I had the wonderful idea to combine the two things I needed to do last night one was feed my moms cat and the second was to get an hour bike ride - so why not ride ride from my house to my moms house which is out by Ames lake about 15 miles or so away and talk Kyle into picking me up so that I don't over due it or get stuck in the dark.
I got started around 6:30ish pm - I planned on riding down to the lake, through marymoore and then up Union Hill road and out to Ames Lake - pretty basic but it had lots of hills which would be fine but on the first main up hill my chain would not stay in gear and kept slipping. Which considering I was on a winding road with little to no shoulder it pretty much sucked. I was not really sure what was wrong, how bad it could get or how to fix it so I called Kyle and just had him pick me up at the top of the hill. So I only got about 38 min and 10 mile in. The largest bummer was hat my legs felt great, the weather was wonderful - it was just the perfect evening for a ride. Oh well - Kyle took a look at it today and it was just the rear derailer cable was loose so he has fixed it/could not get it to slip out anymore. So I should be good for my Saturday ride :)
This morning I got up and swam 3000yrds - 400 warm up, 500, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100 cool down in 66 min. My shoulder felt good, I'm still feeling a little worn down esp after the second 500 set though nothing a weekend with some extra sleep can't help. The entire time I was thinking about swimming open water and if it was warm enough yet.
On that thought I have started looking at getting a new wetsuit - I currently have a perfectly good one but with all my shoulder issues I would like to get one that has a bit more movement in the shoulders. So far I have only looked online at 2XU and Blue Seventy.. But who knows I just wish the local lakes would warm up already.
May 11, 2007
May 9, 2007
sort of getting back to it
Last night I attempted to run 3 miles and only managed 1 - my lower legs and feet still hurt pretty bad so pushed through 1 mile and then moved on to doing some stretching and a bit of core work.
Afterwards I met up with Col and Bryan to swim - planned on doing 2500 yrds but none of us really seemed into it- I think Bryan was more interested in Chipotle. The pool was frigid cold and once we all finally got in the water there were a lot of chat breaks. In the end I only did 1900yrds - 300 warm up, 100, 300 x 2, 250 x 2, 400, then sat in the hot tub for a bit. I felt pretty good, my legs were a bit heavy and I had a hard time keeping my breath under control (but I think that mostly had to do with the pool temp). I was still able to keep my average 100yrd pace around 1:50 which I'm happy with.
After grabbing Chipotle I went straight home and crashed and once again over slept this morning. I think I'm still recovery or something.. I don't notice it during the day but jeese I have been sleeping like a rock.
Afterwards I met up with Col and Bryan to swim - planned on doing 2500 yrds but none of us really seemed into it- I think Bryan was more interested in Chipotle. The pool was frigid cold and once we all finally got in the water there were a lot of chat breaks. In the end I only did 1900yrds - 300 warm up, 100, 300 x 2, 250 x 2, 400, then sat in the hot tub for a bit. I felt pretty good, my legs were a bit heavy and I had a hard time keeping my breath under control (but I think that mostly had to do with the pool temp). I was still able to keep my average 100yrd pace around 1:50 which I'm happy with.
After grabbing Chipotle I went straight home and crashed and once again over slept this morning. I think I'm still recovery or something.. I don't notice it during the day but jeese I have been sleeping like a rock.
May 7, 2007
after thoughts
Yesterday I had a hard half marathon - I spent most of the rest of day looking back on what had happened, why, what sucked and what was good and what to take away from the experience. The biggest thing is that I finished even though it was painful experience. - now I know I can push through it and keep going.
I know that I did not get enough sleep the night before and I definitely need sleep - I know this about myself - I just don't function well with out it - I get sick or just am not myself with out it - even for just one night. The good news is that for both Hawaii 70.3 and IMC we will be arriving early enough that I will be able to get back in a good sleep cycle a couple days before the races.
My overall time was completely respectable and even with the issues I had I was able to keep my second half of the run.
Anyway I don't need to go on forever.. I learned a lot and have no worries about my progress or anything like that. Hawaii seems to be coming up very fast but hey I know I can finish...
As far as workouts went I took things really easy. This morning I finally had my initial pt appointment for my shoulder so I did a whole bunch of shoulder exercises and then did some more upper body stuff. Tonight I took the bike out for an easy spin for about a half an hour or so just to loosen up my legs. My legs and core feel pretty sore and I'm feeling a tad bit more tired than normal so I will be in bed fast asleep soon.
I know that I did not get enough sleep the night before and I definitely need sleep - I know this about myself - I just don't function well with out it - I get sick or just am not myself with out it - even for just one night. The good news is that for both Hawaii 70.3 and IMC we will be arriving early enough that I will be able to get back in a good sleep cycle a couple days before the races.
My overall time was completely respectable and even with the issues I had I was able to keep my second half of the run.
Anyway I don't need to go on forever.. I learned a lot and have no worries about my progress or anything like that. Hawaii seems to be coming up very fast but hey I know I can finish...
As far as workouts went I took things really easy. This morning I finally had my initial pt appointment for my shoulder so I did a whole bunch of shoulder exercises and then did some more upper body stuff. Tonight I took the bike out for an easy spin for about a half an hour or so just to loosen up my legs. My legs and core feel pretty sore and I'm feeling a tad bit more tired than normal so I will be in bed fast asleep soon.
May 6, 2007
Vancouver International Half Marathon 2007
Well I finished... I did not run very well but I did tough it out and finished. I guess I will start with the stats - gun time - 2:02:24 chip time - 2:01:06 pace - 9:15 first half - 1:00:13 second half - 1:00:54.
Ok now I recap the last couple of days.. I took Thursday and Friday off to let me foot rest/heel before the half. Saturday morning I did an easy run to loosen my legs up and see how my lower legs and foot felt. Afterwards Kyle and I headed up to Vancouver to go to registration, check out the expo, check into our hotel, had a great pasta dinner with Briana and Cody who were also running the half.
Saturday night I slept horribly - I always sleep horrible the first night in a new place/hotel. I think I might have gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep or so and I kept waking up through out the night - I woke up with a soar throat. I'm a total morning person but I did not really feel myself - my left hip was a bit tight. We showered to help wake up and ran from our hotel to the start to warm up (maybe a mile at most). My foot and legs seemed to feel ok.
We got to the start and wandered around a bit found Briana and Cody and eventually headed out to the start and I had a gel and some salt. In the line up looked for Col and Bryan but never saw them (I guess they were way closer to the front). Once the pacers got in line I set myself up somewhere behind/close to the 1:45 guy and in front of the 2:00 one since my goal was to finish somewhere around of before 1:59. The gun went off and slowly everyone moved forward - it took me almost a minute to get across the start in the crowd.
I felt pretty good for the first 4 miles or so - ducking and weaving past walkers and slower runners. My first mile was 8:20, 2nd - 8:46, 3rd - 8:40 (had a gel), 4th - 8:41, 5th - 8:40.
Then it all went to cramp 6th mile was 9:30 :( - It started with my left hip and went all the way down the outside of my leg to my foot - a strange constriction that seemed to envelope my entire leg - I could not stride out and it hurt every time my foot came in contact with the ground. My right side felt left out and shortly after it started to do the same along with a sliver of pain ran up my shin and a knot formed around the very tip top of my hamstring. It was bad. I took anothetgel and some salt but nothing seemed to change - though it did not really feel like a salt cramp anyway. At the half way mark I was already at 1 hour - I knew if my legs continued to hurt it would be a challenge to make my goal time but I tried my best to stay optimistic a focused on the scenery as much as I could to zone out as much as I possibly could. Mile 7 was no better at 9:42, mile 8 was at 9:50,and 9 was about the same up the long hill. The lowest moment was definitely when the 2:00 pace guy passed me going up the long climb - I was so disappointed in my day that tears welled up in my eyes(ask anyone who knows me I cry pretty easily - so not really a shocker).
The downhill was more painful than the climb - my shins and feet felt like they were on fire. The only thing that kept me going was if I walked it would probably get worse and would only take me longer to finish. All the one liners started running through my head - about you can do anything for 3 miles and tried to visualise my mom on the side of the road cheering me on ect.. So I kept going and focused on finishing - at least then I could say I finished - since I had lost hope of reaching my goal time since my legs never loosened up or felt any better.
The last couple of miles were slow and seemed to take forever - I knew that I would be the last one to finish of our crew and that everyone else would already be inside the stadium so there would be no one at the finish and I would have to tell everyone how bad I did - which is a horrible thing to feel/think.. I know/knew everyone one would be understanding but I really just felt like I had let myself down and was not happy.
I finished just behind the 2:00 pace guy - the clock said 2:02 :( I slowly made my way through the finish and into the stadium, got some oranges, and looked for the crew. On the way back to the hotel I finally broke down and cried - Kyle was wonderful and very supportive and I was able to mostly move past my disapointment and see the positive. After a quick rinse off we went and cheered for Steph as she finished up the full marathon which was very motivating.
Ok now I recap the last couple of days.. I took Thursday and Friday off to let me foot rest/heel before the half. Saturday morning I did an easy run to loosen my legs up and see how my lower legs and foot felt. Afterwards Kyle and I headed up to Vancouver to go to registration, check out the expo, check into our hotel, had a great pasta dinner with Briana and Cody who were also running the half.
Saturday night I slept horribly - I always sleep horrible the first night in a new place/hotel. I think I might have gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep or so and I kept waking up through out the night - I woke up with a soar throat. I'm a total morning person but I did not really feel myself - my left hip was a bit tight. We showered to help wake up and ran from our hotel to the start to warm up (maybe a mile at most). My foot and legs seemed to feel ok.
We got to the start and wandered around a bit found Briana and Cody and eventually headed out to the start and I had a gel and some salt. In the line up looked for Col and Bryan but never saw them (I guess they were way closer to the front). Once the pacers got in line I set myself up somewhere behind/close to the 1:45 guy and in front of the 2:00 one since my goal was to finish somewhere around of before 1:59. The gun went off and slowly everyone moved forward - it took me almost a minute to get across the start in the crowd.
I felt pretty good for the first 4 miles or so - ducking and weaving past walkers and slower runners. My first mile was 8:20, 2nd - 8:46, 3rd - 8:40 (had a gel), 4th - 8:41, 5th - 8:40.
Then it all went to cramp 6th mile was 9:30 :( - It started with my left hip and went all the way down the outside of my leg to my foot - a strange constriction that seemed to envelope my entire leg - I could not stride out and it hurt every time my foot came in contact with the ground. My right side felt left out and shortly after it started to do the same along with a sliver of pain ran up my shin and a knot formed around the very tip top of my hamstring. It was bad. I took anothetgel and some salt but nothing seemed to change - though it did not really feel like a salt cramp anyway. At the half way mark I was already at 1 hour - I knew if my legs continued to hurt it would be a challenge to make my goal time but I tried my best to stay optimistic a focused on the scenery as much as I could to zone out as much as I possibly could. Mile 7 was no better at 9:42, mile 8 was at 9:50,and 9 was about the same up the long hill. The lowest moment was definitely when the 2:00 pace guy passed me going up the long climb - I was so disappointed in my day that tears welled up in my eyes(ask anyone who knows me I cry pretty easily - so not really a shocker).
The downhill was more painful than the climb - my shins and feet felt like they were on fire. The only thing that kept me going was if I walked it would probably get worse and would only take me longer to finish. All the one liners started running through my head - about you can do anything for 3 miles and tried to visualise my mom on the side of the road cheering me on ect.. So I kept going and focused on finishing - at least then I could say I finished - since I had lost hope of reaching my goal time since my legs never loosened up or felt any better.
The last couple of miles were slow and seemed to take forever - I knew that I would be the last one to finish of our crew and that everyone else would already be inside the stadium so there would be no one at the finish and I would have to tell everyone how bad I did - which is a horrible thing to feel/think.. I know/knew everyone one would be understanding but I really just felt like I had let myself down and was not happy.
I finished just behind the 2:00 pace guy - the clock said 2:02 :( I slowly made my way through the finish and into the stadium, got some oranges, and looked for the crew. On the way back to the hotel I finally broke down and cried - Kyle was wonderful and very supportive and I was able to mostly move past my disapointment and see the positive. After a quick rinse off we went and cheered for Steph as she finished up the full marathon which was very motivating.
May 2, 2007
a little of everything
Last night Bryan was nice enough to let me tag along with him on a just under 4 mile run around greelake. My plan was to do some pick ups through out but since Bryan runs faster than me I just tried to keep up with him - so the entire run was at a faster pace than I usually average which forced me to work a bit harder than normal. My calves were still kind of tight but my foot never hurt since we were running on dirt/gravel instead of sidewalks. I finished in 31:59 - which I was happy with.
This morning I got myself out of a bed a bit late and went to the pool for a 2800 yrds swim. I felt a little tired but had a gel and got to it.. 400 warm up, 600 x 2, 100, 400, 300, 200, 100, 100 cool down. I was kind of tired after the 600 x 2 but nothing to bad and no shoulder pain :)
This evening I made it out for a bike ride before the rain hit - I did 16 miles in just under an hour with one steep climb back up to the house. I found that it is really boring riding alone - even for only an hour.
The really annoying this is that my never ending issue with planter fasciitis on the ball of my right foot - it seems to act up right before races - when I have been increasing the mileage I guess. Hopefully it will calm down before Sunday... I see some ice and a tennis ball in my foots future.
This morning I got myself out of a bed a bit late and went to the pool for a 2800 yrds swim. I felt a little tired but had a gel and got to it.. 400 warm up, 600 x 2, 100, 400, 300, 200, 100, 100 cool down. I was kind of tired after the 600 x 2 but nothing to bad and no shoulder pain :)
This evening I made it out for a bike ride before the rain hit - I did 16 miles in just under an hour with one steep climb back up to the house. I found that it is really boring riding alone - even for only an hour.
The really annoying this is that my never ending issue with planter fasciitis on the ball of my right foot - it seems to act up right before races - when I have been increasing the mileage I guess. Hopefully it will calm down before Sunday... I see some ice and a tennis ball in my foots future.
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