Rowdypaint's Mentor Group- Sorry, we're full... (Page 6)

And finally I had an AWFUL run today...I was not ready for the 85F heat and totally struggled.  Last summer I was still building up to being able to run 30 min straight so I remember it being hot but at least I got walk breaks...I took my first walk break in 4 months today and it really upset me to do it but I was dying!

I started carrying water with me during runs.  Just a little holster-type thingie (water bottle kinda rests in the small of your back).  LOVE IT!

Plus, if I start getting too hot, I just slow down a teeny bit, take a sip, and squirt a little water in my hat (it helps)

Hey guys - sorry I haven't been around much...things have been crazy!  I've been working mostly 11 hour days lately but hopefully that'll slow down soon.  Summer here is usually more relaxed!  Anyway...seems like lots of folks are into race season - good luck to everyone!  I know you'll all do well.  My first race was super slow, but I did it!  I actually don't think I'm going to be racing this year but hopefully I'll end up in shape for next year.  My husband is planning a race, but he hasn't ridden his bike in over a month, hasn't gotten in the pool in about 3 months and jogged with me for the first time this year last week...so we'll see how he does (maybe this will make up for last year when he told everyone he knew how much faster he could have gone if only he didn't have to wait for me)

Yeah that is what I should have done!

Ugh! It was hot here yesterday!  I went out for a run without water (dumb) and was dying by the end.  Not only was it hot, but the humidity was below 25%.  I felt like dust by the end of the run.  It's not supposed to be that hot here, esp in May!

Welcome back, Lisa!

Mmmmm... dust


Don't worry Lisa.  It's not like anyone is getting paid for being an ultra-athlete.  (Ok, SOME people DO get paid, but I'm not one of them).

If asked, I vote for "do what you can".  We'll support you, either way.

Welcome back Lisa.

I saw some people running in the heat of the afternoon yesterday...not fun...it's early morning or evenings for me. No dust here, the humidity is pretty bad and can make the temp feel 10° hotter.

re: my pic - Thanks guys!...LOL...moooo

Happy Friday! You guys have a long weekend, eh? Enjoy!

____________
Cindy

Speaking of the weekend... Any big plans?  Any training?

My husband has a big race (sprint duathlon) tomorrow.  It's a qualifier for the Worlds.  Yep, that's right.  A friend of ours did the race, qualified and went to Italy to race for Team USA last year.  I think that secretly my husband would like to do the same.  He denies it, but I think he's really hoping to (in the words of Paul Sherwin) do something really special tomorrow.  I'm support crew and it will be my job to get him there with all his gear relatively stress-free.  Cross fingers and throw rocks for us.  Hoping for a beautiful day with NO wind. 

First of all - HOLY CRAP!!!  That's awesome!  I would wish your husband luck, but I don't want to jinx him.

We're going to visit my sister's family in Indianapolis, and go to the Indy 500.  I imagine I'll have lots of walking, but not necessarily any biking or swimming (or running, for that matter) until Tuesday.

That's awesome news Pattie!...Again, no wishing good luck...can you say 'break a leg' for sports?

Have fun at Indy...my hubby went there years ago and had a blast. Take ear plugs.

MOO!

(It STILL takes me a minute to see that cat!!)
(I swear, it's like one of those pictures where you have to stare at it to see the 3-D image inside it)

Earplugs!  Luckily, my brother-in-law has gotten renewed tickets for years now, and he has a routine down.  He gets the same stuff to bring each year (including earplugs), down to the food and beverages.  It's kinda freaky, now that I think about it.

Anyway, if you've never been to the Indy 500, I truly suggest going once.  Just amazing, even if you aren't a race car nut. 

Apple Duathlon- Spectator's Race Report
This one started hella early with a 3:00 alarm.  Out the driveway a few minutes before 4am for the long drive north (~2.5 hours).  When we got there, we snagged a prime parking spot near transition.  The men's 35-39 AG was extremely talented and the most competitive of the day.  Jeremy set up his stuff and warmed up while I wandered around looking rather pointless.  I felt pretty out of place without my bike.  We found some other tri-club people (Joe, Mario and Anne) at the start and at 8:33 his wave was off. 

I saw Joe come in first, then Mario about 2 min behind him.  Jeremy came in in another minute with the first run in a bit over 20 min.  His T1 was decent, although he ran right past his bike.  Doh.  Bike out was good and then I figured I had a while to wait, so I settled down into a book.  I rang the cowbell for Anne as she flew by on the bike out.  When I saw Joe coming in, it was time for more cowbell.  Mario was next, still less than 2 min back.  Jeremy lost time to those guys on the bike because he was around 6 min back. 

Their second run was just about as quick as the first with Jeremy only losing 30 sec to Mario on that part.  Jeremy finished in about 21 min, which is pretty decent.  Joe finished 3rd in his AG (30-34) and will get an invitation to the Worlds, which he will decline since it's 2 weeks after IM Wisconsin.  Mario and Jeremy placed 7th and 17th respectively in the M 35-39 AG which had 34 entries. 

That was easily the toughest competition he has faced as of yet and I think he did pretty well.  A lot of the guys that were in front of him often race as elites, but dropped to AG for this one in order to qualify for Worlds.  Sandbaggers, anyone? 

Anyway, it was a good day and I'm super-proud of him.  Going to a race and not actually racing is a strange experience.  Several people asked me if I raced and how I did.  Sigh, not this week. 

Fuel Belt Review

The weather is finally heating up here in MN and we were faced with the dilemma of how to stay hydrated on long runs.  The shortest loop we can do from our house is 3 miles, so stashing a water bottle in the mailbox is not the greatest option.  Also, around the block (the 3 mile loop) is mostly gravel roads which sometimes are not great for running.  I went ahead and spent the $40 on the Fuel Belt Helium 4-bottle model.  It has 4 bottles (8oz each) and a little pouch which was just the right size for my tiny MP3 player.  I was only running for 60 min, so I took 2 bottles and figured that would be plenty. 

At first I was unsure that the belt would stay in place and not annoy me.  It never moved!  Very stable and still comfortable.  The bottles were easy to remove from the holders and hold enough to get a quick drink.  Not too much so that it gets heavy though.  And the pouch was a nice addition so all my stuff was in one place. 

If you are doing longer runs and wondering how to keep hydrated, this could be a good option for you.  It was a bit pricey, but since Jeremy and I will share it, the cost isn't too awful. 

Sounds like a great race! Hey, half way through the pack is great, especially when competing with that calibre of athletes. Great job....I want a cowbell

Question to ponder-

What would you be doing if you weren't training?  I thought about this during my bike ride on Sunday.  "What is the rest of the world doing on a nice Sunday afternoon?"

I can answer that question, since I haven't been training the question is easy! I went boating/camping on Sunday afternoon til Monday afternoon... Even swam in the lake - WOW it was warmer than when I swam in it last time while training...

OMG!  That looks like so much fun!!!  I want to go! 

Wow, yeah!...That looks like a lot of fun. Nice pic. Pattie, the rest of the world is nursing a hangover...LOL

If I weren't training I would be taking a nap!  Sometimes I still sneak one in after training!

That looks like so much fun!!!  Way better than what I was doing...cleaning up from our BBQ (though the BBQ itself was a pretty darned good time).

So I'm thinking of focusing on running this summer as it's by far my weak point.  I'm contemplating a half marathon in October.  Anyone have experience at that distance?  I'm still only running like 10 miles a week - think I can do it?  I've been having problems with my heart rate skyrocketing whenever I do anything but the doctors can't find anything wrong so I'm trying to train through it, but I often feel like I got hit by a train when I'm done...

Lisa- I think you can do it (or at least I hope you can) as long as the HR thing is ok or at least under control.  I am at about the same place you are i.e. running 7-10 miles per week.  I am planning on starting a 12 week training program in August so I can be ready for a half-marathon in December or January.  Good Luck!

Haha!  I was tubing on Saturday, too!   (my 4 year old wanted a tubing-buddy)

My shoulders and back didn't like it, but my daughter loved it (for about 2 minutes)


A typical Sunday would be... not a whole lot going on (even when training... usually that's one of my resting days... I think)   (Maybe I need to take another look at my training schedule)  :D

Sunday is usually my rest day too. Unless I miss a Sat workout, then I'll pick it up on Sunday. Even then, like Erik, it's a pretty mellow day.

Here we are... another Friday with the weekend ahead of us.  What's on the calendar?

I think someone here has a race...  Who is it?

I'm volunteering at a kid's triathlon tomorrow.  Should be a blast!

No races here this weekend, just a wedding to attend.  I'll be doing some jogging with my dog, some jogging without my dog and hopefully a Taekwondo class (if I can wake up in time...Saturday mornings are for sleeping in...not waking up early!).