Ahhhhhh...

Track Workout, Etc.

Above is a photo of my meal last night - it was actually delicious and felt very nutritious. You may hear me talking more about food on here because I am going to try to focus on what I eat more. I am also going to track what I've eaten on the days I've had stomach issues.

I had limited stomach issues today on my track workout, which was 3 miles of 100s on/off plus warm up cool down.

Miles as follows: 8:54, 7:39, 7:53, 7:56, 8:57
TOTAL: 5.21 miles/8:19 pace/160 avg HR

I was going to go to spin class but I stopped at the gym to find out the class was much later and since I'd rather go home and finish up work (and maybe eat some peanuts and drink wine?) I decided not to go. I'm still sort of "behind" by one workout since I missed my swim yesterday. I might double up on the bike + swim tomorrow to compensate. I don't think it'll be that hard since both are easy workouts.

I also did push ups tonight: 14/18/14/14, then I was supposed to "max out" after that but didn't. I might wait until later when my arms are fresher. Probably defeats the point but screw em. I did 35 pushups consecutively on 4/20/09 just as a test. I haven't been lifting at all and the only upper body stuff I've gotten is in the pool. I'm not used to seeing my arms this non-defined. I mean, I think they're okay but it is usually my defining feature, pun intended.

Speaking of food, here is what I purchased at the farmer's market opening day today:


Isn't it pretty? I don't know what the hell to do with turnips but I liked the way the samples tasted so figured why not?

I've had a lot of other stuff on my list to write about lately and rather than parse it out into many posts, here it is:

Shoe bonanza:



I bought another pair of Gel Landreths two days before the Race for the Roses. I got the next model, full price cause there weren't any old ones left at a discount. Yay for new shoes! Then the next day at the race packet pickup the same store had a booth and a bunch of inventory - guess what was there? Yep, the old ones @ a discount. I had to buy them at like $40 off of retail, right? So now I'm stocked with 2 pretty new pairs of shoes which will hopefully last quite a while. I had to fully retire the old pair I had - I think I had somewhere between 400-500 miles on them (scary I put that much mileage in over a few months!) and they smelled rancid. How can shoes get to smell so bad? As a note, I decided to go with the regular width this time since I kept having to readjust the B width in the middle of my runs. My laces are tied all fancy now to give me a little more room in the toe box.

Isn't this interesting...? Want me to keep going? Sure, why not.

THE NEW GARMIN:



Ok, who hasn't heard about this yet? My initial reaction is that I WANT IT. I still get a nice (~30%) discount thru work and I love new gear. This one is WATER RESISTANT, so you could actually wear it in the pool. I could bring my love of metrics and measurement to the swimming world! Also, the battery lasts heaps longer and it has a cool design. I don't think it comes out until June, but I'm on pins and needles wanting to try it on. That's the only kicker - you have to try these on for size. I feel guilty because my current Garmin works perfectly fine. But as I mentioned I like new stuff. The other kicker is that it costs $1,395.00. Yeah, I know...a lot, but its probably worth every penny.

OTHER GEAR:

I need more stuff, espec for tri season: cool sunglasses, fancy biker-girl tops and socks and stuff, a wetsuit, a tri outfit and some new bathers for training. My wedding dress is going to be strapless, so does anyone know of sports bras, swimming gear that doesn't have straps? How atrocious would I be walking down the aisle looking all striped. Something to think about. I'd love to manage marathon training all summer long in a tube top.

EAGLE CREEK:

Did I mention this hike in the gorge that we went on after the 10k the other day? OMG, I was gorgeous and the day was gorgeous. If you're in the area I highly highly recommend. Crap, I haven't uploaded any pics yet....that will have to come later.

RACE PICS:

Another crap ass race picture from the Bridge to Brews 10k. This was near the end and going downhill. I remember seeing the guy and I thought I mustered a smile. Or not.

Stomach Issues & Poached Eggs

I am sick of this. What is the problem here? Too much fiber, not enough fiber? Too much water, not enough water? Too much coffee/acid stuff? WHY WHY is my stomach doing this?

I went out for an easy run tonight since I decided not to do my swim workout (hey, the pool heater is broken and its like ice in there). I ran 5 very easy miles and started cramping up around mile 2, then by mile 4ish I was in pain and had to stop and walk for a minute. And it got worse after that.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm going crazy here!

I am going to make this for dinner tonight:

http://www.seejessrun.com/?p=2213

It looks good and aren't poached eggs all the rage now? I've never poached an egg so we'll see. Oh yeah, my recipe will be minus the tofu, onions and garlic. Its basically going to just be couscous, spinach and the egg.

But back to the stomach....seriously, if you can help me out that would be great!

Pictures

Me, post run looking angry but really excited about a real rainstorm. I am completely soaked.



The snarlball that comes with running in rain....such a mess.



And how it all looked when I finally managed to get it outta the ponytail. Weirdo!

11 mile Tempo Run

I was really not looking forward to this run. I had already postponed it a day and didn't even think I would make it out the door on a Monday. I've been a little down on my longer tempo runs lately and worried I couldn't run as fast as I was supposed to and dreading the disappointment. I decided before I went out that it was okay if I had to cut it short or go slower. That kind of gave me some comfort and helped me get out the door.

The first 2 miles were easy and felt fine. As I picked it up on Mile 3 for the 1st tempo mile I couldn't quite feel out the pace and ran it way too fast: 7:08. WTF. Anyway, by the 2nd tempo mile I was hurting - stomach cramped and just feeling crappy all together. I actually had to stop at the start of tempo mile 2 to gather myself. I took off my shirt at this point too cause I was getting hot. I was about to start on Springwater and calculated out where I should turn around on the path to make it home by mile 10. (This will come into play later.)

The next few miles I was able to get into my groove which was awesome. I hit the following paces:

Tempo mile 2 = 7:30 (171 bpm)
Tempo mile 3 = 7:40 (171 bpm)
Tempo mile 4 = 7:37 (172 bpm)
Tempo mile 5 = 7:26 (176 bpm)
Tempo mile 6 = 7:18 (181 bpm)

(Paces were supposed to be btwn 7:30 and 7:40.) I was only supposed to do 6 tempo miles but I decided to add one on. For one thing, I was feeling great. Much greater than at the start of the run. After the turn around on the path back toward home I realized that I had mis-calculated and would be going 11 miles total. I also had the wind at my back so the last couple of tempo miles felt easier. One more thing - the rain had begun to POUND (by Portland standards) on me. This not only made me want to get home quicker, but inspired me to no end. I love running in the rain and especially passionate rain like this. It was driving down and felt like a nice midwest thunderstorm (w/o the lightening). Even the hardcore Portland bikers were taking refuge under cover. I was soaked to the bone and had good tunes on the ipod and felt kind of invincible. So, I added on another tempo mile:

Tempo mile 7 = 7:17 (181 bpm)

The last two miles home were quite borderline okay. The rain let up a bit but not too much. I was pretty cold at this point and totally soaked to the bone. My shoes were like heavy sponges.

I got home and took some pics of myself to post one day. I looked ridiculous...my hair likes to snarl itself into a little ponytail ball when its raining out. But now that I've taken a warm shower I'm all cozied up and listening to the rain still coming down outside. It is so nice. I love spring.

TOTALS:
Miles = 11.08
Pace = 7:50
BPM = 168

TGIF

Yesterday was a much needed off day for me. After Tuesday's track workout I hustled over to the bike shop where my friend graciously offered to fit me on my bike. He is a good friend from Michigan and Chicago who also moved out here about the same time I did. He is an engineer by trade but moved West to own a bike shop. The deal with sour/south within a couple months of moving out (shady details on the other party's fault that I will not get into!) and he's now an engineer again. Anyway, he's super into cycling and is a certified bike-fitter, or whatever its called.

Long story short, he was wearing wool vintage biker pants when I arrived and one of those hats with the tiny little bills - so he's serious.

We went through a series of ons and offs and measurements and lasers and plumb bobs, etc. It was fun, except that I could barely pedal and my stomach was all jacked up from the hard workout. Regardless, it didn't take too long and the adjustments he made felt awesome! I know its going to be very beneficial to have the bike fitted properly and I will do whatever it takes to avoid injuries.

Once I put in a couple of long rides I need to go back to him with feedback on any issues with my feet (going numb, etc.) or knees/legs feeling bad. Also, my handle bars are a little wide for my shoulders, but only by about 10 mm on each side. We're not too worried about that. I think I have a pretty good posture on the bike (I've been practicing good form in spin class!), so only time on the road will tell. I'm so excited!

I was going to go out yesterday to take her for a spin but a.) i was burned out b.) the weather was spotty and c.) I was scared to make the ride from my apt to the start of the paved path (abt a mile on city streets, across the bridge, etc.) with my shoes clipped in.

My next bike workout is next week and I'll be gone this wknd so I probably won't take her out until about Tuesday. Her being:

Ms. Richard Dick Dolce Specialized

aka "Dick"

I wanted an androgynous name if I was going to name her at all, so this is it. Isn't this great? Here is how it works in practice:

"I got my Dick fitted today."
"I'm taking my Dick out for a ride today."
"My Dick is squeaky - perhaps I need to grease her."
"My Dick is blue - what color is yours?"

I've had this damn dick for years now and maybe taken it out three times. All were nice rides near Seattle (base of Mt. Rainier, around Vashon Island) and pretty challenging, but I was unfitted and never needed to train for anything. I've also never used the shoes/clips. Once I get out a few times I think I'll be okay. I just need a little practice. A little practice with my dick...god I'm glad my mom doesn't know about this site.

So today is 2000 yds in the pool, which I'm going to do on my lunch hour shortly. Later, around 4:00/4:30 I will go on an easy Z2 8 mile run. I'm going to try to pick up my friend, a novice runner, to go with me for a couple of hours. She's doing the same tri that I am in June so we need to get her used to the road. I'm excited. I need to get back in time to watch the Trailblazers beat (fingers crossed) Yao in Game 3. Damn Yao!

Tomorrow is an easy five miler, which will be great - I am going out to the future in-laws cabin about an hour outside of Portland where there are tons of soft trails to pad along on. Tomorrow is workday there, however, so I'm sure I'll get some hard labor in doing that too. Sunday is going to be a tough 10 miler - 2 miles easy, then 6 miles @ 7:30, 2 miles easy. Think I can do it? I hope so!

Have a great weekend!

Track Workout - 2000 repeats

I have so much to update but first will start with last night's track workout.

This was a tough workout and I was really scared of it, but after procrastinating I got to the track and just busted em out. My 2000 times were supposed to be under 8:40 so I wrote the 400 splits on my hand and that really helped me stay on track.

Results are: 8:27, 8:39, 8:38, 8:38.

Finally consistency! Those paces range from 6:40 (for the 8:27) to 6:50 (for the higher end). I would like my 5k pace to drop even lower than those times and I think I can do it. I forgot my HRM so didn't capture that data. So, it was hard but not as hard as I thought it would be. I was fully expecting to have to cut at least one rep short. I'm glad I didn't. I just kept repeating in my head over and over that this would help me become a better/faster/stronger runner. These are the workouts that provide actual results.

I did end up having my same stomach issues, but they came on more gradually than normal. I went to get myself fitted for my bike right after the run (only having about 5 minutes to change) so that didn't help. I think next time after one of these intense workouts that I need to eat some mild carbs or a banana right away so the stomach acid I've generated doesn't seep into the rest of my innards. Gross!

Again, I have a long list of things to update on later:

• gear! (new shoes, triathlon gear to buy, Garmins)
• upcoming travel and recommendations for places to run in DC and Lehi, Utah
• bike fitting
• push-up challenge
• recap of training over past month (forecast vs. actual)
  

Time is short...

PS - thanks for all the nice notes on the race report! I love you guys!

Bridge to Brews 10k Race Report

If you read through my posts leading up to this event you'll know that I was not in the best physical/mental state possible for a 10k. I did wake up and finish the race and as you'll read below, it was not a terrible day at all.

Race Morning:

I woke up to a pretty much gorgeous day in Portland. High temps and sunshine were forecast and the 7:30 wake up call did not disappoint.



The night before the race I was whining about not being able to make it. I ended up getting to bed at a respectable hour, but had stress dreams all night. I dreamt that (go figure) I was late and unprepared for a race. There were guest visitors in my dream of bloggers that I've never met. I forgot my sports bra and was lent the most hideous hot pink halter top to wear. The car we needed to use to get to the start was stuck in a construction site (hmm, my job is in construction, think this is a coincidence?). I woke up soaked in sweat a couple of times. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and realized I never set a damn alarm for the race. What? So I did that and went back into my delirious REM cycles.

Despite feeling good about the weather my entire race morning was spent at home feeling shaky and not good. I drank coffee and couldn't even stomach a dry piece of bread. I drove over with my sig-O to the start and he dropped me off near the front. I posed in a halfhearted "making myself vomit on the curb" photo. So cute!





Race Site Prep:

The portajohn lines were HUGE at the start and I was pissed in more ways than one. I finally got into one and decided no more water after that. I ran past the start to an empty street and did some drills to get me in the mood. This sorta worked. I took a disgusting apple pie Gu that I almost threw up for reals. Isn't this fun?

Race Strategy:

I had a very slim strategy... I put less thought into this race than the others this year. One reason is because I've never done a 10k before and didn't know how it would feel or how to pace myself compared to 5ks. I also am kind of burned out on the racing thing. I mean, its fun, but week after week? Come on. I wanted to run a pace under 7:20 and my coach said 7:15. Based off of my shittay run last weekend I decided 7:20 was more realistic. (Especially being hungover.)

At the Start:

The chute start was pretty tight but I tried to get in near the front. I hadn't seen anyone I knew yet but had a feeling I could find them. Immediately I see Jen and Zach and they're all super pumped - it made me feel a little more excited. My adrenaline was going and I think my HR just standing there was over 100. The sooner we could start the sooner we could finish and put this whole thing past us. Let's go!

Mark Set Go!

I set my Garmin late - the 1st pad must have been where the chips were activated (as I'd find out later when comparing my time to the race time - I was off by about 4 seconds). Everyone took off in a flurry and it was quite packed for a while. Of course I shimmied my way around as many people as I could. I knew there were plenty of 8k'ers in there too and I just wanted some damn space. I got into a groove pretty quickly and realized that I didn't feel completely horrible. It was going fine, just fine.

Before mile 1 I saw my personal photographer/hottie and he snapped some shots. I'm annoyed cause he didn't get the one where I stealthily flipped him the bird.



Then we got up a sharp curve onto the bridge. The bridge itself wasn't too bad elevation-wise but it was looong. I was a little disappointed that we weren't on the upper deck but it was fine, nice views of the city but a little weird that cars were ZOOMing past pretty close to us. I leapt over several grates on the left side. I feel like this race was tighter than others I've done. I passed a lot of people and some passed me. I was right behind this tiny little girl w/a perfect runners body and thought if I could just keep up w/her I'd be all right. (I later found out she was running the 8k and not even going really fast.)

Mile 1 = 7:27
Mile 2 = 7:10

Then we got off the bridge and into the Pearl I guess? I don't remember. It was confusing with some of the runners being in the 8k and some in the 10k. I didn't know who to try to pace off of. At mile 3 some woman passed me and asked what the time was and I was like "what?? from the start?" I mean, come on, please leave me alone and if you care so much why didn't you wear your own timepiece. Get it together people! I told her 22:00 and that was just past the 3 mile mark. Then a guy pushing his friggin child in a stroller ran past me. Can you please make me feel worse? He was running the 8k but still. As I realized we were at the 5k mark I was pissed because I knew I was only halfway through. I had been getting used to these 5ks and being done lightening-quick! I started to feel a bit sluggish and bored and tired and ready to be done.

Mile 3 = 7:15
Mile 4 = 7:27

The 8k'ers split off at some point here which really thinned things out. The route went through a bunch of twists and turns along barren industrial landscape. People were more spread out here, but luckily there was always someone in front of me so I knew where to turn. I started thinking about the Amtrak that almost stopped me a few weeks back in the Race for the Roses. About right then I heard the horn and knew it was nearby. I got a little panicked about having it stop me but decided I'd just wait for it this time. A volunteer shouted to us "whoo hoo! you all beat the train!" so I knew I was safe.

After that there was some more running and then some more running. As I mentioned I was kind of bored and pretty tired. Then the course rejoined the 8k route and things got really crowded. Its hard to tell if passing those people make it better or worse.

Mile 5 = 7:34

Mile 6 is where you get back uphill onto the Broadway bridge. Overall, I tried to make the most of the downslopes and just stay strong on the inclines. If anything I'm a strong runner and should be able to crush those people with tiny little sticks for legs on the hills. It was this ramp onto the bridge that a tiny little thing with an ass you could bounce quarters off of started sparring with me. This continued through the rest of the race. I only passed her when I got sick of looking at her junk. Back to the onramp - so many people stopped at the top of this! Not good to see fit-looking people hunched over and inevitably vomiting. Eew. I powered through and figured we must be close to the finish. Back over the bridge there is another really sharp hill right before the finish. I was in kick-mode at this point and my legs were burning up this hill. Right around the corner was the best thing I've ever seen - the finish!!

Mile 6 = 7:30



Finish time = 45:21/45:25 (garmin/official - hey 4 seconds count!)
Avg pace = 7:19
Avg HR = 176

Post race was pretty fun - I saw Zach right away, then Justin, met up with Josh, managed to watch Jen, Sarah and Amy finish. We got into the herd/line to get our free beer, slammed a couple and headed home.



I've never been so happy to have something over with. I feel like a dick for my piss poor attitude pre-race and all weekend. But I had fun and it was worth it. I ended up placing 8/179 in my age group and 16th of all women. I can't wait to check out the official photos.

Putting this in retrospect - when I did my 2 mile time trial back in November I ran a pace almost 20 seconds slower per mile than this and puked in the grass. This race I completed on a weary hangover and slammed a beer at the finish.

Oh yeah - then went for a 12 mile hike and trail run in the gorge. I feel good - Booyah!

I'm in TROUBLE

This is going to be a mess. I drank way too much in the past couple of days and I'm super tired and hungover and wondering if I'll even make it to the start tomorrow. Can anyone help? Can you please send helpful vibes to me?

Headache headache headache.

Friday

Octo-Aunt:



Yes, today is Friday and that's as far as my creativeness for the title.

I am slightly hungover from a fun time last night, but I'm making it through the day surprisingly well. Today is an off day and for that I'm grateful. However, some strange phenomena is overtaking me this week. I'M SORE. Like really sore all through my lower half - ankles & calves but especially my quads and glutes. Even a little bit in my arms. What the what?

I don't understand why this is happening. It is my easy week and I haven't done anything bad or wrong. I smiled at the runaway asking me for change instead of looking straight ahead like I normally do. I gave Zach a vintage French edition Playboy for his 30th bday. So, why am I being cursed?

I was going to have my next post be my analysis of forecast vs. actual workouts but I haven't finished it yet. (Too much of my week has already been spent analyzing shit for work, so I'm burned out.) I'll just go ahead and give you the run down of my workouts this week:

M = easy 5 miles
T = swim (1200) + bike (hour)
W = track workout
Th = easy 5 miles
F = (today) OFF

This was an easy week for me because of the race this weekend. I do have goals for this race, but after my sucktastic run last weekend I'm not sure I can hit 7:15 miles. Plus I'm uber sore and hungover and going to another party tonight. Not prime conditions to knock one outta the park is it? This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous out again and I'm just planning on enjoying myself. We might go for a good hike in the gorge tomorrow too (which will be great but leave me even more sore on Sunday). I just want to have fun at the race, enjoy some free brewskis after and start preparing for .....

TRIATHLON SEASON!!!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!