Tag Archives: Racing

My Fall 2012 Racing Calendar

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With at least two destination races scheduled in the next year (Goofy Challenge & Boston) I decided to cut back on fall races this year. As fun as racing is, running one every weekend can get a little pricey and given that I need to pay to travel I figured a fall filled with more training runs and less races would be ideal.

That being said- I am still planning on running a few races in the next couple of months:

10/28 The Thriller in Schiller. I was fortunate enough to be contacted by the Muddy Monk and offered a free race entry. That being said, the race sounds like a lot of fun and it is definitely something I would have signed up for on my own. It’s a 5k trail run that is supposed to be a great course for both trail runner newbies and experts. The event has a best costume contest and the swag bag includes a t-shirt and a pint glass. Sounds like my kind of run! Plus, the entry fee is only $25. Not bad at all- let me know if anyone else decides to run, it should be a really good time :) .

11/22 Detroit Turkey Trot. I haven’t registered for this race but I run the 10k almost every year. The course isn’t that exciting (and not because it’s Detroit, I really like the marathon/half marathon course in D-town) so it’s a good one to try to PR. Last year I set my current 10k PR and I’d love to beat it this year (although that’s probably going to be difficult). It’s also always freezing at the race, gotta love running the Midwestern winters.

12/01 Chicago Santa Hustle 5k. Again, I haven’t registered for this race either but it’s been on my radar for a while. Candy, cookies, and Christmas music? Count me in!

As you can see, I’m not running the Hot Chocolate 15k like I did last year. I’m a little bummed about it but I think I did a good job filling in a fun fall racing schedule that will not empty my bank account.

What does your fall racing schedule look like? Are you running The Thriller in Schiller?

This morning I headed out for a 4 mile recovery run. I took it nice and slow and averaged close to an 8:30 min/mile. I’m really appreciating having the easier runs built into my schedule. They help loosen up my legs and also keep me relatively sane because I can zone out and not pay attention to pace for a while. This is definitely key when sleep deprived from waking up at 5 am every day!

I was extremely tired this morning so I tried to keep life easy and had a breakfast quesadilla for breakfast.

Half is spread with sunflower butter, the other half is spread with cashew butter and both sides are stuffed with banana slices and raisins. I also munched on the rest of the banana.

I’m off to make some coffee and get some caffeine in my veins- happy Wednesday!

Training Update

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Yesterday I was a complete bum after the race. I watched the Olympics, put something together for lunch, watched more of the Olympics, and then napped. At least lunch was delicious though!

Brown rice bread with veganaise and smoked salmon, roasted microwaved carrot fries on the side. I almost died over the smoked salmon. I only ate half of the packet but I was tempted to eat it all. I kept asking myself why I had promised to split it with Ian.

This morning I woke up early to fit a brick workout in. I biked 17.5 miles and then ran 3 in 22:30. My legs usually take off at under a 7:10 min/mile after biking but I really held back today. I wanted to get in a few recovery miles after yesterday’s race. I felt strong on both the bike and the run. This is good news because it will most likely be my last brick of the summer!

Breakfast loosely based off of pbfingers’ Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. Last night I mixed 1/4 cup chia seeds, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1 T cocoa powder, 1 tsp maple syrup and a handful of blueberries in a nearly empty pistachio butter jar.

This morning I took it out o the fridge, stirred in about 1 T almond milk, 1/3 sliced banana, 1 T roasted & salted pecans, and 1 tsp maple syrup. I also added a little peanut butter on top. I couldn’t resist –> pb + chocolate + banana = amazing!

This was a great alternative to oats in a jar. It was thick and had a nice chew to it. Hopefully the chia seeds will keep me full for a while too!

Anyway, as many of you might have noticed, I took last week off of running. After a summer of hard training I could tell my body needed a little break so I also lessened the intensity of my workouts. My week ended up looking like this:

Monday- Swim 1,650 meters
Tuesday- Cycling class, abs
Wednesday- Swim 3,000 meters, abs
Thursday- Cycling class
Friday- off, abs
Saturday- BTN Big 10k*, abs
Sunday- 17.5 mile bike, 3 mile run, abs

*official time posted at 46:15

I think the break was just what my body needed. I have a triathlon next weekend and then my marathon training kicks off with a 5k the following week. I’m currently feeling rested and anxious to bust out some miles!

Do you take time off before starting a training plan?
What’s your favorite Olympic moment so far? I loved the end of the men’s road race (bike), such smart cycling! I also liked seeing Lochte earn the gold in the 400 IM. Really shows how hard work pays off!

P.S. The blog will be down tomorrow so there will be no post and I won’t be responding to comments. Feel free to e-mail me if anything comes up!

Triceratops Triathlon {2012}

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Having a mid-week evening race is weird. I am so used to waking up, shoving something down my throat, and heading to the race. During the day I tried to pace myself with food, making sure I ate enough before the race to feel fueled but I also wanted to avoid any stomach upsets or feeling too full.

I decided to eat an early lunch and had a salad with a mahi mahi burger and hummus around 11.

I also enjoyed some of these Go Raw crackers and a huge fig.

And then around 3:30 (about 2.5 hours out from the race and right before we left) I had a slice of brown rice bread with strawberries and chia seeds. This ended up putting me over the edge fullness-wise. Oh well, live and learn!

I also packed the protein shake I’ve been drinking as part of my food allergy recovery diet to have right before the race.

My mom and I got to the park really early because I wanted to make sure I set everything up and was comfortable with the transition area. After getting my new bike out of the car and over to the transition area, I got marked up!

Bib number on my arms and then age on my left calf. Note: this was the worst possible top to wear for a tri. Learn from me and don’t wear anything too long or loose!

Then I started setting up my transition area. I put my bike on the rack and laid my shoes, socks, and bike gloves on the towel. I stuffed my Garmin in one shoe and eye drops and a date (for fuel) in one of the gloves. I hung my race belt on the handlebars of my bike and set out my helmet upside down with my sunglasses inside.

Worked for me!

Then we sat. We had about an hour and a half until race time which could have been killer but both the people watching and the live music kept us entertained. I also took advantage of the time to go to the bathroom (twice) and to scope out the course.

With about 20 minutes to go until the first wave of the swim, I started to get nervous and put my swim cap on. Blue cap= wave 3 (although age-wise I should have been in wave 2!).

And then it was time to go to the water to start the swim. Waves were going off every 5 minutes starting with an elite wave (sub- 1:12 for men and sub-1:24 for women). I watched the two waves go off with butterflies in my stomach and before I knew it, I was standing waist deep in water.

The first thing I did was put my goggles on and test if they were leaking. I raced in my contacts and I knew that a leaky goggle could cause me to lose a lens. After my goggles were secure, I tried to pump myself up for the race by moving around in the water. I totally sold myself out as a runner too by jumping to get my legs ready. What, swimmers don’t do that?

The swim course was shaped like a triangle and marked by three large buoys with smaller dinosaur shaped buoys between them. I situated myself in the back on the outside so the fast swimmers would be in front of me. I figured it would be better for my morale that way. Before I knew it we were all swimming and kicking and clawing at one another. My heart rate shot up and I took off in a full-out sprint. I started to panic, I knew I couldn’t keep up the pace I was swimming and I was nervous that I was going to have to DQ. Somehow I calmed my mind and switched over to breast stroke. After about a minute my breathing was back to normal, I switched back to freestyle, and found a rhythm. Crisis averted!

Swimming in the lake was fun and after I hit the first buoy I started to pick up the pace. I was swimming in a pack the entire and was dealing with miscellaneous hands, feet, and seaweed grabbing at my ankles. I also switched into breast stroke every once in a while to “spot” and make sure I was swimming in the course and to look for the shore. Before I knew it, my hand hit the lake bottom, I stood up, tried to pull my swim cap off before my goggles (whoops) and was running into the transition area.

.5 mile swim: 15:46 (3 of 5 in my age group, 123/439 overall)

I ran over to my bike and immediately went for my shoes and socks and then remembered I had decided to put them on last. Instead, I put on my sunglasses and helmet, buckled my race belt around my waist, and put on my Garmin (I wanted to have it for the run).

Lastly I put my socks and shoes on, grabbed my bike, and headed out!

T1: 1:30 <– Need to practice this next time!

I ran my bike up to the “mount bike sign” and hopped on. I should have watched the more seasoned triathletes though who were running up the grass and mounting on the concrete. I’m sure that was easier than gaining speed on the grass!

My new bike felt awesome but will definitely take some time getting used to. My new pedals have shoe cages and I’m not quite used to them. I started off with my feet on top of the cages and pedaled until I gained enough speed to coast, then I leaned down and tried to slip my feet in. My right foot went in easily but my the cage on my left foot has jammed down so hard that I couldn’t pull it up. I ended up biking about half the course with my foot on top of the pedal before somehow I managed to slip in my foot.

The course was an out and back through a very pretty park. There were lots of hills and scenic views of lakes and fields. I really enjoyed it. I also started to really get the hang of my bike gears. I pedaled hard and fast for me but was still passed by quite a few men. I also did a fair amount of passing myself.

One of my big mistakes on the bike was not drinking enough water. Even though I had my bottle attached to my bike, I only drank from it once or twice. I took water at the water station on the bike path but I don’t think I even drank the whole cup. For a 94 degree day, this was not enough fluid!

12.4 mile ride: 39:59 (18.0 mph, 3 of 5 in my age group, 290 out of 439 overall) <– my weak spot

I had told my mom that I thought the bike ride would take me 50 minutes so she missed the transition entirely. Whoops, my fault. Even so, the transition wasn’t very exciting. I placed my bike on the rack, took off my helmet & sunglasses, tried to sync my Garmin, and grabbed the date.

T2: 1:00

My legs felt like lead when I first started running. My Garmin wouldn’t sync and my mouth and stomach were disagreeing with the date I force-fed myself. I felt like I was hardly moving but I was passing other people and when my watch finally synced it said I was running 7:07′s. I couldn’t believe it!

This is when my dehydration + the high temps (still in the 90′s) really started to get to me. A lot of the run was on pavement in the sun and I could tell that my body hated me for making it run. My legs wanted to run faster but I could feel that my body was no longer sweating and I felt dizzy. I kept my pace short and kept telling myself I only had to run for 3 miles. I stopped at the second water station and poured water over my head. I also grabbed a cold towel and placed it on the back of my neck. Cold water has never felt so good!

I forced myself to keep moving, I did not want to walk, and finally after what seemed like an eternity, I crossed the finish line!

3.1 mile run: 22:38 (7:18 min/mile, 2 of 5 in my age group, 7 of 146 females, and 72 of 439 overall)

When I crossed the line and saw 1:30:55 I was ecstatic. I had started 10 minutes behind the elite and had finished with an elite-caliber time! Considering the circumstances: first tri ever, new bike, bad choice of outfit, I could not stop smiling!

Official time: 1:20:55 (3 of 5 in my age group, 22 of 146 females, and 151 of 439 overall).

I drank A LOT of water after the race and we hung around (couldn’t get my stuff out of the transition zone yet). I ended up winning an age group award, a bike chain with a beer opener on top. I’m sure Ian will get more use out of it than me but it was pretty cool.

I had such an awesome time at the triathlon and I CAN’T wait to do another one! You can bet I’ll be researching some this weekend and registering soon! Any suggestions?

We didn’t end up getting to my mom’s until around 9:00 so I showered quickly and then ate some food. My appetite was finally back, the heat must have sucked it out of me!

I made a strawberry-banana smoothie using rice milk, frozen banana, strawberries, and raw oats and also had some nuts & a mini almond butter toast.

I also had a plate of veggies and hummus. My hunger was raging!

Despite feeling revved up from the race, I ended up crashing early.

I guess I was worn out!

Racing Fever

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Is anyone else glad that Monday is over? I had one of those days where I could not wake up. I finally started to feel alive around 3 p.m. and by then work was almost over. Does that happen to anyone else? Hopefully today is a better day!

Yesterday was an off day for workouts so I slept in a bit and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. I had a buckwheat bake with berries and pistachio butter.

If you’ve never tried a buckwheat bake please do. I make the microwavable ones and they’re super easy.

I have some deadlines this week so work was pretty busy. I munched on an apple mid-morning and then dug into leftovers for lunch.

It was a mix of millet, kale, artichoke hearts, tuna, hummus, and south african smoke seasoning. I rounded out lunch with a plum (finally in seasonish!)

Mid-afternoon I took a break and had a few figs. My blood sugar felt low and without coffee I felt half asleep. I figured a little sugar might do the trick (it helped!)

This week is perfect biking weather so I really took my time on the bike ride home from the office, I knew that a ton of chores were waiting for me and I didn’t want to rush :P

Once home I baked, cooked, cleaned, soaked clothes from the Color Run (yeah it took me that long), and did laundry. I also ate dinner.

I had a salad with roasted strawberries, raw pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, and an oil & vinegar dressing with a side of roasted cauliflower (crappy picture!).

Dessert was a small glass of cereal (puffed millet, puffed brown rice) with berries, banana slices, and some honey.

I also snacked on a lot of fruit, my sweet tooth was out of control.

Then the fun started. Even though the Color Run was a fun run and NOT a race, seeing all the runners, crossing the start and finish lines, and running in a crowd really had me missing racing. I can’t believe the last race I ran was last Thanksgiving. I knew that had to change but there were a few caveats.

If I’m going to plan races in advance I want to be flexible. I’m not in half-marathon shape and probably won’t be until September. I also don’t want to plan to run any long events this summer in case I decide to sign up for another triathlon (I’m waiting until after my first to decide).

I also don’t want to plan too many races. This is extremely difficult because I keep seeing ones that I want to do. Unfortunately, my wallet and my legs don’t like racing every weekend so I’ll have to keep the reins on when it comes to registering for races.

I also would like to run another race with Ian. I actually lucked out on this one and yesterday he suggested running a 5k in August (the Terrapin).

Last night I signed up for the BTN Big 10k at the end of July. I also plan on signing up for the Terrapin, possibly another tri, and then I’m debating a half in September. This would put me at two races in June (counting the Color Run), one or two in July, one or two in August, and then one in September. What a perfect intro to marathon training for the Goofy Challenge!

I’ll plan a few races of the fall but nothing over the top. Just the usual races that I’ve done for years.

Do you have a race schedule? If so how do you plan it? Any special considerations?