Saturday, December 31, 2011

Last workouts of 2011

Last run of 2011
Yesterday I did my last run of the year - and it was a tough one! I did a 1 mile time trial on the track so I know my starting point for the speed drills I'll be starting next week. I'm about a minute slower than I'd like to be so I've got a lot of work to do in the next few months!
Here's the workout:
Warm up: slow jog to track (1.4 mi)
1 mi time trial (ie: as fast as I could possibly manage)
Cool down: jog/walk home, squats, sit-ups, and push-ups

Last bike of 2011
The last time I was on my bike was in July when I did the 1/2 ironman with Lydia. Needless to say, I've got a lot of work to do!


Last swim of 2011
Today is gorgeous outside so i decided to go for a swim in my favorite pool. Outside temp = 60, water temp = 80, and I was the first one there - Perfect!!
But while I was taking pictures this lady got in before me. No longer first, but still a great day for a swim.
I swam 1400 yards in almost the same amount of time it took me to do the swim portion of the 1/2 ironman (2400 yards). It got really crowded pretty quickly and I ended up having to share a lane with this lady. So I wasn't going for speed today, and I was stuck behind the slow lady, but still - loooooong way to go before July!!


I guess the moral of the story is - completing an Ironman is not going to be easy. Who knew?!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Setting goals for next season

Pre-season training starts Monday, January 9th! 
I'm starting to map out my workouts on my calendar so I can be ready to start in January (after my birthday celebration(s), of course!). I'm using this site a lot, which is pretty intense. Pre-Season week 1 already calls for 2 workouts a day, most days of the week! I know if I start double workouts in January, I definitely won't make it to the race in July, so I'll be modifying their suggestions. But planning out my workouts has got me thinking about my overall goals for next season. 


Goal #1 (most important): Finish 140.6 miles in under 17 hours. 
(Obviously when I see this sign it will say 140.6 instead of 70.3 and it will be dark by the time I get there, but this is what I'll be picturing in my head when the training gets tough)


Goal #2: Slim-down and tone-up.
You'd think that 2011 would have been a really healthy year for me since I ran a couple of small races, plus a half ironman (!!!), and a full marathon. But I have actually picked up a few (15ish) extra pounds on my move across the country. I blame these people (my new lab mates) for being so much fun. I can't say no to hanging out and drinking with them!
(Case in point - there is no one in this pic without a drink)


Goal #3: Not take training too seriously. 
I have a tendency to get a little OCD about my training schedule. And I definitely freak out a little if I feel like I haven't been working out hard enough. So I am going to try my hardest to keep having fun with friends and not let my training get in the way of anything. I have a feeling this is going to be the hardest goal to achieve....


And with that, I'm off to the pool for the first time in a long time. I hope I remember how to swim!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

First blog post. EVER.

Hi everyone!
This is my first blog. I got the idea from my old training buddy Emily. She has an awesome blog where she talks about all the training and races she does. It inspired me to create one for my 140.6 training next year. 
In case you haven't seen it, this is the inspiration for the title of my blog (makes me laugh everytime)!