Details from 5/16 Ride (Carson, WA)

I got the deets on the ride that I did with friends a couple of weeks ago, verbatim from friend's email:

• 24.5 miles total
• 1:25 total (this might be off depending on how it stopped itself when we stopped) - but its approximately right. i didnt intervene like i could have if i wanted exact numbers.1st 12m out.
• average of 16mph - keep in mind this was hilly up, 2nd 12m back - average of 21.5 mph (this was downhill mainly, however, we had wind on us - i bet we would have gone 24mph average with no wind....or about 20mph had we not hit it as hard as we did) just my guess
• i don't have exact elevation but shaun looked and we climbed approximately 1250ft. this is more than council crest from portland!

So, anyway. That's it. Above are some pictures from the ride at the turnaround point.

I'm still working away in DC! I am trying to figure out a way to nonchalantly sneak out of here to go run. It is in the 80s outside and I'm dying to get out!

Hope your weekend is going well.

eed

On the East Coast

(Above is the track where I did my workout last Friday - it was quaint and right by the highest security prison in the world: PELICAN BAY.)

On Thursday I traveled from the far left to the far right coast of this great country of ours.





Today is Friday night and I'm SO F'ING tired. Yesterday was planned to be an "off" day for the travel but today I should have done a fartlek run today. No beans. We're managing a move for work and literally there is no downtime. There IS downtime but it is require that we hang around during said time of down. It really chaps my ass that this is the case, but I want to keep my job so...hence it goes.





I love DC which is why I decided to stay here until next Friday! My parents are randomly going to be out here this week so I will hang w/them for a couple of days. Then I will spend my final night w/a good friend from Chicago who moved to LA then just move to DC. It is going to be good times.





Until then I have no idea if I'll be able run at all. I am going to try to lay off the snacks that I brought but I can't make any promises.





I am so happy that it is basically SUMMER. I've got tris and weddings and travel and work craziness and sun and fun and BRING IT ON BITCHES.

Maje Recap

(Us at the lake)

It has been a while, but honestly doesn't feel like that long. How come time keeps passing by so quickly? I'm writing this now, at 5 p.m. to kick off my swim workout that I don't want to do (surprise!). Last you heard from me I was about to venture to the cabin for the weekend. I'll attempt to recap my training below:

5/16/09 (Sat) - 1:30 bike + 30 minute run
5/17/09 (Sun) - off (skipped my easy swim)
5/18/09 (Mon) - off (skipped my easy run)
5/19/09 (Tues) - 1:30 tempo bike
5/20/09 (Wed) - 2,200 yd swim
5/21/09 (Thur) - off (skipped track workout)
5/22/09 (Fri) - track workout (skipped off day)
5/23/09 (Sat) - 1:30 bike + 4 mile run
5/24/09 (Sun) - 7 mile trail run
5/25/09 (Mon) - 1:00 bike

As you can see I skipped 3 workouts and only made up one. It has been the trend lately and sucks. I feel guilty about it and know there is not much sense in skipping workouts even when life gets in the way. I have plenty of time to do these and I'm not that wiped out physically. It is laziness and doesn't help.

The weekend of 5/15 I was away at the cabin and had a terrific ride on Saturday. I forgot my Garmin and am waiting on my friend to hand over the stats from her bike computer. It was a hilly ride in Carson, WA along a great road - not much traffic and good elevation, but not too tough. Weather was perfect and the scenery was great. I was with great people. It made me feel like I do actually enjoy biking. After the bike my training buddy (who is new to running) went along with me on the brick run. I vowed to stay with her but we ended up walking most of it. We got in around 20-30 minutes but didn't go too far. I still felt like I got in a good workout and was satisfied w/the results. Later on that day I did about a 4 mile hike in the woods and my legs still felt great.

*****

That Sunday we didn't get back home until late and there was no way I could do the swim workout. If I'd had a wetsuit I could have done an open water swim at the cabin, but I don't have a wetsuit yet. Bygones!

*****

Monday was a 6 mile easy run and for some reason I didn't do it. I can't remember why.

*****

Tuesday's ride was just what I needed. I did this solo in Vancouver, WA near the site of my half marathon back in January. The road was nice and very little traffic - I really had the space to open up and get in a good workout. The workout was a 15 min warm up of Z2 riding, then three sets of the following: 15 min @ Z4 + 3 min recovery + 5 min @ Z6 + 5 min recovery. I am still finding that my legs don't have the energy needed to get my HR up where the training dictates, but I pedaled my ass off and got somewhat close. I did the first interval as dictated, but then the last two I skipped the middle 3 min recovery and did 8 min recovery at the end. I found it REALLY hard to go fast, then slow down, then try to get my HR up really high in those 5 minutes of Z6. So I just tagged on the Z6 right after the Z4.

Set 1:

15 min @ Z4 = 17.4 mph/168 bpm
3 min recovery = 13.1 mph/131 bpm
3 min @ Z6 = 19.3 mph/169 bpm

Set 2:

15 min @ Z4 = 18.9 mph/162 bpm
3 min @ Z6 = 21.5 mph/173 bpm

Set 3:

15 min @ Z4 = 19.7 mph/162 bpm
3 min @ Z6 = oops - I guess I skipped this!

I think my out and back had ended so I cut off the final 3 min of Z6 so I could cool down and finish. TOTALS: 1:26:19/16.6 mph/152 bpm

*****

Wednesday I finally did another swim. It had been quite a while since I'd been in the pool - I think the last time was when I went head to head with Jerry Garcia/Santa Claus. That totally turned me off! So I decided to go to another 24 hour facility that was newer in hopes of finding a better pool. I did. My workout was:

Warm up: 300 swim, 300 kick, 300 pull, 8 x 50 IM order on the 1:30
Main: 3 x 500 time trial effort w/4 min recovery
Cool: 100 choice

I ended up skipping the 3rd 500 and the cool down since I suddenly realized I was really late to meet someone and had to jump out. My first 500 was 8:39 and the 2nd was 8:44. Good? Who knows? This swim helped me realize that I'm not doing myself any favors by missing these swim workouts. I'm simply not getting any better at swimming by not swimming. Crazy logic, right? Also, I'm not getting any better at running or biking by skipping my swim workouts either - its not like each time I've skipped a swim I've gone on a run or bike instead. It is basically a lose-lose situation. So hopefully I've whipped myself into shape on this one.

*****

Thursday I skipped the planned track workout so I could leave early for California. We drove all afternoon and ended up hitting the coast just in time for the sunset. I found a track to do my workout on the following day.

*****

Friday I went to Del Norte High School (go Warriors!) to do my track workout mid-morning. I had the day off and it was actually really fun to get out there. My workout was 2000 meters in 8:30 (6:50 pace) + 5 min recover + 2000 meters in 8:23 (6:45 pace). (At this point I realized that I forgot my Garmin at home, so no recording any HR info - at least I was on the track so the distance was known, but I was livid about this since I had several more workouts planned for the weekend...)

I did the first 2000 in 8:20 (splits were 1:36, 1:40, 1:41, 1:41, 1:40) and the 2nd 2000 in 8:27 (splits were 1:38, 1:44, 1:41, 1:45, 1:36). This was hard. I think speed is getting harder because I'm not running as much and possibly losing it overall because of the missed workouts. I don't know, but I don't like that it didn't feel good. Toward the end of this I was really hurting. I didn't puke (thank god!) but my heart and lungs felt like they were going to tear out of my chest. During my cool down I was thinking about marathon training and whether I had it in me to tough it out and try for Boston. I know I should just focus on the task at hand (i.e. my next triathlon) but that is hard. I got a little down on my myself and homey don't play/like that. Bleeee.

After the track workout we stopped in the redwood forest and did about a 6 mile hike before heading to Ashland (OR) for the rest of the weekend.

I gotta take a break and finish the Sat/Sun/Mon recap later. Off to find something that will inspire me for my swim workout tonight!

I have tons of pictures to share and will post them soon.

Dropping Out?

Just not that into it lately.

Happy Friday!

TOTALS = 5.2 miles/42:16/8:07 pace

This was a great run - unplanned but because I've screwed around w/two workouts this week I did this to not feel guilty. It worked! I didn't do my swim workout on Tuesday and today's bike workout is not going to happen. My bike is already on top of a car ready to head out to the gorge for the weekend. The weather is going to be fantastic so we decided at the last minute to go for it. I'm sooo excited.

My workout tomorrow is a long ride + 30 minute run. I'm excited for my first BRICK! Going to do the ride somewhere out there w/friends. Sunday's workout is an easy swim but we'll see what happens. What I really want to do is the Table Mountain hike - challenging and gorgeous! It is almost a whole day thing. I'm excited to relax and bbq and kayak and enjoy the nature and views. I'm so lucky to have this.

Weather here is perfect and beautiful. Today's run felt just right - perfect.

Pass the Salt, Please

Things I learned in Utah:

1. There are no Trader Joe's in Utah (highlight of tonight's local news is "how to bring a TJ's to Utah")

2. There is no booze to be found anywhere.

3. The elevation is 4,200' above sea level!

4. Polygamy is alive...!

Ok, so I'm in Utah for the night for work and having a fantastic time. I find that when I go running on work trips it makes it feel more like a normal day, not some weird travel day where I'm around nothing and no one familiar. I did my tempo run today instead of tomorrow morning first thing as the plan says. Today was actually supposed to be an off day but since I didn't do yesterday's swim workout I felt really guilty having today as another off day. (PS - I am not really having a good time, just trying to believe that I am...)

Official recap:

M = 6 mile easy run (actually 5.65 miles/46:00/8:09 pace)
T = 2,800 swim - WHICH I DID NOT DO. I DID NOTHING TODAY!
W = tempo run for time (6.09 miles/50:01/8:13 pace/164 bpm)

Monday's run was supposed to be easy but I went faster than my normal "easy." It just felt good and not hard so I went with it and it turned out great. I ended the run at the gym and did about an hour of weights with Jen. We tooled around the weight room probably making asses of ourselves (giggling, running-start 1-rep pull-ups, fort-building, etc.) but it was fun.

Tuesday was supposed to be a 2800 yd swim but keeping in line with my usual skip-the-swim mentality I did not do it. I actually have good reason - today was a life gets in the way day and my schedule simply wouldn't allow it. I'm starting to worry about my lack of commitment on the swimming and want to figure out a way to alleviate this. In June the outdoor pool opens up and I know that will make things more intriguing for me. I've been looking for a new 2-piece training suit to get me excited, but nothing I've found at the store so far works or fits. Should I suck it up and order one online?

Wednesday (today) was a travel day but some time opened up and I decided to do my tempo run. Tempo run for time: 10 min Warm up in Z1; 2 X 10 min Z 4 running with a 5 min recovery between the tempo effort; 10 min Cool Down Z1-Z2. The results above indicate this was easier than my easy run on Monday and it wasn't. My paces during the two 10 minute intervals were 7:09 (175 bpm) and 7:23 (177 bpm). During the warm up, recovery and cool down I took it really slow which brought down my total pace. It was a challenging run and probably wasn't helped by the early morning, travel and elevation. Who knows.

Tomorrow I am flying back in the p.m. but think I'm going to try to get out after I wake up for an easy 5 or 6 mile run. I have a rental car and would LOVE to drive up to the trails a bit from the hotel. I don't know where they are and don't want to spend too much time cruising around. We'll see what time I wake up and how I feel.

This Week's Plan

My training plan for this week is as follows:

M = 6 miles easy (+ bonus meeting Jen at the gym for weights)
T = swim (2800 yds)
W = off day for travel
Th = tempo run
F = bike (90 minutes)
Sa = BRICK! bike (1 hour) +run (30 minutes)
Su = swim (easy shake out swim/1200 yds) (+ bonus easy run w/my newbie friend)

TOTAL = 4,000 yds swim/30 miles bike/15 miles run

The sprint tri is on June 13th. That is really soon, like less than 4 weeks away. I didn't see it creeping up that fast. I only have my training plan through this Sunday so I'm not sure what will be in store for me over the next few weeks. Based on the periodization training I'd assume its going to get harder over the next few weeks then easier about the week before the race. I know a sprint is relatively "easy" in the world of triathlons, and I am only using this as a practice for the olympic tri I have in July, BUT I want to be ready. I want to have some more brick workouts under my belt. I need to buy the gear. I need to practice transitions. I need to get in the open water.

So, here is the plan:

1. buy some gear (tri clothes- suggestions?)
2. test or buy a wetsuit
3. do an open water swim - there is supposedly one on the race course the weekend before the race - must sign up
4. practice transitions
5. pay attention during my brick workouts to see how it feels

What did you do to get ready for your first tri?

Put Yo Ass Into It (10 miler)

(Photo from good times over the weekend...)

The best song to come on during the last half mile of a lagging 10 mile run is Ice Cube "You Can Do It."

My favorite verse is:

Tic-tic-boom
Hear me banging down these back streets
Bumpin blackstreet, fiending like an athlete
Life aint a track meet (no)
Its a marathon

Good one for a playlist during a race!

My 10 mile easy run today wasn't easy.

TOTAL: 9.91 miles/1:27:38/8:51 pace/150 avg bpm

I stopped three times to sip from the water fountains. I really needed it. I must not have had much water this morning, but the higher temps didn't help. It was only around mid-60s it felt really hot to me. I kept a steady pace around 8:45 but it didn't feel as easy as that pace normally does. And, although I haven't run since Thursday, my feet and legs felt tired.

Maybe I should catch up on my training...

Friday was an off day. Saturday I met up with Jen and Zach for a long bike ride - they found the route and Zach lead the way. We passed through an organized running race of people with their dogs that slowed us up. Once we got off of Springwater we were on our way. I can't remember every turn and twist, but we crossed through some small towns, a parade, two bridges, some parks, foresty trails and back home. The route was pretty excellent - wide bike lanes on 99% of the roads and not much traffic. Weather couldn't have been more perfect either.

(I left my stolen shades the park we stopped in accidentally. Pay it forward! Now I have the guilt off of my back I guess.)

I'm so glad we did the ride together and I look forward to many more with my fine athletic friends!

I did a really good job following my plan this week and if I can find a way to fit in the swim workout I was supposed to do yesterday then I'll have 100% results!

THIS WEEK'S TRAINING:

M = 6 miles easy - DONE!
T = tempo bike (1:15) - DONE!
W = swim workout (2,900 yds) - DONE!
Th = track workout (mile repeats - sweet) - DONE!
F = OFF! - DONE!
Sa = swim/ride (going to find someplace new for the bike) - DONE! (not the swim)
Su = 10 mile easy run - DONE!

In other news....

I BOUGHT MY WEDDING DRESS YESTERDAY!! I am so excited. After the bike ride I went out shopping (success: green wedge sandals, cute jeans and a dress) and my last stop was at the wedding boutique. I have visited there twice over the last few months to try on some dresses. The first visit I tried on the perfect dress but have been doubting myself over it since. I knew I had to make a decision soon and decided today would be the day. I tried on a couple more but the ONE was still the ONE and it is now the ONE that I will be wearing on my wedding day. I'm so excited! Now to find the shoes, the jewelry, embellishments, the hairpiece and the undergarments. A lot more to do, but this one is DONE DONE DONE and I am thrilled about it! I feel great about supporting a local business owner and she is the best - going to help me style the whole outfit and design a fun hairpiece to boot. Yay!

Track Workout - mile repeats (drop 1600s)

Today was a drop 1600: 3 x 1600 with each 400 getting faster and faster; 400 times to be:

1:42.5
1:40
1:37.5
1:35

I thought about this a lot before I did the workout and was like "how the hell am I going to do this?" I am horrible at pacing and I bet if I looked into detail at my past mile repeats you'd see that each 400 progressively got slower. Plus, you set the baseline for the entire mile in the first lap and from there, you don't have much turning back. Since my first lap is usually the easiest/fastest I was in quite a pickle today. Further, if I was to follow this that would be a 6:35 mile. I don't think I've done one 6:35 mile yet alone three.

On to my results:

Mile 1:

Lap 1 = 1:36/165 bpm
Lap 2 = data lost since I'm an idiot and hit stop instead of lap...guessing around 1:40
Lap 3 = 1:41/182 bpm
Lap 4 = 1:39/185 bpm

Mile 2:

Lap 1 = 1:43/159 bpm
Lap 2 = 1:39/177 bpm
Lap 3 = 1:37/184 bpm
Lap 4 = 1:37/186 bpm

Mile 3:

Lap 1 = 1:39/160 bpm
Lap 2 = 1:38/177 bpm
Lap 3 = 1:43/182 bpm
Lap 4 = 1:33/185 bpm

So Mile 1 was kind of messy, esp w/the lost data. After my first interval on the track I am usually feeling better because I've gotten started and I have less left to do than when I got there. This was not the case after mile 1. I was pissed that I had to do another one let alone another two. 6:36 mile (i think)

Mile 2 was the only interval that I did what I was supposed to as far as drop each lap but it felt kind of hellish. 6:36 mile

Mile 3 was insanity! I wish my lap three could have been faster and more in line w/the drop theory because I did end up finishing really strong. That was a 6:33 mile!

So now that I'm at home and really looking at the numbers I think this is great! I know I didn't achieve exactly the numbers I was supposed to hit, but for the most part I improved toward the end of the mile and for me that is huge. As I mentioned above, I usually do the opposite.

Yay!

There were all sorts of important-looking running groups at the track and one guy struck up a conversation with me about my Garmin. He's a Master's runner that ran at the University of Oregon with Prefontaine! He asked me to come and meet his coach after I was done and I said sure. He explained that his coach is called the "5th Bowerman" and grew up next door to Bill Bowerman and his 4 kids. Apparently they were close. So I met the guy and he seemed like a really old school and important track dude. He is a track coach now at Lake Oswego H.S. and their team is pretty good. I talked with them a while about racing and training and all that stuff. They told me about all of these track meets that take place locally and in Eugene and said I should participate. I love this about running - there is me with my matching technical shorts and tank and fancy electronics, then these old school dudes who are just hard core. Despite that we still have something to talk about. It was awesome! Hopefully I'll see Keith and Bill out there again!

"Easy" Swim (3,000 yds)

Hi. It is me again. Updating my online training log.

This was the longest swim I've done since starting this crazy business. It went fine except for the huge whale of a guy next to me but what can you do? I got new goggles that are clear so this made it SO MUCH BETTER. I love them. I don't know why I didn't do this earlier. Made me feel much less claustrophobic during the swim and they're shiny and new which is an added benefit. I also got a leg floater so can do pulls now, which was awesome too!

But seriously - I must have been blind before I got these goggles. I am SO happy.

I feel like I got in a really good workout. I think I am going to be sore tomorrow.

Easy Swim:
Warm Up:300 Swim300 Kick300 Pull, 8 X 50 IM order on the 1:30
Main:Free Pyramid:100, 200, 300, 400, 300, 200, 100 30 Sec Rest for each.
Cool: 100 Choice

***

Now I'm hunkered down in front of two laptops (and a TV) trying to make sense of my life. I have a lot going on.

Work is terrible, our client - one of the most insulated companies in the world - just laid off thousands yesterday and several were people I deal with on a daily basis. So this transition means delays and more questions and everything feels up in the air. But mostly I'm just feeling bummed that some of these really good people are sort of screwed now. I also can't help but feeling like this is a contagious plague and who knows if you're next. I really am trying not to spend any energy on this, but how can you not?

I finally got my calendar together for the next few months - the major stuff, like travel and events. I have a lot going on and more to be planned! It is all great stuff (wedding showers, visiting my family, holidays, camping, races, the actual wedding, honeymoon and mini-moon if we're lucky) so I really can't complain. I'm glad I got it all on paper and have a good sense of what is next. Because how can I take another breath if I don't know what is going to happen? I need to always know what is going to happen and WHAT THE PLAN IS. No, I'm a type A control freak I am just completely and utterly PSYCHO.

And I love it.

Speaking of psycho. Weddings. Oh my god people - this industry is insane and the amount of data online is sick. I was so tired last night but couldn't sleep because all I could think about was the minutiae of wedding planning. I finally gave up and opened my computer and read for HOURS on wedding blogs. It is sick, but also can be helpful. I found a couple of good planning tools and templates that I'm going to put together now so that I don't have to stress out about the potential stresses in the future. I love all of this DIY crap but I also appreciate just throwing some $ at it and making it go away. I think there will be a combo of that for our wedding, but seriously...I just want to have FUN. And look hot. And not get too wasted. Guess what - the Portland marathon is the weekend after our wedding.

More on all of this later. I didn't mean to bring it up here, but sometimes you start typing and can't stop. I don't want to confuse training log with bridezilla here. However, if you want to start getting involved and make this interactive let me know cause I need all sorts of help (fake eyelashes, wedding shoes, skin care, makeup, hair). Then there's the fun stuff that I LOVE (decor, flowers, etc.).

Ok, I'm done. Sorry for the tangent.

Have a great night.

Fiddlesticks!

These are fiddleheads - unfurled fronds of a young fern. I ate them all and they were great!

My Monday 6 mile easy run was in the pouring rain. It had been pouring all day but I went out anyway. Hairball galore again! Glad I did it when I did since it came down harder when I got home. How did my easy runs go from 3 miles to 5 miles to 6 miles now? I think my coach thinks I won't notice. So it was nice and slow as planned with around 9:00 miles.

Today's workout was a tempo bike ride. This was my 2nd ride since 2007 and 1st alone with my clipless pedals. I was a little scared! What if I crashed? I packed along my cell phone and headed out on the street but the ride was somewhat stymied in many ways.

First, I realized that the time spent between my apartment and the Springwater path is useless. It is not a workout and can't really be part of my workout, right? Too much stopping and going on city streets.

Because of this time suck, I realized that I was not going to be able to do the full workout and get back to work in time for a meeting. I just decided to do the best that I could, go to the end of Springwater and come back.

I started my Garmin right at the Hawthorne bridge - it took me about 14:01 to get to the end of Springwater and I used that as a warm up. I went 15.3 mph and my HR was 135 bpm.

After that I stopped for a minute and turned around to start my "tempo" or intervals or whatever. But when I looked at the training plan again I realized it couldn't be right...here is what it says:

Perform 3 X 10/3 min Z5/Z6 riding. Take a 5 min recovery between each interval. So since I couldn't figure it out I decided that I'd just do as many 3 on/5 offs as would take me back to Hawthorne. I did the next 3:00 @ 159 bpm/23.4 MPH. I just couldn't get my HR up that fast! Then I stopped for what I'd planned to be 5:00 but decided to cut it short after 3:00. Next 2:17 was at 160 bpm/20.6 MPH. I couldn't get in a full 3:00 because it hit a crowd of people and it slowed everything down. Obviously I'm going to have to get used to these workouts. It sucks that Springwater is too short and a distance away. How do people typically get their bike rides in w/o having to find a long route to ride? I suppose I could go back and forth on Springwater but doesn't that screw things up by stopping to turn around? I don't know... My total recorded was 27:08 minutes/136 bpm/avg speed 16 mph/7.38 miles. Add to that the distance to my apt and I guess it'd be about 10 miles total. How pathetic! I feel like this was not a very good use of time. I considered going out again for a 2nd time after I was done with work, but I just can't. Any suggestions on how to make this more efficient for me based off of where I live and my restrictions (no car, work schedule). Biking has a lot more variables than running and it is going to take some time to get used to it. I bought a leg floater for my swim pulls and new goggles! I still need some more bike shorts and a few bike tops. I scored a pair of nike sunglasses that I found on the floor of a bar last weekend. I'd normally hand them over to the manager but I was a bit drunk and felt lucky cause I needed a pair. Am I going to hell?

Donkey Punch

Hi again! Thanks for going with the flow on my Saturday post. I was having a fantastic day but probably should have held off on posting until Sunday.

VIRGIN VOYAGE:

I took out my bike with the pedals for the first time on Saturday. My hard core biking friends were kind enough to show me the ropes and I had a fantastic time. We rode straight from my apartment up into the West hills, near the zoo, Washington Park, etc. We made our way up to Council Crest before descending back down into the flatlands. Here is a shot of us on top of the city:


We ended up riding about 2.5 hours and I'm guessing that we covered approx 25 miles. I forgot to use my Garmin properly so really have no idea on the metrics. Oh well, leisurely ride, right? I loved the uphills and being off of the spin bike. It felt great to have pedals that I could clip into. The downhills I'm not so thrilled about. I hate the traffic element and am not yet comfortable with cars zooming by me as I plummet out of control. Even though the ride itself wasn't that tough, 2.5 hours on the bike gave my body time to settle into the posture and position and test the limits of comfortability. By the end my hands and shoulders were definitely getting tired (mostly because I clench up really tight on the downhills). I am proud to report I wasn't really sore the next day. Yay!

After the ride I suggested the Goose Hollow Inn for celebratory beers and lunch. It was about 2:00 p.m. and we were lucky to get off the road since a light drizzle had begun. GHI was the perfect place to find refuge from the elements - we sat on a worn picnic table on the porch under an awning and heat lamp.




We started with some drinks:







Then suddenly the skies turned an eerie color and the rain started coming down, then harder, then really hard, then crazy hard with wind, then HAIL! There was thunder and lightening and craziness and it all happened within a few seconds. We were going crazy out there - so fired up, as you can see below:


Me, taking the bikes out of the hail:


Check it out - hail!


We were seriously so excited about the weather - we're all from Chicago and Michigan and we missed the midwest thunderstorms. Portland typically weakly drizzles so this was exciting for us. (Coupled with the post-ride beers, I'm sure...)



We ended up staying at GHI for about 5 more hours! This is a picture taken from my 7th floor balcony. Anne and I had to walk our bikes back because we were so tipsy. I called Josh and demanded that he take photos of us on the sidewalk. I was totally in that "I love you man!" mood and wanted everything documented appropriately.


SUNDAY LONG RUN:

Sunday I had to do 13 miles since I'd bailed on the Eugene half. I so did not want to have anything to do with this run and after a semi-tantrum I just went out and did it. Last weekend I procrastinated my Sunday run so bad I had to do it on Monday and felt super guilty about it. I didn't want that to happen this week. There was not a set pace for this run but I wanted to at least do 8:30 miles or better. Although, given my less than 100% body feeling (see: yesterday) I knew I could bail early if I had to.

I downed 2 english muffins with butter and jam about an hour before going out and chugged mass amounts of gatorade. The run actually ended up being okay. It was actually hot and sunny out so I ended up stripping down the top a bit and ran in my sports bra. I'm not typically that type of runner, but I was HOT and I didn't feel self-conscious which was nice. I listened to two Ira Glasses during the run. I did Springwater. I thought a lot about the upcoming triathlon training and the marathon training after that. I vowed to find alternative places to do my long runs instead of Springwater.

7:59/131 bpm
8:23/149 bpm
8:46/183 bpm
8:49/156 bpm
8:40/157 bpm
8:34/161 bpm
8:26/162 bpm
8:35/163 bpm
8:37/164 bpm
8:29/168 bpm
8:00/168 bpm
8:36/163 bpm
7:26/164 bpm

TOTAL: 13.19 miles/8:23 pace/160 bpm

My Garmin reported some really high BPMs around mile 3 which in no way were correct. It might be time to get a new Garmin battery, who knows? I stopped whenever I felt like it to drink from the fountains. I stopped for about 10 minutes to stretch and lay on the grass during the last mile. It was a nice run that only got better as I continued on. My timing was perfect as the weather turned a bit after I was done. All in all a good run. I was pretty exhausted afterward, but today I am not feeling to bad, not sore at all.

THIS WEEK'S TRAINING:

M = 6 miles easy
T = tempo bike (1:15 - will do on the Springwater)
W = swim workout (2,900 yds)
Th = track workout (mile repeats - sweet)
F = OFF!
Sa = swim/ride (going to find someplace new for the bike)
Su = 10 mile easy run

IN OTHER GOSSIP:

I found out that they're filming a movie in Portland from April-June with Keri Russell, Harrison Ford and Branden Fraser - keep your eyes peeled!

Donkey Kong

LISTEN, WHILE ARE YOU ARE OUT WITH YOUR PORTABLE TOASTERS GETTING READY FOR RACING...

I've been hobnobbing with Felicity.

Ahhh, isn't she lovely? I hate to break it to you but hello, today was probably the best day of my life. I am probably going to gain a celebrity friend out of this and possibly lose 5 pounds a maybe get my Masters degree. (Not that I care about advanced education. But still, if you're gonna hand it to me on a silver platter - fine!)

I went to the hippy hairy Portland Farmers Mkt today and sat down to enjoy a hangover breakfast burrito while watching the cute young family get situated next to me. I thought wow, this chick looks just like Keri Russell, then within 1.2 seconds I realized it was her. Lucky for me...or so I think...

Let's start off by saying: I would be horrible at living in Los Angeles. Every time I see a celebrity it talk about it til I am about to asphyxiate and NO ONE CARES. Ok, so anyway, I have actually had encounters with a potpourri of celebs. Here is my roundup:

• Heather O'Rourke
• Tom Skerrit
• Lara Flynn Boyle
• Etc (Poltergeist III variety)
• Derek Jeter
• John Cusak
• Michael Jorden
• Just Jack
• Billy Zane
  
• President Obama
• Rod BlaGOY a vitch
• Tom Cruise
• Jack Kennedy
• Princess Di
• Napoleon
• Napoleon Dynamite
  

Ok, the last 7 I made up, except Rod. He walked past my office at the Heart Association in Chicago with a strange entourage of security. Hello, you're the gov of Illinois - is there any need for this? Weird shit. It was a press conference for him to say it was bad for high school athletes to take speed. Hey, why not tell them to not drink while you're at it? I'm sure they're listening.

I think celebrities are stupid and I hate their lives but I still can't stop reading US Weekly and the whole song/dance. Why? What is wrong with me?

So after all of this obsession I'm sitting next to the dear sweet Keri Russell and I'm debilitated. I mean, if reading the mags is JV then this should be the state tournament right? But instead I'm all "must text msg everyone I know" which btw is NO ONE anymore. I even sent a msg to my BFF from college with whom I watched every fucking god damn episode of Felicity. Even that stupid we're all in a box under the witch's bed season.

And 14 hours later she still hasn't written me back. The only excuse for this is that she's camping but that is 1000% impossible so now I'm pissed.

I got home and did the appropriate google and found out there is a Harrison Ford/Branden Fraser/Keri Russell film being shot in Portland over the next couple of months. Jackpot!

So bottom line is that I'm clearly going to be seeing Felicity on a daily basis until this thing wraps. What are my opening lines? How do we become besties so I can show her everything I know about Portland and womanhood and in exchange she gives me Scott Speedman deets. (Sorry Josh but I would probably leave you for Speedman, thanks!)



HELP!

Oh yeah, today was also the best day ever. I did my first bike ride ever (ish) and it rocked. Portland had a thunderstorm which is as unheard of as a celebrity here. And then hail. I experienced it all from the most perfect vantage point ever (hint: its a BAR). More (and when I say more I mean pictures and lots of words) later. OH yeah, and I drank a shitload of beer which has lead me to this post. Sweet! I take credit for nothing! How do I delete this tomorrow?

Donkey Calves

So....

The picture from yesterday was taken with my cell phone camera after my track workout on Wednesday. I did a nice long stretch and was relaxing and snapped this shot. I actually love it!

Yesterday I went to the gym for spin class and since I had to get there early to sign up I had extra time to kill. I ended up lifting weights for the first time in a while.

Bicep curls - 3x15 w/12.5# weights
Calf raises - 3x25 w/12.5# weights

Ab crunches in the Captain's Chair - 3x20 (knees only, not ready for straight legs)

Back extensions in Roman Chair - 3x15 w/10# weight
Side (L) extensions in Roman Chair - 3x15 w/10# weight
Side (R) extensions in Roman Chair - 3x15 w/10# weight

Upright rows - 3x15 w/10# weights
Shoulder press - 3x15 w/10# weights

Did I mention that I loooove the names of the machines at the gym - hello Roman Chair and Captain's Chair!? Best ever. However I stand corrected...the BEST NAME EVER is (drumroll):


Yes, the Donkey Calf machine. Look at that illustration! (I did a stealthy cell phone pic.) I did NOT take a spin on this machine as my calves are as donkey-like as I want them to be.

So I woke up totally sore this morning and it feels great. Going to have to make sure to keep up the weight training in my future regimen.

SPIN:

After the lifting I did the spin class, which was of course TOUGH. My glutes were sore from the previous day's track workout but I made it through.

BODY COMPOSITION:

I really don't like to weigh myself or focus only on the scale numbers, because health is much more than those variables alone, right? However, I do have a scale in my bano that I hop on occasionally. I keep a post it pad and pen in the drawer and write down the date and numbers. The I stick them on the inside door of my cabinet. Yesterday I saw that I had a ton sitting there so decided to stick them into a spreadsheet and I'm flabbergasted at the results: 10 pounds officially lost since October.


I feel that this is a great and gradual shift for the better for me. I earned each one of those damn pounds. My body has changed a LOT since October and I know I have also added a lot of pounds of muscle. Anyway, I'm not going to dwell on this but I think its neat seeing solid numerical/graphical evidence of anything, so I thought I'd share.

WEEKEND PLANS:

Tonight I'm going to do an easy run with my friend who just started running. I'm excited! Then pedis and bikram, then wine and Real Housewives of NYC. Yes, a thrilling Friday night.

Saturday I THINK I am going to finally take out my newly fitted bike! I am nervous and excited and hope I don't fall/crash/encounter rain.

Sunday I was supposed to do the Eugene half but I'm not going to go. I just don't have it in me to do another race, esp one that requires travel/lodging/etc. I am going to run 13 miles on my own though and we'll see how that goes. Good luck to everyone that is running Eugene - I will be thinking of you all morning and tracking results!

And, before I forget...I was totally kidding about the price of the new Garmin, although in my head the actual price may as well be a couple of grand.