1 month until 70.3

Holy crap! It will be here before I know it!

March in review:
It's safe to say that this was not a great month of training for me.

March Goals:
1. One 14 mile run - this run was scheduled for Wednesday but I have a ton of last minute errands to run for our vacations. I thought about splitting it 7 miles in the morning and 7 miles in the evening but that seems kind of half assed. I'd rather push it back a week and do the full mileage at once.
2. PR at the Princess HM - DONE
3. 5K at 8:40 pace - DONE
4. Increase my bike time to 4 hours per week. - FAIL

Strengths:
1. Increased my base training pace to reflect my recent 5k PR.
2. More time on the bike (not goal amount) and my first out door ride.
3. Very comfortable with the swim.

Weaknesses:
1. Bike - I need to put in more time on the bike!
2. Strength training - I've been lazy with this

April Goals:
1. One 15 mile run
2. Increase bike time to 4 hours per week.
3. Incorporate one brick workout per week
4. 50 push ups, 50 sit ups, 5 minutes of planks EVERY DAY
5. Buy a bike computer
6. Buy new sunglasses

Week #7 Review

Insanely busy! The Hubs took boy #1 to football camp in Orlando over the weekend so I was pretty busy with everything but training. Saturday was another fun installment of laundry, boy #2's basketball game, cleaning the house and some other quick errands. Easter weekend we are all heading out of town - just not together - so packing 5 people for 2 different destinations was quite a task. The kiddos are going on a cruise with their Nana and the Hubs and I will be with the rest of the sinners in Vegas! The Vegas trip was planned a while back and I thought Easter was the following weekend when I committed. I feel bad for missing Easter with my people but they seemed pretty psyched about cruising it.

I knew my long run was out on Saturday but had planned a nice long ride Sunday afternoon. Mother Nature, however, was in a bad mood that day and we were hit with a torrential downpour and thunderstorms. I couldn't even ride the trainer because it's hooked up to the electricity. Anyway, here's my embarrassing weekly round up...

Swim: 4300
Bike: 1.5
Run: 7.5

ugh.

Wednesday evening I did the Spinerval 5.0 Mental Toughness DVD. It's 90 minutes of mostly tempo work. I like this video because it's one of the longer workouts but makes the hour and half go by seemingly fast.

Bike: 1.5

Thursday morning's run was comical at best. In just a mere 5 miles my iPod fell twice (the second time it almost took me with it), my pony tail fell out, my pants were falling down, both shoes came untied and I came very close to topping off this fumble-palooza with a puketastic finale. Thankfully, I managed to calm the tummy demons and finish the run without further incident. After I left though, I couldn't help but laugh as I made a mental summary of the run's mishaps. Good grief, that's a lot to deal with for only 5 miles!

Run: 5 @ 8:49

Tonight I mixed up the swim with a new workout. It was a nice change of pace and definitely more challenging than the usual swim.

Swim: 2300
600 easy

4 x 50 side kick

2 x (3 x 100)
-100s as follows:
(three in a row, no RI)
25 90% effort
25 85%
25 75%
25 65%

500 (250/250 negative splits)

300 cool down

The weather had warmed up to 70 degrees with 65% humidity and I was looking forward to very comfortable conditions for the swim. Unfortunately, the Y had other plans. Apparently, they can't heat both pools so they started heating the family pool instead of the lap pool. That's right, the outside temperatures finally increased and now the water temperature dropped. Oh well, cold is better than closed.

Snap out of it already!

I was in a serious funk on Sunday which continued into Monday. Tuesday, I forced myself to get up at 4:30 to train and it was just what the doctor ordered! Sometimes you don't feel great because you're not training but you're not training because you don't feel great - it's tough to get out of that cycle. I think knowing how much better I feel when I exercise leaves me no excuses but to just get it done.

Tuesday's interval run was a doozy. It didn't help that I have been having sinus issues thanks to Spring allergies but I managed to sniffle my way through the workout.
The schedule called for 3 x (2 x 1200; 2:00 RI) @ 7:57 pace. What?! My eyes totally bugged out of my head when I saw that pace! It got even better when I realized the treadmill only hit 7:53 or 8:00. Great. I really struggled through this one but the book says that it's better to complete the whole workout and miss the pace than to finish only part of the workout on pace. So here's my less than stellar numbers...

Run: 7.5
1 mile warm up
1200 @ 7:53
1200 @ 8:00
1200 @ 8:00
1200 @ 8:06
1200 @ 8:06
1200 @ 8:13
.5 mile cool down (I ran out of time)

I wasn't able to run through the RI's so I made the most out of walking them and grabbed dumbbells to fit in some upper body work while I "recovered."

I fully anticipated Tuesday evening to be nuts because Hubs was busy so I had to manage all the after school shuffling by myself. To my complete surprise, the evening ended up being productive and fun for everyone! Plus I got to spend some much needed time with the people I made. Yes, I could just say "children" but I made three people and I'm going to brag about it as much as I can ;) Anyway, in just a mere two hours I picked up dinner from Publix (I know, I cheated but whatever), got boy # 2 to guitar lessons, shopped for new shoes for an upcoming trip with boy #1 and the girl in tow, got boy #2 to basketball while the girl played in the kids gym and boy #1 joined me for a swim. We were a little late to swim class but I managed to squeeze in 2000 before my time was up. It was a great evening and I'm completely out of my funk!

Swim: 2000
2 x 200 warm up
5 x 100 drills
-strong pull
-one arm
-finger drag
-sighting
-fists
Ladder
-25 sprint
-50 breast stroke (which I still can't do properly)
-75 drill
-100 steady
-200 race pace
... then back down the ladder
2 x 200

Week #6 Review

Continuing with my race distance weekend, I completed the 13 mile run Saturday morning. We headed out extra early so it was very cold, very dark, very foggy and totally creepy. No one had a light so off we went into the dark abyss. I'm a total weenie when it comes to scary movies - I cover my eyes and ears like a 3 year old - so this morning's conditions had me a little spooked. Thank goodness the animals were smart enough to stay asleep because the sight of even a harmless bunny would have sent me into hysteria. The sun started to peek out just before the 5 mile mark and it was so nice to finally see our surroundings! This run felt much harder than I expected. Our initial goal was 13, then we decided to just do 10 but at mile 8, that little OCD monster within started nagging me about following the schedule so we tacked on the extra miles for 13. Those last two miles hurt everywhere and were the slowest miles of the run but I ended up with a 2:07:xx finish. I wasn't really paying attention to the pace but it turns out that it was right on point with my schedule.

Run: 13 miles

Sunday was the big bike ride but Mother Nature had other plans. The rain wasn't supposed to come through until noon but at 8:45 a.m. it was already drizzling at our house. I had been looking forward to the ride all week and couldn't bear the idea of 3 hours on the trainer. The cancelled bike ride ended up being a blessing in disguise, though. I was so worn out on Sunday. I wasn't sure if I was coming down with something or had just hit a "wall" but I spent as much time in bed as I could. I think my hectic schedule just caught up with me and I'm glad I listened to my body and rested. So much for my race distance weekend! Guess I'll have to try it another time.

Week #6 Review

Swim: 4950 yards
Bike: 0 (what is wrong with me?!)
Run: 25 miles

Really? ZERO bike time?! Pathetic.

Swim = Sleep

I don't know about everyone else but swimming makes me more tired and more hungry than biking and running combined. Last night's swim kicked my butt and put an end to my sleep problems. Yay! I was dead to the world and it even took me a few minutes to figure out what day it was when my alarm went off this morning. Waking up disoriented with no alcohol involved - now that's some solid sleep!

Once I realized it was indeed Friday, I quickly put my swimsuit back on (it was still damp - ick) for another round in the pool. My brother-in-law, Chris, and I had planned a 70.3 race distance weekend to complete all three events in 3 days - starting with a swim this morning. I was feeling slightly fatigued from last night's swim so I decided to just swim easy and not at race pace like I had originally planned. Chris had a watch and clocked me at 45 minutes which is what I was expecting my race pace to be. So that time plus a few minutes for all the race day elements, less any time I shave off with two more months of training and 45 minutes looks pretty attainable.


Swim: 2340
200 warm up
2150 main set

That puts me at 4950 yards in 10 hours LOL

zzzzzzzzz...

Another sleepless night. Nothing puts me in a bad mood faster than when my sleep is disturbed. How I made it through all those months of sleeping in 3 hour increments when my children were newborns is beyond me. Anyway, I managed to get up and to the gym about 10 minutes later than I had planed. Today's schedule called for a 7 mile run with 4 tempo miles. Good stuff. The first mile I was so grumpy I just wanted to scrap the whole run but I knew there was no other time to make it up. Besides, I was already up and on the damn treadmill - why stop now?! Thankfully, my pissy mood gave way to these rational thoughts and I was able to finish the run. The tempo pace was fine and didn't turn out to be the monster I had imagined. The second set was harder and mile 6 was a mental battle but that's what tempos are for :) Those cool down miles always seem to drag on so I couldn't resist speeding up just get it over with faster.

Run: 7 miles
1 mile easy @ 10:00
2 miles tempo @ 8:49
1 mile easy @ 10:00
2 miles tempo @ 8:49
1 mile easy @ 9:22

Nice swim tonight. Cold as a mo fo but what else is new, right? I wasn't feeling so well the first 10 minutes - I was having tummy issues and I felt like I just couldn't get enough air. Soon enough both problems subsided and I finished out a strong swim.

Swim: 2600
2 x 200 warm up
5 x 100 drills
Ladder
25 sprint/50/75 drill/100/200/300/200/100/75 drill/50/25 sprint
10 x 25 sprint/25 recovery

I would like my hour back please.

I am having a really hard time with this time change and it doesn't make any sense. I get up between 4:30 and 5:00 every morning so the later sunrise shouldn't have any effect on me. I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights so maybe that's the problem. Whatever, the reason, hopefully, I'll feel better in the next day or two.

Hubs was busy with work the last couple days so I was on duty for all the kids activities. Monday's activities were crazy but last night's were at the Y so it worked in my favor - I had one kid volunteering, one at basketball practice and the little one in the play gym. I Love the Y! I didn't have enough time for swim class so I did my interval run for the week.

Run: 5 miles
1 mile warm up
6 x 400 @ 7:53; 1:30 RI
2:30 RI
6 x 400 @ 7:47; 1:30 RI
1 mile cool down

Like I've mentioned before, I am using the "Run Less, Run Faster" book for my running training. It consists of the FIRST program which bases your training schedule on your best 5k time. When I started my training, I knew I was a little faster that my most recent time of 27:38 from October so I guesstimated a 26:40 base time. Since I did most of the scheduled runs at a faster pace than prescribed, I decided I should switch my base numbers to the Armadillo 5k results of 25:43. Normally, I don't think it's a good idea to change things in the middle of training but it was probably a little too easy before. This interval run was my first go of it at the new pace and it felt really good. I was definitely struggling for each step of the last two 400s but I was able to run easy through the RI's instead of stopping or walking. That to me is a good indication that it's not too fast for me. Thursday's tempo is going to be the real test with a much faster pace.

Give away goodies

One unexpected little issue with new bike is that my sunglasses interfere with my line of sight now that my position is a little more aggressive. So in addition to a new bike computer (I'm only using G-unit right now), I have to get new sunglasses. So color me excited when KC at 140 point 6 miles announced a Ryder sunglasses giveaway! Click HERE for more details and enter to win!

Week #5 Review

Swim: 2300
Class #2 and make-up swim cancelled due to weather

Bike: 3.5 hours
Dammit! I still missed my 4 hour goal.

Run: 11 miles
Prescribed rest for interval and tempo runs for the week.

This is the third week in a row that I haven't met my goals and I'm really starting to panic. I can practically hear the clock ticking for the 70.3. The run and swim issues really annoy me because I had no control over them. Ugh.

Bike ride... OUTSIDE!

Great ride today! This was my first solo ride outdoors in a very long time. Normally, I love having company but this two hour excursion alone was wonderfully peaceful. It was nice to get away from the noise and needs of everything and everyone - like a new version of a Calgon moment :)

It was one of the more eventful rides I've had. For starters, it was my longest ride to date - 36 miles. This milestone is actually more concerning than exciting considering the 70.3 is less than 2 months away. I also had my first fall. Well, more like a topple. I came to an intersection, un-clipped my left foot and slowed my roll. A semi was the only vehicle I was waiting on so I didn't plan to stop completely. I continued to roll, looked at the ground ahead of me and at the same time "Mr. Funny Guy Truck Driver" thought it was a good idea to honk as he drove under the overpass. Semi horns are loud enough as is but the added echo from the overpass startled me and I shifted my weight to my right side - still clipped - and over I went. It was so stupid I actually laughed out loud - that was the only moment I wished I had company to laugh with. I smacked my knee on the pavement but what really hurt was my girlie part hitting the frame. It's a good thing I'm done having kids because I'm pretty sure it's broken. Thankfully, no harm done to my bike, though, and that's all that really matters. The final noteworthy event happened just 20 yards after the "fall" when I noticed 2 pit bulls, unleashed and unsupervised, on the trail. Very bad images came to my mind as I got closer but hall-e-freaking-lujah they didn't even so much as look my way.

It was a nice steady ride and I enjoyed the new scenery. There was a hellacious crosswind the whole ride and it wasn't until the turn around to head south that I realized it was a northeast wind. My average speed was 18.9 mph but that also included 3 intersections, two photo ops and one water refill. So my guess is that I rode at around 19.5 which is an improvement for me, especially considering the distance. I'm amazed at the difference a proper fit makes for comfort and efficiency. My legs felt really good after the ride now that I am working less and getting greater output. No more buyer's remorse fo sho! The only issue I had was the last 3 miles where my neck/upper back started to bother me. I'm still not used to the more aggressive position yet but that will just take some time. I will post the photos from my ride later in the week, I am currently having computer issues.

Bike: 36 miles (1:55:23)

I got home and finished up all my Cinderella chores (laundry, changing sheets/making beds, grocery shopping and making dinner) then headed out for my scheduled long run for the week. And yes, I realize the chiro told me to take a week off from running but I just interpreted it as "business week" to fit my purposes. The first mile was uncomfortable and I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish the scheduled 8 but soon after I found my rhythm. It certainly wasn't a fast run and again the wind was irritating but I was glad to put the miles in.

Run: 8 @ 9:22

ARMADILLO RUN 5K RACE REPORT

Leland & I after the race

Kristine & I with our hardware

What a great way to start my weekend! Gorgeous weather, beautiful course, wonderful friends, lots of smiling faces and a PR to boot! After two miserable days of rain, thunderstorms, tornadoes and more rain we were treated to glorious blue skies and perfect 70 degree weather. My boot camp buddie, Kristine, joined Leland and I for the race. She swears she's not a runner but after only 4 months of running she crushed today's race with a 25:3x time and took 1st in our age group. It was her second 5k race ever. Um, yeah... you ARE a runner now. Leland had a rough go of it this morning by his standards but clocking a 26 minute 5k with NO training in over a month isn't too shabby. He also missed the 5k turn around and went almost a quarter mile extra.

Today's 5k was my first 5k only race since October of 2009 in which I ran a 27:38. I was excited for this race because I knew a PR was within reach but I wasn't sure what pace to aim for. I decided that 8:20 seemed like a reasonable "comfortably hard" pace to maintain for 3 miles. It turns out that was a pretty conservative guess.

Splits according to G-unit:

1 - 8:09

2 - 8:13

3 - 8:09

3.17 in 25:56

I'm not sure what my official chip time was but I think I read 25:43 on the clock.

Here we go again...

Thursday's swim was cancelled due to thunderstorms. This is where an indoor pool would really come in handy. Swimming outside in the cold weather is unpleasant but at least I can still swim. The real issue is the Florida thunderstorms - the slightest indication of lightning and the pool is closed. I'm grateful that I got a full month of swims in before the first weather cancellation, though. Once summer is in full swing and our "afternoon showers" are back, it's really a struggle to stay on schedule. I planned to make up the swim this morning but guess what... more rain. I'm hoping that the rain will let up enough for an evening swim because there won't be a chance to make it up this weekend. *fingers crossed*

On a happier note, I just realized that I PR'd the Princess HM. I shaved 16 minutes off my first HM race that was just four months ago! Loving the FIRST program!

I feel like the Tinman

Monday I got the girl back and she was looking all sexy with in her new Dura Ace ensemble. I couldn't very well ignore her so I hopped on for an easy hour ride. My legs were ridiculously sore after the Princess HM. I think being stiff from standing around in the cold as well as the "off roading" I did really did a number on me. I've never been this sore after any of our Saturday long runs. In addition to muscle fatigue, my left hip and right knee were in pain. Thankfully, this can be traced back to my hips being out of alignment (again!). The chiro gave me a small lift to put in my right shoe to help even everything out so as I strengthen the necessary muscles they will keep the bones in the right place. They are so used to being in the wrong place they just slip right back. He also noticed some swelling in my right knee and suggested that I take the week off of running all together. I wasn't very happy with the prescribed rest but better safe than sorry.

Bike: 60 minutes

Tuesday I incorporated some lower body strength training (finally) and I don't think I could run after that if I had to. I was very lazy about the strength training during my first month of training despite knowing it's importance for remaining injury free. *tsk, tsk* Swim class went well. It took me longer than usual to find my rythm but it was still a good swim. My 11 year old joined us in the pool and did a great job keeping up. He completed his first 500 set and was pretty stoked. I think this tri season will be so much better for him now that he's more comfortable in the water.

Swim: 2300

500 warm up

5 x 100 drills

Ladder (500)

10 x 25 sprint/25 RI

Favorite 50s x 6

Week #4 Review

This week started off strong but went downhill rather quickly.

Swim - 3000

Missed a swim class because the pool heater was broke

Bike - 2.25 hours

The girl was in the shop for her Dura Ace makeover

Run - 20.1

Life got in the way and the tempo run was sacrificed

I'm very disappointed.

PRINCESS HALF MARATHON RACE REPORT

2010 Finishers!

The family made a surprise appearance! Thanks Hubs

Princess Avery wore her costume to the race.

Only 10 more years until she and I can do it together

I haven't really wanted to post about the HM because I was pretty disappointed in it. This is actually my second attempt at blogging about it since the first attempt was too long and too negative - I sounded like a little brat stomping my feet and making a pouty face. So here are the highlights and low downs in a short and sweet summary...

The good

1. The medal
2. More than enough port-o-pottys
3. Great entertainment at every mile
4. Nice weather once we actually started running
5. No lines at packet pick up

The not-so-good:
1. The bib was not personalized with "Princess Teresa" or the princess of my choice -even though I signed up in time.

2. The expo was a crowded mess.

3. The official merchandise was by Champion, 100% cotton and the designs were lame. The shirt's were awful, there were no hats, and the only other merch was a coffee mug or some tiny martini glass. Really? Not a single product that you might actually use for running.

4. They had nothing for the 5k runners. I'm ashamed that I didn't notice this but some of my friends that did the 5K pointed out that every product said "half marathon" on it. No shirts or merchandise for the 5K, not even a shirt that said "Princess Weekend."

5. The "value" resort. Just shoot me next time. Spring breakers yelling from balcony to balcony
and running up and down the halls. I only got two hours of sleep.

6. The corrals. I know for a fact that some of the people in Corral A should not have been there because I was passing them and I started almost 30 minutes after them. I was actually assigned Corral A but Christy and Dana were put in the last group in Corral E. I'm assuming since we all entered the same finish time during registration that they just registered too late. My intention for this whole race was to run it together and have fun so staying in Corral A was not an option for me. Back to E we went and froze our asses off for the next 90 minutes. I will be the first to admit that I love running in this cold weather but standing in those temps for that long was painful. It was not a manageable cold either. My muscles were stiff, my hands and feet were numb and shivering was expending precious energy and calories. Once we finally got started, I didn't have feeling in my feet until mile 3 but after that the weather felt perfect.

7. Walkers. Walkers have just as much right to be in that race as the 6 minute mile runners. However, there is no excuse for walking 4 across and taking up the entire course. Walkers should ALWAYS be in the last corrals. I ran at least 6 miles of the run in the grass on the side of the course. There was a moment that I realized the entire course was walkers and runners were in the grass on both sides of the course trying to run. Since we started last and had over 10,000 runners ahead of us, the run did not thin out until mile 10. Just in time for the three overpasses so I didn't get to pick up as much speed as I hoped.

8. "It's just around the corner!" Actually, no it wasn't. The last mile seemed endless. Everyone kept yelling that the finish was just around the corner so I would push hard, round the corner and see more course. I counted 6 corners before I actually saw the finish.

Overview:
It was another run with my girls which is always a plus and I'm glad I experienced it. If you asked me the day of the race if I would do it again, you would've gotten a resounding "no!" Today, I'm not sure. I would like to try it again under better circumstances - better hotel for sure and another early registration to guarantee Corral A. I think it would have been a completely different experience from Corral A. I loved the entertainment at every mile and running through the castle which is unique only to Disney. I have some time before I have to decide so we'll see...


Results:
Time - 2:08:42 (Garmin time which I stopped for the potty break - 2:06:28)
Overall Place - 1,791 out of 10,905
Age place - 350 out of 1,895


Splits: clearly we had a hard time keeping a steady pace)
1- 10:35 (these first two miles were so frustrating)

2- 10:11

3- 9:19

4- 9:23

5- 9:19

6- 10:04 (we all took a potty break)

7- 9:16

8- 9:37

9- 9:12

10- 9:24

11- 9:25

12- 9:19

13- 9:13

Oops! I forgot to tag people...

Will the following bloggers please stand up...

Shannon's Running
Tri Training with Christy
Running with Jenny
Run Momma Run
Speed Vegan
Amber on the Run
Caratunk Girl

You, my friends, have been selected to share 10 random things about yourself! Now get to gettin :)

All my other fav blogs were already tagged so check out the "Blogs I follow" on my profile for their great posts.

Randoms!

Last week I was tagged to post 10 random things about myself by KC at 140 point 6 miles These are always fun posts to read on other blogs so I quickly started to think of 10 randoms about me.

1. I hate coffee. I can't stand the smell and have never had a sip.


2. I became a certified S.C.U.B.A. diver at 12 years old which is ironic considering I am terrified of the ocean today. I grew up in San Diego (I know, be jealous) and dove a lot of great spots in the area, including the kelp beds, with my dad who was a Dive Master. Once we moved to Florida, we dove in the Keys only twice and that was was it. It's a good thing I did this when I was young and naive because the thought of the kelp beds now sends shivers up my spine and brings the Jaws music to my mind. Diving soon gave way to fishing which inadvertently led to my complete and utter fear of the water. I know the exact moment that changed it all - Tarpon fishing in the Boca Grande pass... in a flats boat. A flats boat in that deep, dark water felt like we were in a canoe and the the sight of countless Tarpon rolling within arms reach and knowing there were hammerheads bigger than our boat waiting to feast on these beauties sealed the deal.






3. My greatest memory of my childhood is Glamis. For those of you who know, enough said. For those who don't, words will never do it justice. There is so much to share and I could literally write about this for hours but to save us both the time, click here for more information and don't skip the intro...




4. I got my motorcycle license at 17. Probably not a surprise after the previous post.

5. I've never been to Europe.

6. I have never been athletic. I did not play sports growing up - sports that involve a ball put me at risk for hurting myself or those around me, I once fought an exercise ball in a narrow hallway and lost, team sports are a nightmare for me and it took me 10 years and several failed attempts to become the mid pack runner I am today.

7. I'm terrified of the Skyway Bridge. It combines my mild fear of heights with my paralyzing fear of deep water. I've been over it once in the 19 years I've lived here and just thinking about it makes my hands sweat.

8. I didn't realize I have been in Florida for 19 years until that last comment. I'm not sure what's worse, the fact that I have been in Florida longer than I was in San Diego or that I can reference my life in 20 year increments.


9. I love being alone. Don't get me wrong, I love being with my friends and family but I also love complete silence. I love being in the car by myself and my thoughts. I love having the house to myself with no TVs on and the phone ringer off. I could go all day and never speak a word.

10. I thought Triathlons would cure my fear of the ocean. You know, that whole "face your fears" gimmick. Turns out it doesn't work.

Has it really been a week since my last post?!

I have so much blogging to catch up on! Wednesday I finally got some much needed time on my bike - yay! I did the Spinerval 5.0, a 90 minute workout full of tempos, sprints, squats (yes, squats) and more tempos. Great workout and I finished it off with a 1 mile run just to shake my legs out.

Bike: 1.5 hours
Run: 1 mile

I woke up Thursday morning with some pretty sore legs so I decided to move my tempo to the evening workout and hit Sunrise yoga to start my day. I was SO HAPPY that the music was changed. No more Dave Matthews Band - it was all soothing yoga music to my ears!

My evening workout ended up being a disaster. Taking kids to activities cut out time for my tempo. Not to panic, I figured since my long run for the weekend was Sunday for the Princess HM, I could still do the tempo Friday sometime. Disaster #1 averted. I headed to the pool only to find two people swimming - one in a full wetsuit. Seeing the confusion on my face, the lifeguard told me the pool heater broke earlier in the week but was now fixed. Unfortunately, the water hadn't warmed up all that much yet and was only 70 degrees. 70 degree pool water + 48 degree outside temperature + no sunshine = a HELL TO THE NO on the swim. Crap. That was the first swim I have missed since I started training. True to my OCD nature, I was having a terrible time accepting the tarnished record. I realize I could have gotten into the water because technically it was "safe" to swim in those conditions but it just had bad idea written all over it. It was not worth the risk of getting sick.

Yoga: 1 hour
Swim: missed

Friday morning I wasn't feeling so well so the tempo got pushed back once again to the evening workout. Unfortunately, Friday night I had to work late so no tempo for me. My bike went to the St. Pete Bicycle and Fitness for her Dura Ace makeover which meant no more rides for the week. Funny how my training was so strong the beginning of the week and then just fell apart by the end. Ugh.

I think Mother Nature hates us...

This weather needs to make up it's damn mind. I still haven't gotten my new bike outside yet! So it was another trainer ride Monday with a short, easy ride. Nothing special, just spinning the legs after the race.

Bike: 45 minutes

Even though the 15k was faster pace than my schedule called for, it was right on point with my mileage for the Saturday long run. The same can be said for this weekend's Princess HM - the races are not the goal, just a stepping stone to the 70.3. Thankfully, my hip pain from Gasparilla was gone by Monday and I could keep my runs this week right on schedule. Today's interval run seemed especially daunting but I managed to complete it. I'm just glad it's over and that I only have a short tempo to deal with on Thursday. After that, I'll be able to focus on enjoying my girls trip to Disney to conquer my second HM race. And I do mean conquer!

Run: 6 miles
1 mile warm up
6 x 800 @ 4:00
1 mile cool down

Pretty stiff pace for these and I was holding steady for the first 4. Thankfully, I had company at intervals 5 and 6 and the distraction made them much easier.

Tonight's swim was another ridiculously cold swim but this time we were treated to gale force winds. It was so cold that halfway through class we were down to only 5 people from the 10 that started and the instructor cut the class 15 minutes short. Since my son was still at basketball practice, I continued to swim after everyone left. I'm sure the poor lifeguard bundled up in the parka was praying I would cramp up and get out ☺ The decision to keep swimming paid off and I completed my first 3000 swim! Woohoo! It feels like I get my groove around 1800 and then I pick up the pace and feel like I could swim forever.

500 warm up
5 x 100 drills
900 ladder (100/200/200/200/100)
10 x 50 (25 fast/25 easy)
600 steady

Only 45 minutes on the bike so far, not really a dent in my 4 hour goal. Plus I will be at Disney this weekend which eliminates another opportunity for a long ride. Crap. Looks like tomorrow and Friday have to be long trainer workouts. Good times.

2 months until 70.3

February in review:

February Goals:
1. Two 12 mile runs - DONE!
2. PR at Gasparilla 15K - DONE!
3. 5K at 8:40 pace - didn't find a 5k to do but have signed up for the Armadillo 5k on 3/13
4. Follow my schedule - DONE! I feel like I have followed my schedule to the best of my ability. I missed one swim class for my son's birthday dinner, made all my runs, and did what I could on the bike with the issues I was having.


Strengths:
1. Feeling much better during and after the long runs - not nearly as sore or tired.
2. Running consistency is paying off and I am slowly chipping away at my pace.
3. Completed my first race distance swim and had energy left for more.

Weaknesses:
1. Bike - I need to put in more time on the bike!
2. Strength training - I've been lazy with this

March Goals:
1. One 14 mile run
2. PR at the Princess HM
3. 5K at 8:40 pace
4. Increase my bike time to 4 hours per week.

Week #3 Review

Another great week but I still need to get my biking on track. I am way under where my training should be at this point and I'm running out of time. I feel like I have made headway with running and swimming which is great but most of the race is spent on the bike! It's time to make some goals for the bike; that seems to be what keeps me on track...

Week's totals:
Swim - 4950
Bike - 1:45
Run - 22.3