"Ok, now do 5 x 100meters."
Hey WAIT, that's 500 meters...
Yeah, that 10 seconds rest in between doesn't really delineate anything to me. A wolf in sheeps' clothing is still a wolf!
6 x 25 = 150meters
You can't fool me!
5x50 = 250
mmmhmmmmmm
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
TAPER WEEK & Last Swim Practice
I just got back from our last swim practice of the season. Four and a half months flew by and all that's left between me and my first triathlon is a few 'taper' days of light workouts before I take off for San Diego.
Last week I wrote about some trepidation about my training, but after this weekends workouts, I'm sure I'll get through it, maybe even with a smile on my face. On Saturday, we did a light swim, practicing the in-water start. This race doesn't start from the shore, rather, we go out a distance and all bob around in the water until our wave (age group) is signaled to start. So after a light 10 minute swim, we did about 18 miles on PCH on our bikes, practicing transitions, and then did a 2 mile run. It was hot as HELL, and we didn't start practice as early as maybe we should have either. 9 a.m. was when we got in the water so by the run around 11, it was boiling and that 2 miles was really really rough. A quick dunk in the water was sooooo nice, and after I left the beach at noon, it already felt like a full day.
Sunday was equally as eventful. I went to bed early, or actually my body forced me into bed early b/c I could barely hold my head up...and was up at 6:30 to go down to Manhattan beach for my first LA Tri Club swim. About 100 people were there, and I was happy to finally find some TNT'ers to buddy up with. Jihan and I ended up swimming a bit over a mile together, slowly but surely, around the manhattan beach pier and back to the beach. It felt great afterwards. It was just such a beautiful day, amazing really, and I can't imagine why I had never done that swim before. Now I had 'accidentally' forgotten my running shoes for a 'fun run' afterwards. But being the incredible athlete and slavedriver that she is, teammate Jiyhan convinced me a 4 mile run barefoot along the beach was the best thing to do. So we did it.
Normally I'm not a huge fan of running around in my bathing suit, or RUNNING in my bathing suit, but i did it. 4 miles with 3 of my teammates to the hermosa beach pier and back, in the boiling hot sun, with a couple quick dunks in the water along the way. Breakfast at Uncle Bill's pancake house afterwards was the perfect chaser.
So after a great weekend of training, and a light run yesterday, I am now in taper. Granted, I have sorta been tapering for 6 weeks :), but this time it's on the schedule. And I'm actually getting excited. On top of that is some bittersweet sadness. I found out Coach Brad won't be at our race and that truly is sad news because he has been so instrumental in all of our progress. tonight my teammates are at the bar, but honestly I couldn't bring myself to go. It just seems too soon and kinda sad to be reminiscing already.
But it really was an incredible season and as I start to slow it down in order to be ready on race day, I will reflect, as Brad suggested in an email today, on how far I have come...from not being able to run a mile to being able to run 6...from not being able to breathe left in swimming to being able to breathe in both directions...from having major saddle sores biking, to building up calluses :)....
more reflection to come...
Last week I wrote about some trepidation about my training, but after this weekends workouts, I'm sure I'll get through it, maybe even with a smile on my face. On Saturday, we did a light swim, practicing the in-water start. This race doesn't start from the shore, rather, we go out a distance and all bob around in the water until our wave (age group) is signaled to start. So after a light 10 minute swim, we did about 18 miles on PCH on our bikes, practicing transitions, and then did a 2 mile run. It was hot as HELL, and we didn't start practice as early as maybe we should have either. 9 a.m. was when we got in the water so by the run around 11, it was boiling and that 2 miles was really really rough. A quick dunk in the water was sooooo nice, and after I left the beach at noon, it already felt like a full day.
Sunday was equally as eventful. I went to bed early, or actually my body forced me into bed early b/c I could barely hold my head up...and was up at 6:30 to go down to Manhattan beach for my first LA Tri Club swim. About 100 people were there, and I was happy to finally find some TNT'ers to buddy up with. Jihan and I ended up swimming a bit over a mile together, slowly but surely, around the manhattan beach pier and back to the beach. It felt great afterwards. It was just such a beautiful day, amazing really, and I can't imagine why I had never done that swim before. Now I had 'accidentally' forgotten my running shoes for a 'fun run' afterwards. But being the incredible athlete and slavedriver that she is, teammate Jiyhan convinced me a 4 mile run barefoot along the beach was the best thing to do. So we did it.
Normally I'm not a huge fan of running around in my bathing suit, or RUNNING in my bathing suit, but i did it. 4 miles with 3 of my teammates to the hermosa beach pier and back, in the boiling hot sun, with a couple quick dunks in the water along the way. Breakfast at Uncle Bill's pancake house afterwards was the perfect chaser.
So after a great weekend of training, and a light run yesterday, I am now in taper. Granted, I have sorta been tapering for 6 weeks :), but this time it's on the schedule. And I'm actually getting excited. On top of that is some bittersweet sadness. I found out Coach Brad won't be at our race and that truly is sad news because he has been so instrumental in all of our progress. tonight my teammates are at the bar, but honestly I couldn't bring myself to go. It just seems too soon and kinda sad to be reminiscing already.
But it really was an incredible season and as I start to slow it down in order to be ready on race day, I will reflect, as Brad suggested in an email today, on how far I have come...from not being able to run a mile to being able to run 6...from not being able to breathe left in swimming to being able to breathe in both directions...from having major saddle sores biking, to building up calluses :)....
more reflection to come...
Friday, June 20, 2008
It's all coming to a head...
Hopefully that head will be crossing the finish line.
But to give a quick update b/c i'm too tired and hot to elaborate too much.
I graduated from grad school a week ago. I would say that my workouts have been less than stellar if they happen at all.
I ran 6 miles with my brother Dan last Saturday and had a blast though was so SO tired the next day.
This past week I was in New York. I ran a couple miles one day and walked a lot, but there was no swim, no bike ride and quite frankly I feel pretty guilty about it. This was our final build week and i've blown it.
Tomorrow we'll have our last Saturday team practice. I feel sad, disconnected, and wonder where the last 4.5 months went?!? We are doing a mini-triathlon, and then if I don't feel too antisocial, will be hanging at the beach with everyone. It's hard not to feel a bit out of it when most of our team went to, and had a ridiculous blast, in Maui for their triathlon. But It'll still be nice to be around some new friends again, after several practices away.
Sunday, hopefully i can do the Manhattan beach morning swim and whatever else is on the schedule and then things wind down till the race next Sunday. Mellow practices and 'recovery', though I've done so little in the past 2 weeks, and the prior setbacks with my neck that if anything, I need to recvoer from all the crap i've been eating.
Anyway, I'm getting nervous and just hoping my body can hold up. Today i'm going to go spend a $200 gift certificate at my favorite women's sports store and maybe the retail therapy will get my head back in it.
But to give a quick update b/c i'm too tired and hot to elaborate too much.
I graduated from grad school a week ago. I would say that my workouts have been less than stellar if they happen at all.
I ran 6 miles with my brother Dan last Saturday and had a blast though was so SO tired the next day.
This past week I was in New York. I ran a couple miles one day and walked a lot, but there was no swim, no bike ride and quite frankly I feel pretty guilty about it. This was our final build week and i've blown it.
Tomorrow we'll have our last Saturday team practice. I feel sad, disconnected, and wonder where the last 4.5 months went?!? We are doing a mini-triathlon, and then if I don't feel too antisocial, will be hanging at the beach with everyone. It's hard not to feel a bit out of it when most of our team went to, and had a ridiculous blast, in Maui for their triathlon. But It'll still be nice to be around some new friends again, after several practices away.
Sunday, hopefully i can do the Manhattan beach morning swim and whatever else is on the schedule and then things wind down till the race next Sunday. Mellow practices and 'recovery', though I've done so little in the past 2 weeks, and the prior setbacks with my neck that if anything, I need to recvoer from all the crap i've been eating.
Anyway, I'm getting nervous and just hoping my body can hold up. Today i'm going to go spend a $200 gift certificate at my favorite women's sports store and maybe the retail therapy will get my head back in it.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Quickie...
I'm busy trying to finish the one thing that stand between me and graduation -- one STUPID little paper that I abhor more than anything -- so this'll be quick. I''ll send a good update monday.
I started working out again last saturday after 10 days off due to neck issues. I did the swim tuesday, a 45 minute run (4+ miles) yesterday, and today did a 60 minute spinning class followed by a 10 minute run (6 mph). We had our final team dinner and a majority of our team headed off to Maui today for their race on saturday. So now it's just our l ittle pack of San Diego people left for one more month...no wait, LESS. :)
I'll elaborate o n all of the above in a few days.
peace and loose necks to all,
Jess
I started working out again last saturday after 10 days off due to neck issues. I did the swim tuesday, a 45 minute run (4+ miles) yesterday, and today did a 60 minute spinning class followed by a 10 minute run (6 mph). We had our final team dinner and a majority of our team headed off to Maui today for their race on saturday. So now it's just our l ittle pack of San Diego people left for one more month...no wait, LESS. :)
I'll elaborate o n all of the above in a few days.
peace and loose necks to all,
Jess
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