Tag Archives: bike

Back in the Saddle Again

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I must have burned myself out with my sprint work on Tuesday, because I seem to be lacking some steam over the past few days.  I can’t seem to summon the energy to even get out of bed, which could be a sign that I’m overtraining in this ridiculous heat.  Plus, my allergies have been taking a toll on me over the past week, but at least I haven’t had an asthma attack! :-P

 

Usually, I’m an early riser (around 5:00), but as of late, I find myself waking up around 7:30.  When these rare occasions of oversleeping occur, my body needs the rest therefore I give in to it and sometimes without choice.  Unfortunately, it screws with my training schedule, but if I am indeed overtraining, then the rest is necessary and truly welcomed.

 

Since I missed my run on Wednesday, my BFF Sharon Mann tortured me with a boot camp muscle conditioning routine.  Between squats, lunges and sore calves from my sprint work on Tuesday, my legs were killing me.  Two days later, my quads still hurt.

 

Thursday, I wanted to fit in a 4 mile run since I intend to run 8 miles on Saturday.  But once again, I woke up late which caused me to run after 7:30 a.m. and would hinder any runner’s performance.  Florida runners have a rule of thumb to avoid the brutal summer heat: not after 7:30 and not before 7:30 p.m.  Running at 7:30 a.m. was definitely a struggle for me to say the least.  With the humidity, the blazing summer sun and sore calves, I forced myself to finish the four miles.

 

4 miles

Time 40:47

Pace 10:07

 

At least while in the blazing sun, I could work on my tan as I have a lovely tan line across my waist from my running shorts.

 

Today, I wanted to run 3 miles and bike 10 miles, but slept through that work-out too.  So although I skipped the run, I did ride 10 miles.  Since my quads are still sore, it was a really tough ride.  Somehow, I seemed to perform better last week with a bruised who-ha.  Not that I want to repeat that, mind you!  I will happily go slower to keep all my girlie parts in tact.

 

Bike-10 miles

Time 43:19

Speed 13.9 mph

 

And in case you’re wondering…no, I did not fall off my bike. 

 

 

At the start of my ride, Kelly, drove passed me and I gave a little wave.  It got a bit shaky there for a moment, but I didn’t fall.  Note to self: give a cordial nod when riding bike to avoid a nasty spill.

Finding My Courage (But If I Only Had a Brain)

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A few months ago, I registered for a local triathlon, Faces of Courage, but even with the date of this triathlon drawing closer and closer, I have been avoiding my bike.  If you are a loyal reader, you will remember some of dismount issues here and here and here. 

 

On Wednesday morning, with the date of the event only a few weeks away, I decided to stop procrastinating and finally ride my bike.  My goal was 10 miles.

 

I started the first five miles with record speed for me: 12 mph.  I zoomed around the neighborhood.  I impressed myself with how I maneuvered and circled the cal-de-sacs.  It seems my balance has improved.  Maybe the time off the bike did me some good?

 

Then, I hit a dead-end, figuratively and literally.  Lacking the ability to circle square corners of a dead end street, I attempted to dismount and turn around.  “Just hop off”, I told myself, which seemed like a pretty good plan.  Like a bad slapstick comedy, I hopped off the seat and landed in the center of the bar. 

 

Feel free to cringe at the thought, but be warned before you continue reading.  Viewer discretion is advised.  The following segment contains graphic description and girlie parts.

 

 

When I landed on the bar, I slammed my pelvic bone, which of course, caused excruciating pain.  But apparently, I also slid across the bar, because I tore my…eh hem…*cough*…well, let’s just say I tore stuff that should only be ripped during childbirth.

 

In agony for the rest of the ride, I tried to push the pedals but the pain slowed down my pace quite a bit.  The upside to my dumb dismount: I properly dismounted when I finished my ten miles and managed not to fall over.  Unfortunately, my labia lesions made it difficult to push out some push-ups for yesterday’s challenge, but I did it.

10.07 miles

Time 42:53

Pace 14.1 mph

 

This morning, I was still sore from my injury and unable to run.  I am feeling a little bit better this evening, so hopefully I can run at least 3 miles tomorrow.

Up and Running Again

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With my sister’s binge drinking wedding followed by another beer fest St. Patrick’s Day, my running routine really took a dive this week.  Then, my allergies got the best of me and I didn’t feel like moving.  On Thursday, I finally back into running again with over a week of rest.

 

I ran an easy 4 miles, but I was really impressed with my time: 37:13.  I guess the rest did me some good!  But then, I slacked off again on Friday.  I prefer to blame it on the All Pro Dad’s Breakfast at my daughter’s school.  This morning (Saturday), I ran 6 miles: 57:10.

 

One week left until the Rally to Remember.  Lori, Jackie and I are meeting at the park to train on the trail.  I actually broke down and bought a water belt since there are no water stations on the trail.  I am aiming to make the half-marathon in less than two hours.  I would love to beat last year’s stats and place for my division.  I think Becelisa will be there and Lord knows that girl is fast!  Since my training has taken such a hit this past week, I’ve got my work cut out for me.  Wish me luck!

 

Another note, my good friend Julie and I are forming a relay team for an International triathlon in our area.  We’ve joined forces with Allan (my neighbor, not my DH), who is an awesome swimmer.  Julie will bike and I will run.  The three of us will be training this summer to prepare for the International Relay at Longleaf.  I am so excited about our team and just thankful I don’t have to swim in that God awful lake again this year!

Sunday Running Log #18

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Since my DH had to leave early for work this week, my training days were not quite what I had initially planned.  On Saturday morning, I finally squeezed in an easy 6 mile run.  My average pace was 10:18. Total time: 1:02.  I felt no pain, but I realized that my dogs are tired and I needed some new shoes.

 

On Sunday, I forgot to set my clock ahead and I was late meeting Jackie.  Although I have a really bad reputation for being tardy, I am never late to my Sunday runs.  I swear! 

 

I searched feverishly for my phone and I was digging through my car when Jackie drove past my house.  I apologized repeatedly for my tardiness, which now caused us to get a late start on our early run.  Funny enough, Jackie was actually grateful for the mistake, since this is her first time running before 8:00.

 

Since Jackie needs to slow down and I need to pick up the pace a bit, we met at the middle with a 9:40 pace.  Probably still a bit too slow for the both if us, but this is still my first week post-marathon and Jackie’s first run longer than 4 miles.  Total time: 58:03.

 

After our 6 miles, I felt like I could do a few more and wanted to try pushing myself further.  I took the next few miles a bit slower with more walking and water breaks than the first 6 miles.  I ran another 4.1 miles with an average pace on 10:37.  Total time: 43:36.  My shoes are shot for sure!  Not to worry, I bought a new pair yesterday.

 

At the end of the month, I am planning to run in the Chasco Challenge (formerly Rally to Remember).  I still haven’t decided which race to run in, the 10K or the half-marathon.  Last year, I placed first in my division and I would love to beat my PB, but I would love to also qualify in my division for the half.  Decisions…decisions…

 

Over the next few weeks, I will try to push myself a bit more and wait until the last minute to decide which race.

 

As for training this week, I need to get into routine now that my DH’s schedule is back to normal again.  I also need to incorporate more strength training and cross-training back into my schedule.  I’ve been so lazy and sloppy over the past few weeks.

 

For my half-marathon training, I am following Hal Higdon’s post recovery plan with the Runner’s World on-line Smart Coach, which uses my past times to develop a plan right for me.  However, I think the paces on the Smart Coach are a bit too slow.

 

My body is crying for yoga today.  I need to stretch.  This week, there will be lots of short runs and another long run on Sunday.  I think I’ll do 10 miles again.  I never did hop on my bike last week and I really want to put biking back into my work-outs.  If only my DH meeting’s would stop messing with my training!  Sheesh!

Loopy for Longleaf: Race Day

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Buying a new bike was my only preparation for this race.  I wanted to rent a bike, but I couldn’t locate any rentals available in my size.  Since purchasing a bike was my only option, I bought a Giant OCR3 two days before the race and only rode it once.  Therefore, my lack of training left me very nervous about my performance in the Longleaf Triathlon. 

 

Julie and I arrived at transition at 6:30 a.m.  By Florida standards, it was pretty cold as the temperature was a mere 60 degrees.  As steam rose from the lake, we knew it meant the lake was actually warmer than the surrounding air.  Then, the race coordinators announced that the race was wet suit legal as the lake temperature was a toasty 76 degrees, but dropped 6 degrees from yesterday. 

 

 

Once the International triathletes began, Julie and I waited almost an hour to enter the lake.  As we waited, the cold air numbed our feet and we never felt the red ants attacking us. 

 

 

Unfortunately, the cold air combined with my anxiousness created an overwhelming need to urinate.  Given an unfair advantage, the male triathletes could simply piss relieve themselves in the bushes.  The female triathletes, on the other hand, would have to walk about a ¼ mile back to the port-o-pots.  With that, I decided to just pee in the lake.    

 

My parents arrived just as I descended into the water.  I tried my best to swim, but with the lack of visibility in the water, I had no bearings.  All my laps in the pool could not have prepared me for the exhaustion that set in about a 1/8 of a mile into the swim.  Like Dori from Nemo, I simply reminded myself to Just keep swimming…Just keep swimming… to make it to the end.  Worried about bad athlete karma, I never found a way an opportunity to pee in the lake.  My swim time was pathetic: 10:45


 

As I ran back to transition about ¼ mile from the lake, I passed the port-o-pots and contemplated dashing into one to pee relieve myself, but I decided against it.  My transition would be bad enough without a potty break (5:57).

 

Without stopping to pee, I hopped on my bike and headed out for my 9 mile ride.  Allan and the girls arrived in time to see me set off on my bike.  I felt pretty confident on my new bike until a chick with big ol’ bundadunk passed me.  How could a woman with a booty that big pass me?  Despite my hostility towards her wide load, I simply could not catch up to her, which only frustrated me even more.  To calm my anger, I assured myself that I would pass her during the run.

 

 

The duration of the bike ride was flat and shaded.  We rode along Starkey Blvd. to Starkey Park, a beautiful wooded and scenic park, and then turned around about a mile into the park to complete our 9 mile course.  

 

Thrilled with my new bike fitted for me, I thought dismount would be a breeze, but as to not to disappoint anyone, I fell off my bike once again at dismount.  So embarrassing!  Bike time: 42:12

 

Once back into transition, I racked my bike, grabbed my Garmin, tossed on my hat and headed on my 3 mile run.  As I exited out of transition, I noticed my hat seemed unusually large for my head.  Once my chip beeped, I realized I was not wearing my hat.  I had mistakenly grabbed someone else’s hat.  “I stole someone’s hat!” I shouted to the volunteers.  That can’t be good athlete karma, either. 

 

As I ran, I noticed people staring at the stolen borrowed  hat on my head.  I think they thought I was someone else when they saw the hat.  I think they knew I stole it. 

 

At this time, I would like to publicly apologize to the triathlete whose hat I stole.  Thank you for letting me borrow your hat.  I hope you didn’t get too sunburned and didn’t go blind from the sweat dripping into your eyes.  I hope your run time was decent without your lucky hat, because my run time bit the dust.

 

Throughout the run, my claves cramped and I kept feeling a sharp pain in my leg.  Once I stopped to stretch my calves, I realized the pain was from the gaping wound on my leg, which looked like a slash made by Wolverine.  Sweat must have been dripping into the gash to make it sting.

 

 

Even though I finished strong and booked it passed big ol’ bike booty girl, it was not my best run time (29:40).  Allan, the girls, my parents, Julie and her family cheered for me as I sprinted across the finish line.  Can you believe I forgot to take a picture with my family?

 


 

After the race, my oldest daughter, Allana, asked me, “Mom, how come you were so far behind everyone else? Miss Julie was WAY ahead of you. It was like 15 people ran by before you came by.”  Overall Time: 1:28:33

 

Although it was the toughest triathlon for me yet, I really enjoyed the challenge.  I finished 5th in my division and placed 181 overall.  AND, I survived swimming in a Florida lake with no sign of killer amoeba attacking my brain.  

 

My coaches My husband and my dad gave me all sorts of pointers, which included practicing my dismount, working on my strokes and possibly taking swim lessons.  All great tips for the next race, but I have no future plans for any more triathlons at the moment.  I am toying with the idea of competing in a duathlon, but I haven’t made any true commitments to any as of yet.  Although I can continue training for these races with short runs followed by a bike ride or cycling on cross-training days, I don’t want to overtrain or interfere with my marathon training schedule, which keeps adding on the miles for my daily runs.

Loopy for Longleaf

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As previously mentioned, I have a sponsor flipping the bill for me to compete in the Longleaf Triathlon on Sunday, October 19.  This sprint consists of a 1/4 mile swim, 9 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run.  

 

Did I happen to mention that the 1/4 mile swim is in a LAKE?  See, here in Florida, we don’t have your typical freshwater lakes like ya’ll do up north.  We have mucky, green algae cesspools where water moccasins and alligators live.  However, I’m not so worried about the creatures getting me as the microscopic critters and Killer Amoeba that may find its way into my nose.  I just hope my swim cap helps keep the brain eating organisms out of my ears.

 

As for my training,  I missed my long Sunday run this week because my family and I spent the day at Sea World (more about that later).  On Monday, I was too hung over tired to even think about any kind of work-out. 

 

On Tuesday, I ran 4.03 miles in 40:44 in the dark early morning.  From the sewers, I heard gurgling noises of an angry clown.  Either the sewer maintenance men only retrieved part of him or they really pissed him off which caused him to make those unearthly sounds.

 

 

Wednesday morning, my DH left early for work, which meant no run for me.  Instead, I kick boxed with my BFF, Sharon Mann. 

 

Today, I squeezed in some triathlon training, by running 4.12 miles in 41:16 and biking 10:13 miles in 44:45.  Not the greatest time, but at least I didn’t fall off my bike.

 

Friday, I will run another short distance 4-5 miles.  Saturday, I would like run a short distance (~2 miles) and swim 12 laps.

Racing for a Cure, Part 2

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Five o’clock came early this morning and it was a struggle to get out of bed.  But somehow I managed to find the energy to run 6.25 miles in exactly an hour early this morning.

 

This morning’s run called for some creativity to make the distance.  I simply could not run the same one mile lap 6 times.  How boring!  Cautiously, I attempted the mile long sidewalk along the boulevard to see how my knee would do.  I haven’t run on the pavement since I hurt my knee last August, but today thankfully there was no pain!

 

Trying to rack up the miles, I ran through neighborhoods I normally save for Sunday’s run, which are very creepy in the dark.  I never noticed before that there are no streetlights along the cypress swamps.  Perhaps, the swamp creatures would confuse a streetlamp for the moon.  As I ran pass the spooky swamps, I was terrified that an angry alligator would eat or a vicious armadillo would attack me.  I believe that my time sped up as I passed the swamps, but I was too afraid to stop and look at my Garmin in the dark to know for sure.

 

It finally feels like fall in Florida!  The weather was gorgeous this morning and perfect weather for running!  As I scurried by the sewers, a wall of warm air hit me which put a damper of my fall fun run.  I am convinced that warm air is the hot breath of a scary clown lurking down in the sewers. 

 

 

I also used this morning’s run to test out my new running skirt, which I bought on clearance yesterday at Target.  I purchased the black skirt with pink trim specifically for Saturday’s race.  It will compliment my Mom on the Go sport bra cami so nicely!

 

 

My running partner, Tiffany, had a similar skirt, but it kept slipping off her hips during one of our long Sunday runs.  This poor girl had to continually pull her skirt up during the entire 10 miles, which is why I wanted to give my new skirt a test run.  Fortunately, I did not have the same problem as Tiffany.  I suppose my big ol’ booty bodacious badunkadunk helped keep my skirt in place.  But, I’ll wear some black granny panties on Saturday just in case it slips a bit.  The black undies will fool others into thinking it’s part of the skirt. ;-)

 

This morning, I even summoned enough energy for a 9.30 mile bike ride in 41:44.  I am definitely getting better about falling off the bike.  When I stopped for a water break during my ride, I used the curb as a step stool and it helped my balance on the bike.  Unfortunately, the cars were not giving way to me and it was making me really nervous.  At one point, I lost control and fell, but luckily I aimed for the grass.  No road rash today!

 

Mixed in with the morning commuter traffic was the county’s sewage works department cleaning out the sewers.  A long hose extended from a truck into a manhole.  I really hope they suck out the clown.  This must be a big job, because there were 6 men working on finding the clown.  Which made me think of a joke…

 

How many men does it take to clean the sewers? 

 

Six.  One to drive the truck, one to hold the hose and four others to smile at the pretty lady with the big ol’  badunkadunk on the bike as she rides by. :-)  

 

Although, it’s not really a joke.  The men did smile at me when I past them and since my new running skirt stayed in place, baby has got some serious back!

Racing for a Cure

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Keeping with my at least one race a month goal, I am running in the 10K Race for the Cure this Saturday.  I find that committing to a race helps keep me on track with my marathon training schedule.  

 

This morning, I ran 4.11 miles in 38:06.  Tomorrow, I plan to run 6 miles and hopefully, I can also squeeze a 10 mile bike ride before my DH leaves work. 

 

As of today, I am also officially training for the Longleaf Triathlon, because, my friend, Michele D. and her fabulous hubby, Jim, seem to have found me a sugar daddy sponsor to pay for my Longleaf Triathlon registration.  So, it looks like I have 2 races to prepare for this month!

Sunday Running Log, #8

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Sunday morning, I awoke with such a spring in my step.  I literally raced to meet Lori for our weekly long Sunday run.  Lori later told me that she didn’t recognize me from the distance because the person she saw was running too fast to be me.  My Garmin clocked my speed at 7 ½ minute miles, but I believe I used up all my energy in that half mile sprint to meet Lori.

 

Lori set her Sunday goal for 6 miles and I needed to run 10, however, about mile 2, I felt so sluggish.  I didn’t think I could make my 10 mile goal.  When Lori finished her 6 miles, she made me promise that I would finish my 10 mile run.  By blogging this, Lori and the rest of the blogosphere now knows that I did indeed complete 10.11 miles even though in took me almost 2 hours.  Oh well.  Hopefully, I will have a better run next Sunday.    

 

This week, I will continue to run 4 days, which also includes my 10 K run for the Race for the Cure on Saturday.  Since I am considering competing in another triathlon, I may throw a short run and bike into the mix this week.

Chick in Chaos: The Finale!

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On Saturday, I felt ready for the race and confident about my performance at the Chaotic CoteeMan.  I learned from the Babes and Bums Triathlon the importance of not dilly-dallying during transition and I would try my best not to fall off the bike at dismount.

 

The swimmers entered the pool in 15 second intervals in order of our assigned bib numbers, which were determined by our predicted time given on our race registration form.  We swam 6 laps (150 meters) through the lanes of the pool by swimming up a length, down a length and under the lane markers like mice scurrying through a maze.  Although other athletes in the pool slowed me down, my swim time was my best yet: 3:14.

 

After the swim, I headed back to transition.  I prepared for my arrival by laying out all my gear ahead of time.  I quickly slipped on my shorts, threw on my shoes, strappped on my helmet and my Garmin, and hopped on my bike.  My transition time improved but was still a bit long: 3:41.

 

For the bike leg, we rode through Downtown New Port Richey.  Having grown up in New Port Richey, I do not remember those hills.  Thankful for the faster bike for this race, the hills were not a welcomed site.  Also, an unclearly marked course confused me and many other athletes.  Even though, there were volunteers standing on corners and police officers directing traffic, the course was still confusing.  Plus, the course was supposed to be 11 miles, but (according to my trusty Garmin) it was actually closer to 13 miles,.

 

An Ironman and a Silver Streak passed me on their second lap with encouraging cheers to keep up my pace.  Fortunately, only one 63 year old man passed me.

 

After my first lap, I needed to stop for a water break since there were no water stations on the bike route.  I pulled over and tried to stop the bike.  As I stretched my right leg to reach the ground, the tips of my toes couldn’t quite make it.  I fell to the ground with the bike landing on top of me, but I managed to use my knee and my shoulder as a brake. 

 

A mechanic at an automotive garage across the street was the only person who witnessed my clumsy collapse.  “Are you all right?” he called out to me.  “Yeah, I’m all right!  I’m just an idiot that needs some water”, I hollered back at him. 

 

I sprayed some water at my right knee and shoulder to cleanse the road rash and wash away some of the blood.  After my pathetic first aid attempt, I hopped back on my bike for lap 2, and I completed the course in under an hour: 59:52.

 

Since I had already fallen once, I felt confident that I would not fall again at dismount.  With a successful dismount, I returned to transition to rack my bike and cleanse my knee and shoulder again.  I traded my helmet for my hat and headed out for the final leg, the 5 K run.  Once more, my transition time seemed a bit long: 1:22.

 

As I attempted to run, my legs felt like overstretched rubber bands and the wonky feeling in my legs made it difficult for me to determine my pace.  I was certain that I was moving in slow motion, however, when I checked my pace on my Garmin, it recorded 8 minute miles.

 

I passed the same 63 year old man as well as quite a few people, including my friend’s Michele D’s husband, Jim.  And even though I stopped at each water station during the run, I still finished with my best time yet: 27:32.  

 

As a surprise, my parents came out to cheer for me as I crossed the finish line.  They were so proud!

 

Overall performance: 1:35:39.

 

I am really pleased with my progress since the Babes and Bums triathlon.  I came in 4th place for my division (females 35-39; Of course, they were only 5 in my division!) and 41st overall (out of 56).  At least, I wasn’t last!

 

My friend, Julie, did great!  She came in second place in her division (female 25-29): 1:41:21.

 

Triathlons are truly an athlete’s sport and not for the faint at heart.  Although the endurance needed to complete the sport is overwhelming, I find triathlons exhilarating! Still on my tri high, I am now toying with the idea of competing in the Long Leaf Triathlon on October 19.