8 miles today, 92 to go

I just ran 6 miles at lunch. But, in order to complete my mileage goal of 34 for March, i need to run 2 more miles. I'm about to do that. It won't be anything stellar, and this is probably a poor way to train, but sometimes completing a goal is more about the accomplishment than it is about the benefits or gain. These two miles will be for my head.
But, this also puts me at 8 miles for the day -- a good start for the 100 mile goal in April.

And here, downloaded from my iPod and for all to see: I reached my goal.

Thus Begins 100 Miles

This month my brother, niece, and I are planning to run 100 miles each.

Mini-Du

Did my mini-Du workout today, running 1.6 miles, then biking 3 + then running another 1.6 miles. The transitions are super mellow -- i walk in the house, have a glass of water, blow my nose, change shoes, then head back out. It's a little baby Duathlon, and gives me a sense of what to expect in a couple of weeks.
So, the training went well. I've determined that I'm quite lazy at this. I'm sporadic about my training, and then I'm a slacker when i actually do run. So, I'll be working on working harder.
At the same time, I do have these little goals for myself to challenge myself. This one was to actually ride my bike all the way to the top of Coopers' Hill on the route. I haven't made it before, but today I did. WHEW! What a freakin' challenge that was! But, i'm so stoked to've done it. Yay!
Anyway, so I got my mileage in and some practice doing the run/bike/run routine. yay!

A Long Bike Ride

Adam and I did about 7 miles maybe yesterday. We did one ride on the R/S course, and we also rode the running course and we rode over there and back. It was actually a great ride and I had a lot of fun just hanging with him and chatting. Belive it or not, the most painful part of doing it was my stupid freakin' neck. Yeah, it hurts trying to hold my fat head up for so long while riding. But, I'll do some more riding, no worries.
Today I'm running and going to do a short ride. Maybe I'll do my mini-course today. That'd be a good workout.

Back-breaking News.

Well, Jeff is immobilized with his back. Oh man the dude's in pain. I've been looking after him since Tuesday, and thus have missed any training this week. Yeah, I suck. Add to that that my neck is currently killing me. Once in a great while it acts up like this -- stiff as hell, headaches, and I feel like i'm going blind in one eye. It's just the after-effects of the broken neck and really should not stop me from performing -- training or doing whatever I want. It's just that it saps my motivation and I succumb to an urge to whine and lay around. Today i'll run though, swear it. Tomorrow Adam and I are biking the course.
oh, and it's ~snowing~ here. YEAH, seriously. how nuts is that?

Calibrate Your Nike + Doohicky

http://walking.about.com/od/pedometer1/ss/nikeplussensor_9.htm Tells how to do it. I haven't done it yet.

Another Workout Today: Running

Tried running at what I hoped my race pace would be for the R/S. There is some good news, and there is some bad news.
Good news: I shaved a minute a mile off the pace I've been running at. I guess that's a lot more than just "shaving" time.... that's more of a full hair-removal. Perhaps a brazilian.
Bad News: I'm still effing slow. My nike+ widget needs to be calibrated. It was off by 4 tenths of a mile. So, while it said I'd gone 3.01 miles in 26 minutes, Google claims I only went 2.59 miles.
I just can't get too discouraged about it though. I mean, crap. I'm running. It feels good. And, I'm making some pretty big gains in my training.
So, yes, I'm slow. But wow, I've improved without a lot of training. By the end of the summer I should be quite the running machine.
I'll hit the bike again today -- an easy ride just to get my ass (literally, my ass) in shape.
I've joined Brea's goal of getting 100 miles in for April. I'm close to my goal of 34 miles for March.

Must Ride More

I rode my bike this morning and attempted a long climb. I didn't quite make it -- that's my new goal.
Hitting it hard this week and next, then going to mellow out the final week before the event. This event will not be stellar for me, I can tell. But, I'm hoping that by Fiasco in Pasco (May), I'll be in much better condition.
Jeff worked on my neck last night -- it's been great, my headache went away and everything.

Walking day

Jeff and I did a 3.5 mile walk at a good pace.
I haven't been sleeping well lately.
Neck is killing me lately also, possibly related to sleep (lack thereof).
Not much else to write about.
Adam did the R/S course and mapped it, so I will have that to practice with. Tomorrow a.m. going for a bike ride.
Too much going on at work to consider riding my bike to work -- i have to haul my laptop and stuff.

Running for Speed

Well, I have to laugh as I write this. Speed. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
I'd LOVE to get my pace down below 9 minutes, or even 8 minutes. So, "speed" is relative when I have a friend who runs 5 milers at a <6 minute pace.
But, really, I ran as hard as I could for 2.5 miles and wanted to throw up. My iPod congratulated me for running my fastest 2 miler. WEEEEE!!!! Then I walked home. Most of the run was uphill, if that means anything.
The next two weeks I need to bust ass on my training, then taper off the last week or so before the race.
I'm mortified by the very real possibility that I will come in dead last. The odds are good that this will happen. oh well. My goal is for personal improvement. And I expect to see a big change by the end of the summer. Anyway, even if I finish dead last, I'll still finish it. And that's way better than sitting on the sofa eating bon-bons and watching "Survivor".... right?
I failed to mention in my prior post that another goal of mine is to log 34 miles for the month of March. Brea has a great goal of 100 miles in April. I think I'll shoot for about 75 or so? I will have to think about that one.
Like Brea and Adam, I'm slowly getting "into" all this (okay, so brea has always been "into" this) -- reading magazines, studying, and actually getting inspired to do more and to continue. No, I haven't experienced runner's high yet (unless it feels like a sore knee, pulled hip-flexor, excessive gas, and running nose, in which case I can say I'm experiencing it in spades). Well, it's a good thing, and it's fun.

So, St. Helen's 30 mile trail run in September. We could do it as a 2-day overnighter with very light packs, or as a one-dayer. What do you guys want to do?

Goals

Okay, time to get serious about some goals for the duathlon. oh, first, why's it a duathlon and not a biathlon? Well, a biathlon is two sports, and just two events. With the duathlon it's two sports, but split so it can be 3 or more events. In the case of the R/S, it's run/bike/run.
Anyway, back to goals. Well, originally my goal was to finish. I don't think that'll be a problem, I'm pretty good at just plodding along and not stopping. The many backcountry death-marches I've done have given me the ability to just not give a shit and to keep moving forward. Instead, I have an odd goal of trying to lose 10 lbs BEFORE the event. The way I see it, that's the number one factor in making sure I don't injure myself and in being able to do the entire thing. Speed and such will come later. Anyway, so how am I going to lose 10 lbs? By training for the duathlon, avoiding the ice-cream acid trip, etc. See, so it all works together.
So: 10 lbs by April 12. I'm already down 2 lbs. I have 3 weeks to go. This can be done.
Do more, eat less, easy-peasy.
Later, gators!

Back on Track

Okay, last night i did my big Red Mountain loop -- the one I used to run. 5.6 miles. I ran <3 miles of it, then hiked the rest (where I stopped running is where it gets super steep).
A most excellent run and hike, though I was still coming down from what I'm calling the "afternoon acid trip". A project manager I'm working for is a 5', petite South Vietnamese dynamo. She took me to lunch yesterday and wanted to expose me to the indulgence of a Baskin Robbins "Blast". Think ice cream, coffee syrup, and a shitload of chocolate.... with about a cup of whipped cream on top. She has these every day. I don't know how. I had half of mine and my vision began to blur. I thought I was going to implode, or maybe run a marathon, or preferably throw up. Possibly all three, at the same time. The affects of the thing were horrible.
Well, anyway, with that gut-bomb and my garlic chicken swirling and stewing in my belly, the run was a pretty impressive belch-fest. Never again.
I've misplaced my iPod cable and can't download my run from last night.
Oh, and FYI, the Nike + thing needs to be calibrated so that it reads accurately.
I got my speedlaces and put them on my shoes, the way they fit makes the Nike+ sensor a bit loose and ready to slip out (though it never did), so I also need to get it velcroed in there.
Not much else to say.

Running Thus Far

I ran Wednesday to make up for Tuesday's missed run. The run was a nice one along the canal out by Jeff's place. But then I got food poisoning or something on THursday and missed that run, then I sorta flaked for the weekend. So, that's okay.
Tonight I'm running my old Red Mountain loop. My goal is to run all the way to the base of Red Mountain -- about 3 miles, all a gradual uphill -- then hike the steep bit and walk home. It's a 5+ mile jaunt altogether. Eventually I'll run the whole thing.
It's my favorite workout, and is great for endurance, speed (the run up the steep section is like doing a 300' flight of stairs) and for strengthening ankles and stuff with the rough ground. Plus, it's just beautiful. :)
I'll write a post about it tonight when I get back from it.

Missed My Run

Missed my run last night. My best friend was in pain and I took her to Urgent Care and we learned that she's probably passing a kidney stone. Anyhoo, so that took most of the evening and I got home around 9. Tonight I'll do a makeup run. No biggy. :)
Actually, maybe I could do a short run today at work. yeah, I will do that.
nothing else to report.

More About Bricks

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Enrico%20Contolini/Introduction_to_bricks.htm
"Bricks are a very important part of triathlon (and duathlon) training and they are sometimes overlooked. Bricks refer to training on two disciplines during the same workout, one after the other with minimal or no interruption in between, just as you would do in a race (I am sure you knew this). Usually when people talk about bricks they refer to a bike/run workout, but bricks could also refer to a swim/bike workout or to a run/bike workout (if you are training for a duathlon). These last two are often overlooked but still important to fit here and there in your training plan."
"Here are a couple of bike/run examples:
Sprint triathlon workout: (5-6 miles bike + 1mile run) - repeat three or four times.
Olympic triathlon workout: (7-8 miles bike + 1.5-2 mile run) - repeat three or four times."

And here's just some Triathlon info:
http://www.hulaman.com/triathlon/tricks.html

Oh, and I registered

I should keep track of every cent I spend on this endeavour (the all-inclusive endeavour of multi-sport racing and running the marathon), and see what it's costing me. ONLY because I bet it's WAY cheaper than skiing!!!
Anyhoo, i'm all signed up for the Rage in the Sage -- W00T!!!

Speed-Laces and thoughts on transitions

I practiced my "bricks" last night -- changing between biking and running. The first thing I noticed is that swapping shoes is a huge pain in the ass. So, should I keep the same shoes for the entire duathlon? Well, i definitely can't run in my mtb shoes, and I think I'd lose a lot of time if I biked in my running shoes. Should I keep my running shoes on the whole time but change my bike pedals to baskets instead of cleats? gag, no. Instead, I'm opting for speedlaces. These will help with the transition and enable me to use the appropriate shoe at the appropriate time. I ordered two pair of the speedlaces.
Next I noticed that I'm a total freakin' clutz when it comes to mounting and dismounting my bike. I mean, it's pathetic. So really, i just need to practice this every day as a skill, not so much as part of my speed/endurance training. Three things to practice: running with my bike, mounting my bike and getting my shoes on, and dismounting my bike. Apparently people actually leave their shoes clipped into their pedals, hop on their bikes, and then pedal away, eventually smooshing their feet into their shoes. Fortunately, I have a trainer, which will help me work out these little details. Who knew this could be so complex?
Third, there's the whole issue of "what do I take?" for the mtb portion. I can tell you that when I go mtbing, I don't take anything more than a bit of water and a pump. But, I expect for this I'll need a spare tube as well. I'm going to consult my biker-buddy on this, he knows a bunch of stuff.
And finally, I really didn't notice a lot of difficulty with changing from biking to running. I thought I'd be running like a stove-up old woman, but the transition is actually not that difficult.
Not a lot else to observe at this time, but I'll keep posting as I learn more.
This will be fun, and depending on the condition I'm in by mid-April, I may just sign up for the Gap-2-Gap on May 31 as an "Iron woman". It'll be right after we get back from Italy, but that's okay.

Bricks

I did bricks tonight on my bike -- switching from biking to running. Not too tough, just clumsy to change shoes.
Yay, training done.

Training, Bloomsday, etc.

Well, I ran yesterday, per my schedule. Took the iPod. Man that little dude rocks. Love it. According to Mr. Nano, I'm running a 9:48 mile. I'd love to improve that, and I expect to. So, a new goal (besides to actually KEEP TRAINING) is to run an 8 minute mile during my training sessions.
Tonight I'm adding "bricks" to my training -- riding my bike hard and practicing the transition to my running shoes and running. There isn't a ton of time to really get into awesome shape for the duathlon, so my focus is just to get the soft-tissue strengthened -- speed will come later -- and to get comfortable with the more clumsy aspects of the duathlon like changing shoes and trying to run after biking.
Bloomsday is the first weekend of May. Adam is running it, and I might be. The Fiasco in Pasco (another duathlon) is the second weekend of May. We'll see how the Rage goes and I may do the Fiasco as well. I think it'll keep my training "interesting" for me to throw in some multi-sport events and stuff throughout the year.
Not much else to report except I'm still totally digging the iPod Nano with the workout kit. It's just such a fun little gadget.
Ran 20 minutes yesterday, per my training plan. Today is a day off from running, but I'll do something else like bike.

Nike + iPod Nano -- Day 1

1. The Nano rocks. I got the third generation in fresh, spring, minty green awesomeness.
2. I loaded 2 playlists on it (somehow I thought I had all my tunes on there, but whatever). One is a "running" playlist i made, the other is some dumb "nike" promotional thing.
3. Slipped the transmitter in my shoelaces of my trail-runners, plugged the wireless receiver into the iPod, commenced the training.
4. Came home, plugged the iPod in, got results.

I ran 20 minutes, as prescribed by my training plan for complete and utter jongs. Every five minutes, the 'woman' says, "x minutes, x minutes remaining" or whatever. Y'know, to tell you how many minutes you've done. She tells you when you are half-way, and when you're down to 5 minutes left, she does a countdown each minute. The display tells you your time, average, and distance. You can also get the "PowerSong" (which you've already designated) and play that anytime you need a pick-me-up. I didn't bother much with the PowerSong or anything else. Twice I looked at the display, and the distance seemed to be correct (not that it mattered). So, from the perspective of adding value to my run, well, it really didn't.
When I got back, I plugged my little greeny into my laptop and uploaded my workout to the nikeplus site. Easy-Peasy. This is the part that actually got fun. I have a graph that displays distance/speed for my run. I get one of these for each run that I do. And soon, I'll get to compare each one. I can see my average pace, the places where i slowed way down (i had to pick goatheads out of Murphy's paw), and where I sped up. You can also map with Google the route you ran. Now, if this were a GPS unit, i'd be able to see the sections of my run where I sped up/slowed down ON THE ROUTE instead of just me guessing "Oh yeah, that's where I slowed down because of the hill" or whatnot. That doesn't add a ton of value either, unless you like to unneccessarily create graphs to prove shit you already knew -- like that you run slower uphill.
Anyway, so I also put a goal on the site, to track for March. That is, to run a total of 34 miles for the month (starting today). I can track that with the Nike site, and hopefully also track the improvements to my running pace and stuff.

Okay, so ultimately is this really that much better than having a spreadsheet do this for you? If you're a geek like me who likes to make spreadsheets, you won't be blown away by what this offers. On the other hand, for $30 for the sportpack you have a few little doodads to make it easier to track your training, and you don't have to go through the hassle of entering all your info manually on the web -- i mean, good god, you're probably exhausted from all that running to do any data entry! I'm glad I got it, mainly because I'm a gear-whore, not because it's completely changed my life. :)

I still use www.mapmyrun.com to track my workouts anyway, it's cool and now we have an "Ollython" group that so far is just Brea and I.

2 miles down, 32 to go.
10 minute pace -- damn, that'll make the marathon one LOOOOONG run...

Nike + iPod info

Brea wants the Nike + shoes and kit. It got me to thinking that I like the idea of it. I've been wanting an iPod for 4 years now (can you believe that?). I got a Shuffle last year and I LOVE the thing. It is awesome for skiing, hiking, running, walking, camping, ignoring people, etc. But, now i'm ready for an iPod. I want one to take to Italy, plus it'd be great for camping and stuff.
Anyway, based on Brea's comments about the iPod/Nike shoes combo, I did a little research. I can't seem to find Nikes that fit me well. For whatever reason, every time I buy a pair of Nikes, I hate them. And for whatever other reason, I LOVE the Reeboks I always end up buying. So, my research into the kit was 1.) Do i HAVE to get Nike shoes? and 2.) Do I HAVE to use the Nano or can i use an iPod?

Both answers came from this great blog: http://podophile.com/nike-ipod-faq/
1.) I don't HAVE to use it with Nikes. YAY!!!!
2.) I DO have to use it with a Nano. Crap.

For now I'll continue using my shuffle while I shuffle, but I guess I'll keep an eye out for a used Nano. Ultimately, I will end up with the 80G iPod.
Yeah, i am kinda gettin' sucked into the big iPod craze... but I don't own an iPhone so HA!!!

Oh, I found this site from Brea and she's right, it rocks: www.mapmyrun.com
and here's Brea's blog about her Marathon Training. Now we just need Matt to make a blog... and what about Adam??

How Did I Get Here?

My brother sent me an instant message the other day, "Hey, wanna do the Rage in the Sage?" How did he know I was looking for just such an event? We decided to do it -- not as a team or anything, just both of us sign up and do our personal best, maybe whoever finishes first can wait for the other at the finish line. 2.5 mile run, 10 mile mountain bike, 2.5 mile run. It's literally in my back yard. As in, I don't need to arrange for a ride to get there. And this all got me thinking that this year will be the multi-sport year for me. There's a multisport series held by the 3 Rivers Road Runners (same organization holding the R in the S) and I'm going to try to do all those.
As I contemplated this, I thought, "Hey, self, you should do more running." Because ultimately I'd like to get into some trail-running.
At the same time, in Milan, my niece is training for a marathon. The marathon will be HERE in October!! Serendipitous! And why's she doing it? Because her brother (and my nephew) talked her into it. He (Matthew) is wanting to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I'm signing up too, and I'm just hoping to finish it. Hopefully we can get Adam to sign up also, then we'll have a real Ollython going -- everyone's worst night-mare -- a pack of Olivers running toward them!!! WOOHOO!
There you have it -- that's how I got here. 33 weeks to train for the big event. I'll keep you posted.