When life gives you lemons...run!

Life sort of threw a curveball this week so running and blogging had to take a bit of a back seat. Last Friday my 94-year old grandma ended up in the hospital and has gotten worse since, so my week has consisted of working long shifts then heading straight over to see my grandmother and be with my family. On top of that, I'm also on graveyard duty a few days this week for the crisis hotline which means no good night's sleep for me. I have, however, managed to fit in some running, most importantly my long run this past Sunday. In times like these, though, you have to look at the big picture. We have no idea how much time she has left, so every moment together is dear. And it's also at times like these when family needs one another the most. But like I said, some running still did manage to happen this week, and I think it's helped me manage the stress of everything.

My mom's 5k on Saturday went great! Her goal was simply to finish while running most of it and she did just that. It was kind of an odd experience to be at a race as a spectator instead of a runner but it was kind of fun : ) The race stared at 5:30pm and holy cow was it warm! I was actually glad I wasn't running, and I felt kind of bad for all the runners. We hung around in the sahde for a while and then soon enough it was time to go! After watching the start my dad and I headed to the 2 mile mark just before the turnaround to catch my mom mid-race. When we finally spotted her I ran to meet her and jogged alongside her for a bit. I think the heat had really gotten to her, but she was still trudging along, refusing to quit. After hitting up a water station I sent her on her way with some encouraging words then my dad and I headed back to the start to see her finish. I could tell when she crossed that finish line that she was glad to be done, but I think she enjoyed the experience. It was definitely a big challenge that she took on and she accomplished what she set out to do - I couldn't be more proud. Stay tuned for my mom's recap in her own words (with more pics) coming soon!

 mom and I post-race!

I had made plans with my coworker, Heather, to meet up early Sunday morning for a long run. She's running the Nike Women's Marathon in a couple weeks and we both needed to get 16 miles in. We both had to be at work at 11am which meant an extra early start (well, early for me). I chose a route along the bike trail that was an extension of the course of the Parkway Half I ran this past May. Heather picked me up bright and early and we headed to William Pond Park, although we ended up just short of the park itself. We hopped on the trail and set off, aiming for a 10:30 average pace (my goal MCM pace). The first several miles I felt like my perceived effort was much greater than the pace I was seeing on my watch, and I was worried it was gonna be one of those runs. We got to mile 7ish and took a little potty break. When we continued on we spotted something in the middle of the pathway ahead and realized it was a small snake! Upon closer inspection (per my encouragement) we discovered that the baby snake was dead. I felt it appropriate to remove it from the pathway so Heather flung it to it's final resting place via a stick : )

 once i knew it was dead i got a closer pic : )

We finally approached the turnaround; I always get a second wind once I know I'm on my way back! I finally started feeling good and we actually picked up the pace a bit. I was starting to get thirsty and my handheld was low but luckily we reached my oasis and I was able to fill up and douse myself with water since the day was starting to really warm up. My left hip had been nagging me for a while but I was able to run through it, stretching a few times along the way. Heather's longest distance before Sunday had been a half marathon, so it was fun to get to 13 miles and realize that the rest would be all new territory for her. I miss distance PRs : ( With one mile to go I looked down at my watch and realized I had to be at work in 50 minutes, so we decided to pick it up! We finished our final mile at a sub-10 pace with an average pace of 10:25 for the whole run, then immediately hopped in the car to hurry home. It turned out to be a great run, and I can't even tell you how nice it was to have some company! I've really missed having running buddies, especially for long runs, so I hope Heather and I can run together again soon!

near the turnaround
 

Monday I took as a rest day, then Tuesday morning before work I squeezed in a quick 4 mile run at 9:33 min/mi. After work I headed straight to my grandma's, then was on call that night. I wasn't able to fit in a run Wednesday which made that rest day #2. Earlier this month I had bought my dad Giants tickets for his birthday and Thursday we were supposed to go to the game. But since his mother is so sick we didn't want to go out of town, which meant selling the tickets instead. I was kind of bummed, but life happens, and there will be other games.

I already had the day off of work though, so I took advantage of that and headed out for my last run of September in the late afternoon heat for my first tempo in waaaaay too long. To give me an extra kick I took a Gu before I left and it happened to be a new flavor - espresso. All I can say is that I'm kicking myself for not trying this sooner! I may have a new favorite Gu flavor to rival vanilla bean : ) The run itself went really well actually. I had some new jams on the iPod and just felt good for once! My goal was to do a one mile warm-up, 3 miles at tempo pace (~9:00 min/mi), then a mile cool down. My last tempo mile was even my fastest! Woot woot. Here are the stats:

9:50 warm-up
8:52
8:52
8:40
9:46 cool-down

Before my run I took my pup to the river to play and couldn't resist sharing a few pics! She's a lab so she's a natural swimmer, but her favorite things to do are fetching sticks and diving for big rocks.

 such a little water dog : )

 diving for a rock!

she brought this rock all the way home!

This weekend is the local Urban Cow Half Marathon, my first Sacramento race since moving back home. My store is hosting the packet pick-up tomorrow so it will most likely be absolute madness at work. I'm hoping to try something new by going for an easy run straight from work so then I can head right over to my grandma's. Then Saturday I'll be resting up for the race! I have some big goals in mind that I'll be sharing soon : )

Finding my Speed

With several races coming up and some serious time goals, I've started to really notice my lack of speedwork. In fact, since I've been back in Sacramento I haven't done one official speed workout! I'm well aware of their effectiveness, however, and I'm determined to turn my habits around and make them a consistent part of my training. To kick start things, yesterday evening I rode my bike a couple miles to the Sac State track with the intention of doing some good 'ole Yassos. The workout I had planned was 6x800m, aiming for 4:20-4:25, with 400m recovery laps in between. I was sort of racing the setting sun and I had biked there, too, so I only did one lap to warm-up then got started. I must first say that I'm terrible at pacing, so trying to hit my target pace was a challenge indeed. I came in way too fast on my first 800m but I just couldn't seem to adjust my speed properly and all my splits continued to consistently be at the faster pace (umm hello sub-8:00s!). Woops : ) Here are my stats:

3:39
3:56
3:58
4:03
4:00
3:53


Although I'm pleased I was able to maintain such a fast pace, I'm not sure if I should be aiming for something a little less swift. I figured my target pace from the McMillan Running Calculator based on my current half PR, but clearly I'm capable of going faster. Any suggestions? It felt great to finally be doing something different and to really push myself, so I'm really hoping to make track workouts a weekly occurrence. Lucky for me I have a track so close to me...last night I even had it all to myself!

***************************
 

In other fun running news, tomorrow after work I have the opportunity to see a race from a new perspective - as a spectator at my mom's first 5k!! Over the summer I posted the 10-week training plan I had created for her and now race day is finally here! She's worked up to running 2 miles, so I'm confident she'll be able to finish 5k with a few short walk breaks. I'm already so proud of her for taking on this challenge that was pretty out of her comfort zone and following through til the end. I'm also hoping that I've planted a seed and this won't be her last race - perhaps one day we can run a race together : ) It's things like this, seeing the gradual improvement of a new runner, that reminds me just how wonderful running is. I can't wait to cheer her on at the finish line!!

Aflac Iron Girl Lake Tahoe (Race Report)

Well folks, I survived! I didn't drown, crash, or trip and managed to have a fantastic time at my first triathlon. And not surprisingly, I'm addicted and already looking forward to what's next!

Pre-Race
I was up before my alarm and let reality settle in - in just a few hours I would be plunging into chilly Lake Tahoe and starting my first triathlon! Since I had all my stuff laid out the night before it made getting ready a breeze and ensured that nothing was left behind. I stuffed all my gear into my bag and we set off into the semi-dark morning. We reached transition with just 15 minutes left til it closed. I spotted my coworker, Heather, who had come up to support her roommate, and was also volunteering. She was in the middle of body-marking so I had her quickly mark me up (do they have to mark you that much!?) and then hurried into transition to set up my station. Surprisingly Heather's roommate, Kellie, was only a couple bikes down from me so I had someone to share my nerves and excitement with : ) Once I had everything laid out I headed back out and had Heather help me get into my wetsuit before we all walked down to the lake.

 getting body marked

 early morning transition

 my transition area : )

 those things are not easy to get on!

Swim
The swim had a wave start based on age and Kellie and I, along with other 14-29 year olds, were in the last wave. So once down at the lake we had plenty of time to hang around, take pics, and wait. You couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting to start a race. We watched the sun come up over the mountains in the distance, the suns emerging rays sparkling on the clear lake. It was amusing to see so many people in wetsuits - we looked like a herd of seals! The course was rectangular and marked with big yellow buoys. For me, a lot of the swim was mental, and luckily the course didn't look longer than I had been expecting. At 7:30am we gathered at the start to watch the 45+ wave take off! Before we knew it, the next two waves had entered the water and we were lining up to wait for our turn. I was starting to get nervous, but I knew I could finish even if I had to doggie paddle. More than anything I just wanted the race to be underway before my nerves could get the better of me.

the swim course

beautiful morning, beautiful Lake Tahoe : )

Kellie & I practicing our Iron Girl pose!

I put my goggles on and then the countdown began...."Three, two, one, AFLAC!!!" And we were off! Kellie and I had positioned ourselves in the middle of the pack toward the outside. Since the lake was pretty shallow you could actually touch the ground (and see the bottom - thank goodness for clear water!) all the way to the first buoy. I walked til I was about waist deep then plunged into the water and started swimming! The water temp was around 62 degrees but actually didn't feel very cold at all. My wave wasn't too crowded, thankfully, but it was nice to follow others instead of constantly raising my head to sight. I reached the first buoy before I knew it but I was pretty out of breath. I switched to breast stroke and continued on toward the turn buoy. I reached the third yellow buoy and just did not want to put my face back in the water. I still couldn't catch my breath and I was tired. I switched back to free but kept my face out of the water as I headed back toward the shore. The sun was directly in front of me so I really couldn't see anything - I just headed in the general direction of the beach. I kept expecting to be able to touch the bottom but I was further out that I thought. Finally I could touch and I stood up, my wetsuit full of water, and staggered drunkenly onto the sand. My legs were like jello and I couldn't breathe. But I was SO glad to be done!

waiting to start!

swim start video

off we go!

red caps mid-swim

swim finish video - I look drunk!

yay, done with the swim!

swim time (400m): 9:26

T1

I staggered up the beach to where my flip flops were, slipped them on, then dunked my feet in the baby pool they had laid out. My dad had followed me and ran along side me as I jogged the quarter mile to transition, the whole time saying how tired and out of breathe I was. Apparently, though, I had finished the swim in the middle of the pack which I was pleased with. Kellie had finished a little ahead of me and was just taking off on her bike when I came into T1. I peeled my wetsuit off, threw it on the ground and then took my time getting ready for the bike. I put my socks and shoes on, pulled on my tank top, put my sunglasses and helmet on, and scarfed a few Chomps (I stuffed the rest down my shirt for later, but never got to them on the bike). Then I pulled my bike off the rack and and jogged to the bike-out chute!

getting ready for the bike in T1

heading out!

T1 time (including .25 mi run): 10:06

Bike
I was excited to be starting my second leg of the race, but I was still out of breath. I think the altitude did me in because I never fully caught my breath the entire race. The bike course was a straight out-and-back to Cave Rock and was absolutely beautiful, but holy hills! I was not expecting such a hilly course. It was great cruising down them at like 30mph but I couldn't help thinking how much they would suck on the way back, and suck they did. There were 2 killer hills in particular, almost a mile long each, that everyone literally was crawling up. The only reason I kept going is because I was afraid if I stopped I'd start rolling backward! On one gnarly climb an SUV pulled up alongside me and as I looked over I saw a video camera aimed right at me! I was just chugging along and the guy yelled, "Come on you've got this!" I just wanted to yell back that we could swap places if it looked so easy, but I just smiled and kept pushing. I think the video was part of a company that makes souvenir videos, so I might have to check it out : )

 off I go!

such a serious face!

I had never been so happy to see the turnaround, but looking at my Garmin it seemed like the course was a little short (24k = 14.9 miles, right?). No matter though, I slowed down, made the turn, and got my second wind on the way back. That is until the first big hill hit. At times I seriously considered what would happen if I just stopped pedaling. My legs burned. My lungs were on the verge of bursting. I would crest the hill, sucking air, only to see the next monster waiting in the distance. On the flip side, it was awesome to cruise down those hills at speeds I've only ever reached in a car! I felt a little badass : ) I kept leap frogging the same women, but I eyed the numbers on their calves and I never saw any in my age group. Finally I made it to the home stretch and pedaled my heart out. I went through the chute, spotted my folks cheering on the side, hopped off my bike to jello legs, and jogged back into transition.

 coming in from the bike

back to transition one more time...
 

bike time (24k): 52:41

T2

I racked my bike, removed my Garmin, and made sure to switch the setting to running. I ate a couple more Chomps, took a swig of water, pulled on my visor, and took off - only to return 10 seconds later to grab my race belt when a volunteer asked where my number was : /
 

T2 time: 1:59

Run

Although my legs felt like jello they weren't as heavy as I was expecting. From the start I was cruising at a pretty decent pace. We headed down to the lake where the swim start had been, and I was treated to a gorgeous rainbow arching over the lake. Talk about inspiring! But then just before mile 1 the hills started. They weren't huge, but when you're already running on fatigued legs they felt like mountains. I'm not ashamed to admit that I took a few brief walk breaks, mainly to catch my breath, which was still eluding me.

Despite the breaks I maintained my pace, and at mile 2 we mercifully reached a nice long downhill and then it was all flat to the finish. Once again, my watch showed that the course was going to come in a little short, and I'm kind of curious what other athletes recorded. Anyway, an older woman caught up to me on the final stretch and we exchanged words of encouragement and joint complaints over the hills. And then I was on my own, picking up my pace, heading toward the turn into the finish chute. I heard my parents yell but I was focused on the finish, my legs carrying me as fast as they could. I smiled big, heard my name announced, and passed across the finish line, emerging as a triathlete!

on the home stretch!

so smiley : )

 almost there...

I did it!!

finish line video

run time (5k): 28:00

Post-Race
As soon as I stopped moving, I got a splitting headache that lasted the next few hours (I blame the altitude and my lack of water). I found my parents, Heather, and Kellie, who had finished a while before me. Both glad to be done, we exchanged our thoughts on the course, mostly just complaining about the hills on both the bike and run courses. Per usual we took plenty of  photos to commemorate the moment. Then I went to collect my preliminary results and was pleased to find that I had come in under my time goal!

 officially a triathlete and Iron Girl  : )

 my biggest fans : )

 thanks for coming Heather!

total time: 1:42:12

I also discovered that I had come in 7th in my age group out of 22 - not bad for my first triathlon! Unlike after running races I was actually hungry, so I took advantage of the awesome breakfast spread they had which included fresh fruit, yogurt, eggs, potatoes, muffins and bagels, coffee, and oj. It was pretty impressive! Then we all sat around waiting for transition to reopen so we could grab our stuff. After finally retrieving my bike and my gear we set off on the road back home. I managed to enjoy some of the spectacular views (and capture a few shots of them) before I passed out, bent over sideways, the rest of the way home. My headache finally faded away but I was left with ears that kept popping the rest of the day.

endless trees

 such a gorgeous drive...

 oh Tahoe, how I love thee : )

All in all I don't think I could've asked for a better experience for my first triathlon. Considering my far from extensive training, I think I did well, and I'm eager to see how I could do with adequate training. It was such a different experience from a road race, but it made for a nice change. I'm a proud new triathlete and there will definitely be a lot more swimming, biking, and running in my future!

♥ swim, bike, run ♥

Greetings from Lake Tahoe!

After a gorgeous and winding drive through the mountains we arrived in South Lake Tahoe early this afternoon and checked into our hotel. Then we headed to the expo for packet pick-up and to check in my bike. It was a beautiful, sunny day but man was it windy! There were only a few vendors out there and not a whole lot of people, but the swag was great! In addition to the race shirt participants received a reusable tote bag, a plush Aflac duck, and instead of the usual pre-stuffed goodie bag they featured a "create your own" swag bag with tons of free samples to choose from. After checking in I numbered my bike and went to rack it in the transition area. We browsed the booths for a bit, I bought a visor and a bike jersey, and then we hung around for the course talk. It was nice to here some details about what everything will be like instead of just looking at a map, but some people were absolutely clueless. One woman didn't even seem to know what transition was!

Iron Girl Expo

 Transition!

 

When that was over we decided to drive down to the beach where the swim start will be to check things out. One slight concern I have is that the beach is about a quarter mile from transition, meaning I'll have to run that with no shoes, plus it will add a significant amount of time to T1. I think I'm going to take my flip flops down there with me and hopefully wear them after the swim. The water looked pretty choppy with all the wind, but according to a race official it should be pretty calm in the morning. Here's hoping! The water temp was around 62 degrees and should be comparable tomorrow, so with my wetsuit I should be fine.

Beautiful blue Lake Tahoe.... please be kind tomorrow!

After scouting out the beach we headed back to our hotel to relax for a while, then headed out to dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant. And now we're back, and I'm just trying to relax before the big day. I have all my stuff laid out, and I've been going over my transitions in my head. Hopefully things will go smooth tomorrow.

In terms of goals, I'm hoping to just get through the swim then hammer out the bike and run for which I feel much more confident. Honestly, I did not put in the training time for the swim so I don't have big expectations. I'm glad I at least did one open water swim ahead of time though, so at least I have a feel for it. On the other hand, I have no experience swimming with 100+ people around me, so I'm a little nervous for that. I'm in the last wave with my age group, and my plan is to stay toward the outside.

I've done several rides of the race distance and beyond, so I feel pretty confident about completing this leg and having a good ride. My one minor concern is the elevation...and apparently there are "a few hills"...so I might be in for a surprise. My only thoughts on the run are to push it. I know my legs are going to feel like lead, but I also know from my brick that I can maintain a pretty good pace after a ride. I'm hoping the adrenaline will give me a little extra kick as well.

So putting it all together, my ideal goal is to finish around 1:45, give or take a bit. At the very least, I'd like to finish under 2 hours. Although I'm certainly nervous and anxious, there's a great deal of excitement mingled in. I'm as ready as I'll ever be and I can't wait! See you on the other side - wish me luck!!

Transitions

Race weekend is here. After an insane day at work I didn't get home til late, but I wanted to set out all my stuff to make sure I don't forget anything. I'll tell you one thing, there's a whole lot more gear needed for a triathlon than a running race! I made three separate piles, one for each sport. Here's what I've got:

 

Gear

Swim

- wetsuit

- tri shorts

- sports bra

- swim cap

- goggles

- sunscreen

- towel

- Tri Slide

- flip flops

I'm lucky to be able to borrow my wetsuit from work for free, and chose a full sleeve for the added warmth and buoyancy. I need all the extra float I can get! Plus, Lake Tahoe is going to be cooold. I'll be wearing my tri shorts and sports bra under the wetsuit and adding a shirt in T1. Although we're being issued an official swim cap, I'm bringing mine just in case. Tri Slide is an awesome lubricant to help prevent chafing but is also super helpful for getting in and out of a wetsuit due to it's slipperiness.

Bike

- helmet

- sunglasses

- Garmin w/ mount

- tank top

- arm sleeves

- shoes & socks

- water bottle

Since I haven't gone clipless yet on my bike, I'll be using my running shoes for both the bike and the run. Should make for a faster transition. The arm sleeves will be dependent on the temperature...it's supposed to be pretty cold this weekend and I'm going to be quite wet after the swim. I'm assuming I'll warm up pretty quickly on the bike and hopefully those will be all I need.

Run

- shoes & socks

- visor

- Garmin

Must remember to switch my Garmin from bike mode to running mode!! Not a whole lot required for running - it's undoubtedly the simplest of the three : )

Etc.

- Gu Chomps

- Body Glide

- bike lock

- Nuun

- salt caps

- compression socks

- race guide

Transitions

T1

1. strip wetsuit

2. rinse feet

3. put on socks & shoes

4. put on tank top

5. mount Garmin on bike

6. put on sunglasses

7. put on helmet

8. eat some Chomps

T2

1. rack bike

2. remove helmet & sunglasses

3. remove Garmin, switch sport mode, put on wrist

4. put on visor

5. eat some Chomps

 

I never really got a chance to actually practice my transitions, but writing everything out helps me keep things straight. I did do casual bike-run and swim-bike bricks, but they were not rushed like the real transitions will be. Hopefully I can keep my head on straight!

My parents and I leave for Lake Tahoe tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll get a chance to check in with some pre-race thoughts (fears?) and race goals. If not, wish me luck!