15 miles!

I ran the furthest I've ever run in my life...15 miles! And I was sick doing it. Unfortunately, that showed in my time (9:19 mile average). Carrie and I are putting on the miles for training. This Sunday we will run the same distance, but run faster. Hopefully I will not be sick then.

sick

Well, I'm not sick, but Skyler has been. This has hampered my workout schedule since I would rather be at home with him than working out. Anyways, Sunday I ran 13.1 with Carrie and Kelly. We ran at a 9:00 mile pace (116 minutes). Not the greatest, but not bad for a 1/2 marathon. A 8:30 mile pace would be 1:51:20. That's what I ran the Disney 1/2 in. We are going to try to run every weekend, increasing the distance each week. Next week will be 15 miles.

Nothing Monday.

Yesterday I ran on the treadmill at the gym. I ran one mile at a 7:30 pace, then one minute rest. Repeated two more times. Ran one more mile at 8:00 pace. It felt good to run fast, but I feel like my endurance is fading. I need longer workouts, but I just don't have the time.

Tonight I am biking home from work (10 miles) and I will be swimming later tonight.

End of Week

Tuesday I ran at the gym. It wasn't pretty. I attempted to run 6 miles at a 7:30 pace but I failed miserably and then I could barely run fast at all. Ran a little under two miles at the 7:30 pace, but then had to slow down. Jogged for two minutes. Picked up pace to 7:30 again but only ran one mile. Jogged for two minutes. Ran one mile at 8:00 pace then jogged for two minutes. Ran 2 more miles at 8:00 pace with jogging in between. I felt horrible.

Wednesday I did an arm workout at home. Then went swimming with Carrie at the gym. We swam for about 30 minutes. We are going to try to go every Wednesday night.

Yesterday I did the elliptical for 30 minutes and the stairmaster for 20 minutes. I even did some jogging on the stairs.

Today is my day off.

Tomorrow I want to try to get on my road bike.

Sunday I will be running an informal half marathon with Carrie and Kelly. I need the endurance training.

Yikes!

Catchup
Thursday: Ran 10K in 48:56. I think it was 0.1 mile longer than a 10K. Still 30 seconds better than my time two years ago.

Friday: Bike to Black Star. 90 minute climb and 30 minute descent.

Saturday: Small at-home workout.

Monday: Swam at gym with Skyler for 30 minutes. 30 minutes of weights.

Tonight: I really need to get some long runs in, but it's so dark to run outside by myself. I plan on running 6 miles on the treadmill. That sounds so boring, but I need to do it. 7:30 mile.

Spoiler: I think I'm getting a Garmin 405 watch for Christmas! That will help me with my speed while I'm running.

Gym day

Yesterday I hit the gym. I did some staggered sprints (?). I ran one minute at 8.0 mph (7:30), then one minute at 9.0 mph (6:40). I did this for 1.15 miles. Then took a two minutes break then did it again for 1 mile. Finished with 30 minutes on stairmaster.

Today I would like to do some weights. No running or calves because I have a 10k race on Thursday morning....Dana Point Turkey Trot.

In the Dirt Triathlon

I rarely post pictures on here because I usually post them everywhere else, but I think this race deserves an exception.

Saturday I raced in the In the Dirt Triathlon at Vail Lake near Temecula. The race was a 1/2 swim, 13 mile mountain bike, and 4 mile trail run. It was a tough course, but a lot of fun! There were five of us who did the race.

Dave, Rhett, Skyler, me, and Todd.

Brandon was there to get some great pictures. I love this one of me on the bike.

I finished strong with a smile on my place. I knew I had accomplished something I didn't think was possible. I got FIRST PLACE out of all of the women. There weren't a ton of women racing, but it is still a pretty big deal. I was so excited!!!

Ask who was first out of the water? That was me, by one second. Sorry honey, maybe next time!

Catch-up

Looks like I have a week's worth of workouts to catch up on.

Saturday-8 mile run. About 68 minutes.

Monday-Ran on treadmill at gym. One mile 6:58, 2:00 rest, 6:58 mile. Then I got horrible cramps. Went home.

Tuesday-At-home arm workout. Cleaned house for two hours.

Today-nothing. My mom is taking me out for dinner. I need the workout. Maybe I'll wake up early tomorrow and go running. No better way to start off my birthday than an early-morning run.

Oh, I also decided to race in the In The Dirt Tri with Skyler on Saturday. 1/2 swim, 14 mile mountain bike, 4 mile run. I'm not as prepared as I could have been. I will do fine on the swim and run. I haven't had a lot of mountain bike time in lately. It will be fun though.

Swimming

I'm back into swimming! Yesterday I swam 108 laps (1-1/2 miles) in 48:20 minutes. It's not a horrible time, but I can definitely do better.

Tonight I'm going to a spin class.

My feet need a rest

Went to Mammoth last weekend. Snowboarded for a few hours. Saturday we hit the gym for three hours. A little carido, some core training, lots of weight lifting, and swimming.

Monday I did a long run. I didn't realize it would get dark so early. I was running in the pitch black night for half of my run. I ran 8 miles in 64 minutes. Not bad!

Yesterday I did a cardio workout at home.

Tonight I want to swim.

Don't Worry

I may not be up to date, but I am still working out. Sunday was the Muddy Buddy. Skyler and I placed 2nd in our age group! We were so excited to be on the podium together.

Monday I swam.

Tuesday I ran at the gym. 6:58 mile on the treadmill. Then a 7:30 mile. Then cool down. Followed by 30 minutes on stairmaster.

Yesterday did a short ab workout at home.

Today I want to run far and fast!

Not Bad

Tuesday I did an arm workout at home. Wednesday I ran for 60 minutes in Brea. My legs felt like lead weights. I don't feel like I was running fast. Thursday I went to a spin class. Nothing today.

Yeah!

Last night Skyler and I went on ride in Peter's Canyon. It was fun! Tried a new trail. One hour of riding!

Still Blah

I'm doing a little better. Wednesday I swam and boy did it feel great! I even swam the entire workout breathing on both sides. It was hard, but I want to learn how to do it. I swam a mile (72 laps) and then did a few drills.

Thursday I went to a spin class with Jill.

Friday nothing.

Saturday I had to squeeze in a workout. I did a speed workout. I ran 1.5 miles to Orange High, then did 1/2 mile sprints. 3:54, 3:41, 3:29, 3:29. Then jogged home. Oh, and I did some lunges which made my legs almost unmovable yesterday.

Sunday nothing.

Today I'm not sure. Skyler gets home from his surf trip so I will definitely want to spend some time with him.

Not ready for Muddy Buddy.

Am I Losing It?

Maybe. I'm still working out every day, well, 6 days a week, but I haven't biked or swam in a month! Maybe I need this recovery time. I think it will be good for me. I have been trying to focus on my running, which is good.

I keep planning on swimming, but I just haven't made it to the pool. I have my stuff today, so maybe I'll make it. I hope so. My legs are pretty tired so I could really use a break on my legs.

Yesterday I ran 60 minutes, probably around 7.6 miles. Halfway through I got a weird cramp in the tops on my legs, where they connect to my hips. Then, a minute later, I tripped and twisted my right ankle. Luckily, I was able to shake it off and finish my run. Today I am sore.

Relaxing

I'm not sure which direction I'm going in with my training. I haven't swam or biked since my last race. Thursday I did a 25 minute run and a 45 minute arm workout. I'm feeling ok, so not great. Not sure what I'm missing. I want to work out hard, but I'm losing my motivation. I have the Muddy Buddy race in three weeks but I haven't been on my mountain bike in over a month. I haven't had anyone to ride with. Skyler won't take me and Carrie is too busy. I'm still looking for my fantasy body shape, but I don't have the motivation because it seems that no matter how hard I push, I'm not getting any better.

Saturday I ran in the Chapman 5k. I finished in 23:02, my fastest 5k time (post high school). I wasn't satisfied because I wasn't 1st in my age group, I was 5th. Carrie finished after me, but placed 3rd in her group. How did my group suddenly get so competitive? My legs were pretty sore that day and the following day. I guess I did push myself.

I thought that my half Ironman race in next March might be my last race, but I think I may have another full race year. Kids were a topic of conversation, but we just can't afford one right now. Maybe in 2011.

Today I am going to swim. I need to speed up my swim. Not sure how to do that, but I will try. Long swim set today.

Plans

So I've been slacking on blogging since my last race. Well, I have a good reason for that. I'm taking some time off....from triathloning, at least. I am done with races for the season so I am going to cut back on biking and swimming. This winter I am going to focus on running and strengthening my muscles and core. So for the past two weeks I have been running and doing exercise videos. I also plan on doing weights at the gym, more cardio (elliptical, stair master), and maybe throw in a swim or bike workout once a week. I am feeling a little lazy about this plan, but I think it will be good for me. Let's see how it goes.

Doing a local 5K on Saturday morning. I'm hoping to place first in my age group. I will be able to do that based on last year's times. Good luck to me and Skyler (his goal is under 20:00 minutes)!

OC Tri

I did great! Well, my swim could have been better...it was about 45 seconds slower than last year, but the rest was faster. My total time was 2:44:06 (2:30 better than last year! Yeah!

My next event is a local 5k next Saturday. I did an at-home workout yesterday. Today I am going to run. Working on speed, not distance.

Tapering continues

Monday I swam at the gym. I swan 67 laps in about 30 minutes. I might be off two or so laps so the time isn't important. Plus it's a taper. I did 10 laps of drills after.

Tuesday I did an at-home workout. It was 35 minutes. I felt a little sore when I woke up this morning so I really need to take it easy tonight. Maybe a short 20-30 minute run.

Tapering starting today

Friday afternoon I rode my bike home. Felt good. I think I might ride my bike more often. I did a workout video for 20 minutes before Skyler got home.

Saturday I went running at Peter's Canyon. It was hot and there are a lot of hills there. I ran for about 45 minutes and walked for about 25 minutes. It felt wonderful to walk through the area. I need to do that more often.

Today I am swimming. I think it will be my last hard swim of the week.

Tomorrow easy run.

Wednesday easy bike.

Thursday easy run or swim.

Friday nothing.

Saturday nothing.

Trying Hard

Wednesday Skyler picked me up from work and drove me part of the way home. I ran the rest of the way. 8.2 miles total in 69 minutes. About an 8:24 mile. Pretty good considering how horrible my running has been lately. I wonder if something is wrong with my quads.

Yesterday I rode to the beach and back. 6:55 to trail, 43:05 to beach, 36:44 back, 9:20 home. I felt like I pushed myself very hard on the way back. Hopefully my training is helping me be faster.

Today I rode my bike to work. I think it's about 12 miles. It took me 50 minutes. I will be riding home too.

Updates

Saturday I did a one hour run. It was hot outside, but it felt great to be running. My feet didn't hurt, so that was a huge plus.

Monday I swam 108 laps (1-1/2 miles) at the Orange gym in 48:28 (26.93/lap).

Yesterday I attempted to do a mountain bike race. I feel twice, my chain fell off, and then my back wheel fell off. I stopped because I was worried my bike would break. It was super embarrassing. I wish it would have gone differently.

Not Bad

This week hasn't been too bad. Tuesday I swam 100 laps at the Anaheim Hills gym. Felt good to swim with the hot weather. Wednesday I did an at-home workout that lasted 55 minutes. Thursday went to gym. Stairmaster for 15 minutes, weights for arms 10 minutes, spin class 60 minutes. Today nothing.

Tomorrow I want to run and maybe ride bike. I have the whole day to myself so we will see.

The Disneyland Half Marathon

Raced in my first run-only half marathon. I was a little nervous because my running has been so horrible lately. I wasn't sure what my goal time would be, so decided that under 1:50 would be great. Surprisingly, I did pretty well compared to the other racers, but I didn't finish under my goal time. My time was 1:51:08. I thought I was running in front of the 1:50 finish group, but it turns out that I was a little behind. I was 31st out of 1340 in my age group. That's pretty good...top 3%. The race course was a lot of fun. All of the fan, bands, cheerleaders, and Disney characters made the race go by so much quicker. My legs were pretty sore that afternoon and the following day. I got a little shortness of breath during the race. It was a tight feeling under my ribcage. I was worried that I would have to drop out but it went away after about 2 miles.

I think I might do the Surf City half marathon in February. Skyler is contemplating the full. He's crazy. My legs wouldn't last.

Today I am swimming, to give my legs a little rest. Tomorrow I'm biking. Thursday running. Friday..who knows? Skyler will be gone all week so I will have a lot of time to work out.

Running Fail

Yesterday I decided to run at Peter's Canyon so I could run up some hills. It was a HOT day yesterday. It was probably 100 degrees in the location I was running. Plus, I had a limited amount of time to run. I only ran about 4 miles and it wasn't even fast. I'm really worried about my running skills. I haven't had a good running day for months!

Tonight I might mountain bike with Skyler. We'll see if there's time!

I <3 Swimming

If I could, I would swim every day! I absolutely love it! Yesterday I swam 100 laps at the Anaheim Hills pool. That equals 2500m, which is 1.56 miles. It took me about 50 minutes, not sure exactly because I still don't have a watch. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow!

Today I am going to do some running, hopefully for about 50 minutes.

Tomorrow I am going to do a long road bike ride. Hopefully it will be about 2 hours.

Catch-Up Again

Wednesday I did the mountain bike race! So much fun! It was a 3.75 mile loop course. Carrie and I did the beginner race which consisted of two loops. It was fun pushing myself to ride fast on a mountain bike. I never do that.

Thursday I didn't have time to work out because of softball.

Friday nothing of course.

Saturday did a short run, probably only 5 miles total. My endurance level is ready for this race but I'm not sure my body is. My legs have been giving me all kinds of problems. I need to remember to bring band-aids with me during the race in case my pinky blisters decide to act up again.

Tonight I'm swimming.

Tomorow running.

Wednesday biking.

Thursday swimming?

Scary!

Yesterday I swam 96 laps (1-1/2 miles) at the Anaheim Hills pool. I did a couple of 50m sprints in there too. In the morning I did some deep lunges at home. Now, my legs are super sore. I could barely sleep last night. Ahh!

Tonight I am doing a mountain bike race in the Over the Hump series at Irvine Lake with Carrie. I am a little nervous because I don't like going fast on my mountain bike. I ride it for fun. I think we are doing 2 laps that are 3.75 miles each. Fingers crossed that it will go well!

Catch-Up

Wednesday I swam 92 laps. Weird number, I know. Just got annoyed with the person next to me. No times available because I don't have a watch.

Thursday I did an At-Home workout with Jillian Michaels. 45 minutes.

Friday I swam again. It felt great. I think I swam 72 or 80 laps. I like working out on Friday nights, except that the gym was a lot busier than I expected it to be.

Saturday I ran at the beach. I ran a total of 7 miles. I didn't have a watch so I'm not sure of my time.

Yesterday I went running. I ran a little over 5 miles total, but I also did some hill repeats. It wasn't a majorly steep hill but it was still a good workout. My running sucks! I want to be more positive about it, but I think that something is wrong with my legs. Plus, my shin splints are coming back! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Tonight I'm swimming. Tomorrow a mountain bike race. Thursday swimming or running. Friday running or swimming. Saturday long bike ride.

I need a new watch!

My wonderful Puma watched died on me the other day. That watch served me well. It was always reliable. It was waterproof, so I could wear it during races. It is now in a better place.

So now I've resorted to wearing my $5 Target watch. Unfortunatley, it died on me three days after I brought it back out. It allowed me to use it for one last workout last night. So sad.

So now I am without watch and it is driving me crazy! For all my life I have always had a watch. I have two other watches that I could possibly wear but they are not sports watch and not waterproof.

Anyways, last night I rode me bike down to the beach and back. I really wanted to do a hill workout, but I was feeling lazy yesterday. 27 miles total. There was a strong headwind so it took me like 45 minutes to get down to the beach. Obviously, I was way faster coming back. It only took me 37 minutes. I tried pushing really hard so I could get some climbing legs.

I'm not mountain biking tonight because I'm going to the OC Blogger Awards. I'm pretty sure I didn't win, but at least I was nominated. So instead, I will swim.

Good Run Yesterday

The Half Marathon isn't very far away! And I haven't been running well lately. I got a new pair of running shoes last week hoping that new shoes would help. Yesterday I ran 8 miles in 67 minutes. That's a 8:22 pace. Not my finest work, but it's better than what I've been doing lately. After half-way throug the run I felt a blister forming on my left pinkie toe. Two miles later a blister was coming on my right pinke toe. I'm attributing it to the new shoes. I can understand that my feet may need to adjust a little bit since I had been wearing the same style of shoes for two years. And I'm not using the superfeet in my running shoes anymore. I shouldn't need to. So today I woke up and my right knee was hurting pretty bad. Again, my legs are just adjusting. They need the adjustment because I don't think they were in the correct alignment before. I am going to make sure that I do my arch exercises so I don't get shin splints. Then, I will be ready for this race. I need to have a 8:00 mile pace for it. I can do it!

Tonight I will probably ride my bike. I need to get my bike legs back. I would love to go mountain biking, but there isn't anyone to ride with this week. Oh well.

Good Swim

Yesterday I swam 80 laps at the Anaheim Hills pool (2000m). It felt great to be back in the pool. I think it's been almost two weeks. My total swim time was 39:58 minutes. And then my watch died. I'm so sad because I really loved that watch. It was the perfect mix between normal wear and sports wear.

Not so great this week

Monday I did a long run, but "ran" into quite a few problems. First, I was carrying a backpack because I was dropped off from work 9.5 miles from home. The backpack rubbed against the back of my neck the whole time. Second, my left shoe started rubbing on my arch. It made me stop running at the 7 mile mark. Third, my time sucked! I was running 9:00 miles!...something I wouldn't expect at all!

Tuesday nothing because of family pcitures.

Last night I went mountain biking with Carrie. It was nice to do some climbs. We rode the Oaks. We didn't time it perfectly because it got dark before we were done. I got scared of mountain lions. Luckily we didn't see any.

Tonight I am swimming and then softball.

Horrible Running

Tuesday was the worst run I have ever done! I think it was a combination of the 100 degree weather and me being sick, but it was horrible. I started at Weir Canyon and was planning on running for 30 minutes and then turning around. Within a few minutes I was ver hot and tired and had to go to the bathroom. I guess my bladder couldn't wait because I started to go. I had to find a bush quickly. I rested for about 3 or 4 minutes then started running again. I was so tired! I stopped at the turn around point. I had to use the bathroom again! Argh! Luckily I was bear a porta-potty. Did that, then started running again. Had to stop after 15 minutes. I started to get the chills since I assumed isn't good when it's 100 degrees outside. I jogged the rest of the way back. I still ran 7 miles but it was start-stop most of the time. It was super frustrating. Tomorrow I am going to run in the morning, before it gets too hot.

Yesterday I didn't work out because we went to the OC Fair. Double-whammy...no workout and ate bad, bad food. Today I am riding my mountain bike with Carrie. It's been too long. I'm pretty excited.

Tired is an understatement

Brandon is crazy! Saturday Skyler and I rode our bikes to UCI (21 miles) for a track workout. Brandon met us there. We did a one mile warm-up. Then we started doing 800m sprints around the track. 800m is probably the hardest distance to run because it's too far to sprint but too short for pacing yourself. I ran 7- 800m (1/2 mile) sprints in 3:30 minutes each. Skyler did 10 and Brandon did 12. We ended with a one mile cool-down. I was so tired because I was feeling sick, it was hot, and I was pooped. After the workout, Skyler and I rode the rest of the way to the beach where we met Kenny and Jill. Then we rode home on the river trail. We were gone for 6 hours and both got so sunburnt.

Today I will probably run. I need the miles to be ready for the half marathon.

Feeling Sick

I caught whatever Skyler had. Kinda a bummer because I was on a roll this week. I toned it down a bit on Wednesday and Thursday. I did some ExerciseTV sessions so I didn't push myself too hard. My legs are pretty sore. Jillian Michaels is a good instructor. I wish she did triathlons and could train me everyday. This weekend I would like to do a long bike ride and run.

Long Run

Yesterday I did a long run. I ran 7.2 miles in 62 minutes. If you calculate that, it equals NOT FAST. I don't know what my running problem is but I need to get it fixed quickly. My workout runs need to be sub-8:00 runs. I think I will work on my strides. I'm going to avoid sprinting because of my sore quads. I'm not sure what I'm doing tonight. I brought some stuff with me, so I think I might hit the gym and do some cardio and weights. We'll see.

Bummed Out!

My triathlon was a bust, for two reasons. First, they cancelled the swim because of the uncertainty of the waves. That really bummed me out because the swim is my strongest leg. Second, the rest of my race was bad. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't feel the need to push my hardest, but I just didn't do well. My bike time was only a few seconds faster than last year and my run time was a few seconds slower. Overall, it was a crappy day. I was pouty for the remainder of the day. I really wanted to prove that I was a US champion who could qualify for a world championship race. Instead, it sucked!

So let's move onto the next race. Next up is the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6. I've never run a half marathon by itself so this should be a challenge for me. I really need to work on my running because I haven't returned to normal since before my physical therapy last year. I need to ramp up my time and mileage. My quads are still hurting. I think it's from sprinting. I've been playing a lot of softball lately so I've been doing more sprinting than I should be. I will tone it down a bit.

I am rededicting myself to training. First it starts with nutrition. Eat at home more often. Let's say 3 meals during the week and one night on the weekend. Second, cut out more sweets, especially in social settings. If I get a craving, yogurt with fruit will be my solution. Third, incorporate more vegetables into my diet. Fourth, less cereal for breakfast in the morning.

I will add 10 additional minutes to my workout routine each day. I will also be doing 100 ab reps to help give my stomach a "facelift."

Yesterday I started it off by swimming for one hour. I swam 100 laps (2500m) in 50 minutes, then did a few drills. Today I will be running for one hour (I need to give my legs a few days to ramp up to a longer distance).

Tapering

Tuesday I swam for about 35 minutes. Later that night I swam for an hour (only part of that time was actually swimming)

Wednesday-nothing

Thursday- I ran 3.6 miles in 31 minutes. I wasn't running hard because I didn't want to push my legs. My hamstrings are still feeling sore. I wonder if it's just from sprinting in softball.

I'm not doing any more before my race. I don't feel as ready as I would like to be, but I think I will do fine. I would like to finish in 1:22:00 (1:47 faster than last year). I need clean transitions, faster bike, and faster run. Good luck to me!

Catch-Up

I raced in the OC Mud Run on Saturday morning. It was a lot of fun! My time was 54 minutes exactly. I wasn't thrilled with my time, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to run with muddy shoes. It was like running with weights on.

Yesterday I was too lazy to venture outside to do anything. I found Exercise TV on my On Demand and did three workouts--cardio, legs, and abs. I am pretty sore today but felt great last night.

Tonight I am swimming.

Tomorrow I am biking or running. Thursday is softball. Friday off. Saturday off. Sunday race!

Two Workouts, One Day

Yesterday I ran in the morning. Last night I went swimming with Carrie. It felt good to get two workouts in because I missed Monday.

Today I am going on a bike ride. I wish their were some hills that were closer to my house. I need the practice.

Saturday is the OC Mud Run. I am excited, but a little nervous.

I'm trying

After a weekend of laying in the sun, it's time to get down to business. Two big events on the next two weekends. Yesterday I swam at the Anaheim Hills gym. The weather is perfect for an outdoor pool. I swam 64 laps (one mile) in 32 minutes. Then I did some drills. My swimming seems to have slipped a little bit, so I am going to try swimming distances again.

Since I wasn't planning on working out after work today, I ran this morning. I ran 4.2 miles. I didn't time myself, but I don't think it was too fast. Hopefully I will be ready for this weekend.

Tonight I might swim with Carrie.

Tomorrow I would like to ride my bike.

Week Summary

Tuesday I went to the swim clinic and swam 2000 yards. We did some drillsand then a ladder. Skyler said he was a little tired halfway through but he finished strong, unlike me who faded at the end. I was trying to breathe on both sides, which is really hard for me. I get out of breath very easily.

Wednesday I went on a bike ride down to the beach. It took 43 minutes there and 36 minutes back. It was pretty windy. I need to do a 36 minute ride during my race.

Thursday-softball. My legs are still hurting from sprinting. I am going to lay off that for a while.

This morning I went for a morning run. I am having a very hard time running lately. I get tired easily, I am cramping, and out of breath. I'm not sure how to remedy. I ran 46 minutes this morning and I had to break at 20 minutes. 5.3 miles total. Not good. I need to work on my pace, at the same time I need to work on running further.

This weekend-Lake Mead!

Holiday Weekend

I remember the days when a holiday meant a holiday from working out too. Those days are long gone. Now, a holiday means that I have more time to train. Friday I went on a mountain bike ride with Mike and Skyler. We went to Ladera Ranch. There are no big climbs or descents, but it was fun.

Saturday I ran in a local 5k. It actually was 2.95 miles, which I did in 22:07 minutes. We rode our beach cruisers a lot that day too.

Yesterday I ran over to Orange High School and worked on 200 sprints. I think I need to be more careful with that because my quads are sore again, like maybe I pulled a muscle. Also, my shin splints are acting up again. I need to take it easy except for that I have a 10k race next Saturday.

Tonight Skyler and I are going to a swim clinic. I am so excited because I need someone to look at my technique to make sure I am swimming at fast as possible.

Bad Running Day

Yesterday I went running. It was hot outside! I was having a really hard time. I kept cramping or my legs would start hurting. I started and stopped a lot, which I hate to do because it makes the run so much harder. My total distance was 7 miles, but I walked about a mile of that and probably stopped about 6 times. Lame!

Today I would like to do a ride to the beach and back. To prepare for my tri, I would like to do twice the distance of each leg, but do it fast. I need to work on my sprinting. Last year my time was 1:23, a 10 minute improvement from the previous year. This year I would like to break 1:20, but that seems very difficult to do. I will need to shave 30 seconds from my swim, 2 minutes from my bike and 30 seconds from my run. I can do it!

Weekend and yesterday

On Saturday I did two separate workouts. First, I went running at the beach. I ran about 4.8 miles in 38 minutes. After, I swam at the gym for about 45 minutes.

Last night I was supposed to run, but things changed. I ended up swimming with Skyler at the gym after dinner. It was fun except that Skyler didn't like swimming with me. I haven't swam with him in over a year and he doesn't like that I'm faster than him. We swam for less than 30 minutes.

Today I will probably go running in Peter's Canyon. Although I might ride my bike instead. Who knows?!

Bike hurting my thigh?

Yesterday I went on a bike ride instead of swimming. I biked to the beach and back. It was windy heading down there so it took 44 minutes, but the way back took 38 minutes. I think I hurt my thigh while biking because my leg is a little sore today. I didn't go all out yesterday because I was a little worried. Hopefully it's ok

Feeling Ok

Yesterday I ran. I was worried about my thigh muscle so I didn't run fast. I ran 5 miles total, with a rest at the half-way point. My leg feels ok, but I want to take it easy for one more day. Then, I will be training again. I am going to do a 5K on the 4th of July. I should be ok by then.

Tonight I'm swimming. I need to do some biking, hopefully this weekend.

Swimming

Yesterday's workout felt great. I swam 72 laps (1 mile) in 31:45 minutes. That's a 26.75 second/lap pace. Not bad. Then I did 6 laps of pulling and 12 laps of 55 second sprints. I ended with 4 laps of cooldown.

Today I am going to try running again. My leg felt ok last night during our softball game. Hopefully all goes well.

Ouch!

Monday I decided to do a run workout. I started running and within one minute my thigh was hurting. I tried stretching it out, but that didn't help. I scrapped the workout and went home. That night I tried playing softball and realized that I couldn't run at all because of my thigh. I must have pulled a muscle or something. Bummer.

Wednesday I swam since I chose not to run or bike for the rest of the week. Swimming went well.

Thursday I swam again. Worked on drills.

Today I am going to give my left thigh a little more of a break. I will be swimming tonight. Maybe I will add in some eliptical if I have time. I will try running again tomorrow, if my leg is feeling good.

I need to really get going on my training because the OC Mud Run is in less than 4 weeks. I am doing the 10k and I need to be running fast. AND my next triathlon is a week after that! I want to do well in the race so I can qualify for the World Champiosnips in Australia. I don't think I would actually do to the World Championship race, but I would feel pretty good if I qualified.

Speedy Bike Ride

Saturday I decided I wanted to work on my bike sprinting since my next race is a sprint tri. So Skyler and I did a quick beach ride. He pulled me most of the way down there (he turned around about 2 miles from the end). I made it there in 38:20 minutes. On the way back I was flying! I rode back in 36 minutes! That's an average of 20mph on the way back! I think that's the fastest I've ever ridden that trail (it is 12 miles both ways).

Today I want to try to get a run it. We will see how much time I have. Softball game tonight!

wow

I took a few weeks off to tour Italy and I completely neglect my blog after I return. Bad Elise. I've been doing pretty good at working out.

Saturday I swam and did the eliptical. I even rode my beach cruiser to the gym.

Monday I did a running workout. I ran to Orange High (about 1-1/4 miles) then did some sprints around the track. I was clocking 200m around 1:35. That's fast! That night I played softball. More sprinting, which led to sore legs!

Tuesday I went mountain biking with Carrie at Whiting Ranch.

Wednesday I swam at the gym with Carrie and Kelly.

Yesterday I ran for 42 minutes.

Today I will not do anything.

Tomorrow I would like to do a road bike ride to the beach and back. I need to work on my bike sprinting for Pacific Coast.

I'm Still Here...

...although I haven't done any triathlon training for a month! That's not entirely true. Skyler and I went on a trip to Italy and rode 600km on our bikes while we were there.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 and went running. Random. I ran 3.7 miles in 31 minutes. Not bad considering I haven't ran for over a month.

Tomorrow I would like to swim and did another cardio activity. I don't want to run because I ran today, maybe the eliptical.

Phew!

I finally started doing serious workouts again, but of course it is right before I leave on my trip to Italy. Oh well, at least I don't feel as fat.

Monday-Ran 4.4 miles in 34 minutes. That is quite fast so I think my timing might be off

Tuesday-Swam 64 laps at Anaheim Hills gym. Did some drills

Wednesday-Ran 7 miles in 58 minutes. Not bad, but my feet as hurting today.

Thursday-I will be swimming tonight.

Friday-nothing.

Saturday-leave for Italy!

Fat

I have gained 5 pounds in the past month. I'm having a problem finding the motivation to train. I did my Half Ironman, then spent a week recovering, then was lazy, then tapered for my Xterra race, then got sick. Now I am going to Italy next week and feel like there's no reason to train before my trip. But I need to so bad. Skyler and I have been spending a lot more time together lately so I have made excuses for myself. 

Although, this past weekend I did a lot of biking.

Thursday-rode 12 miles to work (was driven the rest of the way) and rode 12 miles home (again, driven part of the way)

Friday-rode bike to O'Neill park (25 miles) and camped overnight.

Saturday-rode to Santa Margarita and then home (30 miles total)

Sunday-short mountain bike ride with Carrie at Peter's Canyon

I did a lot of biking but I feel that running is where I can improve my body shape. Here's my plan for the week
Monday-running and softball

Tuesday-swimming

Wednesday-long run

Thursday-swimming

Friday-nothing

Saturday-leave for Italy

Lazy at Blogging and Training

I tapered.

I competed in the Xterra West Championships.

I recovered.

Today I finally trained. I rode my bike from home to Weir Canyon (on my way to work). I will ride the same distance home.

Mountain Bike Trauma

Skyler must be soooooo sick of me! After the worst day of my life two weeks ago (our ride at Bootleg Canyon), I've been a little shaky on my bike rides. But at least I am out on my bike instead of not riding at all. Saturday we rode Santiago Oaks. I was a little shaky on some parts, but on a downhill with loose rocks I almost fell over a cliff and I lost all of my confidence for the day. I had to walk my bike down a lot of parts from there. Skyler is so patient with me. I love him so much! Our ride was probably 8-10 miles (2 hours) total.

Tonight-swimming and softball.

Tomorrow-road bike ride?

Wednesday-run?

Brick!

Fun training yesterday. I did the Peter's Canyon loop on my bike in 37:08 minutes, transitioned in 5:29 minutes (I even took off front wheel from bike and put whole bike in car), then ran the same loop in 48:18 minutes. The run time included stopping to avoid stepping on 3-foot snake. The weather was a lot cooler than it was on Tuesday so my run was 4 minutes faster. I think this really helped prepare me for the race next week. Excited to do something new!

I still haven't learned!

Tuesday I did something different. I did some trail running. I ran the Peters Canyon loop and surprisingly, it didn't take much longer than my normal bike loop. My run total was 52:00 minutes. The loop is about 5 miles.

Sometimes I try to arrange workouts with Skyler. THESE NEVER WORK and then I end up not working out at all. So why does this keep happening? I don't know. It happened again yesterday. I knew Skyler would be working late so I told him that we would swim when he got home. He said he would be home around 7:30 or 8:00. He got home around 9:00, ate dinner, watched LOST (it was lame) and then it was 10:10. He said, are you ready to go? No! I go to bed at 10:30. Oh well. At least I did some lunges and stomach exercises for a while at home.

Tonight I am making up for last night. I will be doing a loop workout. I'm going back to Peter's Canyon. First, I will ride the loop, then I will run it. I think this should take about 2 hours, counting my change of gear and going back to the car twice. Should be hot. It won't be nearly as hot as it was on Tuesday (100 degrees)!

Crazy Weekend

Saturday started off with the Placentia Get Fit 5K. I placed 2nd in my age group with a time of 23:06, two seconds faster than last year. Skyler had a time of 21:45. His time was about 15-20 seconds faster than last year.

After our run, we did a 15-mile mountain bike ride. We did the Whiting Ranch/Luge ride. It took three hours and it was hot outside! Great ride though.

Yesterday was the start of Advertising softball. I wanted to workout before the game, but I didn't have time. I didn't make it on base, but I did do some fielding. I definitely got some sprint practice.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do tonight. I would love to run, but I think it might be too hot. If not, I will swim.

Wow, what a change

I went from training hard for a Half Ironman to doing pretty much nothing. What happened to me? Well, I haven't been posting because I haven't been doing much of anything. That's not 100% true.

Last Saturday we drive to Las Vegas to check out the course for the Xterra race at Lake Las Vegas. The bike course sucks...bad. No one seemed to like it at all. It doesn't involve much mountain biking, just riding around on medium-sized loose rocks. The first three miles consists of a lot of ups and downs, which were too steep for me. So I walked my bike a lot. The run was a little better, but not much. The hills weren't the problem, but the ground had this chopy grade on it, so it was hurting my knees and arches. I was not excited for this race after that day. Hopefully race day is better. So anyways, we rode 8 miles and ran 4 miles. Then we drove to Boulder City mountain bike park and rode around there for a few hours. I fell. Hard. Three times. It was pretty bad and my legs are covered with cuts and bruises. My legs are still sore. So of course I didn't work out for the next few days also.

Tuesday I swam at the Brea gym. I swam about 100 laps and then did a few drills. After swimming, I did the elliptical for 20 minutes

Wednesday I didn't think I would get to the gym because of tax day, but luckily I made it later that night. I sprinted a 5K (23:25 minutes...I gotta do better than that) and then did some squates/lunges/weights for the next 30 minutes. I am pretty sore from that.

Last night I did the strairmaster for 30 minutes and then my spin class for 60 minutes. The spin class really kicked me because the tension on my bike was broken. It would only do easy or hard, so I pushed it. I needed to. I've gained a few pounds and am not looking my best in my mid-section.

Tomorrow I am running in the Placentia Get Fit 5K. I need to get a better time than I did last year (23:08) because I want first place (which was 23:06)! After the race, I will probably mountain bike. Xterra is in 2 weeks from Saturday!

Ironman 70.3 Times

Elise Wallace

Swim Time 38:14, 32/62

T1 6:39

Bike Time 3:16:35, 26/62, 17.1 mph

T2 4:39

Run Time 2:06:12, 25/62, 9:38 mile

Skyler Wallace

Swim Time 43:15, 126/150

T1 3:55

Bike Time 2:52:29, 61/150, 19.5 mph

T2 3:00

Run Time 2:15:06, 109/150, 10:19 mile

Race Day

Details to come. I finished in 6 hours, 12 minutes!

Day 4, Day 3, Day 2, Day 1

Nothing.

Day 5

Wow, I feel lazy. Nothing.

Tonight I am swimming. Tomorrow I will jog. Then, I'm done. Only a few more day!

Day 6

3 hours of snowboarding

Day 7

6 hours of snowboarding

Day 8

Nothing

Day 9

Nothing.

Day 10

I did a fast bike ride to the beach and back. My time back was fast! I averaged 3:00 miles. Awesome! 27 miles total

Swam with Carrie at the gym. Did a lot of drills.

Day 11

Last night I swam at the Anaheim Hills gym (which has a 25 meter pool). I swam 80 laps in 37:50 minutes. That is the exact distance of the race. After, I swam another 20 laps doing drills.

Tonight I am cycling fast to the beach and back. Then I will swim at the gym with Carrie.

Day 12

I did a long run. I ran 9.6 miles in 80 minutes flat. That puts my pace at 8:20, which is great! I can't believe how fast the race is coming up! I have cut out all unnecessary sugar until after the race. Then cupcake time!

Day 13

Sunday=nothing.

Day 14

Two workouts:

First, bike ride with a hill climb. I did the same ride I did on Thursday, but I added one hill climb in Bryant Ranch. I biked for about 2 hours, 30 minutes. I messed up my watch so I don't know my actual time.

Second, I went to the gym. I ran 3.1 miles in 23:26 minutes. Then I did some weights, squats, and lunges. Last, I did the elliptical for 15 minutes. It was a tiring day.

Day 15

Somehow I got off count by one day (I think). So Day 15 is actually Friday, which I did nothing.

Day 15

Another bike ride! Yeah! I rode far! 7:00 minutes to trail (1.5 miles), 30:00 minutes to Weir Canyon (10.2 miles), 23:02 minutes to Green River (7 miles), 26:00 minutes back to Weir Canyon (7 miles), 35:39 to Orangewood (10.2 miles), and 9:15 home (1.5 miles). 37.2 miles total and 2 hours, 11 minutes total. About a 3:30 minute/mile pace. Not bad!

Day 16

Swam 88 laps (the distance of the race) in 38 minutes. Really good! I swam another 30 laps doing drills and sprints

Day 17

Went on a road bike yesterday. I didn't fall off my bike....yippee! 8:17 to trail, 41:01 to beach, (12 miles) 38:28 back, 9:11 home. Not bad. Based on my recent rides, I would hope for a 3:30 mile pace for my race. That would put me at 3 hours, 15 minutes. That puts me a little under my goal of 3:30 hours for the race. Here is my goal again, in case I forgot to mention:

Swim 40 minutes

Transition 5 minutes

Bike 3 hours, 30 minutes

Transition 3 minutes

Run 2 hours

Total Time 6 hours, 18 minutes

Goal Time 6 hours, 30 minutes

Good luck to me!

Swimming...leaving right now!

Day 18

I did a switcheroo. Changed from swimming to running. I ran 9.1 miles in 1 hour, 16 minutes, 41 seconds. My average pace was 8:20. Soooo good!

Day 19

Nothing

Day 20

Went on a 15 mile mountain bike ride with Skyler and the boys. Total time was about 2-1/4 hours. I was feeling a little under the weather so I didn't do any more training.

Tonight I will be swimming.

Day 21

Nothing!

Day 22

I almost missed my spin class but I got lucky. But first I did elliptical for 20 minutes.

Day 23

First, I did a short run. I ran 4.8 miles in 40 minutes. Definitely an improvement in time...PLUS part of the run was up Bastanchury hill! Later that night Jill and I went to the YL gym. I did the stair master for 30 minutes then I did weights for another 30 minutes.

Day 24

Tuesday I rode the Weir Canyon ride. 24 miles total. At the end of my ride I got twisted up in my bike and fell. I re-opened my left knee scar and bruised my right ankle bone. Lame! I don't have my times because I accidentally erased them.

Day 25

Swam at the Brea gym. I thought I swam 106 laps, but I seem to be 2 laps off. First half 22:25 and second half 23:33. If I average the speed on the second half and add two more laps to first half then I get 23:18 for the first half. That would give me a total time of 46:51, which is the fastest I have swam 106 laps (1-1/2 miles) ever! Awesome.

After, I did the elliptical machine for 20 minutes.

Since the time changed, I have time to ride my bike after work now! I will be riding tonight!

Day 26

Nothing

Day 27

Finally got on my road bike! I rode 40 miles in 2 hours 15 minutes. It was quite windy when I got near the beach. It was a great ride though. If I can keep that pace during my race then I will be fine.

That night I swam with a group at Newport Dunes. We swam probably 1200 meters.

Day 28

Nothing

Day 29

Ran 3.1 miles in 23:45 minutes. Went to spin cycle with Jill.

Day 30

Swam with Carrie. We did drills and sprints. Probably 1200 yards total.

Day 31

Skyler and I went on a night run on the Fullerton loop. 55 minutes. Not sure of distance.

Day 32

Skyler has my buoy so I just swam distance. I swam 106 laps in 34:10 minutes. 53 laps in 23:25 and 88 laps in 39:15 minutes. Good workout.

Tonight...not sure if I will do a long or short run.

Day 33

Rode Peter's Canyon with Carrie.

Day 34

Since I didn't have my road bike (in for a tune up) and I didn't have anyone to go mountain biking with, I went for a long run. The longest run of my life. I ran 9.4 miles in 1 hour, 24 minutes. That put me at a 9:00 mile pace, but I'm still happy that I ran for that long!

Day 35

Day of rest

Day 36

I ran a 5K in 23:40 minutes! Then I went to me spin class. Great workout!

Day 37

I swam last night. I felt really good, but part of that was because there was only two other people in the pool. I swam 53 laps (1/4 halfway) in 23:43, 88 laps (1.25 miles) in 38:58, 106 laps (1.5 miles) in 47:12. That seems pretty fast compared to the other day. Let's keep that up.

Tonight I am going to my spin class. I want to sprint a 5K before the class.

Day 38

It's hard to believe there are only 38 days until our race. It still seems so far away. Well, I got my new running shoes yesterday and took them out for a test run. I ran 7.4 miles in 63 minutes. Great distance, but my right arch bone is still hurting. I'm not sure why it is suddenly acting up. I am going to try tightening my laces more.

Tonight swimming.

Day 39

Swimming sucked! Why am I so tired? I swam 106 laps in about 50 minutes. I'm glad I can swim the distance, but my times have not been improving. Have I hit my highest potential?...I hope not!

I got my new running shoes today and I plan on using them!

Day 40

Mountain biked with Carrie. Just did Peter's Canyon. My legs were so tired!

Day 41

Snowboarded for 8 hours! Boy, my legs are tired!

Day 42

Nothing.

Day 43

I went to the gym. Started with 25 minutes on stair master. Ended with 60 minute spin class. It's been a while since I've been to spin and it was tough. Good workout though.

Day 44

I know, I'm dumb! I ran again today and had the same problem with my arches. It is not a muscle problem, but a rubbing on shoe problem. I ordered new running shoes two days ago and they should be here on Tuesday. I won't run again until then. I also think the problem could be the lacing of my shoes. I have the no-lace laces on there right now. They may have become loose and my feet are moving around too much.

I ran 5.8 miles in 50:00 minutes. Not bad considering I felt very tired and my arches hurt a lot.

Tonight spin class!

Day 45

I swam. But not fast. I did some drills at the start and then I swam 1-1/4 miles (88 laps) in 40:00 exactly.  I should be at least a minute faster. I have reported that I swam that distance in 38:19 before. I need to get better quickly!

Day 46

I ran at the gym since I hadn't ran at all the previous week. Something is definitely wrong with my shoes because I got huge blisters on the insides of my arches and my arch bones hurt. I ran 6.5 miles at an 8:00 mile pace. I also started doing the Perfect Pushup.

Day 47

Nothing

Day 48

It didn't rain on Saturday! Whoo-hoo! Skyler and I went on a long road bike ride. We did all of the Yobra Linda hills. Our total distance was 40 miles, but it took 3 hours because of all of the hill climbs and a little easy riding. It was great though. Good practice for HIM.

I didn't do any running last week so I am going to try to run an extra day this week, starting tonight.

Day 49

Nothing

Day 50

Last night I went on a short 45-minute mountain bike ride. It felt great to be back on the trails. Too bad it's going to rain all weekend! Argh!

I want to run tonight, but I don't think I have the time. I'm going out to dinner with some girlfriends. Oh well. Running and swimming tonight!

Day 51

Last night I went to a swim clinic. It was awesome! I got to work on my swim stroke and breathing on both sides. I felt like I was drowning when I tried to breathe on my left side. The time flew by so fast and before I knew it, we were done. I think my total swim distance was 1600m, but it was split into drills. We worked with buoys too. I bought one yesterday so it was my first time using one. My hips are sore today....something that has never happened before.

Tonight I am going on a mountain bike ride with my friend Mike. It should be fun!

I need to do some running this week so I don't lose what I worked up to last week.

Day 52

Yesterday was a little nostalgic. I swam at the Anaheim Gateway gym, the gym where I learned how to swim. It was nice to be back in the pool after a week and a half off. Times: 53 laps - 23:32, 72 laps 31:33,  106 laps 47:30. Not bad. 

Tonight I am swimming again, but this time I am going to a swim class in Laguna Hills. I am excited to get some feedback on my technique.

Day 53

Nothing. I am swimming tonight.

Day 54

Snowboarded for six hours!

Day 55

Snowboarded for six hours. Awesome!

Day 56

Friday-nothing.

Day 57

Who-hoo! I ran at the gym. I guess it's been a running week. I ran 6.55 miles in 51:40 minutes. I like running on a treadmill because I can control my pace.

Day 58

Nothing

Day 59

What's wrong with me? I'm so slow! I ran 5.5 miles in 47 minutes on Tuesday. I can run faster than that...I thought I was. Maybe it's the stopping and starting at stoplights that is messing me up. Who knows! I just know I need to improve!

Day 60

Am I in a slump? I didn't feel like working out too much yesterday so I went for a  short run. I ran over to my friend's house to deliver a birthday card. It was about a three mile loop. Lame!

Tonight I am going for a long run. Tomorrow I will try to swim after a service activity I am attending from 5-8. Thursday I will do my spin class. Friday-off. Saturday and Sunday-snowboarding.

Day 61

Since my left shin is still in recovery, I can't run far distances yet. So when Skyler signed up for the Surf City Half Marathon I was super jealous. I was stuck running in the 5K. I actually enjoyed it though. I pushed hard (not too hard) and didn't feel wiped out after I finished. And I finished with a great time: 23:34. I thought I did better than my 5K last year (23:08), but I didn't. Still ok though. I finished 7th out of 276 in my age group and 48th out of 1621 women. My pace was 7:36. I haven't run that pace since I start running again. I was definitely happy with my time.

Day 62

9 weeks from today! I finally got out on my road bike and it felt great. It was about 75 degrees out and the sun was shining. I did a 40-mile bike ride. I rode from home to trail to Lakeview, turn around, to beach to home. 40 miles total. It took my 2 hours 20 minutes. Not bad. My actual time on the trail was exactly 2/3 of the total race distance. I felt good on my ride. I would like to do this distance or more at least once a week, also doing a spin class once a week, and when the time changes I will ride in the morning twice a week.

Day 63

Nothing! It's Friday!

Day 64

I do an at-home workout because it was too windy to run outside. It lasted about 45 minutes. I did stairs, lunges, and sqauts. My legs are sore today!

Day 65

I had a slow swim day! Two slow days in a row! What's wrong with me? I need to get faster. Maybe I just need some variety (biking) in the mix. Tomorrow I will be going on a road bike ride. My swim times were 53 laps 23:44, 72 laps 32:22, 88 laps 39:44, 106 laps 47:59. Blah! Lame! Well, I guess I just need to be faster

Day 66

I am such a slow runner! It is getting discouraging. Last night Skyler and I went on a run together. I don't know if we have ever done that before. We ran about 5.75 miles in 48 minutes. We stopped a few times at lights and for a quick break so I would say our total time was 47 minutes. That's still over a 8:00 mile time. Lame!!!!!!!! How am I going to get faster?

Tonight swimming!

Day 67

I swam, same as usual. My total time for 106 laps was 47:15 minutes. I had my split times for the other distances, but then I erased them when I used my stopwatch last night. Boo! After my 1-1/2, I swam an additional 150 yards to get a good leg workout.

Day 68

Nothing.

Tonight I am swimming...big surprise. I am sure that I will beat Skyler in the swim unless he starts training. I don't think he has swam once this year. I just wish the swim counted for more. The bike is really what I need to be good at. Skyler is great at the bike. I will never beat him on that.

Day 69

My plan was to go on a road bike ride, but it rained all morning. Instead, I spent some time at the gym. First, I ran a 5K on the treadmill to prepare me for my race. My time was about 24:30 minutes. Not bad, but I want to do 23:30 for the race. After running, I did some weights for arms and legs for about 25 minutes. Last, I did the stairmaster for 30 minutes.

Day 70

Nothing

Day 71

Thursday I ran, but my shin was a little inflamed. That made me so mad! I am trying so hard to get rid of my shin splints, but they don't care. Anyways, I didn't run for as long as I wanted to, but I still ran 5 miles. My average time was 8:30 minute mile, although I ran one mile around the track at 7:56.

Day 72

Swimming: I did my usual 106 laps last night. I swam 53 laps in 22:43 minutes, which was really good! But I slowed down my pace a bit. My 1-1/4 mile time was 38:19 and my 1-1/2 miles time was 47:01. My times were better than Monday's times, but I still think I can do better. After I finished, I did 100 yards of kicking on my back. Then I got a charlie horse in my left arch. I need to start stretching before I swim so that doesn't happen again.

Tonight I want to run, but it is a little rainy. Although, that actually sounds run. I'm just not sure how successful my run would be.

Day 73

I ran 6 miles tonight! My knees hurt a little from running on the sidewalk, but I didn't have a choice. The streets are slanted near the edges so it hurts my shins to run in the street. I should probably just run at a track. So I ran 6 miles in about 51:30 minutes. Not bad. About a 8:30 mile pace. I can do better so I will. I need to work on my sprints so I can be prepared for the 5K that I have coming up.

Tomorrow I am swimming. I will try to do something else too because the past two days my workouts have been a little under one hour. I need to have my workouts ALWAYS be over one hour.

Day 74

Swimming day! I swam 106 laps again. I did some splits. Here they are: 53 laps (0.75 mile or 1/2 my workout) 23:33 minutes, 88 laps (1.25 mile) 39:26 minutes, 106 laps 47:23 minutes. Not my best time but it was decent. The HIM swim distance is 1.25 miles so my time should be around 40 minutes.

Day 75

A day of rest

Day 76

Skyler and I went for a 45 mile road bike ride. It was great! We rode up Katella to Jamboree, left on Portola, right to the moutain-to-sea trail, past the back bay, up PCH to the river trail and then home. It took about 2-1/2 hours, but some of it was a leisurely pace.

Day 77

Nothing

Day 78

Last night I did the stair master for 15 minutes and then went to my spin class. The bummer part was that there was a substitute for the class and I did not enjoy it. The music sucked and he didn't motivate me. I still spun my legs for 60 minutes so that was a good thing.

Fridays are usually an off day for me because of a potential date night, but the outdoors is just calling to me. I want to go running so bad. I love running outside on a warm day in the late afternoon. It reminds me of track practice in high school, a time in my life when I could run a mile in 6:30 minutes. We will see what happens today. Tomorrow I am doing a road bike ride no matter what.

Day 79

A little change of plans. Tonight Carrie and I are going to swim at the gym together. So I decided to get a small run in before the gym. I ran to Orange High school (1.4 miles), which took 12:20 minutes. Next, I ran a mile on the track...2:09 first lap, 2:00 second, 2:01 third, 1:54 last (8:04 total). I ran another lap and then a different route home (1.95 miles), which took 16:17 minutes. My total time was 36:43 minutes. It was a nice run and the weather was perfect again today. I'm looking forward to swimming tonight.

UPDATE: I swam with Carrie for about 35 minutes. I didn't do straight laps. I did some sprints and then ended with a 20-lap swim. It was a good workout.

Day 80

I wanted to do something different, but today was my run day. I am bored running on the treadmill for so long, plus I had such a great run the other day. So I ran to the gym (2.2 miles) which took 18 minutes. I did some weights for about 15 minutes. Then I took a longer run home (2.8 miles) which took 25 minutes. My time is a little off when I run outside because of all of the stoplights. I definitely ran faster than I did the other day.

Day 81

I swam my new usual 100 laps. I swam it faster than the previous times...47:09 minutes. I also did some lunges at home.

Day 82

Yeah! Got a mountain bike in! Went on mountain bike ride with Carrie and group to Peter's Canyon. I finally conquered the hill. It was probably becuase I finally got shoes that clip into pedals. It was a fun ride!

Day 83

My plan was to do a long road bike ride. Unfortunately, it was super windy. There was no way I was going to ride my bike. I didn't want to swim so that left run. I decided I would do a long run. I can't believe how well I did! I ran for 50 minutes! I stopped at the grocery store and then ran a 5 minute cooldown. I felt great! I haven't ran for 50 minutes in so long! I don't even care how long I ran, but I was a little curious (5.5 miles, 0.5 mile cooldown). Not a good pace at all, but I was working on endurance. I feel great! Have I said that enough?

Day 84

Nothing. It's Friday!

Day 85

Last night I attempted to run 35 minutes again. It was so hard! I ran out of steam at 28:30 minutes. I slowed down my pace to a 10:00 mile pace (from 8:00) and continued at that for about 3 minutes and then switched back. I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe it is the whole running on a treadmill thing. After a five minute cooldown, I did the elliptical for 20 minutes.

Nothing planned for today. Tomorrow I want to do a long road bike ride. Maybe the one out to East Yorba Linda. I need to do at least 30 miles. The bike portion of the race is 56 miles. Wow! Feeling great though. I've lost a pound a day since I got back from Utah, which is good considering I gained about 4 pounds over the previous two weeks. I also cooked dinner at home three times this week. I also tried to adjust my breakfasts by eating oatmeal instead of cereal. I did that four days this week. I am very proud of myself. I am going to try to save the sweets for the weekend. I passed up a cupcake offer from Skyler.

Day 86

I swam 100 laps again. My time was 47:20, a little faster than Monday. 23:21 first 53 laps, 24:00 second half. My right calf started to cramp near the beginning and stayed that way the whole time. I have never had that happen before. It didn't stop me from swimming, it just hurt a little bit.

Thursdays I am normally going to reserve for spin classes, but I think I will be the same as Tuesday because of time issues. I really need to do some laundry and bathroom cleaning before Skyler gets home. So running and elliptical (or stair master) tonight. One hour.

Day 87

Yesterday my goal was to run for 35 minutes. I ran for 29 minutes at a 8:00 mile pace and was so tired! I slowed down my pace to a 10:00 mile pace for two minutes and then increased to 8:30 mile pace. I ran my 35 minutes but was so tired. I guess that's what not running will do to me. After that, I did the stair master for 20 minutes.

Tonight I will be swimming again. I really need to lean some drills so I can get faster.

Day 88

I was successful! Last night I swam 106 laps in 47:31 minutes. That is a 26.9 second average per lap. I know I can do better.

Tonight I will run for 35 minutes and did some other cardio for 25 minutes.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2009, the start of my serious training for the California 70.3! Wow, I can't believe how close it is getting (88 days)! I am excited to get back to serious training and work on improving my running.

Mondays will now be "Swim Mondays." I will swim at least 1-1/2 miles (106 laps).