Destination MoP is FULL (of motivation!) (Page 13)

Bike to work day!  Luckily returned from KC and able to participate.  Here in the DC area it's a pretty big well publicized event.  I stopped by the Crystal City 'pit stop' for my T-shirt, bagels, coffee, a 10-minute massage, and a mini bike tune up.  Then my building had a little event.  Everyone who signed up got another shirt (technical this time) and backpack stuffed with goodies like maps, energy bars, odometer, night light, hand exerciser, and more.  Then there was the raffle.  I ended up with a very nice rain poncho.  I'm thinking this will replace my old raincoat which didn't really keep me dry since it's not breathable.  So a very good way to start the weekend.

Training will be tough this weekend.  My parents are visiting.  So workouts of an hour or so will be tops.

Have a great weekend everyone and good luck to all the racers!

Some ideas for your OWS - might be able to find some clinics...

DC Tri Club

WaveOne - looks like they host a clinic every Sunday out at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

Reston Master Club - Memorial Day weekend clinic

TriColumbia - Gunpowder State Park

If you type in "open water swim clinic virginia" or "open water swim clinic maryland" into Google or Bing you might find some things.  That's how I found the listings above.

Good luck.

Wow, all that bike to work stuff sounds great.  It's great that so many organisations have made such an effort.

Stu - I hope the driving goes okay this weekend.  That's some serious drive time!

I'm missing my run today because I realised that if I don't take a rest day today I'll have gone 2 weeks without one.  My body really can't handle that, so it's a day off for me.  Busy weekend ahead :-)

I've got my first 5k of the year tomorrow, running with Christine (hopefully she doesn't fall asleep running at my pace, lol).  I've been feeling kind of nervous about it as I've only run a full 3 miles a couple of times so far and my short run yesterday did not feel very good.  But I'm getting excited about it.  Hopefully the weather turns out to be better than it's been around here lately.

When I went to go pick up our race packets today at the local running store I was too tempted by all those shiny new shoes and ended up getting my stride evaluated and bought myself a new pair.  I guess I probably shouldn't be using something brand new on a race day but I'm thinking as old as my shoes were it has to be an improvement.  So I'm at least excited now to test out the new pair.  I went up in stability from an Asics Gel GT-2100 to a Gel-Kayano.  They feel SO much nicer.

So good luck to everyone else with races this weekend!

Good Luck to everyone racing this weekend.

I had a good longer ride this morning.  I noticed on my training log that I hit my first century #, 100 miles on the bike.  Woot!

-Steve

My training plan called for a "recovery" week and until now,  I didnt realize just how addicted to training I have become in a short time!!  Felt like I was missing something that I couldnt explain all week.  I know that recovery weeks are a good thing, but I'm craving getting back into action next week.

I ran my first 5K fun run on tuesday.  It was a beautiful race along the Columbia river in Portland, OR.  Although I was expecting rain, the sun was out and the temp was perfect  Finished with a time of 26.31 and met some great people that made my experience even more enjoyable.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!!!

Yes, Christine was gracious enough to slow down to my pace and stick with me.  It was really awesome to have someone to run with!  I ended up having the most comfortable, easy run ever and I improved on my typical time by like 4 mins!  I think it was all due to having Christine to talk with and completely keep my mind off the running.  I ended up feeling great the whole time, and the race flew by.  Thanks Christine!

As for taking it slow, I really made an effort to hold back and try to stick to a comfortable pace and not over do it even though when we started I really wanted to speed off with the crowd.  Christine has a GPS watch that we kept checking to see what our pace was and would adjust as needed and it really helped a lot.  But I really think by taking it a little slower at the start I had way more energy left at the end to speed it up at the last mile.  So I think your strategy for tomorrow is good.  Good luck to you, let us know how it goes!

Yes, the negative split approach usually works. It was easy to complete that yesterday with Erin, I will have a much more difficult time today and no one to talk to! Getting out of the mental negotiations is key for me.... I'm hoping to have a successful race, but we'll see how the legs hold out. I spent a good deal of the day yesterday splitting wood, so that may have not been the best idea... oh well.

Congratulations Erin, sounds like yesterday went really well for you.

Christine - how did today go?  Was it hard running on your own?  Doesn't sounds like you've really been resting before the race day ;-)

Andrea - how did it go today?  Did you manage to stick to your plan?

I've had a busy weekend of training.  Yesterday I did the Sunderland ParkRun, which is a free, timed, 5k run which is run every saturday.  I did the Newcastle one a couple of months ago, but I haven't done this one before, so it was interesting doing a new route.  I was really pleased with my time, which was a PB (25min 57sec).

Today we went to do the Steelman bike route again.  The plan was to do the full distance (58miles), which is two laps of the course, because I wanted to be clear in my head that I can do it before we get to the race.

Unfortunately when we got down there the weather was horrendous.  The rain was actually being blown horizontally, and we all spent a little time sitting in the cars wondering if we were actually going to get out, let alone do any cycling.  We eventually convinced ourselves to get started, and fortunately the rain cleared up.  Unfortunately the wind didn't let up, and the last 5 miles of the loop were head on into it (our average speed dropped about 4mph).  We debated doing the 2nd lap, but decided that it was likely to wreck any training for the rest of the week, so opted out.  I think we're going to have another attempt next weekend.  So instead we went for an open water swim.  We kept it pretty short as the temperature has dropped to about 12C (that's about 53F) in the last few days, and the high wind meant the water was really choppy.  It was like swimming in one of those wave pools.  It was good practice for sighting in challenging conditions though.

Now I'm tired.  Definitely going to need a good night's sleep tonight.

Hi, yes, no real rest before race day! My splits were not what I had hoped, 7:51/8:00/7:46... I was trying to hold back on the first .5 mile because I wanted to run negative splits...problem was the first half mile was downhill and the next mile was uphill. I should have taken advantage of the downhill, it would have helped my overall time. I can't complain, not a PR for me, but I took 2nd in my age group. 

One of the things that is different for me this year, was racing without music... I used to race all the time with my mp3 player, but once I got into triathlons, I stopped training/racing with it 90% of the time. It really gives me time to ponder my breathing......which is not always helpful.

My husband also ran and placed 2nd in his age group, with an overall pace of 7:08...a PR for him. Yea!

Christine and Erin...sounds like you two had a good time racing!  How nice to run with someone. 

I am working my way back to a base...after 4 weeks of feeling terrible, with a low heart rate and blood pressure keeping me from feeling well, I was struggling.  Last week I ran a couple of times...only 2 miles each time, maybe one 4 miler. I have cut my meds in half and it finally seems to be making a difference. 

Yesterday was the first day of actual trying to come back, rode my bike to the base, swam and rode home.  Wind was an issue, no matter which way I was going! But it felt good to push myself. 

Today was a long ever so slow run for me, 6 miles.  I really had never done a whole six without a lot of walking.  I did take ten steps, yes I counted, on mile 3, twice on mile 5 and once on mile 6.  Inner coach pushed me and told me to, "Get on with it", (she really does need a name). I wish I had done it faster but like I said I am re-building my base.  I know I can do 2 miles in less than 11 mins per mile but not quite there when it comes to the longer distances.

Off to swim now...

My 5K went pretty well.  The weather was around 60 degrees, cloudy and 80% humidity.  I was able to do it without walking, but I believe that I was the last runner (who didn't run/walk) to finish.  Luckily there were walkers as well. 

It was a hilly course, so my plan to go out slower may have been a mistake.  I went out too slow, I think.  I "ran" a full 1.5 minutes slower than my 5K on May 1st.  Yes, my first mile was 13:30.  It did end on an uphill, so that may have effected that mile a bit.  Mile 2 had 2 more hills, which I chugged up at a very slow run.  I think mile two was 14:45.  Mile 3 and the .1 were about 15:00 total.  Giving me a final time of 43:24, it tokk maybe 10 -15 seconds to get to the start line.  (no chip timing)

I can blame the hills and humidity for some of my slowness today, but I know that I need to acclimate and slim down.  Overall, I'm happy I did the race.  It showed me that I can run the hills and that was something I was unsure about.

I know it's not a PR, but that's a good time for your 5k, and those splits are pretty good.  It's all well and good saying we all want negative splits, but sometimes the terrain conspires against us for that.  They're still pretty even and you obviously didn't go off too fast and die at the end, which is really all that matters.

I run with music for my long runs, and I know what you mean about the difference when you run without it.  I actually use it to make sure I don't run too fast (I have tracks that are designed to run in time with the music - it keeps my cadence steady).  I'm doing a half and a marathon at the end of the year where you're not allowed to listen to music, so at some point I'll have to wean myself off it...

Your long runs should be slower than your short runs.  My long run pace is about 2min/mile slower than my short race pace.  If you're building up distance you shouldn't be trying to run hard, so don't worry about the pace.  6 miles is really good, and you should be taking it easy getting back into it.  I'm glad you're starting to feel better.  Hopefully things will keep improving.

Hey Andrea.  Sounds like that went great for you.  Don't beat yourself up about being slower when you're running on different terrain.  From what you've said you haven't run on hills much and it makes a huge difference on pace.  I do a session every week on a track, which obviously is completely flat.  The paces I can run on there are just not possible on the "real" courses, which are never flat, no matter what the descriptions say

Just think how far you've come since the beginning of the year.  The fact that you completed a hilly 5k and ran the whole way is a huge achievement!

Goals are really important to keep us motivated, but I think sometimes everyone gets too focused on where they want to get to, instead of thinking about how far they've come.

Wow... lots of racing this weekend - we're destination 5K this week!

@Erin - 4 minutes better than your usual time... that is AWESOME!  How fun to be able to run it with Christine too and a good reflection on how having a distraction / being able to relax can really help your time.  Those internal conversations... how do we find the right inner coach to chat with during training / races!

@Matt - Super performance and how wonderful to have a great day to race and meet people.  Community, whether virtual or IRL is a wonderful part of racing.

@Andrea - I can see your swim coach come out in your reflections... what is impacting your performance, how you could improve next time, etc.  All good :-)  Sounded like a tough course and I think your final reflection is most important - that you conquered the hills which I know has been a concern for you.  All that experience will pay dividends down the road.

@Christine - Sounds like a very solid 5K and congrats on your podium finish (and to your husband as well).  Sounds like a great weekend overall and what fun to be able to meet Erin in person!

I had a good run on Saturday - not a PR, but a very solid time for me.  Unlike Christine and Andrea, I tried to go out fast and hold it (or negative split), but couldn't quite keep the 7:30 pace for the last mile and wound up with 24.11.  Not quite back to my earlier season form, but not bad.  However, the sun was out and it was warm (and I was soaked by the finish line), so a bit of acclimation there for me as well. 

But most importantly, my drive up to Providence and back went well and really enjoyed catching up with my daughter and all her thinking/growth during the long drive home.  She's all moved back (for now) and my back doesn't seem any worse for the wear and tear.  If I had one concern for the weekend, it was that I'd have another set "back".  This morning, on my training graphs, my last injury week finally fell off the chart - glad to see that disappear... now a distant memory.  But at the time, I was wondering if my goals for the year were going down the tubes.  Had to postpone plans for the HIM, but not the tri lifestyle.  Good reminder to me to keep those weeks in a larger overall context.  Allow myself time to heal... there will be another day to train and race.

Today's inspirational moment brought to you by John Parks, triathlete at age 90.

Man am I sore!

From past experience, I need to continue weight training throughout my endurance training (all cardio).  The past couple of years marathon training I was so involved with keeping up my miles that by the end of the season of all running and nothing else my body was letting me know.  I ended the last 2 years with knee pain, foot trouble and even a fractured foot (my leg extension weight I could lift went from 50 lbs to 15 lbs). I am glad to be cross training with swimming and biking as I'm sure that will help with the end of the year trouble but, I do think that wearing out my muscles with all cardio and not building up or holding steady in muscle development, is going to hurt me in the long run.. My trouble is how do you fit it all in.  I am trying to weight train several days a week along with the swim, bike and running and it seems like I am staying sore. Will my body catch up and get used to this?