So, I got my new ride; a Cervelo P2C, which for lack of any imagination, I have named SweetP2 or SP2 for when I am in a hurry! It is sswweeeeeet! Got the Ultegra model which is blue, gray and white, and it looks very cool. I rode it on the trainer for 3 hours Saturday (I know it is sacrilege, but I will have plenty of outdoors time with her), and felt great! I am looking forward to outdoor riding! For the record, I am not thinking that I'll be faster, I am hoping that I'll be more efficient.
Training is still training, and not all that exciting, so nothing new to report on that front. I'm still kind of struggling with the whole training thing, since I feel pretty burnt out, but I need to get over that and be happy about the work I've been doing. Maybe its the months long intensity that has curdled my training milk....I'm ready for some longer, slower workouts!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
3/3/2009
Snow! I've been waiting for a snow day, and yesterday I got my wish! MyKaren and I lounged around yesterday, even though we did shovel the walk, steps and driveway (which is not short) and chopped up a big-ass branch that had fallen over a neighbors drive with our trusty axe. I count that as a back and arm workout for the day. It was very pretty and I am very happy that we finally got enough snow to care about.! The House of Pain was open for business, but we didn't feel like taking our chances on the slick roads with idiot Va drivers, so we are going to go tonight and tomorrow.
The weekend workout was supposed to be 2.5 hour bike followed by a million 1/2 mile repeats, but a few of us mutinied and did a 8-9 mile trail run instead. My thinking is this: I am not going to be doing anything fast at IMUSA, but I am going to be running (or more likely walking) on hills, so my preference is to pack in lots of hills. And it was hard...and we did push it....so there! I felt pretty good at the end and tried to pick it up to catch MyKaren, which I did, but only because she had no idea I was chasing her. Swam on Sunday, and I bagged yen yoga since I got to go on Friday.
I was hoping to get some more bike try-outs this Friday, but now I have to work in the office. Baahhh humbug. I've ridden a P2C, a Kestral and a Orbea so far. I wasn't expecting any big differences from how Sweet Pea feels, but the minute I got on the P2C, the difference was dramatic. Even though I hate to follow the pack (so to speak) I know why so many people have that bike, LIKE BUTTA! I am waiting for a few more similar models (Look and Scott) to come in to try out, but so far the P2 wins hands down! I was really surprised at how responsive, light and yet powerful it felt. At least if I do get one, it will have a different paint job than others....
The weekend workout was supposed to be 2.5 hour bike followed by a million 1/2 mile repeats, but a few of us mutinied and did a 8-9 mile trail run instead. My thinking is this: I am not going to be doing anything fast at IMUSA, but I am going to be running (or more likely walking) on hills, so my preference is to pack in lots of hills. And it was hard...and we did push it....so there! I felt pretty good at the end and tried to pick it up to catch MyKaren, which I did, but only because she had no idea I was chasing her. Swam on Sunday, and I bagged yen yoga since I got to go on Friday.
I was hoping to get some more bike try-outs this Friday, but now I have to work in the office. Baahhh humbug. I've ridden a P2C, a Kestral and a Orbea so far. I wasn't expecting any big differences from how Sweet Pea feels, but the minute I got on the P2C, the difference was dramatic. Even though I hate to follow the pack (so to speak) I know why so many people have that bike, LIKE BUTTA! I am waiting for a few more similar models (Look and Scott) to come in to try out, but so far the P2 wins hands down! I was really surprised at how responsive, light and yet powerful it felt. At least if I do get one, it will have a different paint job than others....
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
February 24, 2009
I can tell that my enthusiasm is not quite what is was last year, since I can never think of what to write! The training is kind of wearing on me, I feel like I have been doing this forever, and the amount of effort, while hard, has been the same for a while. Of course both MarcoDiablo and Mean Mr. Ed are hurting us every week, and the weight lifting has been even yummier than last year, but the distances that we are doing have been pretty much the same for a while and I feel like I am not moving forward with the training as much as last year. Maybe I am just tired.
A few of us have been faithfully running a mid-week early am hill workout for a month or so, running pretty much the length of Riverside Drive (both ways) from the Lee bridge to Boulevard. When we started, we would see the sun rise over the City at the end of the run, now it is getting light before we get 1/2 way through. As hard as it is (and after lifting and biking Monday nights, Tuesday mornings are HARD) it has become one of my favorite things. Pain can make you silly.
I'm trying to work hard on the biking this year, not that I didn't last year, but I am trying harder this year. I am hopeful that I'll see a difference when we get outside. I am also hopeful that I'll be riding a new bike (don't say anything to Sweet Pea!) by the time we get outside. I love my bike, but she is a bit heavy and I don't need to try to hump any additional weight up the Lake Placid hills, I think its going to be hard enough. So, we'll see if or what I get and if it makes me feel fast.
A few of us have been faithfully running a mid-week early am hill workout for a month or so, running pretty much the length of Riverside Drive (both ways) from the Lee bridge to Boulevard. When we started, we would see the sun rise over the City at the end of the run, now it is getting light before we get 1/2 way through. As hard as it is (and after lifting and biking Monday nights, Tuesday mornings are HARD) it has become one of my favorite things. Pain can make you silly.
I'm trying to work hard on the biking this year, not that I didn't last year, but I am trying harder this year. I am hopeful that I'll see a difference when we get outside. I am also hopeful that I'll be riding a new bike (don't say anything to Sweet Pea!) by the time we get outside. I love my bike, but she is a bit heavy and I don't need to try to hump any additional weight up the Lake Placid hills, I think its going to be hard enough. So, we'll see if or what I get and if it makes me feel fast.
Monday, February 9, 2009
2/9/2009
Yikes, I've been feeling a bit under the weather for the past week, yuk, but it was soooo nice this weekend. February is power month, and the cycling has been cranked up a notch, I had forgotten the joys of power month from last year. Mean Mr. Ed has been cracking the whip and Marco Diablo, well, let's just say he continues to earn his name. I am not looking forward to working out tonight, knowing how it is going to hurt. Oh well, I signed up for this so I only have myself (and a few others who pushed me into the mailstorm that is IMUSA) to blame.
I still am not feeling 100%, which is annoying, and the run on Saturday was much harder than 8 miles should be. I almost puked, and I wasn't running fast or anything. Blah, blah. We swam on Sunday, I did 1 1/4 mile, KillaK and Shelley did 1.5 miles, they still finished ahead of me. Swimming remains a work in progress.
I still am not feeling 100%, which is annoying, and the run on Saturday was much harder than 8 miles should be. I almost puked, and I wasn't running fast or anything. Blah, blah. We swam on Sunday, I did 1 1/4 mile, KillaK and Shelley did 1.5 miles, they still finished ahead of me. Swimming remains a work in progress.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
1/20/2009
Today is the best day...we, as a nation, are getting new leadership and that makes me very happy. In many ways, I am terribly lucky to have been able to witness some extremely important events. Some of the events are not so great, but I have high hopes for today.
Enough of the politics.
I found out what it is like to try to work out in a freezer this past weekend. I do not recommend it. MyKaren, BlakeE and I all traveled down to Pulaski County, Virginia, to participate in a "sprint" adventure race on Saturday. I was freaking out the whole week, as the projected temperatures got colder and colder. The race was supposed to last 6 hours and include paddling, mountain biking and trekking. I had already informed my team that I was not going to do the paddle, knowing that if anyone fell in, they would be dead, with the temps in the single digits. As it turned out, the paddling was canceled anyway (whew!) due to the cold and the fact that the lake was frozen and no one could launch a canoe. We went anyway.
The race started at 7 am, and the official temperature was -3. Yup, that's negative 3. Colder than my freezer. The race would have been ok if we had started out running, not that running in sub-zero is good, but it is better than trying to bike in it. I had tried to use neoprine booties, but could not get them on, becauase of my stupid feet with their high insteps. I got some toe "warmers" and hoped for the best. They did not work as planned, and my right foot in particular was on its way to some serious frostbite. I had also gotten some baklivas for our heads and faces, but trying to breath through the little mesh mouth hole was impossible and we ended up pushing the mouth below our chins. MyKaren and I had on skiing mittens and our ski goggles, both were good choices. The first check point was about 10 miles or so away, and we ended up not making there, as one of us was going hyperthermic and we had to get back to the transition before they got into more serious trouble. I was glad, as my right toes were on their way to frostbite land, and it would not have been a good thing for me to have been out there much longer.
As it turned out, I cried when they thawed. It felt like they were being burned and stabbed at the same time. We got everyone thawed and warmer, and set out for the trekking part, which went much better. We got both trekking checkpoints with some warming breaks in between the two points, and then set out for some orienteering points, and some good old bushwhacking! The run/trek was actually fun, but still hard. We got 4 points in all, and ran/walked for about 5 hours, so it was not a complete bust.
To give some perspective, 16 teams signed up and showed up for the sprint race. 2 teams did not start race morning. 4 other teams (inlcuding us) bailed on the bike. There was also a 30-hour race, to my knowledge, they all started. Those people are the crazy ones.
Enough of the politics.
I found out what it is like to try to work out in a freezer this past weekend. I do not recommend it. MyKaren, BlakeE and I all traveled down to Pulaski County, Virginia, to participate in a "sprint" adventure race on Saturday. I was freaking out the whole week, as the projected temperatures got colder and colder. The race was supposed to last 6 hours and include paddling, mountain biking and trekking. I had already informed my team that I was not going to do the paddle, knowing that if anyone fell in, they would be dead, with the temps in the single digits. As it turned out, the paddling was canceled anyway (whew!) due to the cold and the fact that the lake was frozen and no one could launch a canoe. We went anyway.
The race started at 7 am, and the official temperature was -3. Yup, that's negative 3. Colder than my freezer. The race would have been ok if we had started out running, not that running in sub-zero is good, but it is better than trying to bike in it. I had tried to use neoprine booties, but could not get them on, becauase of my stupid feet with their high insteps. I got some toe "warmers" and hoped for the best. They did not work as planned, and my right foot in particular was on its way to some serious frostbite. I had also gotten some baklivas for our heads and faces, but trying to breath through the little mesh mouth hole was impossible and we ended up pushing the mouth below our chins. MyKaren and I had on skiing mittens and our ski goggles, both were good choices. The first check point was about 10 miles or so away, and we ended up not making there, as one of us was going hyperthermic and we had to get back to the transition before they got into more serious trouble. I was glad, as my right toes were on their way to frostbite land, and it would not have been a good thing for me to have been out there much longer.
As it turned out, I cried when they thawed. It felt like they were being burned and stabbed at the same time. We got everyone thawed and warmer, and set out for the trekking part, which went much better. We got both trekking checkpoints with some warming breaks in between the two points, and then set out for some orienteering points, and some good old bushwhacking! The run/trek was actually fun, but still hard. We got 4 points in all, and ran/walked for about 5 hours, so it was not a complete bust.
To give some perspective, 16 teams signed up and showed up for the sprint race. 2 teams did not start race morning. 4 other teams (inlcuding us) bailed on the bike. There was also a 30-hour race, to my knowledge, they all started. Those people are the crazy ones.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tattoos and trails - 12/8/2008
Most IMFL and IMAZ finishers got tatted on Friday! It was an ink partaay! Everyone seemed happy with the results and everyone seemed to hold up under the needle just fine! I got mine on my right inside ankle, a nice M-dot outlined in black and filled with Scarlette Red! Several of us got our ankles tattooed, one got a very small one on her foot, one on the back of her ankle, and one got an original design on her bikini line. I am hopeful that my ankles will not get fat or stretched, but I guess time will tell. I love my new tattoo!
MyKAren and I and our dogs drove to Bear Creek State Park on Saturday, picking up TriSharon on the way to stay in one of the park's cabins before the Bear Creek 10 miler, held on Sunday. It was a fabulous time! It snowed a bit on Saturday night, which made the woods so pretty. We had dinner and drinks with a few other TrailGirls and slept for 10+ hours before waking to a cold race morning. The Bear Creek 10 miler is not an easy race, and the snow on the trails made it slippery but very pretty. I ran with my peeps for most of the race, just taking it easy until these two girls annoyed me to the point that I decided I had to beat them. They were making comments about how they had to beat us, and were kind of snotty about passing us on the hills, which we were walking. Anyhow, about 2 miles out, I passed them once again on a downhill and flat section and then made up my mind that I was not going to let them pass me again. When I finished I thought I was going to puke, but they did not pass me again. I never said I wasn't competitive.
MyKAren and I and our dogs drove to Bear Creek State Park on Saturday, picking up TriSharon on the way to stay in one of the park's cabins before the Bear Creek 10 miler, held on Sunday. It was a fabulous time! It snowed a bit on Saturday night, which made the woods so pretty. We had dinner and drinks with a few other TrailGirls and slept for 10+ hours before waking to a cold race morning. The Bear Creek 10 miler is not an easy race, and the snow on the trails made it slippery but very pretty. I ran with my peeps for most of the race, just taking it easy until these two girls annoyed me to the point that I decided I had to beat them. They were making comments about how they had to beat us, and were kind of snotty about passing us on the hills, which we were walking. Anyhow, about 2 miles out, I passed them once again on a downhill and flat section and then made up my mind that I was not going to let them pass me again. When I finished I thought I was going to puke, but they did not pass me again. I never said I wasn't competitive.
Monday, December 1, 2008
A New Beginning-12/1/2008
OK, the name is IMFL Adventure, but as I noted in July, I signed up for IMUSA as well. Crazy but true. Today is the beginning of a new chapter, probably more painful than IMFL, since Lake Placid is a little more hilly...well, a LOT more mountains, but calling them hills may keep me sane. Tonight indoor starts...yipee! I'm looking forward to months of sweat and pain from MeanEd and MarcoDiablo! Really, I am! I'm feeling fat and out of shape even though its only been 1 month since IMFL, so its good I am going to have a schedule and set times for workouts. I do not do well with this workout winging it.
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