Today's Madness: Run, Swim, Bike, Swim, Bike, Yoga

Yup, I did 6 workouts today. I have no idea where I summoned the energy from, but I somehow still had some left when I got home so I threw in some yoga for good measure. Before the details, here is a summary.

• Morning
• run: 2.5 miles in 28:08 @ 11:15 min/mile
• swim: 300 meters (long course)
• work: 8 hours
• Afternoon
• bike: 6.4 miles in 32 minutes @ 12 mph (ride to pool for meetup)
• swim: 900 yards
• bike: 6.44 miles in 42 minutes @ 9 mph (ride home after swimming)
• yoga: 25 minutes - YOGAmazing for triathletes

AM Run
I got up early to meet Kelly and the Trek meet up at Cady Way park for a morning run and swim at 6:30 am. We ran out and back on the trail (away from the scary bridge) and I did not walk once! I started at an easy pace and threw in a few farklets on the way out, then slowly sped up on the way back with a few more farklets. We ran out for 15 minutes, then turned around and ran back to the park. I stopped at 2.5 miles, just short of 30 minutes, because I like nice even distances :) We had a light sprinkle for the first few minutes of the run, but that didn't last. It got a little humid, but not too bad since most of the run was under trees. This was a great change of pace from my usual Lake Eola loops.

Before we headed to the pool for the swim part of our morning workout,  our meetup organizer Chris gave us all awesome goodie bags. They had some very informative booklets, a gu sample, a water bottle, and a multi-tool! Thanks Chris!

AM Swim
I hurried to the pool since I had to get back to get ready for work. I swam the long course, 50 meters, and it was wonderful. It was really crowded, but the right lane is really wide so we just swam in a row staying to the right on the way out and in the middle on the way back. I took it nice and slow, and I really focus on my stroke and breathing. I was able to make it the entire 50m length all but once, with only a short break before heading back. The one time I couldn't make it all the way was only because I inhaled water,  not because I was tired. I like the long course better because I can get a good rhythm going and it forces me to pace myself. In a 25 yds lane, I tend to stop at the wall just because is there.

These two morning workouts were a great, with a great group of ladies, and gave me tons of energy for the rest of the day. Kelly and I plan to make this a regular workout so we can swim the long course at least once a week.

PM Bike
The weather cleared up just in time for Kelly and I to bike ride to the afternoon meetup for another swim :) We've been going to this meetup for a couple of weeks now and love it. Kelly still needs to buy her bike, so she rode my Jamis while I rode my road bike. We made pretty good time and kept a 12 mph pace on the way there, which is the fasted she's ever ridden. Yay! Go Kelly! On the way back though, we were pretty spent from the swim so we took it easy. Kelly was such a trooper even though she was exhausted, and I even got her to throw in a sprint at the end.

PM Swim
After the bike ride, the water felt amazing! I somehow still had tons of energy and I was just dying to swim. The morning swim was just a little teaser, but I couldn't do more because I had to go to work. I think since my stroke is improving, swimming has become so much easier and I'm actually having fun. We did a combined 12 laps, and we only stopped between laps instead of lengths. Yay! We tried to do drills with some of the group, for we were too tired so just focused on laps at our own pace. Giles took another look at my stroke and video taped me. Once I get the video, I'll post the before and after so you can hopefully see my improvement. He said I've made huge improvements and now I just need to fine tune it. My biggest improvement, of course, is swimming without the nose plugs and learning to breath so I don't inhale water every stroke. It still happens occasionally, but it is the exception and not the rule.

Yoga
I still had an abundance of energy when I got home, so I thought I'd do some yoga to mellow me out and get me ready for bed. I've been neglecting yoga lately, but I really needed it today after all I put my body through. It felt amazing and did the trick. (My eyes are getting heavy as I finish typing this.)

So that's my ridiculous active day -- oh yeah and I worked 8 hours between the AM and PM workouts :)

The Joy of Running in the Rain

I read a lot of running blogs and occasionally come across a post where someone is raving about how much fun they had running in the rain and splashing through puddles. I always thought they were a little crazy--aren't all runners a little crazy? I gave them props for running through it, but thought "that'll never be me."I also thought I'd never be a runner, and we all know how that turned out. :) (I should never say never.)

Today I had an epiphany that changed everything. The thing about running is that you have to learn everything the hard way. (I guess this is true of most things in life.) We read and hear all sorts of things from runners more experienced than us, but we never truly believe it until we experience it ourselves.

I met Kelly and Jessica at the Cady Way pool, we swam 500 yards, then rushed over to Baldwin Park to meet a running group. A storm brewed in the horizon, but we thought we'd finished before it materialized. We started our run/walk around the lake, and immediately felt the humidity begin to drench us. We almost begged for rain to cool us off. As we trekked along the 2.5 mile loop, our silent wish was granted near the halfway point. It started as a light sprinkle, but it quickly turned into a downpour.

It was still warm out, so the rain felt really good--it was refreshing, not chilling. We couldn't stop our run because we still had to make it back to the car, so I figured I might as well make the best of it. At first, I dreaded when it was time to walk; I figured that the faster I ran the sooner I'd be back at my car and out of the wet clothes.

As I came to terms with my predicament, all those blog posts of people splashing through puddles while running in the rain filled my head, and I almost got giddy. I started to spin around with my hands above my head and just enjoying the moment. Then I realized that my shoes were soaked anyway, so I might as well see what the fuss is all about with the puddle splashing. I splashed through a few and found that I was having fun, so I started seeking them out and splashing through everyone I came across. I was practically skipping! I got the girls to join me in my quest and it made the time fly. I was almost disappointed when the rain stopped, and the puddles became scarce.

So I guess I am a convert, and I now like running in the rain. I think I didn't like the idea of running in the rain because I always associated rain with being cold and wet. However, on a hot summer day, you might as well be cool and wet from the rain than hot and wet from the heat/humidity.

45.5 Miles Ride to Wekiva Springs

We (Jason, Tim, Lisa, Joe, James, and I) rode our bikes to Wekiva Springs State Park, where we met our saner friends (Chas, Jessica, Lori, and Karl) who drove there with our gear and food. If we were to drive to Wekiva from downtown Orlando, it would be a 30 minute or 16-mile drive. But that's just too easy. Oh no, we took the LOOOOONG way there and biked 3 times as far and 7.5 as long via the Cady Way to Cross Seminole to Seminole Wekiva trail in 3.75 hours.

First 24.5 Miles - Cady Way to Oviedo to Soldier's Field

Jason, Tim, and I started the trek from our apartment in downtown Orlando. We got a late start and left closer to 7:15 am, which meant we had to ride a little faster to meet the rest of our crew (Lisa, Joe and James) in Oviedo by 8:20. We made up some time and averaged 13.5 mph for the first 15.5 miles, arriving in Oviedo only about 5 minutes late, but before 8:30 am. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the 3 of us), Lisa's bike had technical difficulties so we had a nice 25 minute break until they arrived. My pace drop a bit, but I still maintained a combined average of 13 mph for the first 24.5 miles with some sprints thrown in here and there to catch up to the boys.

Last 20 Miles - Long Stretch to the Springs
Lisa, Joe, and I took a 15 minute break at Soldier's Field while Jason, Tim, and James played in the dirt trail (I rode my road bike). My pace went downhill after this break for the remainder 20 miles. It slowly declined as the temperature rose and exhaustion set in. I'm still impressed we averaged a pace above 12 mph for this distance -- last time for this distance we averaged 11.7 mph with a breakfast break before the last 15. We also had a lost more hills, or bridge crossings, this time.

At Wekiva Springs State Park
When we got to the park, about 1 hour later than planned, we went to the springs but they were COLD! So I didn't make it in past my chest and opted for food instead. We grilled hot dogs and burgers, and ate them with chips and yummy pasta salad. I haven't eaten a hot dog in over a year and it tasted SO good after such a long ride. Any food is so awesome after biking that long. We had lofty goals of doing all kinds of things at the park, but we were all too tired by then, so we drove back shortly after lunch. Jason and I planned to ride back, but I don't think my butt would have been too happy with me and we didn't wanted to eat up the rest of our Sunday.

I really wanted to ride an extra 5 miles to make this my longest ride in one day, but it was still an awesome ride and the longest I've ridden at once. I'm already scheming a trip to the West Orange Trail for more punishment ;)

Stats:

• distance: 45.5 miles
• active time: 3:43:51
• speed: 12.2 / 22 mph -- 55 minutes @ 14+ mph
• cadence: 76 / 111 rpm
• heart rate: 134 / 168 bpm
• total time from departure: 5:02:18 -- this is 1 hour and 15 minutes of downtime, but I can only account for 50 minutes. I guess the other 25 is a combination of all the street crossings and such.

June in Review

As you can see from the stats below, compared to last month, I almost doubled my cycling. This resulted in me running half as much. I guess this makes sense since biking is substantially more prominent in triathlons than running, but I still need to find a better balance between the two. I need to begin building and maintain  a base of at least 1 6-mile long run per week in preparation for when I begin half marathon training in September. I also swam 5 times and I am starting to get more comfortable with swimming. So much so in fact, that I may try a triathlon with a 1/4 mile open water swim next month.

	June	May
run distance	21.16 miles	43.64 miles
longest run	3.75 miles	5.5 miles
avg run pace	12:05 min/mile	11:56 min/mile
bike distance	228.17 miles	161.86 miles
longest ride	50 miles	21.2 miles
avg bike speed	12.2 mph	13.6 mph
swim distance	2992 yds (1.7 mi)	0

Accomplishments in June

• Rode 50 miles in one day
• Finished 1st Duathlon
• Began swimming regularly
• Bought 2nd bike

Goals for July

• Maybe complete my first triathlon at Lake Louisa?

Race Report: Baldwin Park Duathlon (1:56:57)

I did it! I finished my first duathlon in under 2 hours and met all my race goals! I placed 3rd in my age group (only because the 4th girl didn't finish, but I'll take it!). This was a really humbling experience, as I finished in the very back of the pack, but I am in awe that I ran over 5 miles and biked over 13 all in a span of 2 hours.

Official Duathlon Results:

• Total Female Finishers = 24 + 2 DNF
• Total Finishers = 65 + 5 DNF
• Leg -- Time -- Gender Place -- Overall Place
• Run1 = 0:27:42.951 -- 21 -- 61 (11 min/mile)
• T1 = 0:01:35.581 -- 13 -- 37
• Bike = 0:51:43.290 -- 19 -- 57 (15.5 mph)
• T2 = 0:01:47.649 -- 14 -- 45
• Run 2 = 0:34:07.580 -- 22 -- 62 (13:20 min/mile)
• Total = 1:56:57.051 -- 21 -- 61

Run #1


The first run went well, even though it was already hot as hell. I tried to take it easy, but still managed to average 11 min/mile. I ran most of this and only stopped to walk for less than a minute at the 2 water stops. I was 2nd to last for most of the run, but passed a few people at the end to finish 5th from last. I was trying to hold back to save something for the bike and 2nd run and because the heat was quickly zapping my energy. The hill we had to climb into transition was cruel.

T1

This was pretty easy. I already had my cycling gloves on, so I yanked off my hat and put on my bike helmet, switched running shoes for cycling shoes, put on the camelbak, unracked the bike and was gone. I had trouble clipping in at the mount line, but I was on my way pretty quickly.

Bike

As I was finishing the first run, all I could think of was how I was going to bike 13+ miles when I was already feeling tired. I took in plenty of fluids and pushed really hard on the bike and was pleased to maintain a consistent average of 15.5 mph (20.6 mph max!) and 83 rpm (110 rpm max!). I tried to take it easy for the first few laps and vowed to give it all I had during the last lap, but I didn't have much left by then. I passed quite a few people, but I also got passed by a ton of ridiculously fast people. I was really glad when I got to the 5th loop because by then all the speed demons were running :) Of course, I got a wicked headwind as I finished the last lap when I was exhausted. At one point I feared I had a flat tire and stop to check, but it was all in my head. This cost me since I then had to negotiate getting back into the flow of bike traffic.

T2

This was a tad slower because I was exhausted. I got off my bike and slowly walked to rack my bike as I tried caught my breath. As I sat down to switch my shoes, I wondered if that was such a good idea and if I'd be able to get back up *LOL*

Run #2


The 2nd run SUCKED. I was hot and could not catch my breath. I had a side stitch for about a mile and was cramping up. I walked a great deal, hence my pace, but I was not about to risk heat exhaustion for a race I wasn't going to win anyway =P I was disappointed I had to walk so much, but the heat was insane and I had pushed really hard on the bike. I knew I'd make it under 2 hours, so I didn't care about anything else. The finish was a bit anti-climatic because I felt defeated and that I hadn't pushed hard enough to justify the final sprint. I'm still very proud that I did this and will be sure to do more brick workouts for the next one :)

Now What?

This was incredibly difficult (in big part because of the heat), but I am hooked! I'm already looking for the next one and more dedicated than ever to get over my fear of swimming because a du may actually be harder than a tri since I had to constantly use my legs for 2 straight hours. I think I'm going to register for the Lake Louisa Super Sprint Triathlon next month.

View more photos on flickr.

Duathlon Race Goals & Mental Dress Rehearsal

I picked up my bib this afternoon, got body marked, and took the guided course tour, which really helped put my mind at ease of where I need be when. With one less thing to think about, its time to make some predictions and do a mental rehearsal of the transitions.

Race Goals

• Finish! - Since this is my first duathlon (and multi-sport event) my main goal is to just get through it.
• Have fun and finish with a smile on my face! :)
• Finish strong and sprint across the finish line - this may be a bit harder than in the half marathon as I'll be exhausted from the bike and I don't feel I've had enough brick training, but I'll do my best.
• Finish in sub-2:15 - By all my conservative calculations, this is more than doable but I have no idea how long the transitions will truly take, or how much the heat will affect me.
• Finish in sub-2 hours - I would be thrilled if I can finish in under 2 hours. This also seems very doable if I can push as much as I intended to on the bike and my 2nd run doesn't suffer too much as a result of the exertion on the bike and the insane heat at 9 am, when I anticipate starting the 2nd run.
• Place in my Age Group - there are currently only 4 women registered in my age group, so it would be nice to at least beat one of them and place, but I am not holding my breath. This is my first multi-sport event after all.

---

Mental Dress Rehearsal

Pre race

• Wake up at 5 am and eat breakfast: banana, bagel with peanut butter.
• Lube feet and other hot stops, and get dressed (don't forget heart rate monitor).
• Check tire pressure and contents of saddle bag, then load bikes on roof of car.
• Recheck pre-packed bags and checklist, then load bags and buckets into car.
• Drive to race no later than 6 am.

Setup Transition

• Rack bike, place water bottles on bike cages, and place helmet on bike seat.
• Place big bright towel next to bike w/bike shoes, camelbak, and snacks (and maybe a bucket to sit on).
• Verify watch is configured to use multi-sport mode and relevant alerts.
• Put on sunscreen and run gear: headband, hat, watch, spibelt w/BIB (and maybe sports means and phone), bike gloves (so I don't have to put them on during T1), sunglasses, wrist sweatband
• Grab 8 oz water bottle w/sweatband and bag of sport beans, turn on watch, then head to pre-race meeting.

Run 1

• Meet at start line at 7:15 am for pre-race announcements and eat a few sport beans with some water.
• Start watch when I start to run.
• Start slow and listen to my body: either run using 5:1 or just walk at the water stops (every mile).
• Eat some sport beans with water at each water stop.
• Try to average an 11-12 min/mile pace.

T1

• Press lap button as I enter transition, and switch watch to the bike mount.
• Put on helmet on top of hat, change shoes, and put on camelbak.
• Eat some sport beans or granola bar w/water as I walk bike to mount line.

Bike

• Press lap button as I leave transition and enter bike course.
• Push as hard as I can on the bike and try to maintain at least 14-15 mph average.
• Drink plenty of water throughout ride and listen to my body.

T2

• Press lap button as I enter transition, and switch watch to the wrist mount.
• Rack bike THEN remove helmet and camelbak.
• Change shoes and eat some sport beans w/water as I head out of transition.

Run 2

• Press lap button as I leave transition and enter run course.
• Start slow and try to run the whole thing, but take walk breaks as needed (either 5:1 or at each water stop).
• Eat sport beans w/water at each water stop or as needed.
• Try to average an 11-12 min/mile pace.
• Sprint to the finish!

I think I'm ready! Any last minute tips?

Duathlon Pre Race Checklist

Less than 36 hours until my first duathlon! Time to put together the pre race checklists. Multi-sport events sure require more prep ;)

Night Before:

• fill water bottles and freeze: 8 oz, 20 oz, & 24 oz.
• charge Garmin watch, iPhone and camera
• configure Garmin watch
• pack pre-race bag (inside transition bag)
• pack transition bag
• pack post race bag
• lay out race clothes/gear: 
• tri shorts
• sports bra
• cycling jersey
• socks
• running shoes w/yanks
• body glide / chamois butt'r

Pre Race Bag:

• headband/sweatband
• hat
• bike gloves
• sunglasses / safety glasses (in case it rains instead)
• garmin watch
• spibelt w/BIB attached
• wallet w/ID, money & USAT card 
• iphone
• camera
• sunscreen
• chapstick

Transition Bag:

• towel
• bike shoes
• helmet
• water bottles
• food: sport beans, luna moons, granola bars
• extra socks
• camelbak
• floor pump

Post Race Bag:

• crocs
• sports bra
• race t-shirt / tank top
• shorts / pants
• jacket

What am I missing?

T-7 Days to 1st Duathlon

One week from today, I'll be doing my first duathlon. Yikes! I'm a little worried because my brick workouts have been few and not gone so well. I've only managed to run for 1 mile after biking (regardless of the ride distance), but at least I have tried it and know what to expect. My running has suffered a bit lately (in terms of frequency) due to all the biking and the weather, but I only have to run at most 5k at a time. My biking has been great, both in terms of endurance and speed, so I plan to push as hard as I can on the bike to make up for lost time on the runs, and I'll make it through the runs with my trusty run/walk method :)  That is unless I melt away in the relentless heat! Whose idea was it to do my first duathlon in the heat of summer? =P

Planned Workouts for Taper Week:

• Monday
• am - 14.5 mile easy bike commute to work
• pm - 14.5 mile easy bike commute to pool/home (weather permitting)
• pm - swim w/Trek Tri Meetup at College Park Pool (weather permitting)
• Tuesday
• am - easy 2-3 mile run
• pm - swim at Cady Way Pool if Mon gets rained out OR Yoga
• Wednesday
• am - 14.5 mile easy bike commute to work
• pm - 14.5 mile easy bike commute home (weather permitting) / Yoga
• pm - Race Webinar
• Thursday
• am - easy 2-3 mile run
• pm - swim w/Andy's Meetup at Cady Way Pool
• Friday
• am - Yoga
• pm - Critical Mass (super easy bike ride - more like a parade)
• Saturday
• am - Sleep In/Yoga
• pm - Packet Pickup/Expo
• Sunday - Race Day!
• Monday - Sleep ALL DAY & Recover 

Swim Meetup Workout #2: 1050 yards!

Kelly and I attended our second swim workout with Andy's tri meetup group tonight and had an amazing time. I swam a total of 1050 yards! This is twice as many yards as I swam last week and with a much better stroke! While most of this was not consecutive, I did much better at maintaining a proper stroke/breathing rhythm for longer and needed less rest between laps/lengths. Is there such a thing as swimmer's high? If so, I got it! I was so pump that I could not shut up on the ride home and at the dinner.

The workout:

• warm up: 350 = 7 x 50
  we were at the pool about 30 minutes before everyone else (because we did not run due to the weather), so we did most of these on our own at an easy pace and with plenty of rest
• drill set: 200 = 4 sets of 2 x 25
  each set was a different drill to work on technique
• main set: 350 = 4 sets of 2 x 25 + 50
  the 50s were supposed to be a consistent medium to fast pace, while the 2 x 25 were supposed to get increasingly faster with each set. I have no sense of pace while I swim (and there was no lap clock) so I just focused on surviving each lap. Kelly and I skipped a set of 2 x 25 to recover.
• sprint relay: 100 = 4 x 25
  There were 6 of us, so we had 2 relay teams of 3. One person started at one of the pool and the other 2 at the other end. We swam 25 yards hard when the other person reached our end. The faster we swam, the less rest that person had. lol. I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
• cool down: 50
  I was too exhausted to do anything else.

Improvements:

• pull buoy - I swam with a pull buoy the whole time. This really helps me focus on improving my stroke without worrying about my legs and keeping my body up. Without the pull buoy, my butt dips too far down and its a struggle to stay afloat. I need to add the legs and work on my kick eventually, but one thing at a time :)
• nose plug - My main problem with swimming with my head in the water is that I almost always end up with water up my nose when I put my head back in the water after coming up for air. That sends me into a mini panic and completely throws off my rhythm. I still panic every so often and flail about, but with the nose plug I don't inhale water, which minimizes these episodes. I am sure I look like a total dork, but it is totally worth it.
• keep my head down - I used to swim with my head completely above the water, because I didn't know how to breath otherwise, which wasted a lot of energy. I didn't realize how much until I started swimming with my head in the water. That simple change has made all the difference, and I can really feel myself gliding through the water.
• exhale under water - While I get this breathing thing down, I tried holding my breath for as many strokes as I could while blowing air through my mouth under water (I think I was practically swimming with my mouth open most of the time lol). Somehow this helps me keep a good rhythm and make it easier to get air when I came up to breath. At first I could go 2-3 (or more) strokes but eventually I had to breath every other streak.

I am sure there are other things, but I am too tired to remember. My left shoulder is hurting a bit. I hope I don't have a repeat of the shoulder issues I had before because I am really starting to get the hang of this.

Swimming with Kelly and this group is very motivating. Had I been doing this on my own, I would have probably quit after 200 yards. Andy, the meet up organizer and couch, is awesome. He does a great job adjusting the workouts to our different skill levels, yet I still feel part of the group.

I can't wait for next week's workout! Kelly and I are going to swim on our on Tuesdays and do a repeat of his Thursday workouts from the previous week. The possibility of me doing a real triathlon, specifically the Trek Women Triathlon on September 6, is looking better and better :)

PS: We did some bad math and thought we swam 1550 at one point, but that was just wishful thinking in our delirious swimmer's high state. As Kelly put it, "swimming and doing math is like drinking and driving" lol. This is why I like training with Andy and doing drills, because I can just go home and recall the drills to figure out how far we swam.

Summer Gear and Tips!

This week's topic for Take It and Run Thursday at the Runner's Lounge Blog is Summer Gear and Tips! 

I started running in March of last year, so I had to adapt to the heat pretty quickly or give up running. I wasn't about to let that happen this time, so I adapted. It wasn't long before the cold weather came and I forgot all about running in the heat, but it quickly came back to me as summer arrived in Florida much too soon. Here is a list what helped me get through it, and a few new things I'm trying this year.

• run in the early morning: 
• thankfully, the beginning of summer (or end of spring in FL) also means an earlier sunrise. This makes it easier to run before work but not have to do it in the dark. The humidity level is usually still high even at 6:30 am, but at least I don't have to deal with the blazing sun beating down on me. 
• running clothes tips:
• I never run in cotton even in the winter, but it's even more important to run in wicking clothes during the summer as sweat accumulates quickly. 
• While I have bought a few pricier running shorts at Race Ready (mostly for the awesome pockets), I find most of my tops for pretty cheap ($10-15) at Target (C9 by Champion is good enough and affordable) or Ross. So there is no need to break the bank to run comfortably. 
• I run exclusively in tank tops or short sleeve shirts and shorts during the summer. I even bought a black bra in case I am ever brave enough to run without a shirt. I have a feeling the weather will soon win out over modesty =P
• I find that clothing closer to my body do a better job at transferring moisture away from the skin and keep me from feeling icky. However, I also like mesh like materials and those don't have to be as skin tight to work well.
• I found a running skirt that seems to work ok for running. I am not a big fan and prefer to run in biking-style shorts, but with this increasing heat I may have to give it a try more often. 
• I read this great tip somewhere: soak your hair and shirt in cold water before a run in the heat to help keep you cool. I've yet to try this, but it should work great. Even better: soak your shirt (and maybe your hat or sports bra), ring it out, then put it in the freezer for a few minutes before you put it on just before heading out for your run. 
• body glide: 
• I use it mostly on long runs to avoid blisters on my feet, but the hotter it is, the sooner I need it.
• head gear: 
• I used to wear the regular terry cloth sweat bands, but I've since upgraded to a bondi band or halo head band to keep sweat from dripping down my face. 
• I wear a wicking hat on top of the headband to keep the sun out of my eyes--and my freezy  hair under control. 
• I still use the terry cloth sweat bands for my wrist so I can wipe the sweat off my face while I run.
• water:
• staying hydrated is even more important when is hot and humid out. 
• I am not a big fan of holding anything while I run, but for shorter runs of less than 3 miles, I can get away with the 12 oz Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Lite Water Bottle. 
• I recently purchased the Amphipod RunLite Snapflask 4 Hydration Belt for longer runs. While I've yet to actually try it out, the 8oz bottles that come with it are the perfect size to carry in my hand. 
• I like to add ice to the water bottle, which makes the bottle sweat, so I put a wrist sweat band around it to keep it from slipping off my hand while I run.
• sunscreen: 
• yeah it takes time, and its easy to forget, but you gotta do it.

PS: I just saw this very relevant article tweeted today: 3 Ways to Stay Cool on the Run.

Morning Brick Workout

I woke up at 6 am this morning and did a short brick workout instead of my usual Tuesday morning run. My first duathlon is in less than 2 weeks and I still don't have the bike-run transition down. My running has suffered since I upped my bike millage because I can't seem to find the time (or sometimes the energy) to fit in the long runs, but I usually manage to get 2 mid-week runs in of 2-3 miles. I will definitely have to shift gears and reduce my bike millage in September if I want to run a half marathon this fall.

The Bike - 5 miles in 19:36 @ 15.3 mph

I rode my usual 5 mile loop: Livingston to Maguire/Crystal Lake to South to Robinson and back. I hate this loop! Just when I get up to speed, I come up to a red light, which turns green as soon as I finish stopping. It completely throws off my rhythm. Then about 1.5 miles in, I came upon a huge group of runners on the bike lane 3-4 abreast. They got out of my way before I hit them, but not before I had to slow down considerably.

Once I turned onto South St, just after 2 miles, I hit very few lights and really got moving. I was spinning fast and at a high cadence. I reached a max speed of 22.3 with a 95 cadence, and that was NOT downhill (but maybe I had a tailwind?). I'm so excited! I didn't maintain this for too long, but I was consistently riding 16+ mph w/a cadence of 85+ rpm unless I had to slow down for a light or coast for a quick break. Even though this was a short ride, I gave it all I had.

full stats:

• cadence: 85 / 105 rpm
• speed: 15.3 / 22.3 mph
• hear rate: 158 / 178 bpm
• mile splits (mph): 13.4 - 14.5 - 17.9 - 17.4 - 14.5

Transition - 2:19


I got off the back across the street from my apartment and walked it in just as I will in the race. I quickly removed my camelbak (I plan to wear it for the ride since I am not coordinated enough to grab my water bottle and replace it the cage without slowing down considerably or swerving), exchanges my helmet for my hat, switched shoes, took a zip of water and was off. I quickly learned that I can't run with my iphone in the back pockets of the cycling jersey, so I had to hold it the entire run. At least I learned this now and not on race day :)


The Run - 1 mile in 11:28

The run was rough as always and I only managed a mile. I walked for a few second after 1/2 a mile in hopes of running at least 1.5 miles, but I was exhausted and drenched from the humidity and exertion on the bike. My biggest problem transitioning from bike to run is not the legs; I just have a heard time catching my breath and getting into a good breathing rhythm. It's also uncomfortable because you are suddenly covered in sweat that the wind during the bike kept at bay.

I pushed really hard on the bike, and that was only for 5 miles with some breaks due to the lights (though these breaks may have worked against me by throwing off my rhythm), so I am a bit concerned about running 2.5 miles after riding hard non-stop for 13.4 miles. I still plan to push as hard as I can during the bike portion at the race because I won't make up the time running. Even if I have to walk part of the run and average closer to a 12 min/mile pace, I won't lose as much time as if I average less than 15 mph on the bike and I may still be able to finish in under 2 hours (though that may not include transition time).

full stats:

• pace: 11:28 / 7:44 (for about 5 seconds at the start lol)
• hear rate: 163 / 170
• 1/4 mile splits (pace): 10:26 - 11:38 - 12:07 - 11:33

The Swim - what swim?


I was supposed to go for a swim tonight with Kelly and Lisa, but mother nature would have none of that. A huge thunderstorm scrubbed our plans, but we shall hopefully resume on Thursday. Florida certainly doesn't make it easy to train for a tri :(

Commuting vs Training Rides

The reason we started biking to work was to save money/gas and use the car less, while getting some exercise in the process. In the excitement of getting new bikes and training for a tri/du, we kinda forgot that, and we were treating each ride as a training session. This left us exhausted and I often only rode to work once a week. We're going to start commuting to work at an easy pace so that I can do it more often, since it defeats the purpose when Jason rides and I drive. The more I do this, the faster this easy pace will be with less effort.

Today was my first ride with the cadence sensor. Jason read that a good target is 70-90. I found it fairly easy to maintain that, since I usually try to ride in the highest gear that feels comfortable without mashing the pedals. I stayed in the lowest front gear the entire ride since I was taking it easy, but I am curious what kind of cadence I can maintain when I am using higher gears and going fast. I may try that out on the ride home or tomorrow morning if I get up early enough for a short brick workout.

Stats (avg/max):

• distance: 14.45 miles
• time: 1:12:46
• pace: 11.9 / 18.5 mph 
• heart rate: 116 bpm / 151 bpm 
• cadence: 76 rpm / 105 rpm
• wild life count: 3 bunnies, 1 snake, 2 birds, 1 dog =)

ETA - Ride Home:

  

I intended to take it even easier on the ride home, but I just couldn't help myself. I find that I can ride faster when I am by myself because it helps pass the time. I averaged ~13 mph for the first 4-5 miles, then eased up a bit until the last 5. The weather was surprisingly cool and breezy, but not overly windy--like it had just rained or it was about it. I think that helped a ton. I felt great when I got home and considered going for a run, but I was hungry and wanted to save something for tomorrow. I think I need to buy new gloves because the area below my thumb on the palm of my hand is starting to blister/chafe.

Stats (avg/max):

• distance: 14.4 miles
• time: 01:10:05
• pace: 12.3 / 21.3 mph 
• heart rate: 122 / 152 bpm 
• cadence: 76 / 102 rpm
• wild life count: 1 squirrel, 1 bunny, and about a dozen birds (another way I help pass the time ;)

Biker's Tan & Swim Progress

I do most of my workouts in tight shorts that go to about mid-thigh. This means that I've slowly developed a biker's tan, but today it reached epic proportions. More details below, but first an account of another busy Saturday.

Firefighter Challenge

I woke up early this morning to watch Jason participate in the Firefighter Challenge and Run The Rosen Stair Climb. The course: crawl through an obstacle course simulating a collapsed building, run to and drag a charged hose towards some cones, turn on the hose and knock over the cones simulating putting out a fire, drag a fire sled about 100 feet to simulate pulling a body of a burning building, then climb 14 flights of stairs. He said it was indeed very challenging, especially the stair climb.

Biking

The event started almost a half an hour late, so it threw off the rest of our morning plans a bit. When we finally made it back, we met up with Kelly and Eric for some biking and swimming. We rode from our apartment to Cady Way until the bridge, then to the pool for some laps. Since Eric's chain was acting up, Jason biked home to get the car while we swam. After the swim, he drove them home and I rode home alone in my new mountain/adventure bike. I was hoping to ride a bit faster alone, but that plan was quickly died by the headwind coupled with my diminished energy due to swimming and sun exposure. Oh yeah, in case you missed the subtle reference above, I bought yet another bike (pictured on right) for around town riding and some light off-roading: a Jamis Explore 2.0

Swimming

I swam about 400 yards. This is an estimate because I was working on my stroke/breathing so sometimes I didn't make it the entire length of the pool. It is possible I actually swam more yards, but this is the laps I actually remember counting--I stopped counting when Jason showed up and helped me with my stroke.

I used a pull buoy to help me focus on my stroke and keep my body in better alignment, and that helped a lot. I am still having issues swimming with my head in the water, and thus waste so much effort unnecessarily, but I am getting better. I actually do quite well when I have my head in the water and can lift my head to come up for air, but all hell breaks loose when I try to put my head back in the water. I managed a few strokes several times, but almost every time I reverted back to my old ways mid-way through the lap.

Biker's Tan

I underestimated (as I often do) how much sun you get while swimming, and I forgot to reapply sunscreen after we biked there. I swam in my tri shorts, and now I have an absurd biker's tan and a bit of a sunburn :(

We went to Sports Authority and I bought a new swimsuit, but I'm going to look (more) ridiculous in it the next few times I go to the pool. They had this really cute one with skulls, but it was much too tight. I know they are supposed to fit tight, but how tight? So I ended up with a plain blue nike one in the same size that seem to fit more comfortably, but now I am seeing not so great reviews for it so I may return it.

Can anyone recommend a good swimsuit for doing laps and enlighten me about what kind of fit I should look for?

I stopped by Target in search for some shorter shorts to possibly swim in instead, and ended up with a second swimsuit (pictured on right--no, that's not me =P) because it was just too cute for words. Now I need to go to the beach or tubing (or maybe a water park! ooh!) so I can wear it.

So this concludes another busy Saturday. I planned to do a brick workout this morning, but that didn't pan out. I may do it tomorrow instead of the planned 5 mile run, but I'm going to play it by ear since I am so tired and a bit burned out (literally) of outdoor activities at the moment. I didn't even go to the run hash tonight. I'm never going to get my hash name :( I think I'll go draw or take a nap :)

Salute to My Running Parents

This week's topic for Take It and Run Thursday at the Runner's Lounge Blog is Salute to Running Dads. Since I missed the Salute to Running Moms in May, and my mom's birthday happens to be on father's day, I figured I'd expand this and do a salute to both my running parents.


Dad

My dad has been a runner my entire life. He is my inspiration, even though I did not fully appreciate it at the time. I remember going to countless races when we lived in Puerto Rico and when he ran the NYC Marathon. He even won a few age group awards. Back then I saw running as something I would never be able to do. 


When I finally discovered the joy of running, I was happy to be able to finally share this with dad and speak the same language :) He stopped running for about 7 years and started again shortly after I started running to train for the Race for the Taste 10k we all ran together. He finished about good 15 minutes before me, but waited near the end and ran with me to the finish line. I also got to share his first half marathon, even if he beat me by 30 minutes! :) As I was rounding the turn to the finish line, I saw both mom and dad there and they ran with me to the end. It was awesome! My dad has run 3 marathons (Disney + NYC 2x), 1 half marathon, and countless 5Ks and 10Ks.


Mom

Mom started walking and running after I did to lose weight, and now she is addicted to 5Ks. She recently had surgery and one of the first things she said to me when I called was about how now she wouldn't be able to run for weeks. I think she is the cutest runner ever! Don't believe me? See the video evidence. We ran the Disney Royal 5K together and hope to run many more in the future when she recovers from surgery.


Here is to many more runs with the best parents in the world! Love you mom and dad! :)

Swim Workout

or "Trying to propel myself to the other end of the pool without drowning"

I swam 550 yards today. Impressed? Not so fast =P This was in no way consecutive. I pretty much took a break after every 25 yds, and there was plenty of treading water to rest my arms as I made my way back to the other end of the pool or clutching the wall to catch my breath, but I am still shocked that I managed all this.

Kelly and I met a tri meetup group (http://triathlon.meetup.com/144/) at the College Park pool. Since they had family swim instead of adult fitness tonight, the lane ropes were off, so we had to improvise. It basically turned into an obstacle course (not a bad thing to experience when training for a triathlon).

After some warmup laps (was supposed to be 500 yds, but I managed 150), he broke us up onto 3 groups and we did 3 different workouts for ~10 minutes each: 8 x 50 (or 100), panic sprints, 20s treading water kicks -- not sure what this is called, but you basically put your hands above your head and try to stay above water by kicking hard for 20 seconds at a time.

• Kelly and I chose to do 50s and managed 5 of them. The other 2 in our group were so fast, or I was so slow, that they were done with their 100 before I was barely heading back to finish my 50.

• Then it was time for the panic sprints, where we swam hard to the rope (half way across the pool) then swam back easy; we managed 6 of those. It was actually easier to swim fast, but then the turn around in the middle of the pool made us lose momentum and I had to doggy paddle for a bit to get a rhythm. Kelly tried to teach me the breast stroke, but I need lots of work :)

• We finished with the tread water kicks, and those about killed us. It did get easier the more we did it, and I quickly learned you have to kick hard and fast. I barely managed to get my hands above the water or I'd sink. lol

Overall, it was a great workout and I had a lot of fun. My biceps are burning, but I can't wait to try it again :) A HUGE thanks to Kelly for sticking with me and trying to teach me the breast stroke. I'll definitely be back to train with this group.