Tuesday track night went better than it has been going recently. I had a little nap at the studio in the afternoon, and I really think that helped for me to not have the dragging, "I just want to lay down" feeling I have been having at track. It also helped that Christen and Shaun decided to come. I think the fresh faces made it more exciting.
The four of us warmed up a mile. Then after a lot more chit-chat, I pushed everyone out onto the track. There were jokes of me being team captain. But it was 6:25 already! I didn't want to be a stickler on the time, but I also wanted to get out of there at a decent time. Plus Erin was making dinner for us.
Shaun attempted to stick with Roman for some 800s, but only lasted 300. He's never done a track workout, so it isn't at all surprising that he didn't know what kind of pace he could hold. Later it looked like he was running 400 of the 800 Roman would do, so that was good. It's so amazing how fast Roman is. Shaun was definitely faster than me and Christen. He's probably somewhere around Greg's pace. So next time, when Greg is there, the two of them will probably make a good pair.
Christen stuck with me. I could tell she was struggling with the last one, but she agreed that it was a good workout. She has just recently started running again. We did 400s, all at a very consistent 1:53. I did an extra one at the end in 1:47. Felt pretty good about that. Overall it was a good workout. The marching band (or more likely, a section of the marching band) was practicing marching on the field while we were there. It took me back a little bit to those fun drills in the sun - practicing heal-toe 8 to 5 over and over and over to the beat of the electronic metronome. Soooo boring! :) It also made me think about how I still would really really like to volunteer for a local high school's band...Kings seems to be a similar caliber and style of band as what I was in, so maybe I could be of use there.
Anyway, Wednesday's run was good despite my shitty leg soreness, as reported :) After my legs finally loosened up a bit, it was just my breathing to contend with, which was pretty terrible. It makes me look forward to fall, or whatever break from humidity we might get any time soon. I couldn't suck in the air quickly enough.
Speaking of fall... the Cincinnati Half Marathon is October 23rd and I'm super excited about this being a next goal for me and Casey. I am enjoying the 5Ks, but distance is my love. Upon making the decision to do it, I finally feel settled again with my running and just in the right place, for lack of better words. Woohoo! It's going to be awesome!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday Spinning and a Nice 9:20 paced 3 miles.
Monday's class was pretty great. We're back to full classes again, courtesy of the Women's Network meetings about getting old and fat, and how to combat the latter. Our classes, consequently are filling up with new, middle aged women, who just don't seem to be trying very hard. At least they aren't chatty kathys . It does make getting signed up a bit harder though, when I forget to get my name on the list. When I got to class, Karen told me I'd have to go easy on her. This would be her second class, back to back, and that she was already tired. I told her that I couldn't make any promises, as this would be my only spinning class of the week. I really had intended to push hard during the class.
It was a familliar score, one that we have used many times but not in quite a while. Which makes me think of something... Isn't it funny how you get used to the transistions in a given mix? You learn to expect the next song, after an exact space of time passes. It fascinates me that I know what song will be coming on, in a completely mixed up selection of music... anyway.
It was a routine with a few hills, one long gradual and one short and steep, and several long, faster than comfortable flats. Normally we follow up our heavy hills with these fast flats and I need 30 seconds or more to catch my breath. I made it a point of not taking much rest between my hard pushes, and I could really tell how much more drained I felt at the end of class. I think this is something I am going to start working on. Karen said she was happy with the work level of the class... She was sweating.
This morning I had my usual run with Steph. She and I scaled back a little this morning since she was having shitty leg pain, and I discovered a crick in my neck. It was 3 miles, not too warm, but still humid. 9:20 pace for 28:00 3 miler. We talked about trying to find another goal to focus on, and Steph mentioned a half marathon in October. Sounds good to me. I think I can prepare for 13.1. Heck, I've run nearly half that distance already ;)
I'm going to be taking a few days off of my routine, which is unfortunate with my new drive. Ah well, It'll be good times. Headed to NY for a long weekend with members of my WoW guild. There will be lots of bad food, beer, no real exercise and beer. Guess I'll have to work it off next week. Woot
It was a familliar score, one that we have used many times but not in quite a while. Which makes me think of something... Isn't it funny how you get used to the transistions in a given mix? You learn to expect the next song, after an exact space of time passes. It fascinates me that I know what song will be coming on, in a completely mixed up selection of music... anyway.
It was a routine with a few hills, one long gradual and one short and steep, and several long, faster than comfortable flats. Normally we follow up our heavy hills with these fast flats and I need 30 seconds or more to catch my breath. I made it a point of not taking much rest between my hard pushes, and I could really tell how much more drained I felt at the end of class. I think this is something I am going to start working on. Karen said she was happy with the work level of the class... She was sweating.
This morning I had my usual run with Steph. She and I scaled back a little this morning since she was having shitty leg pain, and I discovered a crick in my neck. It was 3 miles, not too warm, but still humid. 9:20 pace for 28:00 3 miler. We talked about trying to find another goal to focus on, and Steph mentioned a half marathon in October. Sounds good to me. I think I can prepare for 13.1. Heck, I've run nearly half that distance already ;)
I'm going to be taking a few days off of my routine, which is unfortunate with my new drive. Ah well, It'll be good times. Headed to NY for a long weekend with members of my WoW guild. There will be lots of bad food, beer, no real exercise and beer. Guess I'll have to work it off next week. Woot
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Asha for Education 5K
Official Time: 29:25, a 9:30 min per mile.
It was a humid morning. The sun was hot. Casey and I warmed up, which I am very glad happened. But my legs still started in a bad state. The first mile felt very smooth and I was trying to settle into a breathing pattern. The first mile went by in 8:45, which I was happy with...but it was awfully difficult. I was trying to ignore my stiff legs which were hurting pretty bad. My shins were yelling at me. Everything was tight for some reason. The course wound its way through the park, and each elevation change was painful, especially the downhills. I knew I was slowing down and urged Casey to go on, because it was getting pretty ugly for me. There was a pretty significant downhill before we turned to go up hill and head back to Mason-Montgomery Road. I winced in pain with each foot strike. Damn legs!
After passing the two mile marker, I slowly realized I only had a mile left! As painful of a race as it was, it was flying by pretty quickly. We were climbing a long hill that really wasn't that steep, but for me that day, it was pretty bad. I saw a woman on the hill walk. Then she started running very slowly again and I passed her. I decided I wasn't going to let her pass me back. This became the goal for the remainder of the race. I figured since it was sucking so bad, at least I could maybe "race" someone and have some fun that way. I heard her breathing behind me – it was just as erratic and awful sounding as my gasps. I'd hear her close the gap and would speed up a little. I hoped she didn't have too much left in her because if she decided to start really running, I didn't think I could go much faster than I was going.
In the last .25 miles, she started her kick. We rounded a corner and I saw her shadow. Crap! I started the slow communication process with my legs to go faster, and they finally started moving a bit. I was pretending that Casey and I were running the usual Wednesday morning route and were doing the final push. It hurts, but I can always do it. She and I were side by side for a moment, but I managed to somehow stay right in front of her. It felt like a LONG push. I thought I was going to puke. I crossed the line 2 seconds before her, according to the race results. I don't know how much she cared about it, but I was very glad to have beaten her. Even though I didn't run as fast as I had wanted to, that was a very fun way to end it. And now that I think about it, I've never done that before – "raced" someone across the line.
Overall, I'm disappointed with my time. But it was hot, and hillier than I thought it would be. We'll see what the next race course has in store for us...and I would really like to come close to my PR of 26:36. I think I might start doing Yasso 800s at track again. Even though those are used for marathon training, I think the long pushing is really beneficial for me and my breathing. It always seems to be more about my breathing than my legs.
It was a humid morning. The sun was hot. Casey and I warmed up, which I am very glad happened. But my legs still started in a bad state. The first mile felt very smooth and I was trying to settle into a breathing pattern. The first mile went by in 8:45, which I was happy with...but it was awfully difficult. I was trying to ignore my stiff legs which were hurting pretty bad. My shins were yelling at me. Everything was tight for some reason. The course wound its way through the park, and each elevation change was painful, especially the downhills. I knew I was slowing down and urged Casey to go on, because it was getting pretty ugly for me. There was a pretty significant downhill before we turned to go up hill and head back to Mason-Montgomery Road. I winced in pain with each foot strike. Damn legs!
After passing the two mile marker, I slowly realized I only had a mile left! As painful of a race as it was, it was flying by pretty quickly. We were climbing a long hill that really wasn't that steep, but for me that day, it was pretty bad. I saw a woman on the hill walk. Then she started running very slowly again and I passed her. I decided I wasn't going to let her pass me back. This became the goal for the remainder of the race. I figured since it was sucking so bad, at least I could maybe "race" someone and have some fun that way. I heard her breathing behind me – it was just as erratic and awful sounding as my gasps. I'd hear her close the gap and would speed up a little. I hoped she didn't have too much left in her because if she decided to start really running, I didn't think I could go much faster than I was going.
In the last .25 miles, she started her kick. We rounded a corner and I saw her shadow. Crap! I started the slow communication process with my legs to go faster, and they finally started moving a bit. I was pretending that Casey and I were running the usual Wednesday morning route and were doing the final push. It hurts, but I can always do it. She and I were side by side for a moment, but I managed to somehow stay right in front of her. It felt like a LONG push. I thought I was going to puke. I crossed the line 2 seconds before her, according to the race results. I don't know how much she cared about it, but I was very glad to have beaten her. Even though I didn't run as fast as I had wanted to, that was a very fun way to end it. And now that I think about it, I've never done that before – "raced" someone across the line.
Overall, I'm disappointed with my time. But it was hot, and hillier than I thought it would be. We'll see what the next race course has in store for us...and I would really like to come close to my PR of 26:36. I think I might start doing Yasso 800s at track again. Even though those are used for marathon training, I think the long pushing is really beneficial for me and my breathing. It always seems to be more about my breathing than my legs.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Ok, So....
There has been lots of lifting, lots of Spinning, and especially lots of running to note, that have come and gone without a peep on here. Also, perhaps not coincidentally, I have plateaued on my weight loss. I've only lost 2-3lbs since being back from Greece, and held consistantly in the low 190s. One day I weighed in at 189, but I think that either the scale was out of balance, or that I had sweated out all of my water weight that day. Alas, I weighed in today at 192. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what I've accomplised over the last 9 months. 46 lbs is a long journey, but I'm not seeing much or any progress any more. And that gets discouraging. My lifting has pathetic, suffered from either lack of motivation, sleep, proper nutrition, or a combination of all of these things. I don't think it's muscle gain balancing out fat burn. Also, work has been pretty crappy lately. People have left the company, but the work load is the same or greater. Now all of the load is being carried on 6 shoulders instead of 8. On top of this, almost all of the work load increase I have seen I have little to not interest in. So.....
I'm back, and will be updating this blog as often as I can to stay accountable for my work.
I'm hardly focused, but I want to try to regain what I had before Greece.
I'm going to try to lock down my eating/snacking again. It's relaxed.
I want to push my weight down in the 180s - my high school weight.
I need to get my lifting going strong again. Be it through diet correction, or finding a partner.
This past weekend I ran a 5k, along with Stephanie, at the Corwin Nixon park in Mason. It was a charity thing for ASHA, an organization that donates the proceeds to the education of children in India. I can feel pretty ok about that if nothing else. I feel pretty comfortable compairing this run the first race. The weather conditions were about the same (sunny, very humid to start, and very hot in the sun). It was hilly, not as rolling as idlewild, nor as aggressive, but still hilly. When I started off, I felt like I was holding back a bit this time. I wanted this as I really felt like I burned myself out off the line at idlewild. It was an 8:45 first mile. The second mile came to a close after the biggest of the hills. I'm really glad I held off pushing really hard the first 1.5, becuase when I got to the top of this hill, I was really starting to feel the strain. I had saved up what I needed to get up this hill efficiently. When I rounded the corner it was 18:20. I guess my last 1.1miles were completed in 10:10 - a 9:24 pace. I finished as hard as I could... gaining that I-want-to-vomit feeling I get when i've just pushed as hard as I could. It was my second 5k and I can be pretty proud about finishing 33 second faster pace than my first race: 9:45-9:12, or 30:06 to 28:31. The next race I would really like to finish sub 9 pace.
I'm back, and will be updating this blog as often as I can to stay accountable for my work.
I'm hardly focused, but I want to try to regain what I had before Greece.
I'm going to try to lock down my eating/snacking again. It's relaxed.
I want to push my weight down in the 180s - my high school weight.
I need to get my lifting going strong again. Be it through diet correction, or finding a partner.
This past weekend I ran a 5k, along with Stephanie, at the Corwin Nixon park in Mason. It was a charity thing for ASHA, an organization that donates the proceeds to the education of children in India. I can feel pretty ok about that if nothing else. I feel pretty comfortable compairing this run the first race. The weather conditions were about the same (sunny, very humid to start, and very hot in the sun). It was hilly, not as rolling as idlewild, nor as aggressive, but still hilly. When I started off, I felt like I was holding back a bit this time. I wanted this as I really felt like I burned myself out off the line at idlewild. It was an 8:45 first mile. The second mile came to a close after the biggest of the hills. I'm really glad I held off pushing really hard the first 1.5, becuase when I got to the top of this hill, I was really starting to feel the strain. I had saved up what I needed to get up this hill efficiently. When I rounded the corner it was 18:20. I guess my last 1.1miles were completed in 10:10 - a 9:24 pace. I finished as hard as I could... gaining that I-want-to-vomit feeling I get when i've just pushed as hard as I could. It was my second 5k and I can be pretty proud about finishing 33 second faster pace than my first race: 9:45-9:12, or 30:06 to 28:31. The next race I would really like to finish sub 9 pace.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Coming Soon....
Official PR post from Casey and Stephanie for the 5K we're about to run.
Also,
Casey's new promise to update regularly!
Back in a few hours.
Also,
Casey's new promise to update regularly!
Back in a few hours.
Friday, July 23, 2010
5K tomorrow!!!
To Casey,
This is what I know concerning tomorrow's race:
1. Greg's job sucks, but that's another story.
2. The course is "relatively flat" but please be aware that there are some hills. Small and nothing like the one in Idlewild, thank god.
3. It's going to be hot. I hope you're drinking a lot of water today.
4. I'm going to beat you.
5. Number 4 probably isn't true.
6. I'm going to try to beat you. Which means I'll probably have a heat stroke.
7. If we happen to be going for the finish line at the same time, I will signal the monkeys to come down and peck at your head so I can win. I am that ruthless.
8. It's going to be fun!
9. You're going to PR!!!! :) (yes "PR" is a verb and noun.)
This is what I know concerning tomorrow's race:
1. Greg's job sucks, but that's another story.
2. The course is "relatively flat" but please be aware that there are some hills. Small and nothing like the one in Idlewild, thank god.
3. It's going to be hot. I hope you're drinking a lot of water today.
4. I'm going to beat you.
5. Number 4 probably isn't true.
6. I'm going to try to beat you. Which means I'll probably have a heat stroke.
7. If we happen to be going for the finish line at the same time, I will signal the monkeys to come down and peck at your head so I can win. I am that ruthless.
8. It's going to be fun!
9. You're going to PR!!!! :) (yes "PR" is a verb and noun.)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Track and Wednesday Four
Track Tuesday:
1 mile warm up
4 x 400, walking 200 in between repeats:
1:53
1:49
1:51
1:51
1 mile cool down, 10:20 pace
Wednesday:
4 miles in I don't remember what and the watch got reset while in my bag, but it was under 10 pace.
Rough morning. Legs were a little stiff but loosened. Breathing was difficult. Thanks for putting up with me, Casey.
Week is looking pretty good running-wise. I'm not eating all that well. Hmmmm. Really need to get to the grocery store, also known as my most favorite place on the planet.
1 mile warm up
4 x 400, walking 200 in between repeats:
1:53
1:49
1:51
1:51
1 mile cool down, 10:20 pace
Wednesday:
4 miles in I don't remember what and the watch got reset while in my bag, but it was under 10 pace.
Rough morning. Legs were a little stiff but loosened. Breathing was difficult. Thanks for putting up with me, Casey.
Week is looking pretty good running-wise. I'm not eating all that well. Hmmmm. Really need to get to the grocery store, also known as my most favorite place on the planet.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday Easy-Peasy Three
After work I went out the building and ran down to the trail. It wasn't as humid as it has been. My stomach was still way too full of the taco salad I had at lunch, so I took it easy. My legs were also very very full of lead for the first half. But after turning around and stretching my calves a bit, they felt perfect. I think I must have just flushed out a bunch of ickiness.
Probably around 3 miles at a 10:00 pace. Perfect recovery run.
Tonight is track. I have to remember to eat a light lunch. That is the hardest thing for me when running after work: not experiencing awful heartburn or stomach issues because of too much food in my belly. Not sure what I'll have yet though. A turkey sammich sounds good...maybe I'll walk down to Blue Chip and get one and eat by the trail.
Probably around 3 miles at a 10:00 pace. Perfect recovery run.
Tonight is track. I have to remember to eat a light lunch. That is the hardest thing for me when running after work: not experiencing awful heartburn or stomach issues because of too much food in my belly. Not sure what I'll have yet though. A turkey sammich sounds good...maybe I'll walk down to Blue Chip and get one and eat by the trail.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
For This Week
I'd like to ramp up my training this week similar to the great week I had before the duathlon. I need to run more. I looked at my mileage totals for the last 13 weeks on Logyourrun.com (where everything is tallied conveniently) and have discovered my mileage is pretty low. It's under 15 miles a week. I just haven't been paying attention to the weekly number. I'll work on that this week, all depending on my knee's agreement of course. It still feels great today and there is no indication that I ran more than usual on Saturday morning. :)
I may go for a run in the morning, a very easy one. Something to look forward to and bring me out of the funk I'm in right now. I suppose I'll go for a shop ride after work if it happens. I don't want to go 40 miles though because I'm still hypothesizing that my knee hurts from the sudden long biking. It's probably similar to the running once a week issue -- I should probably bike more than once a week. My head and plans seem to be turning more to running though. I don't know...
I'm rambling...just trying to figure some stuff out.
Week in Review: 7/11 - 7/17
Sun 7/11 Caesar Creek Duathlon: 6.2 miles running, 13.6 mile bike
Mon 7/12 rest
Tue 7/13 weights, core
Wed 7/14 4 miles in 38:24 (9:36 pace)
Thu 7/15 3 miles, very easy
Fri 7/16 off
Sat 7/17 6 miles - awesome!
running: 19 miles
biking: 13.6 miles
biking: 13.6 miles
*** I'm going to start paying more attention to my weekly mileage again. I'm not running enough.***
Friday, July 16, 2010
3 Easy Miles in Thick Air
After work yesterday, I got Christen to go out with me for a 3 mile run on the trail. I texted her early in the morning to try to convince her to bring her stuff, and she agreed! She's just getting back into running, and has been going one or two miles here and there. Three sounded OK to her, after I assured her I didn't care if we walked, went slow, or whatever.
So it must have been 95ยบ outside. It was disgustingly hot. For some reason I decided to wear the shirt I got at the Caesar Creek du, which was white, men's, and wasn't sleeveless - and since it was a men's the sleeves came all the way down to my elbows. Feeling it on my arms bothered me immediately in the sticky weather, but oh well, it was the shirt I brought.
We enjoyed the shady sections of the trail, and hated the spots that dumped us into the sun. We turned around at 15 minutes, so we ran for 30 minutes total, and I'm guessing it was about 3 miles - felt like a 10 pace. We only walked a couple of times.
Today I'm taking the day off from running, but will lift when I get home. I'm still sore from Tuesday's session...I guess that's good though!
So it must have been 95ยบ outside. It was disgustingly hot. For some reason I decided to wear the shirt I got at the Caesar Creek du, which was white, men's, and wasn't sleeveless - and since it was a men's the sleeves came all the way down to my elbows. Feeling it on my arms bothered me immediately in the sticky weather, but oh well, it was the shirt I brought.
We enjoyed the shady sections of the trail, and hated the spots that dumped us into the sun. We turned around at 15 minutes, so we ran for 30 minutes total, and I'm guessing it was about 3 miles - felt like a 10 pace. We only walked a couple of times.
Today I'm taking the day off from running, but will lift when I get home. I'm still sore from Tuesday's session...I guess that's good though!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Foggy Wednesday
4 miles with 3 x 2:00 in the middle, at whatever quicker pace that was. 38:24 (I think) so a 9:36 pace average. My legs were so tired. I'm glad we pushed through it though. I think tomorrow I will take a slow slow jog. A slog.
And this was in my inbox this morning:
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/3-Ways-to-Take-Your-Run-to-the-Next-Level.htm?cmp=306&memberid=48981889&lyrisid=20820580
It's an article from Active Triathlete's newsletter I get that had a quick blurb about how to ramp up your running speed. Maybe some stuff to try. I've done hill repeats before (as opposed to just running a hilly route) and actually find it quite fun.
And this was in my inbox this morning:
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/3-Ways-to-Take-Your-Run-to-the-Next-Level.htm?cmp=306&memberid=48981889&lyrisid=20820580
It's an article from Active Triathlete's newsletter I get that had a quick blurb about how to ramp up your running speed. Maybe some stuff to try. I've done hill repeats before (as opposed to just running a hilly route) and actually find it quite fun.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Track Turned into Lifting
Track wasn't meant to be tonight, for a few reasons I guess. Greg was going to look at a motorcycle, which would make him pretty late (as in "see you guys for the cool down" late). Roman had to drive from Covington, in the rain, pick up Erin to get their produce co-op, then drop Erin off at the VW dealership... oh and it was raining. Me...well, I am not going to complain. I suppose my knee could use another day of rest after the duathlon. The rain did not keep me away, but I wasn't going to persist on doing a track workout on my recovering legs. And so, instead, I lifted and we had dinner with Roman later at BW3's
Newsflash: BW3's has new DRY sauces rubs! I had Chipotle BBQ on my 6 wings, and it was fantastic!
Lifting.
I did my normal circuit that I learned in high school... then threw in some other stuff on the ball and some leg therapy stuff. It wasn't bad. I'm calling this my first lifting session. And let's make me make it a regular thing. Tuesday really does work out because track is in the evening. Or Monday. And then Friday. I'm just spurting out days of the week, aren't I. Babbling.
I did this circuit twice. All with dumbbells
Curls - second set I did concentration curls (15)
Vertical Row (15)
Shoulder Press (15)
Tricep Extension - standing first set, bent over second set (15)
Lateral Raise - bent over first set, standing second set (20)
Bent Over One Arm Row (15/20)
----
Hip Side Leg Raises - standing (20 each leg)
Chest Press on the ball (15)
Crunches (15)
Standing holding ball twists (50 fast)
Ball pass overhead on floor - for abs (20)
Squats, no weight (30)
So, that was lifting. Time to ice my knee for the morning!
Newsflash: BW3's has new DRY sauces rubs! I had Chipotle BBQ on my 6 wings, and it was fantastic!
Lifting.
I did my normal circuit that I learned in high school... then threw in some other stuff on the ball and some leg therapy stuff. It wasn't bad. I'm calling this my first lifting session. And let's make me make it a regular thing. Tuesday really does work out because track is in the evening. Or Monday. And then Friday. I'm just spurting out days of the week, aren't I. Babbling.
I did this circuit twice. All with dumbbells
Curls - second set I did concentration curls (15)
Vertical Row (15)
Shoulder Press (15)
Tricep Extension - standing first set, bent over second set (15)
Lateral Raise - bent over first set, standing second set (20)
Bent Over One Arm Row (15/20)
----
Hip Side Leg Raises - standing (20 each leg)
Chest Press on the ball (15)
Crunches (15)
Standing holding ball twists (50 fast)
Ball pass overhead on floor - for abs (20)
Squats, no weight (30)
So, that was lifting. Time to ice my knee for the morning!
Catching up.
Friday - pathetic lifting attempt followed by a nice long session in the sauna
Saturday - Disc golf at Woodland mound. it was a pretty good game for me.
Sunday - I got to watch some exercise! GO STEPH! That evening I threw around some 200lbs railroad ties, and did a bunch of digging. Those fuckers are heavy.
Monday - Spinning. This was a great Monday class. It was the old techno-covers of hit songs. The first half of class were were supossed to focus on not getting over worked... only reach a 7 or 8 in intensity. We had some longer easy interval work.... a race-pace with 1 minute intervals with increased cadence. Then the half-way marker came with a quick steep hill to get us pushing. After a brief cooldown, we went back into more intervals. this time they were 30 second inteverals, and we had 4 sprints during the song. 30 on and 45 sec maintain pace. Then a long uncomfortable race pace flat for "recovery", followed immediatly with another monster hill. This is where I got pointed out in class by Karen again. The hill was a steep climb to some song I didn't know, but I was determined to maintain cadence despite the resistance increases. For the last 45 seconds of the hill, Karen asked us to push harder and increase our power with resistance, cadence or both. I did both and pushed HARD. Karen then says, " Come on, Push! I'm not leaving you behind, who's with me?" Come on, Push!! Casey's with me!" If I wasn't already red faced and sweaty, I probably would have been. It was a good class for sure. We've talked about the people that just don't seem to try very hard, and how I'm there to work hard for the short 45 minutes we have. As a matter of fact, loud annoying girl was sitting right behind me in the middle row since all the back row was taken. I don't think she spoke a word all class since she wasn't with her friends. But my friend in the class said she didn't appear to be sweating at all... Why bother.
More later on today's successful lifting.
Saturday - Disc golf at Woodland mound. it was a pretty good game for me.
Sunday - I got to watch some exercise! GO STEPH! That evening I threw around some 200lbs railroad ties, and did a bunch of digging. Those fuckers are heavy.
Monday - Spinning. This was a great Monday class. It was the old techno-covers of hit songs. The first half of class were were supossed to focus on not getting over worked... only reach a 7 or 8 in intensity. We had some longer easy interval work.... a race-pace with 1 minute intervals with increased cadence. Then the half-way marker came with a quick steep hill to get us pushing. After a brief cooldown, we went back into more intervals. this time they were 30 second inteverals, and we had 4 sprints during the song. 30 on and 45 sec maintain pace. Then a long uncomfortable race pace flat for "recovery", followed immediatly with another monster hill. This is where I got pointed out in class by Karen again. The hill was a steep climb to some song I didn't know, but I was determined to maintain cadence despite the resistance increases. For the last 45 seconds of the hill, Karen asked us to push harder and increase our power with resistance, cadence or both. I did both and pushed HARD. Karen then says, " Come on, Push! I'm not leaving you behind, who's with me?" Come on, Push!! Casey's with me!" If I wasn't already red faced and sweaty, I probably would have been. It was a good class for sure. We've talked about the people that just don't seem to try very hard, and how I'm there to work hard for the short 45 minutes we have. As a matter of fact, loud annoying girl was sitting right behind me in the middle row since all the back row was taken. I don't think she spoke a word all class since she wasn't with her friends. But my friend in the class said she didn't appear to be sweating at all... Why bother.
More later on today's successful lifting.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Week in Review: 7/4 - 7/10
Sun 7/4 off
Mon 7/5 disc golf and lots of walking
Tue 7/6 skipped track night - really hot and I didn't want to push it for this weekend
Wed 7/7 4 miles in 38:20 (9:35 pace). Ran the last 2 quicker.
Thu 7/8 off
Fri 7/9 off
Sat 7/10 disc golf
***taper week before the du***
running: 4 miles
biking: 0 miles
running: 4 miles
biking: 0 miles
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Caesar Creek Duathlon
Unofficial results from Greg's stopwatch:
5K Run1: 30:22 --- 9:48 min/mile
T1: 1:49
22K (13.6 miles) Bike: 50:22 ---- 16.22 mph average
T2: 1:46
Run2: 34:27 --- 11:07 min/mile (WTF!)
Overall, it was a very fun day, made incredibly wonderful by spectating friends!!!!
However, after everything from the race has sunk in, I've found myself pretty disappointed with how I did. I guess it was just one of those days where my body rejected me trying to convince it to go any faster or harder. But that always leaves you feeling bummed when there isn't really a clear explanation for the performance. I know I can't make a direct comparison of this race to the Tri for Joe because the courses were a lot different. But still - I should have done way better on the runs, at least the first one. I don't know why I didn't. If the very hilly bike course shredded my legs for the second one, fine. But 9:48 min miles for the first 5K?!? When I felt like I was pushing at a race pace?? I don't get it.
I suppose I'm satisfied with the bike portion. I checked my clock a lot and was usually going 18 - 20 mph on flats. There weren't many flats though. According to my computer, my top speed down hills was 35 mph and I know that up the long climbs I was going as slow as 5 mph, usually 8 or 10 on the shorter climbs. It was a very challenging bike ride. Aside from the overall feeling that it just wasn't my day while I was out there, I'm ok with it. If I did indeed average 16 mph on such a hilly course, then that is an improvement compared to my du's of previous years.
The last run. Awful. It became a "just get through this" kind of run. I'm very bummed that I never felt happy with how I was doing.
I don't mean to sound negative - just being honest with how it's all shaken out of me. As I mentioned, overall the day was great! I still had a lot of fun out there. It is just more fun when I feel like I'm doing well and see that I'm doing well when I look at the numbers on my watch. I always learn something from these races. I think today I learned that it is a whole different kind of race when you have pressure on yourself. When I've done duathlons in the past, it was really just for fun and to see how I would do. Now that I did the Tri for Joe and saw the biggest improvement for myself ever, with a 5K PR to boot, "racing" feels different.
Going forward... here's where this wonderful blog comes into play with some accountability and perhaps motivation. I need to work harder. Period. I would like to start seeing some improvements: weight loss, strength, speed, etc. I know that I am going to have to work harder to get any of that.
5K Run1: 30:22 --- 9:48 min/mile
T1: 1:49
22K (13.6 miles) Bike: 50:22 ---- 16.22 mph average
T2: 1:46
Run2: 34:27 --- 11:07 min/mile (WTF!)
Overall, it was a very fun day, made incredibly wonderful by spectating friends!!!!
However, after everything from the race has sunk in, I've found myself pretty disappointed with how I did. I guess it was just one of those days where my body rejected me trying to convince it to go any faster or harder. But that always leaves you feeling bummed when there isn't really a clear explanation for the performance. I know I can't make a direct comparison of this race to the Tri for Joe because the courses were a lot different. But still - I should have done way better on the runs, at least the first one. I don't know why I didn't. If the very hilly bike course shredded my legs for the second one, fine. But 9:48 min miles for the first 5K?!? When I felt like I was pushing at a race pace?? I don't get it.
I suppose I'm satisfied with the bike portion. I checked my clock a lot and was usually going 18 - 20 mph on flats. There weren't many flats though. According to my computer, my top speed down hills was 35 mph and I know that up the long climbs I was going as slow as 5 mph, usually 8 or 10 on the shorter climbs. It was a very challenging bike ride. Aside from the overall feeling that it just wasn't my day while I was out there, I'm ok with it. If I did indeed average 16 mph on such a hilly course, then that is an improvement compared to my du's of previous years.
The last run. Awful. It became a "just get through this" kind of run. I'm very bummed that I never felt happy with how I was doing.
I don't mean to sound negative - just being honest with how it's all shaken out of me. As I mentioned, overall the day was great! I still had a lot of fun out there. It is just more fun when I feel like I'm doing well and see that I'm doing well when I look at the numbers on my watch. I always learn something from these races. I think today I learned that it is a whole different kind of race when you have pressure on yourself. When I've done duathlons in the past, it was really just for fun and to see how I would do. Now that I did the Tri for Joe and saw the biggest improvement for myself ever, with a 5K PR to boot, "racing" feels different.
Going forward... here's where this wonderful blog comes into play with some accountability and perhaps motivation. I need to work harder. Period. I would like to start seeing some improvements: weight loss, strength, speed, etc. I know that I am going to have to work harder to get any of that.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday Spinning
What a short week... at least it feels that way. Thursday is nearly over, and the weekend is almost upon us. 4 day weeks are awesome, and I would love to have the option for 4x10s. ah well...
Spinning. I was pretty bummed about not having a monday class, I really have started to look forward to it. Ready to make up for the lost time, I got myself mentally focussed before class and went in ready to work hard. Our music selection was again a throw-back mix. A collection that we listened too when I first started attending the class. It was the Slumdog Millionair mix with Green Day, MIA, Muse and others. Even though it has likely been months since we've used the mix, I could instantly recall the transitions and know when and how to push myself. And...it was a sweat-fest. Most days it takes a few songs for me to warm up and start sweating, but today was different. It was the end of the first song and I saw the drops falling off my brow. I guess I warmed up fast today. By the end of class, there was a full-blown puddle under me. I was actually a bit self concious about it, but I guess there's not much I can do about it. It was a good workout, and I pushed really hard today. One side note... Karen told me she had swapped out my bike for one in the back row. It had something to do with some clicking in the mechanism, and it was driving her nuts. The back row is always full, and I may be the only one that actually sits front and center in her classes. Any-hoo, The resistance knob was MUCH more sensative than on the the bike I've been using for the last few months. It was pretty rough going at times. I was way over geared most of the time. Occasionally Karen will point to the chart on the wall, and say something like, " Ok, I want everyone in the 6-7 range." Innevitably I would be at 8 or 9. I took it as a further challenge. Like I told Karen after class last Thursday... I've only got 45 minutes in class, and I'm not going to waste it going half effort.
Spinning. I was pretty bummed about not having a monday class, I really have started to look forward to it. Ready to make up for the lost time, I got myself mentally focussed before class and went in ready to work hard. Our music selection was again a throw-back mix. A collection that we listened too when I first started attending the class. It was the Slumdog Millionair mix with Green Day, MIA, Muse and others. Even though it has likely been months since we've used the mix, I could instantly recall the transitions and know when and how to push myself. And...it was a sweat-fest. Most days it takes a few songs for me to warm up and start sweating, but today was different. It was the end of the first song and I saw the drops falling off my brow. I guess I warmed up fast today. By the end of class, there was a full-blown puddle under me. I was actually a bit self concious about it, but I guess there's not much I can do about it. It was a good workout, and I pushed really hard today. One side note... Karen told me she had swapped out my bike for one in the back row. It had something to do with some clicking in the mechanism, and it was driving her nuts. The back row is always full, and I may be the only one that actually sits front and center in her classes. Any-hoo, The resistance knob was MUCH more sensative than on the the bike I've been using for the last few months. It was pretty rough going at times. I was way over geared most of the time. Occasionally Karen will point to the chart on the wall, and say something like, " Ok, I want everyone in the 6-7 range." Innevitably I would be at 8 or 9. I took it as a further challenge. Like I told Karen after class last Thursday... I've only got 45 minutes in class, and I'm not going to waste it going half effort.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The week so far.
Monday -
What normally would have been a spinning day, and was in fact a day off, was a better workout than I had initially though. We played a round at banklick, and it was freakin hot. Afterwards I drove around a bunch, but ended back at the Swindons. We walked a mile to the pool, where I spent a lot of time sweating in the sun, but then swimming as well. I'm pretty damn sore for not putting in much effort in the water. We walked the mile back to the swindons, after a few hours at the pool and ate yummy food. Then we walked nearly a mile back and forth to the fireworks. What a great day off.
Tuesday -
I was so sore from Monday, including an odd pinched nerve/muscle problem with my right arm/shoulder, that I decided not to lift. This will be my day off for the week.
Wednesday -
4 mile run at a comfortable pace of 9:35. It wasn't all that hot out, thankfully, and the 4 mile loop we're running leaves us in the shade on our return. That's really nice. This morning we could almost swim through the humidity though. Over all a good run for sure.
What normally would have been a spinning day, and was in fact a day off, was a better workout than I had initially though. We played a round at banklick, and it was freakin hot. Afterwards I drove around a bunch, but ended back at the Swindons. We walked a mile to the pool, where I spent a lot of time sweating in the sun, but then swimming as well. I'm pretty damn sore for not putting in much effort in the water. We walked the mile back to the swindons, after a few hours at the pool and ate yummy food. Then we walked nearly a mile back and forth to the fireworks. What a great day off.
Tuesday -
I was so sore from Monday, including an odd pinched nerve/muscle problem with my right arm/shoulder, that I decided not to lift. This will be my day off for the week.
Wednesday -
4 mile run at a comfortable pace of 9:35. It wasn't all that hot out, thankfully, and the 4 mile loop we're running leaves us in the shade on our return. That's really nice. This morning we could almost swim through the humidity though. Over all a good run for sure.
Wednesday Run Before the Du
4 miles in 38:20 (9:35 pace average)
Started off slow, ran the last half faster to get my legs familiar with some speedier turnover for this weekend.
This was my last run before the duathlon. Last week I had a great training week. And I'm really happy with how the run went this morning. So now I think that after a half hour easy spin tomorrow, it's two days of rest and I'm ready for the duathlon. Wooohooo!!!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Week in Review: 6/27 - 7/3
Sun 6/27 3.3 miles in 34:16 (10:29 pace)
Mon 6/28 40 mile bike ride
Tue 6/29 Track night - 8x100 (easy), 4x200 (51 sec each)
Wed 6/30 4 miles in 39:12 (9:48 pace)
Thu 7/1 off
Fri 7/2 3 miles in 28:05 (9:22 pace)
Sat 7/3 22.5 mile bike ride
*** perfect week, need to keep this up...but first a taper week for the du ***
running: 13 miles
biking: 62.5 miles
Mon 6/28 40 mile bike ride
Tue 6/29 Track night - 8x100 (easy), 4x200 (51 sec each)
Wed 6/30 4 miles in 39:12 (9:48 pace)
Thu 7/1 off
Fri 7/2 3 miles in 28:05 (9:22 pace)
Sat 7/3 22.5 mile bike ride
*** perfect week, need to keep this up...but first a taper week for the du ***
running: 13 miles
biking: 62.5 miles
Sunday, July 4, 2010
...... and we're back
Hello there blogger. It's been a few weeks, our 8 week experiment has passed, and our trip to Greece was awesome. The weather was wonder, the company was the best imaginable, and more on topic, I was in the best shape I've ever been in. My goal of being sub-200 was reached with a week or 2 left, and I was sitting at 197 when we left.
In the last few weeks the progress has continued. When we returned from Greece, I had seen another 2 pounds shed to reach 195. 193 is where I'll pick this up though.
193.... I really don't know when I was last 193 pounds. And I don't know how much more weight loss I'm aiming for, but I suppose there are a few more pounds to lose. I still have some excess to lose around my waist, and upper thighs. I'm generally pleased with the way my lifting is affecting me. My arms, chest and shoulders are showing some nice progress. I think my abs would be showing some nice progress too, but for the excess I mentioned.
So, albeit a bit sluggish, I'm back to track more of my progress. I've been trying to stick to the same schedule, but I've been a bit relaxed. This week was pretty productive, but I'll just start by highlighting.
Monday - spinning - Got pointed out for being "ready" for the last big hill when no one else was
Tuesday - Lifting - Shoulders chest and back.
Wednesday - running - 4 miles at 9:40 pace in the perfect weather
Thursday - Spinning
Friday - Off
Saturday - running - 5 miles around Perrysburg at 9:20 pace
Sunday - Disc Golf - Yet to be played, but we're leaving in a little bit.
In the last few weeks the progress has continued. When we returned from Greece, I had seen another 2 pounds shed to reach 195. 193 is where I'll pick this up though.
193.... I really don't know when I was last 193 pounds. And I don't know how much more weight loss I'm aiming for, but I suppose there are a few more pounds to lose. I still have some excess to lose around my waist, and upper thighs. I'm generally pleased with the way my lifting is affecting me. My arms, chest and shoulders are showing some nice progress. I think my abs would be showing some nice progress too, but for the excess I mentioned.
So, albeit a bit sluggish, I'm back to track more of my progress. I've been trying to stick to the same schedule, but I've been a bit relaxed. This week was pretty productive, but I'll just start by highlighting.
Monday - spinning - Got pointed out for being "ready" for the last big hill when no one else was
Tuesday - Lifting - Shoulders chest and back.
Wednesday - running - 4 miles at 9:40 pace in the perfect weather
Thursday - Spinning
Friday - Off
Saturday - running - 5 miles around Perrysburg at 9:20 pace
Sunday - Disc Golf - Yet to be played, but we're leaving in a little bit.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Friday, Gorgeous Weather
3 miles in 28:05 / 9:22 pace
Lovely lovely morning for a run. Would have been a great one for a long run. Hopefully this weekend's weather will be similar.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Rest Day
After a good three days of quality biking and running, today was a needed rest day. My knee doesn't hurt today, even if I try to make it, so that is good. I'll stop trying to understand it and just accept that it doesn't want to talk about it.
Unfortunately I got my days wrong for spinning at the gym. I thought there was a class on Fridays now, at 8:15. There is but it is that intervals class (that just happens to use the bikes). :( I am a bit bummed because I was happy to add this to my schedule- it fit so well. I guess I'll just get up and run instead and maybe bike Saturday. Crap- now ivejust realized I'll miss the group ride Monday too since we'll be doing fun stuff and watching the fireworks. I am going to have to get out on the roads before the du at least one more time, even if it is (and will be) solo.
Well that was a lot of thinking out loud...
Unfortunately I got my days wrong for spinning at the gym. I thought there was a class on Fridays now, at 8:15. There is but it is that intervals class (that just happens to use the bikes). :( I am a bit bummed because I was happy to add this to my schedule- it fit so well. I guess I'll just get up and run instead and maybe bike Saturday. Crap- now ivejust realized I'll miss the group ride Monday too since we'll be doing fun stuff and watching the fireworks. I am going to have to get out on the roads before the du at least one more time, even if it is (and will be) solo.
Well that was a lot of thinking out loud...
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