Good morning Baby Dino readers. Tis been too long.
So for those of you who read us, you know I often tie my experiences with aviation into my thoughts on fitness. Like my friend Dr. J, who is also a pilot, albeit one who does it for fun, we both see metaphors in flying that we do in staying healthy and being fit.
A lot has changed in the last year, and in the last 6 months especially. I became Ironman and since then have been taking it easy, relaxing, and fully embracing being a captain for my airline. Now it's time to get back on the horse, start running again, and return to the fit ways of before. I was walking through the Kansas City airport yesterday and I suddenly stopped and realized change has happened at this airport. I'll go through it.
Back in 2010, when I transferred from Lynx, I did quite a bit of flying out of MCI for Frontier on the Embraer 170/190. In an odd way, that airport became like a 2nd home. I got to know it. Walked around the terminals a lot, walked around the outside a lot, and really embraced it as a good airport. Even in transferring bases, bouncing around the Republic system, I always seemed to touch the Kansas City airport. Back then, Frontier had a bunch of gates and was a strong presence. I flew to great cities out of there like Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Orlando, New York, and Washington DC.
In 2012/2013, I overnighted here 3-4 times a month. It seemed I was constantly in Kansas City, and I loved being here. The airport, old as it is, became familiar. That's the word I would use. Familiar.
Yesterday was the first time I really walked around the terminal since I last flew here on a 190, and the changes were obvious. One of the terminals is completely shut down. US Airways and United have moved over to the C terminal, where Frontier was once its dominating presence. Now Frontier is a ghost of itself, operating out of two gates, and only serving Denver. The DC service ends February 1st, and in an odd way, to me, it feels like the end of an era.
So I was thinking yesterday about how much has changed at the Kansas City airport, and how much I've changed as a result. Back in 2010, I was younger, a lot angrier about my job situation, bitter comes to mind. Now, I'd argue I'm a lot more grown up about things. I take my job much more seriously. I see things a bit differently now. This is what happens when we evolve. When we grow. We are able to take stock of situations differently, to do different evaluations of what is around us.
An airport allowed me to take some stock yesterday.
The fitness adventures of two Ironman triathletes
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
1/6-1/12: Back on the Ice
Last week's featured workout also helps fulfill a goal - do something NOT S/B/R related:
We went ice skating. We were actually thinking of playing hockey, but we decided we'd get back on the ice first to see if we still, you know, remembered how to skate.
The answer?
Obviously, yes. Yes we did. That's not to say it wasn't a bit awkward for the first little bit, though ...
Hubby.
"Do I look like I remember how to do this??"
The first bit was a little awkward. I'm really glad the open skate we went to was DEAD - we didn't have to do the typical mindless circles and could use the whole ice ... which we did, to our advantage. To get re-used to our edges and the general movement of skating, we actually did skating drills - crossover drills on the circles, 6-12s, etc. After a few minutes of these, we started feeling comfortable again.
At some point, we realized that we were WILLINGLY doing the skating drills we were forced to do in hockey practice once upon a time in order to feel more comfortable on the ice. Instead of getting frustrated that what was once effortless felt difficult, we essentially went back to the basics to regain lost skills.
That required patience, a skill we probably should have had back in the day, but one we gained through triathlon. Triathlon, particularly long-course racing, teaches one to be patient. Ironman was one long-ass day and we had to be smart and patient if we were going to reach that finish line. We also spend a chunk of time each year going back to the simple basics in running, cycling and swimming - always going back to drills - so why not do the same here? We didn't even think about the decision to do skating drills or talk about it - it just came naturally.
While the two sports we love are VERY different - team sport vs. individual sport; fast, short sprint efforts vs. long endurance efforts - there are lessons to be learned from each sport that will carry over to the other. When we first started triathlon, I don't know if we necessarily tried to draw off our hockey background, but as we hopefully get back into hockey a little bit, we can take lessons learned from tris and apply them on the ice.
And, ideally, if we get back into hockey, we can learn new lessons to apply right back into triathlon.
We went ice skating. We were actually thinking of playing hockey, but we decided we'd get back on the ice first to see if we still, you know, remembered how to skate.
The answer?
Obviously, yes. Yes we did. That's not to say it wasn't a bit awkward for the first little bit, though ...
Hubby.
"Do I look like I remember how to do this??"
The first bit was a little awkward. I'm really glad the open skate we went to was DEAD - we didn't have to do the typical mindless circles and could use the whole ice ... which we did, to our advantage. To get re-used to our edges and the general movement of skating, we actually did skating drills - crossover drills on the circles, 6-12s, etc. After a few minutes of these, we started feeling comfortable again.
At some point, we realized that we were WILLINGLY doing the skating drills we were forced to do in hockey practice once upon a time in order to feel more comfortable on the ice. Instead of getting frustrated that what was once effortless felt difficult, we essentially went back to the basics to regain lost skills.
That required patience, a skill we probably should have had back in the day, but one we gained through triathlon. Triathlon, particularly long-course racing, teaches one to be patient. Ironman was one long-ass day and we had to be smart and patient if we were going to reach that finish line. We also spend a chunk of time each year going back to the simple basics in running, cycling and swimming - always going back to drills - so why not do the same here? We didn't even think about the decision to do skating drills or talk about it - it just came naturally.
While the two sports we love are VERY different - team sport vs. individual sport; fast, short sprint efforts vs. long endurance efforts - there are lessons to be learned from each sport that will carry over to the other. When we first started triathlon, I don't know if we necessarily tried to draw off our hockey background, but as we hopefully get back into hockey a little bit, we can take lessons learned from tris and apply them on the ice.
And, ideally, if we get back into hockey, we can learn new lessons to apply right back into triathlon.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Things I Love: Skratch Labs
This is a new thing I'm trying out here at Team Baby Dino Tri ... things/products I (we?) love. These are things I/we use in training because we like them. We have paid for everything here (unless otherwise mentioned; see samples in this post) and are not affiliated with the companies mentioned ... though if any of them would like to change that, we are all over that. *wink wink*
The first honor goes to Skratch Labs. They're a local Colorado company (out of Boulder) and they make the best exercise hydration mix I've ever tried. They believe in real food and real ingredients and their sports drink, while delicious, tastes even better once you're sweating.
They're also hilarious (watch their videos; especially their April Fool's one from a few years back) and have a fantastic social media team (particularly with Twitter).
They currently have a sale on their cycling clothes and since I'm in the market for some jerseys, I hopped on that. While I was on the site, I decided to look for their Colorado Skratch t-shirt that I'd been meaning to get since the summer - it didn't seem to exist. I tweeted at them and, lo and behold, they had a few extra women's sizes! A few tweets and e-mails, and lookie what I got in the mail:
New jersey!
Colorado Skratch T!
Swag.
That bottom picture shows all the stuff they sent in the two packages:
- stickers (may stick one on my bike ...)
- tons of single-use hydration packs in ALL their flavors
- an aLOKSAK bag to keep my phone/cash dry when I ride - SUPER awesome because I usually just use Ziploc bags ...
And why did they send me all this stuff? They explained it on a card enclosed with everything else:
Skratch Labs is available in a lot of different places nowadays. Yet, you ordered directly through our site. We frickin' love that and that's why you get freebies! Thank you for being part of our family.
I should mention at this point the flavors they carry:
Lemon-lime: Nectar of the gods. Some lemon-limes are sugary grossness - this? SO GOOD.
Pineapple: Subtle. Fairly tasty. I can't do a whole bottle of it, but Brandon prefers this over the lemon-lime, even.
Raspberry: Tried once. I usually don't like berry sports drinks (fruit punch-y stuff? sure. straight berry? not so much) and this was still a bit odd - however, I drink my stuff a bit more diluted than normal, so I need to give this another go.
Orange: Haven't tried yet, but since I have a few sticks of it ...
Apple-Cinnamon: Only one meant to drink hot. Tried it once last winter and liked it, but haven't had it since. Brandon adored it so I am very happy to have a few more sticks of this stuff.
Also awesome about Skratch - the owners/founders are also the brains behind the Feed Zone Cookbook - Biju Thomas and Allen Lim. I haven't had everything out of the cookbook yet, but we already have a few staples that we cook all the time:
Granola: (p. 31) I have never really liked granola. This? I make it about once a week in the summer because we eat so much of it. This on plain Greek yogurt (this gets me to eat yogurt, too!) with strawberries and honey? Delicious.
Buttermilk Pancakes: (p. 70) I grew up on Bisquick. I love the Bisquick. I will never eat Bisquick again because these are that. damn. good.
Grilled Chicken: (p. 230) Recipe also includes summer orzo; we haven't made that yet. But this chicken? So simple and so delicious. We use chicken thighs instead of breasts and typically have it with grilled bell peppers and mushrooms and mashed potatoes or couscous. It is easy to make and everyone we've served it to LOVES it.
We've also had a few of the salads and made the flourless chocolate cake and hope to make a lot more things out of it this year. I'd also like to fiddle a bit more with the portables, as the few times we've tried those, we've failed horribly.
***
I did consider becoming part of Team Skratch - they have team and individual sponsorship applications - but I got stuck on one part of the application - You have $50 and a full tank of gas - what do you do? I couldn't come up with a good thing to say. Is it winter? Is it summer? Does it have to be athletic related? So many options ...
- Drive up to Blackhawk/Central City, save $5 for food and toss the rest on red and pray?
- Load up the bikes and go up to Boulder and ride for the day?
- In winter, head up to Rocky Mountain National Park and snowshoe around, using the $50 to buy a yearly pass so I can do it again with the rest of the tank of gas?
- Drive to the airport and fly to Boston so I can blow that $50 on fabulous food? (Brandon's a pilot, so I could fly without using that $50.)
In any case, I love Skratch. My bottles of lemon-lime Skratch were my hydration mix on the bike at Ironman Arizona and I prefer training with that over anything else. I will wear my new jersey with pride on the trails and roads this summer and am actually currently wearing my Colorado Skratch T.
So, if you're looking for a change in your hydration, why not try Skratch? Tasty, awesome, and you'll be supporting a Colorado company.
The first honor goes to Skratch Labs. They're a local Colorado company (out of Boulder) and they make the best exercise hydration mix I've ever tried. They believe in real food and real ingredients and their sports drink, while delicious, tastes even better once you're sweating.
They're also hilarious (watch their videos; especially their April Fool's one from a few years back) and have a fantastic social media team (particularly with Twitter).
They currently have a sale on their cycling clothes and since I'm in the market for some jerseys, I hopped on that. While I was on the site, I decided to look for their Colorado Skratch t-shirt that I'd been meaning to get since the summer - it didn't seem to exist. I tweeted at them and, lo and behold, they had a few extra women's sizes! A few tweets and e-mails, and lookie what I got in the mail:
New jersey!
Colorado Skratch T!
Swag.
That bottom picture shows all the stuff they sent in the two packages:
- stickers (may stick one on my bike ...)
- tons of single-use hydration packs in ALL their flavors
- an aLOKSAK bag to keep my phone/cash dry when I ride - SUPER awesome because I usually just use Ziploc bags ...
And why did they send me all this stuff? They explained it on a card enclosed with everything else:
Skratch Labs is available in a lot of different places nowadays. Yet, you ordered directly through our site. We frickin' love that and that's why you get freebies! Thank you for being part of our family.
I should mention at this point the flavors they carry:
Lemon-lime: Nectar of the gods. Some lemon-limes are sugary grossness - this? SO GOOD.
Pineapple: Subtle. Fairly tasty. I can't do a whole bottle of it, but Brandon prefers this over the lemon-lime, even.
Raspberry: Tried once. I usually don't like berry sports drinks (fruit punch-y stuff? sure. straight berry? not so much) and this was still a bit odd - however, I drink my stuff a bit more diluted than normal, so I need to give this another go.
Orange: Haven't tried yet, but since I have a few sticks of it ...
Apple-Cinnamon: Only one meant to drink hot. Tried it once last winter and liked it, but haven't had it since. Brandon adored it so I am very happy to have a few more sticks of this stuff.
Also awesome about Skratch - the owners/founders are also the brains behind the Feed Zone Cookbook - Biju Thomas and Allen Lim. I haven't had everything out of the cookbook yet, but we already have a few staples that we cook all the time:
Granola: (p. 31) I have never really liked granola. This? I make it about once a week in the summer because we eat so much of it. This on plain Greek yogurt (this gets me to eat yogurt, too!) with strawberries and honey? Delicious.
Buttermilk Pancakes: (p. 70) I grew up on Bisquick. I love the Bisquick. I will never eat Bisquick again because these are that. damn. good.
Grilled Chicken: (p. 230) Recipe also includes summer orzo; we haven't made that yet. But this chicken? So simple and so delicious. We use chicken thighs instead of breasts and typically have it with grilled bell peppers and mushrooms and mashed potatoes or couscous. It is easy to make and everyone we've served it to LOVES it.
We've also had a few of the salads and made the flourless chocolate cake and hope to make a lot more things out of it this year. I'd also like to fiddle a bit more with the portables, as the few times we've tried those, we've failed horribly.
***
I did consider becoming part of Team Skratch - they have team and individual sponsorship applications - but I got stuck on one part of the application - You have $50 and a full tank of gas - what do you do? I couldn't come up with a good thing to say. Is it winter? Is it summer? Does it have to be athletic related? So many options ...
- Drive up to Blackhawk/Central City, save $5 for food and toss the rest on red and pray?
- Load up the bikes and go up to Boulder and ride for the day?
- In winter, head up to Rocky Mountain National Park and snowshoe around, using the $50 to buy a yearly pass so I can do it again with the rest of the tank of gas?
- Drive to the airport and fly to Boston so I can blow that $50 on fabulous food? (Brandon's a pilot, so I could fly without using that $50.)
In any case, I love Skratch. My bottles of lemon-lime Skratch were my hydration mix on the bike at Ironman Arizona and I prefer training with that over anything else. I will wear my new jersey with pride on the trails and roads this summer and am actually currently wearing my Colorado Skratch T.
So, if you're looking for a change in your hydration, why not try Skratch? Tasty, awesome, and you'll be supporting a Colorado company.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
12/30-1/5: Cycling Outside and Multisport Club Debates
Last week's featured workout took place on Thursday, January 2 - a ride outside with MX12 teammate Jenna-Caer.
Jenna moved here a few months ago from Scotland (via Calgary and Texas) which is awesome, because yay, training buddy. She and her husband recently bought a house near my old stomping grounds so when she suggested a ride from the new house, I said sure ... with a few caveats:
1.) We waited until it got semi-warm (50s, ideally); and
2.) We'd take it easy.
Number two is because Jenna is AWESOME, and I had ridden once since IMAZ.
The ride was short and sweet, but I was able to keep up (yay). More importantly, I was able to show her some hills and show a few options on where she can go for rides of a lot longer duration. It was also good for me and my resolution on hills on the bike this year (woo).
Post-ride selfie!
Definitely fun, and hopefully something we can do again in the future.
Also of note:
I swam the 5th at our preferred pool, also down South from where we live. I wore my IMAZ jacket that morning to the gym and naturally then to a nearby Starbucks (got gas then decided to get coffee while waiting for the Target pharmacy to open).
While wearing the jacket, I got approached twice:
- A woman came up asking about it, and said that we crazy people are a huge inspiration.
- The president of Altitude Multisport Club came up to me (apparently AMC holds a weekly Sunday am swim at Parker Rec Center and then comes over to Starbucks afterward) and invited me to join their swims/club.
He then asked my bib number at AZ ... I thought to figure out my time, but really it was to track me down and send me an e-mail reiterating the invite. I haven't e-mailed back yet ... partially because I'm not sure if I want to join a local tri team and partially because I don't know if I want to be constantly driving at least 15, 20 minutes to train all the time. I will respond (rude not to), but I'm still trying to figure out what to say.
Joining probably would be good - especially regarding my swim - site says they have swim coaches at these things - but I don't know. I don't know if I'm scared, or if I just don't want to go through the months of awkwardness with a new group of people. It took me damn near three years to open up fully at Run Colorado - do I really want to go through that again? Being the shy kid sucks.
Jenna moved here a few months ago from Scotland (via Calgary and Texas) which is awesome, because yay, training buddy. She and her husband recently bought a house near my old stomping grounds so when she suggested a ride from the new house, I said sure ... with a few caveats:
1.) We waited until it got semi-warm (50s, ideally); and
2.) We'd take it easy.
Number two is because Jenna is AWESOME, and I had ridden once since IMAZ.
The ride was short and sweet, but I was able to keep up (yay). More importantly, I was able to show her some hills and show a few options on where she can go for rides of a lot longer duration. It was also good for me and my resolution on hills on the bike this year (woo).
Post-ride selfie!
Definitely fun, and hopefully something we can do again in the future.
Also of note:
I swam the 5th at our preferred pool, also down South from where we live. I wore my IMAZ jacket that morning to the gym and naturally then to a nearby Starbucks (got gas then decided to get coffee while waiting for the Target pharmacy to open).
While wearing the jacket, I got approached twice:
- A woman came up asking about it, and said that we crazy people are a huge inspiration.
- The president of Altitude Multisport Club came up to me (apparently AMC holds a weekly Sunday am swim at Parker Rec Center and then comes over to Starbucks afterward) and invited me to join their swims/club.
He then asked my bib number at AZ ... I thought to figure out my time, but really it was to track me down and send me an e-mail reiterating the invite. I haven't e-mailed back yet ... partially because I'm not sure if I want to join a local tri team and partially because I don't know if I want to be constantly driving at least 15, 20 minutes to train all the time. I will respond (rude not to), but I'm still trying to figure out what to say.
Joining probably would be good - especially regarding my swim - site says they have swim coaches at these things - but I don't know. I don't know if I'm scared, or if I just don't want to go through the months of awkwardness with a new group of people. It took me damn near three years to open up fully at Run Colorado - do I really want to go through that again? Being the shy kid sucks.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
2014 Goals and Resolutions
I'm still figuring out my race schedule for this year, but I think I have these down enough where I feel comfortable posting them.
Running:
5K: That ass-old 26:27 PR needs to go DOWN. I'm sick of it. I can barely use it anymore. I have run that fast once; I know I can do it again. Besides, aren't I supposed to get better athletically in my 30s?
Opportunities: Tentative race schedule includes anywhere from one to three (and probably more) 5Ks. There's essentially one a weekend around here - even in the frozen months - so I'll have ample chances to try.
BolderBOULDER: Keep PRing. My time has gotten better each year I have run the BolderBOULDER. It may have only been by four seconds last year, but it still went down. I'd like that to continue, and ideally get under 59:00. But if I hit 59:11? Still a success.
Opportunities: Well, this is race-specific, so one. Better make it count.
Half-Marathon: Keep chasing 2:00. Now, I'm not sure if I'll hit it, but I want to keep edging closer. An official 2:10 might be nice, too.
Opportunities: Several. Tentative race schedule has three (!) 13.1 mile races on it - two are definite, one is maybe. This will also be interesting as I've never done more than one (stand-alone) in a year and here I am planning multiple ...
Triathlon:
Sprint Tri: Chase 1:30. This is a tricky goal as sprints are varying distances. That being said, most sprints around here pretty much abide by a 750m swim, 12ish mile bike, 5K run format. Tri for the Cure in 2012 saw me hit a 1:34 and I believe that I can do better than that.
Opportunities: Unsure. At least one, maybe two? The definite one probably isn't ideal for this, but we'll see.
Olympic Tri: Keep getting closer to 3:00. I finally cracked that damn 3:30 barrier last year, so I'd like to keep dropping. 3:25? 3:20? I'm good with it all, as long as it's under 3:30.
Opportunities: At least one, possibly two. Still undecided.
70.3/Long Course Tri: Sub-7:30. Aiming a little low here. I probably would have gotten this last year at Boulder had I not flatted, but who knows, right? Ideal here is probably sub-7:00, but I'm going to be a bit more realistic. And if I shatter it? All the better.
Opportunities: One. Going to FINALLY sign up for Harvest Moon and do the damn thing.
140.6 mi Tri: None. Boo.
Other:
Running: Get back into the 8:00/mi range. I was running 8:30s solidly back in 2007 (also known as the year of the 5K PR. I got reeeeally good at running three miles) and I know that it's possible for me to get back down there.
Execution: Hills! Speed work! Pseudo-MAF work through probably March (I say pseudo because I don't own a heart rate monitor. MX12 buddy Jenna-Caer says you can do it off RPE though, so that works for me.)! I will, however, keep to my three run a week system except for probably a few bricks as I get closer to Harvest Moon.
Cycling: Learn to tolerate hills. This one's funny. I live in Colorado, land of mountains and hills, and I loathe riding them. I see a hill and I curse under my breath as I pedal up the damn thing. However, I know that hills make me stronger and a better cyclist. So, my goal this year is to get to the point where instead of thinking, "oh m'fer, not another goddamn hill," I think, "huh. Another hill. Okay." I don't think I'll ever truly love hills, but if I could not hate them so much? That'd be nice.
Execution: Purposefully seek hills out. Ride enough of them until they beat me into submission. Also a lot of off the bike strength work to make sure the muscles to power up said hills are strong enough.
Also: Just a lot of time in the damn saddle. Even though I don't have an Ironman this year, I'd ideally like to ride as least as much as I did last year, if not more. I want to do more long rides for fun - like our 70-miler to Golden - not because I have to. I want to enjoy riding the bike again.
Swimming: Keep improving. I suck, and would like to suck less. Fairly simple.
Execution: Drill work. Learn to love my paddles/pull buoy/fins. Spend a lot of time in the pool. And, as much as I don't want to do it financially, maybe look into lessons with an actual triathlon/swim coach to work with me on form. Jenna and I have tossed around the idea of going in on semi-private lessons since she's not as strong of a swimmer as she'd like to be (though still loads better than I). We'll see ...
Other:
- Strength train REGULARLY. I keep failing at this one and it's really unacceptable.
- Stay injury free. I think the slow running, lifting and stretching will help keep the stupid IT band under control and I'd like to keep it that way.
- Do at least one non-tri-related activity (hockey, snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, etc.) a month. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's not swim/bike/run/stretch/lift.
Blog:
Yes! I have resolutions regarding this damn thing, too. I can't speak to the other half, but I'll try to prod him to post a bit more, too. I really want to get on a semi-regular schedule on this thing. Here's my thoughts:
Monday: Post about a previous week's workout. Not a recap, per se, but a post about a good ride, or run, or whatnot. Ideally with fun photos.
Wednesday: Race recap (if necessary), or, if I couldn't post Monday, post what I would have that day.
Saturday/Sunday: (depends on my off day) Various post on whatever ... like this! Might do a gear review, book review, stuff I train with, etc.
First of the Month: Standard round-up from the previous month.
Lofty, I know (especially those last few!), but I think I can do it. It'll require me to cut back on my Facebook and random internet time (oh darn), but I think that's part of the reason why.
Wish me luck, peeps!
Running:
5K: That ass-old 26:27 PR needs to go DOWN. I'm sick of it. I can barely use it anymore. I have run that fast once; I know I can do it again. Besides, aren't I supposed to get better athletically in my 30s?
Opportunities: Tentative race schedule includes anywhere from one to three (and probably more) 5Ks. There's essentially one a weekend around here - even in the frozen months - so I'll have ample chances to try.
BolderBOULDER: Keep PRing. My time has gotten better each year I have run the BolderBOULDER. It may have only been by four seconds last year, but it still went down. I'd like that to continue, and ideally get under 59:00. But if I hit 59:11? Still a success.
Opportunities: Well, this is race-specific, so one. Better make it count.
Half-Marathon: Keep chasing 2:00. Now, I'm not sure if I'll hit it, but I want to keep edging closer. An official 2:10 might be nice, too.
Opportunities: Several. Tentative race schedule has three (!) 13.1 mile races on it - two are definite, one is maybe. This will also be interesting as I've never done more than one (stand-alone) in a year and here I am planning multiple ...
Triathlon:
Sprint Tri: Chase 1:30. This is a tricky goal as sprints are varying distances. That being said, most sprints around here pretty much abide by a 750m swim, 12ish mile bike, 5K run format. Tri for the Cure in 2012 saw me hit a 1:34 and I believe that I can do better than that.
Opportunities: Unsure. At least one, maybe two? The definite one probably isn't ideal for this, but we'll see.
Olympic Tri: Keep getting closer to 3:00. I finally cracked that damn 3:30 barrier last year, so I'd like to keep dropping. 3:25? 3:20? I'm good with it all, as long as it's under 3:30.
Opportunities: At least one, possibly two. Still undecided.
70.3/Long Course Tri: Sub-7:30. Aiming a little low here. I probably would have gotten this last year at Boulder had I not flatted, but who knows, right? Ideal here is probably sub-7:00, but I'm going to be a bit more realistic. And if I shatter it? All the better.
Opportunities: One. Going to FINALLY sign up for Harvest Moon and do the damn thing.
140.6 mi Tri: None. Boo.
Other:
Running: Get back into the 8:00/mi range. I was running 8:30s solidly back in 2007 (also known as the year of the 5K PR. I got reeeeally good at running three miles) and I know that it's possible for me to get back down there.
Execution: Hills! Speed work! Pseudo-MAF work through probably March (I say pseudo because I don't own a heart rate monitor. MX12 buddy Jenna-Caer says you can do it off RPE though, so that works for me.)! I will, however, keep to my three run a week system except for probably a few bricks as I get closer to Harvest Moon.
Cycling: Learn to tolerate hills. This one's funny. I live in Colorado, land of mountains and hills, and I loathe riding them. I see a hill and I curse under my breath as I pedal up the damn thing. However, I know that hills make me stronger and a better cyclist. So, my goal this year is to get to the point where instead of thinking, "oh m'fer, not another goddamn hill," I think, "huh. Another hill. Okay." I don't think I'll ever truly love hills, but if I could not hate them so much? That'd be nice.
Execution: Purposefully seek hills out. Ride enough of them until they beat me into submission. Also a lot of off the bike strength work to make sure the muscles to power up said hills are strong enough.
Also: Just a lot of time in the damn saddle. Even though I don't have an Ironman this year, I'd ideally like to ride as least as much as I did last year, if not more. I want to do more long rides for fun - like our 70-miler to Golden - not because I have to. I want to enjoy riding the bike again.
Swimming: Keep improving. I suck, and would like to suck less. Fairly simple.
Execution: Drill work. Learn to love my paddles/pull buoy/fins. Spend a lot of time in the pool. And, as much as I don't want to do it financially, maybe look into lessons with an actual triathlon/swim coach to work with me on form. Jenna and I have tossed around the idea of going in on semi-private lessons since she's not as strong of a swimmer as she'd like to be (though still loads better than I). We'll see ...
Other:
- Strength train REGULARLY. I keep failing at this one and it's really unacceptable.
- Stay injury free. I think the slow running, lifting and stretching will help keep the stupid IT band under control and I'd like to keep it that way.
- Do at least one non-tri-related activity (hockey, snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, etc.) a month. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's not swim/bike/run/stretch/lift.
Blog:
Yes! I have resolutions regarding this damn thing, too. I can't speak to the other half, but I'll try to prod him to post a bit more, too. I really want to get on a semi-regular schedule on this thing. Here's my thoughts:
Monday: Post about a previous week's workout. Not a recap, per se, but a post about a good ride, or run, or whatnot. Ideally with fun photos.
Wednesday: Race recap (if necessary), or, if I couldn't post Monday, post what I would have that day.
Saturday/Sunday: (depends on my off day) Various post on whatever ... like this! Might do a gear review, book review, stuff I train with, etc.
First of the Month: Standard round-up from the previous month.
Lofty, I know (especially those last few!), but I think I can do it. It'll require me to cut back on my Facebook and random internet time (oh darn), but I think that's part of the reason why.
Wish me luck, peeps!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
December and 2013 Round-Up
What I thought would be two blogs I did in one last year ... so let's stick with that. I like that idea. It'll help me get to bed quicker.
December was ... well, December was bad. I didn't do jack all for most of the month. You'll see ...
Running: 1.07 mi
Swimming: 400m (.25 mi)
Cycling: 2.62 mi
Lifting: two sessions!
Other: a session of Wii Fit, three rounds of stretching
Yeah. A whole lot of nothing. Also the reason of the end of the weekly recap posts, because I really didn't feel like writing entries like the following:
x day: Off: because I can
x day: Off: because
x day: Off: (no reason)
You don't want to read it, I don't want to write it. We have an accord.
Now, for the goal recap. For all intents and purposes, I kind of failed in hitting most of my goals. Ultimately I succeeded in the biggest one (finish IMAZ), but I didn't hit any of my sub goals, which really kind of stinks. Maybe I was too ambitious for the first one; who knows. It just means I have more to strive for next time.
Anyway, let's recap:
Running:
Break old 5K PR of 26:27: Two 5Ks of 28:13 and 30:22 say fail.
Sub-59:00 10K: 59:12 says fail. It was still a PR, though.
Hit 2:10 (stretch: 2:00) in the Half-Marathon: Garmin says yes - 2:09:44; official results say no. Gotta go official, unfortunately. Mentally I know it's achievable.
Race Goals:
Sub-1:50 or 1:45 at Boulder Sprint: A 1:44:39 says yes to both! Shortened bike, but I'll take it.
Sub-3:30 at 5i50 Boulder Peak: 3:26:37 says success! Also a shortened bike, but meh. Probably made it an official 40K as opposed to the 42K it usually is.
Sub-7:30 (or 7 or 6:45) at Boulder 70.3: My 7:40:09 says fail. I know this is more than possible though. Stupid flats.
Ironman Goals:
FINISH: Woo!
Finish sub-17 (15 or 14): Shoulda had a sub-16 goal. Woulda hit that one.
Finish swim sub-2:20 (2 or 1:40): Pool times had me almost hitting the stretch; reality had me two minutes off stretch goal number one.
Finish bike sub-5:30 pm/10:30 race clock (7 hrs or 6 hrs): I got off the bike. Good enough.
Finish run before 17:00 (sub-5:11; sub-5): So the stretch goals were a bit lofty, I know, especially for someone who had a.) never run a marathon and b.) no idea how her legs were going to respond to running after all that other crap. For a little while though, it did seem within reach, and I'm happy with that
Keep transitions under 10:00: ... Med tent stop in T1 made that one 11:24. Had I not screwed up my ankle the day before? This one would have been golden. I'm counting it.
Moral of my goals/resolution story? Don't try for short course PRs (except maybe at a tri) when training for long shit. Also, if you're self-coached and doing your first Ironman, maybe your goals shouldn't be too lofty. Who knows.
New goals to come soon! (Probably Sunday.)
HOWEVER, I do have a specific January goal: Move for at least 10 minutes EVERY DAY. I have been slothful post-IMAZ for way too long and I need to get in the habit of exercising again. This means, move every day for at least 10 minutes. That 10 minutes can be stretching and Rumble Rolling (oh that thing is painful and sucky), but it's gotta happen, and it's gotta happen every day. Two days in and so far, so good.
December was ... well, December was bad. I didn't do jack all for most of the month. You'll see ...
Running: 1.07 mi
Swimming: 400m (.25 mi)
Cycling: 2.62 mi
Lifting: two sessions!
Other: a session of Wii Fit, three rounds of stretching
Yeah. A whole lot of nothing. Also the reason of the end of the weekly recap posts, because I really didn't feel like writing entries like the following:
x day: Off: because I can
x day: Off: because
x day: Off: (no reason)
You don't want to read it, I don't want to write it. We have an accord.
Now, for the goal recap. For all intents and purposes, I kind of failed in hitting most of my goals. Ultimately I succeeded in the biggest one (finish IMAZ), but I didn't hit any of my sub goals, which really kind of stinks. Maybe I was too ambitious for the first one; who knows. It just means I have more to strive for next time.
Anyway, let's recap:
Running:
Break old 5K PR of 26:27: Two 5Ks of 28:13 and 30:22 say fail.
Sub-59:00 10K: 59:12 says fail. It was still a PR, though.
Hit 2:10 (stretch: 2:00) in the Half-Marathon: Garmin says yes - 2:09:44; official results say no. Gotta go official, unfortunately. Mentally I know it's achievable.
Race Goals:
Sub-1:50 or 1:45 at Boulder Sprint: A 1:44:39 says yes to both! Shortened bike, but I'll take it.
Sub-3:30 at 5i50 Boulder Peak: 3:26:37 says success! Also a shortened bike, but meh. Probably made it an official 40K as opposed to the 42K it usually is.
Sub-7:30 (or 7 or 6:45) at Boulder 70.3: My 7:40:09 says fail. I know this is more than possible though. Stupid flats.
Ironman Goals:
FINISH: Woo!
Finish sub-17 (15 or 14): Shoulda had a sub-16 goal. Woulda hit that one.
Finish swim sub-2:20 (2 or 1:40): Pool times had me almost hitting the stretch; reality had me two minutes off stretch goal number one.
Finish bike sub-5:30 pm/10:30 race clock (7 hrs or 6 hrs): I got off the bike. Good enough.
Finish run before 17:00 (sub-5:11; sub-5): So the stretch goals were a bit lofty, I know, especially for someone who had a.) never run a marathon and b.) no idea how her legs were going to respond to running after all that other crap. For a little while though, it did seem within reach, and I'm happy with that
Keep transitions under 10:00: ... Med tent stop in T1 made that one 11:24. Had I not screwed up my ankle the day before? This one would have been golden. I'm counting it.
Moral of my goals/resolution story? Don't try for short course PRs (except maybe at a tri) when training for long shit. Also, if you're self-coached and doing your first Ironman, maybe your goals shouldn't be too lofty. Who knows.
New goals to come soon! (Probably Sunday.)
HOWEVER, I do have a specific January goal: Move for at least 10 minutes EVERY DAY. I have been slothful post-IMAZ for way too long and I need to get in the habit of exercising again. This means, move every day for at least 10 minutes. That 10 minutes can be stretching and Rumble Rolling (oh that thing is painful and sucky), but it's gotta happen, and it's gotta happen every day. Two days in and so far, so good.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Not Dead! ...
... and Happy New Year!
I am very behind in blogging about many things (but am not really coherent enough to start them now), but I will let you know about what is on the docket:
- December round-up
- 2013 goal update post
- 2014 goals/resolutions
That's just for the immediate future (next few days). I also want to aim to try and get on a regular blogging schedule this year so I can produce more consistent content. I also don't want to just do the weekly recaps; they're boring and I don't think anyone really cares about them. Better content, ahoy!
What you will NOT see from me:
- the remainder of the weekly recaps. I've not been doing much and it's not really worth it. You'll understand when I post my monthly recap.
Until tomorrow ...
I am very behind in blogging about many things (but am not really coherent enough to start them now), but I will let you know about what is on the docket:
- December round-up
- 2013 goal update post
- 2014 goals/resolutions
That's just for the immediate future (next few days). I also want to aim to try and get on a regular blogging schedule this year so I can produce more consistent content. I also don't want to just do the weekly recaps; they're boring and I don't think anyone really cares about them. Better content, ahoy!
What you will NOT see from me:
- the remainder of the weekly recaps. I've not been doing much and it's not really worth it. You'll understand when I post my monthly recap.
Until tomorrow ...
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