(Tri) Marathon Anners

It's been awhile!

2009-09-06T09:09:00.002-04:00

It has been quite awhile since I last updated. The day after I ran the Wolfe Island 5k, I discovered that a new family member would be joining us in about 8 months. Baby anners is due on March 17, 2010.

I was okay about keeping up my running at first. I ran 5k about 3 times a week. Gradually, I am noticing that I become short of breath more quickly and my legs get tired with (relatively) little exertion. To put it simply, I am slow slow slow. Now I am running 3-4k twice a week and trying to supplement with bike trainer rides and dog walks. Walking still counts, right? :)

I'm hoping that I can keep up with my running (shuffling) for another couple of months, but we'll see how it goes. I will be doing the Run for the Cure on Oct 4, but most likely will walk it with DH and puppy Lily (who is one year old already! Can you believe it??). I am quite excited to participate in this event again, especially with my growing family! (By the way, if you are interested in supporting me, let me know! I haven't been soliciting for pledges at all. I should really get on that...)

Wolfe Island Classic 5k - quick report

2009-07-06T22:38:00.003-04:00

I ran the 5k of the Wolfe Island Classic yesterday. Briefly, I forgot to wear my Garmin and had to run by feel. And so I did...felt like crap the whole way, just like one is supposed to during a 5k race ;). End result: 25:52, 6/40 in AG, 16/137 women. A new PB!

Wolfe Island is a hard course. I don't enjoy the hills. I just go to see the golden retriever kennel at the finish line. My furbaby liked visiting with them too!

A day at the beach

2009-06-27T23:49:00.003-04:00

I've been bugging Cliff to go for an open water swim with me, and since he is now tapering for the Peterborough half iron, he graciously obliged.

I picked up a rental wetsuit from Running Free on Thursday. Because this way my first time wearing a wetsuit, they suggested that I try a sleeveless model, "purely from a comfort perspective." Okay. Since I have heard horror stories from friends trying on wetsuits, I asked DH to come with me to help me squeeze into it. I tried on a large Zoot Women's Fuzion Sleeveless. To my surprise, it went on easily and I hardly needed help at all. Was it too big? I modeled it for the store staff and they said it looked fine. Okay, I guess I'm ready to go! When they asked which event I was doing this weekend, I felt a little strange telling them that I was just going for a practice swim. But really, I didn't mind paying for the rental to have the wetsuit/open water swimming experience. Also, their website says that if you decide to purchase a suit within a year of the rental, they will apply the rental fee to your purchase. Sounds good to me.

I met Cliff at Cherry beach this morning. The water felt really cold when we first waded out! We took our time getting in, then did a short out-and-back around a couple of markers. It was probably about 100m. The first round didn't go very well...I ran out of breath quickly and my face felt numb from cold. I ended up flipping onto my back a few times. This was what happened to me at Lakeside during the race. Cliff was great...he kept an eye on me and kept making sure I was okay. Once we got to the shallow water, I told him what happened and he suggested that I come up for air more frequently if I wasn't feeling comfortable. In the pool, I usually take a breath every 5 strokes, alternating sides. We went for another lap, and this time I took a breath every 2nd stroke. It helped me in terms of not running out of breath, but since I was always breathing to the right, I veered off course...haha!

At the end of the second lap, we made our way back to the beach. It was rocky near the shore and very hard on my feet. When I stood up, my legs felt like jello and I couldn't find my footing on the rocks. I fell over several times. It probably took me 10 minutes just to get out onto the beach...talk about longest transition time ever!

We went for two more laps after that, with the second one being slightly longer. I guess we did about 500m in total. My confidence improved each time, and my swimming became smoother. Slow, but at least I kept myself going.

It would have been very helpful if I had tried that before my give-it-a-tri! Had I known that the cold water would affect me so much, I would have done a better warm-up. The wetsuit also helped a lot. I might have to think about buying my own!

DH came down with me with his bike, so after the swim we biked for about 14k into Tommy Thompson park. Beautiful day for a ride. He kept up with me on the way out, but couldn't keep up on the way back. This gave my evil ego a bit of satisfaction. If DH could have kept up with me on a mountain bike when he is out of shape, I would have been quite discouraged. Apparently, my cycling training has not been all for nothing!

All in all, a great way to spend the morning!

Riding and traffic

2009-06-23T22:56:00.003-04:00

I woke up at 6am on Sunday to head out for my long ride. I covered 30.5km in 1:26, which I was pleased with. My previous longest ride was 25km, and the conditions were windy (by my standards). There wasn't much traffic early on a Sunday, but I still felt some fear riding on the roads. I winced every time a car went by me, even though they didn't come all that close. It seems like most cyclists I know have had a traffic incident at one time or another. I am way too scared to try doing a bike commute (35km for me). I guess avoiding traffic is a good incentive for me to get up early on the weekend to get my long ride done.

Tonight, I headed out for a short 30min ride in my neighbourhood...with hardly any wind, I averaged 23.3kph. I think I'm improving a little.

I'm renting a wetsuit this weekend in anticipation of an open water swim...woohoo.

How can I get faster on the bike?

2009-06-18T21:07:00.000-04:00

First attempt at pushing harder on the bike yesterday...10 min easy, 10 min "hard" effort, 10 min easy. Ended up doing 12.66k in just under 36min (21.3kph). Speed during "tempo" portion was 24kph. Okay, it's a starting point...and it was quite windy out there. Would be nice if I could average around 25kph over 20k during a tri. Then I wouldn't be quite so far behind starting the run :)

New goals

2009-06-13T11:15:00.001-04:00

I thought about my goals as I did my long-ish run this morning (while realizing that I haven't run longer than 5k since Sporting Life...eeek!)

I would like to do a sprint tri at the end of the summer (750m/20k/5k) and go for a sub 2-hr half in the fall. My race times at shorter distances seem to indicate that I can do this...I just need to build my endurance back up.

So, the plan for the summer is:
Swim - work up to 2000m and practice open water swimming (longest swim to date 1250m)
Bike - work up to 2hr and do some "faster" riding during short rides (longest to date is 25k/70min)
Run - work up to 90min until the tri, then 2-2.5 hours until the half (been there, done that, but current comfortable distance is 8-10k)

I'll have to think about scheduling my workouts. I seem to end up trying to do my long swim, bike and run all on the weekend, which is probably not the best idea!

I'm hoping to do some open water swims with Cliff

I'm thinking of either the Milton women's tri on Sept 6 or Wasaga beach on Sept 12. For the half marathon, I'm looking at the Goodlife Toronto half on Oct 18.

I'm looking forward to looking like a hottie this summer with all the training! Haha!

Gotta modify my name...

2009-06-08T22:18:00.002-04:00

...I'm (tri) Marathon Anners now ;)

Lakeside I Give-it-a-tri Race Report

2009-06-07T20:15:00.004-04:00

Lakeside I Give-it-a-tri
300m/10k/2k

Awkward doggy paddle (swim)

This was my first time swimming in open water. I did a short warm-up before the race. Initially, I was shocked by the cool water, but I sucked it up and swam a few meters. Brr. Okay, try again. That was better. I can do this.

Race START! I stayed at the back. I felt unsure and kept lifting my head to check if I was veering off course. I was doing okay until I hit a traffic jam going around the first buoy. Bump. Stop. Doggy paddle. Bump. I commented, “well, this is awkward” which got a few giggles from the ladies around me. Eventually, we got around the buoy, but by that time I had lost my groove and was starting to gasp for air. I kind of fell apart after that, and kept flipping onto my back, splashing around, doing whatever I could to keep moving forward. It was NOT pretty, but I eventually found my way back to shore. Swim time: 9:26, 98th place (3:09/100m).

T1
I felt a little shaky and tired after my bad swim. T1 time: 2:09.

Laboured putt-putt (bike)

The bike course had rolling hills, and I really struggled on the uphills. My legs flailed around helplessly on the downhills (I haven’t tried clipless yet). People on MTBs passed me…GRRR! Bike time: 27:58, 95th place (21.5kph).

T2
I am TIRED! Why the heck did I sign up for this?? T2 time: 1:11.

Familiar territory (run)

Time to drop the hammer! Hmm, why aren’t my legs moving? Why am I out of breath? Oh right, because I laboured so much on the swim and bike! I see a familiar face…it’s my friend, T!! High five! Okay legs, MOVE IT!!! Run time: 12:21, 42nd place (6:11/km)

Final time: 53:04
6/11 age group

I was hoping to finish in closer to 50 minutes, so I’m not very happy with my time. Being sick for the past 2 weeks probably didn’t help my case. But don’t let my negative report fool you; I am happy that I did it! I’m a triathlete!! But since I’m not happy with my time, I might have to do another one!

Eve of my tri debut

2009-06-06T17:48:00.003-04:00

Thank you for the encouragement, everyone! I am about 95% healthy now. I managed to get a short swim and a brick done this week. I'm glad that I did a little dress rehearsal with my tri suit. The only thing that I haven't done is an open water swim. Gulp. Well, no time now. I'm going to have to wing it!

I had a little panic attack this morning as I tried to figure out what I need to bring. It's a 2 hour drive, so I need food. I went shopping today and came home with:

Peanut butter, bread, Clif bars and Gatorade. Hey, DH needs his energy too...he's going the driving and photo taking! I also bought a bib number belt with a little pocket for stuff...very cool. I might have to use this for my running events too.

Then I packed the following items in my bag:

Helmet, water bottle, sunglasses, goggles, hair elastics, towel, extra shirt, sunblock, body glide, socks, Garmin, road ID.

I also packed a change of clothes, an extra towel and an extra pair of goggles.

And this is what I am wearing. Hopefully the water is not too cold.

Oh right, can't forget the bike and runners, too ;) And I will pick up my swim cap and bib when I get there.

This tri stuff is complicated!

Panic time?

2009-05-30T10:29:00.003-04:00

Okay, I am still sick. And starting to panic a little.

I haven't done any workouts in over a week, and I haven't been in the pool in 2 weeks. I have enough experience with running to know that I'll be okay, but I am worried about swimming and biking. My tri is in 8 days! I'm not sure if I will even get a chance to get into the pool before then.

I haven't tried out my tri suit in the pool.

I haven't practiced transitions.

I haven't done any open water swimming.

I don't know when I will be well enough to get a workout done. Currently, any form of exertion beyond a short dog walk causes a coughing fit.

:(

I'm not sure this is going to happen.

Temporarily out of commission

2009-05-26T13:27:00.002-04:00

I'm sick at home with a cold. And bored. So I guess there's nothing much to do but blog!

I started feeling really tired around the middle of last week, then woke up on Saturday with a very sore throat. I've pretty much spent the last three days in bed with congestion and extreme fatigue. I also had a fever for a brief while, so that crushed any hopes of getting a workout in. I did a short run last Thursday, but that's all I've done in the past week. I certainly don't want to go to the pool until my congestion is cleared up...no need to spread my germs around!

I hope that I'm at least well enough to leave the house by tomorrow, though. I am going batty sitting at home doing nothing. I've managed to take Lily out for a few short walks, but I don't have much energy to play with her in the yard. Poor puppy seems confused that Mommy is at home, but won't play with her.

I'm not usually sick for this long. I hope it goes away soon!

First time tri-er nerves

2009-05-16T12:09:00.001-04:00

My tri is coming up in just 3 weeks!!

I am starting off with a super sprint (called a give-it-a-tri at this event). The distance is 300m swim, 10km bike, 2km run. I am not worried about completing the distance. I am nervous about the open water swim and transition. Once that is over, I should be fine. Granted, I am not the fastest on the bike, but I am not out there to win, after all!

Luckily, I have some Running Mania friends who are experienced triathletes, and have done the Lakeside tri. I have asked questions about what to wear, what is the water like, what is the distance from the water to the transition, am I going to be running over rocks, etc. I think that I will try to pick up a tri suit to wear for the race. It seems like the most convenient option, since I can wear it for the entire race. I'm not comfortable with the thought of swimming in my running bra, or worse yet, trying to put one on in transition (do people do that??).

Oh wait. I do have concerns about the bike. What if it rains? I avoid biking in the rain. I am afraid of wiping out on the slippery road. And I still don't know anything about my bike. If anything goes wrong, I wouldn't know how to fix it. I guess this is not such a big deal on a 10k bike course, though...

I hope I can do this!

Where is the speed coming from?

2009-05-08T19:03:00.003-04:00

I keep saying that I haven't been running much. I really haven't. I'm barely cracking 50 km/month these days. I am used to running 100 km/month, or more if I am training for a half or full. But, in the past two weeks I have run faster 5k and 10k times than I did when I was training more and doing speedwork. So, where is the speed coming from?

I am tri training, but I am being lazy about it. Ideally, I should be doing two workouts each of running, biking and swimming every week. I'm only doing four, maybe five workouts per week if I am lucky. Runs up to 10k, biking up to one hour and swimming up to 1200m. I'm also about 5lbs heavier right now than I usually am. So does cross training make me faster?

Well, I am also walking my furbaby twice a day. That's about 40-60min of walking everyday (and I've still gained weight?? hmph!). She's strong and she pulls me down the street. Is that making me faster?

Is it psychological? I didn't expect to be able to run fast, so I just let myself run. Do I run better when there is no pressure? This is the first year since I started running in which I did not set a goal of "I want to run a __km race in __:__ this year."

I don't know. I'm not complaining, but it still baffles me :)

Sporting Life 10k Race Report

2009-05-03T17:06:00.004-04:00

DH and I at the start line.

This race usually falls a week before my spring marathon or half marathon. I've run it once before, but I took it easy and ran with DH (non-runner). I've always wondered what I could do on this fast course.

Today I found out.

Splits:
5:19
5:12
- guy running in front of me in a puffy vest and cargo pants answers phone. "Where am I? I'm running a marathon on Yonge st!"
5:19
5:02
5:18
- that's 5k in 26:12...ummm, that's a 5k PB!
- oh carp, I am screwed for the next 5k!
5:07
5:14
- oh ya, this is the shirt that chafes under my arms. OW!!!
5:31
- who do i think i am trying to run this fast anyways? blech...I feel like vomiting!
5:15
5:11
- i have nothing left! couldn't even accelerate to the finish line like i normally do.

Chip time: 52:30. PB by almost 2 minutes!
Age group: 222/1078

WHAT?? My goal was a PB (sub 54:24) and my secret whisper goal was sub 54:00. I never, never thought that I would do 52:30. I am thrilled, but that's going to be tough to beat next time ;)

I ran my first 10k race 4 years ago in 1:04:40. It feels great to see my progress :)

Race Kit!

2009-05-01T19:53:00.002-04:00

I picked up our Sporting Life 10k race kits today. Nice technical shirt, as always. My doggie decided that she had to get into the picture, of course ;)

I haven't run since my race last sunday...only a 45min bike trainer ride and 1000m swim this morning. I'll get a short run in tonight or tomorrow morning. I'm trying not to pressure myself with a time goal for this race. I guess I will decide on my strategy when I get to the starting line :)

Legacy 5k Race Report

2009-04-26T17:21:00.005-04:00

I ran the Legacy 5k in Markham this morning. It is in my neighbourhood, so I am very familiar with the race route and was close enough to walk to the start line. Can't get better than that!

Since I've been preparing myself to enter the world of triathlon, I haven't been focusing on running faster. No speedwork. I've been running 2-3x per week with a long run of 10k, which is less than I have done in the past. Still, with swimming and cycling as cross-training, I figured that I am still in OK shape. Goal for this race was 27:xx (previous PB was 26:33 from 2007).

Rain. POURING RAIN. It must have made me run faster. Lots of dodging at the beginning (gotta love community races where the kids sprint ahead, only to walk 500m later), but I settled in after about 1km.

Spilts:
5:21
5:16
5:20
5:12
5:00

Chip time: 26:14

The last km was thanks to a kid running ahead of me. He looked to be about 9 years old, and I would NOT let him beat me. So, I sprinted ahead of him.

There were some technical issues with the finish line, so my official time did not show up at first. I e-mailed them with my bib number and time by my Garmin, and they found me and added my official time. Not sure if they have updated all of the finishers now, but I am currently sitting 5/73 in my age group, which I am pretty darned happy about! And, it's a new PB for me :)

Next weekend is Sporting Life!

Thanks for that

2009-04-21T17:13:00.003-04:00

I'm on a business trip and had to do a long run yesterday. It was windy and rainy, so I decided to run on the hotel treadmill. There were two treadmills, both of which had seen better days. I was going to do an hour at an easy pace (8-8.5km). I felt pretty good about 25min into the run, so I bumped up the speed a little. A few minutes later, someone came into the gym and started running on the treadmill beside me. I bumped up the speed again. And again. And again. In fact, I wouldn't let myself stop running until the other person was done. Okay, I am just a little bit silly. But in the end, I ran 10km in 67min...not a bad overall pace, considering that I started out slowly (5mph).

So, to the stranger who was running beside me last night...thanks!

I registered for...

2009-04-19T21:44:00.002-04:00

...my first tri!

I'm going to do the Lakeside Give-it-a-tri on June 7 (300m/10km/2km).

Went to the pool this morning and decided to try a 300m time trial. This was quite a step for me, as I think the longest I have swam without taking a break is 150m. I am embarrassed to say that I cannot keep track of those multi-hand clocks, so I just looked at the regular clock. It went better than I thought. I did panic a bit halfway through and felt like I was running out of breath, so after 200m I swam on my back for a few meters, gathered my breath, and continued with the front crawl. I finished in just under 9min, maybe 8:50 or so. With 7 weeks until my event, I hope that I can improve that time a little.

I started riding outside this week. Three times, in fact! My lack of speed is frustrating, though. I average 20km/h on my rides, without fail. That will definitely put me at the back of the pack in a tri. Anyone out there have cycling tips for me?

Now, how can I continue to work hard on my swimming and biking without letting my running slide??? Training three sports is hard :(

An interesting swim

2009-02-15T22:07:00.002-05:00

I had an interesting swim today. I went to a different pool because they had an evening session. I could not wake up for a morning swim after the Valentine's Day wine *oops*. I'm not sure what most people would consider to be crowded, but there were probably at least 10 people in each of the 3 lanes of the 25m pool. It made me quite uncomfortable...I'm used to only sharing with a few people. Anyway, I started in the "medium" lane with my board...100m of kicking, then I put it to the side and started my front crawl. One of the lifeguards took it away, so I did the rest of my swim without it...! After about 500m of bumping into people and getting frustrated, I moved to the "fast" lane. And continued for another 500m. Yep, 1000m total, in 36ish minutes :) I felt like I had an "aha!" moment today. I was actually swimming somewhat continuously...I still took a little break at the end of most lengths, but only 2-3sec instead of 10-15sec. I felt pretty good! But I don't want to go back for the evening session again. I will have to suck it up and get up early.

So, my week went like this:

Tues - 5.25km easy treadmill run 7:07/km
Wed - 45min trainer ride
Fri - 700m swim, ~30min
Sat - 10k LSD outside :D 6:47/km
Sun - 1000m swim, ~36min

I missed a brick workout, but I feel pretty good about my week. The 10k LSD surprised me a lot...I haven't run more than 5.5k since December, and haven't run outside at all in 2 months. The run felt good, and my pace was pretty decent for an LSD. I think I might have to throw a bit of faster running into my week though...but where? Honestly, I don't know how triathletes can fit all of their workouts in!

A change in focus!

2009-02-14T17:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since my last post, I have had a change in focus. One of the discussions on the Running Mania boards had me thinking about trying a tri. Yes, I did think about this last year as well, but my one and only visit to the pool last year was not very encouraging, and I never followed through. The difference this time? I met a Running Mania friend at the pool last week and she coached me a little bit. She is an experienced triathlete who has completed half-ironmans, so she definitely knows what she is talking about! Her tips were very helpful and made me feel more motivated to improve my swimming. And yes, I've actually been to the pool twice on my own since then, and am planning to go again tomorrow!

I think I am aiming for the Milton Women`s Tri on Labour Day. I did the duathlon there last year.

I am excited about my change in focus. I won`t be running as much, but I will be working even harder to train myself in three sports! I think the 10k run that I pulled off today is good evidence of that...I haven`t run longer than 5.5k since December, but have been keeping my fitness level up with biking (on the trainer) and swimming. My 10k today felt great :) And, I have registered for the Sporting Life 10k in May!

Any run is better than no run

2009-01-17T13:50:00.003-05:00

As I was getting my daily dose of the Running Mania forums today, I came across an interesting thread. Someone pointed out a blog post titled Is a Two-Mile Run Worth the Bother?. The post (from my understanding) refers to using short workouts to supplement your mileage without placing too much strain on your body. I know that when I am training for a marathon, I start to adopt the mentality that any run that is less than 5-6km isn't worth the time. Looks like I need to change my way of thinking :)

The post also made me think of the 2-mile workouts that I am currently doing...because that's about all I have been doing lately (still trying to figure out what's going on with my body...and yes I will be going to the doctor soon!). I feel pretty unhappy that I can't handle more than that at this time, but on the bright side, at least I haven't given up. I think that building from a low mileage base is a lot easier than starting over from scratch, no? Thankfully, I am still motivated to exercise...I'm just finding it a little more challenging than usual. It looks like ATB might be a no-go, though, unless things get better fast :(

Oh my aching...

2009-01-07T07:16:00.003-05:00

...fill in the blank. I've only done a couple of mini-runs (15-20mins) in 2009 so far. I'm not sure what's going on with my body, but I have backaches, stomachaches, and just general grossness. It's annoying, because I want to keep going with the good running streak that I had last month. I am glad that I have the trainer though, because an easy spin seems to be easier on my body than a slow jog. At least I am still exercising. I hope that I am back to normal soon. Perhaps I am due for a nice massage :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:37:00.006-05:00

Happy new year! Here's to a great 2009!

I ran 6.68km yesterday to finish off December with 100.1km -- goal achieved! My 2008 mileage total was 1154.91km. I think that is my lowest mileage total in 3 years, but that's okay. I focused on completing a difficult marathon in the spring, and ran a personal best. I may have slacked off after my ITBS injury, but I never gave up completely, and still ran a strong 10k in the fall. I also took up cycling, which is great cross-training. I even completed my first duathlon. 2008 was definitely a good year :)

I have a feeling that 2009 will be a "take things as they come" year. I have a vague goal of finishing ATB in under 3 hours, but that's about it. I'm not feeling ambitious enough to set any aggressive goals. I might want to try something fun and different; perhaps participate in a triathlon relay or volunteer at a race. I am interested in hearing about other people's goals for 2009...let's hear them!

Lily is a famous puppy!

2008-12-30T08:09:00.001-05:00

Look who has been featured on The Daily Puppy today!

Be sure to click on 11 biscuits for her! :)

Mileage increase

2008-12-29T12:46:00.004-05:00

Setting a December mileage goal has certainly helped me to find my lost mojo. I've logged 82.5km so far this month, so reaching 100km is definitely possible. However, I'm hurting a little bit. Why? Let's look at my training stats:

Aug - 90.48km
Sep - 51.66km
Oct - 71.54km
Nov - 66.23km
Dec - 82.5km (to date)

Boo to that. I like to keep my mileage at around 100km/month, even when I'm not training for a specific event. I've been doing well this month, but my legs are feeling it. "They" say that you shouldn't increase your mileage more than 10% per week. I ran 18km 2 weeks ago, then 32.5km last week. Oops. So today, I am taking a rest day. I might do an easy spin on the trainer, though. Hubby set it up beside the treadmill for me:

Woohoo, now I can do brick workouts all winter long! It feels good to be on my bike again :)

Whether I meet my 100km goal or not, I feel like I am in good shape to start training for Around the Bay. :)