Austin's Decker Challange Half-Marathon, Almost a PR!

Despite feeling sick (well, I still have bronchitis), not running up to my potential in my training runs (cutting back on the mileage for now), and I'm sure a million other 'excuses,' I ran a 1:46.59 today.

Can't complain! Almost a PR!!!!!! I feel good!

More later!!!!

Feeling absolutely moved and inspired: IMAZ 08!

After running 16 miles this morning (feeling pretty good until mile 12) with Gazelle Ginny, nothing could make the day any better then watching footage of IMAZ online. I watched 4 hours of coverage tonight and it moved me like nothing else.

I can't wait to take my shot at doing one sometime in the near future! :)

MAJOR props to Jane Kang and Jana Landry tonight and all the T3'ers and HRTC kats!!!

YOU ALL ARE IRONMEN!!!!!

San Antonio 1/2 marathon!

I would rather not say how I did, but would rather point out and stress that I finished it...a painful 1:57:15 LATER. :(

Probably my worst half marathon time, in.........forever. Or at least since I ran the Houston Half in 2006 on a severly sprained ankle (ohh such a bad idea...but I did it!)

Congrats to allllll that finished it, the half OR full: all the Gazelles, Striders, Houston racing kiddos, SoCo kats, Dwight (hey, you looked hot after finishing the full thing!), etc...you all made it look easy.

I was the one that really suffered today. 3 weeks of traveling, not a lot of running and a bad cold can really add up quick...

More on the race later, maybe...

A special shoutout to Houston Strider Lou for the big PR and the great times out in San Ant last night....girl, we have to go party again sometime soon!!!

Run for the Water 10 Miler!

Another big PR: 1:25:12 or something like that. A whole 5 minutes. I felt horrible the whole time for reasons that I won't mention here since I know Coach comes to check up on this page when he doesn't see me at practice. :)

Anyhow, yes, vacation was awesome, yes, seeing all my friends this week at PASIC was awesome, and yes, go Obama, and yes, I promise to update this page, for real, soon. I'll be in Indy all this week, then the San Antonio half, and then I will get down to business. And more running!

More soon....

Houston Half Marathon-A HUGE PR!

1:46:12.

WOW. to think all i had in me was 'just run a 1:50 and I will be happy.'

*running negative splits at sub-8 minute pace at the end of the race was awesome.
*passing people on the overpass 'hills' was awesome ("cookie, cookie, Wilke, Wilke!")
*having the Houston Strider family there to cheer me on was awesome.

an 8 minute PR...and I probably could have done more! more later...after my well-deserved vacation to Panama (the country!)

see ya soon...

IBM Uptown 10k, a new PR!

48:27.

Didn't think I had that in me. Funny thing is that when I was looking at watch right before we hit mile 6, I was right on target for 47 and some change. I still hammered the last .2 and that flew by fast!

A fast course...great weather. ONWARDS to the Houston Half Marathon next weekend. Another PR? One can hope...

More later...

I GOT IN!

good news from Tough Cookies camp (the girls I will be riding the MS150 with this year):

I'M IN!!!!!!! WOOHOO!

Now, to try to relax a little today (read=try to stay off feet) as tomorrow I have the first race of the season, the IBM 10k.

I DIDN'T GET IN!!!!!!!

As karma would have it, I forgot my credit card at home this morning and by the time i tried to sign up for the MS150 tonight, it was sold out!!!!!!!!!

i'm so sad and pissed at myself...someone come comfort me!!!!!!!

:(

Dare I say it...

seeing how i already planned out my race schedule on here for the wholllle world to see...

I have a huge crush on a local austin hottie. that is all i am going to say.
(yes, Jane...THAT guy).

in honor of the end of tri saason (Austin Half-Iron was today, and no I didn't compete)

I promise to update soon.

here is a little eye candy in the meantime.

can't WAITTTTTTTT til next season!!!!!!!!

Houston friends and family!

I hope you all are okay!

Check in here and let me know you are alive!!!!!!!!!!

The Austin Triathlon!!!!!!

WELL...what to say...

My triathlon season is over for the year! YEAH!!!!!!!!

I'm a little sad though...kind of wish I was doing the Longhorn 70.3 in a month.

Overall, a great race today! My first Oly Distance! I really enjoyed it. It was super hot though, I couldn't drink enough water.

Wearing a wetsuit totally rocks, wish every swim could have one.
Running out of water on the bike totally sucks.
Wearing all-black is never a great idea (but I knew that already).

Time for a 4.5 hour nap following by well-deserved beer and BBQ!

Congrats to all...more later!!!!!

Change of heart...

I still plan to train with T3 for swimming (year around) but I decided today I am going to train with Gilbert's Gazelles instead for the marathon season. I know Gilbert will help me achieve my running goals, as noted below.

I can't wait...!

Maybe I am on crack but...

I am just gonna lay it all on the table for the next few years:

Jan 09: 3:50 marathon!
Oct 09: Austin 70.3!
Jan 10: 3:40 marathon!
April 10: Boston marathon!!!!
Oct 10: Austin 70.3!
Jan 11: marathon (just finish it)
April 11: New Orleans 70.3!
June 11: Ironman Coeur 140.3!!!

In an ideal world...hmmm, I think I am going to either delete this right away or leave it up for everyone to see and gaggle. <--is that even a word?! hmmm... GOOD LUCK TO ALL COMPETING THIS WEEKEND!
It's gonna be a good time!

8/27/08: Half-ass update #892

OMG...I am hopping on the bandwagon.

Maria and Jane, watch out. It looks like I will be joining the blue and white ranks next week...

I'm actually pretty nervous, lol.

Ironbabe Tri!

Well, what can I say. I took almost 10 minutes off my time from last year. If that isn't improvement, I don't know what is!

Most fabulous of all, the bike, Whitey, is fantastic. We averaged 18.4 mph today, which is a personal best for me on the bike. I will never race a road bike again. Next on the agenda, if she is good, some race wheels:)

More later...must.get.sleep.

TODAY, 8/11/08:

IMPORTANT: THIS CAN POSSIBLY AFFECT THE LOCAL RUNNING AND TRI SCENE HERE IN AUSTIN!!! READ BELOW:

In short the Austin city council wants to do away with/ limit races in the downtown/urban areas that will effect Austin traffic. Not good. Please clink on the link below and let the city council know this is not a good idea. Link to email the city council:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm

Week of 7/14-7/20 Workouts!

7/15/08: 4.5m run With Rob’s Run Club!
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Notes: After a much needed day off, I got in a workout with my friend Rob Hill’s running club. We actually did hills, which has been a while for me (well, in a structured workout, I mean). 4x300m or so hill repeats and I was ready to pass out! Haha, it was a great workout though with great company.

Also, a bit of good news, I found out I will be coaching/pacing for Nike in a few weeks! The Human Race will be a 10k of Epic proportions! The race is being hosted here in Austin on 8/31/08. Austin is one of 5 U.S. cities selected to host a race, so this is gonna be good. I'll be pacing/coaching Tuesday's at Gueros (off S. Congress) at 7pm so come by and run with me if you're in the area!

7/16/08: 8m on my mountain bike!

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot
Notes: A nice alternative from the road stuff, I road my mountain bike about 8miles tonight. It kicked my ass. I forgot how tough those heavy beats can be. However, that being said, it was a great workout!

Today is also my birthday, so I am taking tomorrow off! Woohoo for getting older. I’ll be 28.

7/18/08: 2.5m run/30min swim Brick!

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot

Notes: Ran out to Stacy pool, wearing my new Nikes. It looks like they will take a little bit of a break-in time, which I am NOT looking forward to. I already miss my Brooks Adrenaline! :(

RACE REPORT: Couples Tri!

First off, BIG CONGRATS to Matthew who completed his first tri!!! That Couples course is one of the TOUGHEST tri courses in the area. And he did it for his first one!

My race...my BEST one yet. What a great feeling. A slowish swim, an absolute KILLER bike, and a very respectable run. How killer was the bike? 20.6 average MPH. Holy cow. That can't be right!!!!!!

The bike works! I love my Jave-lero!!!! More later...I don't even care about anything else other than how an awesome bike (Whitey) makes me sooo freaking happy!

Props to the following for all the support (sorry if I forget anyone!): Paulie, JON WALK!!!!!!!Paula and her hubby, the girl that bought my wetsuit, Chau and Jane (sorry we didn't hang out!!!), my neighbors that are triathletes, the T3 crowd (Coaches Chrissie and Maurice) and my tri partner Matthew. I love all of you guys!

Onwards towards the Oly in September!!!!!! More later...
---
EDIT PM: The bike MPH are off (per Jon Walk!) I believe my actual pace was the 16.5 mph my bike computer averaged...ahhh well! : still a great and fun bike though!
---
Overall, this was a great race. Jack and Adam's puts it on so they make it as professional as possible. I have to admit I was nervous going into this race due to racing Whitey for the first time, and also keeping in mind this is where I got my flat tires only a few short weeks ago. Needless to say, I needed to get over that feeling quick.

My swim was okay, I had problems sighting for some reason so I definetely ended up swimming longer than the 800m that we were suppose to do. I need to work on this. A lot. I find myself drifting to my breathing side and once I do it, it's hard to break that habit. I was in the water a while. ha. However, I did almost beat my Danskin time, which is great considering this swim was 50 meters longer than that one.

The bike was actally great. I know the course well, so I managed to stay in my aerobars as much as possible. This will take getting use to, as well. With a pretty aggressive ride setup, it's hard to stay comfortable for very long. Well, I just need to put the hours in the saddle...No flats either! I had to smurk a little coming back into transition...thinking: "Haha, dumb chipseal, you didn't get me THIS time!"

The run started getting hot. My goal was not to walk the entire run, and I did it. Even up that evil hill right before the finish. I felt good finishing though and Jon Walk and Paul were there to cheer for me! I was even able to catch Matthew finishing the race and run in the last 200meters in my flipflops! that was awesome! of course the first thing I said to him was "that was badass, huh? when is your next one?!" He smiled! :)

Overall, a great race. Onwards to one more sprint and the Olympic in September. I can't wait!

The STATS:
800m swim, 11.2 mile bike, 3.1 mile run

32:14/s
2:30 T1
40:52/B (ave 16.5mph)
1:23T2
25:59/R (ave 8:23/mile)

Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: nice

Week of 7/7-7/13 Workouts!

7/7/08: 3m run (ah yeah)
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Total: 27:30
Ave: 9:10/mile
Notes: I felt slow, but I blame the weather! This weekend is another race, so this whole week will be dedicated to getting in all of my workouts and making sure I am the best shape I can be going into the race!

7/8/08: 2.5m run/1000m swim Brick
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Total: 23:30
Ave: 9:12/mile
Notes: A nice brick to Stacy Pool. I swam the workout in about 30 minutes. Still don’t feel 100% about my swim stroke, but I’ll get the race done!

7/9/08: 3m run with SoCo run club
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Total: 25:15
Ave: 8:07/mile
Notes: Tonight I decided, even though it was hotter than HELL it seems, to race the boys. I didn’t actually get passed by anyone, but still came in 2nd after one of the REALLY fast guys. I think he beat me by at least a minute. It was fun to race…hopefully I’m not too sore tomorrow!

7/10/08: 12mile bike with Blue!
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Ave: 16.4 mph average
Notes: Whitey had to go back to shop one last time, so I brought Blue out for a ride. We had a great time and although I didn’t ride much, we had a nice clip while we made our way around the Veloway and the Mopac loop. Hope I get Whitey back in time to race Sunday though…

7/11/08: 2.5m run and 600m swim Brick
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Ave: 8:48/mile
Notes: Got in a 22 minute run and (barely) a 30 minute swim at Stacy pool. This is my last workout before Couples Tri on Sunday! I’m excited about the race moreso because I convinced my running partner, Matthew (who is also in Gilberts Gazelles), to do his first triathlon!!! This is going to rock. Haha, all of my friends have nicknamed me “The Tri-ed Piper” because I keep recruiting my friends into triathlon. But what can you say…it’s addictive!!!!!!!!

7/13/08: Couples Tri!
(Read the race report in a separate entry!)

Week of 6/30-7/6 Workouts!

6/30/08: 4.5m run/800m swim Brick

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot

Notes: The run was slow today. Taking a week off was not a great idea, AT ALL. The swim was painfully slow too. I felt like I hadn’t swim in forever. Ughh..Bck on the horse.

7/1/08: 2.5m run/30 min swim Brick

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot
Ave: 8:48/mile

Notes: Ran to Stacy pool from the house, swam for 30 minutes and ran back home. This will probably very quickly become my favorite workout ever. Nothing beats a hot run then a swim, followed by a another nice run. Run/Swim/Run…they must have a race like this somewhere?!

7/2/08: 3m run with SoCo run club

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot
Ave: 9:10/mile

Notes: Got in a little run with the family at SoCo tonight. The best part: the tacos and libations afterwards!

7/3/08: 22mile bike with Whitey!

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot
Ave: 15.5 mph

Notes: It was really hot today, but I got Whitey back from ATC and decided to give her a nice spin. About $300 and a bunch of Cervelo parts later and I am in love. I have to admit, the new setup (not to mention, working with bar-end shifters) is pretty aggressive. I feel like my butt it floating up in the air! It’s going to take getting use to. However, Ron and the guys did an awesome job. She rides great…the shifting needs a little work but I think its more due to the cabling needing to stretch a little bit. (Blue, my Fuji, was already stretched out when I got him).

It’s going to be a fun rest of race season!!

Week of 6/23-6/29 Workout!

6/17/08: 15 mile bike ride on Whitey!
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Ave: 15.5 mph
Notes: So, I named my bike today. Whitey:) She needs some work and adjustments. I think I am taking her to Austin Tri-Cyclist and upgrading the whole aero setup (Keeping the Campy bar end shifters though) and putting Dura-Ace on her, as well. Yes, she will be a bit of a Frankenbike. I have been told it’s not a good idea to mix Campy and Shimano parts but the Campy parts for the most part on her are really good and I have always wanted Dura-Ace 'cause it's like butter:)

Anyhow, we went for a nice little jaunt. I am eager to have her ready to rock and roll for my next race in July, Couples tri!

So, on the downside, this was the only workout I did this week. Boo.

Week of 6/16-6/22 Workouts!

6/17/08: 16m Bike/3m Run Brick
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Ave: 14.5 mph
Notes: A nice 30 minute or so run followed by a 16 mile bike. The bike was sloooow (14.3 mph) but at least I was out there riding!

6/18/08: 20m bike/4.5m run Brick
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Ave: 8:36/mile
Notes: Another scorcher today. Ran 4.5 miles in about 38 minutes…yeah, a little fast, but it felt great. Also got in a 20 mile or so bike. I didn’t bring my bike computer so I am not really sure how far or fast I went.

6/20/08: 3m run/1000m swim brick
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Notes: Got in a nice 3 mile run followed by a 1000m swim workout. It was hot. As usual.

6/21/08: 40 mile AM bike ride!
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Notes: Harriett and I got up early today to join the ACA for a 40 mile ride. We did Creedmor. I am not sure how fast we averaged, but it couldn’t have been more than 15 mph. Part of ride is in town so it’s tough to get going really fast when you are getting stopped at lights all the time. It felt great to sit in the saddle that long, though (believe it or not).

Week of 6/9-6/15 Workouts!

6/10/08: 1 hour swim with Paul
heartrate: n/a
weather: warm
Notes: I took yesterday off and decided to get a nice swim in today with Paul. I did 200m repeats at Barton Springs as fast as I could, averaging about 6 minutes per 200m. (Not too bad...) Overall, a great workout and I feel good about my swim stroke at this point. Paul thinks I am doing pretty good, as well.

6/11/08: 3mile Run with Soco!
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Notes: I didn't feel 100% today and it was super hot, so I took it easy and ran back with Paul. It was nice to run easy, but I hope I feel better soon.

However, in more positive news: Weight Loss! I did weigh myself today and I am down to an unbelieveable 131. That's 5 pounds I have lost since I have moved to Austin! In 3 months!

My goal for the end of the summer is 130. Maybe I should bump that down to 125...just think if I stopped drinking and actually did some core workouts I might be unstoppable. Or at least in really good shape:)

6/12/08: Southwest Parkway 9 Miles o' Cycling!
ave 15.3 mph
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Notes: On possibly the hottest day of the summer (thus far!) Harriett and I rode two loops of the tough (but doable!) Southwest Parkway, a great place for cyclists in (you guessed it!) Southwest Austin. Our trip there was mostly downhill, and we averaged 16.1 mph. However, on the way back, we slowed down to 14.4 mph! Ugh.

We were so hot and tired after one loop we called it a day. Hopefully next time we get out here we can get in more mileage. Today, I'm just glad we tackled it the best we could!

6/13/08: 1 Hour Swim @ the Springs...
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot
Notes: Another scorcher today. Paul and I hit Barton Springs again and that water felt sooo good! (Of course, I had my wetsuit on and was pretty cozy!) My swimming technique is getting stronger, I just need to continue to push myself and work on some drills too.

6/14/08: 10.5 mile run and 17 mile bike!!!!
14 mph on bike
about 1:50 total running
heartrate: n/a
weather: hot and humid on run
Notes: Well, today I felt like pushing myself, so I did! It started with a nice 10.5 mile run (didn't mean to run that far...but I did!) with some nice folks from 26.2. That was the first time I have ran that far since the Austin Half back in Feb:)

Then...17 miles on the bike with Harriett in the evening! The weather was nice and a little hot, but neither of us had a ton of energy, so we took the hilly ride 'fairly' easy. Overall, it was nice to do a double workout today. Hopefully I am not too sore tomorrow.

LOOK: I BOUGHT A NEW BIKE!

Like I really needed another one...but I got a really good deal on this one. This makes bike #3, and I barely have room for two! I have yet to name her but once I give her a ride and get fitted, I'll give her a proper name and, of course, some custom decals too!

RACE REPORT: Danksin Tri (Not meant to be?!)

I'll explain more later...I got two flat tires yesterday! But, I had the best triathlon swim I have ever had.
And I actually finished the race!

--
The race started 'innocent enough.' Haha. I had a great spot on the rack right near the bike exit, I was in the VERY first swim wave, and I felt great, no nerves at all. The gun went off and I got to swimming. I actually warmed up this time in the lake before the race, and I must say that was the reason why I did so well today. I DIDN'T PANIC AT ALL!

Although I was in the water a loooong time, I finished feeling good about the swim! Paul was there cheering for me it made me feel good. Now, onwards to the bike. I felt great. I was averaging at LEAST 17 mph or so on that challenging course until BAM!!!!!, a flat tire at mile 8! Luckily, I had a flat tire earlier in the week (hmmm, a sign I guess!), so no problem changing it. Well...while putting air in it, I heard the tire go!!!!!! I must have either pinched the tube putting it back on or it was a bad tube. Hmm, lesson learned, no more cheap tubes.

So, I had to yell to anyone to borrow another tube (cause, I don't carry two) plus another CO2. (Okay, lesson learned there, carry 2 from now on). By then, a mechanic came to help me and I had already been sidetracked over 20 minutes. It was getting hot. I couldn't wait to finish.
I got back on after thanking him and hammered the rest of course. Then I finally saw the finish and threw my bike on the rack. I knew I could have been done with the race by now! I kept in good spirits though, and Paul cheered me up too at the transition. The run wasn't memorable, just hot. I did walk a little up that hill at the end.

Overall, I was happy to finish. I had a good start and end to the race, and I did what I came out to do, and that was IMPROVE. Hell, just having a better swim made the whole race worth it. Even if I had DNF'ed...I wouldn't have been sad. That swim was awesome! Now, enjoy a pic:O)

The STATS:
750m swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
29:59s
2:27 T1
46:00B *according to my watch, actual cycling time
2:30T2
26:26r

Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: nice

Week of 6/2-6-8 Workouts!

6/2/08: 3 Mile Run and 1 Hour swim

total running: 27 minutes or so

heartrate: n/a

weather: warm

Notes: Today was the last day of T3 Swim Clinic. :( After a nice run, we spent our last hour together learning some advanced drills and working on flip turns (which I really enjoy!) Then, onto happy hour to celebrate! Although I will miss everyone (especially Paul and Paula!), we will all be out training for triathlons, so we will all be in touch.

Plus, I think Paul and I are going to continue swimming together:)

6/4/08: 4.5 Mile Run with Soco Run club!

5k: 26 mins

ave for 5k: 8:22/mile

heartrate: n/a

weather: hot

Notes: Ran a 15 minute, 1.5 mile warmup to Docs (where we meet!) and then a 26 minute 5k with the club. It was fast and hot, but relaxed. A great run overall! Missed my crew! Back to drinking:)

6/5/08: A Windy 9 Mile Bike Ride!

heartrate: n/a

weather: windy

Notes: My cycling partner Harriett couldn't make it out to ride so I went out to the Veloway alone today. It was soooo freaking windy, so I rode 3 times around the 3 mile loop and called it a day. Enough was enough! Plus I got a flat tire which took a while to change (my first one ever!) so that took some wind out of my cycling sails too...

I did meet a new friend in a Houston Racing uniform (my old triathlon club!) who at one time was President of the club there! Although he spanked my tush around the loop, (and his hot Cervelo probably didn't hurt...) he was very humble and curtious and we chatted for about 30 minutes before I had to go. Hope to see him again soon!

6/6/08: 1 Hour Swim at Barton Springs!

heartrate: n/a

weather: a little windy

Notes: so this was my first time swimming here since I was a kid. The water, NO JOKE, is 68 degrees, year round. So yeah, a little chilly. I ended up wearing my new wetsuit, lol. Yes, I am a dork, but it's nice having it on, for the buoyany and added warmth (and Paul's laughs at my expense!).

Racing this weekend...I feel ready to kick butt!

6/8/08: Danskin Tri!

(Read about it in a seperate race report!)

Week of 5/26-6/1 Workouts!

5/26/08: 1 hour swim and 3 Mile brick workout
total running: about 27 mins or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Nothing was really memorable about the run but I really pushed myself in the pool today. It felt great, but I was really wore out after the workout. Hopefully I can continue to push myself like this on every workout.

5/27/08: 4.5 Mile run!
total running: 42 minutes
aver mile: 9:20
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm but nice
Notes: The weather was really great today and I felt entergized as I ran to the Lake and around and back. Ran into a few folks watching the bats, but it gave me a little diversion before I headed home. A great run overall.

5/28/08: 3 Mile Run and 1 Hour Swim Brick!
total running: 27 mins or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: My right hamstring was really tight today so I took the run pretty easy. However, I pushed myself in the pool again and feel like I am finally starting to see the results, I'm pretty excited to see my body transform as I continue to push myself and eat well.

5/31/08: 36 Mile Bike Ride in Houston!
total cycling: about 3 hours
ave. 16.5 mph
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm and breezy
Notes: While I was in Houston this weekend, I took advantage of the flat roads out in Katy to get in a nice ride with my good friend Will Neff and two of his co-workers. We had a great time...making a pace line as we went into the headwind and pushed as hard as we could. The ride felt great...I need to ride more often though! The delious and cheap Mexican food after was the real treat! can't wait to ride with them again!

Week of 5/19-5/25 Workouts!

5/19/08: 1 hour swim
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Didn't get a chance to get in my normal 3mile run/1 hour swim brick today, but I am okay with that. After the weekend's activities, my legs felt tired and a little heavy. It felt good to take it easy today:)

5/19/08: 1 hour swim and 3 mile run Brick
total running: about 30 mins
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Felt like I had to get back to the grind today with my workouts. Although this is going to be my only other workout this week, I pushed myself on the run and in the pool. Felt good and it will feel good to take this week easy.

Week of 5/12-5/18 Workouts!

5/12/08: Brick--3M Run and 1 Hour Swim and thinking...

total running: 27 minutes or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Today was unbelieveably cool, which was a nice change of pace. Of course, this meant that the pool would be cool too. It was a good brick though. I am finally feeling better in the pool. I just need to get swimming more now that I am getting a literal 'good feel' of the water.

Also, i started keeping a food diary. Although I won't be posting it here, I must say I am very happy with my diet since my terrible bought with my sinus infection a little over a month ago. The areas where I am seeing some great consistency and improvements are in my lunches (I always have protein and veggies) and dinner (usually carbs, but always a smalllll meal since I learned not to eat late anymore). Usually I eat 1/2 pita with hummus and some soy milk.

This means two things, I am getting healthier (although I still have a undenying affinity for drinking and *ahem* chocolate or salty snacks. I am gonna blame the Striders for that;)) and that I am actually losing weight! Roughly May 2006 I was sitting at 148. Now, I am happy to report that I am at a healthy 136! More importantly I am losing pant and dress sizes (at least one size on both ends) so I am willing to bet I can buy some new clothes after the summer! My overall weight goal is to stay at 130 year-around. I don't know easy this is going to be during marathon season (tend to eat more, especially carbs) but 130 has been a goal for so long and I am ALMOST there!

I bet I can get there by September 1st! If I can do it...I think I am going to treat myself to a few new cute outfits and new race wheels for my bike! Help keep me accoutable! :)

5/13/08: 3.5 Mile Neighborhood Run
total running: 33:34
ave 9:35/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: humid
Notes: Although the goal was to run 6 miles today (it sure has been a while since I have done 6 as a training run) I had to cut the run short since I had band practice. Ah well. It was a nice run since I did my usual neighborhood route and varied it up with an additional .5 miles of hillwork.

5/14/08: 3 Mile Run and 1 Hour Swim Brick
total runing: ?
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Nothing memorable about this run...was my best swim to date though. I have great confidence going into my tri on Sunday. The only thing I am regretting though is not getting in at least one open water swim.

5/15/08: 15 Mile Bike Ride
ave speed: 15 mph
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: I ended up riding by myself today but that was okay because I was able to really push myself. I still regret not riding long this past weekend (was suppose to be 46 miles!) but that's okay. On the actual Veloway I pushed really hard, riding in my aerobars at least 75% of the time, and hammering the downhills as well as the uphills. Then I felt so good I rode down South Mopac for an additional 9 miles. I actually felt really good on that and wanted to do another 3 miles, but decided that 15 miles was a decent ride considering my race Sunday is only 11.1.

Off to the races! Good luck to all this weekend...I will be completing my own 'Jon Walk' style triple:)!

5/17/08: Congress Ave Mile-a new PR!
(read about in a seperate race report)

5/17/08: Lone Star 5000-a new PR!
(read about in a seperate race report)

5/18/08: Skeese Women's Sprint Tri
(read about in a seperate race report)

Total workouts for the week:
5 Runs, 3 Swims, 2 Bikes (awesome!)

(The pic below is what three races of stuff looks like!)

RACE REPORT: Skeese Greets Women’s Tri!
First Tri of the Season-Not bad!

I think it's almost comical that I can bomb a swim portion of a tri and still finish 20th out of 70-odd women in my age-group. However, that being said, had I had a good swim today, I could have possibly been in that illusive top-10 bracket. More later...but time to rest off a good bike and a great run:)

--

I was so excited about this race as I got up this morning. I have been training ‘relatively’ hard for it the last few months, and I was ready to compete hard and prove to the world I am ready to take on the Austin Tri Scene! :) haha. Turns out that New Bransfuels though was further away than I originally thought. I barely got to the race site with a much time to prep and set up my transition area. It was a ‘every women for herself’ situation. I luckily found a ‘kinda’ space near a huge mylar balloon and very close to the bike exit. One thing that did bother me is people do not know how to set up their transition areas with their bikes, but I guess when it’s a free-for-all, what do you expect?

The swim looked daunting (even for an out and back) and I was in the first wave. Not sure how many women were in the wave, but at least 100. I situated myself in the front, just as Coach Chrissie advised. The second I got in that cold water though and put my face in that disgusting water, I knew the swim would be tough. The gun went off and immediately I got swam over, punched and kicked. Nothing too bad, but it took me a while to feel ‘comfortable.’ I pretty much struggled the first 150 meters along with a few other poor souls. The water was sooo gross, you really have no idea. Almost black (no visability at all), stinky, and ‘things’ were floating in it. By far the worst swim I have EVER EVER EVER done. At the 200 meter marked I got passed by the next wave’s swimmers, oh well.

I managed to struggle in the water for about 10 minutes, only free-styling about half of that. Ughh. I felt right then that I just wasted all that money on my swim program and that I will never amount to anything in triathlons if I can’t handle a ‘short and simple’ swim. Pretty defeating self-talk. But, I’m not a quitter. I shook it off, commented to a spectator about gross water and I ran out to the bike racks, found my Baby Blue and knew I was going to have to pound this bike portion.

I was in a huge group of women going out on their bikes. Pretty much the whole field of competition from 30-39. I immediately pounded and tried to get away from them. Great motivation. The first portion of the bike is kind of scary though since you are riding on the I-35 feeder road and they recently repaved it so it’s pretty bumpy. Ughh. I passed a lot of people though. The first hill got me a little but I don’t think I got passed. I rode aero about 75% of the ride which not only was very comfty but allowed me to drink out of my Aerobottle and really hammer the straight-aways. I did get passed by the age 40+ leaders on their 4k aerobikes though but it happens.

The first part of the bike I averaged 17 mph and then the rolling hills started happening at mile 6 and they were totally kicking my ass. I got passed by a few girls on road bikes and someone on a hybrid bike and then decided to stop messing around and start to hammer the rest of the ride. I picked up the pace, almost drafting off a few gals (there were some really narrow portions of the ride…so it was almost impossible to not draft, to be honest with you). The last 2 miles were downhill and I hit 30+ mph, which helped me complete an average 16.5 mph bike split. Not great, but considering I passed a lot of people on the bike, I wasn’t disappointed with my pace. Plus my legs felt good.

The run! I was so eager to do it and my legs were shot from my two races yesterday and the hammering on the bike hills. Nevertheless, I ran as hard as I could. 8:03 for the first mile and 7:45 for the second (I just wanted to finish!) I did feel really good finishing this race though, I think this is the first tri I have done thus far where ‘overall’ I felt like I had good energy, drive and push the entire race. I need to figure out this swim thing…and if so, maybe I can place in the top 10 in my age group one day! The other positive though is that my transition times are improving with makes me feel good, although I need to continue to bring down those numbers too.

Congrats to all the first-timers (I was the crazy girl in the purple visor cheering everyone on at the finish)! You ladies inspired me with your energy, drive and desire. You ladies help me realize why I love this sport so much! Don’t ever forget if you aren’t having fun while competing, it’s not worth doing!


The STATS:
300m swim, 11.1 mile bike, 2 mile run
1:12.34 total

20th in 25-29 age group (out of 72)

10:46s (70th)
2:06 T1
42:27b (16th)
1:23 T2
15:50r (5th)

Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: nice.

RACE REPORT: Lone Star 5000!

So I should mention that this race wasn’t chip timed. And that we were racing at 10:30am. Already two strikes against me going for that elusive 5k PR. Then add to the fact I just ran a I really tough mile and PR’ed. Well…challenges. I needed to get over all that quickly.

It was hot. I was wearing all black. I was lined up about 2 seconds back from the front runners. The field couldn’t have been larger then 300 runners. No one looked to be taking this seriously, so maybe this was going to be more of an interesting race than I thought. I did spot one other runner who was wearing two bibs like me (one under another). It felt good to be in the company of others as nutty as me.

The gun went off and off we went. I knew I would just have to pound this out. My legs felt remarkable well for what I did to them in the mile. I was able to run the first mile in 7:13. A little fast, but it felt really good. Mile 2 was the turnaround and I was so thirsty and missed the cups of water. And then we turned into the sun. I slowed down to 7:30. I was passing people like crazy still, but felt aweful for slowing down. The heat was getting to me.

Mile 3 I just bit my lip, put my head down and picked up my legs even more. We were all struggling at this point. I was running side by side by another triathlete and even drafted off another man for a little while. We rounded the corner and I saw 7:44 on my watch. This was it…I was going to PR! Just the straight-away to the finish! .47 seconds! I slowed down a lot here I felt, but I was pretty much giving everything I had left.

I crossed the finish and Ash saw me and was cheering for me. Turns out I was in the top 10 females to finish. Wow, this must have been a small race! I got a baseball hat as my prize and a smile, then a cupcake and an orange slice. Good stuff. Then we went to go eat afterwards and get me out of the sun. Overall, a great race. 23:16. Almost a minute PR over two years ago. Can’t wait to beat that one again though!


The STATS:
5k
23:16 total

7:13, 7:30, 7:44, .47
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: hot. Maybe mid 80s?

RACE REPORT: Congress Mile!
TWO PR'S TODAY! A great day of racing!

6:42 in the mile (yes, my results came up with 'no age group' and 'no name') and unofficially 23:16 in the (HOT!) 5k! More later...but sleep and relaxing to commence!


-

This is quite possibly the strangest day of racing I have ever done in my life. A race in which there are 3 other events happening almost at the same time and same location. A 3 mile dog walk. A one mile charity walk, a one mile race (this one I am writing about) and the Congress 5000 (5k race immediately after this). It was absolutely nuts, the amount of people in a single-stretch of downtown bridge-area. Not to mention the fact my heat wasn’t even until 8:55am, which allowed me the opportunity to sleep in (but I didn’t, because who can really sleep in on race day?!)

I get there at normal race time (7am) after riding my bike the mile to get there. There is no one there, lol, and the first heat is at 8am. So I just try to either find a place to take a nap or get some caffeine. I actually found both, believe it or not. A couch under the Red Bull tent, and a cold Red Bull to sip while munching on a Clif Bar. I pretty much hung out and took in all of the sights and sounds that were going on at that time. Dogs EVERYWHERE (I mean, literally 5000+ dogs, you have no idea how loud it WASEN’T!), little kids and tons of high schoolers. Kids jogging strollers. It was almost a mad house.

My wave finally came up and I hoped that the Red Bull wasn’t going to adversely affect me. I have drank Monster before a race before and was fine. Red Bull..ehhh? It gives you wings, though, right? Well, it also makes you need to use the restroom! So I ran the mile with my bladder feeling full! However, I ran fine. Our wave was really small. (18 to 39). I think there were only 20 women in it. The first 200 meters were fast. I definitely wasn’t in the front of the pack. About 400 meters in I passed a few girls but slowed(?) into a “comfortable” pace. I was breathing hard.

600 meters to 1000 meters in were the only ‘technical’ parts of the course where we had to make some turns in order to head back on Congress (yes, they changed the course this year, so we didn’t ‘just’ run on Congress Ave.) 1200 meters in I started to throw down the hammer. There was a taller girl in my striking distance and I knew I could get her. 1400 meters in is just the straight away to the finish. At this point I told my legs to sprint and I don’t know that it happened. I heard another girl right behind me at this point. Ouch. Ouch. My breathing was fast but not sporadic.

I crossed the finish line in 6:42, good enough for 4th in my age group. The girl that passed me around 400 meters in beat me and finished her mile at about 6:30. That’s okay. I’ll take 6:42 today considering I haven’t been doing speed work. It’s still a 15 second PR for me, and a PR is a PR!

Now onwards to my next race today:)

The STATS:
1 mile
6:42/mile

Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool and overcast

RACE REPORT: Jackrabbit Run 4 Hope 10k!
…a PR, but barely!

A PR is a PR…that’s all I have to remember. It sure wasn’t pretty though. The weather was unbelievably humid. I mean…close to 100% humidity. The temperature was probably mid 80’s, but that didn’t matter. We were swimming through that air, and that’s all I have to say about that…

I mentally had a tough time preparing for this race. Honestly, it’s a tricky course. A first mile gradual uphill climb. Then a second mile 150 foot climb (in two sections…but tough!) Then 3 miles of VERY flat but curvy neighborhood roads. With a turn-around. Not easy, because you see the runners that are in front of you finishing the race. Ughh. Then the fun mile 6 downhill. TOUGH. You have to control your legs running downhill or else…Then the last .5 mile or so is a slight uphill to the finish after just beating my quads to death. Nice.

I thought about halfway through the race ‘there goes my PR.’ I kept passing people though, which gave me a little confidence. Pretty much after the first mile I don’t think I got passed at all, except right at the very end…But right at the turn-around before mile 4, I just felt BAD. Morally I was beat because I didn’t remember a turn-around last time I did this race. Then there was the fact that I was pushing harder then I had planned to and was feeling defeated physically because the humidity.

I saw my dad right before mile 6 and gave him a thumbs up. I don’t remember what he said to me as I had my headphones on but I just put my head down and went for it. I passed a guy who was struggling and when his friends saw me pass him, they started giving him a hard time. In turn, he sped up and I gave chase. I had to remind myself to run my own race though…

I finished strong though and my eyes were glued to that timing clock. Could I have PR’ed? I was close…was I one of the first women to finish? I couldn’t tell, but didn’t see anyone in front of me…After walking off the pain, I went to look for something sharp to use to cut my chip off my shoe. I saw the placings then…5th overall female. 3rd in my age group. 3rd?!!!!! It looks like the two women that beat me were my age.

After sticking around FOREVER for our portion of the awards ceremony (like probably an hour later!) we went up there to get our medals. The women that beat me were amazingly in shape and very nice women. The girl that placed first was wearing a Boston singlet, so I guess I have nothing to complain about:)

A good race overall, looking forward to beating 50 minutes someday…just wasn’t in the cards today. Next time!

THE STATS:
6.2 miles

ave 8:14/mile
50:54 total running

8:00, 9:11, 7:58,
8:35, 8:33, 7:13, 1:20

Week of 5/5-5/11 Workouts!

5/5/08: Brick--3M Run and 1 Hour Swim
total running: 28 minutes or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: humid
Notes: My elbow is pretty sore after my little tumble on Saturday. (not to mention my black bruise!) However, I taped my elbow up pretty good and was able to swim with no ill affects.

5/6/08: 6.5 Mile HOT run!
total running: about 1:03 or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm and VERY humid
Notes: Met up with SoCo Matthew at 6pm on a very WARM day. I actually ran the 1.5 miles to the Lake, which was nice because it’s always nice to feel nice and warmed up before a potentially tough run. Originally the plan was to run only 4 miles or so, but it turned into an additional 1 mile since there was some construction going on (as usual) where we would normally turn around. So I ran a total a total of 6.5 miles and had Matt drop me off since there was no way I was going to run another 1.5 miles, especially when it was probably 95 degrees.

5/7/08: Brick--3M Run and 1 Hour Swim
total runing: about 25 minutes
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: I pushed on the run despite being a little tired from yesterday’s efforts. Decided that my shoes HAVE to go (they probably have about 430 miles on them…yikes!!!) so I am eager to break in a new pair:) I got some good advice during the swim which I really feel is starting to make a difference in my form. Finally feel like I am becoming a better swimmer! The plan for the rest of the week is going to be different this week since I am going out of town to run the JackRabbit 10k. I am going out of town tomorrow, with plans to maybe get in an easy run before going for a PR on Saturday!

Have a good weekend of racing!

5/10/08: Jackrabbit Run 4 Hope 10k! A NEW PR!
(read about it in a separate race report!)

Week of 4/28-5/4 Workouts!

4/28/08: Brick--3M Run and 1 Hour Swim
total running: 28 minutes or so
Heart-rate: n/aWeather: humid
Notes: I was pretty tired today for some reason. My legs just had no get-up and go! I still made it through the work-outs though with a smile on my face.

4/30/08: Brick—3M Run and 1 Hour Swim
total running: about 27 mins.
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: I decided today that combat the ‘tired leg feeling’ and take have a Carbboom before my run and half a Carbboom before the swim. It helped, but my legs still felt ‘dead’ on the swim. I am starting to wonder if maybe my shoes are past their point of being tooooo broken in?

5/2/08: 4 mile run, soooo hot!
total runing: about 40 minutes
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: very humid and hot!
Notes: So today marked another ‘benchmark’ workout that I like to claim ‘makes me tougher,' at my favorite Coach Steeeeeeeeve-ism, 'tough, but doable.' So it’s 90 degrees and 6pm. Sure, a perfect time to get in a run:) Ughh, not really. I probably walked twice during this run. I guess in my defense though, I was running through a pretty hilly neighborhood. Note to self: don’t forget water bottle on next 6pm run. Yikes.

Tomorrow and Sunday will be two bike rides for a total of about 50 miles. I am very excited as it is part of a small tour, so we actually get to ride to the location, camp out, and ride back! Details soon! Should be fun!

5/3/08: 25 Mile Bike Ride out to Manor, TX
total riding: about 2 hours
ave. 13 mph
top 29 mph!
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: decent, sunny but not hot (at noon)
Notes: So my cycling friend Harriett and I decided to do the group ride out to Manor. Other then meeting at noon to ride (but, the weather was nice and almost cool!), day one of cycling was turning out to be great. We were in a group of various ability-level cyclists. Most people were riding modified road bikes/tour bikes and no helmets. Not exactly the safest thing, but at least everyone had a map, and had resolved to stay together. I knew Harriett and I would be at the front of the pack, well mostly. The first 8 miles out of town were slow and leisurely. The traffic at some points really scared me because it was pretty heavy. However, being in the large group made me feel safer--it was so empowering riding in such a large group!

The ride itself was just absolutely gorgeous. The countryside here is so beautiful…miles upon miles of beautiful land. And no chasing dogs! Some great and crazy hills, ala the Creedmoor Cruise, but for the most part, a nice ride. Did get in my aerobars a few time and made up some time then. Didn’t really go faster than 18 mph, but I’ll take that today. The only bad thing about the ride is that I made the mistake of riding my road bike over gravel…DOWNHILL! At the end of the ride…and took a nasty spill! Luckily, I know how to fall and was able to unclip on the left side. So I fell on my right side, caught the ground with my glove, my thigh (ouch-the bruise is out of control!) and my elbow (ripped it up pretty good…) That made for a uncomfortable night of camping…more on day 2…

5/4/08: 25 Mile Bike Ride back to Austin!
total riding: about 2 hours
ave. 14 mph
top 31 mph!
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warmer then yesterday
Notes: My elbow got cleaned up well (still sore though!) and my thigh got pretty swollen and black…which meant no aerobars on the way back:( After a good breakfast though (made the mistake of not eating much yesterday, and paid for it with tired legs!) I was ready to ride by 10am. I didn’t get much sleep but that didn’t matter. Too bad we didn’t leave until almost noon though, and the worst part about that today is that it was actually pretty warm.

The ride back was fine, Harriett and I didn’t really wait on the group, so we aggressively (well, I TRIED) attacked the hills and rode pretty hard back. My cadence was much better today and I felt much more confident on the route (just a reverse of that we did yesterday). I wasn’t too sore either after yesterday. Another good thing about where we cycled is that we actually did some of the Danskin route, so that is really going to help me out in a few weeks…yes, ladies, it is a tough bike.

Overall, it was a great weekend of riding. I’m not overally impressed with mph’s but I am proud of myself for riding 50 HILLY miles in 24 hours. Gives me a little taste of what the MS150 will be like next year:) (muahh-haha, yes, I am doing it next year, with the Tough Cookies!) Back to running now…where I KNOW I can aggressively hit the hills!

Week of 4/21-4/27 Workouts!

4/21/08: First(?) brick of the season, 3 mile run, 20 min. swim
total running: 26 minutes or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: very humid.
Notes: So today was my first brick workout of the year. I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel, to be honest with you. Coming off being deathly sick last week and a pretty humid afternoon, I knew this would be a struggle. Right before I met up with my tri swimming group, T3, I ran a nice 3 miles or so around the surrounding neighborhood. Ouch, it was tough. The neighborhood is uber hilly and the heat was yucky. Then I followed this with a great 20 minute swim with the group (okay, not a great swim..but it was a start!)

4/22/08: 4 Mile Run with Matthew
total running: 37:43
ave 9:25/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: very very humid. yuck.
Notes: Today had to be the most humid day of the year. Very reminisant of living in Houston. Matt and I met up with the intention to run 7 (haha, no) but settled on 4. It was tough, I'm still not up to my running par yet and the humidity sucked most of our excess energy right out of our legs. Actually, what was probably more painful the bike ride back home:) A good run though, we plan to meet and run every Tuesday now, with the goal to run through the summer heat and also add a long run on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

4/23/08: Brick #2-3 mile run and 1 hour swim!
total runing: about 28 minutes
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool breeze
Notes: The heat of the last few days has blown over and left us with the nice weather that we had today. I was able to run a little more agressive today on the hills and then get a nice and long workout in the swim. I still have a looonnggg way to go as far as swimming goes, but I already feel like I am getting better!

The rest of my workout schedule this week looks like an hour dance class on Thursday, two 2-hour band practices on Friday and Sunday and then a 25 mile bike ride on Saturday! Hopefully it's not too hilly!

4/26/08: 25 Mile Bike Ride in Southeast Austin!
total riding: about 2 hours
ave. 14.7 mph
top 24 mph!!!
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool , almost chilly at start
Notes: So I dragged my body to get up early on a Saturday (I know!) and get in a nice 25 mile bike ride with my cycling partner, Harriett. We joined our friends of Austin Cycling for a scenic 25 mile ride through SE Austin. Little did I know how hilly it would be!!! The first 8 miles or so weren't bad. But then, the hills came. I had a hard time keeping momentum on them even in my easiest gears so I got passed by everyone! However, on all the straightaways I was able to get aero and pass people at a comfortable 19 mph. I'm starting to really love my bike as you can see:)

We almost got attacked by dogs on the way back (which scared the YKW out of me), but the ride itself was great, with a nice view of the TDC Landfill Wild Animal Zoo (or whatever it's called...I have never seen so many gazelles! or that close!) We kept pretty close in pace to each other on the way back (dragging a little bit!) but had a great time and rewarded ourselves with Starbucks as we unwound from the ride!

The plan for next week, in terms of cycling, is to ride once during the week (maybe Friday afternoon) and then do either the Shower Ride (20 miles each way) on Saturday/Sunday (free, go check it out if you live locally!) or do the Meet and Greet ride on Sunday with Austin Cycling. which has a 20 and 44 mile route. I'm thinking the 44 mile route...although I don't know I am ready for that...

Sooo many races to get ready for in the next few weeks...I have 4 races in a week's time coming up so now it's crunchtime to get ready and in shape! So excited!

Week of 4/14-4/20 Workouts!

4/16/08: 3 Sick Miles with SoCo run Club
total running: dunno
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Well, i have a serious sinus! infection! I shouldn't even be out running today (and rode my mountain bike there and back to boot), but I came out to fufill my membership duties to the club (must run 5 runs to become official). So today I became a member of the best drinking club in Austin:) My ceremony will have to be in June since starting next week (bearing good health) I will be swimming with T3 Tri Club near Lake Travis!

Also, tomorrow I will be doing a modern dance class (first time ever, my background is in ballet), despite the fact I should be in bed enjoying my antibiotics and being antsy for not working out all week:) wish me luck!

Week of 4/7-4/13 Workouts!

4/8/08: Runtex 3.5 Mile Speedworkout
total running: 35 minutes or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Decided to do something different today so I ran with a RunTex training group. If you live in the Austin-area and don't know WHO RunTex is, you must live under a rock:)

Anyhow, we did a nice 3.5 mile run today that consisted of 800m repeats with 400m recovery. I think we did 4. It was a good workout, but I could have done more. I ended up feeling tight in my hamstrings afterwards though (gotta stretch!) so maybe it's better that's all I did today.

4/9/08: SoCo Run Club 4.5 Miles!
total running: 45 minutes or so...
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: threating cloudy/overcast
Notes: So I ran to SoCo today and then got a ride back after the run from my roommate (well, she offered, otherwise I would have ran back!) Maybe i'll get her to run with us too sometime...

Overall, a great 5k and the beer at the finish made it even sweeter!

4/13/08: 30 Minute swim at the Pool
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: threating cloudy/overcast
Notes: Met up with my friend Carrie again and did 30 minutes in the pool today. For some reason, I still can't shake this allergy feeling. I am not sure what is going on. I got allergy tested earlier this week so it has to be something else, maybe a sinus infection?! Ughh, so the doctor will be getting a visit from me next week...

Week of 3/31-4/6 Workouts!

4/2/08: SoCo Run Club 3 Miles
total running: 26 minutes or so...
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: I started feeling sick after this past weekend in Houston (sorry I missed my Houston crew...I had to close on my old place so I didn't really have a chance to run or hang out much...) so today was my first run this week.

I didn't feel really spunky so i rode my mountain bike there and back (about a 10 minute ride, each way...yes, I am slow on the bike as I have mentioned before...) Hopefully I get to feeling better soon...I think it's allergies...

4/3/08: 15 Mile Bike Ride at the Veloway
total running: 1 hour
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool and breezy
Notes: I decided to get on my bike again and got a good 15 miles in. I definetely decided next time I go to Houston that I get my bike fit worked on. My seat is way too high, my right cleat is off somehow, and my aerobars need to be pushed out...

The ride was lonely, but nice. I am getting some more confidence on the bike so I was able to ride longer today and also use my aerobars a little (scary on the hills, but okay on the straight-aways). I think I am convinced I never want a new Tri Bike as long as I am around all these hills, lol...

4/5/08: 5 Mile Run with a New Friend!
total running: 49.55
ave: 10:00/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Met up with a new friend today and did a nice run around Town Lake. Rode my mountain bike there and back, which is fun going there due to the downhill (as I have mentioned before) but not fun at all going back home, especially after a run!)

Anyhow, we had a great time running and chatting. We even timed our run perfectly so we could see the bats come out at dusk!! It's a sight to be seen...I was freaking out the entire time they were flying over my head! haha...good and fun Austin times!

4/6/08: 20 Mile Bike and 30 minute swim day!
total ride: about 2 hours
ave: 15.1 mph
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: Met up with the Bicycle Sports Shop crew for a fun and friendly 20 mile beginner ride at 7:30 in the morning on a Sunday! Tough to do, but so much fun and it was worth it! The ride definetely gave me the most confidence I have had on my bike yet, so hopefully next time I can ride with the big kids, lol.

Then I went out for a 30 minute swim with a friend at the great Stacy Pool. It's free, heated and not huge but still a good time. It felt good to get back to the water and actually swim a little today as compared to last week where I just 'splashed around,' lol. I think I am going to sign up for swim lessons...hmm.

Week of 3/24-3/30 Workouts!

3/25/08: 4 Miles with my buddy Chris!
total running: 40 minutes or so...
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: I ran with my good buddy Chris today. We weren't breaking any speed barriers, but it felt good to run and talk with him. Town Lake (Or Lady Bird Lake as they are referring to it now, but I refuse to call it that) had all types of folks out today getting their runs in. It was really inspiring.

Chris really inspires me too. He plans to train for his first triathlon in a few months. I can't wait to help him figure out how to get there and train properly!

3/26/08: 6 Miles/SoCo Run Club
total running: 59:06
ave. 9:51/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: I decided to run to SoCo Run club, then run with them, and run back home today. I live about 1.5 miles away from where we meet on S. Congress (I actually think it's closer to a mile, but there are two reallllly long lights I have to wait at...) so it's not a big deal.

The actually 5k was great as I ran with a new member, Matthew, and we basically led the 2nd pack all the way. We probably ran a 25 minute 5k. It felt great, especially considering I sprinted the last 200 yards and that is all uphill! The run home wasn't that great though, kids don't drink and run...lol.

3/27/08: 1 hour swim at the City pool!
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: warm
Notes: So I met another new friend at the Stacy pool, which is a free city pool. It was pretty crowded so we didn't get to swim much, but it was nice to get in the water again.

Week of 3/17-3/23 Workouts!

3/17/08: Neighborhood 3 Mile Jaunt
total running: 27:40
ave 9:33/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Just a nice 3 mile run around the neighborhood. I'm feeling a little more confident on the hills so I am starting to push a little more...

3/18/08: Neighborhood 3 Mile Jaunt
total running: 29:10
ave 9:43/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Legs felt tight today so I backed off the pace. Overall, felt good though.

3/19/08: SoCo Run Club 3 Miler!
total running: 25:52
ave 8:38/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: humid but breezy
Notes: Found out about a cool little run club through one of my favorite websites ever, Craigslist, and decided to go check it out! It was so much fun! $1 tacos, $2 Lone Star 16oz's and a 5k run thrown in beforehand. How can you ever go wrong?!

Looks like I found my running club, lol... :)

3/20/08: 11 Mile Bike Ride!
total ride: 45 mins or so
ave 14.7 mph
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: overcast
Notes: Met up with a new friend and rode near my work today at a really cool place called the Veloway. It's basically the safest place to cycle in Austin. 3 miles of round and round loops where only cyclists are allowed and then a few extra miles on the roads nearby. Not a ton of cars, and cyclists pretty much rule the wide shoulders...

Anyhow, the ride kicked my butt. First of all, this is the first time I have rode my bike in a month. Secondly, I have never cycled hills, so I don't even really know how to shift gears, lol. I got a good ride in but it will be awhile before I feel confident on the roads here...

Week of 3/10-3/16 Workouts!

3/12/08: My lone 3 mile run this week:(
total running: 27:30
ave: 9:10/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Ran my little 3 mile loop today. it kicked my butt but not as bad as the other day. Saw another runner putting in his miles and said a cheerful hello.

Enjoying Austin, thus far. I am finally done unpacking. This weekend is SXSW so no running but a lot of time on my feet walking around. Can't wait!

Week of 3/3-3/9 Workouts!

3/5/08: My first Austin run! 3 Hilly miles!
total running: 30 mins or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Well, I am finally here and doing well! Not quite unpacked yet, but that's okay, as I can get that done a little later this week...

Looked at the map real quick and mapped out a quick and 'easy' 5 miler...well, turns out that it wasn't easy at all...the first .5 mile is downhill from my house, then a mile gradual uphill, then about .5 mile that is flat, then almost an entire mile up a STEEP uphill...but I do finish the run going downhill:)

Wow, Austin is going to get me in shape...

3/7/08: 6.5 (Lost) miles near my house!
total running: 1:05
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Got lost somehow because I didn't study my map well enough. At one point, I found myself feeling into my shorts pocket for a dollar or two to ride the bus home...if I even knew WHICH bus to take home.

Somehow, I figured it out, and my run was a good 'long run,' and I actually felt okay despite the hills.

3/9/08: 4.5 Miles to Townlake and Back!
total running: 46 minutes or so
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: breezy
Notes: I didn't get lost today, just did another run from my house, to Town Lake, and back. I don't live very far away, only 1.5 miles, so I ran a small loop of the Lake before heading back home.

Going there was fun, all downhill running....but running back wore me out (all uphill running). This is certainly a run meant for truly gruling training days only, lol....