Journey for Sight Triathlon

One last Tri for the season - this was my first sprint race since September 2008. Today's race was a .5 mile swim, 17 mile bike and 3.5 mile run. Very small and low key event, which I really like. Like Martin said in his blog, only 2 swim waves, but it was worse than Lake Placid - I got hit, kicked and punched several times swimming into the first buoy.
Swam pretty well, stood up and walked out of the water too early and lost a few minutes. Then a steep run up to transition.
Got on my bike and my goal was to see something other than 15mph as the avg speed. I finished the bike under 1 hr, avg speed of 17.5 - very happy, course was rolling maybe 1 or 2 hills, but pretty mild hills. Really nice bike
Run was through the park on a paved path, but some good uphills and some very hard downhills. I felt pretty strong on the run, body had its aches and pains, but nothing greater than what I have been feeling lately.
I must say I loved having to bring only 1 bag and 1 GU, which I really did not even need. So easy.

Endurance type of swim this Saturday and then I think race season officially is over - boo hoo

Sun finally

Had a ride planned with a friend - 4:30 start, but she got stuck at work, so I went solo. Got in 25 miles, it was absolutely beautiful outside - breezy, but sunny and just felt great to be outside. I must say I did not want to ride alone - post IM, I much prefer to ride with someone else. But today it was either ride alone or not ride at all. Picked a route that had some hills, rollers, etc. Avg 15.6 mph.

One of these days I will figure out the how to get faster on the bike -

Circuit and run

Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday, 25KB swings, 25 situps - 4x thru for time: 6:13.
Wed am: 3 mile run - ouch, pathetic really. Body sucks! Time was: 25:32

Swimming tonight since it is the last day the Y will have pool water before the close the pool for 10 days for the annual cleaning.

Weekend Activities

Friday: Dirty 30s (thanks Christina). 30 reps of each: deadlifts (75#), stepups, each leg, pushpress (45# bar), pushups, situps, wallball shots (10#), burpees. Time 10:47

Saturday: 400m run, 50 squats - 4x thru. Time: 13:23.
Saturday: Bike interval 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 minutes with rest equal work time in between. Total miles 13:31. Really liked this one.

Sunday: 500ft walking lunges w/20# dumbbell held overhead. I basically decided each lunge took up 3 ft, so I did 166 lunges. Had to take breaks to catch my breath - my ass and quads are totally feeling this today.

Since my back feels the same after activity or doing no activity, I am continuing on. I am seeing a specialist next week, but until I hear the word 'REST' from someone professional - I won't.

Really thinking about the 3 mile swim on Sept 4th at Quassy - anyone see that event, anyone thinking of doing it?

Swim, Run, Circuit

8/17 - 5k run for time: 25:56 - body did not hurt too bad. But then went for a walk w/a friend. Ended up we walked 8 miles and boy was I in pain - but it was great to be outside and it was my choice so I live with the consequences.

8/18 - Swim 500, time 9:44 - like Christina said, it is torture to get back into the pool and agree it feels like starting all over.
100 squats for time: 1:55
2x800 run @100%, 2min rest in between: 3:54 and 3:39 for times.

Xray on my back came back 'normal' whatever the heck that means. Have a call into the doctor to figure out next steps because I can't be in pain every day just walking around.

And I am officially able to belay anyone who climbs at any Y. Took the course last night.

Row Circuit

Monday's WOD: 500m row, 5 pushups, 500m row, 10 pushups, 500m row, 15 pushups, 500m row, 20 pushups. Total time 9:24 and I was very sweaty.

Opted to do a Yoga session off of cable last night since I recorded one that focused on the back and shoulders - I must say the 30 minute 'practice' (I think I am finally getting the yoga lingo) felt darn good.

A few WOD

My last few days have consisted of:
Friday: 10! Of squats, burpees, situps
Saturday: 20 squats, 20 step ups, 20 burpees (pushups sub), 3X for time, 3K for time, 5% degree grade on treadmill (sturbridge hills, hills - ran 2 miles). Also participated in a 'swim across the lake' and came in first - granted, the participants were older and heavier, but the funny thing was I was the only one not at all out of breath or winded - it is only about 1/4 mile across, so I had to swim back afterwards.

Sunday was a rest day.

Finally getting to the doctor on Wed which most likely will result in a back xray - ugh!

Circuit and Bike

WOD#1: 21 shoulder press, 12# dumbells, 500m row, 15 press, 500 row, 9 press, 500m row: 9:01 minutes

WOD#2: Social Bike - got in 25 miles felt some drizzles, but it never rained. Always feels good to get a bike ride in after a long day of work. And even though this was a social ride (and my avg speed proved that), it did include the .25 mile steep climb on Barndoor Hills coming back into Simsbury from Granby - no problem getting up that little hill. Legs still strong

Swim and Circuit and the climbing wall

Got into the pool today - first swim post LP. I did 20x50s on :15 rest. WOW - this was hard. Times were between :52 and :58. Felt really really good to swim again.

WOD#2: 75 wallball shots, 10# ball. 2:06.
Since my legs and back are really feeling the effects of the pullups from Monday and squats, burpees, pushups, pullups from yesterday, the wallshots were also hard. But a good hard.

I tried to rock climb today at the Y. I got 1/2 way up the easier section. Then got scared and asked if I can climb down, but she convinced me to repell down so I did. I then went right back up again and was pretty close to reaching the top this time. The staff's suggestion was to try and climb the wall once every time I go to the gym - so I will.

3 week plan

I put together a 3 week plan to get me to a sprint tri in Chicopee at the end of August.
Tuesday WOD: 25 each: lunges (25 per leg), squats, burpees, 45lb thrusters, pull ups, push ups, 2olb KB swings - time was 8:44

I have been 'playing' around with my pullup bar at home - and boy am I feeling it in a good way - I just need to find out how to best effectively start the pullup - because if I stand on a chair or jump up, I can lower myself down where my arms are in a right angle and pull myself back up - I can do this about 4 times. Goal is to go all the way down and up

When in doubt - start w/Cindy - Ooops meant HELEN

Got on my road bike last Thursday after the rain storm and came home a bit depressed - I felt like I was riding for no reason, could not enjoy just being out there alone and decided I needed to change my attitude asap!

I did my first circuit on Friday - one I hadn't done before: 10 pullups, 20 pushups, 30 squats, 500m row - 4x thru - felt really really good and my body on Saturday was pretty sore.
Then on Saturday afternoon - just picture perfect weather, went for a nice bike ride w/a friend for about 90 minutes and could have stayed out all day long. I realized I really love to bike and also enjoy having company now that I am not so focused on my TTs. Still all about watching my cadence to move away from my masher status and using my gearing correctly. I realized on Saturday that I 'save' gears - not sure why but definitely have been riding this way for a long time - stupid really.

So today I am back w/regular WODs and stared w/HELEN - one of my favorites. It was very hot and sticky outside today. I realize that just being away from WOD for 2 weeks has impacted my body - not my strength so much, but my HR soared today - avg of 162 and got up to 169 - all was good.

Yoga tonight and back to regular riding, short distance runs, swim TT - going to do the Chicopee Sprint on the 29th - will sign up tonight, just need to check the calendar.

10 Days Post Race IMLP

Yesterday was 10 days post race - still feeling quite lost. I got on my road bike and rode around town for a little while, but I had no plan and no purpose other than just being outside. It all just feels really strange.
I have concluded that I need a goal and will figure that out this weekend.

I am going to start doing CF again today - probably pick one of my favorites which will either be a 500M row/400M run sequence.

I have taken 3 Yoga classes and will continue to do that since I am surprised how much I really really like it and it will help with my over all flexibility (or lack thereof), especially with my legs.

Still need to pick a short race to do in August/September - and then figure out what type of conditioning/training I need to do for the few weeks leading up to that event.

Other than that, thank goodness it is Friday

Lost, Bike and Mileage

OK, I feel totally lost - not sure what to do w/myself. Taking another Yoga class tonight, but being a 'goal' driven person, I need to find my next challenge. I realized this morning that for the past 2 years (excluding my time in my cast), I had a piece of paper telling me what to do on a given day - my paper is GONE.

So after a weekend at the lake, I jumped on my road bike last night - rode to my garden, picked some veggies, threw them into my backpack and rode home - 15 miles in total and really just enjoyed being on my bike. But the funny thing is that after finally getting my tri bike fit right, my road bike felt bad - my toes were numb, so will venture down to see Dan yet again at some point in the next week. Also need to do a sprint in August - looking at the Chicopee on at the end of August, need to see if it is filled up yet - want to just get up and go w/out consuming another GU.

I also went back to my Polar training log and my miles from 1/1/10 - 6/24/10 were:
Swim = 42.30
Bike = 1019.10
Run = 180.70

That is for 205 days, or 29.29 weeks, bringing weekly mileage totals to :

Swim = 1.45
Bike = 34.80
Run = 6.17

Not even close to what was published in our race guide - GO CF!!!!