Sunday Run and other stuff

Went out for a run today as there was no Sunday swim scheduled. Wanted to play with all my new gear...new running coat, new mits, new long underwear and of course my garmin. It was minus 20 degrees outside today. But got a solid 50 minutes in. I even installed my garmin software and downloaded all the info. Really neat!! Shows the map with the route that I ran, you can plot just about any set of data you want to...HR, pace, elevation, distance, grade etc. Not sure what it all means so I will send it to JP and let him tell me. I also figured out how to turn the back light on. I have to say that as much as this thing does a couple of things I have noticed, the HR info is in very small numbers and difficult to read. There must be a way to make that info bigger. The wrist part is really big on my arm and I have to put it over my jacket as it was too cold to have any bare skin exposed. The dials are too small to press with my mits on and I did not dare take them off so I had to live with the display that I went out with. I guess once I have more specific workouts, I will hopefully have the forward thinking to get it set up to give me the information I want. Mondays are my rest day because most all of my training is going to take place in the mornings and I have an 8:00am meeting every monday and just do not have the time to get anything in on Mondays. So Tuesday is a 45 minute bike doing a few sets of the "Muscle Tension" drill (?), Wednesday and Thursdays are run days this week, Friday is a core workout, Saturday is an hour on the bike and Sunday swim. Looking forward to it!!

Not so bad, not so bad...

Got my first few weeks of training yesterday. Very manageable in my opinion. I knew it was coming but was ignoring it...lots of biking!! And lots of biking drills. I have been studying the videos on the Carmichael website to make sure I have a handle on what I am trying to do. In fact, my first 45 minutes is on January 1, good thing I have no New Year's plans, might as well start it off on my bike. Kind of ironic, don't you think? I need to ask JP if he did that on purpose...I also got a long and detailed e-mail about why I was doing the specific workouts and how they are supposed to work together over the course of the week. ie. my legs will be tired and my runs are only for general fitness right now. Don't worry about doing them fast, "Just get out there and do them". Did I mention JP is very direct? No softy there. Work hard on this one, don't worry too much about HR on that one. Interesting!! I have not known there to be method to this, but it makes total sense now.

Conversation with Justin

I just spent the last hour on the phone with Justin. My head is full of information. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, actually. But not panicking...yet. Basically, I have my work cut out for me! We laid down the basics and timelines and scheduling etc. We set some preliminary goals which were kind of fun because even though we have only chatted this once, he sounds like he really believes in me. As I guess he should, as I am PAYING him!! He was quite honest in that he said he would be pushing me to see what I am capable of. He wants me to download my Garmin to him every week so he can analyse the data...I didn't mention that I have yet to figure out how to turn the light on so I can see the numbers in the dark. So downloading data might take me a bit!! I was playing with my cell phone this week and see that my total usage minutes since I got it in August are a whopping 32 minutes!! Technology and me do not see eye to eye. Anyway, I should have the next month's training plan here shortly, will keep you posted!!

Holy...I am EXCITED!!

I just got my first e-mail from my coach, Justin. And this is what he says...the red are my thoughts....

"From what I have read about you it looks like swimming is under control already, your running distance is good but you need to boost your speed a bit (duh wrt to my running), and that you need to work on cycling most (really??) of all in order to help you reach your long term goal of an IM event in the not so distant future (I told him I wanted to do an Ironman within 3 years..is this not so distant?). The good news is that the bike is the easiest area to improve and I will make sure to focus much of your training time and intensity on the bike (my ass hurts just thinking about this!!). It won’t take long for you to feel faster and more confident on the bike! (I think Justin is a bit of a dreamer...)"

But I think I like him already!!

Sunday Swim

Just back from my Sunday swim and finishing my shopping for Christmas...a bit more on that later. I wasn't going to go to swimming today as I thought it most likely would be a bunch of easy stuff and drills with many people being out of town and families getting together for the holiday. I talked myself into it, thinking it would be nice to get a few laps in, stretch out the muscles etc. Oh boy, was I wrong!! We did a warm-up and then some fast 25 meters and the main set was a Beat the Clock set for 100s. The jist was to have the leave times increase by 5 seconds...so start on 2:00 min and then 2:05, 2:10 etc. Then your pace time was to decrease by 5 seconds...so 2:00min then 1:55, 1:50 etc. We were getting more rest every 100 but had to swim faster to beat the clock and as soon as you didn't beat the clock, you were out. It is amazing that the faster we went, how it felt like we weren't getting enough rest!! When it was all said and done, I got down to 1:18, so I made the 1:20 pace time but seriously, that was ALL I HAD!! And it was at the end of about 6 100s.!! My legs were friggin tingling and I couldn't catch my breath after that one. Only one other person did a 1:15 so I was pretty happy to be the second last swimmer out.
As for the shopping, the new adidas outlet store opened up this week. Yep, Saskatoon has an outlet store!! This is something new for us. So in I go, and out I come with a very cool track suit....Yes a TRACK SUIT! I have not had one of these in many years. And just for fun, I bought a tee shirt that says "I make it look easy"...a bit of attitude never hurts.

I am freaking out...

Two blogs in one day...my ususal go to person I send my panic e-mails is on their way to Arizona to watch a basketball game this weekend on a total whim (I am so jealous) so I have to post my panic here.
I signed up for the Half Ironman coaching with Carmichael, just now. My hands are sweating!! I was pacing around my desk when I was on the phone getting things set up. Oh boy I hope this works out...I went to the website to read up on my new coach and holy shoot, we have the exact same birthday!! What does this mean? He was meant to be my coach, I guess?
Here we go!!!
Bio:
Name: Justin Peschka
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona
Current Residence: Tucson, Arizona
Degrees: B.S. Physiology, University of Arizona
CTS Coaching Level: Expert
Sports I coach: Road and Mountain Cycling, Ultracycling, Running, Ultrarunning, and Triathlon
Date of Birth:-February-19
Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now: Western New Mexico; Chandler, Arizona; Tucson, Arizona (currently). Tucson is the place to be if you want to be outdoors year round and never lose your tan!
Favorite Quote:
“carpe diem”
Education
College/University: B.S. Physiology University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona 1998
Currently working on a Masters degree in Public Health at the University of Arizona
Favorite subjects/courses:
My favorite courses in college explored the mind and body interaction in health and disease states. Recent coursework has involved developing effective programs to curb the rise of diabetes in communities throughout the Southwest.
Coaching Background
I decided to pursue training and education as a coach because:
As an athlete, I never had a coach to help me with my athletic goals. In retrospect, I see how much a coach/mentor/teacher can be in helping to set and reach lofty goals. I want to see people succeed and it fulfills me to be a part of an athlete’s success.
Athletic Career Highlights
When I started cycling and what got me started:I started cycling when I was 14 years old as a way to get out and spend time with my dad. Later, cycling was a way to test my limits and see what I was capable of.
Athletic accomplishments:
I’ve spent 17 years riding and racing all kinds of bicycles. I have 12 state championships under my belt for the disciplines of Time Trial, Criterium and Road Race. With my collegiate cycling team, we were able to win the collegiate national team time trial championship in 1997. That year I was second in the collegiate national road race, losing by half a wheel. I have won numerous Ultracycling competitions like the Furnace Creek 508, and the Cochise County Cycling Classic, covering distances from 252 to over 500 miles. More recently I’ve run in two off road marathons and have had good results in each.
What I would have done differently in my competitive days if I knew what I know now:If I knew about all the mistakes I would make in training and racing, I would have found the best coach out there and trusted his or her experience to guide me past many of the pitfalls inherent in competitive sports.

Welcome 2008!!

Wow! Where does the time go? Another year gone by. Before looking forward to the new year I think I need to look back over the past year and remember how much I have done before setting the next set of goals. 2007 started off pretty good as I entered my first triathlon up at Waskesiu...it fills up fast so I remember sending the cheque in the mail in early January. I turned 36 in February, with a bang, and my sister continually reminds me I am officially pushing 40 now. March and April were crazy busy with work and we had a long cold spell so my training fell off the rails last spring and I had wanted to do the half marathon here in town, but could not get focused enough...a different story this year as I have already registered for the run that takes place in May!! My little guy turned 1 last May and as usual we were up at the lake opening the cabin for the summer. June and July were full of training stuff, as much as I could do, I had booked every Friday off for those months to go to the lake and spend time with my children, I (almost) did my first Olympic distance triathlon in June...the race was called off due to rain. I finally completed my very first triathlon in August, had a very fun day and made a promise to myself I would continue towards my ultimate lifetime goal of doing the Ironman someday. Went to Penticton also in August, to watch IMC, totally caught the bug, watched and cheered for all of my new triathlon friends, cried the entire day. Watched Jenn and CoryF sign up for 2008. In September, was online early in the morning, registering for the Half in Stony Plain July 6, 2008. Signed up for cycling, swimming, and running for the winter months and I am on my way!! Have managed to keep up the running for all of December, not so much on the bike and my swims Sunday morning....this is an improvement from any other years, believe me!!!

Looking forward....we don't know what balls life with throw us so my immediate plans are to increase my coaching with the Carmichael Group and take advantage of their knowledge and expertise. I need to drink more water every day. There are 5 Wednesdays in January...I am going to go to every single one of my cycling classes in January. I found out about a bike maintenance course at one of the local bike shops is offering and I want to get signed up for that right after the new year. I want to hit all my Sunday swims. I want to train smart and not get injured and enjoy my training. I promise not to complain too much...
There you have it!! Welcome to the new year and all the possiblities, opportunities, adventures waiting for me..Bring It On.

This one made me chuckle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHtFixj0cWk

Sports Highlights

Was up and at it at 5:30am today. The weather forcast was for cold, cold with a side of cold and I had a 35 minute steady state run to do. I find it hard to get my heart rate up when I run outside this time of year because I am constantly watching my footing. So for my endurance runs, running outside is good but I headed to the treadmill today for the steady state. The idea is to do a bit of a warm-up and then run for 35 minutes with my heart rate in a range. Not a tempo run, not an endurance run, somewhere in between. But OH MY GOD boring....I turned the television on and watched the TSN sports highlights that they show over and over and over again...I haven't followed hockey at all this winter so I don't know the male dramas that are happening right now but that coach from the Maple Leafs looked darn pissed!! I am a huge football fan so to watch the NFL highlights is fun for me. I missed most of the Sunday games as my sister was in town and we spent the day with her and my cousins out at my mom's place.
Hopefully, everyone will sleep well and I can get a swim in tomorrow morning.

Splish Splash

Well, my ego was kicked to the curb yestereday at the pool! We did a fitness test to see where we were at in the way of pace times. First up was a warm up and then a little bit of rest and then a 50 meter sprint as hard as we could go. My 50m time was 33 seconds...and THAT was as fast as I could go!! Then we had a little bit more rest with some easy swimming and then a 400 meter timed swim and coach Brad said "You should have nothing left at the end of the 400." ALL of the fast guys were there yesterday and this means I get tossed around in the waves as they go by...but good practice for open water swimming! Anyway, I was last in the lane and Dr.Bob told me he would be okay if I drafted off of him. Dr.Bob would be in his early 50's and the only man in the group who wears a speedo...I do not lie. However, as kind as the drafting offer was, those boys took off like friggin torpedos!! I lost Dr.Bob's feet at about 75 meters and afterwards they told me their first 100 was done in 1:20...I don't think I kept that pace even when I was a kid. The postive, at least the effort was all my own...and I only got lapped by the leader. I had to laugh as before we started, two of them conspired against the leader and planned to take turns drafting so they would beat his time. They said he needed to be brought down a notch...boys will be boys! And the trash talking!! My goodness, my poor virgin ears...I can see a couple of you rolling your eyes...
When it was all done, my 400 meter time on the board was 6:22. I was actually a tiny bit dissappointed with this as I thought I should be down around 6:00minutes. But coach Brad took me aside after and showed me all the data and said that time did not account for the 25 seconds I left behind the start...so I really did it in just under 6 minutes....that's better. What does this all mean? He tells me I have lots of top end speed (my 50 meter time) but not so much for endurance (my 400 meter time). I had to hold my tongue as I wanted to say, no shit, Sherlock, all we have been doing is drill!! But he was very encouraging and told me that even though we had lots of work to do, I should be able to post a pretty good 1500 meter time early in the new year and only get faster from there. We can expect these fitness tests every 6 weeks. My 100 meter pace time, for now, should be 1:40s and right after the holidays, look for lots and lots and lots of meters.
Now I just have to get on that BIKE!!

Doggone Tired

Whew...I am beat. A long and busy week. I ran on Thursday morning and today. I had so much to do today I was up and out the door at 6:00am...on a Saturday!! Yak. It was calm and the trees were covered in frost. It was really eerie...because there was also a kind of fog just hanging in the air. I started running my usual Saturday route but did not want to do the trails when it was dark and with that fog so I doubled back and just ran around my neighborhood. For just over an hour. The plan called for almost 2 hours but darn it my hands were c-c-cold!! The best part was that I tried out my new Garmin!! Yup..a little Christmas present to Kelly love Kelly. I am pretty sure it will make me better at something...
Off to the pool tomorrow morning...can't wait to see what's in store for us there.

Here it comes....

I have just finished reading an old friend's blog on her Ironman training. She is a terrific writer and I was giggling while reading it until I got to the part about someone telling her she cannot be a good mother and an athlete. PARDON MOI???!! I would love to invite this a-hole to my son's 5th birthday party tomorrow and have him witness a very fine mom who is ALSO an athlete AND who has an education, a career, money, dreams and goals, that are all her own. The best thing you can do for your kids after loving them is live by example. I want my kids to chase their dreams, conquer their fears, do the things they think they cannot do...they will only believe this is possible if they see those close to them also out there chasing what they believe is theirs. Like The Universe says, thoughts become things, so pick the good ones. It is also about balance. No, I will not win any race I am in. No, I will not qualify for anything. BUT I will be healthy, fit, accomplished, proud, confident and walking tall. I will have worked very hard for something I wanted. Growth is not about finding your limits, its about finding those limits, and smashing through them!! These are the things I want to teach my boys because they are watching my every move. And if I do so say so myself, I am a GREAT MOM!! And so is my friend.

On the road again....

To quote one of the greatest country artists of all time. Although I am not in a band but I did go for a run today! The first time in a week. I must say, a good decsion to take that week off cause I did the hour, no issues, no pain, I actually had fun!! And I went outside for the first time in quite awhile and the weather station was lying because they said it was minus 13 at 6:00am today but it was MUCH colder than that. Oh well...my dad would now say...when the going gets tough, the tough get going, so GET GOING! I remember when I was a kid I begged and begged him to play hockey. We lived in a small town and that was back in the day before girls played any organized hockey. He played some pro hockey and I grew up at the rink, literally, so I think I just assumed I would play someday. So he put me in hockey skates, got all the gear on me and set me on the ice. The first game I was in, I remember getting hit by a kid, getting the wind knocked out of me, and crying and limping to the box. Of course, dad was the coach and wouldn't let me back on the bench. I remember him leaning down over me and saying "You wanted to do this, you get out there, suck it up, and DO IT!" My oh my, how our childhoods come back to haunt us sometimes. These were my thoughts when my alarm went off today, and I was groggy and it was dark and cold outside. Get out there, suck it up, and DO IT! It WILL pay off in July...I hope!!

Hoo Rah!!

I don't know if that is how you spell it but that is how I am feeling after today's swim!! It was a dandy so far this year. We did a warm-up and some drills (of course) and then the main set was 4x200 meters descending pace with 30 seconds rest in between each 200. I had looked at the workout, checked out who was there and decided I could handle the top lane today. As for the 200s I did the first one on 3:05 the second on 3:00, the third on 2:50 and the 4th on just under 2:50. This was really good for me this early in the season! I kept on the feet of those guys, just barely on the last one, but it was a really good workout. I laughed after as one of them bugged me about not being so "chatty" during that set and I countered with it was because I couldn't breathe!! Next week the coach says we are doing a fitness test...assuming this will be a timed something or other. And to top the morning off, I went to Winners and found the COOLEST purse for cheap...a great day so far!!

Check this out!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Fw1GdRKkc

That's a bummer...

I was up and out the door yesterday morning to go for my 35 minute run on the treadmill by 6:30am. Did some stretching as my leg felt good but didn't want a surprise when I started to run. Got on the mill and everything was going really good...a nice easy "recovery run" although I had not done my long run on the weekend so I wasn't really recovering from anything. But I liked the "nice and easy" part. Then, at around 7:00am the cute lawyer from down the hall shows up and jumps on the treadmill beside me...so I increase my speed and incline...duh...my leg felt pretty good during it all but then by mid afternoon yesterday, it just ached!! I think I am going to visit a physio person and see what the deal is. Nuts, this sucks!! I am also not going to run for a week. I don't feel too bad about this, as it is bloody cold here and if I can get on my bike instead, I shouldn't loose much fitness. But what do I know...
So I got up today and headed to the pool. On Wednesday mornings, they swim long course. This is different as I can keep ahead of most of the tri-swimmers on Sundays with my tumble turns in a 25 meter pool...but the long course (50 meter) pool makes this a bit more difficult!! It was a good, shorter, faster workout and the fast of the fastest boys were out so, I had to hussle up to keep up.
Tonight I am to go cycling. I am not sure I am going to make it. I am awfully tired and feeling like I just want to be at home. But then I have to miss the next two weeks as I have other things going on...what to do, what to do....

Weekend training

My knee/leg still hurt a wee bit on Friday and my training plan called for a long run on Saturday. I even had an offer from a friend to run with me which was cool, because he is a good runner and it would have been a bit of work to keep up which can only help things. But I had to turn the offer down because I wanted to rest the leg just another day or so. But I GOT ON MY BIKE for 45 mintues on Saturday!! This was exciting because if you recall, I fell off the last time. It was in my basement, in front of the television, talking to my kids the entire time..."Don't touch that! Put that back! Luke, watch the bike, sweetie!" Oh..what us mom's have to do!! I actually had to break HARD once to stop the back tire as I thought Luke (18 months) was going to put his hands on the friggin tire...
Anyway, got myself to the pool yesterday as well. I have no idea how many meters we did. But it was a good workout, lots of 200s and 300s of all sorts of stuff. I received an e-mail this morning from a friend who did the California International Marathon yesterday and she qualified for Boston!! I am so excited for her...she has worked really hard for this and deserves it. AND she passed her husband at mile 18...he was walking...hee hee...that one made me laugh...

45 MINUTES ON MY BIKE!!!

That's all...just wanted everyone to know!