Friday, June 10, 2011

Leading up to Race Number Two this Season

Hi Everyone,

Well, Sunday I will be racing alongside (more so behind) Wes at the Westpoint Lake Triathlon in LaGrange, GA (map).  The past month has been kinda a bear.  Sure school has gotten in the way, but we have talked down that path before.  The real issue has been my left foot.  I finally got out on it for a mile yesterday, and hit it pretty hard (7:33/mi) for the first time out again in a few weeks.  I have only run 4 times since last race.  After the 1 mile run I hit up the trainer for about 45 minutes.  Tonight I am going to try to run again.  I am most likely going to run at the gym for a mile after I get out of the pool.  I will most likely only do a mile, maybe a mile and a half depending on how it feels.

During lunch I am going to go pick up my race packet at Roswell Bicycles.  I have not been to that store in some time.  I usually go there only when I am not finding things at my usual bike stores, or if I happen to be in the area.

(Fast forward to Friday....)

Funny how that happens when you get caught up with stuff and then a day goes by.  Did some window shopping after picking up my race packet, but did not buy anything.  Took my Internal Audit exam last night and I think I did very well on the exam.  I should know the results of the exam by tomorrow.  The race packet was kinda so so, except for the fact the bag was a reusable shopping bag rather than a mini zip cord backpack.  I have about 15 of those now, I don't need anymore, thank you :)  The only other really cool thing was the nutrition swag that came in the bag.  2 packets of Hammer Gel (and not Apple Cinnamon again), 1 mini Larabar, Cliff Shot Blocks, and something else.  I don't even need to worry about nutrition for the race now :D 

Got a swim and a bike tonight.  Do all 3 tomorrow (short, high intensity), and then race day Sunday!  Looking forward to it!  Hope all of you have a great weekend!

Friday, June 03, 2011

Two weeks down (or more likely behind), twenty-two more to go

Happy Friday Everyone!

Instead of spending the entire blog talking about what is happening in the tri world today, I am gonna just work on me today (actually something I try to do every day).  I am about 50% done reading through all of your blogs and I have about another 4 hours till I have access to all my systems (month end close), I think I can get all this blogging stuff done by then. 

So after my last post, I was able to get in a few runs with no pain.  All of these runs were 2.5 miles or less. I even had a few days spaced between each run (along with my regular swimming and cycling workouts).  The third run that comes up, last Sunday morning, my foot decided to act up again.  So it was two weeks off cold turkey with RICE and calf stretching, oh and rolling golf ball on the bottom of my foot.  Then run, two days off, repeat, and third time is not a charm.  I really need to go on the GA Multisport website to see what their transfer policy is.  I really wanna do this race, but a 10K at then end of the race might not be the best thing for me.  I have not run on the foot since Sunday, and the pain subsided faster since Sunday than the first round about three weeks ago.  I am gonna go on a one mile run this evening on a track and see how it works out.  The track also helps because the original injury run and the run this past Sunday I was literally at the turn around point when the pain started and so I had to head back walk/jogging from the furthest point away from my car.  Depending on what the transfer policy is, and how my foot feels over the weekend, I will make my decision by Monday.

As for my Ironman training, my program is in full swing.  Two weeks down, and I am already behind.  Reason #1, haven't really been able to run.  That's ok, there are 22 weeks remaining before the race.  Reason #2 is what really concerns me.  School has been a bear this summer so far.  Instead of having just a few exams in each class, we have projects, projects, projects.  So something is due ALL of the time, EVERY week.  There is one class where we don't even have exams.  We have an hour long "quiz" each class and then 4 projects throughout the summer.  Yes, yes, I put this upon myself, but why in the last semester that the program decided to throw exams out the window was beyond me.  Oh well, will have to adapt. Anyways, the point of number two was that I have had to skip some key workouts to study.  And as for Memorial Day weekend, well I am just writing that off as a 3 day weekend I needed away from everything. 

My solution for this came to me as I was reading Curly Su's most recent post this morning.  A number of years ago I had a pretty serious triathlon schedule and I was working two jobs at the time as well.  I literally had my schedule planned down to the hour every day.  Now that is not to say I followed it 100% of the time, but at times I did make changes and move things around in case I had other obligations to attend to, or just wanted to switch workouts around so I could fit other things into my schedule (personal time, hanging out with friends, etc) as well.  So we are gonna head back out on that plan and see how it works out.  Nothing set in stone, but unless there is something pressing, the rule will be, "follow the schedule!"

Not too much else is going on right now.  Going to tomorrow morning's class session rather than the afternoon because it is going to be beautiful this weekend, and I have been sleeping in again too much lately/going to bed too late at night, so I would rather do the morning session rather than chance sleeping in and then not getting out of class till 5pm.  As for the rest of the weekend, it will be comprised of studying, training, and hanging out with a few friends :)

Well let me get on to reading the rest of your blogs while I am rolling the golf ball on my messed up foot :S

You guys/gals have a great weekend!