A Duathlon? Sounds great!

Every 4th of July, my triathlon team hosts an informal triathlon/duathlon for our members. Two years ago I did the triathlon and last year the duathlon. This year I again tackled the duathlon, and it would be only my second duathlon I've ever done.

I came into this year feeling much better about working hard in the heat, so I felt like I could do a decent job "racing." I wasn't so concerned with racing my teammates so much as racing my time from last year. I wanted to see that my fitness had improved and with the weather this year being so similar to last year, it would be a good gauge of improvement.

Armed with my lovely new multisport watch, I was ready to go race morning. We had a big turnout, way more than usual. Nineteen members total raced so it was going to be a very fun morning. Lake Georgetown looked beautiful at 7:30 in the morning and I was almost a bit envious at those who were doing the triathlon. The lake was calm and looked so refreshing. Perhaps it's time I got my butt back into the water?

The first run of the duathlon was about 1.1 miles just around the picnic area at the lake. We shortened the first run this year so it better coincided with when the swimmers would be coming out of the water and we'd all be on the bike course about the same time. For this first run, I wanted to be "comfortably uncomfortable" with my pace, so I figured right around 9 min or just under would be great and then hopefully I'd be able to push it harder on the second run. I was feeling pretty decent and got down to about 8:30 pace within the first few minutes. I kept that up and finished the that loop at 8:33 pace.

A quick transition and I was on my bike. The course for the bike is actually not all that easy. It's short...9.55 miles...but it starts out uphill. My heartrate spiked right away, hitting 160 within 3 minutes of ride time. But I stayed with it, knowing I'd get a good downhill in a couple miles. Every opportunity I got on a downhill I shifted into a tougher gear and tried to make up some time speed lost on the uphills. I want to be better with shifting, so this was good practice. By the time we got to about 7 miles I knew I was riding much better than last year. I felt a lot more comfortable and my heartrate was staying more in control overall. I ended up riding 1.1 mph faster than last year, coming in at 16.7 mph. A win in my book. It probably helped that at the turnaround on the dam at about 8 miles into the ride, I saw my friend Esther right on my butt, probably only about 30 seconds behind me. Although I didn't want to view this as competition, seeing her that close to me definitely got me moving my butt a little bit faster.

Another quick transition (where I thoroughly messed up the lapping on my watch and accidentally hit the button too many times. I had to look back on the data to estimate my transition time versus my actual run time, but I think I got it figured out based on the elapsed time of the workout. Both my transitions came in at about 40-45 seconds. Not bad for being so out of practice!

I knew I could get the second run done in under 15 minutes if I pushed myself and remembered it was a very short distance, only about 1.7 miles. I glanced at my watch to see that it was right at 44 minutes total for the workout. I remembered last year's time was 1:11:xx so even with a shortened Run 1, I was definitely doing better this year. I just felt so much stronger! I kept thinking Esther was going to blow by me right before the finish so I sped up to about 8 min pace for the last half mile. It got hard but I knew it was almost over. I ended up coming in at about 14:48 (if I estimated correctly from my watch mishap).

I finished in about 59:50 total for the 2.8 miles of running and 9.55 miles of cycling. Last year I ran 3.4 miles and cycled 9.45 miles in 1:11:33, so it was a definite improvement. I had so much fun! My entire team did a really great job out there, with speedy times for everyone. They're all very worthy competitors and they keep me on my toes day in and day out.

Informal team races like this are a great way to get into that competitive spirit, gauge where you're at in training and fitness, without the expense or nerves from an actual organized race. Teammate Amanda even made up medals for the fastest of us out there so that's a very fun keepsake.

Looking forward to the next one!

Team pre-race

The medal winners, although every single person out there killed it!

Positives and Negatives

My training has kind of been all over the place this summer. After my April marathon I knew that I would be drastically cutting back on my running so I could focus on cycling and swimming more, in the hopes I'd get up the nerve to sign up for another triathlon. Last summer was very rough on me and I knew I needed to do something different.

It's been good and bad.

First....the positives....

I have really enjoyed my Saturday bike rides with my triathlon group. Sometimes I stick to the group, sometimes I branch off with one or two others, sometimes I end up solo. But it's been fun and challenging and a really nice break from the difficulty of running in the summer weather. I don't typically have too much trouble cycling for two or three hours in the heat. I've noticed that I've gained a lot of strength and comfort with my cycling over the course of the past few months.

As for swimming, I was very reluctant to get back in the pool. I just wasn't a great swimmer last year, although I improved dramatically over the summer. My first few swim workouts this year were pretty mediocre and it was a bit frustrating to me. But the last few weeks have been completely different. It's like something just clicked in the pool and I now feel like a real swimmer. I've gotten compliments on my form and ability, and that just makes me feel very good about my progress. I felt strong and comfortable during my first triathlon last week, and I'm feeling confident going into my next one at the end of September.

I loved competing in my first triathlon and can't wait to see how I do during a full triathlon season next year. I haven't picked my races yet, but I do plan to do several throughout the season. I want to be a real local competitor in the sport.

But there have been negatives....

My running. It kinda sucks. I'm battling plantar fasciitis and that is discouraging, but it has improved in the last couple weeks. I am struggling greatly in the heat and humidity, but I'm thankful this summer has been much better than the past few years. Except for August. August has been atrocious. Some workouts have gone very well, but my "long" runs have not gone well at all. The longest run I've had since April is 7 miles, which was my choice and I don't regret that choice at all, but I do think it's putting me at a disadvantage going into marathon training. I'm going to suck it up and keep increasing my mileage slowly, and know that with the cooler temps around the corner I'll be feeling much better.

I have two marathon in the coming season, Houston on January 18 and San Luis Obispo on April 26. These are the same marathons I ran this year and I'm looking forward to improving upon my times in 2015. Both are awesome races, but they're completely different from each other and involve very different racing strategies. Also, with them 3 months apart, I have a long training cycle...37 weeks. But I did it this year, and ran my two fastest marathons so far, so I'm confident I can hang in there and hopefully be just as successful. Most importantly, I want to enjoy the whole journey!

I'm trying to focus more on the positives. My marathon training group starts up on Saturday and for the fifth year I'll be coaching. It's always better for me to be surrounded by inspiring athletes every Saturday morning. One step at a time...I'll get my running mojo back!

2014...Decisions Decisions!

6 weeks into the new year and my race plans are starting to come together for the year. I've tried to force myself not to commit to anything else in the first half of the year, however.

This weekend is the Austin Half Marathon, a race I haven't run since it was my very first race in 2008. Since then I've run the Austin Marathon five years in a row, so I knew that 2014 would be a good break from the full course and instead go back to where I fell in love with running and racing. It's not an "A" race, meaning I won't be attempting a PR. Austin is not an easy course, and I have not been training to run a sub 8:30 pace half. I'd still like to do well and to feel good, so I'll run hard regardless. Then I get to cheer on my Round Rock Fit runners at Mile 26 of the full course. Some of them are running their very first full marathon and for the first time since I started coaching, I'm going to be there cheering for them as they finish up that last mile.

Next month is my fifth year running in the Texas Independence Relay, and that race will serve as training for my April marathon in San Luis Obispo. It's a lot of tough running coming up, and my focus really needs to be on keeping my endurance up and staying in marathon shape.

I've gotten back on my bike and back in the pool, although with hesitation. I've only swam twice since October, and am happy to say I don't think I lost too much of my form, although my speed (of which I had little) has suffered. It will take time to get my comfort back, but I'll slowly peck away at it. This past Saturday I did my first outdoor ride in a very long time and I forgot how tough hills can be in cycling! It was a good ride, but slow and fairly difficult. I'm going to continue to try to incorporate rides into my schedule in the next few months.

I will not be doing long distance over the summer like I did last summer. I need the break during the hottest months. Instead I'll be getting on my bike more and keeping the runs under 90 minutes. There won't be any crazy 30K trail runs in my racing schedule this year!

A triathlon is still in the cards, but I haven't picked exactly which ones I will do. And I won't make that decision until April or May. I need to focus on my upcoming races, especially my marathon, and I need to get more comfortable being back on my bike and in the pool before I decide what race is right for me. I can't have the distraction of committing to a triathlon in my head just yet. A lot of people want to know what races I'm going to do and I simply can't answer that question yet.

The only late year race I had in my plans was running the BCS half marathon again in December. I had so much fun running it in 2013 that I couldn't resist the early registration price and signed up. I will be committing to running the Houston marathon again for January 2015 and early registration for that is in May (I'm thrilled my qualifying time from January 2013 is still valid!). But otherwise, I planned to put the breaks on any race registrations.

BUT THEN.....

My friend Tricia asked me to join a relay team.

Not just ANY relay...a TRAIL RELAY. In October. In Texas Hill Country.

A SPONSORED trail relay in October in Texas Hill Country. That's right...I'd be part of a team sponsored by Nuun. 

How could I say no to that? Tricia is one of my best friends, I know she'll put together a great team, and relays are my favorite kinds of races. The answer was an almost immediate yes.

The more I read about this race, the more excited I get. Three different trail loops of differing terrain and distances that every team member runs, a central Ragnar Village location where we hang out, camp, and have fun. Right now we have 5 of our 8 members picked and I love each and every one of the women on the team.

SO....

I really REALLY won't be committing to anything else until April!

REALLY.

So stop asking.

Certifications, Bikes, Swim Lessons, and a lot of Miles

Wow...the last few weeks have been CRAZY.

Several weeks ago my coach warned me that my schedule was going to start looking like an Ironman schedule. No kidding...yesterday I took a look at what a typical week will be for the next 6 weeks and it does amaze me that I'm going to be doing this week after week...and I'm going to LIKE IT....well, mostly.

Mon: Personal training session, 20 mile bike ride
Tues: Interval training - 5-7 miles
Wed: Personal training session, Speedwork - 4-6 miles
Thurs: 8 mile Tempo run
Fri: Swim lesson, core work
Sat: Coaching plus Long Run (12-20 miles)
Sun: Long Run if not done Saturday

Some weeks there is no day off, although there is enough variety that I shouldn't burn myself out.

You'll notice that there are two very big new things in that schedule...personal training and swim lessons. That's right. I signed up for both. $900 poorer but I have 13 personal training sessions and 6 private swim lessons to look forward to. I had my first PT session yesterday and my trainer, Ryan, completely kicked my butt. It was a circuit type workout that focused mostly on upper body and core, with squats thrown in for good measure and my heart rate was sky high for a lot of it. I feel like not only am I going to get a great workout twice a week but I'm learning a lot of valuable tips for when I start work as a personal trainer.

That's right....I'M CERTIFIED!

On September 13 I took the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certification exam and passed on my first try. It was a tough test, I spent countless hours over the last 6 months studying everything you can imagine about the human body and exercise, and now I can begin work training others to find the fitness that is within us all. It's almost surreal. I've talked to friends about employment possibilities and I'm looking forward to where God leads me to be. After 11 years with the "Mom" and "Wife" moniker, I get to add "Trainer" to it...it feels good to have something of my own and to help contribute to our household.

Next Friday I start swim lessons. I decided to sign up for private lessons at a local swim school. Daniella takes lessons at this pool and they have many hours during the day where they conduct private lessons while kids are in school. I thought this would be a perfect fit for me as I'm very nervous about learning to properly swim. The less people around, the better! I hope my instructor, Donna, is ready for me!

Purchasing training sessions and swim lessons wasn't the last of my "bleeding money" week, however. I have a pretty new addition to my family.

Isn't she beautiful?? My very first road bike. She's brand new but I found her on clearance and she's perfect for what I need right now. And she's purple. Because of course I would buy a purple road bike. I'm very excited to get her out on the road next week and see how it feels to ride faster than 13 mph (love my mountain bike, but I'm ready for a bit more speed!). I did a spin workout (my first time!) a couple weeks ago and maintained a 21+ mph average over the course of the hour class so I'm wondering how I will fair out on the open roads. I know I'll be wary of traffic and it'll take awhile to get comfortable but I think it'll be a great experience.

I've enjoyed this view for the past few weeks on my mountain bike, but it's time for the road!

So between running 20-40 miles per week, riding 20+ miles per week, 2 hours of personal training, a swim lesson, and seeking employment, my house should sufficiently go the hell, right?

Poor Greg. 

My weeks haven't solely focused on training, however. I'm trying to find the blessings in the little things and have been taking opportunities to appreciate what and who is around me.

The kiddos started school. I have a 5th grader and a 2nd grader now.

I got to spend a day exploring Austin with this fabulous lady, Tricia

Went to an Eric Church concert with friends Heather and Bre. SO MUCH FUN!

Next up?? I get to wear my Team Luke's gear in my first race representing them. The IBM Uptown Classic, sponsored by Luke's, is next Sunday. Tricia and I get to run together (if she can handle all my chatter!). Really looking forward to it!

FEELING BLESSED.