Let's Du This (Lake Country Du/Discovery Run - Weeks 1 & 2)

If I want to return to multi sport racing and distance running, I need to train.  I'm usually the queen of setting myself up with a training plan that looks fantastic on paper, but is damn near impossible to execute unless all the stars align - which they rarely seem to do.  So for these 2 races I'm going to try something a little different.  If I miss a workout, it's gone. No going back. No making it up.  Just keep moving forward.  Hopefully this mindset will help with the constant feelings of anxiety I get from missing a workout - and maybe, just maybe, fend off the mid-training cycle meltdown(s)!

Week 1 (August 24th - 29th)
Monday:
I started this training cycle with a really awesome 4 mile run. The weather was a key factor because for the first time in what feels like forever, it was in the low 60's, overcast, and breezy instead of the hot, humid, sweatbox we've been in for quite a while.  Since Mr. R&R was with me, I deviated from my usual high-traffic road route and was able to take previously unknown to me loop around a large retention pond.  I normally would stay off this loop because it's hidden among lots of tall grass and I wouldn't feel safe venturing off the road alone.  It was relatively flat for awhile and then slowly began gaining elevation as it meandered back toward the road.  If I thought that little hill was tough, there was a long, steep, beast awaiting me.  My pace skyrocketed going up that sucker, but fortunately what goes up, must come down and I was able to do a decent job of fixing my pace on the downhill.  I felt like I was flying.  I ended up finishing about 37 seconds slower than my PR at that distance, so it was a pretty damn good time!

Distance: 4.0 miles
Time: 38:46
Avg. Pace: 9:41/mile

Tuesday was another really good cool weather run.  For as much as I bitch about Wisconsin winters (and they are truly miserable) I really love fall and spring here and I think I'm ready for fall.

Distance: 3.0 miles
Time: 28:33
Avg. Pace: 9:30/mile

Wednesday should have been an easy run, but between work (trying to get ready to be out of the office for a week) and some issues I've been having with my left foot, it was a couch day.

Thursday:
Nothing says fun like an 11 hour day at the office followed by a Groundhog Day workout.  I have a love/hate relationship with running repeats.  They're really f-ing hard, but I feel like they do a lot to make me faster and these repeats weren't the standard 400 meter type.  The training plan called for 4x800.  Oh yeah...800 meters (about a half a mile) of running really fast, followed by a 2 minutes of recovery time.  It was almost completely dark out by the time I finished my warm up, so I ended up doing my intervals by running back and forth down the main drag of a nearby, well-lit, and heavily patrolled office park.  I may have looked ridiculous to the security guys, but I'm pleased to say that I nailed my goal paces for the workout.

Warm Up: .5 miles @ 10:14 pace
Interval 1: .5 miles @ 8:38 pace
Interval 2: .5 miles @ 8:48 pace
Interval 3: .5 miles @ 8:44 pace
Interval 4: .5 miles @ 8:42 pace
Cool Down: .17 miles @ 10:02 pace

Now I need to work on doing the rest periods at a slower run, not a pokey walk!

Friday: 10 hour work day + last minute errands = No Workout

Saturday: It would have been nice to take my new ride out on the road, but the all day mist interspersed with downpours made that impossible.  Mr. R&R and I started our day out with a damp walk through The Zoo for a special behind-the-scenes tour event.  The "special" tours were pretty unimpressive with the exception of the fish/reptile tour.  There's a 55,000 gallon fish tank known as Lake Wisconsin, containing examples of native fish species, in that building and we got to see it from above, which was really crazy looking.  Apparently there's 55,000 gallons of water in the main tank and another 55,000 gallons of Lake Michigan water being tempered for circulation below it - and they get water deliveries daily!  Additionally, some of the fish in that tank would be considered record-sized if they were caught in the wild.

Lake Wisconsin From Above

As unimpressed as we were by most of the tours, there were plenty of other animals willing to ham it up for our amusement; including these bongos who posed for their best impression of American Gothic.

After a few hours of schlepping around in the drizzle, we headed home and Mr. R&R hit The Cave while I hit the couch for a short nap!  Once he finished his workout and headed off to his monthly massage appointment, it was my turn.  I figured out how to get the new bike into the trainer, set myself up with something to watch, and spun in place for the next 45 minutes.  Holy sweatfest.
I rode for 45 minutes and covered about 12.5 miles at a pretty decent speed - the best I've done on the new wheels so far.

I was dripping sweat after the first mile and was pretty sure that I was going to keel over when I climbed off, but I scurried up the stairs and into the rain for a 1 mile transition run. 9:23 average...not bad right off the bike!

Sunday: Gone Camping

Week 1 Totals:
Bike: 12.58 miles
Run: 11.15 miles
Total Miles: 23.73 miles
Total Time: 2:34:10

Week 2 (August 30th - September 6th)
Monday:
I may have been gone camping, but that doesn't mean that I sat on my ass with a book and a beer the whole time - just most of it. Mr. R&R and I hiked about 5 miles of the Ice Age trail in blistering sun and swarms of mosquitos.  Activity always makes me feel better about my beer consumption!

Tuesday was all about packing up, heading home, and doing the mountain of laundry that results from camping!

Wednesday:
I was on vacation all week, so I laced up my shoes and went for a nice 4 mile run around 8:30am.  It was already pretty hot out and I'm happy I got it over with early.  It also did't hurt that it meant not having to ruin my hair right after The Mane Wrangler finished covering up the grays and making it all shiny, straight, and pretty!

I also made a pitstop at Emery's today to pick up an aero bottle which will allow me to drink on the bike without having to come to a complete stop and wiggle a water bottle out of the cage inside my tiny bike frame.  After some installation issues, I hopped on and gave it a try.  I think some fine tuning is going to be required.

Thursday:
I spent 90 minutes auditioning yet another massage therapist.  Ever since my massage guru left the industry at the end of May, I've been working my way through other therapists in the practice trying to find a match.  The first one was a resounding 'No' (The guy left me in pain for 3 days after).  The next two were good, but not as awesome as the therapist I was used to.  I think my search may finally be over - and not a moment too soon.

When Mr. R&R got home for work, we both wanted to ride, but night was fast approaching so we decided to do a quick local loop.  Well...it was a local loop, but it was anything but quick due to too many intersections and a multi-use trail that had us riding the brakes the whole way. 35 minutes to ride just under 7 miles?  Grrrrr.  Additionally, my new aero bottle kept getting out of whack every time I hit a bump - and there were a lot of bumps.  More fine tuning will be required before this thing sees the light of day again.

Friday:
I swear it was so hot outside you could have fried an egg on my driveway.  I had the urge to do something, but the thought of going outside was just unbearable, so I filled up my aero bottle, plopped myself on the trainer in front of a movie,  blasted a fan in my face, and rode for an hour.  I was up and down from aero about every 5 minutes, but it's getting better.  I seem to be able to stay in aero a little longer every time.  After the ride, I had a text waiting from Maverick telling me to hightail it to the bar because everyone (her, Mr. R&R, Yada Yada, WhoHa, and some other people) was there.  I dove into the shower and was presentable and on my way out the door in 25 minutes!

Saturday:
Mr. R&R and I caught the hiking bug again while we were camping so we set out to finish off the Lapham Peak Segment of the Ice Age Trail.  It was hot, but fun - and hopefully I'll be updating our hiking blog in the relatively near future.

After a 4.5 mile hike in the heat, we headed home so I could clean up and meet my little sister and her friends to go bridesmaid dress shopping.  Yep...Little Sis is getting married next spring!  Mr. R&R and I also spent quality time hacking together a tool to fix my aero bottle problems that night.

And let's not forget the most important part of Saturday...Walter's 6th Birthday!!!!!

Birthday Bunny!!!!

Sunday:
On Friday night, Yada Yada invited us to join him and Texas on a long, slow ride from their house to a little town about 20 miles away for lunch.  We loaded up and headed North to ride "All The Hills".  I'm happy to say that I think I'm finally getting comfortable on the new bike, which we were all jokingly calling 'The High Maintenance Bitch'.  We stopped in the town of Cedarburg for lunch (mmm...salty fries) and to refill our water bottles before reversing our route back to Yada Yada  and Texas' house.

Pretty bikes all in a row on the restaurant patio

When we were done, I had officially logged the longest ride I've ever done: 38.55 miles - and my aero bottle stayed put!

Week 2 Totals:
Bike: 64.27 miles
Run: 4.16 miles
Hiking: 9.49 miles
Total Miles: 77.92 miles
Total Time: 9:05:45

What's the longest bike ride you've ever been on?  Done any hiking lately?

I Needed A Reason...Or Two.

It's been a weird summer.  I haven't really had the motivation to workout because I had absolutely nothing on my calendar to train for.  In some ways, I think I'm still recovering from the burnout I was suffering at the end of last year and in others, I think I've just been kind of lazy.  Don't get me wrong, I've still been running here and there and I've spent a lot of time on my bike, but it was all 'just for fun'.  I needed a goal.  A Reason.  So I found two.

That all changed about two weeks ago when I accompanied Mr. R&R to Emery's in search of new pedals and bike shoes.  While he was deep in the process of figuring out what kind of shoes/pedals he wanted, I wandered around the store looking at bikes.  Well...some women are susceptible to shoe sales.  Apparently I am susceptible to bike sales.  I wasn't really planning on upgrading to a triathlon bike (at least not any time soon, but I've slowly been stashing money away thinking it was a possibility), but there just so happened to be a few bikes that caught my eye, so I hunted down the owner, Brent, and asked him about them.  The next thing I knew a brand new, shiny Quintana Roo Kilo was locked in a trainer and I was perched on top of it, pedaling in flip flops.  While this was going on, Brent was telling me about a used bike, a 2014 Trek Speed Concept 7.0, that would be available after the weekend (it was being rented out for USAT Nationals) that I might be interested in as well.  I'm pretty sure I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  A brand new Speed Concept 7.0 was way out of my price range, but the used one was about the same price as the QR Kilo.  I promptly made an appointment to come in and test ride both bikes the following week.

I arrived at Emery's on the appointed day, which just so happened to be the day and time of Mr. R&R's pedal and cleat fitting, and Brent set about getting both bikes 'rough fitted' to me and then handed me my helmet and instructed me to take the QR outside for a test ride.  GULP.  Mr. R&R accompanied me for a painfully slow loop around the neighborhood while I figured out how to ride in the aero position (nearly laying down on the aero bars).  It was definitely a really cool, and really nerve-wracking experience.  As soon as we returned to the shop, Brent handed me the Speed Concept and I repeated the process. I was still slower than molasses in January, but I felt much more stable on the Speed Concept - enough to take a corner almost completely in aero.  It felt like I was trying to ride a bike for the first time since the shifting, braking, steering, and riding position are all completely different from what I'm used to.

After a little discussion of my likes/dislikes about both bikes, I took the plunge.  I bought the Trek Speed Concept and set up another appointment to come in for a more detailed fitting.  That fitting involved a lot of precision measurements and adjustments, pedaling my ass off for almost 2 hours, a different saddle, and some serious anxiety when I was sent outside alone to try the bike out one more time, but by the end of the night, my new bike came home with me and I was dying to try it out.

I got my chance to do just that bright and early on Saturday morning.  Mr. R&R and I loaded up our bikes and drove out to Yada Yada's house about 45 minutes away.  Yada Yada rides a similar style of bike and had generously agreed to provide some coaching.  Another friend of Mr. R&R and Yada Yada's, EuroGuy, also came along for the ride.  I was a little apprehensive about riding with all those guys, especially since I knew there was no way in hell I was going to be riding my usual speed while I figured out my new ride, but they were all totally cool about my turtle pace.  It's a good thing too, because Yada Yada took us on a route that had all the hills and corn fields.  I definitely figured out how to ride aero while climbing and on the few flats that existed.

Photo Credit: EuroGuy

 In total, we rode about 22 miles, with a stop for breakfast at the half way point.  After bidding Yada Yada and EuroGuy goodbye, Mr. R&R and I drove over to the little lake Yada Yada had shown us last summer and jumped in for a short, cool down swim.  I'm happy to say that I didn't wear my wetsuit and I didn't have a panic attack!

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I'm kind of missing the multi-sport life, but hopefully I won't be missing it much longer.  If I can get in a few more solid outdoor rides (and back up to a decent rate of speed) I'd like to sign up for the Lake Country Duathlon - a 2 mile run/17 mile ride/ 2 mile run.  It sounds like it might be a good place for my new ride to make its racing debut.

Next up is running.  Obviously I need to step up my running game if I'm going to do the duathlon, but I haven't done any real distance training since Rock 'n Sole and fall usually provides my favorite kind of running weather, so I decided to register for the Discovery Run 15k on October 31st.  Yes...the day after then end of Hell Month.  I figure it's as good a reason as any not to go out and pound martinis after work that Friday night!   I've never raced this distance before, so it's an automatic PR, but I'd like to do a little better than that, so I have a training plan...let's see what happens!

I'm also looking forward to the Discovery Run because it always has a theme and this year's theme is Rocky Horror Picture Show.  A bunch of my tri friends are planning to be there and the race director (who you all know as the Iron Cheerleader) has promised that he will be dressing up as Dr. Frankfurter.  This should be fabulous...as long as he doesn't expect me to do the Time Warp at the finish line! Oh who am I kidding?  I should probably add "dance rehearsal" to my training plan.

Gone Camping

It's been so long since Mr. R&R and I have gone camping that I actually had to look back through my blog archives to see when the last time was (it was April 2013 if you're curious).  Fortunately Mr. R&R and I were able to take a few days off and remedy that!

We packed up on a Sunday afternoon and headed for our favorite state park - and our favorite campsite in that park.  Usually we go camping on weekends in much colder weather, so we really had no idea what to expect in terms of how many other campers would be around.  We were both hoping for 'not a lot' since we were both seeking peace and quiet - and we got our wish.  We set up our tent on the top level of our multi-level site to keep it away from campfire smoke and cooking smells - and to keep it in near-constant shade since the temperatures were predicted to soar into the upper 80's on Monday and Tuesday and neither of us wanted to sleep in a superheated sweatbox.

Tent. Sweet Tent.

After getting our tent all set up, we took a quick walk around the surrounding loops of campsites and confirmed that there were only a handful of other campers in the area.  YES!!!!  We filled up our water containers on the way back to our site and when we arrived, Mr. R&R set to work building a fire and I made a quick dinner (burgers and mashed potatoes).  Once our bellies were full, we plopped ourselves into our lounge chairs with our Kindles.  We also tried something we've never tried before while camping:

Now THAT's a juice box!

Our usual camping beverage of choice, besides water, is beer because it's easy to transport, keep cold, etc.  Move over beer...boxed wine just replaced you on camping trips!  There's about 3 glasses of wine in each little box and they're easy to re-cap, so there was no pressure to drink the whole thing in one go. And don't worry, the glasses are plastic, not actual glass!

We both slept surprisingly well (the temperatures were in the low 60's) and after a quick breakfast, we headed off to explore part of the Ice Age trail.

Follow the Yellow Blaze Trail

The trailhead was about a mile from our campsite and we almost missed it because the yellow blaze was nearly obliterated by the trees.  We headed North along the trail and were both instantly drenched in sweat from a combination of the rising temperatures and the hills.  The wooded section offered some relief from the heat, but had swarms of mosquitos.  The prairie sections were blessedly free of bugs, but it was so hot without tree cover that it left us almost looking forward to another bout with the mosquitos.

After a few miles, and questions about why we don't hike more, we turned around and found a side trail back to the campground. We both chugged lots of water and did our best to stay cool for the rest of the afternoon.  Finally, neither of us could take it any more.  We both made our way to the campground's shower building.  I'm not a fan of showering at campgrounds (or at gyms, pools, etc.), but between the sweat, bug spray, sunscreen, and campfire smell, it was worth it.  There's something to be said for camping in cool weather...where 3 of those factors really don't come into play!

Since Mr. R&R had built the previous night's fire (and all the fires on all of our previous trips), it was my turn to attempt to make a fire.  I always mean to try, but then it never ends up happening.  It took a little doing, but eventually I managed to make fire...

And Mr. R&R made this absolutely delicious dinner:

More wine and Kindle time ensued (I read 2 books and started a third over the course of the weekend) and eventually neither of us could keep our eyes open any more.

This morning we were awakened by some pissed off crows squawking overhead, but didn't mind too much because we'd both slept really well...again!  It was already pretty warm, so we skipped breakfast in favor of packing up and heading home.  All in all, it was a great trip and I really hope it's not another two years before we get out again.

I Always Forget Until I Remember

I always forget how much I enjoy riding my bike outside, until I actually do it again.  Up until last week, my bike hadn't seen the light of day since the Pewaukee Triathlon last year.  Yes, you read that right. I haven't had my bike outside in over a year.

Usually the only time I have to ride is after dark, and the weather here is not bike-friendly for about 8 months a year, so I'm generally relegated to spinning in place in The Cave with a movie on in front of  me.  Last Monday night, Mr. R&R and I both made it home from work at a reasonable hour and decided it was a perfect night for a bike ride.  We changed clothes, hauled our bikes up from The Cave, pumped our tires, made sure we both had flat kits and fully charged cell phones, and took off.

It was weird remembering how to actually balance my bike and how to clip in and out at corners.  It came back pretty quickly along with a reminder how rough road riding can be on the...ummm...lady bits.  Overall, the ride was pretty slow, but it was fun.

Time: 38:13
Distance: 7.06 miles
Avg. Speed: 11.1 mph
Avg. Cadence: 73 rpm

The ride had us both in a multi-sport mood, so we switched shoes and headed out for a 1 mile run.  The jello legs were definitely there, but I rocked that mile out in 9:01 and it reminded me how much I miss multi-sport racing.

When the weekend rolled around, we both wanted to ride again and preferably somewhere we've never been before.  Enter: The Ozaukee Interurban Trail. This is another old rail trail that runs from the Northern end of Milwaukee County (Brown Deer) all the way to Sheboygan. The best part?  All 30 miles of it are paved!

After a false start (we took the wrong trailhead), we rode through a bunch of little towns and generally had a good time.  I was grateful for the 'warning: poison ivy' signs in the early miles.  I was annoyed when we lost the trail for a bit in Cedarburg (seriously...the trail wove through a couple of parking lots).  I nearly lost my shit when there were 6 stop signs in a quarter mile just after Cedarburg.  I fell in love with the trail just North of Grafton when the trail passed by fields complete with a herd of grazing cows and a little donkey.

We turned back at the 15 mile mark, even though everything in both of us wanted to keep exploring and stopped at a gas station for a water refill and an absolutely delicious cruller.   I'd forgotten how much riding makes me want to eat all the food!

Time: 2:33:46
Distance: 30.24 miles
Avg. Speed: 11.8 mph
Avg. Cadence: 70 rpm

The following weekend we wanted to ride another trail, so we headed for the Glacial Drumlin Trail.  Unlike the New Berlin and Ozaukee Interurban Trails, the Drumlin isn't an old railroad bed, so it offers a bit more in the way of elevation changes as it winds its way West.

The Drumlin actually runs over 50 miles between Waukesha and Cottage Grove, but only the first 13.5 miles are paved and road bike tires + crushed limestone = no bueno.  When we reached the end of the pavement neither of us felt quite like turning around yet, so we rode a few miles along a county highway before heading back toward the car.

We were both running low on water and were really happy to see that a young guy had set up a table full of cold bottled water alongside the trail and was refilling people's water bottles!  I've heard the term Trail Magic used in conjunction with long distance trails like the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, but never the Drumlin (which is also part of the Ice Age Trail at one point)!

Once the hydration issue was solved, we found ourselves ravenous and stopped at a little trailside coffee/sandwich shop called Mama D's in the town of Wales.   Mama D's is super bike-friendly (multiple bike racks out front, lots of yummy-sounding food/drink options, and no one looked askance at two sweaty people wearing spandex and clomping around in bike cleats) and the sign out front made me smile.

We both opted for the box lunch: choice of sandwich, chips/fruit, a bottle of soda/water, and a cookie.  It was all really good and the peanut butter cookie was the size of my face!

After wolfing down our food, we were ready to ride the last 7 miles back to the car.  Unfortunately my Garmin lost the GPS signal while we were eating, so the ride was not recorded as a single activity.  This really isn't a big deal, but Garmin tracks personal distance records and this ride was going to be one! The final miles flew by thanks to a nice energy burst from lunch and before I knew it, I was using my water bottle to hose all the trail grime off my legs before we headed home long enough to clean up and drive out to Maverick and Goose's house for an evening of beer, barbecue, jam-making, and a bonfire.  Note To Self: Clear Calendar of Social Plans After Long Rides.

One of these things is not like the others.

Part 1:
Time: 1:58:45
Distance: 28.35 miles
Avg. Speed: 14.3 mph
Avg. Cadence: 78 rpm

Part 2:
Time: 26:33
Distance: 7.07 miles
Avg. Speed: 16.0 mph
Avg. Cadence: 78 rpm

I'm so happy that I've rediscovered how much I enjoy riding and hopefully there will be a few more adventures on it before summer comes to an end.

Firecracker 4 Race Recap

Aaahhhh, the 4th of July.  A time for barbecues, fireworks, and, in my case a last minute decision to race.  All last week my email inbox was being flooded with reminders that there were two racing options in the area on the 4th.  Wisconsin Trail Assail was offering a 5k trail race and the Badgerland Striders were offering a 4 mile race on suburban streets, but I wasn't really sure I wanted to roll out of bed on a long weekend, so I didn't sign up for either.  

Fortunately, both races offered a race day registration option, so when Mr. R&R and I made a last minute decision to do the Firecracker 4 it wasn't a big deal.  We laid out our race clothes, set an alarm, and figured that if we woke up feeling like racing, we'd go.  If not, we'd get some extra sleep and figure out something else to do that day.

6:00 A.M. came fast, but it was still much better than the 5:00 A.M. wake up for Rock 'n Sole.  It was the usual shower, get dressed, and the coffee/Clif Bar/water combo on the way.  It took us about 15 to get to the race site and another 10 minutes to find a place to park.  The parking at race site was extremely limited and everyone resorted to parking on adjacent residential streets.  I can tell you that if that was my neighborhood, I'd have had a fit about all the traffic and noise that early on a holiday!

We made our way to the registration tables, forked over $25 each, got our shirts and numbers, and hightailed it back to the car to drop off the aforementioned shirts (which were actually pretty nice).

We hoofed it back to the park, did a quick warm up jog, stretched a bit, said hi to my in-laws (Mr. R&R's mom was running too) and headed for the starting area.  Mr. R&R and I seeded ourselves toward the front of the pack after seeing a huge number of jogging strollers and people planning on doing the 1.7 mile walk option further back.  I don't love being too far up because getting passed like crazy sucks, but it's better to get a clean start than having to dodge and weave around strollers and people plodding along three abreast.

The Strider's PA system was malfunctioning, so no one could hear any of the pre-race instructions nor could we hear the singing of the national anthem - kind of ironic for an Independence Day race.  The sound of an airhorn going off, however, was unmistakeable.  It took maybe thirty seconds for the herd to surge forward and for me to hit the line.  I hit 'start' on my Garmin and it was go time!

I had absolutely no clue what to expect from this race since I've never done it before and the course map was just that - a map with no elevation chart, so I had no idea if there were any big hills involved.  This was also a distance I've never raced before, so figuring out how to pace myself properly was definitely going to be a challenge.  My only solid goal was to run sub-40 minutes, but I was sort of hoping that I could push it a little and come in sub-38 minutes.

Mile 1 was mostly flat and downhill and I knew I was probably running too fast, but I couldn't seem to slow down. When I glanced down at my watch, I had a serious 'Oh $#!%, that wasn't smart' moment. I had run an 8:49 mile.  Oops. 

I pulled back on the pace a bit and slowed to a walk through the water station at Mile 1.5 to snag a few sips of water and dump the rest down my back - it was getting hot out there.  Mile 2 was a slightly slower 9:23 - still a little fast, but better.  

Somewhere just past Mile 2, I started feeling worn out and the heat was starting to get to me.  I slowed to a slow jog/fast walk up a hill and suddenly my fellow TriNewbie Herd alumna P tagged me on the shoulder.  I sped up a little and we chatted for a minute before she resumed her blazing pace and I continued cursing the hill.  I kept up a run/power walk combo for the rest of the mile and then got really pissed at myself when Mile 3 clocked in at 10:04.  If I wanted that sub-38 finish something was going to have to change - and fast.

I pulled myself together just past the Mile 3 marker with a little help from a kind spectator who was offering to spray runners with his garden hose!  After a nice, cold blast of water, I picked up the pace a bit more.  The next thing I knew, the course finally started to go downhill instead of up!  The male and female winners of the race were jogging back along the course as their cool down and shouting things like 'only 800 yards left!' and 'Keep it up!" That was actually really good to hear since.  At the bottom of the hill, I glanced at my watch and heard a nice volunteer shouting '400 to go! Finish Strong!' Sub-38 was starting to look possible again.  I picked up my pace a little more as we wound along a park path (loose sticks hurt when they jump up and hit you in the ankle).  Finally I saw the final turn.  

The final part of the race was a 100 yard cross-country sprint to the line and that's exactly what I did.  I redlined it to the finish, knowing that this was my last chance to get that sub-38 time.  I heard my father in-law yelling my name.  I saw Mr. R&R cheering from the sidelines (he, of course, kicked some serious ass). I passed a bunch of people who were slowing down on their way to the finish.  I crossed the line, stopped my watch, and immediately felt like I was going to puke.  Not cool.  I was looking for either a bottle of water (to get the feeling to go away) or a spot devoid of spectators so I could just get it over with.  Fortunately, I found water.  I made my way through the chute, met up with Mr. R&R and said hello to P (who also had a good race).  

Once my mother in-law finished, we met up with Mr. R&R's parents and chatted for a few minutes before heading for the food.  Another bottle of water, half of a banana, and a bunch of grapes later, I felt pretty good.  In fact, I finally felt good enough to do something I never get to do after a race: DRINK THE FREE BEER!  Many of the races around here offer all runners over the age of 21 a free post-run beer, but I always feel to crappy to drink it.  The beer was made even better when I discovered it was New Glarus Spotted Cow and not gross Miller Lite - and it was handed to me by none other than the Iron Cheerleader!  I hung out and chatted with him for a few minutes, discovering that he did indeed lie about never doing another Ironman - he's registered for this year's race and then we were joined by another TriNewbie Herd alumna, A. This little race was quickly turning into a reunion!

I made my way back over to Mr. R&R and his parents, said goodbye, and headed home.  By the time we got there, official results were posted online.  So, how did I do?

Time: 38:09 (9:32/mile)

Overall Place: 524/956

Gender Place: 183/445

Age Group: 29/58 (F35-39)

I missed that sub-38 by 10 lousy seconds!  I was mad, but not too mad since it was a secondary goal and I obliterated my primary goal of going sub-40.  Overall, it was a fun race and it was really nice to see so many familiar faces.  I would definitely do this race again.

We spent the rest of the day being lazy, cooking out, and playing with sparklers.  All in all...a perfect way to spend the 4th of July.

Spicy italian sausage, mediterranean orzo salad, chips

How did you spend your holiday?

Take It To The Bridge - Round 2 (Rock 'n Sole Recap)

Two weeks ago I rolled out of bed after a measly 4 hours of sleep, looked out the window, and swore loudly before stumbling first to the coffee pot and then the shower.  Why the cussing?  Because not only was it 55 degrees outside, but a Seattle-esque mist was falling from the sky - and I was due to run a half marathon in approximately two and a half hours.  I love running in cool weather, but I despise running in the rain.  Still, the rain/mist was better than running in heat and humidity.

After a quick shower, I slipped into my revised race-day outfit (added a long-sleeve shirt over my singlet), poured myself a microscopic cup of coffee, kissed a still-sleeping Mr. R&R goodbye, and headed downtown. On the way, I managed to force down most of my usual Clif Bar while sipping on a little coffee, and tried to pump myself up with loud music.  The mist seemed to ease up a little bit as I drove, which greatly improved my mood, and it improved further when I scored a free parking spot on the street about 3/4 mile from the start line.  Not paying $10 to be .25 miles closer suited me just fine.  I took my time locking up the car, trying to decide if I really needed the long sleeved shirt or if I was just being a big baby.  One stiff blast of wind off of Lake Michigan made that decision easy.  I was keeping the shirt on.  I tucked my car key, a couple dollars, and my id into my newly-acquired SpiBelt (more on that another time), clipped it on under my singlet so it was resting against my lower back, and started walking toward the Start Line Village.

The scene at the Start Line Village was about what I expected - lots of cold-looking runners milling around and hanging onto their outer layers as long as possible!  I plopped myself down on a reasonably dry curb and started stretching. About 20 minutes before the gun went off, I dropped my stuff (fleece jacket and an extra water bottle for after the race) off and made my way to the Start Corrals.  Once I was in the corral, the mist came back as I finished stretching and focused on calming my nerves and staying warm!  At 7AM sharp, the gun went off (along with a brief rain shower) and the corrals surged forward.  It took about 1:45 for my corral to get to the Start Line, I hit go on my Garmin and started running.

I honestly had no real goals for this race other than to 'do better than I did last year' and keep the 2:!5 pace team behind me (see last year's #YouHadOneJob).  Rock 'n Sole is NOT a PR course due to the long climb onto the Hoan Bridge and the monstrous hill just past the 10k mark and I only trained for 8 weeks(instead of the usual 12), so I had no illusions of breaking my PR here.

The first few miles went by pretty comfortably.  I was breathing well and actually had to remind myself repeatedly not to pick up the pace if I didn't want to crash and burn later.  I hit the 5k mark in just under 31 minutes, which would annoy the hell out of me in a stand alone 5k, but felt just about right.  I grabbed a quick drink at a water station before beginning the long climb up the Hoan.  My pace kind of tanked on the bridge, but I expected it, so it didn't bother me much.  I slowed at the water station at the top of the bridge, knocked back a Roctane, and let the wonderful combination of sugar, caffeine, and gravity do their job on the way down.  Imagine my surprise when I realized that I was ahead of the 2:10 pace group. I was feeling really good and a tiny part of me started wondering if I might actually end up PR-ing.  Mile 6 brought lots of loud spectators (I heard several shouts of 'Go TriWIS!) and lots of cute little kids looking for high fives.  I was nearly euphoric when I hit the 10k mark, looked at my watch, and realized that I had a new, albeit unofficial, 10k PR (1:01:47).  The euphoria was short lived as I reminded myself that I still had 7 miles to go and the monster hill was coming up fast.

Oh that hill...that mother-effing hill...

I made it about 3/4 of the way up before dropping to a power walk.  This was actually a tactical decision since I knew that hill destroyed me last year and I wasted far too much time last year trying to recover from pushing too hard up it.  I got to the top feeling pretty decent and started anticipating the portion of the course that winds through Lake Park.  Mile 7 was reasonable, but then the wheels started to come off.  My stomach started acting up and I slowed down trying to get it to settle.  Miles 8 and 9 sucked.  I knocked back another Roctane around Mile 8 (right as the 2:10 pace group passed me) and hoped that it would kick in soon and not completely screw my stomach.  Mile 9 was torture as my stomach threatened a full on rebellion. Then the Roctane kicked in, I felt like a million bucks, and Mile 10 was my fastest mile of the entire race.  Of course, the good feeling didn't last and Mile 11 was an absolute train wreck.  I was reduced to an evil run/walk combination dictated entirely by my stomach threatening a full scale rebellion.  When I was able to run, I was pacing between 8:50-9:30/mile, punctuated by near-crawling walks whenever my stomach demanded it - which was often.  I was pissed off at my body and was starting to get really sick of being wet from the non-stop mist, and my shoes were starting to squish a bit. I tried to distract myself by watching the very back of the pack still heading toward the evil hill.

I slammed another GU at the last water station, hoping that it would work the same miracle as the last one.  No dice.  Around Mile 12, I suddenly got really hot - like burning hot, want to jump in the freezing cold lake hot.  I pulled over long enough to peel off my wet long sleeve and tie it around my waist and got back to the business of running fast for a little while and then being hobbled by my stupid stomach.  I regretted that choice as soon as I got out onto Lakeshore State Park (an island with nothing to block the wind).  I. Was. Freezing.  Ugh.  I did my best to haul ass off the island as fast as possible. Coming around the back of the Marcus Amphitheater, I chatted for a few minutes with another TriWI member who was using the race as part of her training for her third Ironman and she was struggling too. We commiserated about feeling pretty crappy for about a quarter of a mile before she had to peel off and puke.  I kept going, knowing the finish line was close - and just like last year, my watch was showing that the race course was about .17 miles longer than it should have been. Grrr.

I took the final turn and the finish line was in front of me at long last. I picked up my pace a little and focused on being done.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a girl in a blue tank top (who looked to be about my age)  picking up speed and trying to pass me and my only thought was "Oh no you don't!".  I started sprinting.  The finish line announcer saw us and said something like, "They're coming in hot!".  I kicked a little harder and Miss Blue Tank Top couldn't match me...I got her by a couple of seconds.  It was finally over and I had achieved both of my goals.  My official finish time was 2 seconds faster than last year.

Official Time: 2:14:01 (10:13/mile)
Garmin Time: 2:14:05 (10:06/mile) The course was .17 miles over the official 13.1 distance!

Much like last year, the finishing chute was a bit of a disappointment - really disorganized, lousy snack options, and it took forever to get a damned bottle of water.  I collected said water, a somewhat under-ripe banana, and my medal and made my way over to say hello to YadaYada who was scarfing his banana and waiting for Texas to finish - and looking like he'd barely broken a sweat.

As the post race soreness started to set in, I hobbled my way over to bag and tag to retrieve my fleece and then hobbled another mile or so back to the car - all the while racing another clock.  You see, Mr. R&R was slated to leave on a business trip to India that morning and his car to the airport was scheduled to arrive at 10AM sharp.  I was bound and determined to make it home in time to say goodbye in person!  I'm pleased to report that I made it...with 6 minutes to spare.

After Mr. R&R left, I collapsed in a heap on the couch and cowered under a blanket for a while as post-race chills made me down right miserable.  I had hoped to be able to meet my dad, Little Bro, and dad's dog at Fido Fest down in the village in time for lunch, but between the chills and my stomach finally launching it's full scale revolt, I had to cancel.  Instead, I finally took a much needed, scalding hot shower, to finally get rid of the chills and spent the rest of the day alternating between napping and watching bad tv with Walter and Spot.

In closing, it may not have been the greatest race I've ever run, but I'm really proud of how well the first 7 miles went and I'm happy to report that although the Bull$#!% Voice told me to give up when I started feeling sick, I squashed it down and did the best I could despite a less than ideal situation.   On to the next!!!!!!

Where The Wild Things Are

I promised you that things were about to get a whole lot sweatier around here - and I didn't lie.


Monday, May 11:
When I woke up this morning, it was gray, foggy, and chilly - and I was irritated.  It was only 6:45am, but the bull$#!t voice was already hard at work making up reasons why running just wasn't going to happen tonight.  As the day wore on, the fog turned to pouring rain and the bull$#!t voice went into overdrive.  The voice did a whole lot of work for nothing, because by 6:30pm, it was overcast and windy, but there was no rain.  I got home, put on my running shoes and headed out for four miles.  The first mile was pretty uneventful, other than seeing a great blue heron taking flight over a retention pond.

I had just made it into the parkway when I spotted a wild turkey!.  I remember hearing somewhere that those things are mean, so I moved to the other side of the road and watched as he strutted along.  Somewhere between the turkey and Mile 2 I saw my first bunny of the run (I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I tend to keep a 'bun count' on my runs as a means of occupying my mind.)  I hit the bottom of my least favorite hill in the world, turned around, and headed back up.  Just before Mile 3, I spotted a little deer peeking out of the woods.  It wasn't a fawn, but it definitely wasn't full grown either.  A little later I spotted 4 more bunnies, bringing the total up to a 5 Bun Run.

Around Mile 3.5, things got super interesting.  I was running up a path through an office park when I spotted a mama deer with her little fawn grazing on the other side of a little drainage creek.  We stared at each other for a moment before they went back to eating and I kept running.  Less than a quarter mile later, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a HUGE coyote standing right in the middle of the path!  I stopped my watch long enough to make an unexpected climb up a muddy hill followed by a cross country run (watch running again at this point) until I was well past the coyote and then scrambled back down to the path.  The remaining bit of my run was, fortunately, free of wild life.

Tuesday, May 12:
My bike has been doing nothing but collecting dust for months but that changed on Tuesday night.  After doing a little rearranging in The Cave, pumping my tires, and remembering how to clip-in/clip-out, I hopped on for a nice, easy 45 minute spin.  My speed was better than I expected and I passed the time watching the beginning of a movie, and I was nice and sweaty (and starving!) when I was done.

Wednesday, May 13:
Groundhog workout time! I needed to run 8x400 and since the track was likely occupied by high school track teams, I decided to do my intervals on the road.  I programmed the desired workout into my 910xt (the VivoActive doesn't have the capacity for these kinds of workouts - yet) and set off in the general direction of my mom's house.  After a brief warmup, it was Groundhog Time and I was really pleased with my split paces!  I ran .25 miles for each one with a minute and a half of rest in between.

Final Verdict:
Split 1: 8:45/mile
Split 2: 8:37/mile
Split 3: 8:26/mile
Split 4: 8:36/mile
Split 5: 8:24/mile
Split 6: 8:34/mile
Split 7: 8:47/mile
Split 8: 8:21/mile

After all the intervals were done, I jogged the remaining quarter mile or so to my mom's house as a cool down and hitched a ride back home along with a healthy does of doggy kisses from Puppy Girl - who really loves sweaty runners!

Thursday, May 14:
I wanted to run.  I really wanted to run, but Mother Nature (and my hatred of sopping wet shoes) had other plans.  I'd just finished changing into running clothes when the sky opened up and showed no signs of stopping any time soon.  Grrrr.  I hauled myself back upstairs and switched to bike clothes.  I got myself situated to ride, flipped my movie from Tuesday on, and hopped on the bike.  OW!!!!!  My booty is not used to the abuse of riding yet and putting any weight on it hurt like a beast.  Fortunately after about 10 minutes, my bum went numb and I was able to get a decent 45 minute ride in - and faster than the one from Tuesday.

Friday, May 15:
I really wanted a beer by the time I left work on Friday, but instead I got a 3.5m pace run.  Pace runs are just what they sound like - every mile run at or near goal race pace.  At this point in the season, I'm not sure exactly what my goal race pace is going to be, so I decided to shoot for 'somewhere around  9:30/mile'.  That pace would be more than enough to beat my half marathon PR, so it seemed like a reasonable goal.  NAILED IT!!!!!

Saturday, May 16:
The original plan called for today to be a rest day, but the forecast called for severe thunderstorms on Sunday.  Looks like my 8 miler was happening today.  I was a little sore and wiped out from the last few days and it was pretty hot and steamy out by the time Mr. R&R and I left the house, so there were no real pace goals - just to run 8 miles.  We ended up running 9.5 miles at about an 11:00/mile pace.  Normally, I'd be absolutely furious at that pace, but I've been doing some research and it's actually recommended to do long runs at a pace 60-90 seconds slower than what you're hoping to do on race day.  For my first 1/2 of the season, I'd be more than happy to run a 9:30-10:00 pace, so it worked.  I chased the run with a less than healthy snack of gummy bears on the walk home - and sugar never tasted so good.

Sunday, May 17:
Rest Day and not a bad choice because those thunderstorms came true!

Weekly Totals:
Bike:   25.49 miles (1 hour, 30 minutes)
Run:    20.22 miles (3 hours, 28 minutes)
Total:   45.71 miles (4 hours, 58 minutes)

How was your week?  What did you do that made you proud of yourself?