Yesterday I headed down to Des Moines to look at bikes. I was having a hard time with the whole concept of going somewhere other than Skunk River Cycles to look at bikes. As a general rule among cyclists, it's not good to stray far from your local bike shop, so I felt like I was cheating on someone by even checking out the goods at another store. I felt even worse when I got there and had such a good discussion with the guys of this DM shop. This shop was at the Des Moines Tri Club's Expo a few weeks ago and Sterling (one of the guys from the bike shop) did a "quick fit" for me for a tri bike. Sterling was in the shop yesterday, and he set me up with a QR Tequilo to take for a test ride. It just so happened that there was a 2005 model in my size in the store window. For the little test ride I took (about 10 minutes in the bitter freezing cold), it felt great! Of course, as a 2005 model, there is a significant discount associated with it. And, if I join the DM Tri Club ($25), I get 20% off (WAY more than $25) bikes at this particular store. To make matters worse, then I'd have to decide which bike shop to support with all the other business I'll be doing the rest of this season (pedals, shoes, etc). Do I support the shop in Ames that I've worked with for 3 years? Or do I support this shop in DM that did a great job of selling me a bike and took a long time to explain some things that I've never had help with at the Ames store? Hmmm...
I did more biking this week than was on my schedule. The weather (and my schedule) at the beginning of the week was unbearable, so I had to make some last-minute modifications. I did a little less running than I was supposed to, but I made up for that in cycling and cross training. The increase in swim distance was more brutal than I had anticipated, so I was a little low on swim yardage as well, but I have plenty of time to make up for that in the coming weeks.
My running has felt great. The combination of having such a great base from this winter and the additional cross training is treating my hamstring very well. I will be very thankful later on this spring that I kept up with the running all winter long.
Weekly Round-Up (Sunday thru Saturday):
Swim: 4400 yards
Bike: 3.5 hours on the trainer
Run: 9.5 miles
Cross-Training: 1 hour Pilates class, 20 minutes on elliptical trainer
I am sleeping great (a product of being exhausted every night), so I should be ready go again tomorrrow!
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
Hush Little Baby, Don't Say a Word
Sleeping Beauty: Sophie
Sleeping Beauty: Lauren
Little Flirt: Sophie 
Singing Baby: Lauren
I've been home for only a few days, and I miss these little girls so much! They have an aunt that is so in love with them. My only problem right now is that they literally have EVERYTHING they could possibly need/want, so I can't even spoil them rotten yet! I had the best time with them and realized while I was in Colorado that there is NO way that I am waiting til July to see them again. I'm just gonna suck it up and get myself a serious frequent flyer account and go see these little squirts every 6-8 weeks for this spring/summer. They literally grow right before your very eyes. Sophie caught up with Lauren in weight and as of last Wednesday they both weighed in at 7 lbs, 3 oz. I think Tina said it's about an ounce a day that they grow!
The Vardos (minus Tina - the photographer)
As I was thinking about coming home, I was excited about getting started on the "real" training. I was ready for a long run in Minneapolis with Roehr and to do some bike shopping in Long Lake. Of course, things didn't workout quite as I would have liked. As I was in the airport leaving Vail, I got word that my grandfather had passed away eariler that morning. My plans changed from Minneapolis to Burlington. Plus the weather decided to prove that winter was not in any way over with yet. In Iowa, I was greeted with a bunch of snow and temps from -10 to 10 above, with 10-20 mph winds. Not exactly my ideal running conditions. So, I hit the treadmill for 4 miles on Friday after work and the bike in the basement for rides of 45 minutes (Saturday morning) and 90 minutes (Sunday afternoon). It wasn't ideal, but I figured I'd start fresh on Monday morning.
I bravely set my alarm for 5am, so I'd have time to snooze once before getting to the pool at 5:30am. I never realized how cold the house is at that hour, til I had to try to convience myself to get out of my warm cozy bed. I did it, though, and got to the pool in time to walk in with another IM Wisconsin athlete (done it twice in the past and doing it again this year). Bad news when we got inside and found no lifeguard. Bitter is the best word to describe me at that point! We waited around til 6am then gave up. I went home and changed into some running clothes and went into work to run on the treadmill.
I finally got my swim workout in over lunch, but the pool was so packed it was hard to get even part of a lane. My schedule was for 2500 yards, which is about 1000-1200 yards more than what I've been doing for the last 3 months, and I about died after the main set. I ended up cutting out the second set of drills and wound up with 2100 yards. It took me about 50 minutes to do that and I was pretty well pooped. It would have just ended up being a sloppy workout after that point, so I called it good.
Now, I'm just tired: both from the early morning and the harder than usual swim workout. I am looking forward to the rest of the week and getting some training under my belt. It's another busy week in the life of this triathlete!
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Babies, Babies, and More Babies
I am in Vail, and loving every minute I get to spend with these great nieces of mine. I'm also really enjoying spending so much time with Steve and Tina (they may not feel the same way...they're probably ready to get rid of me!). For five weeks, I've been so excited to see these girls, and they haven't let me down! Actually when Steve and I first got home from getting me at the airport, I laid eyes on these little precious beings and promptly started to cry. They are so beautiful and cute and cuddly!
Steve and I went skiing yesterday. I think we rode every lift on the mountain. Steve did a great job of showing me some great runs. I got a workout for sure, just not the usual type that I am used to. Thankfully, my legs aren't sore and other than the altitude, I feel great. Steve volunteered to give my legs a thorough anaerobic workout on the slopes, but I declined, as Ironman training is rarely anaerobic, especially in this early stage of training.
My job as aunt/baby helper this week has been much easier than I thought it would be. Since Tina is an integral part of each feeding (she produces the food!), I've had the opportunity to get plenty of sleep. Their crying in the next room hasn't bothered my sleep at all! My shift is 6am to 9am. I get the little snuggle bunnies right when they awake, and then I give them breakfast. We take our time getting into the swing of the day while Tina gets a couple more hours of sleep or just time to herself. They just want to cuddle and be cute first thing in the morning.
I've had the opportunity to change a couple poopie diapers, give LOTS of bottle, but mainly just love on these babies! Steve and Tina had a chance to go out for a pre-Valentine's Day dinner last night. Sophie and Lauren and I had a great time without them!
Steve and Tina's friends came over yesterday. They have 4 month old twins, a boy and a girl. I think S&T about had a heart attack (as did I) when we looked at the "little" boy twin. He weighed a whopping 18 pounds!! He looked more like a 18 month old. Needless to say, he's been put on a bit of diet since his doctor found out how big he is!
Only about 40 hours left with these little nuggets of goodness. I can't believe that I have to leave them! But, thank goodness for email and digital cameras, I can keep in touch!!
Steve and I went skiing yesterday. I think we rode every lift on the mountain. Steve did a great job of showing me some great runs. I got a workout for sure, just not the usual type that I am used to. Thankfully, my legs aren't sore and other than the altitude, I feel great. Steve volunteered to give my legs a thorough anaerobic workout on the slopes, but I declined, as Ironman training is rarely anaerobic, especially in this early stage of training.
My job as aunt/baby helper this week has been much easier than I thought it would be. Since Tina is an integral part of each feeding (she produces the food!), I've had the opportunity to get plenty of sleep. Their crying in the next room hasn't bothered my sleep at all! My shift is 6am to 9am. I get the little snuggle bunnies right when they awake, and then I give them breakfast. We take our time getting into the swing of the day while Tina gets a couple more hours of sleep or just time to herself. They just want to cuddle and be cute first thing in the morning.
I've had the opportunity to change a couple poopie diapers, give LOTS of bottle, but mainly just love on these babies! Steve and Tina had a chance to go out for a pre-Valentine's Day dinner last night. Sophie and Lauren and I had a great time without them!
Steve and Tina's friends came over yesterday. They have 4 month old twins, a boy and a girl. I think S&T about had a heart attack (as did I) when we looked at the "little" boy twin. He weighed a whopping 18 pounds!! He looked more like a 18 month old. Needless to say, he's been put on a bit of diet since his doctor found out how big he is!
Only about 40 hours left with these little nuggets of goodness. I can't believe that I have to leave them! But, thank goodness for email and digital cameras, I can keep in touch!!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Leaving on a Jet Plane...
I've been packing my bags for my trip to Colorado. I have to be careful not to call it a "vacation" because it won't be. And, that's not what I want it to be either, truth be told. I'm looking forward to being a diaper-changer, a baby-feeder, bottle-preparer, a house-keeper, a dinner-maker - anything I can do to allow Tina and Steve some rest and make this fun, but tiring time for them a little eaiser. And as Steve told me in an email tonight: "Get some sleep before you come - none to be had here!"
Most of all, I just can't wait to see these little people. My mom says they have some pretty unique personalities. Lauren is a screamer, but only when she's wet, hungry, or being changed. Sophie is a noisy little girl, too, but only happy noises!
Training will be pretty non-existant from Sunday thru Thursday. I've been struggling with getting up for training this week. Everything is still going well, but my motivation is low. Having this break will be great for me mentally. I'll be ready to come back and hit it hard next weekend. I get back to Iowa on Thursday afternoon, and Friday Sparkle and I head to Minneapolis for some R&R with the girls. Roehr and I have already planned on a 8-mile run during the weekend.
Iowa weather has again reared it's ugly head. This morning it was 1 degree at 7am in Ames. So, rather than taking a run, I rode the Cannondale on the trainer for 45 minutes. I'm not planning any workout for tomorrow, beyond what I do teaching class tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to get 5-6 miles in on Saturday morning before I head to Des Moines to check out the DM Tri Club's Tri Expo. I'm not really sure what all will be happening there, but I'll let you know!
Most of all, I just can't wait to see these little people. My mom says they have some pretty unique personalities. Lauren is a screamer, but only when she's wet, hungry, or being changed. Sophie is a noisy little girl, too, but only happy noises!
Training will be pretty non-existant from Sunday thru Thursday. I've been struggling with getting up for training this week. Everything is still going well, but my motivation is low. Having this break will be great for me mentally. I'll be ready to come back and hit it hard next weekend. I get back to Iowa on Thursday afternoon, and Friday Sparkle and I head to Minneapolis for some R&R with the girls. Roehr and I have already planned on a 8-mile run during the weekend.
Iowa weather has again reared it's ugly head. This morning it was 1 degree at 7am in Ames. So, rather than taking a run, I rode the Cannondale on the trainer for 45 minutes. I'm not planning any workout for tomorrow, beyond what I do teaching class tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to get 5-6 miles in on Saturday morning before I head to Des Moines to check out the DM Tri Club's Tri Expo. I'm not really sure what all will be happening there, but I'll let you know!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
The Calm Before the Storm
Yesterday I spent the morning and part of the afternoon at our triathlon clinic. Nick, my friend who works for Carmichael Training Systems in Colorado Springs, did our (and his old) triathlon club a HUGE favor and came back to Ames to lead the clinic. He did an awesome job and we had a great turnout - very good for our club! We learned about how to set up a training program, race week and race day nutrition, and, most beneficial to me, using heart rate for training. To ascertain our lactate thresholds, we had to do a most painful trial on the track. Thankfully, we got permission to use the Lied Rec Center track so that we didn't have to run outside. The trial consisted of an 8-minute run as fast as we could sustain for the entire 8 minutes. It was not a lot of fun, especially with the desert-like air in the Rec - kept me coughing the rest of the day. But, I was able to learn what my lactate threshold heart rate is (175) and how far I can run in 8 minutes (a little over a mile). That means that I can run a mile in about 7:20-7:30-ish. I think it's been years and years and years since I've run that fast (if ever). The truth of that is actually pretty brutal considering I was on the cross country team for 4 years in high school... but not too bad considering I've done zero speed work in years.
The other great parts of the day were getting reconnected with some friends from the tri club and meeting lots more athletes from the Ames area. I even had a couple of my personal training clients come and take away some very valuable information. There were 3-4 athletes there who had done IM Wisconsin in the last couple years, and I picked their brains quite a bit. I also reconnected with some great women triathletes who I'm planning on training with at points throughout the summer. We are all in the same age group (drats!), but get along great and will push each other to improve.
It was a pretty cold day yesterday and the blowing wind did not help. I wanted to get a good long run in, so I talked one of the other participants into running with me. It turned out to be a pretty good run - longer and faster than I would have done on my own. Not too bad considering the nearly all-out effort from the clinic.
When I got back home, Sparkle had a surprise for me. She brought home the Cannondale IM600 from the bike store for me to try out on the trainer for a couple of days. It's a beautiful bike, and I think its just about the right size for me. With a little tweaking, it just might be my new bike! I rode it on the trainer today. It was a great ride, but the concrete saddle has got to go! It only took me a few minutes on it to realize just how much I LOVE the saddle on my road bike. I suffered through an hour workout, but before my next trial, I'll be swapping saddles...
This is my final week of training before the week of "rest" in Colorado. From my mom's experience in Vail, it doesn't sound like rest is truely what the experience will entail. The girls (and therefore all in the house) are on a strict 3-hour feeding schedule. Then the big stuff starts!!
The other great parts of the day were getting reconnected with some friends from the tri club and meeting lots more athletes from the Ames area. I even had a couple of my personal training clients come and take away some very valuable information. There were 3-4 athletes there who had done IM Wisconsin in the last couple years, and I picked their brains quite a bit. I also reconnected with some great women triathletes who I'm planning on training with at points throughout the summer. We are all in the same age group (drats!), but get along great and will push each other to improve.
It was a pretty cold day yesterday and the blowing wind did not help. I wanted to get a good long run in, so I talked one of the other participants into running with me. It turned out to be a pretty good run - longer and faster than I would have done on my own. Not too bad considering the nearly all-out effort from the clinic.
When I got back home, Sparkle had a surprise for me. She brought home the Cannondale IM600 from the bike store for me to try out on the trainer for a couple of days. It's a beautiful bike, and I think its just about the right size for me. With a little tweaking, it just might be my new bike! I rode it on the trainer today. It was a great ride, but the concrete saddle has got to go! It only took me a few minutes on it to realize just how much I LOVE the saddle on my road bike. I suffered through an hour workout, but before my next trial, I'll be swapping saddles...
This is my final week of training before the week of "rest" in Colorado. From my mom's experience in Vail, it doesn't sound like rest is truely what the experience will entail. The girls (and therefore all in the house) are on a strict 3-hour feeding schedule. Then the big stuff starts!!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Internet Porn
I spent part of my afternoon looking at porn on the internet. Not REAL porn mind you, but BIKE porn. There are some incredibly beautiful tri bikes out there. And, it is very fun to shop for them. Not quite as exciting to actually pay for them, just exciting to look at them. I go through these stages where I am pretty sure I know what I want, then I see something else and I change my mind. I think I've got it narrowed down a little bit. I've narrowed it down to three brands, though not quite down to the models yet. Today's top three are (in no particular order): Cannondale, Quintana Roo, and Cervelo. I am still really counting on the trip to Gear West in Minneapolis in a couple weeks to aid in the decision-making process. Between getting on the bikes and the balance in my checking account, I should have a bike in about a month!
Sparkle and I took advantage of the near 50 degree temps today and went for a 5 mile run after work. We went out at a very relaxed pace and we both felt GREAT at the end. Actually, I felt like I could do the whole course again. My heart rate was great and everything, including my hamstring, felt good.
In other news, I finally got my new digital camera. I haven't had the time (or reason) to take any pictures yet, so I don't have anything to show as of yet. But, with the upcoming trip to see Sophie and Lauren, I'll need to get a little practice so I can return with lots of fabulous baby pictures. And, hopefully, some great mountain scenery taken from the slopes!
Sparkle and I took advantage of the near 50 degree temps today and went for a 5 mile run after work. We went out at a very relaxed pace and we both felt GREAT at the end. Actually, I felt like I could do the whole course again. My heart rate was great and everything, including my hamstring, felt good.
In other news, I finally got my new digital camera. I haven't had the time (or reason) to take any pictures yet, so I don't have anything to show as of yet. But, with the upcoming trip to see Sophie and Lauren, I'll need to get a little practice so I can return with lots of fabulous baby pictures. And, hopefully, some great mountain scenery taken from the slopes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
