T minus 100 days and counting...

That's right, its 100 days until the big day!  I'm feeling pretty good, although this is only my 2nd week of training.  Even though the weeks will get harder and the training hours will increase, I believe the first few weeks are the hardest.  Its the time your body is getting used to longer workouts, sometimes double workouts, on top of your daily life of work and friends.

I, obviously, have been slacking in the blog department this last week, but with working some crazy hours at work, I just decided to hold off.  But I promise to try to be better.  I started this blog, after all, to not only track my training, but keep y'all informed.  Don't want to let you down!    Here's a summary of my workouts since the last post:

Thursday 7/21 workout:

Run - 60 min w/strides every 10 minutes (strides are done by increasing my pace for 20 seconds, then back to my normal pace).  This workout was done on a treadmill.

Bike -  Recovery spin at easy effort.  This workout was done on a spin bike, immediately following my run.

Friday 7/22 workout:

Run -  30 minute recovery easy pace

Saturday 7/23 workout:

Off day! Yippee!

Sunday 7/24 workout:

Bike -  1.5 hour group ride

Monday 7/25 workout:

Swim -

• wu: 5 x 50
• main: 2 x 1000 (medium effort)
• cd: 250 easy

  Total: 2500 yards

Bike -  30 min on spin bike following swim

Tuesday 7/26 workout:

Run -  30 minute easy with strides every 5 minutes

Bike -  1 hour spin class

Wednesday 7/27 workout:

Off day!

Thursday 7/28 workout:

Run -  75 minute long run

• wu: 20 minutes easy
• main: 7 x (3t, 2r) 
• 3t and 2r means that there's 3 minutes at tempo or increased pace, followed by 2 minutes recovery running. So in total time for main set = 35 minutes.
• cd: 20 minutes easy

 Swim -  Speed Day!

• wu: 300 continuous (alternating 50 swim, 50 kick)
• main: 20 x 75, hold constant pace for each (medium effort)
• cd: 200 easy

  Total: 2000 yards

So let me tell you about tonight's swim.  It was probably the hardest swim workout I've ever done.  I looked at the plan, and when it said I needed to hold a constant pace for all 20 sets at a medium pace, I was a bit intimidated.  My last few swims have been anything but consistent pace.  As it turned out, I surprised myself, and all but the last 5 sets, I held my pace!  And those last 5 sets, I only slowed by 2 seconds.  This swim workout just kicked my butt!  I was so tired, but damn, it was a great workout.  So much, by the 17th set, I got a cramp in my right foot, that caused me to basically stop kicking.  Then during the last set, my left calf cramped to the point where I felt like it was going to explode out of my leg.  I massaged it for a few minutes, and sat in the hot tub, and was like new in no time.  Hopefully that never happens in a race!

My mom would be proud...

...since yesterday I decided to play it safe and not bike in the rain.  Now when you are a triathlete training for a big race, you need to ride your bike rain or shine, or ride on a trainer.  I don't have a trainer (yet), so yesterday when my training plan had a hill workout for me to do, I contemplated riding in the rain.  Going down a big bridge at 25-30 mph on a slippery road is definitely not the smartest thing to do.  So, it really wasn't a hard decision.  Instead, I decided to go to a spin class at the gym after work.  Turns out, my afternoon meeting went long, and by the time I got to the class (5 minutes before it started), it was already full.  Drats.  After an already long and tiring day, I was thinking about ditching the days workout.  When I got home, I decided to stick with the plan and I went to a spin class at 24 Hour at 6:45 pm.  So I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with it.  Days like yesterday will make it easier for me to deal with other bad days, knowing that I can get through them if I just put in the effort, rain or shine.

Tuesdays's workout:

Bike - 1 hour Spin Class (in place of hill workout)

Wednesdays's workout:

Swim -
  wu: 200 continuous
  main: 1 x 2000
  cd: n/a (had to leave early for work)

  Total:  2200 yards

Run - 30 min easy run

Hello pool, oh how I've missed you

In the last few weeks, I have been to the pool zero times.  Zero.  It has been since sometime in June since I've swam a lap.  I went to visit my family in PA in the beginning of July, then flew to FL to watch the shuttle launch, and both places I wasn't able to find a good pool to swim in.  And last week, I just wasn't able to get in a swim workout.  So today, I was a bit nervous for my first pool workout.  I actually thought I would have to modify the workout to compensate, but I'm happy to say I didn't need to!  And my lap times were impressive for not swimming in weeks.  So, first workout was a success! 

Today's workout: Swim speed day

wu: 250 alternating each 50 swim and kick
main: 400 (medium effort), 4 x 100 (hard effort), 300 (medium effort), 3 x 100 (hard effort), 200 (medium effort), 2 x 100 (hard effort)
cd: 75 (very easy effort)

Total: 2125 yards

And so it begins...

Welcome. 

That was more for me, welcoming myself to the world of blogging.  I decided to start a blog to have a way to document my 70.3 Half Ironman training, among other reasons:  1)  Document training (as previously stated).  2)  Rant when I need/want to about training and/or life.  3)  Hold myself accountable for getting in a tough workout when all I want to do is sleep in past 5 am.  All good reasons to blog.  Right?

So, here I am, on the eve of beginning my official 70.3 training for the Oil Man Texas Triathlon. Race day is November 6 in Conroe, Texas.  111 days from now.  This will be my first half Ironman race.  I actually started my training plan four weeks ago, but those four weeks were prep weeks to get me ready for my Base Training.  I've already done three sprint tris this year, so I have been keeping up my fitness level.  Although tomorrow begins week 1 of my 16 week training plan.  And I hope to track my progress along the way as best as I can to keep my friends and family informed.  And 112 days from now, hopefully you'll be reading about one happy triathlete who will be one step closer to her ultimate goal.

So now I welcome you, my friends, family, or someone just passing through the blog world.  This is gonna be a fun ride.  Enjoy.