Catching Up On My Week

After my 4 mile run on Tuesday, my legs still felt pretty tight, so I bagged any Wednesday run, and instead did some ab work, and lifted some light weights at home.

On Thursday, I went for my 3 mile run, and did the same on Friday. I usually finish these between 27:00 and 30:00 depending on my mood, or what is playing on my MP3. If I am listening to Foo Fighters, or Red Hot Chili Peppers, closer to the 27:00 mark.

My husband is reminding me (pretty much hourly, now) that I have to get in the saddle before our California trip. I know, I know. I love biking when it is some sort of sanctioned event, like my upcoming trip, or a triathlon/duathlon. I can't explain it. I just hate being all by myself on the road, and having some jerk yell obscenities at me. My husband is the biker in the family, and I can't believe some of the stories he comes home with!!

Well, instead of joining him for a bike ride today, I went to the pool.

This is the pool that I swim in. I love it. I wish that it was convertible to a long course pool, but, oh well. Here is the workout that I did today:









WU: 300 Free
200 Free Kick
100 Pull
Main: 5 x 100 Free on 1:30
Kick: 1 x 100 Fly (30 sec btw)
1 x 100 Back
1 x 100 Free
1 x 50 Fly
1 x 50 Free
Other: 5 x 50 ascend
5 x 50 ascend
WD: 1 x 50 Free
1 x 50 Breast
1 x 50 Free
1 x 50 Breast
I threw in a 100 IM at the end for 2300.

If anyone would like to share their swim workouts, I'd love to hear them!

3, 4, or 6?

This is always the question I have before I head out the door for a regular old weekday maintenance run. I have three tried and true routes, a 3, 4, or 6 miler. Sometimes, with no marathon on the horizon, my tendency is toward laziness, and I opt for the 3 miler. I will also take my training partner on these 3 mile runs with me. Once it gets cooler, she will be able to go on some longer runs, but tonight it was warm and sunny, so I headed out the door for 4.

My legs are still recovering from Sunday. Although 9 miles is more than manageable, I pushed the pace a bit, because I can still feel it in my legs.

I need to start getting some miles in on my bike, though, because next week, I leave for a cycling trip in the Sonoma Valley! It is a weekend trip from September 29-October 2, and it is through TrekTravel http://www.trektravel.com. I did a cycling trip with them last year around this time, to Vermont, and it was awesome.





The entire trip was amazing, and the equipment is top notch. We ride the Trek Madone 5.2™ OCLV Carbon Fiber Road Bike. It is an amazing bike. I love my Raleigh Cadent 1...but the Trek Madone...nothing more needs be said. I'll post some California pictures after the trip.

This is off the subject...

but I couldn't resist blogging about it. I had the t.v. on tonight, not really watching anything in particular, when I stopped on cbs, because I recognized a face on the screen. The person on the t.v. was "Ted" in the new sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." http://www.cbs.com.
"Ted" is played by Josh Radnor, a Kenyon College (my alma mater) alum! Not only that, but Josh and I were in the same "Baby Drama" class freshman year. Clearly he took that class a little more seriously that I did; I took it because I thought I could skate by with a good grade, while satisfying my fine art requirement (little did I know that it would actually be harder than my first semester calculus class!).

I just couldn't resist getting in a little plug for Kenyon http://www.kenyon.edu/ and a fellow alum done good.

Took today off in terms of exercise. Was planning to go to the pool, but instead, took my dear little pooch swimming. A local pool is closing its doors for the summer, and every year, they let local dogs go for a swim. My best friend, although a herding dog by breed, is a labrador retriever at heart.

On Target

Well, I said last night I wanted to come in around 1:21-1:31 in the race this morning. My official race time was 1:21:51, 8:48 pace per mile, and I was second in my age group. It was perfect running weather this morning. Not too cool, not too warm. Of course, when my alarm went off at 5 a.m. and it was still black as night out, I didn't want to get up at all, but it was worth it in the end.

Saturday Swim Workout

As my 15K race is tomorrow morning, I got in the water this morning. I had a good workout. My lats felt tight at first, but I felt good at the end. Here was my workout (all free):
WU: 200/100/50 on :30
Main: 400/200/100/50 on 1:00
Pull: 200/100/50 on 2:00
WD: 400/200/50 on 2:00
I stopped my watch at this point, and it was 1900 on 37:00.
I fooled around for about another 200, doing some breaststroke, and freestyle 25s. I also did some "breath work," which for me is a 50, the first 25 swimming underwater the entire length of the pool, and the next swimming freestyle with only 2 breaths.

The race tomorrow is at 7 a.m. It's early, but at least I will be done early. My fastest 10 mile was a 1:25:33 (at the "Perfect 10 Miler race last August '04. See www.perfect10miler.com.) I am thinking that my target time should be around 1:20- 1:30, just because I haven't been running as much this year, due to no fall marathon. My real goal is to just beat my arch rival, who is also running the race (heehee.)

After the race, I want to get back in the pool for a recovery swim.

Blogging 101

Welp, I've gone and done it. I have officially entered the blogosphere. I have been reading and enjoying various runners' blogs and decided that I want to get in on the action. I may be a little tentative at first. I am not your typical journal keeper - never kept a diary in my life. But this is an outlet that will allow me to discuss running and racing more than my non-athlete friends will presently allow me. With that said, on to the running and the racing.

I have had a fairly decent racing season, so far. I only did one marathon this year, Cleveland, in May. I just wasn't on the ball enough to get a fall marathon in. I wanted to focus on some triathlons this summer, so I got back in the water, and the saddle, much to the detriment of my dream of doing the Air Force Marathon this September. Despite cutting back the mileage after May, I have been active in my local racing circuit that I love so much, Doing a bunch of 5Ks, a relay 10K, and a half-marathon. http://www.hermescleveland.com

There is a 15K race this weekend. A great little racing outfit is hosting it: http://www.ncnracing.com/. It's a 30K/15K/5k with views of sparkling Lake Erie. They have this race in the spring and fall, and last year, I did both 30Ks. But as I cut back on my running to do my two triathlons (sprints) this summer, I am not ready to do a 30K this weekend.

Well, I have out-blogged myself with this, my virgin post, so I am signing off.
Happy Running!