Tri Camp Day 2, Part 1

After staying up talking until after midnight, Melissa and I were not too keen on the alarm clock at 7am. But, big tough triathletes that we are, we bounded right into gear, consuming our pre-workout breakfasts (me) and playing upbeat wake-up music (Melissa).

We started off our day by heading over to Fit2Run. First we headed out for a "light, easy" 30 minute warmup run. We held an 8:30/mi pace for the first bit and then the leaders started to pick it up a bit. I settled into a pace with another camper and we chatted as we went along making several turns in the neighborhood. After we reached the turnaround and headed back, we noticed that the leaders had not taken the turn back towards Fit2Run. When we told them this was the turn, they said, No, that's not it, we're not there yet.

And this is how we lost my coach.

Luckily, as small as she is, she was found again, some miles down the road, in a fuzzy bathrobe, looking for coffee and muttering something about Boss...

I jest.

Eventually the missing group made it back to Fit2Run, an extra mile or two under their belts. Then came some fun stuff! I had my feet and gait analyzed to determine where my pressure points are on my feet and how I run. As it turns out, I am in the ideal shoes for my feet! After that we did run drills - Fit2Run has an indoor track we could use and Heather had some very fun drills for us to try. I think Liz will be giving me the most painful ones on my training schedule sometime soon.

Here is Melissa having her gait videotaped and analyzed.

Liz didn't lose her wallet on her extra long run!

With Heather Gollnick and Greyt Times

TriGirl Kate O, me, Melissa, Jen Harrison and Liz


Once we were done with running, it was time for RIDING! For those who were worried, Fiona is enjoying her Floridian vacation tremendously.


My legs, however, were left somewhere back in California. For the first 10 miles of the ride, I was barely keeping up with the group. And then Heather came along and pulled me back to everyone (how many times can you say you rode in the draft of a 5x Ironman champion?). From that point on, Liz decided to "help" me keep up. This mostly consisted of whispering sweet nothings in my ears like

"Push hard and GET her"

"Chase her down"

"Get ON her wheel"

and my personal favorite...

"Make her your bitch"

It was a hard ride and I will feel it in my legs tomorrow. When I have to get back on the bike and ride twice the distance. *yay* But it was awesome to be out there with so many wonderful athletes and enjoy the sunshine!

I've been ordered to rest up and eat, as the swim is still to come today. Time to get back to the bike shop and eat more before the other riders return. More later!

Tri Blogger Chicks Camp - Day 1

After rolling into Tampa, Florida after midnight and my hotel room after 2am, it was a slow-moving morning with a 9am wakeup call. I loaded my gear back in the car and began the drive south to Sarasota.

I stopped outside St Petersburg for a few pictures of the blue water and scenery.



Upon arrival in Sarasota, I had my priorities in line. First stop: Whole Foods. I got breakfast and lunch and a bunch of fruit and snacks for the weekend. Then I went to a nearby park to eat my breakfast with a view.

I returned to Whole Foods where I surprised Melissa. We had lunch, returned her rental car and went to the hotel to check in to our room. There in the driveway of the hotel, we saw a familiar ELF and her tall chatty friend. I unpacked my bicycle and mostly put her together. I still need the bike shop to fill the tires better for me in the morning.

And then finally it was time for the kickoff of camp! As it turns out, I traveled the furthest of all the campers. Shouldn't I get some kind of award for that? I did get the "nerd" label nice and early in camp though when I volunteered an explanation of how Tanita scales measure conductivity of water to determine their results.

Melissa was so excited she had trouble sleeping last night.

It was great to meet Jennifer Cunnane in person finally.

Thanks to Melissa for a much less fuzzy photo than the one I got.

Flying the friendly skies

Later this morning, I'm heading to the airport to begin my day-long journey across the country. I'm very excited about going to camp and have high hopes for tough workouts and fun times. Camp rumors are flying around like crazy....90 mile bike ride....50 degree water....pajama pancake party? Yes, I promise to blog the highs and lows as best I can.

In the meantime, I am faced with the prospect of leaving the fuzzballs at home. They've watched me packing the last few days and they are certain

CERTAIN!

that they are going too. They will be in for a bit of a disappointment. I get to look at sad faces like this until then.

"I ken fit in yer bikes box, yes?"

"We wud be fun at camp two!"

"Max, she isn't really leaving is she?"
"Just keep her fetching and maybe she'll forget."


Please keep your fingers and paws crossed that Fiona makes the journey safely to Florida. It's my first time flying a bike and I have heard excellent things about Southwest (already our favorite airline) and bicycles, so I'm hopeful!

Sunday Ramblings...

It's been a busy week, lots going on!

For the 2nd or 3rd week in a row, I had one dog rained out of agility class (Max) while the other was able to go (Stanley). Stan is coming along nicely - still a bit of a teenage brain but he is so eager to work and has SO. MUCH. FUN.

Long ride on Saturday and I finally got some good distance in, riding out the ~18 miles each way to Uvas Dam and back. Sadly, with the little rain we've had this year, Uvas is dry as a bone. I think the future of the Uvas Triathlon in May is quite doubtful.

What it *should* look like versus what it *does* look like:



My big rave for the week is swim volume! I swam more in January than any month ever, even my biggest months training for Vineman. I have a feeling this is what it will take to improve my swimming.

Training totals for week 6 (January 26-February 1):
Swim: 5700 yards
Bike: 55.3 miles
Run: 11.6 miles
Strength: ~1.5 hours
Total time: 10.5 hours

Finally, some amusement courtesy of my mother-in-law. She mailed some of Jeff's childhood photos to us recently. I had a good laugh and now you can too!

Always the little dark kid, there is no doubt who got the Armenian genes in the family.

High school senior photo. This is SO 1982, it just cracks me up. Especially since I was only 5 years old back then :)


Happy training!

What happened to global warming?

I leave for tri camp in Florida on Wednesday. The long range forecast is not looking like the sunny warm training weather I was expecting. Sure, all those people from the Midwest will be frolicking in t-shirts and shorts. But I will be the frozen Californian shivering and complaining about how cold it is.

The 25 Random Things About Me game has been flying around on Facebook. I posted my list there but thought I'd put it up here as well, with some minor edits. Looking at other people's lists, I remembered a few other things worth adding, so here are my 30 Random Things.

30. I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
29. I like hitting things. It's very therapeutic.
28. I got my scuba certification when I was 15 (I imagine it has lapsed by now).
27. I *heart* Doug Murray. Don't worry, Jen, I will share him with you. (But I'm sure we're not the only 2 old married ladies in San Jose eyeing him)
26. I talk a lot. Even more if I drink. It's a wonder my husband doesn't run screaming from the room some days.
25. I am so proud of my mom for taking up hiking for the first time in her life!
24. I am the oldest of nine siblings.
23. The youngest five are adopted from China and Vietnam. They are way cooler than me. As you all know they also swim faster.
22. I now live 2 blocks from my high school (the *shame*!).
21. I am a rabid hockey fan.
20. I married my husband for his hockey season tickets (just kidding!).
19. A lot of our schedule revolves around the needs (wants?) of the dogs.
18. We spend a few weeks in the winter and spring in Arizona and it never feels like long enough.
17. I am spending the majority of 2009 training for my first Ironman (and some other triathlons along the way). I think anyone who reads here knows this by now!
16. I did not play team sports in high school.
15. I did not know how to swim - and could not put my face in the water - 2 years ago.
14. My parents make raising kids look way too easy. If only everyone could do it as well as they do. I know I couldn't.
13. I feel bad that I am too busy to see my friends and family most of the time.
12. I am a recovering addict. My vice? Tim's Jalapeno Chips. I have reached the point where Jeff does not have to hide them anymore and I am able to resist.
11. I feel like I wasted my college years (socially).
10. I think it is funny when Max jumps on the bed and takes over Jeff's side before he can get in.
9. I think Facebook has been pretty fun to reconnect with old friends.
8. It feels weird to be Facebook friends with ex-boyfriends though. Even weirder that they all have kids!
7. I haven't taken a honeymoon yet. Maybe next year. If it doesn't conflict with any races...
6. I am so over my job.
5. I might be starting to like swimming.
4. I am hungry. All the time.
3. I think it's cute when Stanley growls and barks in his sleep.
2. I broke my wedding ring when I crashed my bike last summer. I eagerly await a replacement.
1. I'm 5'0" but I wear size 9 running shoes.

Times Flies....

Has it really been a whole week since I last blogged? My apologies but it's been an uneventful week of work (many many meetings!) and training.

After all the beautiful sunshine and warmth we've had for the last couple weeks, it was no surprise when proper January weather returned, the temperature dropped and it rained for five days straight. Despite that, I stayed right on schedule with training. I ran in the rain (one day, I even ran in and out of the rain, alternating between strength moves on a stability ball in the house and drills/running down the street). I made it to masters swim at 6am three days this week, in large part due to peer pressure. Melissa would know if I failed to show up.

One word on masters swim at 6am on Saturdays?

WRONG.

It's just wrong, I tell you!

Today I had a 2-hour hilly bike ride scheduled. The forecast called for pouring rain overnight and into the day, so I came to the conclusion that I'd learn how to ride in wet conditions (after all, if it's rainy on race day, I'd better know how to face it, yes?). After all that, it was dry as could be -and even sunny! - this morning for our ride. It was, however, full of swirling whipping winds. Guess what happens when you put a lightweight on a light bike and send her downhill at high speed and then blow wind at her? I came close to wiping out a couple times but thankfully was not blown over. It's raining outside now so it appears we timed the ride perfectly nonetheless.

Training totals for week 5 (January 19-25):
Swim: 5100 yards
Bike: 42.6 miles
Run: 13.4 miles
Strength: ~1 hour
Total time: 9.5 hours

I have been thinking about my training this week. My husband will tell you this is a bit of a recurring theme.

I'm not obsessed.

Really.

Now shut up and listen.

Even with days of nonstop rain, I'm not facing the harsh weather conditions and endless indoor training that other triathletes in more wintry locations are. I might delay workouts for a few hours while I deal with tasks at work, or whine a bit

OK, a lot

about getting up early to swim (outdoors! in rain! in freezing rain! in a pool that has not been adequately heated!), but I am jazzed up for every workout. I get excited when I see new additions to my training schedule - I read them, I re-read them, I check my calendar and start blocking space off for them... NOT obsessed! Anyway...

So what's different for me this year? I really think having a coach who is determining the best training volume and mix for me helps.

Let me give you just one example: Last August, the last weekend I trained on my own before contacting Coach, I did a brick workout: a 39 mile hilly bike ride followed by a 9 mile run. On the hottest day we had last summer. I didn't take enough water on the run and had to ration it. I ran 9 miles TO A BAR and after chugging one water HAD A BEER. With all this in mind, let me add that my only upcoming races at that point were a sprint tri 3 weeks away and a half-marathon over 3 months away.

Science degrees, IQ and whatever else aside, the plain fact is this.

I am not smart enough to train myself.

Oh yes, I could read books and design a training plan. But I am not smart enough to train myself smartly. To know when to listen to the feedback of my body, when to change up a workout, when to NOT push myself hard, when to push properly.

Having that hard brick day was the best thing that happened, to help me realize that. And now? I have someone else who does the heavy thinking for me. I have stayed uninjured and happy, even while training to my fastest 1/2 marathon to date. My job is to do my workout as indicated, report back, and trust in the mastermind to get me to race day healthy and prepared.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Snoozefest

Just a quick post tonight. After a trail run and a ride today, I have been a zombie of sleepiness. Insert food, enter bed, repeat.

My "rest" week - which contained both a bike and swim test - is over and another build week begins tomorrow. Jeff has the day off work but I will be starting a hell week of endless meetings. I've managed to schedule it all to allow time for my workouts. This year, that's just non-negotiable for me. I am not sure whether it was a compliment or not, but my boss did mention last week that I am much better than her at enforcing a balance between work and life.

Training totals for week 4 (January 12-18):
Swim: 4950 yards
Bike: 30.6 miles
Run: 8 miles
Total time: 7 hours