A. brought my bike up from central nj so i was all fired up to bike when i was told i needed to go to a meeting at 7 a.m. in midtown. !$%&^%*#*! i have about 2.5 hours until i can get on the bike and am so restless! at least i avoided dragging along the doorman whom i biked with last time and ended up doing push-ups while waiting for him to catch up. i'm trying my best to stay motivated to work out b/c usually by noon if i don't do it, i won't do it (best to work out at 4 or 5 a.m. when you're still sleeping!)
btw shoutout to my bro muel (samuel) for commenting.. you are so cute! thanks for being supportive!
i don't remember much of yesterday's workout b/c i hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and threw myself off the bed and onto the treadmill. i started running but had to take a bathroom break and when i got back on the treadmill, was so tired of it that i went outside to finish the tempo run which was unsurprisingly slower. i think from now until A and i start fink's training plan, i'll do 1 tempo run on the treadmill to push myself and 1 outside to know how it feels to run faster on my own will. reading beth's blog about her run during the nyc tri was really inspiring.
then onto columbia swim. i think i'm growing up, i'm starting to embrace the challenge a bit more of swimming in an environment where it is not necessarily "fun" and just a lot of work to keep mentally cool. i'm pretty quiet during these swims which can be a little awkward in the communal shower and afterwards, and people aren't the friendliest to me..it must be my intimidating and aggressive demeanor.
the swim in general was fine, and i appreciated getting a little bit of one-on-one time with the wednesday coach, jim, whom i think is amused that i have started doing triathlons. my assignment for this weekend is to swim at least 1000m in a row staring at the line at the bottom of the pool and focus more on moving forward rather than fishtailing. sounds exciting, right, maija??
so tonight i'll work on trying to pedal faster and then run a bit afterwards. i'm most excited about trying out the china gel that i picked up from the yoga store that maggs recommended. really, putting on icy hot or something like it is the best part of the workout!
and it seems like the supposed hardcore hiking trip in england is going to be a few days of walking! 10 days w/o swimming/biking and i'm imagining my muscles atrophying. so i guess i'll pack a jump rope and sneak out for some runs or something while the others are sleeping and/or drinking. maybe pack a few bricks in my backpack..
----a few hours later---
all but the last 2 minutes of biking was fun today. i focused on going for at least 70 rpm's and found out a few things:
- i have a hard time counting up to 14-- i usually go "9, 10, 11, 14... crap!"
-my legs were confused b/c it felt like i was using different muscles but i'm sure i'll get used to it
-you switch gears a lot when you focus on higher rpm's (i'm sure the aquaholics are reading this and rolling their eyes.. "that's what i've been telling you!")
it felt a little reckless b/c i was focusing more on watching the cateye and counting than paying more attention to the road. hence, last two minutes, when i was turning left, i saw a groove in the road and thought, "hey i'm going to get stuck in it." then i remember flying sideways off my bike for a split second and landing on my left hip. ouch! a few people got out of their cars to ask if i was ok, and i didn't say anything but stared at the blood on my hands and on my shirt. (good thing it's A's shirt). i was bleeding from my right hand, left knee, left elbow and left hip. my first thought was, am i going to run after this? HECK YES! albeit slowly..b/c i didn't want to not run during a race if i fell off my bike. i must admit i was feeling quite foolish picking up my bike and going ever-so-gingerly back to my place. a few doormen at my building looked at me like i was an idiot when they helped me put my bike away and i put on my running shoes, but i was pleasantly surprised to find that my legs were pretty loose and relaxed. so long as i kept moving, i didn't quite feel the stinging. taking a shower and cleaning myself up later, however, was a different story.
i must have the most scarred legs out of everyone my age that i know. a few scars from falling off a mountain in tibet, one from the caribbean, one from when i was 10 and biked into a mailbox (such a promising future i had back then, huh?), a few bruises from last week's race and now these. good thing scars are hot!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The early bird gets the swimming lane...
I have decided to change my workout schedule, starting this week. I will no longer leave my swim workout floating, as in "whenever I can fit it". I'm a poor swimmer (actually, more like a homeless swimmer), and the only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice. So from now on, swimming will be my first workout of the day Monday to Friday; followed by weights. Biking and running workouts will now get done after work. Saturday is long-bike workout day, and Sunday is long-run workout day. Another objective of this change is to get my running done when I'm tired, just like it happens in triathlons.
So on Mondays, I will attend masters class at 6AM, and the rest of the workdays I will swim when the pool opens. This week, Tuesday and yesterday I got there at 5AM, which is the official opening time. But, today, I got there at 4:40; they opened the door at 4:45; and I was in the water at 4:50. I'm so excited by this development! (Geek alert, geek alert!) So after completing my swim workouts, I have more time to do weights, and perhaps even talk to an annoying gym acquaintance or two (I'm sure that they are complaining about the humorless idiot that does not talk to them!)
So this was my swim workout today: 300m wu; 400m fins; 100m drill; 200m pull; 3x200m in 5:00 intervals; 100m drill; 6x50m in 1:15 intervals; 200m cd. As I was leaving the parking lot at 6AM sharp, I noticed that some of the aquaholics were driving in. Sorry guys, 6AM is wayyyyy too late for me, hehehe. I got to the gym, did my biceps/back workout, and was out the door. Tonight, I am planning on biking 1.5 hrs, followed by a brick (5min wu, 20min @7:00 pace; 5min cd).
They posted the official photos for the NJ State yesterday. After seeing Matt and Genine's photos, I have to say that the "official" pics are quite disappointing! Again, thanks a lot guys!
So on Mondays, I will attend masters class at 6AM, and the rest of the workdays I will swim when the pool opens. This week, Tuesday and yesterday I got there at 5AM, which is the official opening time. But, today, I got there at 4:40; they opened the door at 4:45; and I was in the water at 4:50. I'm so excited by this development! (Geek alert, geek alert!) So after completing my swim workouts, I have more time to do weights, and perhaps even talk to an annoying gym acquaintance or two (I'm sure that they are complaining about the humorless idiot that does not talk to them!)
So this was my swim workout today: 300m wu; 400m fins; 100m drill; 200m pull; 3x200m in 5:00 intervals; 100m drill; 6x50m in 1:15 intervals; 200m cd. As I was leaving the parking lot at 6AM sharp, I noticed that some of the aquaholics were driving in. Sorry guys, 6AM is wayyyyy too late for me, hehehe. I got to the gym, did my biceps/back workout, and was out the door. Tonight, I am planning on biking 1.5 hrs, followed by a brick (5min wu, 20min @7:00 pace; 5min cd).
They posted the official photos for the NJ State yesterday. After seeing Matt and Genine's photos, I have to say that the "official" pics are quite disappointing! Again, thanks a lot guys!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
breathing is for whimps
after a couple weeks of going back and forth between my parents' place and my place, it feels good be finally getting back into the swing of things. since tuesdays and wednesdays are columbia days, i get up a little earlier to run before trekking across the bridge to the pool. i'm trying to extend my tempo run distances so did 4.5 miles instead of 4, starting w/ 8.2 mph and then moving it up every interval of 0.6 miles faster and 0.2 miles slow. i know this probably doesn't sound like very fast but i'll get there eventually! i got a free ride across the bridge b/c usually if you go to the bridge before 6 a.m., random cars will pick you up to save money on the carpool lane. i thought it was shady at first, but heck, you save a whole $1.25.
i actually missed the bus stop for columbia b/c i was so engrossed with Fink's ironman training book! i'm up to the part where he recommends drills for swim and how to turn on the bike.. w/o pictures, it takes quite a bit of concentration for me. there is a really funny swim drill where you swim w/ your fists clenched so you can practice the catch. that must look awesome.
masters was unusually quiet b/c i guess the columbia swim team is on break or off somewhere else. i got into a lane, one of the girls saw me and immediately went into a faster lane (she is probably blogging, "this slow girl got into my lane and forced me into a fast lane." sorry dude) i can't remember what we did- heck i can barely count to 6 lengths- but i do remember doing a lot of flys. fly is fun b/c it makes me feel powerful until i am at the other end of the pool gasping for air. so my lane ended up w/ no alpha males which made the swim more relaxing although i must admit i kind of missed the alpha male (actually a female) from last week who got mad at me for passing her during the warmup (which is apparently not allowed. all these rules!)
it was good to see people again. there is this one lady, dawn, who is a great swimming buddy and highly encouraging. her son was the team captain the US water polo team for 3 Olympics, and she will be going to the olympics to support him as he is the commentator and analyst for the men's and women's games next week. she's a pretty strong swimmer and placed 2nd in her age group for a 1-mile swim at the beach last week. this other lady who led our lane, jean-claudia (?) has a fantastic flip-turn where she ends up starting her swim once her feet have passed the flags. i think it is so adorable when people are super-fast on free are awkward on other strokes.. it is like when you do a bike ride, and everyone is going so quickly and smoothly, but once we are off the bikes, we start hobbling around in our bike shoes. i have this problem (well 1 of plenty) of my head waving around a bit when i swim so i asked one of the coaches for help. apparently the "old school" way was for the water to touch your forehead but the new way is for you to be looking down the whole time? i am confused but will give it a try tomorrow and hopefully i will fishtail a little less. any thoughts on this?
also, any recommendations on how to go from getting used to 60 rpms to 80-100 on the bike? e.g., do a few minutes of 60 and then more on 80-100, eventually phasing out the lower cadences? or should i just try to go all-out on 80-100, increasing the time gradually?
i actually missed the bus stop for columbia b/c i was so engrossed with Fink's ironman training book! i'm up to the part where he recommends drills for swim and how to turn on the bike.. w/o pictures, it takes quite a bit of concentration for me. there is a really funny swim drill where you swim w/ your fists clenched so you can practice the catch. that must look awesome.
masters was unusually quiet b/c i guess the columbia swim team is on break or off somewhere else. i got into a lane, one of the girls saw me and immediately went into a faster lane (she is probably blogging, "this slow girl got into my lane and forced me into a fast lane." sorry dude) i can't remember what we did- heck i can barely count to 6 lengths- but i do remember doing a lot of flys. fly is fun b/c it makes me feel powerful until i am at the other end of the pool gasping for air. so my lane ended up w/ no alpha males which made the swim more relaxing although i must admit i kind of missed the alpha male (actually a female) from last week who got mad at me for passing her during the warmup (which is apparently not allowed. all these rules!)
it was good to see people again. there is this one lady, dawn, who is a great swimming buddy and highly encouraging. her son was the team captain the US water polo team for 3 Olympics, and she will be going to the olympics to support him as he is the commentator and analyst for the men's and women's games next week. she's a pretty strong swimmer and placed 2nd in her age group for a 1-mile swim at the beach last week. this other lady who led our lane, jean-claudia (?) has a fantastic flip-turn where she ends up starting her swim once her feet have passed the flags. i think it is so adorable when people are super-fast on free are awkward on other strokes.. it is like when you do a bike ride, and everyone is going so quickly and smoothly, but once we are off the bikes, we start hobbling around in our bike shoes. i have this problem (well 1 of plenty) of my head waving around a bit when i swim so i asked one of the coaches for help. apparently the "old school" way was for the water to touch your forehead but the new way is for you to be looking down the whole time? i am confused but will give it a try tomorrow and hopefully i will fishtail a little less. any thoughts on this?
also, any recommendations on how to go from getting used to 60 rpms to 80-100 on the bike? e.g., do a few minutes of 60 and then more on 80-100, eventually phasing out the lower cadences? or should i just try to go all-out on 80-100, increasing the time gradually?
The history of thumbs
E is giving me grief because I'm showing my thumbs sideways in a few of the pics from the NJ State Tri. While everyone knows that the practice of giving thumbs started with the roman circus, most people dont know that there was no such thing as thumbs up or thumbs down to determine the fate of a defeated gladiator. A thumb pointed in any dire
ction meant death, and a closed fist meant life. She would know this had she payed more attention at roman gladiator school. So during the race, I was clearly begging for someone to put me out of my misery!
ction meant death, and a closed fist meant life. She would know this had she payed more attention at roman gladiator school. So during the race, I was clearly begging for someone to put me out of my misery! Speaking of defeated gladiators, this pic cracks me up. I look like I just staggered out of a bar, and I'm telling the bartender that the next guy gets to pay the tab.
So Monday morning I went to Masters class, and after warming up, did the following:
50m Fast, 100m Race, 200m Drill (x4)
4 x 25m Crazy Fast, 200m Drill (x2)
And after work, I went on a 1hr bike ride, easy pace, to loosen the legs. This was followed by a 30-min run, at 8:00 pace. I plan to practice my bricks as if I was racing, and leave my running drills to those days when I'm only practicing for the run. Thanks to all for your advice!
I tried to sign up for Ironman last night, but Active.com freaked out on me when I was paying, and got a message to contact costumer service. I sent them an email, and they replied that I should call them. So I'll do that today at some point.
This morning, I went to the pool at 5AM. The place was empty. I did the following workout:
300m wu; 200m fins; 200m pull; 3 x 100m in 2:30 intervals; 200m drill; 4 x 50m in 1:15 intervals; 200m drill; 200m fast (4:05); 200m cd. After that, I went to the gym to lift my chest/triceps routine. Tonight, I am planning on a 2hr bike ride. Lets see if I'm up to it.
Monday, July 28, 2008
the old lady lifestyle
it's the late hour of 8:57 and i'm 27 minutes late for my 'getting ready for bed' time. what an old lady! well, this old lady needs her sleep or else she's a crankster.
i'm officially signed and paid for ironman 2009. whew! my credit card has gotten quite a workout this season.
today i did a very relaxed slow run for 1:54 (i was aiming for 2:00 but my legs involuntarily speed up a bit on the 2nd half) and made it a point to zone out and chill out, kind of like hitting a "reset" button in my head. my stomach still feels like it's been stapled--i have more details to share but i'll refrain-- since i think i swallowed quite a bit of water yesterday during the race. i had a great idea of jogging along riverside park only to find that it is like strolling in a garbage dump, so it wasn't so bad so long as i looked at the trees and breathed through my mouth. tomorrow morning i believe i'll work more on running intervals before bracing myself for swimming at columbia (where the competition isn't the friendliest but at least it makes me more stubborn to stick with it!) i'm always worried that my stroke is slipping b/c the coaches give workouts but don't coach much b/c they train mostly the columbia swim team and then the rest of the class does a lighter version of the columbia team's workouts. but i find that it's pretty much non-stop swim for me since i've put myself in a faster lane and am determined to stay there.
a few more thoughts on yesterday's race-- i think it was a bit of a stretch for me to say 2:34 is "almost" a 2:30 b/c i realize that a lot has to change in the bike to make it easier for me to do the run. i'm not complaining about the training and am excited about at least knowing how to train to get better. i really appreciate the encouragement and advice from the veterans.. thanks! and thanks to matt and G for the great race pictures. thanks even more for your graciousness in discerning which pictures not to post! i must say, my looks of desperation and confusion during the bike and run are rather amusing, which is why they are not posted here =o)
i'm officially signed and paid for ironman 2009. whew! my credit card has gotten quite a workout this season.
today i did a very relaxed slow run for 1:54 (i was aiming for 2:00 but my legs involuntarily speed up a bit on the 2nd half) and made it a point to zone out and chill out, kind of like hitting a "reset" button in my head. my stomach still feels like it's been stapled--i have more details to share but i'll refrain-- since i think i swallowed quite a bit of water yesterday during the race. i had a great idea of jogging along riverside park only to find that it is like strolling in a garbage dump, so it wasn't so bad so long as i looked at the trees and breathed through my mouth. tomorrow morning i believe i'll work more on running intervals before bracing myself for swimming at columbia (where the competition isn't the friendliest but at least it makes me more stubborn to stick with it!) i'm always worried that my stroke is slipping b/c the coaches give workouts but don't coach much b/c they train mostly the columbia swim team and then the rest of the class does a lighter version of the columbia team's workouts. but i find that it's pretty much non-stop swim for me since i've put myself in a faster lane and am determined to stay there.
a few more thoughts on yesterday's race-- i think it was a bit of a stretch for me to say 2:34 is "almost" a 2:30 b/c i realize that a lot has to change in the bike to make it easier for me to do the run. i'm not complaining about the training and am excited about at least knowing how to train to get better. i really appreciate the encouragement and advice from the veterans.. thanks! and thanks to matt and G for the great race pictures. thanks even more for your graciousness in discerning which pictures not to post! i must say, my looks of desperation and confusion during the bike and run are rather amusing, which is why they are not posted here =o)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
another tri, another tan line..
NJ state tri- my first olympic and fourth 1/3 tri ever, and i now have a swim bikini tan line to add to my collection. the day before the race, A, maija, matt and i did coach maija's pre-race workout and i decided to wear running shorts to see how it would feel swimming in tri shorts. i was so pissed off at the drag that i decided to give up all hopes of vanity and do the whole tri in my super-cool camouflage speedo endurance bikini (the camo was the only endurance style available when i needed a new swim suit!) despite my self-consciousness of my legs and my rainbow-coloured tan-lines from running outside. pasta dinner at an excellent italian restaurant in manville w/ A, maija, matt and genine, talking about getting stung by jellyfish and getting knocked out during the swim.. nothing like getting excited 12 hours before a race! i had dreams last night about swimming with my bike helmet. the next morning, i was the most calm i had ever been before a race, i guess i had gotten my jitters out the whole week before (was it worth it??) and only about 30 seconds before getting into the water did i start to get nervous. oh! funny story: i was sitting on the bench waiting for the pink caps to be called when this lady said, "aren't you a pink cap?" i'm like, "duh, yeah." she goes, "your wave is starting next." oops! i swear, if asians could be bl
onde...
here are five of us (former and current aquaholics) pre-race: jen, me, amy, grace and maija.
so onto the swim: not bad at all! i was nervous the day before so maija had given me a mantra to repeat over and over. "just keep swimming.. (breathe) just keep swimming.." and it worked out fantastically. i felt great. these trumpeters were hilarious and made me laugh:
typical stories of my grabbing some pink cap's leg by accident and thinking, "someone forgot to shave her legs!".. avoiding being slammed by the slower ones in the waves ahead of me as i caught up but in all, a good swim. it felt long but i was enjoying it as much as possible b/c i know my enjoyment pretty much goes downhill from here. goal time was under 30 mins and i finished under that. i was so excited!
at t1 not much exciting, other than that it was quite exciting to not have to rip off a wet suit. i was shooting for an under 2:00 transition and i think i made it by 1 second.
during the bike my cateye freaked me out b/c i think it posted my mileage as slower than it was for real (b/c my bike showed 22.something miles at the very end of the race). i just got more and more discouraged b/c i kept thinking i was going 17 or 18 mph, and that i wouldn't make my goal of 70 mins on the bike. chaz glided past me on the bike on mile 10, saying "you must have had a great swim!" b/c he was a wave or two ahead of me. i got more and more discouraged as the old dudes kept passing me and then one or two in my age group. when an age group girl passed me, it gave me the motivation to kick it in a little bit more. the bike was kind of boring and frustrating, b/c i thought i was going slower than i was, my legs were already getting tired, and i kept counting to 100 to pass the miles. i switched b/n harder gears and easier, b/c when i went harder my legs would feel tired and i'd hear maija saying "that's b/c you're not supposed to be going 60 rpm's!" i was quite irritated by the bikers who would slow down during the turns in the freaking middle of the road and during the small loop in the college. at mile 19 i dropped my water bottle... i was feeling thirsty and a little bloated and nauseous; i think it was from swallowing the lake water and from the electrolyte pills that i had bought the day before to avoid feeling nauseous. before the race, i had met frank and jen who were previously from swim before A and i joined. jen kept cheering me on whenever she saw me, and frank and his collapseable trumpet were hilarious so it kept my spirits up. i was hoping to see maija on the bike and yell "maija rocks!" b/c of her swimsuit (which you'll probably see on her blog) but no such opportunity. made it to the end of the bike completely confused as to whether or not i should have been pushing hard w/ low cadences like i usually do, or whether i should be trying the new and smarter thing of keeping it going w/ high cadences.
t2: forgot my race belt! but i didn't realize that until 5 minutes into the..
run: this was gross. i had made my bike goal time (i think i was slower by 55 seconds) and my t2 goal time so had, in my mind, plenty of time for the run. i think i was going to cry by mile 2.5 b/c i was just not feeling good. on one hand, i was pissed at myself, saying, "come on. this is terrible. if you can't do an olympic how are you going to do a half, not to mention full ironman!" and then on the other hand, saying, "dude (yes, i call myself 'dude'). calm down, it's your first olympic. of course it's going to feel long." i was groaning a bit and someone on a bike offered to give me a ride and i was like, "yeah i wish."
here is my handsome bf giving a thumbs-sideways on the run. he was great, we passed each other once or twice and he was so encouraging. you go, A!
i kept waiting for my legs to pick up speed or for my desperation to meet my goal of 2:30 to motivate me to pick up speed..but honestly i think that was the best i could do. maybe next time i won't take the electrolytes so i won't feel like i need water at every stop (but what does that save? a few seconds?) by the last 200 yards or so, i finally heard maija yelling at me something like "go go go" which was what i needed. and then matt yelled at me a few steps down, "turn it on esther!!" i was deliriously annoyed, thinking "wtf man, you think it's not turned on?! ok FINE" so it did help a bit. and then the last 20 steps or so i saw A cheering me on and i just about whimpered and dashed to the finish. not a very graceful or photogenic finish, i can imagine. i was delirious at the end!
my total race time, 2:34:01. i was quite disappointed about not meeting my goal time, and then mad at myself for thinking that i could have run faster although i had done my best, and then annoyed that i hadn't actually practiced running race pace after a bike. maggs was right when she mentioned that how you practice is how you're going to go on race day (another profound yet obvious thought). then i got mad at myself for being mad b/c if i had set my goal for 2:35 i would have been happy so it was my fault for having these expectations. but thinking all of this through after a quick nap, i realized that there's nothing wrong w/ not meeting your goal time, it's better than not setting a goal at all..and if you can't meet the goal but can almost meet it then it's a good goal. i think if i had had a less ambitious goal i would have gone slower, anyway. also kind of saves you the trouble for the next race. i guess i was annoyed b/c i had thought this would be my first and last olympic before lake placid b/c i had planned on doing all halves afterwards..but now i'll just have to do another one! and now i know what i want to work on.
huge congrats to maija (maija rocks!!) who placed 2nd overall!
also big props to photo team matt and G who are the best cheerleaders and photographers any tri team could ask for. you got that right, we need to make ourselves official! any ideas for team names? and then we can set up a tent and grill hot dogs like the others. maybe we can bring a masseuse and chiropractors and make the other teams jealous.
the volunteers were fantastic- helpful and encouraging and i was so grateful for the fresh cold water (w/ ice!) and wet towels. the little kids were so cute, too, even though you had to stoop a little to get water from them. i tried to make it a point to thank the volunteers and cops during the race but was way too cranky on the run. thanks, volunteers!
onde...here are five of us (former and current aquaholics) pre-race: jen, me, amy, grace and maija.
so onto the swim: not bad at all! i was nervous the day before so maija had given me a mantra to repeat over and over. "just keep swimming.. (breathe) just keep swimming.." and it worked out fantastically. i felt great. these trumpeters were hilarious and made me laugh:
typical stories of my grabbing some pink cap's leg by accident and thinking, "someone forgot to shave her legs!".. avoiding being slammed by the slower ones in the waves ahead of me as i caught up but in all, a good swim. it felt long but i was enjoying it as much as possible b/c i know my enjoyment pretty much goes downhill from here. goal time was under 30 mins and i finished under that. i was so excited!
at t1 not much exciting, other than that it was quite exciting to not have to rip off a wet suit. i was shooting for an under 2:00 transition and i think i made it by 1 second.
during the bike my cateye freaked me out b/c i think it posted my mileage as slower than it was for real (b/c my bike showed 22.something miles at the very end of the race). i just got more and more discouraged b/c i kept thinking i was going 17 or 18 mph, and that i wouldn't make my goal of 70 mins on the bike. chaz glided past me on the bike on mile 10, saying "you must have had a great swim!" b/c he was a wave or two ahead of me. i got more and more discouraged as the old dudes kept passing me and then one or two in my age group. when an age group girl passed me, it gave me the motivation to kick it in a little bit more. the bike was kind of boring and frustrating, b/c i thought i was going slower than i was, my legs were already getting tired, and i kept counting to 100 to pass the miles. i switched b/n harder gears and easier, b/c when i went harder my legs would feel tired and i'd hear maija saying "that's b/c you're not supposed to be going 60 rpm's!" i was quite irritated by the bikers who would slow down during the turns in the freaking middle of the road and during the small loop in the college. at mile 19 i dropped my water bottle... i was feeling thirsty and a little bloated and nauseous; i think it was from swallowing the lake water and from the electrolyte pills that i had bought the day before to avoid feeling nauseous. before the race, i had met frank and jen who were previously from swim before A and i joined. jen kept cheering me on whenever she saw me, and frank and his collapseable trumpet were hilarious so it kept my spirits up. i was hoping to see maija on the bike and yell "maija rocks!" b/c of her swimsuit (which you'll probably see on her blog) but no such opportunity. made it to the end of the bike completely confused as to whether or not i should have been pushing hard w/ low cadences like i usually do, or whether i should be trying the new and smarter thing of keeping it going w/ high cadences.
t2: forgot my race belt! but i didn't realize that until 5 minutes into the..
run: this was gross. i had made my bike goal time (i think i was slower by 55 seconds) and my t2 goal time so had, in my mind, plenty of time for the run. i think i was going to cry by mile 2.5 b/c i was just not feeling good. on one hand, i was pissed at myself, saying, "come on. this is terrible. if you can't do an olympic how are you going to do a half, not to mention full ironman!" and then on the other hand, saying, "dude (yes, i call myself 'dude'). calm down, it's your first olympic. of course it's going to feel long." i was groaning a bit and someone on a bike offered to give me a ride and i was like, "yeah i wish."
here is my handsome bf giving a thumbs-sideways on the run. he was great, we passed each other once or twice and he was so encouraging. you go, A!i kept waiting for my legs to pick up speed or for my desperation to meet my goal of 2:30 to motivate me to pick up speed..but honestly i think that was the best i could do. maybe next time i won't take the electrolytes so i won't feel like i need water at every stop (but what does that save? a few seconds?) by the last 200 yards or so, i finally heard maija yelling at me something like "go go go" which was what i needed. and then matt yelled at me a few steps down, "turn it on esther!!" i was deliriously annoyed, thinking "wtf man, you think it's not turned on?! ok FINE" so it did help a bit. and then the last 20 steps or so i saw A cheering me on and i just about whimpered and dashed to the finish. not a very graceful or photogenic finish, i can imagine. i was delirious at the end!
my total race time, 2:34:01. i was quite disappointed about not meeting my goal time, and then mad at myself for thinking that i could have run faster although i had done my best, and then annoyed that i hadn't actually practiced running race pace after a bike. maggs was right when she mentioned that how you practice is how you're going to go on race day (another profound yet obvious thought). then i got mad at myself for being mad b/c if i had set my goal for 2:35 i would have been happy so it was my fault for having these expectations. but thinking all of this through after a quick nap, i realized that there's nothing wrong w/ not meeting your goal time, it's better than not setting a goal at all..and if you can't meet the goal but can almost meet it then it's a good goal. i think if i had had a less ambitious goal i would have gone slower, anyway. also kind of saves you the trouble for the next race. i guess i was annoyed b/c i had thought this would be my first and last olympic before lake placid b/c i had planned on doing all halves afterwards..but now i'll just have to do another one! and now i know what i want to work on.
huge congrats to maija (maija rocks!!) who placed 2nd overall!also big props to photo team matt and G who are the best cheerleaders and photographers any tri team could ask for. you got that right, we need to make ourselves official! any ideas for team names? and then we can set up a tent and grill hot dogs like the others. maybe we can bring a masseuse and chiropractors and make the other teams jealous.
the volunteers were fantastic- helpful and encouraging and i was so grateful for the fresh cold water (w/ ice!) and wet towels. the little kids were so cute, too, even though you had to stoop a little to get water from them. i tried to make it a point to thank the volunteers and cops during the race but was way too cranky on the run. thanks, volunteers!
Of buoys and ants
We participated in the NJ State Tri today. It was really fun altogether. E kicked my ass by 12 minutes. Way to go hon! I'm sure she will post her thoughts on the matter, but here is my race report.
Swim: The water temperature was really nice, my strokes were long and steady, and my body position was OK. Now, if I could only find the third triangular buoy! For the life of me, I could not see it. And I had to wait for somebody from the other wave to pass me, so I could follow him. Going into the race, I was expecting to swim in 35 minutes (yeah, even my goal was lame). Actual time: 38:06.
T1: So I make it to my station, where I had set up my shoes on top of my white towel. What do I see all over the towel and shoes? Fire ants. Now this was getting interesting... Should I look at my shoes closely to see if there are ants inside, losing more time than necessary? Or just go for it, and hope not to be bitten? Oh well, I went for it. I just shook the towel in the air, and left. 2:39 minutes
Bike: After clipping in, I kept looking down at my legs and feet, half expecting an ant attack. Nothing. This kept me distracted for the first 2 miles, when I realized that I was just doing 18MPH. That wont do. Got serious, and picked up the pace. I had biked the course 3 times before, so I was very familiar with it. Even with some headwind in the last few miles, I did a respectable 20.7 MPH. 1:07:09.
T2: I saw less ants, but I did not care. Did change my socks, as they were really wet, and I don't need blisters. 2:14
Run: OK, this was really bad. I did not stop, but I felt like I was going to have a terrible cramp whenever I tried to pick it up. So I was going slow. Really slow. I need to go back to the drawing board with my brick training. Any suggestions? 56:48 minutes, 9:10 pace. #$%$!@!
Total Time: 2:46:54
Overall, it was really fun. Congrats to Maija on 2nd place overall. The whole event was really well run. Thanks to the folks at CGI Racing for their efforts, and to all the volunteers that helped. I would also like to thank Matt and Genine, who spent their Sunday morning taking pictures of all of the Aquaholics competing in the race. Thanks a lot guys!
Swim: The water temperature was really nice, my strokes were long and steady, and my body position was OK. Now, if I could only find the third triangular buoy! For the life of me, I could not see it. And I had to wait for somebody from the other wave to pass me, so I could follow him. Going into the race, I was expecting to swim in 35 minutes (yeah, even my goal was lame). Actual time: 38:06.
T1: So I make it to my station, where I had set up my shoes on top of my white towel. What do I see all over the towel and shoes? Fire ants. Now this was getting interesting... Should I look at my shoes closely to see if there are ants inside, losing more time than necessary? Or just go for it, and hope not to be bitten? Oh well, I went for it. I just shook the towel in the air, and left. 2:39 minutes
Bike: After clipping in, I kept looking down at my legs and feet, half expecting an ant attack. Nothing. This kept me distracted for the first 2 miles, when I realized that I was just doing 18MPH. That wont do. Got serious, and picked up the pace. I had biked the course 3 times before, so I was very familiar with it. Even with some headwind in the last few miles, I did a respectable 20.7 MPH. 1:07:09.
T2: I saw less ants, but I did not care. Did change my socks, as they were really wet, and I don't need blisters. 2:14
Run: OK, this was really bad. I did not stop, but I felt like I was going to have a terrible cramp whenever I tried to pick it up. So I was going slow. Really slow. I need to go back to the drawing board with my brick training. Any suggestions? 56:48 minutes, 9:10 pace. #$%$!@!
Total Time: 2:46:54
Overall, it was really fun. Congrats to Maija on 2nd place overall. The whole event was really well run. Thanks to the folks at CGI Racing for their efforts, and to all the volunteers that helped. I would also like to thank Matt and Genine, who spent their Sunday morning taking pictures of all of the Aquaholics competing in the race. Thanks a lot guys!
Friday, July 25, 2008
zen
my quads have been kind of tired lately, since my bike ride with the slow doorman last week (long story) during which i decided to push it up a tough hill twice b/c he was taking so long. matt successfully convinced me to take it easy today, saying that my race day legs will thank me if i do! thanks man! so i decided to be a bit adventurous and bike across the george washington bridge, around riverside park and then decided to try to find central park. key word is "try" b/c my sense of direction is uncannily inaccurate, as in.. if i have a "gut feeling" to go left, the answer is 99% of the time to go right. i ended up finding the park and joining the silent cyclists in their hideously loud and matching biking outfits, making sure that my legs wouldn't feel sore at all and swallowing the ego when people were faster than me. the city is so peaceful when it is still sleeping (lazy city! sleeping at 6:30 a.m.?!) and i'm really glad i took this trip. then i went on a super-slow jog for 30 mins ..no excuses, it was such a gorgeous day! i was thinking of how nice it must be for maggs to live in hawaii and have a beautiful view and gorgeous weather most of the time. what do you think, guys..training camp in hawaii?
random notes about sunday.. nail polish is off b/c i realized that i checked my fingernails during swim practices and fretted about the chipping. a silly distraction. i timed how long it would take for me to move my hair from a low ponytail to a higher for the run and am debating whether it is worth 12-15 seconds. is this ever an issue for you ladies? or maybe i could do it while running. or maybe i should just shave my head.
random notes about sunday.. nail polish is off b/c i realized that i checked my fingernails during swim practices and fretted about the chipping. a silly distraction. i timed how long it would take for me to move my hair from a low ponytail to a higher for the run and am debating whether it is worth 12-15 seconds. is this ever an issue for you ladies? or maybe i could do it while running. or maybe i should just shave my head.
My pace problem
I was thinking about the upcoming NJ State Tri, and what finish time would I get. This will be my first Olympic distance, but the distance does not worry me, because I already jumped the gun and did a Half-Iron back in June. Call me crazy, but I prefer longer-distance races to the shorter ones. And it all comes down to my pacing, which in short, stinks!
In shorter races, I burn myself way too quickly, which then becomes a problem at the end of the competitions. This summer, my times for NYRR races have been slower than last year, and it probably has to do with me being placed on the same corral with the really good runners; in years past, NYRR did not have corrals, which allowed me to start a little behind the front, and pass the slower runners at my pace. This year, once the race starts I have found to my horror that I reach the mile-1 marker in 6:00ish; that is about 40 seconds faster than what I want it to be. This wrecks havoc for me in the middle miles, where I have been really struggling.
So I will attempt not to burn myself too quickly this time. Easier said than done! I will try to keep a strong but steady pace throughout, while concentrating on not wasting time in the transitions. I also need to remember to hydrate properly: it is going to be hot and humid.
I went swimming Thursday morning, and worked on sighting. I also concentrated on keeping my chin tucked in my chest, to bring my legs up, because there will be no wetsuit to help me with body position. My legs must not sink (Come to think of it, as a whole, I shall not sink. But I digress...)
After work, I went biking for an hour. After warming up, I picked up speed on a rolling hills course, for a little bit, but then just shifted to a high cadence workout. My legs feel loose and strong. Hopefully, this will remain the case at the tri.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
icy hot = my best friend
the pool was closed yesterday b/c of the rain, thankfully b/c i am not the best driver even in nice weather. my old lady hips were aching from the treadmill and i found these fantastic patches made by icy hot, stuck them on my bottom and had a nice sleep.
this morning had a relatively long swim with maija, matt and claudia. i love maija's workouts probably b/c she does them too and makes them sound fun. swimming bear matt beat me significantly during the bull buoy 25's (but not for long, buddy!! just kidding, i am horrible at trash talking). i noticed that i save a lot of time on my 200 im's w/ my personal style of backstroke in which i keep my head raised a bit, like an otter. i had done this in columbia to make sure i was going more or less straight, and that people weren't going to bump into me b/c i am so freaking slow on the back. the frustrating thing was that i am beginning to feel the stress of sunday's race and i feel silly for feeling stressed about it, and then kind of
stressing out about trying to not stress out. i noticed b/c i was having trouble breathing and then feeling really hot and not rotating much and it felt like there was this cloud in my head. i am the master of psyching myself out- i remember playing piano for a competition a while ago, and my hands and legs were shaking so hard and my nose was running..not a pretty picture. lesson learned from today: DO NOT look at or think about how other people are doing. it's not good for psyching yourself out and not good for your positioning anyway. i talked to maija a bit twds the end and she said "relax" which is pretty obvious..but i felt better after that. i would really like to have confidence in myself more of the time rather than less b/c it makes things more fun. i think my favourite race was the NY marathon in 2006 (?) b/c i had no expectations other than an idea of "it would be nice to finish under this time." i had fun running, and had written my name on my stomach and back so that when i got tired, i'd veer to the side a bit and people would cheer. even ended up beating my original expectations by 8 minutes and my first marathon time a few months ago by 51 minutes. it would be nice to have that freedom most of the time.
towards the end of the swim, todd joined us and maija suggested that we do most of the workout over again. i was so relieved when todd had to go after our first 500. then went for a quick bike and finished before the rain.
ok questions on the bike:
- is it ok to bike in the rain?
- if you are aiming for 90-100 rpm, is that for uphill, downhill, straight? and the only thing that changes is your resistance? (sorry i don't know the technical jargon)
anyway i hope to get all the pre-race jitters out of my system so that by race day i'll be like, "oh man, this is fun!"
this morning had a relatively long swim with maija, matt and claudia. i love maija's workouts probably b/c she does them too and makes them sound fun. swimming bear matt beat me significantly during the bull buoy 25's (but not for long, buddy!! just kidding, i am horrible at trash talking). i noticed that i save a lot of time on my 200 im's w/ my personal style of backstroke in which i keep my head raised a bit, like an otter. i had done this in columbia to make sure i was going more or less straight, and that people weren't going to bump into me b/c i am so freaking slow on the back. the frustrating thing was that i am beginning to feel the stress of sunday's race and i feel silly for feeling stressed about it, and then kind of
stressing out about trying to not stress out. i noticed b/c i was having trouble breathing and then feeling really hot and not rotating much and it felt like there was this cloud in my head. i am the master of psyching myself out- i remember playing piano for a competition a while ago, and my hands and legs were shaking so hard and my nose was running..not a pretty picture. lesson learned from today: DO NOT look at or think about how other people are doing. it's not good for psyching yourself out and not good for your positioning anyway. i talked to maija a bit twds the end and she said "relax" which is pretty obvious..but i felt better after that. i would really like to have confidence in myself more of the time rather than less b/c it makes things more fun. i think my favourite race was the NY marathon in 2006 (?) b/c i had no expectations other than an idea of "it would be nice to finish under this time." i had fun running, and had written my name on my stomach and back so that when i got tired, i'd veer to the side a bit and people would cheer. even ended up beating my original expectations by 8 minutes and my first marathon time a few months ago by 51 minutes. it would be nice to have that freedom most of the time.towards the end of the swim, todd joined us and maija suggested that we do most of the workout over again. i was so relieved when todd had to go after our first 500. then went for a quick bike and finished before the rain.
ok questions on the bike:
- is it ok to bike in the rain?
- if you are aiming for 90-100 rpm, is that for uphill, downhill, straight? and the only thing that changes is your resistance? (sorry i don't know the technical jargon)
anyway i hope to get all the pre-race jitters out of my system so that by race day i'll be like, "oh man, this is fun!"
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Singing in the Rain
I went running at 4AM today, while it was pouring. I had not done that in about two years, and I had forgotten how enjoyable it is. And it brought to my mind the song Singing in the Rain. Now, I have never seen the 1952 film starring Gene Kelly. The image that always comes to my mind is the scene from A Clockwork Orange, when the protagonist Alex sings the song while "doing some of the old ultra-violence."
The run itself was uneventful, 1.5 hrs of steady pace run, at an easy 8:15 pace. I was thinking of doing a tempo run, but decided against it because of the upcoming NJ tri on Sunday. I need to buy a brighter rain gear set, because I usually run in the dark and my rain gear is dark green. I'm all for being inconspicuous, but it may get me run over by a car or something.
After the run, I went and lifted weights. I did my shoulders routine. The usual suspects were there, and as usual, I spend a lot of time talking to ppl that go to the gym to talk rather than to work out. Listen ppl, I don't get out of bed so early to see anybody, nor talk to anybody!
I was planning on swimming at night, but I had a headache after work, and E told me that the pool was closed until 8. I decided not to go to the pool. I'll go swimming tomorrow morning. I'm currently watching the coverage for Stage 17 of the Tour de France, which ends at L'Alpe-d'Huez. This stage and Stage 15 on Sunday have been awesome! Which is easy to say while I'm laying in bed, an ocean away from those guys killing themselves.
The run itself was uneventful, 1.5 hrs of steady pace run, at an easy 8:15 pace. I was thinking of doing a tempo run, but decided against it because of the upcoming NJ tri on Sunday. I need to buy a brighter rain gear set, because I usually run in the dark and my rain gear is dark green. I'm all for being inconspicuous, but it may get me run over by a car or something.
After the run, I went and lifted weights. I did my shoulders routine. The usual suspects were there, and as usual, I spend a lot of time talking to ppl that go to the gym to talk rather than to work out. Listen ppl, I don't get out of bed so early to see anybody, nor talk to anybody!
I was planning on swimming at night, but I had a headache after work, and E told me that the pool was closed until 8. I decided not to go to the pool. I'll go swimming tomorrow morning. I'm currently watching the coverage for Stage 17 of the Tour de France, which ends at L'Alpe-d'Huez. This stage and Stage 15 on Sunday have been awesome! Which is easy to say while I'm laying in bed, an ocean away from those guys killing themselves.
a cranky workout
this morning i biked a whopping 0.91 miles b/c it started raining, and got quite a few "what an idiot" looks. can you bike in the rain? i would have gone on but i hear it's bad for your bike. so i packed it up and drove to the elegant somerville Y where i got incredibly cranky trying to do intervals and only lasted 45 minutes as it's hard to run without ventilation. i gave that up and went home to work for about 20 minutes (so it would look like i started working at 9), and decided i'd try to lumber around the hills in my soon-to-be former development. i get so cranky wasting time in the morning, and being hot.
yesterday, matt and i did 2x64 lengths to get used to swimming more than a few 100's at a time. it is honestly really nice to be at the bridgewater pool, hairball and all. i had suggested we do 1x128 but matt said maija would not like that b/c we wouldn't improve by continuously swimming. so maija won that debate w/o even being there! my first 64 or 66 (lost count), i focused on technique and felt like a robot, and time was 30:19. my second 64 or 66, i focused on relaxing and i felt faster and smoother but was quite surprised that my time was 30:49.. maybe i miscounted or maybe i just need to learn how to relax and keep my head still. all good stuff to practice before nj state. i think maija's goal for me of 2:30 is not impossible so long as i stay focused.. i think. well it's always good to have a goal but i don't want to beat myself up if i don't make it.
and to add to my already growing credit card bill, i've signed up for the pumpkin patch ride, bassman half and quakerman half to conclude the rest of this season. philly marathon perhaps?
yesterday, matt and i did 2x64 lengths to get used to swimming more than a few 100's at a time. it is honestly really nice to be at the bridgewater pool, hairball and all. i had suggested we do 1x128 but matt said maija would not like that b/c we wouldn't improve by continuously swimming. so maija won that debate w/o even being there! my first 64 or 66 (lost count), i focused on technique and felt like a robot, and time was 30:19. my second 64 or 66, i focused on relaxing and i felt faster and smoother but was quite surprised that my time was 30:49.. maybe i miscounted or maybe i just need to learn how to relax and keep my head still. all good stuff to practice before nj state. i think maija's goal for me of 2:30 is not impossible so long as i stay focused.. i think. well it's always good to have a goal but i don't want to beat myself up if i don't make it.
and to add to my already growing credit card bill, i've signed up for the pumpkin patch ride, bassman half and quakerman half to conclude the rest of this season. philly marathon perhaps?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
joining the tri addicts
lake placid ironman 2009, baby!! my moron bf made us leave at 11:45 p.m. on sunday so that we could get there by 4:45 a.m. monday and then wait in line until registration opened at 9 a.m. props to armando who drove the whole way there and back! (of course, my poor driving track record must have inspired him to give me permission to rest.) we picked up maggs morris on our way, a reportedly amazing athlete who is also fun to hang out with during the car ride and 
the wait. when we got to lake placid, people at the front of the line were sleeping in air mattresses, and everyone looked rather gloomy and cold. the geniuses that we were had not thought to bring chairs or blankets or jackets so we stood around until one of us in the group (no names, in case we get caught!) had the brilliant idea of "borrowing" a few chairs that we had seen lying around. it ended up being a relatively fun time, as we chatted w/ other athletes and shared war stories. i'm glad we got there early and didn't stress much about whether or not we would end up being able to register.
so here goes ironman lake placid 2009.. since the event is 1 week later than it was this year we have an extra week to train! i'm glad i'm going to go on a training break and hike in england for a few days.
next event: nj state olympic. this will actually be my longest race (out of the mere 3 1/3 that i've done ever). so the goal is to relax and have fun, and at the same time do my best. i think i'd like to try something between black bear (during which i was too relaxed b/c i was afraid of not having enough energy and ended up doing 'just ok') and pancake (during which i was so stressed that i fell off my bike during the mount, biked into some cones and cursed at 2 water boys during the run but ended up having better results than expected). racing w/ maija is fun b/c she makes it enjoyable and i love/hate when she yells at me at the end. i'm actually looking forward to seeing her the last quarter mile or so of this race.
and here goes joining the tri blogging world where i can whine about injuries, ask 100 seemingly irrelevant questions, tease the boyfriend and share funny race stories.
the wait. when we got to lake placid, people at the front of the line were sleeping in air mattresses, and everyone looked rather gloomy and cold. the geniuses that we were had not thought to bring chairs or blankets or jackets so we stood around until one of us in the group (no names, in case we get caught!) had the brilliant idea of "borrowing" a few chairs that we had seen lying around. it ended up being a relatively fun time, as we chatted w/ other athletes and shared war stories. i'm glad we got there early and didn't stress much about whether or not we would end up being able to register.so here goes ironman lake placid 2009.. since the event is 1 week later than it was this year we have an extra week to train! i'm glad i'm going to go on a training break and hike in england for a few days.
next event: nj state olympic. this will actually be my longest race (out of the mere 3 1/3 that i've done ever). so the goal is to relax and have fun, and at the same time do my best. i think i'd like to try something between black bear (during which i was too relaxed b/c i was afraid of not having enough energy and ended up doing 'just ok') and pancake (during which i was so stressed that i fell off my bike during the mount, biked into some cones and cursed at 2 water boys during the run but ended up having better results than expected). racing w/ maija is fun b/c she makes it enjoyable and i love/hate when she yells at me at the end. i'm actually looking forward to seeing her the last quarter mile or so of this race.
and here goes joining the tri blogging world where i can whine about injuries, ask 100 seemingly irrelevant questions, tease the boyfriend and share funny race stories.
You have to start somewhere...
So I finally sucumbed and decided to do a Blog.
After going over it with Esther, and thanks to the encouragement of Maggs,Esther and I have decided to write about our travails as we attempt to complete the 2009 Iroman Race at Lake Placid, NY. We don't know who will be interested on reading it, but we think that it will be a useful tool to track our workouts, as well as getting pointers and advice from other people.
After going over it with Esther, and thanks to the encouragement of Maggs,Esther and I have decided to write about our travails as we attempt to complete the 2009 Iroman Race at Lake Placid, NY. We don't know who will be interested on reading it, but we think that it will be a useful tool to track our workouts, as well as getting pointers and advice from other people.
So our Ironman experience started by a long car ride from NYC to Lake Placid. We picked up Maggs Sunday night around midnight, who was in town to compete in the NYC Triathlon on Sunday and to sign up for Ironman. She will be competing later this year in Kona, where we are sure she will kick ass!
A few observations and musings:
- Driving was as exciting as watching paint dry, especially since I was the only one awake.
- It sure was cold up there at Lake Placid. My summer flip flops were not doing much for me.
- Leave it to me to get in trouble with the cops in about 5 minutes. I was about to get a ticket for parking in front of the registration tent. As soon as I moved the car, the spot was taken by other car, and they had no problems. Go figure.
- If a few years ago I was told that I would wait in line 4 hrs to pay $525, to sign up for an Ironman race, I would have laughed. Now...
So on to July 26, 2009.
Next races:
- NJ State Tri (Olympic) 07/27
- Quakerman Tri (Half-Iron) 09/06
- Fall Bassman (Half-Iron) 10/05
- Philly Marathon 11/23
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