Race Plans for 2013

So my race plans so far I have posted on the Race Plans/Results tab of my blog. This is how its shaping up so far:

2013

January-

1 Jan- 1st Run 10k- Lowell, MA- 1:02:11

February-

NOTHIN

March-

10 March- Celtic 5k- Worcester, MA-

April-

7 April- Cherry Blossom 10 Miler- DC

28 April- Wallis Sands Half- Rye, NH

May-

12 May- Season Opener Triathlon Sprint- MA

June- 

2 June- Half Rev Quassy

July-

20 July- Nubble Light Challenge 2.4mi Swim- ME

21 July- Mill City Tri- Lowell, MA

28 July- Wild Cat- Lowell, MA

August- 

18 August- Timberman 70.3- NH

September-

22 September- Buzzards Bay Sprint- MA

October-

20 October- Army Ten Miler- DC

28 October- Marine Corps Marathon-DC

 

Still some room to add swimming races! I want a lot more this year! Also you may notice 2 70.3s again and yes I am going to attempt my first MARATHON! I have a big birthday coming in July and this is something I think I want to attempt in this birthday year! Speaking of... Next post will be my 2013 Goals. Goals for the year of this big birthday kinda like resolutions on steroids!

 

 

Mission Slimpossible and My Journey

In December a friend of mine who I don't see often, she lives in VT, brought up on facebook the idea of a Biggest Loser competition. I knew she had been trying to lose weight and quit smoking and was looking for a group of folks to take on a challenge with her. Well she went and organized a group, about 40 people joined. I have been wanting a new challenge, I thought it was a great way to support my friend, and keep me on track for the off season so why not right?! Since my weight loss had been plateaued for SO long I figured this would be another futile attempt.12 weeks Mission Slimpossible here we go!

I hopped on the scale the first weigh in- 175lb. Okay better than last winter, 182lb in Nov was the last time I had officially recorded my weight, and made note. Okay decent jumping off point. My goal is 165lb. I'd love to get to 160 but 165 is good. I used this as a time to start looking at what I was eating. Time to cut out the sugar again! Time to count calories. I joined myfitnesspal and logged my calories. I logged my workouts. This time of year I have a really hard time staying motivated with my workouts, its cold, racing season seems so far away, its dark, I'm busy coaching. I noticed the first week I was super motivated to get my workouts in. I knew I couldn't give up on this. The group really helped.

I weighed in at the end of week 1- 173lb. Okay 2lbs- Healthy. Good work. I kept up the training kept up the log on myfitnesspal. And yesterday I did my weigh in for week 2- 170lb! I was so excited! I've lost 5lb in 2 weeks!

This is what I looked like when I started all this- file saved as URGH

The biggest thing I am excited about is- I started my weight loss/workout lifestyle about 5 years ago and this is the lowest I can remember the scale being! This all started when I had a horrible break up and my father suggested I get a personal trainer. I somewhere had lost the athlete I was all growing up and thru part of college. At this point I was super unhealthy and  I started out at around 210lb. My first appointment with my trainer lead to me PUKING! Well personal trainer lead to results- I got down to around 175. I liked it. And it got me in shape enough to start racing. Well I really liked racing. Now I have done more running races than I can count, logged thousands of training miles, completed many triathlons, swam in races again, and finished 3 Half Ironman Distance Triathlons. Through all of this my weight hovered around 180, with occasional dips and peaks. I don't ever remember dips getting me to 170 but I do remember some peaks getting close to 190! I really owe this group of 40 people, only 2 of them I know, a huge thank you! They seem to have knocked me off my plateau!

I am going to keep up the calorie counting. Keep an eye on what I am eating. Keep up my training! I think this will all lead to great results. I may not reach my 165lb goal but even dropping a few lbs will lead to a better season!

2012 Racing is Done

On Sunday I took a friend up on the offer of using her bib (thanks Catie) and joined some friends for the Jingle Bell 5k. The plan was for J and I to bring up the rear. We had Lauren join us. We had a great time chatting and running. I even commented how nice it was that a 30min 5k which use to be killing myself was now a fun run. I think I even have some new 5k PR pace buddies!

And the week before I even got to go meet a World Champion Ironman! Craig Alexander aka Crowie did a book signing in Boston. I got a book signed listened to a great 2 hour Q and A session. And even bent his ear a little about triathlon after having hip surgery when he signed my book. He is a great down to earth guy and a fantastic ambassador for the sport.

I am really trying to take a fresh look at things lately, really trying to be grateful. I can't believe the great season I had. Just about every race I did was a new PR my times just continued to drop. I am shocked that with the exception of Timberman I placed in every triathlon I did this year- to include Quassy 70.3. I flat out was a top 3 finisher in a swim race- how effin cool is that!

I had fun this season and had a great year! I luckily got to train with friends and race with them. I have even started to challenge in my own mind what my run speed actually is, which is a pretty cool thing. I have far surpassed my goal of 2000 miles for the year- almost 2400 already. I have started taking at least weekly bikram yoga. And even started another weekly class of computrainer classes! I think (hope) this bike work pays off next year! Can't hurt right?

I am grateful for an awesome season of great results, injury free and even some wins! I am so excited about the new challenges I have pushed myself to try. I am excited to see what the 2013 season will hold. I have started coming up with ideas since my 30th Birthday falls in there!!!

How did your season turn out? Are you trying new things this off season? What are your plans for next year? Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Winter Training- Bikram Continues

Following Thanksgiving starts the month of not so structured training! I THINK I AM IN LOVE! Okay let's start with I am having a hard time with this whole not structured training but I am trying to get used to it. So there are a few swim bike and run with some new plyo workouts each week. I am doing weekly Computrainer classes on Saturday morning. I am really liking this- WAY better than the trainer!! And seeing the gains in my power! Sundays have become NO SBR (swim bike run). So I have been trying to get creative. I have a few ideas But my fall back is always- BIKRAM!

So I really wanted to go at least once a week this winter. I have been doing pretty good. Even with the start up of swim team. Which luckily coincided nicely with the new Bikram Challange at the studio- do 25 classes in 32 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well I know that isn't going to be possible with my coaching schedule but I figured it was a good excuse to try to come a little more.

On the first night of my swim team practice I somehow convinced a few of my Luna Run team ladies to join me at Bikram. I had been all amped up all day with practice so may not have been the best idea. Especially since I ended up being the kid who had to leave the room and puke! LOVELY! They all did well. And have mentioned going back!


I have noticed I have gotten to the point where I finish class and don't have the OMG that was awful feeling! I kind of just zone out and do the postures. I am really working the standing series stuff my damn legs just don't want to lock! But doesn't mean I won't try!

The spine strengthening series on the floor I am starting to learn a lot about, but I think it is paying off! My Fixed Firm Pose has finally gotten so my hips are touching the ground between my knees and I am so close to the floor with my head.... I am willing it to get there!! SOON!! It has taken YEARS for my hips to touch so I will take it!

My camel has gotten to the point now that I can do both arms both times through the postures! Maria even took a picture for me. I'm gettin' somewhere. Everyone says I should try and do more days. I wish I could make it work. So for now I will keep doing as much as I can!

Thanks4Giving 10k

My pre-thanksgiving post detailed the things I am thankful for and the goals I had for my 10k on Thanksgiving. I had hopes of breaking 1 hour so I set my goal for 59 at a 9:30 pace. I was nervous driving up to Lowell, hoping I could push to a new PR.

I know this Lowell course VERY well. It is where we run 2 races a year and at least 1 or 2 triathlons so I know every rise in the road and every turn. As usual Thanksgiving races are packed! This year there were about 5 lines of pickups for 5k numbers and 1 line for us crazy 10k folks. We grabbed our numbers and met up with friends. D had offered to pace me. I was psyched to have the help! Our friend Matt offered to stick with us too, which was very sweet of him.

We went through the first loop dodging all the 5k folks. And as always the second loop was sparse with runners. D started talking me through pushing to the finish. Talked me through form, talked me through the upcoming parts of the course. It was great. I could barely breathe, I had a cramp on my side pretty bad. Which seems to happen when I push my pace. I tried to squeak out I can't breathe in response to his coaching. My muscles didn't hurt much, I get used to the little twinges here and there but the breathing is the thing that gets me. D kept pushing me, telling me to stop looking at my watch and just run.

Well with all the coaching and pushing through the slight lack of oxygen I did it- 58:28 to be exact. I didn't just barely go under 1 hour. I smashed that idea. I'm so psyched! It brings me into a whole new 10k pace! With D talking in my ear the whole time I was able to shut up a lot of the voices in my head of you need to catch your breath. For my next 10k I will be sure to have those words running through my head. I can't wait to run the course again on New Years! I think I might be able to push it again! Thank you all for your words of encouragement for the goals I set before the race. And I owe a HUGE thank you to D for his awesome job pacing!

Thanksgiving: Gratitude and Goals

I have been having a lot of gratitude lately for my situation. I went last week and bought a car. First time! With a little help from D but I did a lot of it by myself. I am pretty proud riding around in my new Scion! I own a home and can pay my bills. I am lucky enough to work with a great group of people and really enjoy what I do. I have a FANTASTIC support network starting with D! And I am happy to say that I am just about as healthy and fit as I was when I was a USA swimmer in High School. When I start thinking about things I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving I think I've got a pretty good list!

Now as for Thanksgiving, in keeping with tradition we will be running the 10k in the morning, come home and deep fry a turkey! I am hoping that I can have a nice new 10k PR to talk about while passing that turkey round the table. My goal is 59 SOMETHING! I just want to break an hour! I did my track work with the goal of my 10k pace being a 59- so 9:30 pace. I am hoping to maintain the 9:30 pace and end up with a 59:00 but I'd be happy with a 59:anything!

So here are the numbers:

Last year: 1:00:48
1st Run (same course): 1:03:09
BAA 10k: 1:00:18
Tufts 10k 1:02:38 (the day after the BAA Half Marathon)

Goal: 0:59:00 9:30 Pace

Well- CHEERS folks! Happy Thanksgiving! And with the positive vibes I've got going here's hoping for a 59!

Winter Training- Bikram Yoga

In my End of Season Thoughts I mentioned I would like to do Bikram Yoga at least once a week. As many of my readers know I travel A LOT so I figured once a week was a reasonable goal with my schedule. I figured some weeks I'll be able to do more but that is a attainable goal. So at the end of September I started doing this once a week or so yoga, so I have had about a month of "regular" practice. The other limiter of me only going once or a few times a week is over the winter I just can't stop swimming, biking and running completely.

For those of you that haven't done Bikram Yoga let me set the stage a bit. 90 min. 26 postures. In a room that is hot and HUMID, essentially the equivalent to the worst workout day in the summer (probably running not biking). I have used Bikram off and on over probably the last 4 years to help with recovery and just have a different workout in the mix. Just to be clear this isn't your typical relaxing yoga experience. It is hot, you sweat like crazy, sometimes you feel like you could pass out, and I have even puked after class. I am always sure to wear my heart rate monitor, I burn anywhere from 500 to 700 calories in the 90 min class. This is a screen shot of my heart rate data from one of the classes.

I want to see what a "regular" practice will show for benefit. So far I have the usual things I get from every yoga class:
- skin feels great
- increased flexibility
- stretching
- GREAT workout

The other things I am starting to notice is a change in my ability to control my breathing. I ran the Army Ten Miler all out, a new 6 min PR. I kept my breathing under control the whole race. I think it is because if I can breath normal in that hot sweaty room pushing in postures I can do it running on a nice cool day.

Like I said I have been doing yoga off and on for about 4 years. There have always been a few postures that I attempt but haven't gotten very far. Over the last couple weeks I have been able to get my elbows down in fixed firm pose, I am still working to get my head and back down on the ground. I had always only been able to do the start of camel. A couple weeks ago I started putting one arm down on my foot  then the other arm on the other foot for the second set. Yesterday for the first time I got both arms down on my feet. Maybe someday it will look like this. But for now I am taking my little wins day by day with my postures in my PRACTICE.

I find that the standing series is really tough. I think it is the balancing on one leg trying to lock my knee. And everyday I go to yoga I have either ran or biked or done some workout using my legs lately. I hope that the standing series will help build my leg strength for my biking, and running and I will see improvements in my standing postures.

My mom has gotten hooked on Bikram Yoga too and goes with me to almost every class. It is pretty sweet to spend time sweating it out with her! The yoga studio I go to Bikram Yoga Natick is doing a bring a friend for free for November so if any of you want to come join.....

I am sure this is just the start to what a regular practice will provide for benefit. I will keep you posted on the other benefits I am seeing over the course of my winter training and hopefully this coming season I can do a better job of keeping the yoga in the mix.