Training Week 5: 12/25/06 - 12/31/06

Training Schedule:
Out sick.

Friday 12/29/06 update:
It figures that the week I have off from work and the most time available to train I would end up sick. Christmas Eve and Day were both rest days, and the day after I came down with a sore throat and muscle aches. So for the past 3 days I have been fending off a cold (or the flu) with lots of rest and Airborne. Today I woke up with only a little bit of a sore throat, so I think I'll go ahead and do some Spinervals and a short run, followed by a core workout. I decided to do nothing while sick, so that I didn't make myself worse and draw it out over the entire week. I won't be able to catch up on workouts this week, so I'll just do what I can and start new with Week 6. Oh well. I guess in a 20 week training plan things like this are going to happen. Hopefully I'm done with being sick and won't have anything to worry about until after April.

Zac gave me quite a bit of tri stuff for gifts. I got a wheel bag from TriSports for keeping my wheels nice while traveling to races, the Spinervals Aero Base Builder box set, a muscle massage kit (which will work nice for stretching the IT Band), and new Shimano Ultegra SPD SL pedals. I'll have to make a trip to TriSports next week to buy some official tri shoes.

Training Week 4: 12/18/06 - 12/24/06

Training Schedule:
Mon, 12/18: AM-Rest, PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout (aerobic freestyle & pull set)
Tues, 12/19: AM-Run = 30 min HR Zone 1 - 2 run on treadmill, Strength = weights & core, PM-Run = 1 hr run
Wed, 12/20: Rest day!
Thurs, 12/21: AM-Run = 40 min Z1 - Z2 run, Strength = core workout, PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout (combo set), Bike = Spinervals trainer session with the Master's swim group
Fri, 12/22: AM-Rest, PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout (distance)
Sat, 12/23: AM-Bike = 1 hr Z1 - Z2 ride, Strength = core workout
Sun, 12/24: AM-Bike/Run brick = 1 hr 15 min bike followed immediately with 30 min easy run

Friday 12/22/06 update:
The IT band seems to be feeling much better if I really stretch it good before and after every run. I'm still not sure what caused the pain, but it may be just one of those things.

I'm sticking to the training like glue. It's funny because I never know what I'm doing later in the week, or what I did earlier that week. I schedule the workouts from the training plan for the whole week, and then follow it. All I know is what I'm doing that day and the morning of the next day. I was swimming last night and had to think for a bit to remember that I had swam on Monday night this week as well.

On Thursdays we've started doing Spinervals workouts after swimming. This week was the first try, and it worked out pretty good. Coach Colleen set up a DVD player in the lobby of the pool, and we just set our bikes up around it and did a 45 min workout. So it looks like this will work out well. It's always nice to have a group workout to stay motivated and to change things up. I've found that it really matters on the type of group you workout with. I'm really enjoying doing the workouts with the Tri Girls and with the Master's swim group.

I'm pretty much in a groove right now with the training. As long as I schedule the workouts and make them a priority, it's not too much trouble to stick with it. These first 4 weeks feel very much like half Ironman training did. But I took a look at the workouts for the next month or two, and they start to ramp up. By February I'll be doing the longer bike rides (5 hrs or so).

Another thing I can't believe is how fast time is flying. By the end of January I will be half way through the training plan. I have a feeling that in February it will feel like the race is going to happen the next day. There's so many things I don't feel ready for, but then again, I have to remind myself it has only been 4 weeks.

I am really looking forward to next week. I have the whole week off from work, so getting workouts in will be really easy. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all the extra time! Probably read up on a lot of articles and topics on Ironman that I haven't had time to read so far.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Race Report: Santette and Vixen at Fantasy Island Ride-n-Tie

The Tucson Desert Heat put on a little race this Saturday for all Tucson tri clubs to participate in called the Fantasy Island Ride-n-Tie. Everyone teamed up with a partner and each team needed a mountain bike. We started off with one member riding and the other running. At some point the biker dropped the bike and took off running, and then the runner found the bike and started riding. Teams leap-frogged each other like this until 2 loops had been completed on the Fantasy Island Bunny Trail (approximately 11 miles total). But, there was a twist or two! First, there were toys hidden all over the trail. Teams were allowed to pick up a total of two toys, and the toys were marked with a colored sticker that corresponded to either a time bonus or time penalty. But teams had no idea what the color coding was! There was also a not-so-aid station at the half way point. One "aid" consisted of eating a powdered donut hanging off of a string, eating a Dixie cup worth of sour jelly worms, eating another Dixie cup worth of Hot Tamales candies, and then chugging another Dixie cup of eggnog. Teams were allowed to do this a total of 4 times over, and each "aid" was worth a 3 minute time bonus.

As soon as we heard about this event, Katrina and I decided to team up and join in the race. This was intended to be a "fun" race for all participants, so in the spirit of fun (which Tucson Tri Girls are known for) we decided to dress up. I decorated my mountain bike in festive holiday tinsel garland, and we donned red & white stripped knee-high socks. I wore a pair of reindeer antlers on my helmet (thus becoming "Vixen the Reindeer") and Katrina had a Santa cap on her helmet (thus becoming "Santette"). We were definitely the most spirited! I think some of the teams were jealous of our costumes. ;)

Santette and I decided on our strategy before the race. We would do the entire race in running shoes, as those were easier to run in than bike shoes. I installed my downhill flat pedals on the bike, which gripped the running shoe soles well. We decided to have me start out on the bike, and I would ride one mile and drop the bike, and then take off running, and then Santette would ride for a mile, and so on. We decided right away not to take the "aid" as I knew it would take me longer than 3 minutes to drink the eggnog, and would surely puke thereafter. It was like an episode of Fear Factor or something.

We had a short LeMans style start, with the bikers having to run to the bikes, followed one minute later with the runners taking off. I quickly got to the bike (a.k.a the Sleigh) and took off with the group. Right away there were toys spotted on the trail. Some people stopped to grab the first ones they could see. With my reindeer intuition, I decided to wait for just the right toys. Up by the Snake Dance Loop I spotted a round rubber ball, and grabbed it. A few yards later I stopped for a Care Bear. We now had our two toys, which were stuffed into the toy sack. I watched my computer on the sleigh, and as soon as it ticked over to 1.00 mile I stopped and dropped the bag of toys and parked the sleigh for Santette to find. I then sprinted off into the desert along the trail in true reindeer fashion. Unfortunately a cholla cactus got wedged into one of my hooves (running shoes), and on the next step I kicked the inside of my left ankle and promptly slammed the cactus into my leg. I stopped to flick the cholla cactus off of my hoof, and remove as many spines out of my leg as I could see. A few steps later I had to stop again and peel down one of my leggings to pull more spines out. After that I was able to run again. Later when I got home I ended up pulling out several spines an inch long with tweezers.

Santette quickly caught up to me with the bag of toys slung over her shoulder and riding the sleigh along the trail. She was right on time, and I only had half a mile to go before I could get back on the sleigh for my ride. The weather was quickly warming up, so the toy bag also functioned as a discarded clothing bag. I zig zagged along the trail, watching out for bikes as I ran, and I'm sure I looked like a spooked reindeer running through the desert. I quickly found the sleigh stashed on the side of the trail, and picked up our bag of toys for all the little girls and boys and continued on. The jingle bells on my antlers jingled as I rode, and everyone that I passed I yelled "Merry Christmas!" to.

Santette and I continued our leap frogging and sharing of the sleigh every mile up until the last part of the first loop, when Santette's knee gave out. Perhaps it was from shimmying down too many chimineys this holiday season? We couldn't have an injured Santette, so we decided to trade off on the sleigh rides every half mile. I surrendered the sleigh and checked in at the Fear Factor aid station, and alerted them that I was passing through and headed out on my second lap.

At the beginning of my second lap I found the sleigh, and just as I was getting in, an elderly couple who were out for a trail ride passed by and exclaimed with joy at the sight of a reindeer on the trail. I told them that Santette was up ahead and to look for her, and gave them a "Merry Christmas!" as I rode by in the sleigh.

Our half mile sleigh rides worked out well for the second loop, and towards the end Santette and I decided to stick together and run alongside the sleigh when it was our turn to run and to keep each other company. We crossed the finish line together and were greeted with cheers from the fellow participants. A quick inspection of Santette's toy bag revealed we had two toys with blue stickers, which was good for a 16 minute time bonus! We came in first place in the women's category, and were given lovely prizes from TriSports.com (of course, we were the only women's team entered, but it still sounds impressive! ;)).

This race was a ton of fun to do, and it was nice to have an event like this where you still get a workout in, but it's all in fun. And of course, costumes make it even more fun! So Santette and Vixen may make it back again for another appearance next year. :)

Training Week 3: 12/11/06 - 12/17/06

Training Schedule:
Mon, 12/11: AM-Bike = 45 min Spinervals workout (8.0, "Recovery & Technique"), PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout
Tues, 12/12: AM-Run = 30 min HR Zone 1 - 2 run, Strength = weights, PM-Run = 55 min workout of mile repeats
Wed, 12/13: Rest day! We are going to see the Brian Setzer Orchestra in Tempe!
Thurs, 12/14: AM-Rest, PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout
Fri, 12/15: AM-AM-Run = 30 min HR Zone 1 - 2 run, Strength = weights, PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout
Sat, 12/16: AM-Bike & Run = Fantasy Island Ride-n-Tie race
Sun, 12/17: AM-Bike/Run brick = 2 hr long bike followed immediately with 30 min run

Monday 12/11/06 update:
Life is quickly becoming train, eat, work, train, sleep. I have very little time to do even the simplest of tasks like check e-mail. Getting gas for my car is becoming a major inconvenience. When you look at training hours on a training plan, you quickly realize that doesn't include all the prep time: making meals, driving to and from workouts (pool, gym, etc), showering after the workout, etc. That's the other thing...I'm mostly living in the shower and my car. With 2 workouts a day means 2 showers. I have to haul all of my workout gear around with me in bags in my car, along with my food and my clothing. Breakfast has recently been PB&J or PB & honey sandwiches, as they are easy to eat in the car on the way to work. But since I work in a cleanroom, I can't have my snack foods with me like I could when I worked in my cubicle. So I get hungry by 10:30AM, and by 11:30AM I am ready to pass out.

Gotta run, as I have to get up at 4:15AM tomorrow morning to be at the gym and working out by 5AM! But I have a lot I want to share, so I'll be back.

Friday 12/15/06 update:
Holy cow it's already Friday! The days are getting mixed up and I'm finding it hard to remember what calendar day it is. All I know is what I'm doing the next morning or evening for workouts. Someone at work asked me if I was "doing the race this Saturday." I had to ask what race, as it was Wednesday and I couldn't even think of what I was doing Friday. Then I remembered it was the Fantasy Island race, and I replied that yes, I was doing that race. I pretty much just plan everything ahead of time, put it on the calendar, and then just focus on what I'm doing that day.

So here's where I'm at with the 3 sports:
Swim - This week we did an aerobic threshold (AT) test to determine our AT pace for 100 yards. My AT pace was 1:50, which was much faster than I was expecting. "No more 2:00 intervals for you!" Coach Colleen said. There's no cheating the AT test. During the test I thought I was going to die. But I just repeated to myself "This is what it's going to take to be an Ironman." And after that I was able to get through the workout. Jelly arms and all.

Bike - Biking during the week has been on the trainer with Coach Troy and Spinervals, and last week I had picked up 2 more videos. I still have on my list for Santa the Aero Base Builder box set (hope Santa is reading this). Long rides are being done on the weekends out on the road. I found that my legs like to spin at a higher cadence on the road than on the trainer. So I don't suck AS bad as I was thinking. Still got a ways to go to improve, but heck this is only Week 3.

Run - I'm doing a lot of HR Zone 1 and 2 runs, and my pace is actually doing pretty good. I'm trying to become more efficient at those lower zones, as that's where I want to be during the race. There's no way I'll be able to stay in Zone 3 or higher during the IM and expect to survive, so training at the lower zones is working out well. This week I did have a pain in my right leg, just to the right and below the knee. I'm not sure what it was, but I decided to rest it and not do any running until the race on Saturday. Swimming and doing kicking sets seems to be helping whatever it is. I think becoming majorly injured and not being able to train is one of my biggest fears.

I need to do some reading to figure out possible nutrition plans. I haven't tried a lot of stuff out there as far as liquid nutrition for the bike goes, so I may start experimenting. There's a lot to choose from out there, so this may take awhile to figure out.

So here's the stupid thing. I spent the month before the training started getting everything ready so that I wouldn't have to worry about it during training. I didn't want any major changes or anything, and just wanted to keep everything simple so that I could focus on training. Since then I have changed work schedules, and NOW we are looking at a house. Great. I really wasn't anticipating even looking at another house, but we checked one out that we were interested in, and now we're actually thinking about it. The last thing I need to do right now is move while training for an Ironman! So that part has me worried. But you can't plan for everything, and I'm realizing I pretty much just have to take everything day by day. I guess there could be worse things to be dealing with right now, so at least this is something positive.

Well, I gotta run and get out the door to get ready for swimming. Tonight is distance night at Master's.

Sunday 12/17/06 update:
Yesterday Katrina and I did the Fantasy Island Ride-n-Tie race, which was a ton of fun. I'll save the race report for a separate blog entry. But this week I'm having pain in my right knee, in the dreaded IT band area. So I'm working on doing stretches with the flex band and I'm hoping to get a foam roller to help it.

Today was a 2 hr ride, and I ended up doing my usual loop of Houghton to Speedway, Speedway to Freeman, Freeman to Old Spanish Trail, and Old Spanish back to Houghton and Rita Ranch. The hills aggrivated my knee, but spinning was ok. I need to find some long, flat rides that I can do to work on my cadence as well as start increasing distance. It's tough to do that on hilly rides. But today's ride was beautiful. The sun would go in and out of the clouds, which was casting nice shadows on the mountains as I rode. The wind picked up towards the end of my ride, and it seems like all of my Sunday rides end up in the wind.

Oh, and we decided not to buy a house right now. Timing just isn't right, but it sure is nice to go and look. So I think that's what we'll do for awhile.



And now for the most important update of the week: Brian Setzer totally rocks! The concert on Wednesday was fantastic! He puts on a great show, not to mention he's pretty easy on the eyes. ;) The opening act was awesome too. It was the Hillbilly Casino, and they have one of the best frontmen I have ever seen! The guy has a ton of energy and showmanship. We bought one of their CDs at the concert, and will definitely check them out if they come back to this neck of the woods.

If you ever have a chance to check out the Brian Setzer Orchestra, do it! You won't be dissapointed!

Lessons Learned this Week:

• I have to work on the "pull" portion of my swim stroke. When I pull all the way through the stroke I get tired, so I definitely need to build up arm strength. I asked Coach Colleen about some workouts I can do in the gym to help with that, and will try them out the next time I go.
• I've got to do more research on the IT Band and figure out how to keep the pain in my right knee at bay. I really don't want this to become a chronic issue!

Training Week 2: 12/4/06 - 12/10/06

Training Schedule
Mon, 12/4: AM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout
Tues, 12/5: AM-Bike = 45 min Spinervals hard workout (1.0, "No Slackers Allowed"), PM-Run = 35 min HR Zone 1-2 run, Strength = Core workout & flex band workout
Wed, 12/6: AM-Bike = 1 hr 20 min Spinervals workout (14.0, "Totally Time Trial") but keep HR in Z1 - 2, PM-Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout
Thurs, 12/7: AM-Rest, PM-Run = 1 hr 10 min long run w/ HR in Zone 1-2
Fri, 12/8: AM-Run = 40 min easy run w/ HR in Zone 1-2, PM-Strength = weights & core, Swim = 1 hr Master's swim workout
Sat, 12/9: Rest day!!!
Sun, 12/10: AM-Bike = 1 hr 50 min long bike

Monday 12/4/06 update:
Just a quick update. Scheduling workouts around the crazy work schedule is tough! I want to go back to my cushy engineering hours. Rolling in at 9AM was great. Oh well...this will make me disciplined for those longer workouts later on.

Is it sick to admit that the trainer is a good thing? That I'm actually enjoying having one? I can get up at 4AM and be on the bike spinning away in the comfort and warmth of my home. Not to mention much safer. I don't think anyone has been hit by a car while on their indoor trainer. Yep, just me and Coach Troy at 4AM. Wonder if Zac will get jealous that I'm spending so much time with another man. Probably not because about half way through the workout I'm saying not so nice things to the TV. ;-)

Saturday can't come soon enough. I can't wait for that rest day!

Friday 12/8/06 update:
I've joined back up with Master's swimming at the UA. I do the evening workouts with Coach Colleen and it has been really good. Swimming with a group keeps me motivated to do the swim workouts. If I swim on my own I'm more likely to ditch the workouts. On Monday the pool was SUPER cold...we're talking wetsuit legal water. By Wednesday it had warmed up a bit. Hopefully tonight it will be even warmer. As an extra treat to myself I always jump into the dive pool which is really warm like a hot spring. Just a quick dip in there warms me right up. It's sinfully delicious. ;-)

I can only do about 3 days in a row of getting up really early for morning workouts, and then doing an evening workout. After that I start to crash and need at least one morning of sleeping in (which right now is sleeping until 6 AM). I'm ready for Saturday's rest day. No workouts scheduled at all! Then on Sunday I'll be right back at it with a 2 hr bike and 40 min run.

How many weeks left???? Oh yeah...

Lessons Learned this Week:

• Rest is important. Don't slack on the rest or else it will make the workouts useless! I've been doing good by getting 7-7.5 hrs of sleep a night. 8 would be perfect.
• Don't fret over missed workouts. I missed a swim last week, but I've got to move forward. As long as it doesn't become a habit and I start missing a ton of workouts a week, it shouldn't be a problem. Hey, stuff happens and schedules change. Gotta roll with it.