest thing happened when walking with my bike to the bike start, someone yelled “Go 157!” How cool was that! Someone was cheering for me. What a boost that was. I grabbed my bike and lifted it over the guard rail and was off. I did that because there was a huge puddle at the exit out of the parking lot and I didn’t want to have a big line of mud going up my back.
At the start of the bike ride my legs felt great. I was totally expecting them to be screaming in pain or really tight, but everything was good. Around the first mile, the girl I passed right before transition passed me and I didn’t see her for the rest of the race. Around the 2nd mile, the race leader blew past me like I was standing still as he was just starting his 2nd lap. I would have to say the bike portion of the race went by pretty fast in my mind. I was mostly alone for the 2 laps. I probably passed 2 or 3 people who were on mountain bikes. I told myself I would take it easy on the first lap and then try to kick it up on the second. Once I started my second lap, I could feel the energy slowly slipping away. I just kept thinking to myself, just finish under 2 hours, just finish under 2 hours. With a mile to go I gave it everything I had. Coming up to the finish line I saw Kim and Brady also Michelle and her husband Scott cheering. Its so cool hearing people cheer for you. 16 mile Bike – 58min 25sec, with a total race time of 1:47:37 including transition. Goals Completed!!!
I had nothing left after crossing the finish line. After my first 5K I felt like I could have run harder, but after this race, there was nothing. I left everything on the course. I came in 65th out of 80. Not bad for my first multi-sport race. There is room for improvement in both the run and bike which I will start working on ASAP.
Like the other races before this one, I started in the back knowing that a lot of these people are much better runners then I was. As it turned out, I passed a few people and only couple passed me in the beginning. There were no mile markers on the course so I just went by my previous split times to figure out were I was on the course. So for the first mile or so I felt really good. I set a comfortable pace for myself and even passed 2 people, YEAH! Starting from the back you can really see how the group of runners really spread out over time and people settle into there runs. I was with the same group of people the whole 5 miles. A fellow blogger and future Triathlete Michelle ran past me just before mile 2. I tried to keep up, but she is definitely a much stronger runner then I am. There was a water station around the 2.5 mile mark which I decided before the race I was going to walk through. I grabbed 2 cups of water, downed both and I was off again. From there to the end I really didn’t keep track of my time. I was just trying to stay in my rhythm. Within the closing mile or so I focused in on a guy and a girl that was just in front of him. I wanted to pass them before transition, so I kicked my butt in gear and passed both of them right before the entrance into transition. 5 mile run – 47:32 Goal Complete!
Transition went fast. I sucked down a vanilla Cliff Shot gel, drank some nice ice cold water, put on my helmet and was off. The coolest thing happened when walking with my bike to the bike start, someone yelled “Go 157!” How cool was that! Someone was cheering for me. What a boost that was. I grabbed my bike and lifted it over the guard rail and was off. I did that because there was a huge puddle at the exit out of the parking lot and I didn’t want to have a big line of mud going up my back.
At the start of the bike ride my legs felt great. I was totally expecting them to be screaming in pain or really tight, but everything was good. Around the first mile, the girl I passed right before transition passed me and I didn’t see her for the rest of the race. Around the 2nd mile, the race leader blew past me like I was standing still as he was just starting his 2nd lap. I would have to say the bike portion of the race went by pretty fast in my mind. I was mostly alone for the 2 laps. I probably passed 2 or 3 people who were on mountain bikes. I told myself I would take it easy on the first lap and then try to kick it up on the second. Once I started my second lap, I could feel the energy slowly slipping away. I just kept thinking to myself, just finish under 2 hours, just finish under 2 hours. With a mile to go I gave it everything I had. Coming up to the finish line I saw Kim and Brady also Michelle and her husband Scott cheering. Its so cool hearing people cheer for you. 16 mile Bike – 58min 25sec, with a total race time of 1:47:37 including transition. Goals Completed!!!
I had nothing left after crossing the finish line. After my first 5K I felt like I could have run harder, but after this race, there was nothing. I left everything on the course. I came in 65th out of 80. Not bad for my first multi-sport race. There is room for improvement in both the run and bike which I will start working on ASAP.
It was a great race and I can’t wait to do it again next year. Next year – 1 hour 25 mins!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Race Complete!
Well I survived my first multi-sport race yesterday. It was awesome! I completed the race in 1 hour 47 mins. Guess thats my PR for that biathlon. I ran the 5 miles in 47 min 32secs, which I was hoping for under 50mins. The bike took a little longer then expected, 1 hour for 16 miles. I can see I really need improvement there. Anyways I will post a full race report tomorrow.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Ready for Race Day
After 4 months of training, which includes running a total 113 miles, biking 199 miles and two 5K races, I am ready for this biathlon. Back in May I could barely run a mile and didn't touch my bike in probably a year. Looking back it has been so amazing to see how far I have come. Now I just have to go out there on Sunday and give it everything I have, and to not only complete the race, but to have fun and celebrate this major accomplishment. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and I will post my results Sunday.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bike Course
I took a ride on the biathlon's bike course today. I didn't want to go full out but I did push it a little. The course is a 8 mile loop that will be done twice. It is mostly flat with a few small hills but nothing major. I completed the 16 mile ride in 54mins 40sec. A good time for me. I figure I will be around the same time on sunday since I didn't run 5 miles before today's ride. I am going to shoot for 50mins on Sunday. So If I can run the 5 miles in 45 - 50 mins and bike the course in 50mins, I am looking good for a sub 2 hour total time.
So tomorrow I plan on a short 3 mile run just to stay loose and to give my legs a little rest. Saturday I will not run or bike so I will be ready to go on Sunday. 3 days to go!
So tomorrow I plan on a short 3 mile run just to stay loose and to give my legs a little rest. Saturday I will not run or bike so I will be ready to go on Sunday. 3 days to go!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Last Long Run Before the Race
Today I set out to run my last 5 miles before the big race this Sunday. I planned on just running an easy 5 miles with no goal in mind but to finish. After a few minutes of stretching and getting some water into me I was off and running. I had a little trouble getting into a good rhythm but it worked it self out quickly. After the first ½ mile I noticed that I was running a little faster then normal. How could this be? I wasn’t going any faster then I normally do, I think? First mile – 9mins 13sec. Pretty fast considering I still have 4 miles to go.
While running the second mile I began to think about my running form, specifically how my feet hit the ground while running. I have noticed in the past that most of the time I am a heel to toe type of person. And from what I have read, that could be a bad thing, especially when it comes to shin splints. So today I began to land more on the mid portion of my foot rather then the heal. Second mile – 9mins 30 sec. Wow another sub 10min mile, Nice! But would I regret it later in the run? I was running faster then normal and I can only think it was my new foot placement while running that made me run faster. Third mile – 8mins 02 sec – Holy Cow??? Still going along at a good pace and felt great. Fourth mile – 9mins 19sec. On the last mile and I started to feel tired and my breathing became very heavy. Looking at my watch I knew I had a chance to run 5 miles in 45mins. So I struggled to continue my fast pace and had to stop for a 20sec walk break to catch my breath and relax and then back off again and once I could see the mile marker I ran as fast as I could to come in at a time of 45mins 30secs. That was awesome! If only I can repeat the time this Sunday it would give me a huge boost in my confidence to finish the race in under 2hours. I just don’t want to drain all my energy on the run. So I will see how everything is shaping up on Sunday to determine how fast I am going to run.
I got my bike back from the shop I plan on taking a ride on the bike course tomorrow. That would give me a great sense of what is in store for me on Sunday.
While running the second mile I began to think about my running form, specifically how my feet hit the ground while running. I have noticed in the past that most of the time I am a heel to toe type of person. And from what I have read, that could be a bad thing, especially when it comes to shin splints. So today I began to land more on the mid portion of my foot rather then the heal. Second mile – 9mins 30 sec. Wow another sub 10min mile, Nice! But would I regret it later in the run? I was running faster then normal and I can only think it was my new foot placement while running that made me run faster. Third mile – 8mins 02 sec – Holy Cow??? Still going along at a good pace and felt great. Fourth mile – 9mins 19sec. On the last mile and I started to feel tired and my breathing became very heavy. Looking at my watch I knew I had a chance to run 5 miles in 45mins. So I struggled to continue my fast pace and had to stop for a 20sec walk break to catch my breath and relax and then back off again and once I could see the mile marker I ran as fast as I could to come in at a time of 45mins 30secs. That was awesome! If only I can repeat the time this Sunday it would give me a huge boost in my confidence to finish the race in under 2hours. I just don’t want to drain all my energy on the run. So I will see how everything is shaping up on Sunday to determine how fast I am going to run.
I got my bike back from the shop I plan on taking a ride on the bike course tomorrow. That would give me a great sense of what is in store for me on Sunday.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Mock Biathlon
For today’s training I went to the bike path and did a 4 mile run and a 12 mile bike. I wanted to see how I would fare completing one right after another. The run was good. For once I found my rhythm right away. It normally takes about a mile or so to find my running stride and breathing. I ran the first mile in 9.41, Second – 10.03, third – 9.55 and fourth – 9.44 for a grand total of 39.24. This is a great time for me and I did not walk once.
The bike portion was a little slow considering all of the stop signs and cross walks I had to stop at. This was the first time riding the new bike. I put it together so I was a little nervous about really kicking it up and riding fast. But the bike was great. What a difference between riding a mountain bike and a road bike. After training I dropped my bike off at the bike shop for a tune up. I want everything to be ready for the race this weekend. As for the training, I did 12 miles in 50.30 on the bike for a grand total time for bike and run, 1 hour 29 mins (if my math is right).
What this showed me is that I have room for improvement in the run and bike, but I can definitely finish the race. Going into this weekend I have a goal of completing this race and a side goal in completing it in less than 2 hours. It would be really cool to finish under 2 hours, I mean it is a race and I should push myself to go as fast as I can and to finish strong!
The bike portion was a little slow considering all of the stop signs and cross walks I had to stop at. This was the first time riding the new bike. I put it together so I was a little nervous about really kicking it up and riding fast. But the bike was great. What a difference between riding a mountain bike and a road bike. After training I dropped my bike off at the bike shop for a tune up. I want everything to be ready for the race this weekend. As for the training, I did 12 miles in 50.30 on the bike for a grand total time for bike and run, 1 hour 29 mins (if my math is right).
What this showed me is that I have room for improvement in the run and bike, but I can definitely finish the race. Going into this weekend I have a goal of completing this race and a side goal in completing it in less than 2 hours. It would be really cool to finish under 2 hours, I mean it is a race and I should push myself to go as fast as I can and to finish strong!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
5 Miles
Ran my first 5 miles today with a time of 53 mins 32 secs. Great run on the bike path. It was a little humid but there is a lot of shade on the path and there was a nice breeze which definately helped.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
4 miles Down!
Since I have been training for the Shoreline Biathlon coming up in 2 weeks, I knew I would have to up my mileage on my runs. So last Saturday I went to the local bike path which is nicely measured out and ran 4 miles. It was a great run. It took my 40min 58 sec. to complete the run. I was definitely happy with that and knew after the run I could run the 5 miles in the biathlon.
Today I went for another 4 mile run. I went to the bike path again and set out to do an easy 4 miles. Just before I started my run, a lady ran passed me. Watching her stride, it looked like she was going about the same speed as I normally do. So I started running with the full intent of catching up to her and passing her. I figured it would be like a race setting where you find that one person in the pack that you want to pass. I caught up to her within the first mile! I still had 3 to go. So I started talking with her and we chit chatted about running and kids and stuff. Next thing I knew we were at the mile 1 marker, I looked down at my watch and it read 8:30! I never ran an 8:30 mile! So I asked her what her normal pace was and she replied around 8:30. This was cool. So we agreed to run with each other for awhile. We hit the 2 mile marker, which was the turn around point at 18:20. Wow what a great 2 mile time for me! I was still feeling good at the turn around and I thought that I might be able to finish the run without taking a walk break. We separated around mile 3. She started running a little faster then me and I didn’t try to keep up. I did end up walking for approx 30 seconds, but it was good to slow down and catch my breath. When I started running again I could see the girl that was running with me and decided to try and catch up to her again. Well I didn’t catch up to her but I did post an awesome 38:32 for my 4 mile time! It was so cool that I ran the 4 miles under 40 mins and blew away my previous 4 mile time by over 2 minutes!
So this leads to this weekend in which I WILL run 5 miles. I have no doubt that I will complete the 5 miles this weekend which will boost my confidence going into my last week of training.
Today I went for another 4 mile run. I went to the bike path again and set out to do an easy 4 miles. Just before I started my run, a lady ran passed me. Watching her stride, it looked like she was going about the same speed as I normally do. So I started running with the full intent of catching up to her and passing her. I figured it would be like a race setting where you find that one person in the pack that you want to pass. I caught up to her within the first mile! I still had 3 to go. So I started talking with her and we chit chatted about running and kids and stuff. Next thing I knew we were at the mile 1 marker, I looked down at my watch and it read 8:30! I never ran an 8:30 mile! So I asked her what her normal pace was and she replied around 8:30. This was cool. So we agreed to run with each other for awhile. We hit the 2 mile marker, which was the turn around point at 18:20. Wow what a great 2 mile time for me! I was still feeling good at the turn around and I thought that I might be able to finish the run without taking a walk break. We separated around mile 3. She started running a little faster then me and I didn’t try to keep up. I did end up walking for approx 30 seconds, but it was good to slow down and catch my breath. When I started running again I could see the girl that was running with me and decided to try and catch up to her again. Well I didn’t catch up to her but I did post an awesome 38:32 for my 4 mile time! It was so cool that I ran the 4 miles under 40 mins and blew away my previous 4 mile time by over 2 minutes!
So this leads to this weekend in which I WILL run 5 miles. I have no doubt that I will complete the 5 miles this weekend which will boost my confidence going into my last week of training.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
No Walks for Me!
Today I reached a milestone with my running. I ran 3 miles without stopping for a walk break. Now I know it doesn’t seem like much too some people, but to me it means a lot. I actually felt like a runner today. I found my stride right off the bat. I was cruising at a good speed, faster then normal. And nothing hurt. Just an all around great run today. So now my plan is to run 4 miles on Saturday, just to see how I do. If I can run 4 miles with maybe 2 walk breaks, it will give me a lot of confidence going into next weeks training runs and eventually the race on the 16th.
I just wanted to give a quick note about some fellow bloggers that completed their journey on becoming an Ironman. 140.6 miles: An Ironman Training Journal (Courtney) completed the Ironman Louisville race this past weekend, and Fat Girl to Triathlete (Jessica) completed Ironman Canada also held this weekend. Both of them did an awesome job and both are very inspiring not only for me but everyone who visits there blogs and followed their journey. Congrats to both!
I just wanted to give a quick note about some fellow bloggers that completed their journey on becoming an Ironman. 140.6 miles: An Ironman Training Journal (Courtney) completed the Ironman Louisville race this past weekend, and Fat Girl to Triathlete (Jessica) completed Ironman Canada also held this weekend. Both of them did an awesome job and both are very inspiring not only for me but everyone who visits there blogs and followed their journey. Congrats to both!
Monday, August 27, 2007
3 Weeks and Counting
Well let me start off by saying that I didn’t have a recovery week last week, I just didn’t do anything last week. I really can’t say that. My schedule at work was changed due to training, my mother came into town from
I did realize something during the end of last week. Something I never thought I could imagine, I missed running. Kind of crazy but it was true. I couldn’t wait for Monday to arrive so I can get back into my little training mode, getting ready for the big showdown next month.
Have a great day!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Run Hard and Bike Hard
So after yesterday’s little rant on lack of motivation, I went out today and ran hard and biked hard. That’s the best way to get back in the saddle and get things moving. So I took off on the bike and went to the YMCA, which is where I start all of my runs. I went inside the Y to stretch and do some abs stuff, then back outside to start my run.
The run was good, not great. About half way thru my run my right shin and ankle started to tighten up. That never happened before. I didn’t know if I should run through it or stop and rub it or something. So I stopped running and started to walk. After about 30 seconds it felt fine and I started running again. About a half a mile later it started to tighten up again. This was crazy. So I started walking again for a minute and then started running again, this time I wasn’t going to stop. Everything else felt really good. My left leg wasn’t sore and I wasn’t tired or breathing hard. Once again my right shin and ankle tightened up, but not as much as the previous times so I just continued to run to my finish point today. 2.77miles in 28:20mins. Would have been better but there is always tomorrow.
After the nice recovery walk up the hill of death (there is a big hill that the YMCA is at the top of. I normally start my runs at the top of the hill and end them at the bottom, but today I wanted to at least run up half the hill. I have only ran up the hill once, just once) I drank some fluids and jumped on my bike and headed into town. I really didn’t know where I wanted to ride my bike today. I only knew I wanted to go for a long ride. So once I got into town I decided to head down to my brother-in-law Mike’s new Mexican grill which was about 7 miles out toward Scarborough beach and Point Judith. It was a nice flat ride out there. Once there I found a seat inside and ate a powerbar and had some water. Mike was way to busy to talk so I just poked my head into the kitchen and said hi. So after my little break I got back on the bike and headed down to the beach and back home. I took Ocean drive home since I wanted to ride past Narragansett beach. The ride home was long and I started to get tired and my legs started burning. By the time it was all done, I rode a little over 16 miles, which is good considering that’s the distance of the biathlon next month. After this long ride I asked myself how much easier would the ride have been if I did this on a road bike instead of a mountain bike. I am hoping to get a road bike soon.
Well off to New Jersey this weekend. See you all on Tuesday!
The run was good, not great. About half way thru my run my right shin and ankle started to tighten up. That never happened before. I didn’t know if I should run through it or stop and rub it or something. So I stopped running and started to walk. After about 30 seconds it felt fine and I started running again. About a half a mile later it started to tighten up again. This was crazy. So I started walking again for a minute and then started running again, this time I wasn’t going to stop. Everything else felt really good. My left leg wasn’t sore and I wasn’t tired or breathing hard. Once again my right shin and ankle tightened up, but not as much as the previous times so I just continued to run to my finish point today. 2.77miles in 28:20mins. Would have been better but there is always tomorrow.
After the nice recovery walk up the hill of death (there is a big hill that the YMCA is at the top of. I normally start my runs at the top of the hill and end them at the bottom, but today I wanted to at least run up half the hill. I have only ran up the hill once, just once) I drank some fluids and jumped on my bike and headed into town. I really didn’t know where I wanted to ride my bike today. I only knew I wanted to go for a long ride. So once I got into town I decided to head down to my brother-in-law Mike’s new Mexican grill which was about 7 miles out toward Scarborough beach and Point Judith. It was a nice flat ride out there. Once there I found a seat inside and ate a powerbar and had some water. Mike was way to busy to talk so I just poked my head into the kitchen and said hi. So after my little break I got back on the bike and headed down to the beach and back home. I took Ocean drive home since I wanted to ride past Narragansett beach. The ride home was long and I started to get tired and my legs started burning. By the time it was all done, I rode a little over 16 miles, which is good considering that’s the distance of the biathlon next month. After this long ride I asked myself how much easier would the ride have been if I did this on a road bike instead of a mountain bike. I am hoping to get a road bike soon.
Well off to New Jersey this weekend. See you all on Tuesday!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Where is my Motivation?
Today was an off day for me. I had plans on going out for a 15 mile bike ride, but after I dropped the kids off at daycare, my stomach started hurting so I went home and relaxed.
Looking back on my training log, it appears that I have been slacking off on my work outs and training for the past few weeks. Is it because of the few days in Vegas or last weekends trip to Atlantic city? I don’t think that’s it. Could I be burnt out on the whole training thing? I look at my training log for June and July and see just how committed I was, going all out almost everyday, getting ready for my first 5K. Now, I should be just as committed since I have a biathlon coming up in less then a month and I haven’t touched a bike in almost 3 weeks. Its almost like I had slacked off because I reached one goal and that’s good enough. It seems to change every day, my lack of motivation, drive to achieve, commitment. What is it?
We are going away this weekend to Kim’s Uncle’s Lake house in New Jersey. It will be a welcomed peaceful weekend. Far cry from the past 2. I was actually thinking about trying to get some swimming in at the lake. I would love to see how far I can actually go.
I am sure this little phase of mine will pass. It better, or my times at the biathlon will suck!
Looking back on my training log, it appears that I have been slacking off on my work outs and training for the past few weeks. Is it because of the few days in Vegas or last weekends trip to Atlantic city? I don’t think that’s it. Could I be burnt out on the whole training thing? I look at my training log for June and July and see just how committed I was, going all out almost everyday, getting ready for my first 5K. Now, I should be just as committed since I have a biathlon coming up in less then a month and I haven’t touched a bike in almost 3 weeks. Its almost like I had slacked off because I reached one goal and that’s good enough. It seems to change every day, my lack of motivation, drive to achieve, commitment. What is it?
We are going away this weekend to Kim’s Uncle’s Lake house in New Jersey. It will be a welcomed peaceful weekend. Far cry from the past 2. I was actually thinking about trying to get some swimming in at the lake. I would love to see how far I can actually go.
I am sure this little phase of mine will pass. It better, or my times at the biathlon will suck!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Vegas Report
Standing at the starting line of my 2nd ever 5K race, I thought to myself, what am I doing? So here is the break down. I was in Vegas for a little vacation with some old buddies from my Navy days, Naret and Mark. We booked the room and flights about 3 months ago, just about the same time I started really training. So I figured it would be a good idea to see if there was a 5K road race in Vegas that would be my goal race to prepare for. After a little searching I found the Midsummer Nights Dream 5K/10K. Well if you have been reading my blog, you know that I have already completed a 5K 2 weeks ago, so this was not going to be my first race.
Anyways, so we get to Vegas on Friday the 3rd and the first thing I noticed was the heat. I knew it was going to be hot, but not that hot. Of course we go hit the clubs that night and get back to the room by 3:30AM. Just a little tidbit of info, if you calculate the time I got up to catch the plane in Providence which is 4:00AM and the time I went to bed, 3:30AM and add the 3 hour difference in time zones, I was awake for over 26 hours. So with probably 5 hours of sleep and drinking water all day, Mark and I get to the race with about 15 mins to get ready.
The course was a 2 loops around a drainage basin and a little path thru a park. Seems simple enough, no hills! At the start everything seemed good. Then around a quarter of the way thru the first lap my mouth started getting dry. Around half way thru the first lap I needed a drink. Did I mention it was hot? They had 1 aid station set up at the start finish line, which I think they should have had one at the other side of the loop. By the time I finished the race I was sucking down cups of water and Heed like it was going out of style.
I finished the race in 32:09 mins, not a PR but I am just glad I finished. Mark ran it in 28:18. We met a girl from Texas who was also on vacation with her husband and decided to run the race as well. We had celebratory beer while waiting for the cab to pick us up and drive us back to the strip.
I am glad I ran the race. I would probably do it again, but maybe in the winter time.
Anyways, so we get to Vegas on Friday the 3rd and the first thing I noticed was the heat. I knew it was going to be hot, but not that hot. Of course we go hit the clubs that night and get back to the room by 3:30AM. Just a little tidbit of info, if you calculate the time I got up to catch the plane in Providence which is 4:00AM and the time I went to bed, 3:30AM and add the 3 hour difference in time zones, I was awake for over 26 hours. So with probably 5 hours of sleep and drinking water all day, Mark and I get to the race with about 15 mins to get ready.
The course was a 2 loops around a drainage basin and a little path thru a park. Seems simple enough, no hills! At the start everything seemed good. Then around a quarter of the way thru the first lap my mouth started getting dry. Around half way thru the first lap I needed a drink. Did I mention it was hot? They had 1 aid station set up at the start finish line, which I think they should have had one at the other side of the loop. By the time I finished the race I was sucking down cups of water and Heed like it was going out of style.
I finished the race in 32:09 mins, not a PR but I am just glad I finished. Mark ran it in 28:18. We met a girl from Texas who was also on vacation with her husband and decided to run the race as well. We had celebratory beer while waiting for the cab to pick us up and drive us back to the strip.
I am glad I ran the race. I would probably do it again, but maybe in the winter time.
Monday, July 30, 2007
5 Days to next 5K
So I have 5 days until my next 5K. This one will take place in Las Vegas! Its the Midsummer Night Dream 5K\10K . This is the race I have been training for the past 3 months. Just think, 3 months ago I couldn't even run a mile and now I am running my second 5K in 2 weeks! Feels pretty good! The only thing I am worried about is the heat. I mean come on, it is Vegas in the middle of the summer. I looked at the forecast for Saturday, 102 degrees. Nice! yeah right. Good thing I am only doing the 5K and not the 10K. So tomorrow I am going to change my training plan a little and bike tomorrow as planned but run 3.5 miles on Wednesday becuase I am working during the day on Thursday and won't have any time to run.
This past weekend was the Blessing of the Fleet in Narragansett. This is a huge weekend event in the town and it is kicked off by a 10 mile road race and seafood festival. A few of my friends ran in the race. I wish I could have been there to cheer them on. Next year I will be running in the race. I'll have to put that on my goal list! I guess I should get ready for the biathlon first.
This past weekend was the Blessing of the Fleet in Narragansett. This is a huge weekend event in the town and it is kicked off by a 10 mile road race and seafood festival. A few of my friends ran in the race. I wish I could have been there to cheer them on. Next year I will be running in the race. I'll have to put that on my goal list! I guess I should get ready for the biathlon first.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Slacking
Ok I have been slacking on my posts. But it has been a rough couple of days with my daughter waking up at 12:30 and not going back to sleep until 2:30am, then waking up at 5:30 with my son and on and on. But I have managed 2 runs so far this week.
So I have developed a training schedule to get me ready for the 17th Annual Shoreline Biathlon which will be held on September 16, 2007. It is a 5 mile run and a 16 mile bike. Since I have not ran 5 miles and probably only rode my bike 16 miles once, I created a structured schedule that incorporates a gradual increase in time in both running and biking. I figured with this training schedule instead of going for a certain distance I would put in times for both areas for the given day. With 7 weeks to train for this event, I should be able to finish with a decent time.
Today I hit 228 for my lowest weight so far. My goal of 220 before myVegas trip might not happen, but 225 or so will do just fine. I figure by the biathlon I should be around 215 - 210. Hopefully by tomorrow I can lose 1 more pound to 227 and that would put total weight loss at 40 lbs! We'll see!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
First 5K!!!
What a great race today! My first 5K done and over with. It was a good event. I would say there was about 300 people there. I started at the back of the pack to let all the fast people go ahead of me. Well lesson 1, don't start all the way in the back. it took me a good 20sec to even start running, then I had to watch out for people slower then me, what a traffic jam. So next time I'll start in the middle. My goal for this race was to come in under 32mins. I figured a little over 10 min mile pace would be a good goal.
The first mile was good. It took me a while to get a good pace going for myself. It was differant to me seeing people on the side of the road cheering and handing out water. I grabbed a cup of water and tried to take a sip but half of it went up my nose. Guess I need to work on that.
First mile done in 9min 55sec.
The second mile was pretty more of the same. I took a 45sec walk break to catch my breath and give my legs a rest. After the break I was ready to go again, feeling nice and refreshed.
Heading into the final mile we turned the corner and there I saw Kim, Brady and Reese. It was great to see them there, cheering for me, even though once Brady saw me he wanted to run to me. The final mile felt like it took forever. But at the turn around I picked up my pace a little bit and when I saw the finish line I ran as hard as I could.
Final time: 31:03min @ a 10min mile pace.
Lessons learned:
1. Pee before the start of the race.
2. Dont start in the back of the pack
3. Leave it all on the road, you can rest when you cross the finish line.
Now I can't wait for the Vegas 5K. That will be alot of fun!
The first mile was good. It took me a while to get a good pace going for myself. It was differant to me seeing people on the side of the road cheering and handing out water. I grabbed a cup of water and tried to take a sip but half of it went up my nose. Guess I need to work on that.
First mile done in 9min 55sec.
The second mile was pretty more of the same. I took a 45sec walk break to catch my breath and give my legs a rest. After the break I was ready to go again, feeling nice and refreshed.
Heading into the final mile we turned the corner and there I saw Kim, Brady and Reese. It was great to see them there, cheering for me, even though once Brady saw me he wanted to run to me. The final mile felt like it took forever. But at the turn around I picked up my pace a little bit and when I saw the finish line I ran as hard as I could.
Final time: 31:03min @ a 10min mile pace.
Lessons learned:
1. Pee before the start of the race.
2. Dont start in the back of the pack
3. Leave it all on the road, you can rest when you cross the finish line.
Now I can't wait for the Vegas 5K. That will be alot of fun!
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