Jess, Linda said you're looking for advice on tempo runs and speedwork. I'd read the article from Runner's World that is linked below. That will help on tempo runs.

For speedwork, there are a number of different strategies and you could consult www.runnersworld.com and search for speed work. I would also suggest a strategy I used back in college that worked very well for a national champ in the 10K. The workout includes:

10 x 100m starting at a jog and gradually working up to full sprint, then back down - 15 seconds between each 100
10 x 200m with the same strategy - take 20 seconds between sprints
10 x 400m - same strategy - you can even take a minute between sprints here

Build it up to 800m if you can. When I say sprint obviously this is going to be a different pace as the distance gets longer. But if you do this twice a week it will really build up some leg speed and strength. The key is to not let you muscles continually train at the same pace. Teach them to run at different paces on different days and your performance should improve considerably.

Best way to run this program is on a track since you don't have to worry about inclines or measure distances. If you have a school that has an accessible track, get out there. Otherwise, find a lightly traveled neighborhood street and measure out the distances.

You can also build mile-repeats into your workouts. Spend a day running a one mile loop at race pace. Run five miles with a reasonably short break between repeats. You can also do hill workouts if you have a good gradual uphill. I'd also suggest a fartlek which includes varying paces within a longer run. I would typically at 7:00 minute pace for 6 or 7 miles but I'd run a fartlek at these paces to improve strength and stamina: mile 1: 7:30, mile 2: 6:00, mile 3: 7:00, mile 4: 5:30, mile 5: 7:00, mile 6: 5:00, mile 7 - 7:00.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your training!

Craig

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-265-12224-0,00.html

Great photos, thanks Craig. I LOVE the photo of you and your parents Jess!
Ya know, we REALLy are faboulas!
If anyone wants to come out and swim the lake just let me know.
Ashley and I started running and swimming together today. We are
shooting for Wed., Friday and Sunday but I can always fit a swim in
or boat whoever wants to come out.
Kathy

I added some photos to our Flickr page (see below for the link) from the huuuuge batch Craig took (Thanks, Craig!). I tried to pick the ones where we looked the least pained. ;-)

--Jess :)

Lots of photo documentation!

I set up a flickr album for our pictures from the big day. There are several up right now, and I'll post again when we get more up:

Click to check them out!

The official race photos are here, but be forewarned that there are a LOT of them.

--Jess :)

pictures

My neighbors made a poster for me.

We did it! :-D

Today was totally amazing and worth every single morning I had to get up and drive to the Y in subzero temperatures at 5:15 in the morning. It was worth every single biking, um, mishap (a couple of which I think might leave scars). It was even worth that very first horrifying plunge (I can't call it a swim, because it wasn't) in Lake Geneva.

Between nervousness and my borderline-OCD need to be on time, I ended up at the park at 5:20, which gave me ample time to set up my stuff and freeze. I'm glad I had a pair of gloves in the massive pile of junk in my back seat. Once my fellow rockstars arrived, we got marked (which, by the way, so didn't wash off in the shower), checked out the newbie meeting, and did introductions with our respective posses. Then it was time for the swim!

I was pleasantly surprised at how little trouble I had getting through it, and I was pleased with my time. I only got bumped into a couple of times, and never actually got kicked in the head. ;-) And please allow me to say one more time how much I love my rental wetsuit. (And Linda, anytime you need another wetsuit rescue, I'm your woman!)

On to the bike. I'll be honest--it was scary, especially when I got toward the end of the course and the lane wasn't closed to traffic like I thought it would be. I did fine (thanks to Linda and Kathy making me face up to the cars in the two weeks leading up to the event) right up until I got back to the park entrance and there was chaos because they were letting people out before all the bikers were back in. I ended up having to walk it back into the park, but I finished! Oh, and I did fall once on the way--I stayed upright, but I can't say the same thing for poor Thor. ;-)

I'm thrilled with my time on the run: 27:58, which is 1:27 faster than my previous best. I was ready to be done by the time I finished, though.

I'll definitely be continuting my triathlon career (come on, I own a tri-suit and a bike now!), but I need to work on my bike proficiency or find an event with a truly closed course first. I've been eyeing this book at Schuler's for awhile, and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. I'm shooting to be ready for another event by late August or early September.

I know I've said this before, but it really has been an honor to do this with you guys. Linda, your perseverence through your mom's illness has been inspiring and Kathy, you've been a rock (not to be confused with rockstar, which we all are!) for everyone.

Here's a photo of us with our medals. I'll figure out what to do with the rest of them when I see what we have. (I'm thinking it might be easier to set up an online album somewhere and just put a link here since posting more than five pictures at a time here is kind of a pain).



And with that, I'm off to bed--I'm a little more tired than I thought I'd be!

--Jess :)

PS--My favorite congratulatory comment came from my brother who is currently in the middle of moving to Seattle (quite literally--he was in one of the Dakotas when my parents talked to him last night). I sent him a text message saying we finished, and his reply was "Nice work, bada$$." Haha.

Warm Fuzzy

Hi Rockstars...
I just have to share....I have such "warm fuzzies" thinking about
tomorrows BIG EVENT. I have so much enjoyed bonding with
everyone over this, getting to know everyone involved better,
from the class members at the Y, to my bike shop guy, to
everyone on the blog....I appreciate everyones entheusium
and gusto and feel some it has rubbed off on me. From Linda
pushing thru with the loss of her Mom, Jess learning how to ride
a bike, Michelle, who started it all......I have taken a lot from
everyone who has crossed my path on the journey and I
thank you. No matter what happens tomorrow I have nice
warm fuzzies and I can only assume they will grow.
Thanks for sharing yourself............
Kathy

Friday's Last Effort

Hi Rockstars,

I went to my spinning class for an hour this am, like usual, put forth about 85% effort - save the legs a bit.

Then I went to the YMCA to work on a swimming flaw I detected in the video Audrey shot. Apparently, when I switched my breathing to the every stroke, which for the most part works for me, I began pushing water with my left arm on the upstroke - kind of dragging it in the water. So I swam for 10 laps - stopping very briefly twice for field trip's errant kids and balls in my lane. Then I did another 8 maybe even 9 laps with the pull bouy - trying to be super concious of that left arm- not stopping at all. Not winded or aything. I have concluded that if I just relax and take it easy, and go at my own pace, I'll be just fine! I get to "trying too hard", then winded, then scared or frustrated, the negative talk infiltrates - and none of that works for me. I must say I was pleased with today's swiming. So I am looking forward to a good start to the tri - at my own pace.

Sorry Kathy you in turn, had a bad swim. Don't know if you should push it and go out again. You do a great job with your swimming, nice form and good speed - I know you'll be okay! You have had so many fantastic swimming efforts - I wouldn't let one bad one get at you - it happens! .....Just my thoughts....certainly I can vouch for the "one more good effort thinking." Plus, maybe your body needs to rest - like all the newbie books say..."resist the urge to overtrain".

Jess - great work with your bike - "gutsy" In fact, I believe is the word:)

I will finish out the evening with a woderful orthopedic massage - can't wait. Also, I will be labeling all my stuff and thinking and working transition strategies!

I think we are all pretty awesome!
Linda

Glad your bike ride went well today Jess.
I decided to use my spare time cleanning the house.
I then decided to swim, it was a bad swim, very tired.
Not sure if I should try again tomorrow or not.
Hopefully I will get home from the shower in
time to do the dinner.
It really has been a hoot training with everyone.
Kathy

To quote Linda, "it's all good."

I took Thor out for one last confidence-building ride this morning, and it was great. I did the neighborhood across the street again, but I only did 8 miles (don't want to exhaust the legs too much). I worked really hard at speed and consistency, and I think I did well. (And there were lots more cars today since it was prime "get to work and get the kids off to school" time!)

I have bubble baths on my agenda for tonight and tomorrow night, and I'm looking forward to the packet pick-up and dinner tomorrow. :)

I'm so excited and proud to be doing this with you gals. We've been working so hard, and we're going to cross the finish line like the amazing rockstar women we are--even if my little (okay, they're not so little, but whatever) newbie biker feet are the last ones across!

Hi Rockstars:
I am giving my legs a rest now and just swimming Friday and Saturday.
My legs feel tired when I bike two days in a row so I am resting them.
Not sure what to do tomorrow.....swimming won't take as long as biking,
running then swimming.
What will we do with all our extra time when we are not training?
Kathy

Big Girl Pants

So I decided to dedicate most of my time this week to swimming.

Today, I went to the YMCA Westside and swam 9 lengths non-stop - the I remembered it was 9 laps (18 lengths)....CRAP....so I jumped back in and finished - not even out of breath!

Then I went out to Hawk Island and swam some more - I too, love my wetsuit. So I did about another 300M (is that 3/4 of our distance? - never got the metric system down) - then did a 5 mile bike ride (forgot my shades - ugh) and a 1.5 mile run. All was good. No photo documentation!

I plan to swim on Thurs. and Friday and maybe one extra run. I really want to join the spinning group Fri. am at 6am, maybe I'll do a half class and tag my run after....hmmm. I'll have to think it out!

I might have to alter Fri. 6 p.m. swim plans. My massage guy had to cancel earlier - and he only had 6 pm Friday left this week - I know I could use it, so my visit to Hawk I will be earlier!

Train on Rockstars!
Linda

I <3 my wetsuit!

I swam in Lake Geneva with Kathy and Ashley today (my first time with a wetsuit), and it's official: I'm in love. I made it across the lake and didn't feel like I wanted to keel over and die, and I definitely could have hopped on the bike when we were done. Kathy, Ashley, and Michelle--you are braver women than I!

The plan was for Kathy and Ashley to swim across once on their own (we were worried about my ability to keep up), then for me to hop out and swim back with them. Here is some aquatic photo documentation...

Becoming one with the water:



Look at those swimming machines!


Like a speeding bullet:


Junior came along for moral support:


Aquawoman rockstars!


In other news, the folks at Eric's Bike Shop on MLK are my new favorite people. I took Thor in for a tuneup today, and the gal at the counter said, "We can definitely have it by Saturday morning, but do you want us to see if we can get it done before that." I said, "I'd love it if you could because I just learned to ride it six weeks ago and could use as much extra practice time as I can get." She said, "And now you're doing a triathlon? That's gutsy. I'll move you to the front of the line, and you can have it back tomorrow morning." I think I'm going to pick up one of those water backpacks when I go back tomorrow, too.

T-minus four days...train on!

Jess :)

Baby steps... (Baby pedals?...)

So I think what I needed was some alone time with Thor. (Linda, Kathy, and Alicia, don't take that the wrong way--I'm super thankful for your company and advice!)

I had a really great ride this morning. I slept in until 7:00 (which is unheard of because my internal clock seems to hate me), had a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee, put on what I have dubbed the Lance Armstrong vest, and headed across the street into the neighborhood where I run to give riding in the road another try. I figured the worst that could happen was that I freaked out and ended up riding on the sidewalk, but it actually went really well. I do a four-mile loop when I run there, and I rode it three times. The first time, I was mostly concerned with things like staying to the right and maneuvering around potholes, but I worked on speed for the last two. Anyway, long story longer, I obeyed traffic signs, I didn't freak out around cars (which I will admit were few and far between and were going slowly, but still--I had a few in each direction), I pedaled up and coasted down the hills, and even managed a few (very) quick glances over my shoulder to see what was behind me. I ended up doing twelve miles total, and got through ten in just under 70 minutes. I'm still not ready to ride out on Saginaw or Lake Lansing, but I feel good about what I managed this morning.

When I was done riding, I threw Thor on the back of my car (my apartment complex doesn't have bike racks--boo!) and did an immediate half-hour run. I'm not sure exactly how far I went, but I'm sure it was slower than my usual speed. It didn't feel too bad, though, so I'm pretty confident about that part of the tri.

Train on!

--Jess :)

More photo documentation...

A few strokes with the face in:



Linda didn't send a caption for this one, but I love it!


Rockstar swimmers!

Photo documentation!

I think I'm going to have to do these in two separate posts, but here are the first few of Linda's aquatic adventures on Saturday...

Pre-swim bike ride:


Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!





Kathy suggested swimming with the head out of the water:

Melt Down

Glad you got the melt down out of the way Jess, I had mine a couple weeks
ago. You are so AMAZING!!! You really are a role model for all, you sure
are for me...I really think.......WWJD....What Would Jess Do? Jess would
keep plugging along, that is what Jess DOES!!! You are a Rockstar!!

Wednesday 2:30 lake swim. After the swim I am riding my bike to my
bike shop for a tune up, it is 6.9 miles down Turner to Old Town. It is a
narrow road but 35 MPH so not well traveled. All are welcome to do whatever.
You can ride with me to the bike shop and leave me there while I wait for
my tune up. It is in old town, figured I get a bite to eat or just go to the
Rivertrail.

Kathy

So as you may have surmised from Linda's post, I had a rough bike ride on Saturday. I had a little bit of a meltdown, but I'm feeling a lot better after a much-needed night out (Matt Nathanson and Jason Mraz concert in Detroit), a pep talk from my dad (who's always good for an ego boost), and a five-mile run this morning.

Linda, you're right--we can do this!

Train on!

Jess :)

training on Sat.

Started out today with an early morning ride with Jess - doing some of the event bike course. Sorry, for the takedown! Jess - you can do it - most definitely! Then we transitioned to almost a 5K run - I was having a few IPod technology issues - grrr...another thing to learn more about! I usually just turn it on and go!

Run was okay, considering that I had just run the same course 18 hours prior - more running than I am used to. I VERY rarely run 2 days in a row!

Then went out for an intro to the lake swim session - see other post and pics.

Then I actually went back for more swimming-definitely not a finesse swim yet! Then, Kathy's schedule had changed a bit, so I joined her for a 10 mile bike ride after all the other training today.

"Remember there is a firth discipline in triathlon, that is your own self believe, if you think you can do it, you will. Aim to overcome all the negatives in your life, complete your first triathlon, and experience the positive feelings of your own achievement." from some tri website - forgot which one!

Sunday will be a planned easier training day!

Train on and get enough rest this week!
Linda

Brrrr....the Lake Swim

All right - the last one finally made it to the lake! BRRRRRR.....it's cold 64 degrees or something insane like that! SO glad I had the wetsuit - or I'd likely be contemplating dropping out! Worth every penny ($166 worth - includes $9 for rush shipping) - I am thinking there might be additional tri events worth participating in - I've heard people get the "bug" for this sport!

Like the others - it was kind of UGLY! The coldness makes breathing a challenge - lungs compress creating an additional new challenge! Like Kathy says it can only get better! I had a few panic minutes - the unexpected seaweed suddenly appearing in my goggle vision - identifies one of those moments! The rest were just breathing issues - I believe I can get through them with more exposure to the lake swimming conditions, certainly some Mental Rehearsing and Positive Self-Talk!

See some photos - I had two swimming opportunities today - 3 hours apart - loved the wetsuit by Neosport and the tri-suit underneath by Zoot - both amazingly comfortable. Got new goggles also - like those too - called Seal Kid by Aqua Sphere - I also like my Speedo Vanquisher goggles - but I might opt for the Seal Kid ones - because it is more like an eye "mask" than goggles - more comfortable, in my opinion.

Train on Rockstars!
Linda

Linda

whats in the car anyway

Contents of the car: 1 road bike, helmet, sunglasses, cyclcing shoes, gloves, and neon jacket, one duffle bag stuffed with various combinations of athletic apparel (for any training opportunity day or night), various sport specific shoes, and pool swimming paraphanelia, one wetsuit, one expensive Playmakers bag (supporting the local economy), 1 wetsuit (thank goodness), camera (for spontaneous photo opps) Starbucks evidence, 6 water bottles, small cooler with various bars, fruits and veggies (for any time anywhere snacking) and a partridge in a pear tree!

Linda

Ready

Well I can honestly say I feel I can complete the tri now. I am
feeling pretty good actually. I like my new bike, had a good run
today and I am feeling better in the cold water.

I do like the idea of the dinner Saturday night, I think I can
make it back from my shower in Dearborn in time.

Train on rockstars!!
Love the car photo Linda, nice.
Kathy

Clean cars are for wimps.

18 seconds

Hooray - I got the tri-suit for the race and the wetsuit! I was feeling pretty good about my purchases - yes no rental, which made me nervous.

So my first trial run taking off the wetsuit went like this. Stand in the shower and soak up several minutes until I was sure my tri-suit underneath was wet. Adam was waiting with his stopwatch, to time me once I exited the shower. On the count of 5 - ready go! 18 seconds! Much better than I had expected!! I can even improve on that, as well being catious the first time! So I am posting, while in the tri-suit - dripping ever so slightly on the hardwood floor -

Also, I got in a good early, 6am group cylcing class today. Later around noon - I went out and drove the mapped bike route - looks good and pretty flat - a few rough road spots. Then I went to Hawk Island Park and ran a 5K - pretty spontaneous, I might add, but worth it. Time was about 31 minutes - I am happy with that time - for a spontaneous run. Maybe for runs I have fretted them too much in the past - for that is my best time! Go figure!

This looks to be a training filled weekend, and I am actually getting pretty excited - for the first time! The anxiety, the grief over Mom, etc. haven't allowed for the excitement to build! So, this is a new feeling!

Linda

p.s I have not mastered the water part yet, but just doing my best will be good enough!
p.s.s. We are all "rockstars"!
p.s.s.s. Check out the picture of my "triathlete in training" car today - funny! I have to send it to Jess to post though - thanks in advance Jess!

thanks

Jess,

Thanks for the pool swim yesterday - bikes today - you'll be fine...I just know it....afterall YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR!

Loved your latest "Train Like a Rockstar Vol. 3" CD - Thanks!

There is an article in this week's NOISE about the Hawk Island TRI. I'll bring copies to Frandor!

I will be heading to Playmakers today for a tri-suit, to wear under the wetsuit - which I'll pick up today from ZZZ Underwater World on Michigan Ave. I decided on the Neosport 5/3 mm Women's SPRINT Jane. They ordered in 2 sizes - I'm excited to get accustomed to the wetsuit concept.

Let's set up some firm Lake Geneva Plans and Hawk Island Plans for the upcoming days.

Weather forecast looks great for this weekend, throughout next week - and up to race day 82 degrees - YAY! Should be great morning weather!

I am re-reading all the triathlon notes I have collected and trying to wrap my head around the mental aspects of the event.

Transition practice - keeps cropping up!

Train On -
Linda

GREAT training girls!! We are rockstars.
Cute bike card Jess, thanks!
Tim and I are off to Indy for our Daughters surgery today,
we will be back Friday night. I will probably swim at
their gym tomorrow, guess it will seem pretty warm. lol.
GOOD NEWS.....the lake is getting warmer.....64!!
I will get a photo of me swimming in the lake this weekend.
In my older age I want to remember what I did!!
Kathy

Also!

Kathy, I practiced coasting at Granger Park last night, and I feel a tiny bit better about it. I think I'm done riding there for awhile, though. I'm not sure what part of the giant, red "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign people don't understand, but there were way too many of them running around there last night. I think I'm going back to MSU for my ride on Thursday.

--Jess :)

PS--It's not that I hate dogs or anything; I just don't need any unecessary obstacles in my way. ;-)

Hmmm, I use Meijer brand cooking spray. Do you think that will suffice? ;-) My rental wetsuit is en route, and I'm anxious to check it out. Linda, where'd you end up getting yours? I could maybe be convinced to do a wetsuit photo-op if you'll pose with me.

It was pretty chilly Sunday morning--I was running while you were biking. I keep trying to convince myself that if I can run and bike in the cold, I can get over the water thing (especially with the suit). I ran into Tom at the pool after my run on Sunday, and I asked him about the cold. He said that the lake actually got up to 70 last year, but that's not looking likely this time. He says we'll be fine with wetsuits, though. He also said that we can wave a boat over and hang on to it if we get into trouble and that we can "just climb in if [we] want to call it a day." I told him there would be no climbing in and that calling it a day without finishing wasn't an option. ;-)

Still pretty nervous about the bike. I just realized that I don't know how I'm going to be able to drink while I ride since biking still isn't really a multi-tasking sort of thing for me yet. I'll figure it out, though.

Train on!

--Jess :)

got the Pam spray

Hi All,

I got the Pam spray, as recommended by Dan the Man. I opted for the original as opposed to the olive oil or butter formulas - oddly enough the label indicates there is rosemary in it - wierd!

I decided to go for the wetsuit. I needed psychologically to take the element of cold out of it, and I am looking forward to the extra bouyancy that neoprene touts!

Went for a short swim today, and will be swimming most of the week - somewhere.

I will do a brick bike/run tonight Tues. after my WW meeting.

At least my tires are inflated. I spent 20 minutes trying to inflate my "newish" (acquired Sept. 07) bike tires with my "new-to-me" bike pump! Why 20 min? Perhaps that would be because I did not know the valve on my tire turned and popped up, therefore after much effort and swearing, I woke up my beloved hubby at 6:40am, and asked for his assistance. I must admit, he was very encouraging and nice, despite being woken up. Then I hurried off for a quick ride, only to return moments later, as I was significantly underdressed for the chilly mid 40 degree weather on Sunday. Got some more clothing on and headed off for a ride...finally. All was good in the end.

I think we need some additional photos for the blog! They are fun!

A new thought...
"You are in control. Wake up each day anew, and do your very best on that day! The average person loses focus during stressful situations. Remember that you are NOT average. You are a triathlete in training!" Eric Harr

One of my goals this week and next is to make sure to get enough sleep - I have been exhausted for months now and need to do some catching up - there may even be naps involved!

Train On!
Linda

Brick

Did another "brick" today, biked for 10 miles and did a 3.1, felt pretty good.
Michelle and I were hoping to do a swim today but just bad weather. I might
try to get a dip in Monday morning. I am getting a perm Monday afternoon
and leave for Indy Wednesday morning so I won't be back in the lake until
Saturday. Maybe it will warm up to 70 by then??
Kathy

Big-Girl Bike Shorts

Kathy, Tim, and I went to check out the bike course for the tri today. We drove it first and then debated where we should actually ride the bikes. I was afraid to ride near cars (even if there was a wide shoulder), but Kathy convinced me that I needed to do it to get over my fear and that it was best to do it when she and Tim could watch my back. It (of course) ended up being okay once I got over the inital fear hump, and I only panicked a couple of times. I think we'll all be just fine for the race. Kathy, thanks for being persistent and making me do it. :)

I did end up making it home in time to go for a run before class, and it was pretty rough even with the 10-minute break after the bike to drive home. I thought about cutting it short, but halfway through my four-mile route, I decided to suck it up and finish. (I figured I couldn't wimp out after I had rocked the bike.)

Train on!

--Jess :)

The Swim

Well Jess and I swam in the lake, it was not pretty but it will only get better.
I know this for a fact because it was 100 times better for me today, the 2nd time.
I am going in again tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday if anyone is interested.
Kathy

The Plan

Hello all,
Ok, Jess and I are going in the lake at 2:00 today.
All are welcome. e-mail me for directions.
kathywalter1@comcast.net

Saturday after 4 Jess and I are heading out to Hawk Island for a
bike ride, oh, maybe a run after.....all are welcome.

Kathy

back to business

Hi,

I am trying to plot out a reasonable and beneficial training schedule for the next 17 days (17 days ladies!).

I got back to the pool last night, for the first time since we swam at LCC with Sarah - there just hasn't been time or access to a pool. It went okay - not nearly as bad as I had envisioned, but not as well as I had originally hoped swimming would be at this point.

I will be scheduling a private lesson for sure...I still need some tips and a plan. I actually worked on the breaststroke and the sidestroke and the backstroke yesterday....I figure it will be all about options for the actual event.

So Monday, I did my group cycling at 6 am (Tracy is amazingly good). ALl went well. Then I decided to drop in for my favorite cardio kickboxing class on Monday night - just a simple mindless little kickboxing session with Bill. Well, Bill was not in and there was a sub named Krystal. Ouch...two days later...my quads are certainly alive, awakened and sore enough to merit some groans and slower, more careful movement, especially on stairs - yikes. But I still figure it's all good! However, I was just sore enough and tired enough that I had to abstain from my Wed. group cycling class. I am thinking another night with Krystal might keep the fire burning - I can adapt some movements if necessary. She did a cardio kickboxing "bootcamp" of some description that involved, outdoor running, puch ups against the exterior walls at Beaner's, up and down curbs and parking bumbers, calesthenics, and more. I kept thinking - " I can do this...I am a triathlete!" Ouch...

I will be investigating the wetsuit vs. tri-suit options. A gal in my am cycling class said there is a place named "Dave's...something or other" on Grand River that rents wetsuits for $9. As soon as I get more info - I'll post it.

My road bike is down from the rafters - yeah - I need to get new cycling shoes I think.

Can we schedule some dates to do what I think Kathy suggested, ride and run at Hawk Island? Or get out on the bike course?

Train On!
Linda

Train on!
Linda

Swim

Thursday 2:00 swim. Sounds good to me.
I don't plan on wearing the wet suit for the tri. It is above the knee.
We can all take turns wearing mine on Thursday.
Kathy

Wetsuits...

A member told me today that she saw wetsuits at Sam's Club last weekend. I don't have a membership there, but my parents do, so my mom and I are going to go check it out on Sunday. I'll let you know what we find out. I was planning on doing my part to stimulate the economy by buying a tri-suit when I get my tax rebate, but maybe a wetsuit would be a better investment. Kathy, is yours full-length? Or does it stop at the elbows and knees?

Train on!

--Jess :)

Way to go on the bike Jess!! I hope to get my new bike today or tomorrow.

I am available to swim in the lake Wednesday after 1:00, Thursday after 2:00
and all day Friday, Sat. or Sun. We could take turns wearing my wet suit, I am 5' 7"
so I am sure it would fit everyone. Or we could just put the big girl pantties on and
deal with it. It is cold, I can tell you that.

Kathy

I took on MSU with Thor today, and it went pretty well. I was very cautious, and walked any intersection that crossed something other than a parking lot, but I handled all the uneven pavement and even a couple of oncoming bikers without a problem. I still feel like I'm really slow, but at least I'm getting a little more confident.

--Jess :)

PS--This weekend, I told my grandma that I'm learning to ride a bike and she thought I was talking about a motorcycle. Maybe that should be our next challenge! ;-)

Lake Temp.

The Temp in the lake is 62 degrees.
Kathy

The Lake

I saw a kid swimming so I went in...it was ugly.
I used my neighbors GPS and measured 400 meters.
I put on my neighbors wet suit, Tim was in the boat
and away I went, wow. Remember that first time
swimming a 50? That is what it felt like. We have a lot
of lake work to do girls. TOTALLY different. My only hope
is that what I did today will be the worst of it and it will
get better from here on out.
Let me know when you want to go for a dip.
Kathy

Welcome back, gals!

Since today seems to be the day to post about our tri anxieties, I'll chime in too. Obviously, the bike is my main concern. I'm not at all confident in my ability to ride with other bikers, and I just noticed on the website today that there will be spots on the bike route where the road isn't completely closed. I know that I can just hang out at the back of the pack if I'm worried about other bikers (which was my dad's suggestion. I think he and Tim have it right on--who cares how long it takes us as long as we make it across the finish line?), but I'm kind of terrified of cars. I'm anxious enough with just the walkers/runners at Granger Park.

I rode tonight (six miles in an hour, and it went mostly okay) and I'll go out again in the morning and on Monday evening. I think I'm going to venture out to MSU on Monday--campus is relatively deserted this time of year, so I won't have to worry too much about plowing any pedestrians down. I was going to go there tonight, but I didn't feel like driving all the way over there when the park is three minutes away.

I just keep telling myself that I didn't work this hard for the last five months to wimp out now and that it'll come together because it has to.

Train on--we can do this!

Jess :)

PS--Linda, Thor is just a basic 21-speed mountain bike. He'll be great for riding to the library or Frandor when I get a little more proficient.

Welcome back Linda.
I too have been concerned about my lack of training, swimming the most
pressing. I swam Thursday and was ready to forget the whole event, swam
today and it went great. The body will respond Linda, "just keep swimming"
(Dorie from Finding Nemo) When I was telling Tim about my bad swim he
asked a good question "If you have a bad swim in the tri what is the worst that
could happen?" Um.....guess I would come in last, does not seem all that bad anymore.

We were in Indy with our Daughter Thursday and came home today, I swam at their
gym. We will be going back on the 21st. She is due to have lap. surgery for endometriosis.
It was supposed to be yesterday but canceled due to a weird blood test. Re-did the blood
test and they a happy with it so rescheduled for the 21st. Still a lot of unanswered questions
about the blood work but her Doc. was out of town for a family emergency and he will be
back Monday.

My point....all things considered, if we dog paddle, walk our bikes and crawl during the 5K, big
deal, there are worse things in life.

Train on girls.
Kathy

It's Me

Hi Guys,
I guess we all have our fears..."Courage is resistance to fear: mastery of fear - not absence of fear." Mark Twain

I am feeling pretty detached and significantly behind regarding training efforts these days.

I feel awesome about the bike, okay about the run (can walk if needed from time to time) and nervous about the swim.

As you both know, my Mom's illness and passing have certainly challenged training efforts and focus and therefore: performance and confidence.

I am going to give it my best effort! I still have 3 weeks to pull things together!

My Mom's illness and death have been the most difficult and emotional thing I have encountered in my whole life. I will walk through the world differently, from having been on this recent journey. My Mom's courage is an inspiration to me, and will be a constant reminder of nothing being impossible, and every day "is the best day"!

I will try to attach an inspiration from my Mom in a separate post. I will also email it to you guys - in case you'd want to share it with anyone special.

Train On!
Linda
p.s. I will start back to training first thing tomorrow with an early morning spin, followed by a short run - perhaps even an afternoon swim. I am looking forward to getting back to this training!

p.s.s.
Jess - I love Thor - you guys look great together! Kathy do you have a name yet? What kinds of bikes did you both get?

You and Thor look great together Jess.
Not to be outdone, I got a new bike also.
Tim and I rode our bikes down Turner to the
new bike shop Dan the man was taking about. I
went in for a new seat and we left with my bike
on order (lavender) and Tim rode his home.

I am TOTALLY freaking out about this Tri.
I don't feel I am ready. Totally need to get into
that lake. My neighbor gave me a wet suit to borrow,
I have not tried it yet.

Tim and I leave tomorrow morning for Indy for Tracy's
labroscopic surgery, probably be back Saturday. Maybe
I can get into the lake this weekend. I'll keep you posted
on the lake situation. Maybe we should just go for it??

Kathy

I met my friend Alicia (who wants to do the tri with us next year!) at Granger for a bike ride today. Here we are looking all Tour de France in our helmets:


If we read the mile marker signs right, we think we did about five miles. I did have to walk up and down a couple of the hills becuase I hadn't adequately prepared to shift up them and because I was initially kind of afraid of coasting down them. By our last loop around, though, I was able to get them all (though one hill took two attempts).

I've decided that the bike's name is Thor (the Roman god of thunder). One of my friends thought he should have an American Gladiators style name, and I thought that fit. Plus, I think it sounds like it could be the name of a drummer in an arena-rock band. Hee.

I am so one with my bike.

Becoming one with my bike...

I procured my very own bike today. My parents offered to get me one as an early birthday present, and I took them up on it. He still needs a name, though. (Yes, I think it's a he.):


I was in a pretty foul mood when I took him to Granger Park this afternoon because I spent two eight-hour days digging out my grandma's backyard with my mom and cousin this weekend (which made me way more sore than I thought it would) and because I fell and skinned both of my knees and one elbow when I ran this morning. (Seriously, what grown woman does that? Apparently, this one does.) Anyway, after about 40 minutes of getting my bearings on him, I finally started to get the hang of it, which improved my mood immensely. I'd say the bike goes where I want him to about 80% of the time, and I'm no longer afraid of turning and steering. I'm still a little afraid of going down hills, but I feel much, much better about all this.

Feel free to suggest a name for Mr. Bike.

Jess :)

I did a brick yesterday and the transition was much better. I did more of what Dan the man
had to say....."spin your legs out at the end of the bike ride." So I knocked down the speed to zero resistence and just spun out my legs longer than before and it felt much better going to the run.
I did not swim last week, yikes, and have yet to get in the pool this week. It will be nice
when we can get into the lake. I think that is why running and biking are working for me,
not a lot of prep. time, shoes and door............
Kathy

Hi gals:
The "brick" workout was tough and I just did a fast 15 min. bike ride and
then went straight to the run, legs were pretty wobbly. I need to do more of
that.

I have an adult member who shared with me she is going to learn how to ride a bike,
I gave her our web address so she could check out Jess's pictures. If you are out
there Nicole welcome.

My prayers are with you and your family Linda.
Kathy

priorities

Hi Guys,

Here is my update....I know you both are aware of my Mom's truly heartbreaking illness. Of course, tri-training has take a back seat, at this time. I have been spending a lot of travel time and time just being there with her, and my sisters. Also, my Dad is having some serious health issues as well in Florida - that require attention.

I am eating pretty well, and am always looking for opportunities to squeeze in a workout. I did get a few cycling classes last week (6am, just so you know). Challenges have been lack time and lack of sleep in general. The emotional toll of grief, all the details involved and physical toll of driving, not working out as much as my body has gotten used to over the last 9 monthes, create overwhelming challenges. I am confident our sprint tri-athlon will be much easier. It is also tough to focus these days, but I am improving in the focus aspect.

Today, I got in a 35 minute run and a cardio kickboxing class. I am having obvious struggles with "squeezing in" swimming. I know I'll swim okay, it might not be as pretty as I had planned in Januarly, but I'll get through the swimming, I know it, with my own unique combintation of strokes, I suspect.

I had to cancel my orthopedic massage tomorrow (Patrick always puts my body back together), so I could free travel time for visiting Mom.

I am loving both of your posts! Thanks - it helps keep me going!

Train On -
Linda

WAY TO GO JESS!!!! Under 30 is faboulas!
You are doing great on the bike, we will get you there.

I was not able to swim this week, too much stuff going on
but I am back on track with the training this week.

I am off now for a bike ride and then a run. I am going to try
to get some brick training in this week. I'll let you know how
it goes.
Kathy

Another goal reached. :)

I managed to finish the MSU Safe Place 5k in (just barely) under 30 minutes--yay! The last mile was almost all uphill, so that slowed me down a bit. I did the first two miles in right about nine minutes apiece, and the last one took me a little over ten.

I had a great swim this morning too, which was nice. I had a lane to myself for a whole hour (which is pretty much unheard of), and the whole pool to myself for the first half hour (which is even more unheard of).

--Jess :)

Bike Lesson, Part Deux

After a little bit of drama surrounding my inability to install the "right out of the box" bike rack (that my dad has graciously agreed to install for me next weekend) to my trunk, Kathy and I made it out to Granger Park so I could learn how to steer. As Kathy quite accurately put it, I am a "bike rider, but need to learn how to be a bike steerer."

We discovered that I felt the need to lean my body whenever I turned the handlebars, and that was tripping me up. I guess the whole "don't get in your own way" thing applies to biking as well as swimming. I practiced for about an hour with Kathy's expert assistance and started to get the hang of it by the end. I think it's going to come down to learning to stop psyching myself out. I'll get there, though!

Other training stuff has gone well this week too, but I had to switch to Wednesday spinning because I was the only one who signed up for Monday. Liz was awesome, though, and ran this week's Monday session for just me. She asked me if I had a heart rate monitor, and I told her yes but that I couldn't seem to get it to the percentages she called out even though I felt like I was where I was supposed to be on her exertion scale. (I can get it up there when I run, though.) She worked with me to get it to 70, 75, 80, and 85 percent and then I was able to do it myself on Wednesday.

--Jess :)

I am curious about your running class also, did you run in
the rain today?

We went to the gym today and I ran home, it was not raining when I
started out but I was wet when I got home. It was not too bad though.

Linda, Jess was totally amazing. I could not wait to send out that e-mail
to you to let you know. We are hoping to meet at Granger Thursday at 2:00.
I want to get her out on a path with her bike. (your bike) After that I think she
will ride on her own or hold her own with anyone she chooses to ride with.

Kathy

GREAT blog entry Jess. You are a rockstar!
Kathy

I did it!

So it turns out that you were both right--I needed to start on a little bike, and the big bike does fit. :)

Had a biking lesson today with Kathy and Tim, both of whom are currently at the top of my favorite-people-ever list. Kathy was an amazing teacher (she has the patience of a saint, but wasn't afraid to tell me when to suck it up and wear the big-girl pants) and Tim was our fabulously supportive photographer. (Linda, we know how much you like photo documentation!)

We started out with an old kids' bike that Kathy's neighbor had. Isn't it fabulous?


We had to start with Kathy holding on to the back until I realized there was pretty much no way I'd be able to fall far enough to hurt myself and eventually figured out how to balance. Then I did it by myself:


When I had the little bike down, we broke for dinner (and a random freak hailstorm) before bringing out the big-kid bike. The confidence-gaining process was considerably longer, but Kathy was again super-patient and I only screamed like a girl twice. Here are some action shots...


Poor Kathy got quite a workout. Can it still be a brick session if one of us is running and one is biking? ;-)


Stopping is important...


Determination or trepidation? I'll let you make the call:


And for good measure, here's one where I'm not making a weird face:


After this, I rode a little bit in Kathy's subdivision while she watched for traffic. I think after one more lesson, I might be (easy, no-hill) trail-ready. :-)

...get by with a little help from my friends.

Thank you both so much for all your help and encouragement with the bike business (and for the offering the pseudo-dad services)! I'll get it eventually. :)

Here's a photo from the run on Sunday. Linda, thanks for pointing out the results online--I didn't realize they were up. My goal for the April 20 race is to break 30 minutes.

I am glad your run went well Jess, mine went great at Hawk Island on Saturday as well.

Interesting, I was talking to Dan the Man and asked what I would expect to run the
5K in after the swim and bike. He said my running pace is my running pace and I should
be close to my usual 5K race speed. I found this to be interesting.

I have the perfect spot to teach you how to ride a bike Jess. I have pads, I have a
smaller bike for you to learn on, we can even have Tim come out and you can call
him Dad if it will help. I have experience, I taught my kids how and I can teach
you also. Up to you if you want to bring your usual bike out so after you get rolling
on the smaller bike you may want to try it on your bigger bike, again, up to you.

My son has taken it upon himself to get me biking. This is nice because he is 19 and it is
time together for us, it has been nice.

A gal from my tri-class would like to bike and run the Hawk Island course, maybe at the end of the month or May we can do that.

FYI, the ice has melted from Lake Geneva!!

Kathy

adventures and misadventures

So. I took the bike out yesterday. In my typical stubborn fashion, I went by myself to an elementary school near my apartment. (Let me tell you, getting the bike down from and back up to my third-floor unit was a workout in itself.) I had downloaded a little how-to thing from a school in Massachussets that teaches grownups how to ride, and tried (to no avail) some of the tactics it listed. I think I made a tactical error in trying to ride on the grass, but I was afraid of falling on pavement. Long story short, I spent an hour of quality time with the bike (I know it's going to take longer than that, but it was all I had to spare yesterday) and made almost no progress. You should have heard my inner monologue, though--it was an odd combination of words that aren't appropriate for a public blog and "I want my dad!"

Today was much better, though. I usually use my workout time to be alone with my thoughts and my ipod, but there's something to be said for working out with fellow rockstars. :) Linda, thanks for joining me at the 5k and thanks to both Linda and Kathy for the swim! I beat my Superbowl 5k time by about a minute and got some really helpful swimming tips from Sara, so that was good. Oh, and here's a tip of my own to pass along to you ladies (though I suppose common sense should have indicated that I was making a big mistake when I did this): Never shave your legs immediately before a swim. When I was changing to go to the pool this afternoon, I realized it had been a few days, so I did a quick "stand in the tub and get rid of the stubble" move and regretted it the second I got in the pool. Ouch, ouch, ouch!

quick whine

For the record...

I went to my usual cardio kickboxing class on Wed. night - there was a sub. It was a cardio kickboxing class with a step, and an instructor who was into various lunges and squats. I knew as the class concluded, I'd likely be sore - 48 hours out. Despite that, I went to the group cycling class right after - tough workout, too! DId another group cycling Thurs. am. Here it is 48 hours later, after a swim tonight, and yes, it is confirmed - the quads - OUCH! (but it's all good)!

Train on!
Linda

I don't get the dry face with swimming.
I will probably go to the Hannah Center and swim today.
I am thinking about the Hawk Island 5K tomorrow, supposed
to be nice weather. I would like to run the course, maybe some
weekend we can bike the course and then run it also, back to back.....
Kathy

michelles blog

Hi Kath and Jess,

Don't think I ever gave you Michelle's blogspot info - she will be doing the same tri as us, with her brother. She attends my Wed. 8 am mtg. about 48# down - WAY TO GO MICHELLE - and just a few pounds away from goal! She is amazing....BRAVO!

http://michelle-trainingformytriathlon.blogspot.com/

Linda

ariel view sprint tri

Here is a link for an ariel view of Hawk Island Park - FYI - that doesn't look so bad, hee, hee - the bike course is not at the park, as you might recall.

Linda

http://www.ingham.org/pk/DSC00921.JPG

swimmers dry face

Have either of you experienced dry, flaky, facial skin after swimming? If so, I have found a product that seems to help! Mary Kay Extra Emmolient Night Cream, before and after, has seemed to make a remarkable difference - let me know if you'd like samples!
Linda

week in review

Hi rockstars, thanks for the photo Linda, and thanks for posting that one and not the thigh photo.
Still have not gotten my medal in the mail, ugh.

You two are rocking out on the workouts, wow!!

Tri-class Monday night was good, 50 mins. on the bike right to the track to work on the transition, good tip..don't force your body to run, start slow and just work on turning the legs over. Didn't swim but will do that today at the Hannah Center.

Twice I got out to run 6 miles, that was good. Other than that it has been 40-60 mins. of cardio at the gym and doing weights 3 times a week. I feel my legs getting stronger and on bonus news, that kicking in the pool is helping out the backside!

I am ready to roll on my bike, new tires, a friend gave me his old computer chip for the bike, miles, speed, pretty cool, I have a new tire pump....have not been out on it yet, burrrrrr.

Rock on girls!
Kathy

Who does this?

All right...I finished with my meeting at LTC early tonight - no GS session - then what? So I decided to go to the Westside YMCA. I called ahead to find out what group fitness classes were available. Next thing I know I am zooming there to do a Boot Camp class with Mr. Marine Sergeant! Who "drops in" for Boot Camp? It consisted of a circuit workout with about one dozen stations! All and all I fared very well - the thing that is toughest for me is push ups - ugh - though I am improving. Each circuit had 25 - I made 3 circuits though I cheated on the second 2 circuits and only did about 20! Hopefully, I will not be in too much pectoral pain by Thursday! One lady didn't fair so well overall and had to stop - she wound up laying down - not sweating - she was dehydrated! This illicited a firm talking to the group about good nutrition being a necessary part of the workout equation! He said he has seen many a man go down from dehydration. Recommended on hard workout days - 10-12 glasses of water and 4 meals - FYI.

I finished up by joining a cardio kickboxing class after - though I didn't finish the whole class, as I had forgotten socks and I felt I was risking a blister after both workouts, and a blister might impair my routine for the rest of the week - no thanks!

Train On!
Linda

wkly recap

My training schedule has been ever so challenged with the family business these days! But I was able to get in cycling classes and some kickboxing and even weights. There is a contest at my YMCA, I'd love to go off and win it. In the contest time blocks=mileage. The contest goal is to "finish the St. Pat's Marathon (26.2 miles)" in 6 weeks! Finishing is not a problem, but I'd like to finish number one for the ladies - it's that competitive ege!

I just signed up for next session of classes at the YMCA, and it will include a weekly running session, which is good - can't say I love running, but I can do it, and I'd like to be better at it!

I have managed a few swims, and have been reading my triathlon books - thanks Kathy, Jess they'll be headed your way soon to glean any helpful info! I am looking forward to our swim lesson, and I know another swimmer (WW member - hi Michelle!) who has offere to share tips - we just don't have easiy schedules to work around.

In another challenge, I am "riding my bike" to San Francisco - Barb is "riding her bike" to Silverdale, WA (near Seattle) - so far I've "rode" 110 miles! Fun!

Wishing everyone a great "Fit, Fearless, and Fab" week!
Linda

Well, my last couple of weeks haven't been as exciting as Kathy's, but I'm still happy with my progress. :) I've still been getting in six workouts a week, though I had to opt for aerobics at home yesterday since the Y was closed (the nerve!) and despite my increased willingness to put on the big-kid pants and brave the cold in the name of training, the 22 degrees weather.com listed when I woke up was far below my threshold.

In other news...

• I can now (slowly) swim the whole distance of our event, which makes me happy.
• I'm 99.9% sure my wimpy stomach is directly related to the treadmill. Last weekend, I went for an outdoor run because I was visiting my parents and didn't have a problem. On Friday, I used the track at the Y instead of a treadmill and was fine too (though my pride was slightly wounded from watching the army guys run two laps to my one).
• I've gotten to really enjoy spinning, though it kicked my butt today both figuratively and literally. (The seats are hard--even with the padded shorts--when we don't get to do any standing segments!) I figured out a way to make it work into my schedule for the next session, so I'm definitely going to sign up again.

Train on!
--Jess :)

Yay Kathy!

Here's a photo of Kathy as our group's first official triathlete. How much does she rock? :)

LOVE the photo!
Ok, so I was checking out the results of last years MAC tri just to kinda give
myself a goal. I was looking at the women in my age bracket. Ok, good, got
some goals. Then I was checking out the 6 people in my time group, ok, so then
I looked to see their results from last year, one women was in it last year so I checked
out her times and I thought, oh, her swim is pretty close to what I was hoping to do, I
was hoping to run farther but still not off by much.....then I noticed she was in the
60 and over age group. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Signed, humbally yours, Kathy

Proof that we actually do swim. ;-)

Way to be on the ball and bring a camera, Linda!

--Jess :)

thanks

It was good to get together on Friday and swim - I did get in spiing a couple times and cardio kickboxing ast weekm too. Although my schedule has gotten complicated - I am still getting workouts in. I found my IPod thanks to Craig. I had left it in my laptop case from my Florida trip. Scary that when I aske him "Honey...have you seen my IPod?" - he actually knows me well enough to guess where I might have left it..yikes -I asked hime this weekend, and the Ipod was MIA since Feb. 16 Florida.

Swimming tonight with Dan YMCA tri trainer was good. I am feeling better about the swim, though I still have a ways to go for swimming - as far as technique and endurance. If my technique inproves, it won't take so much "work". I feel my imperfections are getting in the way and causing me to work harder. I am learning so much - it's cool and I know I'll "get it" and be able to put all the "tips" to use in practical application!

Train on!
Linda

Another week down...

...twelve more to go!

I discovered today that we have more time than I thought--we're so going to be prepared. :) I figured out that I'd need to start the eight-week plan from Julie (Here's a link if anyone's interested. She said she's used this guy's stuff to finish three marathons, so it sounds like a pretty good bet.) the week of April 6, which actually works out really well. That's the last week of spinning, so I won't need to worry about working it in. I think I'm just going to follow it as written and switch my day off to Friday because I can't see myself doing a long workout on any day except Sunday. Until then, my plan is to alternate biking and running for cardio and fitting in weights, core, and swimming twice a week each wherever they fit best. I did my first gym weights workout this morning, and I think that's going to be good once I get the hang of all the machines.

I'm working on t-shirt ideas/info, so I'll send out an e-mail later this week. I think the idea of a logo is a little too ambitious, though, since art isn't my strong suit--we might need to end up going text-only. ;-)

Oooh, and I have one last thing: I need some advice on pre-running food. I can do cereal or oatmeal before biking and even swimming, but my stomach can't take anything more than a banana when I run (even when I give it time to settle). Any suggestions?

LOVE the MP3 player.....Love the songs you gave us Jess!!
Thank you Thank you!
Kathy

It was great swimming with fellow rockstars so I was fine with it.

Took my bike in today for a tune up, he suggested new tires too so
I am getting that done.

Love the t-shirt idea Jess, I say if you do all the work I'll pay for your
t-shirt! I like a large.

Way to go running faster Jess, that is what I need to work on, I am a slow
runner. I did get an MP3 player today, maybe that will help!
Kathy

Sorry about the swimming weirdness today, gals. Maybe next time we should sneak into a hotel or something. ;-) Kathy, the "rotten kids" followed me into the locker room, so I hope you got a good swim in after that! I ended up doing a 30 minute run instead of 40, but I did a faster pace than usual and ended with a ten-minute walk up an incline.

I'm feeling really good about all this, though--I can't wait to get on a big-kid bike outside. I hope you guys don't mind putting up with a slowpoke for a little while. ;-)

Okay, time for homework. Train on!

Jess :)

PS--I think we need team t-shirts. Any ideas for a slogan/picture ("future triathlete rockstars" is the first thing that popped into my head). I'm on spring break next week, so I have a little extra time to look into doing something up if you're interested.

help please jess

Jess,

Obviously I had an issue with the comment - reply to the last post - maybe you could delete the extra duplicate comments? Don;t know what happened, plus I am tired and challenged to try to figure it out! Good luck - thanks!
Linda

Glad it went well with the trainer Jess, pretty funny she is Dan the Mans sister!
What you said makes a lot of sense, lets not over think this thing. Just train and
go for it.
I am looking forword to the indoor tri at the mac on the 14th. I think it will give me
a good "point of reference" on what I need to work on for the tri.
I am looking into a tri top and bottems, so I won't have to change.
I will forword you both the e-mail Dad sent with places to order stuff
on line. I wouldn't mind going somewhere and trying them on but I tried
both Playmakers and Dicks and they have zippola.
Anyone want to swim Friday?
Kathy

Getting some focus...

I had a meeting with a trainer at the Y today (who, incidentally, is tri-coach Dan's sister--small world!), and I had done some thinking over the weekend about exactly what I'm trying to accomplish and how much time I can devote to training. I decided that my time commitment level is working out fine (an hourish six days/week--mornings only, no night workouts), but that I was getting too hung up in all the "academic" stuff in the books and websites I've been reading. I think trying to decipher all the info on training zones, heart rate monitoring (I stay in my target zone, but I haven't figured it out much beyond that), breakthrough sessions, etc. was becoming overwhelming.

I explained all this to Julie and she set me up with an 8-week plan that entails pretty much everything I'm doing now, but with more of a set structure. I just need to sit down and lay it out based on a Tuesday off instead of a Friday off and work in Monday spinning. She also assured me that I don't need to worry about the "academic" stuff if I'm staying in my target heart rate and am challenging myself with the workouts. Oh, and I have a handle on the strength training stuff now too. Apparently, doing too much of it can actually get in the way of other training, so she set me up with a routine I can do once a week (and work up to twice if I feel like I can) and said I could swap in more stability ball work (which I love and had gotten away from a little bit lately).

Linda, big hugs to you and your family.

Jess :)

PS--My friend sent me this link today in an e-mail with the subject line, "you should get this for your triathlon!" (It's a reference to Double Dare, which was a Nickelodeon after-school staple when we were kids). I may have to order one.

Tough week

HI Guys,

As you know....a tough training week due to my Mom's health concerns. I spent Mon., Tues., Wed., Sat., and Sun. down at Karmanos Cancer Hosp. in Detroit. I checked out 5 nursing homes in the Metro Detroit area and had 1 completely sleepless night (hospital) - not to mention countless paperwork time and phone time. No sympathy for me though - my Mom is deserving of genuine sympathy and prayers. Though we will be signing her OFF Hospice tomorrow - which is good news, and she will go to a nursing home and be able to receive some physical therapy which will give her some sense of purpose and dignity in the weeks ahead. She is so courageous in her cancer battle! I strive to have her grace and courage in my personal endeavors.

I did manage to eat pretty well and do 2 spinning classes and a salsa dance aerobics (was supposed to be cardio kickboxing, but there was a sub). I did do many sets of stairs and walked extra steps at every opportunity. It's hard right now to sneak out for a swim - due to logistics. I did try to swin last Sunday in Chicago - can't recall if I already posted this - the pool was so warm - I couldn't swim, plus too many people, but I did manage a few laps. While in Chicago across the street was the Annual Hustle the Hancock building - 94 flights I believe - might HAVE to do it next year.

Craig and I are signing up for the Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids on May 10. Craig is doing the 10K and I'll do the 5K - we might even sign our kids up for the 5K - we'll see on that.

Speaking of running, in all the chaos of late I have misplaced my IPod with all my great songs for running - I will try to locate it this week - yikes!

I am with you in spirit and plan to keep getting some better training as time allows.

Train On!
Linda

WAY TO GO JESS!!! WOW, you are a workout machine!

I had my first tri-class tonight. You were right Linda, Dan is THE
man. We biked for an hour and I am not sure I will be able to get out of
bed tomorrow.

Rock on girls!
Kathy

Weekly Wrap

Subtitles for this entry include "Why I Love My Dad," "New Shoes," or "Blogging is a Good Way to Procrastinate Studying for a Midterm."

Anyway, this week was good--six workouts with a well-earned Tuesday off. My goal for the week was to do 40 minutes on the treadmill at 6 mph, and I got there yesterday morning. (I had been doing 5.7 mph with 6 mph intervals.) I had a bummer of a swim this morning, but I suppose I can't win 'em all. ;-) I'm playing phone tag with the Y about a trainer session, but I'm hoping to have that ironed out early this week. Next up: my first spinning class tomorrow!

My dad called me yesterday to ask how training was going and got all excited when I told him about spinning. He's turning into my biggest cheerleader, and it's so cute.

I also made the annoying discovery that my running shoes were reaching the end of their useful life, so I bit the bullet and went to Playmakers today. I explained what I do to the gal at the store, and it turned out that I had instinctively been making good shoe choices. She set me up with a new pair of Asics, but I don't have a run scheduled until Wednesday. I'll be interested to see how they work out--I'm optimistic.

Okay, back to that midterm. Keep rocking, ladies!

Jess :)

Welcome back Linda!!!!
I start tri-class tomorrow night.
Just got back from a 4 mile run outside, it was ugly!
Feel soooo out of shape! So much different than doing
60 mins. of cardio at the gym but it is good to get
a good butt kicking from time to time. This has
proofed to me I have got to get outside at least
once a week, now if only the weather will make it
happen for me!!!!
Kathy

life gets in the way

Weel, this week life sure got in the way of my triathlon training. Between my own sickness - still not 100%, and travels to Mom in hospital (200 miles round trip x 3 days), and a return trip from Tampa and off to Chicago overnight tomorrow ...I got one spinning class in and lots of stairs and walking! I missed almost all of my regular workouts and my extra triathlon classes - yikes. I am looking forward to more of a regular routine this next week - which will include sleep!

Train On!
Linda

http://www.themac.org/news.asp?display=2093

Check out the MAC tri.....I think I am going to do it.
What do you think?
Kathy

Had our last swim class tonight, we swam a mile.
I find when I get tired my form goes out the window.
I hope to find a pool to swim at once a week that won't
cost me an arm and a leg. I am off to Owosso Saturday
to visit my mom and sister will be there also. I am hoping
my Brother can get us into the high school pool for a swim.

I am looking forword to the tri class next week.

Hope your Mom is doing better Linda.
Wait till you get the gift from Jess, I
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!
Rock on!
Kathy

Sorry you are so sick Linda but glad you had a good time in the sun.
Thank you for the package you left at Frandor, love it!
LOVED your article in the paper today!!!! I will cut it out
and bring it into Frandor this morning.
There was a VERY small window of non-rain Sunday so I took off
for a run, stayed out about 7 mins. too long, got a tad wet but not too
bad, felt good to get out.
Remember Linday, if you feel bad neck and above you can workout, neck down
don't workout.
Kathy

ugh under the weather

UGH!!!

I seem to have a whopper of a cold (with respitory junk) that will definitely impact my training for the early part of this week - I think it's airplane germs and being a bit run down. I will go to my triathlon class tonight - it's all about transitions - so 'll have information to share! I doubt I'll join in the running, biking, but I'll go dressed for it in case. But I'm going to pass on my cardio kickboxing class which I do before that, which is my favorite thing to do! I am sure I wouldn't fair very well - maybe I'll do some light treadmill walking instead at home - I took a 2 hour nap this afternoon and sat in the steam room for 30 minutes this morning. Drinking my 3rd cup of cold tea...had chicken soup etc. UGH!
Linda

resource

Hi,


http://www.f2r.com/

Seems to have some good info go to the Fit2Learn tab and read the articles - I found the information helpful to know - now it's just the application part:) One could also rent a wetsuit from this site/company.

Linda

Florida fitness

Hi,

Florida fitness weekend...

Friday, lots of walking and continual hotel stair climbs as we were on the 12th floor at the Marriot.

Saturday, I had the opportunity for a 25 mile bike ride in sunny Tampa enjoying the 80 degree weather, then a brief swim, as the pool heater was broken and the water was frigid - I was the only one who was in the pool swimming. It was so chilly, even the kids at the pool wouldn't go in to play....brrrrrr. I went for it eventually, because I figured it would help with the concept of our open water swim in June. I didn't stay at it long, because my brain decided it would much prefer thte 80 poolside sunning activity. Again lots of walking (blocks and blocks and blocks in Ybor City (Tampa) and hotel stair climbing several times.

Sunday - Rest.

Monday, started with a massage - nice! Amazing how knotted up the body gets! Back to the regular routine, with a Kickboxing class tonight and a triathlon training class afterwards.

Anyone available to swim this Friday morning?

Train On!
Linda

The Swim

WTG on the swimming Jess! Glad you are starting to enjoy it.

I agree with you to meet with a trainer at the Y. I waited a year
before I did that at the Powerhouse and it was dumb to wait
that long. I now have the trainer put together a strength training
workout for me about every 3-4 months. $40 well spent. I am
working on building up the legs now. Makes me use the machines
properly and gets me doing the free weights as well. I do cardio
6 days a week and weights 3.

I enjoy Yoga as well, love Fit TV. Love the streaches on the Yoga.

Kinda wishing now I would of taken Sara up on swimming at LCC today,
I like swimming twice a week.

Was hoping to run outside today, roads are clear and dry but too cold
for me. Off to the gym. I think today will be 14 mins. on a steps, run for 10
on the treadmill, 14 on elpitical, run for 10 and 14 on something else and run
for 10. I do that about once a week to pump it up a notch.

Train on girls!
Kathy

It's the little things. :)

Can I have just a second to brag a little about swimming? Today I concentrated really hard on the "body roll" idea I worked on in class on Monday, and this morning was the first time since I started swimming that I noticed I was getting water in my ears. Jessica (my class instructor) was the lifeguard on duty this morning, so I asked her about it. She said it was normal to get water in your ears, and it just means that I'm actually doing it right now. (I'm paraphrasing--she was much more tactful. Haha.) I also did 250 meters without stopping this morning, which was an improvement over the 200 I've been rocking for the last two weeks.

I'm almost ready to say that I like swimming now, but I'm still not a fan of the dry skin. ;-)

To quote Linda, "train on!"

Jess :)

Week in review...

Swimming is coming along! Slowly, but surely, I think I'm getting it. At last week's lesson, Jessica had me work really hard on kicking (which was part of the reason why my butt kept sinking). This week, Tom had me work on my side roll and stroke. By the end of tonight, I finally felt like I could (at least sometimes) get my upper body and lower body to do what they're supposed to at the same time. Tom and Jessica both said they can tell I've been practicing (Thanks, Linda!), which made me happy.

I ended up doing six full-on workouts (half gym, half at home), and one rest (yoga DVD) day. I've actually come to look forward to the break on yoga day. Apparently, I'm not actually the bionic woman. ;-)

I think I'm going to have to put on the big-kid pants and learn how to use the machines at the gym. Like I mentioned in the comment to Linda's last post, I think they'll be a more efficient use of my time than my beloved Firm DVDs. I think the same thing goes for my aerobics DVDs (fun, but not so much triathlon-related), so I think I'm going to see about meeting with a trainer at the Y when swimming is over to learn about strength training so I can go all-gym (at least until the weather breaks and I can go outside again).


Jess :)

buddies rule

Hey,

The buddy system is great - got in 2 swims Fri. and Sat. with buddies thanks Jess and Kathy. I got in workouts all last week, each day. I am meeting with a personal trainer tomorrow - casually, as I want my training efforts to move me forward, not backwards with over training or ineffective recoveries, etc. Want to make sure my nutrition thoughts are working for me, as well.

I will be swimming then biking at my tri class tomorrow, and a few other workouts this week, then off to Tampa for 3 nights. I will use the hotel pool and beach if the water is warm enough. I am researching a Tampa YMCA location - close to the hotel and looking to find a bike rental shop. I'd love to ride long in 70 degrees plus and sunny weather!

Train on!
Linda

cycling tips

Dan, my Monday night tri-coach gave us a pretty good workout.

Cycling to running (primarily cycling). He worked us way hard on the bike to get the feeling of the run transition.

some tips you may or may not know...
head position looking forward (people tend to look down)
back natural and straight
knees very slightly turned in
start out the cycle leg easy for a mile or maybe 2
watch out for other's dropping water bottles on accident causes crash potential
removing H2O btl - ask me - too long to describe
use short bursts to pass others
seat position could be over the pedals - like a running motion
seat position slightly back - more quad use
recommends cycling shoes, makes for more efficient pedaling
plan for nutrition on the cycle leg (energy gel perhaps)
you can use duct tape to tape a gel to your shirt

I am sure there are a few more that escape me.

http://www.trifuel.com/ a sight he recommends - said good swimming tips.

He may have access to a few free energy samples - I will try to acquire some for all!

He will talk transitions soon and a long swim session next Monday - then to bike.

Train On Rockstars!
Linda

attitude is everything

All right -

In an article forwarded to me about swimmig "DO NOT GET IN YOUR OWN WAY" - Ruth Kazez. This was inreference to body movement, but I can tell you it means the mind as well.

I was "whining" about the 5K today - good job ladies! "Too cold", "Never ran in the winter", "Haven't run outside since Sept. 07", "Am I dressed right, because I don't have any cold weather experiece", "I'm not going to turn in a great time", "didn't run really for the last two weeks", "I'm tired", blah, blah....

It's all mental - hello!

"Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it". Unknown

For me, lesson learned (early in the tri-training j0urney), I didn't have the kind of time I would have liked to have had. My thinking got in my way. It's called focus and positve mental attitude! I can do these 5K runs and post a more satisfactory time, personally. Of course I do recall the days, when I couldn't run more than 2 mailboxes distance - how far this journey as led me!

I am looking forward to a March race event - I'll post which one, when I figure it out.

Good to see you all - rock on! We are all awesome! I'm glad I did the 5K with your guys - Kath thanks for the tough "candy" love!

Linda

attitude

photo

LOVE the photo Jess!! Can you e-mail it to me? I'd like to order a copy, thanks.

I really do enjoy the team side of this, it was nice knowing you were all
going to be at the race, it was nice seeing you before and after, it is nice
knowing we are all training. Although, being the senior member of the group,
I did not swim like Jess did after, way to go Jess. We went to Home Depot as
a post-race cool down and got stuff to finish the bathroom we painted.

Kathy

team photo!

Crazy? Perhaps, but I still say we rock. :)

I did a 30-minute swim at Parkwood on my way home. The deep end was a little less unnerving this time, so that was good.

In other training-related news, I picked up this workout log the other day, and I've been using it since Friday. I had been using an Excel spreadsheet to track my workouts since Thanksgiving, but my inner geeky librarian needs to put pen to paper. I like it so far--it has quite a bit of good general fitness info and some goal-setting and nutrition tips.

Time for me to hit the books!

Jess :)

Swim class

Hi girls:
Ok, had swim class last night. Only 2 boys and me were there.
Coach decided to do this pyramid drill.....start doing a couple 50's with
a 10 second break, then a couple 100's, 10 second break, then a couple of
150's. then a couple of 200's then work your way back down the pyramid.
I was POOPED!!. It was 45 mins. of swimming, with the most a 30 second
break. I was feeling quite inadequate until I asked her if that was close
to what I would be swimming at the tri...."Oh Kathy, you just swam pretty
close to a mile." Oh nice, thanks for that. (the tri is about a 1/4 mile)

Still pretty pooped this morning so will do yoga from the TV and the gym after
my noon meeting today.

A guy in class did ask her if we could work on technique again soon and she
said we would so hopefully that will be next week. I start out with a nice
stroke but when I get tired I get sloppy.

Did you see the aticle in the paper from Playmakers this week? They have
workshops every Thursday night at 6:00 (I think that was the time but it will
be on their web site) about a different way to run...injury free. If we don't
get all the snow Tim and I might check it out tonight.

Kathy