Today's Workout

Run Workout
It's been pouring rain for the past few days so I ran at the gym today.
2 miles in 24 minutes on the treadmill

I also did about 10 minutes on the stationary bike before I gave up on trying to get it to fit me. I'll try again another time.

I also did...
stretches
180 crunches of different varieties
45 pushups
3 x 15 lat pulldown - 40lb
3 x 15 inner thigh - 50lb
3 x 15 outer thigh - 60lb
3 x 15 chestpress - 35lb

Today's Workout

Team Bike and Swim

Bike Workout
Today's bike was pretty much all hills. We rode to the site where we just kept going up and down the same hill so we could get used to changing gears and keeping our cadence even. It was definitely the toughest ride we've had so far, but I felt pretty good at the end of it. It was damn hard to go up those hills, but I was apparantly able to do it without completely fatiguing my muscles.

Total Distance = 12.5 miles

Swim Workout
100 warmup
10 x 50 drills (15" rests)
50, 100, 200, 300, 200, 100, 50 (20" rests)
8 X 50 on 1' intervals (about 10" rests)
200 cooldown

Total Distance = 2200 yards

We had fewer people in the pro lanes this week which was nice. My arms felt tight while we were in the pyramid set. I'm not quite sure why this is happening. Perhaps I'm trying too hard. But the rest of my body doesn't really feel fatigued. I don't know. Guess I'll just continue what I'm doing. In fact, I may start doing a bike or run workout to replace one of the swim workouts.

Today's Workout

Team Track Workout
1/2 mile warmup
stretches
circuit training
~ abs
~ legs
~ run drills
~ arms
~ run sets - 4 x 3'(2'L1/L2, 1'L2/L3)
1/4 mile cool down
stretches

Total Dist = approx. 2 miles

If Coach Steve really only gave us 12 minutes to do the run sets, I am about 30 seconds faster on my mile than I was the last time we ran! What? Is it possible that my body is actually getting used to running?

Today's Workout

Swim Workout
300 warm up
4 x 50 drill (15" rests)
6 x 50 kick @ L2 (30" rests)
1 x 300 @ L2
10 x 50 (15" rests) - 25 sprint/25 easy
200 cool down
Total Yards = 1800

I followed the workout exactly as prescribed by the coaches. Whenever I swim in this pool the workout seems so easy, but once I get in the pool for the team workouts my arms feel heavier and my stroke gets messy. What's going on here? Perhaps its just the extra turbulance in the water. Or maybe its because I usually do a swim workout on Fridays which might make my arms tired for Saturday. Maybe I'll do a bike or run on Friday instead and see how that affects my swimming on Saturday.

See all you TNT peeps tomorrow!

Black Bean Salsaaaaaaa

Hey all,
Tomorrow I will bring some super tastey black bean salsa to our TNT workout. I'll let you taste, but no buying til Saturday. I will be taking orders so that I don't make more than I know I can sell.

Suggested Donation = $10 per container
(checks are preferred over cash)

I was using half pint jars, but I'm gonna see if I can find something a little bigger.

Don't worry. If you miss out this time, I'll be sure to make more if there is a demand for the stuff.

Once you taste it, you'll never go back!

Today's Workout

Run
Jonnye and I decided to go for our run/walk outside this afternoon. We took the Los Gatos Creek Trail from the Main Street Trailhead and went south toward the reservoir. I ran for about 25 minutes with a few minutes of walking in between. We decided that it was about 2 miles. I didn't really want to go, but Jonnye convinced me that we should. I'm glad I went. I felt pretty strong while we were walking back to the church afterward.

I also went to the tire change party at Michele and Jeremiah's place. There were only a few people there, but it was quite helpful since I've never actually changed a tire. And we spent some time talking afterward about the race route, what to expect, and other such things. It gets me excited and nervous at the same time.

Will I be ready?

Today's Workout

Bike Workout
Well, I almost didn't do any workout at all today. I was originally planning on doing some 5k run in SF this morning, but my friend never got back to me with the details. So, I was feeling pretty lazy when I got out of bed and contemplated going on the peninsula team bike, but I had absolutely no idea where it was. I laid around most of the morning before heading out for a little drive. When I got back, my new neighbor was just getting back from a bike ride and seeing him got me motivated.

Sooo, long story short, I DID end up going on a ride. I went on the Los Gatos Creek Trail, starting at Vasona Park and went north for a bit. It was a nice ride, except that there were a billion people with kids and dogs on the trail. It made riding consistently a bit of a challenge. There were some short hills which challenged me a little bit. By the end of the ride I felt really good.

Distance - 7 miles
Time - 39:20

Also did some core exercises. Workin' on those rock-hard abs :)

Saturday's Workout

Team Swim and Bike

Swim
100 warm up
8 x 50 drills (10" rests)
5 x 100 (15" rests)
4 x 75 (10" rests)
4 x 25 kick set
100 cool down

I'm sure this isn't exactly what we did, but its pretty close :) I was in the pro group and was doing pretty well. I was definitely getting a workout.

Bike
We had two options. 1) Go for a ride on a fairly hilly route or 2) stay at the high school for a bike clinic. I opted for the clinic. It was nice to have some good solid advice and how to make corners, how to drink from a waterbottle while riding, and we even did some gear testing. It wasn't much of a workout, but I am a bit sore from the two falls I had. I couldn't get my foot out of the cage on my pedal and fell over. I wasn't seriously injured. Just bruised up a little.

After the bike clinic I recruited a few guys to help me see if a bike rack I found would work on my car. Mark and Berend got it all set on my car and did a great job, but then we found out that my bike doesn't fit the rack. Damn. Oh well. I guess I have to deal with putting my bike in the back seat of my car for the time being.

Then the crew went to Erik's Deli for some much needed nourishment. I've really enjoyed this time to just relax and hang out with these people. This is such a great group.

Today's Workout

Swim Workout
300 warm up
8 x 50 drill - 15" rests
6 x 100 @ L2 - 15" rests (1:15, 1:16, 1:17, 1:16, 1:18, 1:19)
2 x 200 @ L2 - 30" rest (2:50, 2:44)
4 x 75 build - 10" rests
200 cool down

Total Yards = 2200

I almost didn't go for my swim today because it was so cold out (43 degrees), but I decided to suck it up and go. I am sooo glad that I went, and it felt really good to be in the water. Of the three sports, the pool is the only place I've felt really strong and confident. This probably means that I should focus more on the biking and running. I think that I'll feel better about riding long distances on my bike once I go to the tire change party. Right now I'm just a tad nervous about going too far from home. And, as I've mentioned before, I just haven't been able to get into the running.

Tomorrow is our swim and bike workout. If it continues to rain, we'll be doing a swim and run. I guess that wouldn't be so bad, but I've really enjoyed being on my bike with the team.

Today's Workout

Team Track Workout
Because of the cold, we didn't do the workout that the coaches originally had planned. The main set for the age-groupers (aka: the slow pokes) was a 2 x 1 mile run.

Mile 1=11:51
(lap 1=2:50; 2=3:08; 3=3:06; 4=2:45)

Walking Rest=5:04

Mile 2=12:02
(1=3:04; 2=3:11; 3=3:08; 4=2:39)

That's definitely an improvement over last week's 2 mile marker set. It probably has something to do with the fact that we didn't do a huge set of squats right before our run. I'm pretty proud of the improvement, but I'm still not excited about running. I guess I get bored and want to stop just because I don't want to run anymore. I hope that changes, because otherwise that last few miles during the race are gonna be reeeaaallly long.

Hey!! Feel free to leave any comments, questions, encouragement, etc. In fact, it would be nice to know who my audience is. How about a roll call :) Take a moment to enter a quick shout out so I know you're there.

GO TEAM!

I really do ride a bike!

This picture is a little blurry. I guess I must've been riding at break-neck speeds while the picture was being taken :) Anyway, I swear its me. I know, its hard to believe since I look sooo cool :0)

Today's Non-Workout

I was planning on going swimming this evening but a few things got in my way

1) I had pizza for dinner last night and therefore had pizza for lunch today
2) I had a meeting this evening and didn't get off work in time to make it to the gym before then
3) It was flippin cold outside!

So, I guess I was just being a little lazy today. I think I've lost a little bit of my momentum. It'll be good to meet with the team tomorrow and gain some motivation. Maybe I'll get up early and go swimming before going into work tomorrow. We'll see.

Donations are coming in a bit slower than I was hoping. I may have to come up with a more creative way to raise money. Someone told me about a person who made salsa and sold it. I have a great salsa recipe. Perhaps I can sell it at church. How much would I have to make in order for it to be worth it?? Something to think about.

Today's Workout

I rode my bike to and from work today (3.7 miles)
Then I ran 2 miles on the treadmill in 25 minutes.
Not much else to say except that I was glad to find out that the pool was closed to so they could balance the chemicals. Its about time. I'm sure that it was destroying my suit after only a few swims. Lets hope its better tomorrow.

Today's Workout

Team Swim and Bike

Swim Workout
Easy Warm Up
8 x 50 drills with 15 sec rest
500 yard time trial - 8:48 minutes
8 x 50 drills with 15 sec rest
4 x 50 (x2) with increased effort for each 50, 15 sec rests
Cool Down

Bike Workout
3 mile warmup
5.5 mile time trial - 32 minutes
3 mile cool down

Overall it was a good workout. I was challenged during the swim workout by another girl on the team. She is a fast swimmer! She lapped me during the 500 yd time trial. But it was good to be pushed. The bike route was definitely intense at times. I had to stop a few times on some of the hills, but I was eventually able to make it up. I never had to get off my bike and push it up the hill. I'm still getting used to changing gears and keeping my cadence even. I bought and installed a bike computer which was nice on this ride. I was able to see my cadence as well as my mph and the distance covered. I just dropped my bike off to get some toe cages put on my pedals and the knobby mountain bike tires switched out for slicks. I love using all this jargon :) Even though my legs are fairly sore, I am feeling pretty strong. It will be interesting to see how much I've improved when we do the time trials again in a few months.

GO TEAM!

Fuel Review

I've started trying different types of energy drink and bars. Here's what I tried out this week.

Energy Drinks
GU20 - Orange
Tasted like orange peels. Kind of bitter. Definitely not what I'm looking for.

PowerBar Endurace - Lemon-Lime
This one had very little flavor. In fact, it tasted like I was drinking salt water. I understand that there is quite a bit of sodium in a sports drink, but I'd like a bit more flavor than that.

Energy Bars
Balance Bar Gold - Caramel Nut Blast
I've had this one before and still think its pretty good. Covered in chocolate, which is good, except for on a hot race day.

Clif Bar - Crunchy Peanut Butter
This is probably the best energy bar I've ever had. I've never had a Clif Bar before and I was pleasantly surprised. It had a nice consistency and very nice flavor. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other flavors.

Today's Workout

Swim Workout
400 warm up
8 x 50 fingertip drag drill (15 sec rests)
4 x 100 @ L2 (15 sec rests) - avg. 1:22 per 100
200 cool down

My legs are killing me after yesterday's track workout, so the swim felt pretty good. I soaked in the spa for awhile afterward to try and loosen up my leg muscles. I think it worked a little bit, but I can already tell that they're tight again. Tomorrow's swim and bike trials will be interesting.

Today's Workout

Team Track Workout
Oh wow! Today's workout was pretty intense. At least it was for me, a person who has never run recreationally in my life. We started off with some easy running drills. Then we did some strength training, which took everything I had out of my legs.

That was when they decided to have us do our first running time trial. My legs almost gave out as we started, but after about a quarter lap my legs felt a little better. I've realized that it is hard for me to stay motivated to run when I'm not running side by side with someone. It just seems so tedious to me.

Anyway, we were timed on 2 miles.
I walked for about a half lap during my second mile.
Mile 1 = 12:47
Mile 2 = 13:03
Total time = 25:50
Perceived Exertion (PE) = 70%

Thats a better time than I've been doing on the treadmill.
My legs were very wobbly by the time I was done and I know that I will be feeling this run tomorrow. Good thing I'll be swimming tomorrow. Give my legs a bit of a break.
Saturday we are doing time trials for both swimming and biking.
Should be an interesting day :)

Today's Workout

Swim Workout
400 warm up
8 x 50 Fingertip Drag Drill with 15 sec rests
8 x 50 @ level 2 wtih 10 sec rests
200 cool down
Total yards = 1400

I am pleased to say that the whole set (with rests) took me only 30 minutes. But I think the pool at the gym isn't actually 25 yards long, so I guess I inadvertantly cheated. Oh well :)

Looking forward to the team track workout tomorrow.

Today's Workout

It was an absolutely amazing day here in sunny Los Gatos, so I decided to ride my bike to work. It takes me about 20 minutes with some moderate hills. I did a great job of forcing myself to stay in my seat instead of standing up to crank the pedals. Then, of course, I had to ride my bike back to my apartment in the afternoon, which is always much easier since it is more downhill than uphill. I then went to the gym with my friend, Jonnye, and ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes. It was a pretty easy clip, but my right calf kept tightening up. I'm not sure if that means my shoes aren't fitted right or if some new muscles are starting to wake up. I'm gonna see if it happens on the track. Anyway, after my jog on the treadmill, I did some stretching, easy weights for my tri/biceps, and a few situps.

So, later on in the evening I went to the church to practice worship music for Sunday and I was totally keyed up. It was great! I'm not sure if it was the music (quite lively) or if it was the endorphins from working out. I'm guessing it was a mix of both. Either way, I felt really good. Team in Training... BRING IT ON!

Satuday's Workout

I went to my first Saturday workout with TNT this past weekend. It's a swim and bike workout and we have to bring pretty much all of our tri gear, because if the roads are dangerously wet for riding, we'll run instead. This week, I was in the group that biked first. We did about 8 miles on a fairly easy pace, with a few hills that caused the heart rate to go up a bit. My legs felt great afterward. Riding around cars and using the proper signals is gonna take some getting used to. Then we transitioned to the swim. It felt really good to be in the water. It's definitely my sport. My stroke count per lap is 17, which I thought was fairly average, but it seems to be pretty good, especially considering my short stature :) The only thing I have to worry about with the swim portion of the race is endurance. But I'm sure I'll get there.

So, today is Monday and I was expecting to feel some soreness in my legs, but there was nothing! Either that means I didn't workout hard enough (which couldn't possibly be the case) or I was able to cool down and stretch my legs properly :) woohoo! it seems I'm doing something right.

Train Endure Achieve Matter!

Well, what d'ya know?

I was pleasantly surprised today when I was able to comfortably wear a shirt that wasn't quite so comfortable just a few months ago. I may not be losing any weight, but my body is definitely changing. It's great when the results of your effort are finally realized :)

Go Team!

At about 5:30 as I was leaving the office I started to say to myself, "What am I thinking!" I began to have doubts about my ability to do this triathlon thing and wondering if I would feel totally out of place. But, as I pulled up to Mountain View High School, got out of my car, and made my way to the track, I really felt that this is truly a team. The people were friendly and all ready to jump into the workout. Some of us a little more aprehensive than others. As the coaches talked, questions flooded my mind, but we were reassured that we would be given all the tools needed in order to successfully finish this race.

The workout wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Although, it was only our first meeting. After the easy run, I felt really good and like I could run a bit more. I think I was built for endurance events. We shall soon find out :)

After the short workout, we headed over to a pizza place for some good food and conversation. I think this is going to be a great couple of months. Challenging, but definitely worth it in every way.

Saturday is a bike and swim workout. Looking forward to it.