Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Run, Swim, Bike

Running:
The run/no walk plan is going well. Three runs, three miles each, and no walking. And the pace wasn't too shabby either.
Friday: 11:13 min. miles
Sunday: 10:38
Tuesday: 10:53

I decided I need to do some kind of "speed" work, so on Tuesday tried to run the 2nd mile harder than the first or the third. What is that, a tempo run? Is it 1x1600?? I dunno what it's called in runner lingo. I did it though.
11:10
9:55
11:30

Will this help? Don't know that either! I'm trying to run every other day, which means on some days I have to do TWO things. Brutal.

Swimming:
I'm taking a swim class at American University with my tri club, which I equally dread and look forward to. It's a 7-session class. The first night we learned to curl into a ball and not breathe and find our "dry spot." Then you extend arms and legs out and try to keep the dry spot. You find your balance by pushing your chest down and keeping your head down so your ass isn't dragging. (It's a lot to remember!) The second night we learned how to do drills on our side. You turn on your right side, extend your right arm out, turn your head to face the bottom of the pool, and your left arm stays straight along the left side of your body. Now kick sideways to get to the other end of the pool. Then you reverse and do it the other way. Oh and when you breathe, you have to look at the ceiling yet keep your forehead in the water.

Don't ask me, I just follow instructions! But I did get some funny looks when I practiced on my own.

Here's what's we're learning:
1 Thursday, July 31st Posture/Line/Balance

2 Sunday, August 3rd Review, Rotation/Recovery/Breathing

3 Thursday, August 7th Review, Pulling /Acceleration / Sculling

4 Sunday, August 10th Review, Kicking / Turns

5 Thursday, August 14th Review, Use of Equipment

6 Sunday, August 17th Review, Use of Equipment / Energy Systems

7 Thursday, August 21st Review, Starts/Race Strategy/ Other Strokes

Bike:
I had my first flat this morning! I got up extra early so I could get a good hour in before the traffic started up. Five miles out I got a flat, which curiously feels pretty much like a flat on a car feels. No problem-o! I have all the equipment, along with the superior knowledge needed, including two CO2 CO2 cartridges, in order to change a simple flat. Ha. I had however never actually used CO2 CO2 cartridges. Somehow they deployed by looking at them. Lucky for me Number One Daughter was home and came out to pick me up at 6:40 with a smile on her face (NOT). Changed tire at work, no ride today!

Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide what to do next.

Saturday is another training tri (have mercy). The Annapolis Tri on Sept 7 has been turned into a swim/run, so that's out, which is just as well since I was only on the waiting list.

There's this on Sept. 7:
Patriot's International, Williamsburg, but I wrote to the director to ask about cut-off times, and it's 4 hours, with a 3-hour cut off for the swim and bike together. I THINK I can make it!

And this, on Sept. 28, which sounds like total fun (except for the swimming, biking and running part):

Naylor's Beach Triathlon
, which claims, "The post race food is way above average: crab cakes, BBQ, tofu burgers are among the usual menu suspects! 2 additional awards are the best dressed tri outfit award and the connector award." (A connector award?)

And I'd like to toss some road races in there somewhere.

So many races, so little time.

18 comments:

peter said...

That was such a cool run, with that tempo pace in the middle! The rest I don't know about. I never had to call a kid (ha!) to come pick me up b/cI blew out a flipflop (Asic). Careful with those CO2 cans. Sounds suspiciously like what Army was trying to prevent in 2006 when they put all those onerous rules into place for their 10-miler (you know, no GUs, no water, no fanny packs, etc....we're safer now after 7.5 years, right?) Your new trinity training sounds so cool--but also like a juggling act trying to get everthing in. What did Frederick the Great say? He who defends everything, defends nothing? Ahh, what do I know, I'm just a staid runner.

Bree at Clarity Defined said...

I just discovered your blog on BlogHer, I'm excited to read more... CO2 can be tricky (thankfully I had a Coach that made me use one during our tire changing clinic).

Danielle in Iowa in Ireland said...

I'm gonna go all scientist on you and point out that oxygen isn't squared in CO2, rather there are two oxygens, so there is a 2 subscript, not a superscript :-)

Okay, I'm still trying to figure out the mechanics of keeping ones forehead in the water while looking at the ceiling! That sounds impossible!

jeanne said...

thank god i have scientists reading this thing!

Vickie said...

Jeanne, your training is going VERY well. I don't see a problem making that 4 hour cutoff--unless you get a flat! Keep at it!

Thomas said...

Now I don't like swimming, and I'm slow on the bike, but that Naylor's Beach Triathlon could tempt me if the food is as good as it sounds.

21stCenturyMom said...

TriJunkie!! YES!! I knew it would happen.

Your swim class sounds awesome.

And that running thing - also awesome.

Lesser is More said...

I wish my schedule would have worked with that swim class. I definitely need it!

So what happened to Savageman? If you are looking for something a little tamer, Patriots should be nice. I'm doing that half and the course for all distances looks to be pretty flat. You'll finish before the cutoff.

Xena said...

Sandman! Come do Sandman!

Beach, sunshine, Navy guys, beach ...

Only an hour further south than Patriots, and they won't make you bike on exposed agregate roads ...

Anonymous said...

Don't mess around with your swimming too much. I think it's like trying to change your stride. But, what do I know. I breath on one side and I"m sticking to it.

ShirleyPerly said...

Nice job on those runs!! At this stage of the game, I wouldn't worry too much about whether you're running tempo pace or whatever. Just push the pace once in a while (not all the time!) and you'll get faster.

And great to hear you're taking some swim lessons! Since you're fairly new to swimming and haven't probably got many "bad habits", the best thing you can do for yourself is learn to breathe comfortably on both sides (bilateral breathing), which is what you're learning. It will help you swim straighter and is very useful for sighting in tris or the many times you may miss getting a breath on one side due to waves, someone splashing or whatever.

Susan said...

You're one busy TRIATHLETE, Jeanne!

And a FAST runner, I must say. Yowsa!

LBTEPA said...

If I dodn't know better I'd think this was a triathlete's blog...BWAHAHAHA! You WILL cross to the dark side!!

Anonymous said...

Walking, not running is an evil drug, for me too Today I had a brick workout: 2 hour bike followed by a 1 hour run. My legs were killing me while they transitioned and yet when I stopped to walk the pain actually *increased*. So I began to run again, and I tell you even knowing that the pain would get worse, I longed to stop and walk.....which I did half a mile later and you know what? The pain got worse, just like I knew it would.

Trihardist said...

The tri is an olympic distance? I think you can make that, based on what I've been reading here for the last few days. If you can swim, bike, and run the distances, I think it's achievable :-)

Jade Lady said...

You're a tri machine! Definitely will be following you on your race adventures - in hopes that they may inspire me to tri harder!

Rae said...

Good luck with the swim classes! They really helped us a lot when we took them (of course continuing to practice would've been a good idea too!!!)

So, are you focusing more on tris now and less on marathons?

Anonymous said...

A triathlon-prep swim class? I need to take a beginner swim class because I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM!!! It's so, so sad...