Long Weekend

Well, not so much long in the sense of being off from work since I only had a break on Monday, but I got some really quality workouts in.

Thursday Tony (my tri bike) and I went out for a quick hour ride. I've been trying to break myself of the "all or nothing" mentality that I developed in my last 2 years of IM training. Last year, if I wasn't going to run 6 miles, bike 25, or swim 2, it wasn't even worth my time to go out, so I would just take some rest time if time was short. Goodness knows you need it during that kind of training! This year, I'm trying to re-train my brain into realizing that those 3 mile runs, 15 mile bike rides, and shorter swims are often all I need for mid-week workouts. In my hour on Thursday, I still managed to squeeze in over 17 miles. Plus, it was tons of fun to get out and GO!

Saturday I worked, went to church, and then played hostess for a party Steve wanted to throw for a group of his students. Not sure if it was the migraine I had developed at work or if I was just tired, but college sophomores seem younger and squealier than they used to be. It was great to finally put faces to the names and stories that Steve has been talking about all semester. Somehow I think I have aged well beyond my actual years. I am only 27 but felt like a total party pooper to be glad that they had all left by 9. A 10 PM bedtime and 5:30 alarm clock don't really mix with hosting parties!

Sunday I put in my 10 hours and was really surprised when I left at 5 PM to find that the temp had risen to a muggy 85 degrees. It was our first day above 80 this year, and I wasn't too excited to be doing a "fast" long run on our hottest day of the year so far. I took a quick nap before lacing up my running shoes, and in typical Minnesota fashion, a storm front had moved through, and the temperature had dropped 20 degrees in less than 60 minutes. Guess it was my lucky night. As I mentioned in my last post, I was planning on using this run as a test to see what my actual long run speed is sans running partner. The plan was to just go out and keep it at a good pace and still feel comfortable for 15 miles. The run was beautiful. It was still humid and a little warmer than I prefer, but summer is fast approaching, and I need to get used to it again. The lilacs, crab apple trees, and lilly of the valleys are all in bloom, and the whole city smelled phenomenal. I managed to stay between 9:10s and 9:30s. I had hoped to pick it up at the end, but my IT band flared up a little, and I really couldn't push it. My body felt good, my breathing felt fine, but my right leg refused to go any faster. At least I didn't slow down. I'm not really sure what this will translate to come race time in just 3 weeks. I've secretly or not so secretly been hoping for sub 4, which wouldn't technically be a PR for me but close (I ran a 3:58 and change in 2002). The course I ran on Sunday was packed with hills, but Grandma's course is fairly flat. I know running with other people and pushing it a little more on race day can translate to faster split times. I just don't know if I can cut another 5-25 seconds off per mile and while tacking on 11 more miles to Sunday's run. I've got another 20+ miler coming up, but it will be with other people again, so I don't think I'll be able to gauge much from it. Arrg. Too much thinking.

Monday I woke up a little sore, especially in my IT band. I need to be working that bad boy out. It needs to know who's boss this summer. I had a long bike ride planned with a friend. We had anticipated doing somewhere between 30 and 50 miles. My longest ride to date in 08 has been 30, and I need to be picking it up before WIBA and Steelhead! Well we ended up posting 52 miles, and I felt great! Great may be a bit of an overstatement, but I did feel good. The legs were a little tired at the last climb of the day, but I never felt like I was pushing too hard. We were just out for a really easy long ride and still managed almost a 15 MPH average. No speed awards or anything, but considering the 15 mile run just 15 hours before, I'll take it! I certainly need to get in some more hills and distance before WIBA, but with the marathon coming up and some family commitments, I'll be lucky to hit 65 miles before tackling the course again.

Tempo run tonight - 5 miles. We'll see how Mr. IT band feels. I may have to forgo the speed work this week if he's not willing to cooperate. I'll also have some creative finagling to do since my brother's graduation party is this weekend. My last 20 miler may have to get bumped to next weekend.

Update: I'm Not Dead!

...Though I've been sleeping like I am. Seriously. I barely have time to pull the covers up and I've passed out. I have been a very negligent blogger - reading all of your posts but not commenting and leaving things here for like three weeks. Not a lot of time, so bullet points will have to do for now.

* Marathon training is going well. I've found out that my intervals go faster and are literally faster when I do them with Steph, and I secretly like knowing that I'm kicking her butt a little. She says that when she's doing them on her own, she just can't make herself go that fast. My 8 mile tempo run last week felt like a walk in the park.

* Did a 20 miler with my super bud Maddy who is running Grandmas as well. Funny how being out there for that long doesn't seem like nearly enough when you've got a friend to catch up with. Thanks Maddy! I also found out that running on a crushed limestone path makes my legs feel about 300% better when I'm finished than concrete or asphalt. My muscles were a little sore, but I didn't have that deep achy joint pain.

* I'm doing my first solo long run in months by myself this weekend. It'll be a good test to see what kind of pace I run on my own and to see whether a marathon PR is really on the horizon...

* The day after I went for my 20 miler, Matt and Steve did a local du. I didn't want to feel left out, and my legs were feeling OK, so I decided to do it with them. The bad news: the race was sold out. The good news: the course was not one that I would have loved, and I got to take tons of pictures. It was a blast cheering them on.

* Since I didn't get to do the du, my next multisport race won't be till July. Boo.

* Work has been going fairly well. I'm really trying to make an effort to get out in 8.5 hours. It still stinks that I've had to work the last 3 out of 4 weekends, but I know I'll love it in June with 4 whole weekends off in a row!

* I need to remember that in order to actually finish my tris respectively this summer, I'm going to need to get on my bike more...a lot more.

* If Mother Nature would friggin cooperate, maybe that last one would actually happen. I was so excited to hit the road on Monday after work, but when I got outside at 4:30, it was 50 degrees. FIFTY. And that's not counting the flipppin windchill. It's almost June for crying out loud! I never made it out. American Gladiators was on TV, and I just couldn't bring myself to put that many clothes on.

* Oh yeah, the pool too. I should probably start swimming again.

* My little brother graduates from high school in less than 2 weeks. I used to change his diaper. Now he's heading off to play college football.

* I heart my LRS (local running store). I think I'll devote a whole post to them later. Having knowledgeable people that you can trust just makes an unbelievable difference.

* And I'm out! More updates later, and hopefully some real posts!

Winter Begone! Race Report

Well sheesh. I guess I should finally get this thing out. Steve's got about a zillion pics of this race on his blog, so if you're looking for more, head on over there too. Sunday was my first multisport event of the year in the form of a duathlon. The race was advertised as a 5K run, 30K bike, and 10K run. We had signed up weeks in advance only to find out the week of the race that we were looking at starting temps in the low 30s and highs in the high 40s if we were lucky. I'm not much of a cool weather biker, so I was a little apprehensive. The weather actually turned out fine, though, and I was even a little overdressed on the bike.

Before the Race:

Matt, Me, Steve, and Borsch

Steve and I were excited to be introducing my brother Matt and our friend Borsch to their first multisport event. Matt arrived at our house on time, which is an accomplishment itsself. Borsch met us at the course. We got there nice and early, and since the event was so small, we parked right next to transition and plenty of time to relax, talk with other athletes, and prepare.

The First Run:

There were only 51 people doing the long course, and only 13 of those 51 were women. Since this is such an early season event and it was so cold, I was fully prepared to be racing amongst a bunch of "crazies," my term for the die hards who are probably pretty fast. I knew that I would have to make this my race. I'm just not fast enough to compete with a bunch of men. My goal was to keep an 8:30 pace for the first 5K, not all out racing, but going at a decent pace for me. It's actually closer to my normal 10K pace. I felt pretty strong when I started but was quickly passed almost everyone. I could see a pack of people behind me, though, so I knew I wasn't dead last! I finished in 26:06 feeling great, for an average of 8:24/mile. Overall, I finished 42/51 on this leg.

T1:

For the transition area being so small, my T1 time was pretty terrible. Since it was so cold, I had to put on my gloves, an extra jacket, my helmet, and bike shorts over my tights. I had decided during the run that it was warm enough to take my shoe covers off, so of course that took more time too. In and out in 1:27.

The Bike:

I'm not gonna lie. My bike was terrible. I've gotten around 5 outdoor rides in so far this year, but they've all been on flat surface. On the drive down, Matt had said that he'd seen an elevation chart and that the bike was flat. On the contrary, it consisted of relentless hills. Oh, and the first 12 miles were basically against the wind too. I was in my granny gear way too many times and was feeling really sorry for myself by the time we hit 12 miles. I was wearing my Ironman WI finishers jacket because I knew it would be warm, and I just felt so ashamed every time someone passed me, like somehow I hadn't really earned it. The bike is consistently my weakest leg, like dead near last kind of weakest leg. It's really gotta change this year. On the way back, I had a tail wind, and increased my average from 13.1 MPH to almost exactly 14 MPH. Embarrassing. I realized that the bike wasn't an official 30K when we hit mile 18 and I knew we had at least a mile back to transition. I couldn't have been happier to get to the run. Total time: 1:23:43 - 14 MPH average. I placed 49/51 on the bike leg.

T2:

I dismounted right next to a lady who had just passed me who was wearing clipless sandles. "Am I doing this right?" she asked the race officials. Insult to injury. The bike was over, now it was time to test my endurance. I peeled off my Ironman jacket, my helmet, my bike shorts, my tights, and my gloves. I changed my shoes, grabbed my race number and was out in 1:07.

Putting on my race number heading out of T2

The Second Run:

It took about half a mile to get my running legs. I used to hate that feeling. Now I kind of like it. I was a little tired, but I pushed on. I passed 2 girls on the run early on and kept looking back to see if anyone would catch me. No one did. The speed work I've been doing really paid off. I'm really learning to run through that feeling of needing to stop. I felt strong and in retrospect could have probably pushed harder. Steve, Matt, and Borsch all cheered me in at the finish. I finished the 10K in 58:16, with an average pace of 9:23/mile. My time was good enough for 34/51 racers for that leg. Total Du time: 2:50:35

At the finish line.

Afterward:

Since there were so few racers, we knew some of us had a chance of medaling. Turns out we had a triple whammy. Matt finished first in his age group for the sprint, Steve finished 2nd in his age group for the long course, and I took 3rd. A good time was had by all!

Note to Self:

In preparation for you 17 miler this weekend, you did most things right but forgot one very big detail:

Packing to do an away run? Excellent job. You didn't forget anything.

Having your brother watch the odometer on the way home from church Sunday to get the distance right? Your experience is paying off.

Convincing you little sister to meet you twice on the course to bring water and bringing money to buy water at the halfway point? Flawless

Forgetting sunscreen?

* Even though you did 15 miles without problems last weekend...
* Even though you wore 4 layers of long sleeves and a hat when working outside the day before...
* Even though you started off the run in long sleeves...
* Even though your run start was cool and cloudy...

DON'T

DO THIS

AGAIN!

I Marathon Hurt

Went home this weekend to help the parents build the new garden shed (from scratch) and try to tackle a few other projects. After 11 hours of solid manual labor with few breaks on Saturday, I woke up Sunday with aches all over my body, especially in my glutes and hammies. Like, sore to the touch kind of pain. Every step of our 17 mile run was a not so subtle reminder of Saturday's activities, and if I hadn't been running with Steph, I just may have walked the last 2.5 miles.

We did an out and back to the nearest town with a gas station. It actually worked out well because the super nasty headwind we had for the 8.5 miles into town literally carried us back home. My little sister Anne was a trooper and met us with two additional water stops. I really would have bonked if it hadn't been for her! Thanks again Anne! Love you!

Today I am bending, walking, sitting, and standing like I ran a marathon yesterday, except without the glory of being able to tell people that I ran a marathon yesterday. I've never been this sore after a training run, but I know it's a great deposit into the bank for June! Plus, I'm taking today off guilt free. It's gorgeous outside, so maybe I'll just go for a little walk.

2008 Race Schedule

So it's been 2008 for what, 4 months now? I just put the final touches on this year's race season a week or so ago, though, so I can finally write it all down. I am so excited! This is the most races I've ever been able to fit in a year, and we've got some great meet-ups scheduled with fellow bloggy friends. So much fun! Some have yet to be registered for, but here's the plan:

St. Patrick's Day Human Race 5 mile - March 16
Winter Begone! Duathlon (5K, 30 mile, 10K) - April 27
Grandma's Marathon - June 21
WIBA - June 27-29
Lifetime Fitness Olympic Distance Tri - July 12
Steelhead 70.3 - Aug 2
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon - October 6

I'm totally pumped because Grandma's will be my first marathon away from home, and Steelhead will be my first "away" tri (except for IM MOO of course). Plus, I know there will be great times to be had when a bunch of crazy triathletes get together at WIBA and Steelhead!

Workin' on That Speed Thing

Intervals yesterday at 8:45 PM. Work's been extra busy again, and I needed a 1.5 hour nap first (see previous post). The plan called for 5 x 1200s. I had hoped to do them on the track near our house, but the football team was practicing on the field, so I settled for the road. Goal to hit a 7:45 pace was 5:49/1200. One way was uphill, and one way was downhill, hence the times:

6:06
5:40
5:57
5:41
5:45

Even though my splits were all over the place, the average wasn't too bad - 5:49.8.

Steve's off to the doughnut run this weekend. This is one time that I'm not sad that I work. The whole concept sort of makes me nauseous.

I've been putting the finishing touches on my official 2008 schedule, and I'm super excited. Post coming soon!

Motivation (and Lack Thereof)

Two weeks ago, I ran intervals in what was the start of yet another snowstorm. I did my 800s in what must have been record slow time and looked like this when I got home:

If you look close, you can see a giant snowball accumulated in my hair.

The ground actually had started out dry before we got all of this stuff again.

Saturday Steph and I went for a 14 miler that we managed to keep under 10 minutes/mile. I felt great during it and was barely sore the next day. Maybe all of this speed work is paying off!

Sunday Borsch and I did a nice easy bike ride of 22 miles in rain that was reminiscent of IMMOO 2006 except even colder and muddier. Up until then, I had the "no rides outside if it's not 50 degrees," but I don't think it even got up to 45. It actually felt great, and even though we were just out for an easy ride, we still maintained a pace well over 15 mph. In the rain. And the cold. And the wind. I felt way better than during last weekend's ride.

Training for an early summer marathon is so much different than I thought it would be. I've done plenty of fall ones, so I sort of thought that I had this all down. For some reason, I didn't think I would be battling intervals in the snow or waiting for my local track to melt. I didn't anticipate worrying about my footing on my long runs because there was so much ice on the sidewalk. I've lived here for 27 years. You'd think I would have known that there would still be snow in March and April. Thankfully, it's starting to warm up, and almost all of our snow is melted. The days are getting longer, so I should still be able to get my runs in even when I work the weekend. I'm sure looking forward to having the water fountains in the parks turned on for the season, though. This year is also a little different because I haven't been able to rely on my natural motivation to get out and go. My body usually comes out of hibernation sometime between mid-March and mid-April, and this year I had to force it out early. Plus, when I get home from a long day's work and sit on the couch for a couple of minutes, this happens:

Good luck getting me out the door then! Kermie is holding down my legs while catching a few ZZZs, and Ella is asking for a belly rub. I love taking naps with them.

If you haven't gone to vote for Steve's video in the Drymax socks contest, please go do it. If you've been to his blog, you've seen pictures of his feet after even a short long run. Can you imagine snuggling up to those dogs in bed at night? Not so romantic. He could definitely use a year's worth of quality socks! Voting ends tomorrow, so for my sake, stop over there :)

First Outdoor Ride of the Year

Well, I sort of have a general biking rule that says I don't go out unless the thermometer reads 50 degrees. Running is a different story. Any temp is fair game, but since I don't have a lot of fancy bike gear (like gloves and ear protection for under my helmet, I reserve the right to refuse to ride outdoors.

Saturday was the long run of the week - a recovery, so only 11 miles. Yesterday the sun was shining, and the thermometer hit 51, a real heat wave around here, and a little seed was planted in my brain that said I should go out and test the roads. When my brother Matt called and asked if I wanted to ride, it sealed the deal.

Now Matt's a pretty solid guy. I like riding on flat roads with him because he's 5'10" and 220 pounds of solid muscle. He provides a great draft, and when he first started biking at the end of last summer, I could for the most part keep up with him. This year, I'm really going to have to work to keep up. Our conversations yesterday went something like this.

Matt: "So, um, yeah...I've just been setting my trainer on the highest resistance it will go this winter and just pushing as hard as I can."

Pharmie: "Wow, that's pretty good."

Internal Pharmie: Oh, sheesh, well, I've been to 1-2 spinning classes per week and have hopped on the trainer a couple of times... This could be interesting.

The plan was to go out for an hour or so just to enjoy the weather and get in a nice ride. A few miles into it, I knew it would be a little more than an easy Sunday on the bike. I was pushing HARD and still struggling to keep up.

Matt: "Hey, how ya feeling?"

Pharmie: "Oh, all right I guess. I think my legs are a little sore from the 11 miler yesterday."

Internal Phamie: Why does everyone get so much better than me? I used to be able to run with Steve, now he's winning 5Ks. Now Matt's blowing me out of the water.

The "out" portion of the trail is 3/4 uphill. It's one of those deceiving rides where you can't tell that you're going uphill until you turn around. We were also in a 10-15 MPH headwind. My speedometer wasn't working all day, so I had to ask Matt what our speed was.

Pharmie: "Hey, how fast are we going?"

Matt: "Oh, looks like just over 18."

Pharmie: "Well, that's not too bad!"

Internal Pharmie: No wonder I'm feeling like I'm going to die! Uphill? Against the wind? Sore legs from the run yesterday, and we're going 18 freaking miles per hour?

Matt: "So, um, do you feel like we're working here? 'Cause I gotta be honest with you. I'm not even really breaking a sweat."

Pharmie: "Oh."

Internal Pharmie: Uh Oh.

He waited for me at a couple of intersections, but for the most part, I just kept sucking wind and keeping up. We turned around somewhere between 11 and 12 miles in. The tailwind downhill return home was very welcome, and he either let up a little or there really was a huge difference between the out and back.

Matt: "Hey, my legs are finally starting to warm up. The beer and Jägermeister are finally working their way out of my system. Man my friends and I had fun last night. I think I was still a little drunk when I woke up this morning."

Pharmie: "Glad you're feeling better!"

Internal Pharmie: Holy crap! That ride out was your legs feeling BAD?!?!

Over all, it was a little chilly, but it was so fun to be riding outdoors again. I was covered in mud splatters by the time I got home, and it made me feel like a little kid. I have no idea how much of the ride yesterday was my legs being tired from the run the day before, how much was just lack of training over the winter, and how much was the fact that I was on my old bike instead of my new one. Since I am looking to build up my speed and endurance this year, though, I really do want to be able to keep up with Matt and Steve. I don't want to have to ride all by myself this summer, especially since there's no Ironman in my future, and I don't need to train myself to be lonely out there!

7 Things About Me

I was dually tagged by Runbubbarun and XT4 to list 7 things about me. So, without further ado, here it goes:

1. I'm a two-time Ironman, but I've actually done very few triathlons. In total, I have completed a duathlon, 2 olys, 2 half-iron distance, and my two Ironmans at IMMOO. I started doing tris 5 years ago when I was in grad school and married to another grad student (read: flat broke). In residency, my every other weekend work schedule wasn't very conducive to racing and even training for that matter. This summer will be the first summer where I may actually be able to afford to race, but I still work every 3rd weekend, so we'll see.

2. My only B in high school was in Phy-Ed. I'm still a little bitter about that 9 years later.

3. I've never lived alone. I moved from my parents' house where there were 7 of us to the dorms in college with a roommate to my college house where there were 6 of us girls. Then I married Steve. I really don't mind being alone, but I find a lot of comfort in being around other people.

4. I always knew I would run a marathon. When I took up running in 10th grade, running a marathon became on of my "things to do before I die." I just didn't know it would happen so fast. I finished my first one the day after my 20th birthday.

5. I asked Steve out nearly 11 years ago. We've been married for nearly 5 years now. He's my best friend.

6. Most people have no idea what I actually do. I am a pharmacist but do not work behind a counter at a retail pharmacy. I work on the floor in a hospital. I have between 30 and 60 patients a day. Each day, I look at every one of my patients' profiles. I make sure hat each drug they are on is appropriate for their age, weight, kidney and liver function, condition, and allergies. I look back at the medications they were taking at home and help the doctors decide when it's appropriate to restart them. I help the physicians make sure we're not forgetting to add any medications or to discontinue medications when they're no longer needed. I check for drug interactions in patients' profiles, I monitor drug levels, and I look at labs each day, including cultures, to help the physicians determine the best possible therapy for each patient. A lot changes in 24 hours in a sick patient, so I do it every day for each of my patients. I leave when my work is done, not when the clock reads a certain time. It challenges me every day, but I love it.

7. Diamonds are supposed to be a girl's best friend, but I prefer athletic gear!

I think this one has been going around the blogosphere for a while, so if you haven't been tagged yet, you're it!

Race Me, I'm Irish!

I really am 1/4 Irish, so the title is at least partially true, but I use the word race rather loosely. I really think I've forgotten how a little bit, and that's what this year is for - to relearn it.

Sunday was the “Saint Patrick’s Day Human Race” 8K, the first 8K race I've run in 7 years. It was a rather interesting start because the race was only 3/4 of a mile from our house. Steve had pre-registered us, so we left the house just about 12 minutes before the gun was scheduled to go off. We snapped this picture right before we left.

I know any warm weather readers out there are shuddering at the thought of shorts when it's 32 degrees outside (and at the sight of our pale, pale legs), but in Minnesota at the end of winter, that's a heat wave. In fact, after our jaunt to the start of the race, I put my number on my shorts anticipating possibly needing to shed the long sleeves. Two miles into the race, I was in shorts and a short sleeved shirt, and that's how I ran. Even then I was sweating like I was on some beach in Mexico!

My splits were all over the place. I had my ideal goal time of 40 minutes, which I had no idea if I could really do, my decent run goal of 42:30, and my last resort goal of 45 minutes.

Mile 1: I went out at what I thought was a pace between 8 and 8:30 and felt OK. When I hit the lap button, it read 8:18. Not too bad for where I was hoping to be.

Mile 2: Just trying to keep the pace and assessing whether I would be able to hold it for another 3 miles. This is also where I went for the short sleeves and blinded everyone around me. Pace: 8:22 Still doing OK.

Mile 3: They had us go around a little loop before heading back. I contemplated whether I really needed to stop for water, but I ended up doing it. I also had to stop dead in my tracks when a volunteer stepped right in front of me. Time: 8:43 - not great, but expected.

Mile 4: I have no idea what happened here. I thought I was pushing it, but the clock read otherwise: 8:42.

Mile 5: I started kicking it with a mile left. "Just like training, just like intervals," I kept telling myself. One after one I was passing people. I heard Steve cheering for me at the finish line, "Go Sarah, way to go Sarah!" Somehow It did not surprise me that he had managed to hijack the microphone. I hit my watch one last time: 7:24.

Something tells me I probably should have run the first 4 miles a little faster, but it's all part of racing again. Total time was 41:28, right between goals 1 and 2. Place was 545 out of 1033, so I didn't quite make the top half. There was some really tough competition there though, so I don't feel to bad about it. I had a great time and hope to do it again next year!

Does This Workout Make My Butt Look Big?

So, first, an update: the past month has looked something like this: work, family time, squeeze in a workout, repeat. Work is still crazy. The hospital is busting at the seams with no end in sight. But alas, wrestling season is over, our new nephew has officially been dedicated at church, birthdays have been celebrated, and a good time was had by all. Well, almost all.

Our wrestling team didn't make it past the Goliath that is JCC, and neither did any other team in our class for that matter. After winning our section, they creamed everyone at the state meet. My little brother Mike won the section meet in his weight class (215), and I am so proud of him. He lost in the first round at state, though, in a match he should have easily had. It just wasn't his day. Seeing his face after that match was heartbreaking. On the flip side, his buddy Jake won the gold at state for the 140 pounders, and it was so much fun to see him and a lot of other kids we've watched over the years finish out their high school careers on the mat. I'm slowly getting over the withdrawl.

Marathon training started last week, which reminds me, I should probably get to those 1200s I'm scheduled to do tonight. We found a 3 day a week running program called the FIRST program. It'll be a good one for me for several reasons. It'll make me get more out of my runs, which admittedly I've not been doing the past few years. It will hopefully make me faster, and it leaves plenty of room for tri training. One run per week is intervals, one is tempo, and the long run is supposed to be at a pretty good clip too. No fluffy runs. The past few years have been really busy with a wedding, rotations, residency, and Ironman(s). My runs were spent getting in miles of any quality. Hopefully that will be changing this year.

I took my measurements before I started back to base training this year. Two months later, I've lost an inch in my waist and gained nearly an inch in the hips (read: booty). I guess the extra speedwork combined with the spinning workouts at the Y are shifting the proportions around a little!

We're finally warming up! Thirties to fifties this week, and the shorts are back out. YAHOOOOOO!!

Round Two

Dome intervals again tonight! Unfortunately, it's the only running I've gotten to do in a week. I had to work the weekend, and the extra snow and cold temps have kept me inside at spinning class. So, last week I said I felt faster already, and apparently I am. I did 2 more intervals (8) with 20-30 seconds less time in between. Drum roll please...they were about 5 seconds average faster than last week!

I've got wrestling fever. No, it's not something I caught as a result of Valentine's Day. My youngest brother is wrestling this weekend in team section tourneyment, and it's all I can think about. We're seeded #4 in state, and we have to get by the #1 seeded team to make it out of our section. I probably won't be able to talk on Monday. I'm a screamer. Updates later!

I Feel Faster Already

So this year... me, speed, trying to combine the two. It sounds easy but I assure you it's not. I am S-L-O-W, but last night, I felt a little faster. I decided to take advantage of a program held Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Metrodome (where the Twins and Vikes play). It's only a dollar, and you can run for up to 3 hours. Since my marathon training program will require me to start doing intervals, I figured I'd better get used to them. Minnesota sidewalks in February = tretcherous, so running inside sounded like a great idea.

The dome "track" measures approximately 630 meters per lap on the side that I was running, so my goal was to run 5 intervals at 7:30 pace with two minutes rest in between. I know 2 minutes is a long time, but I wanted to ease into them a little bit. I liked them so much, I did 6. I'm not even joking. The goal was to hit my laps at around 3 minutes, which would be just a little over 7:30 mile pace. (I do realize that this is slower than Steve's half marathon pace a week ago).

Splits:
3:06
3:02
2:57
2:56
2:58
2:54

I've got a lot of work to do before June, but I felt really strong the whole time, and I'm actually excited to go back next week. Maybe this speed stuff will be fun after all!

I Want My Belly Button Dimple Back! You Can Keep the Porno Boobs.

Well, It's winter, and I've put on my usual layer of Christmas cookie chub. The extra layer usually just makes me extra curvy, and it goes away in the spring. At least it usually does. But my metabolism isn't the same as it was a couple of years ago, and my activity level while I'm at work is basically nil since I'm on the computer so much. All of this plus no Ironman training have me a little worried that the chub may be a little harder to take off this year.

A couple of days ago, I noticed that my "second belly button" is getting smaller. It's an indent right above my regular belly button where the muscles come together. I've always been pretty proud of it, and I want it back! Here's a pic of my abs from a couple of years ago. The face has been removed because, well, let's just say we were in Mexico, I'd had a couple of frosty beverages, and the resultant expression in the pic was not flattering.

If you look close, you can see my second belly button.

It's always been one of my secret goals to get a 6 pack. I may have had one briefly in high school. Not really sure if it's possible, but I at least want my old abs back! My sister's boyfriend seems to think that 6 packs don't belong on girls. Anybody else got an opinion?

As you may have guessed from the title, the winter curviness has occurred everywhere. This may make Steve happy, but it's not too much fun to squeeze into a sports bra that was hard to breathe in in the first place. Those girls gotta go.

I'm super excited that my marathon training starts in 4 weeks! I'll talk more about the plan later. It's really going to focus on speed, and it only requires 3 days of running per week - perfect for triathletes. The last couple of years have been spent running for the sake of logging miles. I'm excited for my runs to have a purpose again. That means intervals, though. Ugh. I haven't done running intervals in years, and tonight I start at them again. Wish me luck!

St. Paul Winter Carnival Half Marathon Sherpa Report and "Winter" Running in Minnesota

Saturday was the St. Paul Winter Carnival Half Marathon. A month or so ago, I had planned on running it, but my longest run in the past month has only been 8 miles. I knew I wouldn't have a problem finishing, but I've done plenty of runs lately because I can, not because I'm ready. Plus, I was really excited to e Steve break 1:30 - his "crazy goal time." He wasn't sure he could do it. I knew better :) We got there about an hour early, and while Steve stretched, I snapped photos and looked for other bloggers. We saw Jeremy pretty early on, and IronGirlNyhus spotted me near the start line. IronMomJenny wasn't far behind her. We stopped for a quick photo before the start with one of their friends. I feel terrible that I can't remember her name!.

After the gun went off, I started out for my own run. I had hoped to go 8 or 9 miles, but some quick mental math and I realized that I may not make it back to see Steve finish, so I backed it off and only went 7.5. My legs were a little hashed from a couple of hill workouts in spinning class Wednesday and Friday anyway. I wanted to make sure I was at the finish line with plenty of time to spare just in case Steve way exceeded his goal, so I got there 10 minutes early. He was right on time, though, and he finished 1:29:13. I knew he could do it! I'm so happy that someone in our house is fast! We waited around for a while, and it wasn't long before Jeremy crossed the finish line. IronGirlNyhus came in a little while later, but I didn't get to see Jenny finish. By then most of my body was frozen, and I needed to warm up. Sorry Jenny!

Today it was 40 degrees! I managed to only work an 8 hour day and made it home with daylight to spare. I donned my hawt new running skirt and was soon out the door for a tempo run. At the turn around, I was overheating a little, and by the time I got home, I was in short sleeves too. I got a couple of crazy looks, but it did make my splits faster. I negative split my return by about a minute. Tomorrow we're back to normal January. It's supposed to cool off 40 degrees in the next 24 hours and be below 0 by tomorrow at this time.

Spring Cleaning!

Things are looking a little different around here. I thought I'd spiff up the the place since cobwebs collected in it for so long. Plus, the heat wave we're getting this weekend (30s!) has me excited for spring. Profile updated? Check. Title updated? Check. Bloggy buddies updated now too. I'm sure I'll think of more blogs that I like to stop in on, but for now, this is what I've got. If I've forgotten anybody, please leave a comment or send me an email. I'd love to link you! Coming soon: my 2008 race schedule. It looks to be a speedy year!

I'm Back!!

Well, after a much needed hiatus, I'm back. I figure since I'm now officially signed up for my next marathon, I should really be posting again. More on my 2008 season plan to come soon. A brief update on my last 2 months:

* My car was stolen in late November. It was quite a educational experience. Who knew that an 18 year old car with 190K miles on it would be so easy to steal, and who knew the whole thing would be such a pain in the butt to deal with? It's amazing how many times over you're victimized when your car is stolen. I took the bus to work most days. Sometimes Steve gave me rides. The thought taking the bus to the Y for a workout after I finally made it home for the day though, was not very enticing. Needless to say, I didn't make it there for the full month that my car was being fixed. My workouts were limited to running outside for a month or so.

* After the radio and window were fixed and the steering column was replaced on my car, a huge hole blew threw the muffler, and we decided smokey had to go. So, this is what I've been driving around for the last 3 weeks:

Since I've never had a car with less than 160,000 miles, it is a little scary to drive a car that's only 2 years old, but I'm getting very used to doors, locks, and speakers that work. Plus, the remote start has come in handy this week. Bonus: both of our bikes should fit in the hatchback this summer!

* I spent 6 weeks in November and December sick. A nasty cold, another nasty cold, and a horrible case of food poisoning to top it off. Um...not fun. I think I'm finally on the upswing though.

* Two weeks ago, we had a warm spell in Minnesota. It was around 35 degrees, and I ran in shorts. Today, the high here is -2 degrees. I am so not a Minnesotan.

Man...I Don't Even Come to My Blog Anymore!

It's true. For the last couple of weeks, I've maybe visited my blog twice, and even that's probably being generous. Steve's blog has been much more fun to read lately. Going to my blog just reminds me of one more thing I'm behind on, and that's not really anything I want to worry about now. Plus, there's really nothing to report. I've essentially taken 2 months off since Ironman, aside from a marathon, a couple of runs, a bike ride or two, and some inline skating. I haven't even been in the pool since September. Yeesh. I've really let myself go.

Work has been crazy lately, although when is it not? I switched from the Surgical, Trauma and Neurosurg Unit to a General Medicine floor. I knew the switch would happen in October when I was hired in July, but I didn't really stop to think what that would mean for me - learning a whole new area, new teams, new nurses, and a new way to structure my day. Needless to say, I'm still learning all of that. I started just over two weeks ago by working a 70 hour week to begin a 10 day stretch. I get home at night and am so exhausted from being "on" all day that I can't muster much of anything. Looks like this week will be another long one. Is it Friday yet?

We no longer have free dial-up (ie any sort of internet access) at home, so if I want to get up a blog post, I need to stay at work after already having been on the computer for at least 10 hours. Lately, I've been choosing to catch up on others' blogs and then going home. Sorry folks, there's really not much to report here anyway.

I haven't completely been ignoring triathlon and running, though. 2008 is just around the corner, and I've been working on The Big Plan. It's been a while since I had a fast season, so it's about time I dug one up again. The last two years have been very slow as far as race times go because I trained my body to do that for Ironman. This year, there's no Ironman to slow me down, and I've got PR fever. More on all of this later. For now, just wanted everyone to know I'm still alive. I'll try to report on something a little more exciting next time!