GASPARILLA DISTANCE CLASSIC 15K RACE REPORT

The Gasparilla 15K is my favorite race of the year! It was my first race (2008) and it's always the kick-off race to my season! I highly recommend the Gasparilla Distance Classic to everyone - it is incredibly organized, the courses are great, the expo is awesome, the sponsors are top notch and the "booty bags" are the best by far!

My favorites of the day:
-National Anthem, gets me every time
-Watching the wheelchair athletes barrel past us on their return
-Seeing the seeded runners absolutely tear it up, the first guy was on his way back just as I hit mile THREE. Ridiculous.
-The turnaround, it always brings me a renewed energy
-The pacer, I accidentally fell into a pace group and it worked out really well!
-The weather! Overcast so no sun in my face, perfect 45* running temp, no rain and minimal wind
- Mr. Bayshore homeowner for bringing out his stereo with great music, thank you!
-LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MY FIRST FRIENDLY FACES OF THE RACE, DAVID (STRIDER KING) AND DOUGIE CHEERING FOR ME AT THE FINISH... how was that David?


Race deets:
Just as I was about to leave the house to get Christy, she texted me saying she couldn't go because her daughter was too sick. I completely understood but it took me a second to digest the fact that I would be totally alone for the race. I don't mind racing solo, I've done it many times before but she's been my running/race partner for so many months now it was a little strange to go without her.

Everything from that moment on went as smoothly as I could have ever hoped, though. I got to the Tampa Convention Center in great time, didn't get lost (which I tend to do downtown), waited briefly to park in the parking garage and got a space right up front. I escaped all my logistical nightmares. After a quick potty break, I headed to the start to stretch and warm up. It was 6:40 by this time so I had 25 minutes to hang out. I ended up positioning myself way too close to the start and by the time I realized I was out of place with the fast folks, it was too late. Before I knew it, we were off!

As usual, I had trouble finding my pace the first mile. I was hoping that I could pull off a 9:20 pace, maybe even a 9:15 if I was feeling really good. I kept going too fast too soon and my legs were just not cooperating with me. I continued to struggle finding my pace through mile 2 and then the 9:00 MM pacer came up behind me (yeah, BIG indication I was too close to the start line). I've never run with a pacer but decided it couldn't hurt me since I was having such a hard time settling in. I figured at least she would slow me down and as long as I kept her in sight, I would be in the 9:15-9:20 range.

We hit the turnaround and I was feeling really good. I debated on whether I wanted to deal with fueling and came to the conclusion that a lot can happen in 3 miles so I better prepare for the ugly. I was able to hold onto the pacer, thanks to Mr. Hottie Stetson Law grad in front of me providing the view (sorry Hubs but desperate times...). He dropped off at mile 7 and I pulled ahead of the pacer. Everything was awesome until mile 8.5. I was definitely feeling the faster pace and fatigue was starting to weigh down on me. Out of nowhere, my left hip starting bothering me. It kind of pissed me off. I mean, seriously, I have never had an issue with my left hip and now it starts acting up? No, not happening. The wind started to pick up a bit around that point but I held my pace the best I could. I saw the finish and barely had enough oomph to pick up the last 200 meters. That's when I knew I had run my hardest. I picked up my fabulous medal and walked to the "bridge of booty" for water, chocolate milk, bananas, apples, smoothies and all the other post race goodies provided. After I stretched, I checked G-Unit and almost fell over when I realized I squeaked by with a sub-9:00 pace! I realize this is nothing impressive in the grand scheme of the running world but it's a big deal to me.

Last year's time was 1:31:28. My goal this year was to finish in 1:28:xx so I was totally stoked to shave 7:40 minutes off my PR for a 1:23:44 finish. One second slower and I would've finished with 12345! I am very happy with my performance and proud to know that my consistent training is really starting to pay off. It should also be said that without any of my girls with me, it was the quietest I have ever been on a run. I literally spoke two words the entire race ("Oops, sorry" when another girl and I merged into each other) so my pace may be directly linked to how much I run my mouth. Interesting.

Run: 9.3 @ 8:58
1 - 8:51
2 - 9:05
3 - 9:07
4 - 9:10
5 - 8:54
6 - 8:59
7 - 8:45
8 - 8:45
9 - 8:56

After looking at the splits, it's hard not to regret slowing down the first half. I just need to remind myself that it was what I thought was best at the time.

Just an FYI to all my friends in Bloggerland - while I was trying my best not to work while at work I stumbled upon an awesome give away at The Happy Runner Giveaways & Reviews blog. I don't know about you but I could live off of eggs! They are quick and easy to prepare and packed full of all the goodies my body needs. Eggland's Best happens to be my favorite brands and thanks to the The Happy Runner, we have the chance to win a 3 month supply of these little yummies! Click here to read all about the superior quality of Eggland's Best and find out how to enter to win this eggcellent giveaway. And if you win, feel free to throw an egg at me for actually using "eggcellent." Good luck!

f-f-f-reezing swim

Another frigid swim. The pool is heated to 85 (so they say) but the outside temperature was 48 so unless the pool is 90, it's a cold ass swim in my opinion. I was so cold that I didn't think I was going to make it through the whole class. During my warm up my teeth were chattering and my body was so tense my shoulders felt like they were in my ears. Since it was so cold, the instructor told us just to swim as far as we could until the end of class. My brother-in-law (who did the Florida 70.3 last year and is doing it again this year and has become my training partner/friendly competition) suggested we do 40 laps steady. So off we went. It was the longest continuous swim I've done and it was a great test of my focus. Around lap 15 I was getting bored and slowed down a bit. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish all 40 but by lap 25, a switch suddenly flipped. I was energized and tore through the rest of the workout - I even sped up significantly the last 5 laps. I felt great at the end and we finished off another 3 laps to complete the race distance. I was pleased (and surprised) by my endurance and the swim gave me new found confidence for race day. Now I know that if I had to race tomorrow, I could not only finish the swim but do pretty well.

Swim: 2450

Oh and the best part is that when I got home at 8:30 last night, all the kids were taking showers so there was no hot water left for me. Now I know why some animals eat their young.

Introducing...

MY ORBEA ORDU!

*cue the angel's singing*

Thanks to Mark and all the folks at St. Pete Bicycle and Fitness for their top notch service! They have an awesome shop on 4th Street that is open 7 days a week - if you're in the area, be sure to check them out.

Bike deets:

Frame: Orbea Ordu

Fork: Orbea Ordu

Crank: Shimano Dura-Ace 53x39

Headset: 1-1/8 Integrated

Handlebar: Cobra Wing T2+ Cobra

Stem: Zeus C3 Carbon

Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace Barend

Brake Levers: Shimano BL-TT78

Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace

Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace

Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace

Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace

Wheels: Reynolds Assault

Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 12-25

Tires: Vittoria Rubino Pro

Seatpost: Orbea Ordu 74/76 Degree

Seat: ISM Adamo Gel Road

I know I'm a little biased but isn't it gorgeous?! The picture doesn't do the matte carbon finish any justice - it's very stealth looking in person. I opted out of the Reynold's Strike wheels mainly because I'm a wuss. Mark said that any crosswinds would be pretty noticeable with the Strikes so I figured I have enough to get used to with the lighter, stiffer frame, new aero position and more aggressive positioning - no need to push my luck. Besides, that's an easy upgrade once I get more comfortable. Now for the really important issues: aesthetics! I'm torn because I really love it completely blacked out but part of me wants to add some tri-a-licious flare - pink brake cables, pink wheel stripe and maybe some pink grip tape to match my helmet pictured below. I just don't want it to look tacky. I'm taking it in next week for the Dura Ace makeover so I need to figure out what I want. Decisions, decisions...

A hit and a miss...

Tuesday's interval run was a definite miss in my book. The bike ride the night before completely took the snap out of my legs for this run and they felt heavy and stiff. I managed to complete the workout but my times were off.

Run: 6 miles
1 mile warm up
2 x 1200 2 RI @ 6:11
-6:13
-6:08
4 x 800 2 RI @ 4:02
-4:10
-4:01
-4:14
-4:18
1 mile cool down

The weather warmed up and it was a beautiful 70 degrees right up until I needed to swim. Then the temperature seemed to drop about 20 degrees within an hour. Real funny, Mother Nature. I got there a few minutes early hoping to add some distance to my swim and get closer to 3000. Since I can't quite figure out how to add an additional swim to my already jam packed training week, I might as well make my existing swims longer.

Swim: 2500
700 warm up
5 x 100
500 ladder
200/100 easy/200
200 - 50 favorites

The class was crowded and I ended up having to share the lane with 2 other folks which is fine if those folks don't happen to be a chick from the swim team and a man with 20 years of swimming under his belt. It took everything I had not to get lapped and my form started to suffer. I was too tense and rushed so next time I'll just move my happy ass to the slow lane where I belong.

Wednesday was a short easy ride, nothing exciting. I was just trying to keep moving without my legs falling off.

Bike: 45 minutes

I hit my pace on today's tempo run right on the money. Yes, it was a tedious 7 mile tempo on the dreadmill but I did exactly the pace my schedule instructed. Even the easy pace which was mind-numbing.I didn't think the last mile would ever end.

Run: 7 miles
1 mile easy @ 10:30
2 miles @ 9:05
1 mile easy @ 10:30
2 miles @ 9:05
1 mile easy @ 10:30


Swim later tonight...

Inaugural ride

It was on the trainer but in my mind, it still counts. I did a 60 minute Spinerval DVD that included a 20 minute timed trial. Yowza! Any buyer's remorse I was having about the new bike went ride out the door after this workout! I don't have any computers set up on the bike yet but I know for a fact that I rode stronger. It's amazing how different everything is when you have the proper set up on the bike. I felt much more powerful from start to finish. After the ride, I jumped on the mill and it was "Hello Legs! Where did you come from?!" There was still a bit of gumby legs going on but nothing like I usually experience. The greatest gift for me, however, came this morning. Normally after a ride, I wake up the next morning with a stiff, achy neck and shoulder area but this morning... nothing! *sigh of relief* I am so happy with my new bike and I can't wait to get her outside!

Bike: 1 hour

At the end of the DVD, Coach Troy mentions that the next day should be a rest day due to the difficulty of this workout. This should make tomorrow's interval run pretty interesting.

Week #2 Review

AMAZING run on Saturday! Thank goodness, too, because I needed to start noticing some progress. The first couple miles had me concerned because they had just done a controlled burn in the park and the smoldering ashes and smoke were affecting my sinuses. Thankfully, it didn't last much further than 2 miles. For the entire first half of the run, I had to keep reigning us in on the pace as we kept speeding up. Once we hit the turnaround point, I just let us run whatever as long as it wasn't too slow. That was certainly not a problem! By the last 2 miles we were running sub-9s and I was questioning my scheduled pace. The schedule calls for 10:05 pace for my long runs so I'm already running them much faster than I should. That burst the last two miles was a good indication that I should be able to speed up the overall pace. Feeling good about a PR for Gasparilla!

Run: 12 miles @ 9:18
1 - 9:29
2 - 9:32
3 - 9:24
4 - 9:26
5 - 9:24
6 - 9:25
7 - 9:19
8 - 9:16
9 - 9:12
10- 9:21
11- 8:59
12- 8:46

Overall, it was just an odd training week. I had to juggle things around a lot and I didn't get to train as much as I had planned. Those weeks are going to happen every now and then but the key is recover quickly. My runs were solid, my swim and bike suffered but I am confident I will be back on track for week #3.

Swim: 1800
Bike: 1 hr
Run: 25 miles

Bike drama

I've had my Trek Equinox since summer 2008 and she's been like another baby to me. I'm not sure if all triathletes feel this way about their bikes (based on the investment cost, I suspect they do) but I am pretty emotionally attached to mine. Which made my first experience back on the bike for this season so disheartening. I was incredibly uncomfortable with my current set up and it didn't even feel like my bike anymore. After visiting a couple bike shops and spending hours trying to adjust my bike accordingly, it became very clear that my precious Trek was too big for me.

I am 5'11" and it's a 58 which seemed like a good match. It was a gift so I wasn't there for the purchase to try it out not that it would've made much of a difference anyway. At the time, I really didn't know much about riding tri bikes, or riding in general, so the ill-fitting set up wouldn't have been noticeable to me. My expertise on the subject hasn't improved all that much but at least now I know how I'm comfortable and how to get the most out of the bike. It was a bittersweet moment when I realized I needed to buy a new bike. On one hand, I was very excited for a shiny new toy but on the other hand, I felt incredibly guilty. I told my husband it was like the Trek was my starter wife and I traded her in for a younger, hotter model! Way hotter. The purchase has been made so there's no turning back now. Deets and photos to follow...

Any guesses on the new ride?

I need a wife

Seriously, I do. And I say that with the utmost respect. Up until, April 2009, I was a housewife for my entire adult life and it was a role I relished. It was incredibly fullfilling and rewarding and I look forward to a time when I can return to my former life. But back to my point... I need a wife to handle all my chores so I can find some time for my poor neglected blog. I started this blog to keep track of my training but once a week posts are not cutting it. Here's my week so far:

MONDAY
Bike: 1 hr
Run: 1 mile

TUESDAY
Did not feel well so I opted out of the interval run and then ended up missing the swim in order to celebrate a birthday dinner for my son.

WEDNESDAY
Made up the interval run and then some. Schedule called for 3 x 1600 @ 8:22 but I added an extra 1600. I am getting so sick of being slow, not just slow, but the only slow one. I am always the weak link of the group and I'm over it.

Run: 6 miles
1 mile warm up @ 10:00
4 x 1600 @ 8:19; 2 min RI
1 mile cool down @ 9:13

This was a toughy but it's funny how easy it made the 9:13 feel.

THURSDAY
Schedule has longer tempo runs for the next few weeks which I can't squeeze in before my evening swims. For these instances, I will replace Sunrise Yoga with the tempo and be sure to make yoga after the Saturday long runs. I decided that making yoga a regular post-long run occurrence wasn't really working for me. I'd rather make it an option. In the end, it will work out to one yoga class per week which I feel is sufficient.

Run: 6 miles
6 miles @ 9:22

Swim: 1800
Not a stellar swim. I was late to class and couldn't make up enough time to fit the set of 500. I just wasn't feeling this class. It was cold and I never felt warmed up. Plus my lane sucked and it's one thing to be arm to arm with other swimmers when you are going the same direction, it's an entirely different experience when they are coming at you. That's what I get for being late

2x200 warm up
3 x 200 build
500 drills
favorite 50s (350)

FRIDAY
rest

The bike is pitiful this week but that's a whole different post :(

Weather woes?

Great long run on Saturday. It was a chilly morning, mid 30s, but by mile 3, I was down to a t-shirt, capri pants, ear covers and mittens. I know the folks north of us are sick of the snow and I feel for you but in all honesty, I am grateful for the snow. Soon enough you all will have wonderful spring weather and comfortable summer heat - two things which do not exist in Florida. With each new snowstorm comes the knowledge that we will have one more week of perfect running weather. I absolutely love running in these temps and just thinking about the impending summer heat and humidity is enough to make me cry. If we could ease into it that would be bearable but the humidity is always an overnight transition. One day you wake up and there it is... 90% humidity weighing you down and making the air too thick to breathe. I just hope it holds off until after the Princess Half.

I was glad to have another 12 miler under my belt and very relieved that it was a strong run. There is only one more long run before my back to back race weekends - the Gasparilla 15K 2/27 and Princess HM 3/6 - so a good run was key for me mentally. I'm was hoping that my pace would be a little faster at this point but we hit the 15k mark of the run at 128:09 which would still give me a PR.
The improvement is small but I'll take what I can get. I've decided not to put any expectations on the Princess HM. The Women's Running HM was a miserable race for me so I'm just hoping not to struggle as much this time around. Although my training is focused solely on the 70.3, I hope that the HM training I have completed to this point has better prepared me than the last HM.

I opted out of yoga after the run due to some nasty blisters. That's what I get for choosing my socks in the dark - lesson learned. I also needed the extra time to prepare the house for my son's Black Belt promotion party!

Run: 12 miles @ 9:31
1 - 9:38
2 - 9:18
3 - 9:21
4 - 9:23
5 - 9:32 fueled
6 - 9:33
7 - 9:32
8 - 9:35
9 - 9:30
10- 9:34
11- 9:36
12- 9:44

I am very pleased with how consistent we ran. I knew the first few miles were too fast and next weekend I will be sure to pay more attention. Clearly, I was losing steam at the end but I didn't slow as much as it felt like I had.

A threesome, music and memory loss.

This morning's sunrise; starting my day early and seeing this always make me feel like I get to open a gift before everyone else.


It's "Threesome Thursday" again (yoga, tempo run, swim) and that means my favorite training day of the week has arrived! Sunrise yoga this morning didn't get off on a high note but all was well in the end. For starters, I was excited to use my brand new, CLEAN, yoga mat only to have a Y member enter the room and WALK ACROSS MY MAT WITH HER SHOES ON! Oh no, you di'int! Seriously, who does that?! I don't care how old you are or how early in the morning it is, you can clearly see a hot pink rectangle on a white floor. The next assault on my nerves was the soundtrack... don't get me wrong, I really like the instructor and she does a truly, wonderful job. Her music choice, however, leaves something to be desired. I don't really care for the Dave Matthews Band. In fact, I can't stand their music. At all. Whining and mumbling are not singing to me. Take it one step further and make it a live soundtrack with an audience applauding and yelling every two and half minutes and it's not exactly conducive to a calm and peaceful yoga environment. Thankfully, I only have to suffer for about 20 minutes before there are better songs. I realize you can't please everyone all of the time but it has been the same soundtrack 4 times in a row now. I will gladly pay for a new CD. Namaste.

Rushed home after work and got to the Y just in time to fit in my tempo run. After mile 1, it occurred to me that my bathing suit was still hanging up in the bathroom - forgotten item #1. Yeah, that complicates the swim. Thankfully, it was Hubs to the rescue! That wonderful man loaded up three kiddos to bring me my suit ♥ My focus went back to my tempo run and the realization that I didn't refill my water - forgotten item #2. D'oh. I was supposed to do 3 @ 8:55 but the Y mills always feel easier than the one I have at home so I increased my speed to 8:41 and held it through the cool down mile.

Run: 5 miles
1 mile warm up @ 10:15
4 miles @ 8:44

The swim was good, I don't think I pushed as much as I normally do. There were a lot of little things that deterred my "A" game - it was unusually cold, I was sooooo hungry and towards the end my toes and calf kept cramping. I still completed the whole workout and now have another successful swim in the bag. Getting out of the pool last night brought cold to a whole new level but forgetting my flip flops (#3!) and walking barefoot through the locker room was definitely worse. I feel like I need one more, longer swim per week. It's time to tweak the schedule...

Swim: 2000
2 x 200 warm up
500 drills
500 build
10 x 25 easy/25 fast
50 new drills
-25 dolphin to the deep end, breast stroke to the wall
-25 lifeguard
50 cool down

Loving my two-a-days

Good morning intervals! I did these on the mill and had a little trouble determining my pace but I think I managed okay. Good thing it went well because I was looking through my schedule and this is the easiest interval run for a while...

Run: 6 miles

2 mile warm up
Distance @ Actual Pace (Target Pace)
1200 @ 5:45 (6:11)
1000 @ 4:51 (5:06)
800 @ 4:03 (4:03)
600 @ 3:10 (3:01)
400 @ 1:49 (2:00)
200 @ Sprint (Sprint)
1 mile cool down

After hours of gloomy skies and a lot of rain during the day, the clouds parted and the sun came out to play just in time for my swim - thank you Mother Nature! And thanks to all that rain, the pool water was a little cooler than normal. It didn't take long to get warmed up, though. Another great class and each time I'm excited to see what new exercise the instructor will pull out of her bag of tricks. Tonight, we added push ups and triceps dips on the side of the pool. After the weightlessness of the water, each set was like being smacked in the face by gravity. My arms were feeling it!

Swim: 2175
300 warm up
3 x 100 build
3 x 100 drills
-push/pull
-fists
-single arm
3 x 200 build
100 easy
10 x 25 easy/25 fast (85% effort) + 5 push ups or triceps dips
50 hands only drill on our backs
50 arms only swim
50 legs only
2 min treading water
75 cool down

Week #1 Review

Not the start I had anticipated but I'm ending my first official week of training back on track. I finished up a 12 mile run today. My leg was feeling about 90% better and thankfully it wasn't much of an issue. My tummy, however, was very disagreeable this morning and the last 2 miles were flat out painful. But it's done and I have another 12 miler under my belt. Up until the last two miles, I averaged a 9:45 pace. After a quick trip home to change and grab a snack, I was off to the gym for yoga. This, however, was a much better idea on paper. The stretch and stress release of the class were great but my poor legs were quivering so much I could hardly balance.

Run: 12 miles

Totals for the week:
Bike-2.5 hours (3 rides)
Run- 16 miles (2 runs)
Swim- 4,175 m (2 swims)

Clearly my run miles are a little short since I missed by scheduled runs. I also realize that using the Spinervals workouts gives me quality workouts in a short period of time but I am going to need to add some longer rides.

Holy tight hamstring, Batman!

Monday:
I was super stoked to start my first official week of training for the 70.3. I started with a great 45 minute interval bike ride on the trainer. I had decided that as part of my training, I would follow every bike ride with a short run. I jumped off the bike and hopped on the mill only to have my right hamstring completely lock up on me about 10 steps in. I stretched, walked and tried again but to no avail. My hammy was out of commission. I stretched throughout my day and attempted Tuesday's interval run but again, no luck. It's pretty darn painful. I feel like if I move it another inch it will snap.

Bike: 45 min. interval

Tuesday:
Still no run but I had my second swim. It was even better than the first! I'm slower than I would like but my focus right now is on form and efficiency. It was a great class and I was definitely worn out by then end.

Swim: 2400
400 warm up
600 drills
-100 sighting
-100 touch ups
-100 fist
-100 finger drag
-100 pull/push
900 build
100/200/300/200/100 We were supposed to take a 10 second break between each but I decided to do it as needed and ended up never needing it :)
10 x 50 timed : 10-15 RI I managed 45 - 50 seconds for each 50 (yes, I'm a slow runner AND a slow swimmer)

Wednesday:

Bike - 45 minute easy, technique focused Spinerval

Thursday:

Sunrise Yoga to start my day. It's so nice that they offer it at 5:45. I was getting very annoyed that there are no good early classes. I appreciate the yoga and would LOVE a 5:30 a.m. Body Flex or Conditioning.

I ended my day with a short and very easy run in the mill. My hamstring is still not 100% but I wanted to test it out and attempt another run. I started off very easy and slowly increased my pace. I held steady at a 10:00MM pace just hoping to get in some miles rather than speed. The pain was definitely much better and I'm crossing my fingers that I can put in at least 8 miles on Saturday.

Run: 4.5 miles
.5 warm up
4 @ 10:00

Swim: 1775
200 warm up
500 drills
-100 pull/push
-100 fist/sighting
-100 touch ups/finger drag
-100 pull/push
-100 touch ups
500 set
25 sprint
50 different stroke
75 drills
100 steady (75% effort)
100 steady (75% effort)
75 drills
50 different stroke
25 sprint
10 x 50 timed : 10-15 RI (same times as Tuesday)
50 hands only drill
2 min treading water
25 cool down

I actually don't know how to swim any other stroke (unless the doggy paddle counts) so the 50 in the main set were a little difficult. I attempted the breaststroke but realized that it takes way too much coordination and timing. No matter what I did, I just could not make any forward motion. I probably looked like a bobber. I was introduced to the hand only drills. The first 25 was feet first and it took some trial and error to figure out what hand motion worked best. The return 25 was head first and those were much easier to figure out. It was a great drill and really burned out my shoulders and triceps. As far as the treading water, let's just hope I don't ever go over board without a life vest.

Friday:
I opted out of my bike ride this morning to rest my legs for tomorrow's run.

3 months until 70.3

January in Review:

January Goals:
1. Two 12 mile runs this month - only one
2. Two bike workouts per week - DONE
3. 5k at 8:40 pace - pushed to Feb.

Strengths:
1. Feeling more comfortable in the long runs.
2. Added more speed work and steadily increasing my pace.
3. Increased core strength

Weaknesses:
1. No swimming

February Goals:
1. Two 12 mile runs
2. PR at Gasparilla 15K
3. 5K at 8:40 pace
4. Follow my schedule!

Monday - Strength/Interval Bike
Tuesday - Core/Interval Run, Swim (p.m.)
Wednesday - Strength/Bike
Thursday - Core/Yoga, Tempo Run/Swim (p.m.)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Long Run/Yoga
Sunday - Long Bike or swim. Maybe both :)