PRODUCTIVE SATURDAY!

It was an incredibly productive house and training day!! I will sleep like a rock tonight, I think, but very satisfied. After the great swim I knocked out this morning I did get tons of housework done. Lots of stuff sorted, the office all put together, a closet all cleaned out, and more! Things I really, really, really needed to do and are finally done! Just a few more things I will need to knock out before the place is ready to hit the thankfully still booming Killeen market. Then I headed out on my afternoon brick (bike/run). I did the first 10 miles on a very hilly course that requires a lot of work, and the 17+mph NNW winds tried to get the better of me. The out was nice and not too bad on the wind, but the back was tough. I then transitioned to the neighborhood routes so I could work against the wind and not have continuous hills, but still some good inclines and declines. I had nearly convinced myself, after nearly blowing over a few times, that I didn't need to do a full 2 hour ride, it'd be okay...but I was determined to not let the wind get the best of me like yesterday. Instead I focused on a tight aero position (I'm sooo comfortable in my aero bars now, it's great) and just pushed against the wind. Never got it fast on the back, but did hit some less windy spots. After finding that getting mad at the wind wasn't working, I tapped into my stubborn side (I'm a red-head, what can I say), instead the thought I focused on was that the woman that would beat me wouldn't let wind stop her, she'd do her 2 hours regardless--so I did too. Then I had a quick 20min run and even keeping my HR in zone 1 I was able to keep a 7:45 avg pace. My legs felt normal much sooner than they previously have after biking. So, I had a good 3 hour 20 min of total training today--that's a good tri training day. I got to wish some of my Ironman Arizona competitor friends well on the phone, and then made a great, but simple dinner: baked salsa chicken breast, a spicy cous cous/garbanzo/black bean side dish, and a delicious fresh salad with mango habenero dressing! So good!! I suppose I should clean the kitchen now.

GODSPEED IMAZ RACERS- Joe, Liz, Marcy, Steve, Clint, Aaron, and more!! You inspire me!

Getting it done!

Happy Saturday! I am getting work done today, seriously! I know I'm typing this right now, but I type quickly, really!! I had a great night of sleep and didn't even wake up until about 7AM! Wow, I haven't slept that late on my own in ages! I wasn't sure if I wanted to hit the pool this morning, but I pushed past the mental laziness and got out there and had one of the best/fastest sets I've ever had. My lats and hips finally got synched right, good rotation, and good pull. Now, I have to hold onto that! I've already knocked out several things around the house and intend to do much more before going on a bike ride this afternoon.

I am so grateful for technology when it comes to staying in touch with people. Otherwise, I know I wouldn't be as "connected" to some of my dear friends as I am. This especially comes in handy with those West Point classmates of mine as we're spread out all over the nation and the world. It's really incredible how, in the past few years, so many of us have, on our own, jumped into the running and triathlon racing scene. I think we need to get a "reunion race" together at some point where we all link up and spend a weekend together and race together. I think it would be a wonderful time. Something to work on for sure.

Time to go finish up the housework so I can get that brick (bike/run) in today!

Friday, Friday

Another Friday where I don't have to work! Woohoo! I will never complain about those! Last night I got a 10 mile run in, which is the longest I've gone since the marathon, and I felt good. Better yet, I did it sockless and only have a couple of hot spots on the arch of my left foot, and my right foot had no issues. Hopefully it won't take to long at all to get used to the sockless bit and I'll have just saved myself some valuable time in transition! Now I gotta get used to putting the bike shoes on with them already clipped into the bike, and then get my feet out of them for the dismount too. One at a time!

Today I'll be going to go on a 26 mile or so bike ride with a friend, and the weather looks GREAT (albeit windy), so I'm excited about it. Then it is a must, must, must get some house things accomplished and probably call some realty agencies to set up interviews and see who should sell my house. Fun, I know. I have to get it done though because I'd like to sell my house without any problems this summer. I need to do some cooking this weekend too, and it's been far to long since I've posted a recipe, so I will do that too!

I have several friends that are racing IronMan Arizona this weekend, and I'm so excited! So, to Joe, Liz, Marcy, Steve, Aaron, Clint, and more--Godspeed on Sunday as you conquer those 140.6 miles!

Played around with some pictures today! Here is 2008 in the races thus far!

Ready to move on...

Another boring day at the office, though I did get some of the necessary paperwork complete that I need so I can get my orders so I can become a civilian/weekend warrior come the end of July. Cameron-Brooks (headhunter company) just finished their April career conference yesterday, and I’m really interested to find out how some of the guys I met here did on the interviews and where they will finally settle on jobs. The next one is mine! Oh my! I really need to crack down on some of my preparation. I have some questions I still need to finish and probably review these much more often now. I didn’t imagine I’d be job hunting at this point in my life, but then again, you never really know where life will take you. One day you think you have it all planned out, and as the famous saying goes (not sure who said it) “Man plans, God laughs.” The good thing is, it was all my choice at what I feel was His urging, and I am looking forward (anxious to say the least) to seeing what type of job I will have come August and just as important, where I will be living. Of course, I have completely decided that I would love to live in Austin. It is a beautiful city, it is a cultured city, it is an active city, and it’s near a lot of major places in Texas. So, if I had my choice, that’s where I would end up. But, I really have no idea. I’d like to stay in Texas for sure (not West Texas though), but am definitely open to some other locations. But, I need to be able to get outside year round wherever I live…so places like the mid-west and NE that are STILL getting snow here in April—not a chance. I think I would go insane. I'd rather deal with heat. My body still functions in heat, it doesn't in cold! Plus, now that I have gotten a taste of riding on the road vs. riding on the trainer, I just can't imagine horribly long winters!

I had my longest swim set ever today--3775! Granted, I have other just as long and longer in the future, but it feels good to have done it. It was a mental thing at first, not that I can't do it, I can, just sometimes I get lazy and have to push deeper to get it done. Once I do, it's easier the next time. Swims are early mornings though--typical a 4:20AM wake up so I can be at the pool when it opens at 5AM. I hoped to ride outside today, but the whole area is blanketed with rain. Yuck. So, it's a trainer ride tonight. Friday-Sunday looks nice though, so I'll hit the road with some good riding and some good running--and I'm going to get some final stuff done in the house that I need to do! I cannot wait to get my table and chairs I ordered.

HR and No Socks!

I’ve been absent for a few days, I know. This weekend I got a lot of great bike riding in outside and have really had a boost of confidence in the bike, and maybe a drop in confidence on the swim. Thankfully, the run still feels good. Though, I realized how much more I need to increase my bike fitness as my legs were completely fatigued yesterday evening when I tried to run! Oh well, what I got in was good and this morning my legs aren’t beat. I am starting two new things with my training: Heart Rate (HR) training (at least for the run right now, bike will follow with some increased bike fitness) and sock-less training. The HR has been proven to work for many and should help me not just go hard everytime I run and instead train my body more specifically to be more efficient and increase endurance. It’ll require some discipline from me, but should have good results. The sock-less thing may sound odd, but I can’t tell you how much time it seems to take to put socks on during transition! I don’t need them for the bike really, the shoes I have can go fine by themselves and they don’t rub me at all. Not only that, but coming out of the swim to the bike, having wet feet just makes the socks wet, and they stay wet, which is no good. Then, from bike to run, well, putting socks on takes time…time I’d rather not use. So, if I can harden my feet up enough, then I can just slip on the shoes and GO. So, we’ll see how it goes and how many blisters, if any, I have to endure. I did 2 miles this morning with no issues. My shoes will stink though…though my family would say that’s nothing new!

I am so competitive sometimes! There is a lady my same age, maybe a year younger, that started tri’s last year I think, qualified for Boston on her first marathon in December with a time about a 1 minute slower than me, and who is training for Ironman Kentucky this year. Anyhow, she trains with the coach I use for swimming, and she is very dedicated and is a great athlete. She did the Half-Iron distance in Galveston, and did, in my opinion, really well…times I would love to post for Longhorn. Anyhow, I went out with a local bike club for a 30 mile ride on Sunday, and lo and behold, she is there as well. I really wanted to stay up with here more than I did, but it was good motivation. Not that I want to “beat her” as her fitness level is above mine right now in probably everything but the run, but I want to get to where she is (and yes, probably eventually beat her in some race, haha! I was glad she did the ½ when I did the ¼ or then it would’ve been on, and she might have won), so it’ll be some good motivation for future rides, etc. Motivation is always good—and being competitive means there is ALWAYS motivation! I love it!

Here are some photos from the LoneStar 1/4 Iron Tri: