It's Race Week Again

Despite all of the training I have been doing it is hard to believe that I have a race this weekend. I am still unsure if I am doing the Olympic or sprint distance so I have been training for both. I would definitely prefer to do the sprint though because the bike course is insanely hilly. Regardless of the hills I am much less anxious about this triathlon. Going into my first one I didn't know what to expect and wanted to see all my hours of training pay off. This time though I am also training for a marathon which is my A race for the year.

This week is shaping up to be perhaps my busiest so I am glad that this is not a super important race for me. My goal for both this week and my race is to have fun and celebrate the end of summer. I don't want to put a lot of pressure on myself and take away from everything I have going on this week.

The beautiful race site

That doesn't mean I am not transitioning into race mode though. I am increasing my sleep, especially in the beginning of the week before everything starts, eating extra carefully, and making sure every workout has a purpose. I am not tapering for this race but I am going to take the end of the week easy so my legs feel fresh come race day.

I am hoping to use this race to gain experience and learn more about the sport of triathlon. I still know so little and want to take advantage of this race so I can enter next season stronger and wiser. Hopefully it won't be as hot and I can put up some decent times too.

Keystone State Tri Training Week 5

Monday:
I started the week off with an easy bike ride on the trail. My legs were tired only climbing during rides so the flat trail was greatly welcomed. My pace was slow but the whole ride was very enjoyable. In total I rode 17.2 miles.

Tuesday:
After going to my Tuesday morning yoga class I went to the gym for some strength training. In the evening I went to the track for my weekly track session but was stormed out. I contemplated pushing through the storm but I called it quits after a tornado was spotted in my county. Safety first.

Wednesday:
Wednesday was a lazy day. I really don't remember what I did all day but I did manage to get for a 2 mile recovery run.

Thursday:
Thursday morning I did my weekly long run where I hit double digits for the first time. Of the 10 miles I did 2 at marathon goal pace and another 2 at half marathon goal pace. Very successful run. After my run I stretched out with a lunchtime yoga class.

Friday:
I was planning on going up to Pinchot for some hill work on Friday but heavy rain scared me away from trying to ride. Instead I went for a recovery run that was the opposite of Thursday's run. Then in the evening I went to the gym to strength train.

Saturday:
Rest day! Gosh I love my rest days.

Sunday:
I finished off the week with 4.69 miles of easy running to make my weekly total 22 miles, a new weekly high for me.

Weekly Totals

• Biking: 17.2 miles
• Running: 22 miles
• Yoga: 90 min
• Strength: 1 hr 25 min
• Total hours: 8 hrs 4 min

Keystone State Tri Training Week 4

Monday:
Even though the week before was vacation I was still really tired on Monday morning and opted to sleep in instead. I then hit the track for my longest track workout yet! I did 3x 800 hard, 400 recovery, followed by 3x 400 sprint, 800 recovery.

Tuesday:
Tuesday morning I went to my usual yoga class, which felt amazing after Monday's track workout. It really is amazing how much a little stretching can do for the body. Later in the day I went up to Pinchot to ride a loop of the tri course, followed by a 2 mile brick on the trails. Despite my legs being tired I saw a lot of improvement on this ride.

Wednesday:
The plan was to do 2 loops at Pinchot this time but heat exhaustion got the better of me. I called it quits for the day only 10 minutes into my ride due to dizziness and nausea. At night I went to the gym and lifted after hydrating like crazy.

Thursday:
I went down to my boyfriend's house on Wednesday night and we didn't wake up until around noon. Then we hung out for awhile and I lost all motivation to workout. Not thrilled about it, but it was a rest day.

Friday:
By Friday morning I knew I was doing the race on Saturday but wanted to get in a quick shakeout run to loosen up my legs. I did 2 miles of easy hills near my house and felt great. Then I went to the gym for some strength training.

Saturday:
Race day! I ran my first 15K through the tortuous rolling hills of Druid Park.

Sunday:
My IT band felt tight after the race so I rested so as not to aggravate it any more.

Weekly Totals

• Biking: 9.6 miles
• Running: 18.8 miles
• Strength: 1 hr 25 min
• Yoga: 60 min
• Total hours: 6 hours 16 min

More Hills

This morning I headed back up to Pinchot for some more hill work. I felt more mentally prepared this time and as a result the ride was quite enjoyable! This time the ride started out with a pretty big hill. I was dreading this hill but it ended up not being nearly as bad as I had anticipated. Don't get me wrong, it still kicked my ass, but it didn't kill me.

The rest of the ride was mostly rolling hills with one another pretty big hill somewhere in the middle. This hill was also not as bad as I had thought it would be. I still have a lot of work to do but I am starting to feel confident about this upcoming triathlon. It's amazing what a little practice will do!

After the ride I hopped off my bike and quickly changed into my running gear. I did two easy miles for my first brick of this training cycle. At the beginning of the run when things felt weird I kept telling myself to pretend I was running my warm down lap at the track. That seemed to help a lot.

Then I picked up the pace a little during the second mile to a slightly faster also comfortable pace. I payed no attention to my watch, just running by perceived effort. This seemed to work well since my second mile for was thirty seconds faster than what I thought I was running.

Never Accept Defeat

This whole triathlon thing has presented me with a lot of challenges, some more welcomed than others. As a former swimmer I only had to get over fears of swimming in dark, murky waters. Even running isn't too bad. I may not be the fastest runner but I feel comfortable during most runs. That leaves cycling. I am a complete newbie and even though I have been making progress I still have a lot to learn. I also have a lot of room for improvement.

After a tough ride on Sunday with my boyfriend I started questioning why I even cared about the sport of triathlon since I am so bad on a bike. I was angry and thought there was no point in trying since I was hopeless. Then my boyfriend said something to me that is common sense but something that I needed to hear from someone else. He reminded me that I hadn't even been riding for a year so I couldn't expect myself to keep the same pace as someone who has been riding for 5+ years.

When I was swimming I felt so at home and at peace with myself. Sure I had tough, challenging workouts but I still knew relatively how to tackle them successfully. I hadn't experienced that struggle of the unknown and doing something new in over ten years. I pushed myself constantly in the pool and I push myself on runs now, but not in the way that I have to push myself on the bike. It is pretty hard to explain but it is a real struggle for me.

After that ride on Sunday I was terrified about whether I could complete the bike portion of my upcoming triathlon. It has a lot more hills than I am used to. I knew, though, that the only way to get better at hills was to practice climbing. This morning as I was riding part of the course I experienced many emotions. At times I was all I love cycling, I could do this all day! and then when it was time to start climbing the negative thoughts would creep back in.

Once I was done the ride, though, I felt stronger than on Sunday. I started to think that with some serious hill work I can do this ride. I really have nothing left to lose by trying and I know that if I don't try I will regret it big time.

Keystone State Tri Training Week 1

Monday:
Ran 6.5 miles in the morning. It was really humid out and my legs felt incredibly heavy. Definitely should have a done a shorter run as my first run since my tri. The run was terribly slow but good mental training I guess. In the evening I went to my first group ride! We rode about 28 miles in around 2 hours. I'm not sure because of stops but I was pleasantly surprised with how fresh my legs felt after a rough morning.


Tuesday:
After a long day of workouts on Monday my body was craving it's weekly yoga session. My legs were a little tighter than normal but felt a million times better afterwards. I had a track session scheduled for Tuesday night but was really nervous because my legs still were feeling pretty heavy. I decided to go anyway & just see how my legs felt. To my surprise they showed up ready to run fast. I did 1 mile warm up followed by 4 rounds of a 400 sprint & 800 recovery. My 400's were 1:40, 1:38, 1:36, 1:36, all faster than the last time I did this workout!


Wednesday:
After two tough days of workouts I gladly welcomed an easier day. I was supposed to swim but storms had the pool closed all day. I ended up moving my swim to Friday and just doing only my strength workout. It was my first time in the gym in awhile and I was definitely sore Thursday morning. I have two strength workouts that I'm alternating between but I think I still need to modify them some based on what is available at the gym.


Thursday:
More storms were in the forecast for most of Thursday so I knew if I wanted to get in any workout outside it needed to be in the morning. I did a slow 3.5 mile easy/recovery run before going to my yoga class. I felt really sluggish during the first mile of the run but then my legs started to loosen up. Despite the slow legs I have been really enjoying running lately, which is a complete 180 from how I felt about it a few months ago. Good timing considering marathon training coming up.


Friday:
Friday was yet another rainy day. I had no desire to run in the rain and biking in the rain can be pretty unsafe so it ended up being a swim day. I was surprised how off I felt in the water. I can't really explain it but I certainly didn't like it. Hopefully next time will be better.


Saturday:
Saturday was spent relaxing by the pool and enjoying summer. All in all it was a perfect rest day.


Sunday:
My boyfriend decided he wanted to take me on a ride so I could get more experience on the road and climbing hills. Despite the rest day my legs were feeling tired and heavy from the beginning of the ride. We planned on doing 37 miles but cut it down to 22 miles because of multiple road closures and my cranky legs. I still have a lot of work to do but I still have a few weeks before my next tri.




Weekly Totals

• Swimming: 1,800 yards
• Biking: 50.08 miles
• Running: 14.02 miles
• Strength: 45 min
• Yoga: 2 hours
• Weekly Totals: 9 hours 25 min

Next Up

Now that I am finished training for the General Smallwood International Triathlon I am looking ahead to my next endeavor. I have a lot of big goals and know that I need to be smart with how I go about training for them.

1. Keystone State Triathlon August 26

I am currently signed up to do the Olympic distance but I am waiting to hear back from the race directors about switching to the sprint instead. This is not an A race for me so I need to focus on doing what is best for my more important races. The Olympic distance has a 27 mile bike versus an 18 mile course for the sprint. Both courses are really hilly and although I plan on spending time working on climbing I don't want it to become a priority right now. 

2. Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon September 16

Even though this is not my big A race for the year I still want to PR the shit out of it. I haven't ever fully committed to training for a half marathon so I want to see how fast I can go with some proper training. Ultimately it is a training race but I will be taking a few days rest before and after it. One of my best friends will also be running this race as her first half marathon/running race ever and I am so excited to be there with her.


3. ING New York City Marathon November 4

This is the big one. I have dreamed of running this race and to be running it as my first marathon almost seems like fate to me. From here on out this is where my priority will be. Sure I want to do well in my other races, but I want to destroy this one. Training for a marathon is no joke so it needs to be the most important of the three.

Other possible races: Sneaks Come Out at Night 15K August 11

I really want to do this race because it is at night and I run significantly better at night. Dusk is my favorite time of day and I can't think of anything I'd rather do than run around Baltimore as the sun is going down. I am not signed up for this race yet because it is not a priority race for me and I don't want to commit to anything this early. I don't want to miss out on other summer festivities for a race this isn't terribly important so I'm going to wait a few more weeks before making my ultimate decision.

What Comes Next

Now that the Rock N' Roll USA Half Marathon is over I am going to be shifting gears a little to triathlon training! I have already signed up for the Keystone State Olympic Triathlon in August and am looking at two others to also sign up for.

First is the Terrapin Sprint Triathlon at the University of Maryland. I have never done a triathlon before and want to do a small sprint as my first. This race consists of an 800 yard pool swim, a 12 mile bike leg, and a 5K run. The race consists of mostly students and Maryland alums, meaning a small field. I also want to do this race because it is about 40 minutes from my apartment and I can pick up my packet the morning of the race. It is rather difficult to drive in to pick up race packets in advance with my current class schedule. The University of Maryland pool was also my favorite to compete in and I have made a lot of great memories at that pool.

The other triathlon I am looking at doing is the General Smallwood International Triathlon in Marbury, Maryland. I really struggled to come up with an Olympic distance triathlon that I wanted to do. I thought about the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon but I was hesitant because I would need to book a hotel. Then I contemplated doing the DC Tri but couldn't get over how expensive the race is. In the end it doesn't matter because the DC Tri has been cancelled. Even though the General Smallwood International Triathlon is almost 90 minutes away from my apartment, I can't really beat the cheap price. I can also pick my packet up the morning of the race which is a huge plus.

What I am doing now is coming up with a plan for my training. I want to take triathlon training more serious so I am putting a lot of thought and effort into constructing my training plan. I am also taking this time to start learning about triathlon nutrition and fueling. I purchased the Triathlete's Training Bible at the beginning of the year so I have been consulting that as well as various websites to learn as much as I can about triathlons.

Signed Up

On Thursday I registered for my first triathlon! I woke up on Thursday and checked my email only to see that a triathlon I had been eyeing up had a special deal for the first 50 people to sign up. I originally wasn't sure if I should register for this triathlon because it was more expensive than I was looking for and would be after my desired A race, but after I saw the deal I couldn't pass it up.

So as of Thursday I will officially be racing the Keystone State Olympic Triathlon on August 26! Even though this is the first triathlon I have signed up for it will not be my first of the year. I had wanted to do this tri last year but with college starting a few days later, moving into my apartment and being hit with a hurricane it just didn't work out. I am excited for this triathlon because it is close enough to my house that I won't need to stay overnight. I am all about saving money on races this year.

Because this will most likely not be my A race I probably won't be training specifically for this race. I am already signed up for a half marathon in September and am not sure what my A race will be in the fall either. I am just so excited for the upcoming tri season and to see what I can accomplish this summer.