...not too shabby...

I cannot believe I am just now actually posting this...I wrote this the day after the marathon!!  Almost a month ago!  Sigh...#worstbloggerever

Towards the end of Scottsdale BSC camp I was starting to get a bit nervous about the looming marathon I had the following weekend.  We all kind of joked around that I was really *nailing* the taper.  Although coach and I experimented with this 'kind of taper' last year following Kona camp...it worked then.  Maybe I do better on tired-ish legs?

After returning from camp, I went back and forth in my head where I should line up.  My run training had been consistent.  The majority of the training was all done by HR.  We really didn't even get that much speed work in as this winter was a tough one (in more ways than one).  I wasn't sure what I'd have in me.  When I wrote down my goals at the beginning of the year I wanted to crack 3:45.  That isn't my BQ time (3:40), but it was a manageable number (@ least in my head) for me to hit.  My previous open marathon time was 3:58 and change. 

I had conversations with my coach and my run PIC and I decided to bite the bullet and stick with my original plan.  I often get annoyed with folks *throwing in the towel* before they even try to tackle their goals so there was no way I wasn't @ least going to try.  My confidence was a little low, so I promised myself that if I couldn't keep the 8:35 pace it was NBD.  I had nothing to prove.

I went to high school in STL.  I figured I would run into at least someone I knew and I did!  Always fun to see friends from back in the day, especially LIVE AND NOT ON FACEBOOK!  There were several others I had hoped to see/talk to but with that crowd I was thankful to see at least one!  Congrats to Shawn and his race!

The short and sweet race recap is that I hung out with the 8:45 group until mile 23 ish.  Then the wheels fell off.  I had to slow up.  I was actually kind of devastated watching them run into the distance but I was hurting.  EVERYONE starts hurts at mile 20 (if you're pushing it) and I tried to keep my thoughts positive and not to slow down too much!  I worked way too hard for 23 miles to slow down the last 3!  It was all mental at that point.  Every time I race I am AMAZED at how strong our minds are.  We can use that strength to help or hurt...one has to choose which way to go.  My new favorite quote from Naomi Judd...

"your body HEARS everything your mind SAYS"

Once I saw the mile 24 sign, I decided to pick up the pace.  The pain is much more manageable knowing it would only last MAX 17-20 minutes right?  I crossed the line at 3:47 and change, 13 in my AG and with a BIG ASS grin on my face.  Not too shabby.  I couldn't have been happier!  Almost a 12' PR and only 2 + min slower than goal time. 7' from a BQ.

hey body, ya hear that?...not too shabby...

...you are stronger than you think...

Camp thoughts…where do I even begin? 

I have attended numerous tri camps in the past 6 years…this was my first time as a coach.  How different it all is.  There is so much that goes on behind the scenes, I’ve never been so grateful for everything my past camp coaches have done to get all the logistics in place than I am right now.  It’s tough work…getting SAG bought and set up, marking courses, organizing travel, showering @ 9:30 pm, meeting and socializing with the other athletes, AND making sure you are taking care of yourself (i.e. feeding hydrating, etc.) WHEW! 

BUT here’s the deal…IT IS ALL WORTH IT!  We had some MAJOR breakthroughs this week…seeing the athletes overcome fears, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, climbing mountains in PR record time…all the exhaustion of planning and organizing goes right out the window.  I am not sure Krista and I could be any more PROUD and satisfied than we are right now.  I would call this camp a HUGE success.

We had an incredible group of athletes this year.  Such a dynamic and diverse group, different athletic abilities, different ages.  We had local Scottsdale athletes, a couple east coast, west coast and several of us from the midwest…many will become friends for life.  Everyone stepped up and put their best foot forward and worked hard.  That’s the point of camp right?  Spend 4-5 days out of your routine; build a big fitness base and WORK HARD.  And that we did…

Thursday was an easy ‘optional’ run.  I put optional in quotes because everyone ran it.  Easy social jog, we didn’t want any matches being burned…we had a big week in front of us. 

Even Baxter needed to hydrate!

The Monday before camp, our coach Michelle was having major FOMO and decided to hop on a plane from Hawaii and join us!  She asked Krista and I to keep it a secret so she could surprise her athletes.  That was a tough secret to keep!  We were all super excited about her arrival late Thursday pm!!   (Needless to say her other athletes were super surprised and excited to see her!  Read her camp blog here!)

Me, Michelle, Krista...BSC coaches!

Our version of pillow service for coach Michelle!

Friday morning was a BIG day…huge.  A long bike to Bartlett Lake, a ~40 min OWS in Bartlett Lake then a 14 mile CLIMB out of the lake (where we spotted IM world champ Rinny and Tim) then enjoy the decent ride home.  It would have been about an 80-mile day, except Jen Sparkles and I decided to ride to Cave Creek and added another 12 miles to our day.  Why not, right?  Actually we I missed our turn…my bad.  ;)

Coach and sparkles :)

Either way it worked out perfect.  It was a tough ride and with a little coaxing of the bodies with nutrition, we all pushed through.  Krista and I were able to see some folks pushing their bodies and most importantly their minds…

’you are stronger than you think’

Barlett Lake!

My friend and inspirational speaker, Jenne Fromm so kindly agreed to take some time out of her Friday evening to virtually ‘hang’ out with us and teach us a little bit of how our minds work both for us and against us.  As usual she changed a couple peoples lives that night.  Everyone should check her out here! She’s quite an amazing individual.  I am honored and proud to call her my friend.

We had an ‘easier’ day on tap for Saturday.  ‘Just’ a 3-hour ride, including a jaunt up 9-mile hill.  Pacing and nutrition was key for this ride, especially since we had a mountain to climb the next day.  Krista and I each rode with a different group.  My group practiced pace lines on our way to the climb, super fun when you don’t ride with a big bike group very often!  Once we got to the bottom of the hill our strategy was this…spin to about mile 5, then add a couple of gears, @ mile 8 ATTACK and catch the front group.  And holy shit, we did it.  PERFECT pacing...

’you are stronger than you think’

Solid bunch of athletes!

Off the bike we had a 4-mile run.  We asked everyone to stay inside themselves for the first 2 miles and negative split this run.  It’s a lot harder to do this as most feel really good off the bike and are ready to charge.  It was noon in the desert and the false flat on the way home made for the negative split to be a SOLID challenge.  I think we had an almost 100% success rate.  A quick 3k swim shower and we had ourselves another HUGE deposit in the bank.

Sunday was the day I had been waiting for…for literally YEARS.  The EPIC Mt. Lemmon climb.  We got up early and caravanned the 2 hours down to Tucson.  Having never had experience Mt. Lemmon, I knew had to pace myself and needed to convenience the others to do the same.  WOW.  What an experience.  It was exactly what I had imagined it would be.  HARD.  BEAUTIFUL.  FUN.  And 2 hours and 45 minutes later, I was at the cookie cabin...
 

’you are stronger than you think’

Me, Krista and Sippy!  At the top of the Mnt.

Not too long after that, we were ALL eating cookies and pizza.  It was so amazing to see our athletes push the limits especially mentally and literally arrive at the top.  It’s a feeling that brings tears to your eyes when thinking about the metaphor of climbing a mountain, on a bike, by yourself.  

Pizza, Cookie and Sparky!!!

Then we had to get down.  It would be quick (time), it would be fast (speed), and it would be in a wind storm/headwind.  I am not the best/comfortable descending, but holy shit THAT was fun.  We had a couple athletes VERY hesitant to descend and one actually wasn’t going to, she wanted to ride in the SAG wagon down, but Shane with his negotiation skills convinced her he would leap frog with her down.  She drank the cool-aid and we once again had a 100% success rate of both the climb and the descent... 

’you are stronger than you think’

And all of a sudden it was Monday the last day of camp.  L  We had a l5 mile route and a 10 mile route planned for the group.  How would our legs feel after 190 miles of riding 14k feet of climbing?  Would they show up to play?  But of course they did!  I think everyone was a bit sore/tired, but the run got done.  Krista and I had terrorized marked Paradise Valley in a delirium the night before… & the route was absolutely stunning at sunrise.  Such a joy to be there…running.  Especially after the days leading up to it, there were little to no complaints had by any.

Sparkle and Kelly selfie!

Another quick swim and we were done!  (both literally and figuratively)  It was bittersweet at that point.  I didn’t know if the sadness was actually fatigue or if I was terribly sad it had to come to an end.  I think it was a combo of the two!  

Thanks Planet Sun for protecting us all week!!

Camp was a huge success!  Krista gets all the credit!  She worked super hard with figuring the logistics of the rides/runs.  This camp wouldn't have been without her.  She is a solid athlete and an even more amazing coach.  She's been a rock in my world and I am incredibly thankful to have her in my life.  Thank you Krista!!  You are amazing and I am so thankful for our friendship!

Thanks recoverye21 for our CUTE camp tanks!

I also must thank all of the athletes for working so hard and pushing themselves to the limit.  THANK YOU!  They deposited a huge amount of fitness into their ‘bank’ $$cha-ching$$ and it will come in handy very soon ;)   I wish everyone the most success in 2014.

Thank you to Shane and June.  We really couldn't have asked for a better SAG crew!  Water, nutrition, directions, photos, motivation, you name it - they had it ready for us.  We really couldn't have asked for a better support system.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

And last but not least, THANK YOU to our sponsors!!

Recovery e21 - Amazing product.  This stuff has gotten me through the most grueling training rides/runs and 2 Iroman.  Good stuff.  Get it.

Planet Sun - Did I mention not one person got burned in the desert sun?  Not a ONE!!  This stuff is top notch along with the people/company that run it.     

And here I am.  On the plane…revisiting the past 5 days.  Sad, excited, motivated, ready to race, experience new things, new challenges.  I never thought I would be doing what I love, not only as an athlete but now as a coach!!!  I am so inspired and excited to keep the momentum going.  The love and support I have within this community is crazy strong and I am incredibly blessed and thankful to have TeamBSC as my friends and family. 

...until next time, remember ’you are stronger than you think’

MAF Training

Michelle has had me training by HR from day 1.  I loathed HR training until she really got me to understand the importance.  Now that I am diving into the world of coaching, I thought I ought to do my own research and put down my own thoughts on the subject.  Michelle had been having me use the maximum aerobic function MAF method of HR training.  Here's link to the article on MAF-test straight from the MAN himself Dr. Phil Maffetone.  (my next post will be on my personal progress using this method)

One of the reasons I've not been put on the sideline for too long in my IM training is the use of MAF training...i.e. knowing if you are running too hard too often...which is a recipe for injury and illness.  Injuries and sickness are much less likely to occur when you are not running your body into the ground day in and day out.  And the key to having consistency and progress in training/racing is avoiding both of these.  Avoid those niggles and visits to the doc and you avoid setbacks in your training.  PROGRESS!!


MAF training also measures if you are actually running EASY enough.  IMO I see too many people running too hard too often and completely ignoring their 'recovery' runs.  Your body reaps so many benefits due to these recovery runs.  Ah RECOVERY.  When one pushes through and keeps running HARD instead of backing off, you burn the candle on both ends.  HR training keeps you from blowing that fuse. 

Want to get faster?  Slow down.  Build that aerobic base.  This occurs when one actually runs within their HR zone.  This could be SLOW, painfully SLOW.  In fact, you may have to walk when first staring out.   Gah!  I'd be a $$ rich RICH $$$ lady if I had a nickel for every time I've heard, "it's SO painful for me to run slow."  I actually LOVE running slow...I love it because I'm able to BUST out proper speed work when it's on my schedule because I'm RECOVERED.  It's been proven time and time again, building the base = the speed will come once your aerobic capacity improves.   The benefit of this base build is the ability to run FASTER at the SAME effort, meaning the same heart rate.  This type of training is best to be done NOW, during the *off-season*.  Once that base is built it provides a FOUNDATION for speed/strength work that comes later in the season  Without this base getting into the anaerobic sessions is like "building a house on sand".

 In addition there's a bunch of science that shows you will loose some body fat as well...uhh, ok *bonus*!

Ok, the test!!!  I snagged this from LUCHO .  I'm pretty sure he's the the KING of MAF training.

1. Take 180 and subtract your age.
2. Take that number and correct it by the amount next to the statement that best describes your level of fitness:

• a. Subtract five beats if you are recovering from a major illness or injury that has kept you from training for six months or more.

• b. Leave the number where it is if you have been working out about two to three days per week for at least a year.

• c. Add five beats if you have been working out more than three days per week for at least a year.

• d. Add 10 beats if you have been working out more than five days per week for at least five years without recurring colds, illnesses, injuries or long periods of burnout.

• e. If you are older than 55 years old or younger than 25 years old, add an additional five beats to whatever number you have right now.

Once you have your target HR let's get to the good part RUNNING...

Perform the MAF Test on a track, running at the maximum aerobic heart rate. A one- to five-mile test, with each one-mile interval recorded, provides good data. The test should be done following an easy 12–15 minute warm up, and be performed about every month throughout the year. *I'm having my athletes perform the 5 mile test as they have some miles under their belt.


While training, create a range of 10 beats below the maximum aerobic heart rate; example, if your target HR was 145, train between 135 and 145 staying as close to 145 as possible. To develop the aerobic system most effectively, all training should be at or below this level during base building. As the aerobic system develops, you will be able to run faster at the same maximum aerobic heart rate.1

GOT IT? :)

Here are some FUN READS on MAF testing and TRAINING.

Mama Simmons

Miss Zippy

Sock Doc

get a hold of me @kelgunn@gmail.com with any additional questions!!

Kona Camp 2013 - Part 2

Ok, let's wrap up camp...if you missed part 1, here it is...Part 1...

Sunday - Long Bike IM course to Hawi and back

A couple of us rented bikes for camp.  Super easy.  Big props to Kona Bike Works for getting us set up in record time.  'Murdock' was my Cannondale Slice for the week.

The ironman course is tough.  Well of course it should be, it's the world champs, right?  The ride started out really well, I was having a blast!  We rode as a group taking turns riding with coach.  I felt GREAT!  I asked for the most brutal weather so I would have an idea of what could be in store come Oct. (it was actually pretty nice to us).  Here's a hint for anyone riding long (whether you're in Hawaii or Kansas) don't forget your nutrition, i.e. quit yapping and eat!.  By the time we got to Hawi (the turnaround 1/2 way mark) I was toast.  Completely defeated.  It just wasn't my day.  I learned a lot of lessons on the way home.  I made some good friends who lifted me up on the way home too.  A big thank you to those who listened to me in my lowest time (s).  Just a couple of the thoughts going through my head for 56 miles back to the house...I don't belong here, I don't deserve to come back in Oct., I should be riding with the girls up front, I am the weakest athlete, etc. etc. etc.  Purely depressing.  How could I let my mind wander that deep when I am in freaking Hawaii!??!?!  What the F was wrong with me.  Ugh, I am so frustrated I let my thoughts go in that direction.  Blah, whatever, I got my ass handed to me and I now have a huge RESPECT for the course.  Either way, I now know what's in store come October 12, and that's a beautiful thing.

View from bike, stunning!

I got out of my funk with the help of a good T-run off the bike.  JUST RUN IT OUT!  I ran through the tears, the heat and the hurt.  It was perfect.  Krista and Shane ran the same route and we met at the water fountain and outdoor beach SHOWER.

Krista and I during our T-run.

After all this fun, Pam and I had scheduled a private swim lesson with the great Karlyn Pipes!  Awesome session, although now I have 6 weeks to implement new swim techniques! 

Pam getting her lesson with Karlyn!

Monday - Bike hill repeats/run and the SOCIAL RIDE

Michelle had scoped out a 'special' hill for us to ride hill repeats!  This session's goal was to purely build strength in the legs.  Easy breezy.  Today I felt like a new person.  GRRRRRR 8 times up the hill!

Coach giving hill repeat instruction/goal of session

Run of the bike was spent with Michelle :)  I loved having some one-on-one time with her to pick her brain.  She has so much knowledge of this sport (and now of me as well) so her insight is invaluable.  Thanks Coach!

We were able to catch a quick nap before our social ride Monday afternoon.  We need some motivation to get back on the bikes so Moana (Michelle's daughter) was there to provide us with some cheers.  Thank goodness we had that...we had no idea what was in store ;)

Our 2.5 hour coffee/social ride turned into a 3+ hour 3k climbing with some rain/rush hour traffic and a closed coffee shop!  Ha!  Some of us turned HANGRY.  I'm not naming names on the blog.

Lynsey was happy to have found an open coffee shop!

3 - 2 - 1 and the sun has set

Tues - LAST DAY OF CAMP :(

Tues was our big run day.  We started out with a 5 mile 'warmup' before our last OWS on the IM course.  It was supposed to be a fun swim, look for dolphins, honu, etc.  I swam with my swim crew, Krista, Kimberly & Shane.  We took some super fun video with the LaPan's GoPro....I wonder where that footage is??? :)  Getting out of the water and we saw a honu (turtle)!!!!  I am in love with these guys and was super excited to get to see one in Hawaii...finally!!!

After the swim, it was run time again!  15 miles til the end of camp...sigh.  I had a good run.  I decided not to beat myself up and start any negative talk with myself so I didn't focus on pace but instead focused on HAVING SOME FUN!  I'll have enough runs coming up to stress about pace.  Here are some views from my run.

I am an awesome photographer, no?

I think I found my calling

Of course we had one more opportunity to run up the 'pit'...Tiffany is rockin up it!!!

After the run, we had our last lunch all together before we headed our separate ways. What a week, what a group...there were some lifetime memories made this week. 

Cheers!

Don't forget this face...she's a CHAMP!

Downstairs girls exploring downtown Kona

funny if you're a 16 yo, or a railroader...

I cannot express my thanks and love to my coach and teammates for pushing me further than I thought was possible, lifting me up when I was down...mahalo for all the laughs, hats, beers, bugs, sweat and tears. Until next time!

Deep thoughts on Destination Training...

Ok, not really deep thoughts, just some thoughts... I've been meaning to write this post for a couple of weeks now, so the enthusiasm has dissipated a bit.

Swim * Bike * Run * Eat * Sleep * Eat * Repeat

Who doesn't love a good solid training camp?  Away from distractions of home and work....it's brilliant. 

This year I have 3 camps on my schedule.  2 'organized' and 1 was a big block away from home with a fellow BSC'er and a solid schedule from coach.

CAMP (ish) #1 - Kelly and I hunkered down in the great state of Texas this March in prep for IM Texas (her race).  We had a long winter and she needed some solid saddle time in the 'heat'.  We supplied our own nutrition, SAGs, schedule etc.  Not your typical camp but destination training nonetheless.  You can see the numbers here.

CAMP #2 -  End of June, IM Wisconsin preview camp...Madison, WI...another solid weekend.  Away from the hub bub of home/work/etc.  There were 4 of us from the KC metro that traveled up north to escape the heat of Kansas to enjoy some cheese curds and build more saddle time on the beautiful hills in Madison!  Becky is racing IMMOO in several weeks and it was a good opportunity to preview the course.  It's tough, BTW.  This was put on by a triathlon club (I won't name names) so it was supposed to be a brainless operation.  Ya know, marked courses, SAG support INCLUDING nutrition/water out on the courses, encouragement for all athletes, etc. etc. etc.  I don't want to bag this group, but details that can make or break an athlete during a heavy training weekend were not provided to all athletes...I'll leave it at that.  Overall it was serious bonding time with good friends and major time in the saddle and on the legs.  Coin in the bank, hay in the barn...it all adds up.  :)

CAMP #3 - Well...it hasn't happened yet.  ~2 weeks I'll be headed west.  It's bound to be the most bat shit crazy of them all by far (um, a 10k swim @ camp?!).  It's the one I've been looking forward to for a year and a half now.  I'm pumped!  Coach Mama Simmons Kona Camp!  It'll be fun in the sun with some of my favorite people (some who I have never met, but I positive they'll be my favorite ;)!!! I'm excited to 'preview' the course prior to October and WORK HARD. 

I'm sure we'll have LOADs to report...stayed tuned!


To each their own on destination training camps, love them or leave them.  I'd definitely do my homework before forking over some $$.  Some of the better ones I've attended are the more expensive ones, but if I'm going to train away from home, I like having the logistics worked out for me every now and again. :)

Dig the Pig Gig

Whew!  Another 70.3 in the books. 

Pigman - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

This was my 3rd year doing this race.  It's small town race but BIG hearted race.  My 1st year I had just completed my 1st IM - CDA.  I was not looking for another race after but my arm was twisted and there we were in 2010.  What a tough race, especially that year.  I wanted to throw myself off the bridge during the run.  I went back last year looking to 'finish business'.  Well I did, qualified for ITU worlds and PR'd the distance.  2012, well I wasn't sure what I was expecting.  My 'A' race isn't until November, I had already raced 2 70.3's this year and was coming off a big weekend at the Eurekan.

So here's the quick and durty overview of the race.

Pre-race logisitics - easy packet pickup, easy enough drive to the race venue, ample parking, etc.  No hiccups...love the small races :)

Swim - 37:31 - Ugh, I really had higher expectations for this swim.  I swam 37:xx last year.  Wetsuit legal, time trial start.  I felt like I was swimming!  I was working the whole time, I didn't feel like I went to 'la-la' land either.  I was PISSED though coming out of the water and saw my time.  Back to the pool - LOTS more work to do before IMAZ.

T1 - 2:56 - Looooonnnnngggggg run up a hill to transition.  Ok, well maybe not that long, but long.

Bike - 2:43:07 - This is a flat fast course.  Except with some rollers.  Wowza!  My legs were on FIRE!  Not sure why I was feeling so shitty.  But I was.  Besides being incredibly uncomfortable in my 'seat', my legs just wouldn't move.  I have GOT to figure out something for IMAZ with this 'seat' issue....I've tried body glide, shammy butter, etc but NOTHING works!  Maybe if I didn't spend so much time in the water it wouldn't all wash away.  Needless to say,  I was so thrilled to get off the bike.  Mixed emotions about my effort, I had a good bike, just a tad bit slower than last year but still good.

T2 - 1:32 - See, a bit shorter of a run!

Run - 1:53:56 - I felt so much STRONGER than last year!  This run is pretty brutal as it's on the shoulder of the highway with no shade with some killer hills the last few miles.  Ok, well they may not be 'killer' but they sure feel that way 5 hours into a race!  Strong run, pretty happy with the way I felt, not my time, but I love feeling the hard work pay off.  Best part was that I didn't want to throw myself off the bridge this year.  IMPROVEMENT!

OA - 5:19:00...did you see that?  00  How or when does that happen?  Right on the minute?  Must be my lucky day! 

5th female overall/92, 2 AG/9

83 days until IMAZ!

Happy Training!

The (freakin') Eurekan 2012

The Eurekan

This is a MUST DO race weekend. The weekend events went as follows...

Friday - Super short sprint triathlon
Saturday - 100 mile bike ride
Sunday - 10k run

There is amazing support on and off the courses.  Plenty of nutrition throughout the whole weekend.  TOP NOTCH.

It's based in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  It's nickname is the Swiss Alps of Arkansas...seriously.  One Garmin had the elevation gain of the ride @ 6600 ft. and the Garmin doesn't lie...

We decided to make this a girls weekend...some go to Vegas/the beach/shopping, we go inflict 3 days of pain!

Friday - sprint tri 300m swim, 7 mi bike, 2 mi run - 44:08  3rd female OA, 2nd AG.

I couldn't find my breathe @ all during this race.  Are we at altitude in AR????  Either that or I was getting sick.  Crap.  I decided I was just racing HARD (oh, and at 3 pm in the afternoon...on August 10th).  Whew, this short stuff is for the birds..:)  There were some killer hills/turns during this bike and I was trying to keep upright.  It is a pretty technical course.  The run was pretty cool, on the golf gart path throughout the golf course.  The community was super rad and kept the sprinklers on for us!  Bonus for the 3 pm start time.  I knew the 2nd place gal was pretty far up...I just wanted to keep my 3rd placed spot.  Look at me, being competitive!  Ha! 




Post race



Eureka Springs has the best restaraunts!  Here we are Friday night for mexican!  No margs for us though, we heard our 100 mile ride was a bit brutal...maybe we should have though!!

Saturday - 100 mile bike ride.  6:01 (includes aid station stops) 5:43 ride time - 3rd female OA
Note to self, do NOT call this a ride then put a timing chip on me.  Seriously.  Could I get anymore competitive out there?!?!?  The Eurekan 'canidates' had green bib numbers compared to the pink bibs (who were doing just the ride), which meant I had a clear idea of who I was competing against. :)  This was a tough, tough, course.  People were making comments of how it was harder than Wisconsin AND Branson.  Not to deter anyone from doing this ride, it was hard, but holy cow it was FUN!!!



Whew!  that was so tough yet equally rewarding



Another bonus?  FREE BEER :)

Sunday - 10k run - 49:56 - 3rd Female OA - 3rd AG
Again, super hilly run.  I just kept trying to keep my head in the game.  Fly down the hills and not lose too much time on the 'up's'.  The route was pretty cool, a great way to sight see!  Eureka Springs has tons of art shops/galleries, historical homes/B&B's and gorgeous landscapes.  Even though there were 3 or so mile climbs, the run went by pretty fast.  Awesome, awesome run! 

After the last climb @ mile 4/5...ready for the quad busting downhill mile to the finish!

Overall - 2nd Female - 7:34

Woo Hoo!!!  We are Eurekans!  Such a rewarding weekend. 

Can you see the size of those medals?  Dinner plates!

Here's to another girls weekend!!

100 days until IMAZ 2012

Happy Training

Week(s) Rewind

So I am a horrible blogger.  I am on the computer every single night, yet I cannot get a post written for 3 weeks! 

That being said, I'll keep this one short with a short recap of the past week or so.

Saturday - My dear friend Michelle hosted an IM Arizona party for all of us that are racing in November.  Sort of a meet and greet, have some cocktails and get to know each other a bit better.  She pulled it off flawlessly, the food, booze, and conversation all were just beautiful!  Thanks Michelle for having me!

Sunday (Easter) - Brunch @ above mentioned Michelle's with her fiance Paul.  It was a lovely day with lovely company!  The fun had to come to an end Sunday afternoon when I had the symptoms of some sort of food poisoning.  Yuck

Monday - ***4 week til Wildflower *** Holy sh*t.  So I swam.  It was about the most I could get done feeling so shitty (literally).

Tuesday - 30 min session with Whitney, my trainer.  I am starting to tone up working with her 2x week, LOVE THESE!  90 min progression run after.  30' easy, 30' moderate, 30' hard.  I ended with 8 min/miles, so I was thrilled with the effort.

Wednesday - 3500 swim followed by an easy hour trainer ride.  I love these rides only b/c I can catch up on DVR'd shows. :)

Thursday - AM trainer session and pm run.

Friday - I PURCHASED A POWER METER!  Awesome.  So pumped to start using power.  Oh, and I also SCORED a sweet Louis Garneau Vorttice helmet!  Waaaahoooo!  I was so busy running to KC to get these new toys, I didn't have a chance to get a sweat session in.  Yes, I could have swam in the am BUT it was lightening/storming out, I know, excuses, excuses!

Saturday - 7 am bike start!  It's so nice to be able to start riding that early!  I was able to get out with my girlfriends for a solid 3.5 hours!  Of course I had a run after...It's ****3 WEEKS TO WILDFLOWER!****

Sunday - B/c of the weather in the area, I slept in and let the storms pass.  It was LOVELY!!  I decided to head back out on the bike - 2.5 hours on tap.  Woo weeeee!  That was a tough ride.  77' straight south into 30-40 mph winds.  I decided to go into the ride with zero expectations, no mileage goals, no power numbers, no HR targets, just ride.  And so I did.  And you know, it wasn't that bad.  Was it windy? Yes!  Did it suck?  Not so much.  It's so important for me to have the right mind, especially in situations like this.  Needless to say, the ride home was a blast!!!

And so a new week has begun and even better than just a new week, it's RACE WEEK!!! 

The local 1/2 marathon is this Sunday.  It's always a fun time and this year won't be any different!  Catch ya next post, it'll be a race report!!

happy training.

Travel + Training = PLANNING!

I've been on the road for weeks now for work.  Tampa, FL, Fort Worth, TX, Barstow, CA and here in a few minutes, Denver, CO.  I'll admit, a couple of day this weekend are fun filled family days!  My niece Cambridge will join us for St. Patty's day and ski school!  Even my brother and his girlfriend will be able to join us for the weekend!  Fun times!  The temperatures are better for riding than skiing, so 'Ali' will be joining us on our trip as well.  Maybe even get in a good mountain ride!
Back to the purpose of the post.

It's been tough getting in/planning all my scheduled workouts, BUT its totally doable!  I've had to pre-plan when I can do what, when.  I am always able to come home on the weekends, so my long rides and runs are usually non-negotiable. 

• Running, well, that's easy...even in crappy hotels, most have a treadmill.  Yes, those days suck sometimes, but you gotta do what you gotta do, i.e. better than running in a strange location by yourself.  Depending on the day, I sometimes can sneak in a 2nd run on the dreadmill (bonus miles!) 

• I try to get my flights a little later in the morning so I can get a swim or bike in before I leave.  Easy enough, until your flight is incredibly delayed b/c of a gash in the fuselage and you don't arrive to your destination until midnight.  Not fun people.

• And do the opposite when returning, get a super early flight and then you should have time to get in a swim or bike when you get home!

• OR...find a pool in your city!  I just found this swimmers guide.  Genius!

Traveling and training is totally do-able.  Just plan ahead!

The season is about to kick in and I'm super excited!  I'll be done with my whirl-wind days of traveling, and my life can get back to normal....normal to me anyways!

Happy training, enjoy the journey (wherever that may be)!

Training Smarter

Training update...thoughts and log through 2012
Wildflower is on the front of the 'ol mind lately since it'll be here before I know it!  I'm so excited about this race!  I knew March would be a crazy month with work travel so when I am home, I'm trying to make the best of the swim/bike sessions.  I can run on the treadmill anywhere...
 
In between swim/bike/run last weekend, I decided to paint the dining and living room.  (we've lived here since July and I haven't done ONE thing updating this place!)  What I didn't realize was that it turned out to be a bit more in depth than I thought.  Go figure, it's an old place.  We'll get it done though...hopefully this weekend! 

I've got a strong training weekend on tap.   Very excited about new changes happening.  Excited to see these changes once my season ramps up.  I'm not sure I've been working any harder, but a ton smarter.  Each session seems to have a purpose.  I'm dialed in during my sessions and I have a feeling the quality is increasing.

Cheers to some hard work. 

FLATTERING, NOT FLATTENING (a bra review)

I'm not sure where I found the ad for this bra, but I am so glad I did!!  THE HANDFUL BRA

source

This bra is AMAZING and CUTE!!   First of all, it's the only sports bra I have that makes me look like I have TWO boobs.  Not that I have much but I actually have TWO when I put this on.  The removable padding is a bonus.  No 'headlights' after your sweaty session.  Second, I wasn't sure if this would have enough support for my 16 mile run.  WRONG!  This bra has plenty of support (at least for my girls).  Third, I have skin like a baby...I thought for sure I would have severe chaffing.  WRONG again!  I made it out with only one little spot.

Great buy.  Super cute and comfy, both while running and running errands.  It comes with it's own mesh washing bag.  I can't wait to get it in all colors!!  Right now, nude, cocoa and pink are only $28!!!  Black/white are $40.  (BTW I bought this on my own)


You're active. You're versatile. You're one of a kind. You're a handful.....

Happy Shopping!

Is It Ever Going To Be Enough?

Check out my new fav running song from Metric - Gold Gun Girls...it's RAD.  You just can't beat the title.  AND it made me run ninja fast the last 3 miles of my 10 miler this morning.   

I wonder, is it ever going to be enough?  What is it? 

Tuesday Tunes!

The last 3 downloaded tunes in my running playlist...


Moves like Jagger by Maroon 5

Midnight City by M83

Young Blood by the Naked and Famous

Busy week with Christmas this weekend!  Happy Holidays!