Spinning Workout: Eli

Hard as it is to believe, I have a new spinning workout for my faithful following. This is another workout that I created as a custom workout for a client. But he never paid for the workout, so you all get to enjoy it (and I get to continue focusing on the commissioned workouts I'm making)!

ALSO!

I am running a special on my stock workouts (those are the workouts that I've already produced for other people). Normally I offer these workouts for $12.50 for 45 minutes, $15 for 60 minutes, $17.50 for 75 minutes, and $20 for 90 minutes. HOWEVER! For the rest of December, I'm offering five of my favorites for $10 each (UPDATE: I realized too late that this wasn't clear before!). So you can stock up for whatever winter holiday you celebrate, or you can stock up for those long, indoor training rides over the winter (those of you who are in the Southern Hemisphere, you are also welcome to stock up, even though you don't have to worry about snow right now)! These are the workouts I'm offering:

#6: "Quickie" - 30 minutes of cadence and climbing work, suitable for when you just need a little pick-me-up workout (full disclosure: this workout is normally $10 anyway)
#9: "Rolling Hills" - 45 minutes of standing and seated climbing
#14: "Intensity!" - 60 minutes of hard hill climbing and intervals
#20: "Upbeat Workout" - 60 minutes designed to burn calories off your hibernating butt!
#21: "Big Climbs" - A 90 minute workout that has two monstrous climbs, each about 45 minutes long. One of my favorites!

If you'd like to take advantage of my generosity, shoot me an e-mail. I use PayPal for payment, and DropBox for delivery.

Spinning Workout #23: Eli

Runner's High: Blisters

See my cute little blister? I got that while running the half marathon on Sunday. It looked a lot worse right after the race. Now it's in the shape of a heart! It's as if it's saying, "I love running!"

What a magical feeling. Even my blisters love to run!

Race Report: Wichita Prairie Fire 1/2 Marathon

You guys didn't even know I was training for a half marathon, did you? Well, neither did my body, at times. Have to admit, I wasn't too concerned with training in general. I put my long runs in, but didn't do much running beyond that. I certainly wasn't that committed to my program. I had the goal of running under two hours this time, but wasn't really putting in the time to achieve it.

Race morning I overslept a little bit, and wound up rushing through a morning routine. Put lube all over my feet (not enough, it turns out). Grabbed a race belt for my number and ate some oatmeal and a fried egg. My running buddy picked me up, and we were out the door for downtown Wichita. We jogged across the bridge over the Arkansas River (which looks more like a meadow, right now), got a cup of coffee (Prairie Fire, the main sponsor, is a local coffee roaster and distributor), and went to stand in line for a dozen port-a-johns. There were a dozen port-a-johns, and the race directors were expecting around 4,000 people. Anyone else see a problem with that?

So we stood in line for a good 30 minutes, and got out of the toilets just in time to start the race on time. It was a close call, though. I was stripping my jacket off as we ran, and fortunately saw my dad on the sideline, waiting to start the 5k. He was kind enough to babysit my jacket for the duration of the half marathon. And then I plugged in my headphones and got to work, side-by-side with my running buddy.

I sped away within the first mile, trying to cut through the crowds, fully aware that I should slow down and bide my time. But I hate being behind people! So I took off and ditched my running buddy. She caught me up at around mile 3, going steady the whole time. We made it until somewhere between miles 4 and 5 together, then there was a hill, and I just felt like pushing it, knowing (again) that I was going to pay for it later.

And it was in college hill that things started to get tough. My calves had already been tight, but that was starting to fade. But somewhere after mile 5, where I usually start to feel really good, I ended up with a tough cramp in my left psoas (deep in the front of the hip). I ran through it, and it spread to my right quadratus lumborem (low back). I found that if I breathed deeply and engaged my transverse abdominus (deep belly) on my exhale, it went away. And I kept running.

I kind of hit a very short second wind around mile 6 (I think it was my first gel kicking in), but it didn't carry me very far. I took another gel somewhere around mile 9, and was feeling good by mile 10, ready to push it in the last 5k. Miles 11 and 12 went really well. Then the wheels came off. I was suffering, with just a mile left to go, and my body just wouldn't work anymore. Both my psoas cramped, my low back cramped, my middle back cramped, my shoulders cramped, my diaphragm cramped. I could hardly breathe the pain was so sharp and so bad.

I slowed to a walk a couple of different times. The pain was just too bad, and I couldn't make my body do it anymore. My iPod was telling me, "He will make a way where there is no way / He will bring His peace where there is no peace." I took my headphones out. I found that I could concentrate better that way.

I passed the 13 mile marker and checked my watch. 1:59:31. I had to run a 5 minute mile pace to meet my goal. I was doing well just to keep running. I managed to run strong across the line in 2:00:31, just 31 seconds shy of my goal. And I felt just fine about that.

I grabbed a bottle of water and a mylar blanket, even though I was burning up, and staggered in the direction of the medical tent, barely able to stand from the pain of the cramping. I figured I'd hang out there for a while, just in case. I managed to get both shoes off, and discovered a big, bloody blister the size of a quarter in my left instep. The right instep had a blister, too, but no blood. I eventually just laid down on one of the cots in the medical tent, and felt immediately better since my psoas weren't being tasked with holding up my whole body anymore.

My dad found me and congratulated me and showed appropriate pity for my disgusting blisters. He also gave me a Gatorade protein recovery drink that they'd given him after his 5k (which ended up being more like a 5 mile run, because the course wasn't properly marked and the lead cyclist missed the turn) and he hadn't needed. I made myself drink that, then managed to leave the med tent and start staggering around to look for my running buddy, who had passed me in that last mile and left me in the dust. She was looking and feeling great (she's still in great shape from taking 4th in her age group at Vineman)!

I'm going to try again to go under 2 hours in the spring at the Wichita Half Marathon. I think it will be a cinch, if I actually train and nail my nutrition. I don't know what I need to do differently with the nutrition, but I assume that all that cramping was an indication that something was very wrong. So I need to dial that in a little better. I had water and Gatorade on the course, and took two gels. I felt well-hydrated going into the race, but obviously it could have been better in some respect. And I probably didn't pace myself as well as I should have. I think I would have been fine if I had just stuck with my buddy the whole time; I think I could have finished with her with no problem.

I do feel like I pushed my body absolutely as hard as I could on this particular day. The weather was cool and rainy and overcast, but a little humid. I would have liked it a little bit colder, actually. But it was a good day for a run. And the pain that I am in now tells me that I demanded a lot from my body, as much as I could. The Photographer was concerned that I was in so much pain (and grossed out by my blister), so I had to explain that for me this is actually a good thing!

And hey! I also set a new PR by almost two minutes!

Total: 2:00:32
Mile 1: 9:06
Mile 2: 9:10
Mile 3: 9:37 (stopped to walk an aid station)
Mile 4: 8:54
Mile 5: 9:15
Mile 6: 9:16
Mile 7: 9:07
Mile 8-9: 18:21 (never saw the 8 mile marker)
Mile 10: 9:12
Mile 11: 8:55 (picking it up for the last 5k!)
Mile 12: 9:09
Mile 13: 9:23
The last tenth: 1:02

Race Report: Derby Rock 'n' Route Tri 2011

What a great race! What a great day!

Pre-Race:

I couldn't sleep Saturday night because I was so excited! I woke up once at 12:45 and started getting ready. I looked at my watch and realized I could go back to sleep for another 4 hours. I woke up again at 2:00, and at 3:30. I couldn't wait to get ready to race!

Stopped for coffee at Quiktrip, and saw another athlete there. Ended up next to him in transition, which was first-come, first-served for space. The Photographer dropped me off, and I grabbed a good spot while she parked the car. I chose a spot by the run in from the swim with a straight shot to the bike out and run out. I grabbed an end spot, so I needn't worry about my bike getting in the way of other gear.

Number 53 is wearing the yellow swim cap.

No iPod, for this pre-race; I was focused on having a good time and talking to as many people as I could. I took my bike around the block once to make sure everything was working, and that I was in the right gear to begin. Didn't bother with a run warm up (because I didn't want to), but I did hop into the pool and swim a few laps (love Derby's long-course pool!) to get used to the water. I felt great--long smooth strokes, and completely relaxed.

While hanging out in transition, I'd spotted a super-athletic-looking girl and thought, "Uh-oh! There's my competition!" She ended up being seeded directly behind me for the swim I was 52, and she was Number 53. Even though I was mentally working myself up to give her the race of her life, I enjoyed talking to her while we waited in line for 1-51 to go.

Swim: 400m in 7:59 (~2:00/100m)

That's slower than I was hoping for, but oh well. Number 53 passed me sometime after 200m. Shortly after that, I got caught up in a clump of much slower swimmers . . . it was a mess, with a relatively slow swimmer trying to pass someone who had really underestimated their swim time. I lost at least 30 seconds to that mess. Still not nearly as bad as the melee that was Shawnee Mission, though!

T1: 41 seconds

Still got it!

Bike: 14 miles in 40:09 (20.9 MPH)

Number 53 took it out of me. She came out of transition about 100 yards up on me, and I spent the first 2 miles trying to catch her. She pushed me out of my comfort zone! I don't remember when I caught her--it took a few miles--and I tried to put the hammer down, to break her spirit. But I did NOT have the power to intimidate her. She was every bit as strong as I am, and I couldn't shake her. We spent the rest of the bike ride swapping places, until the last two miles, when I finally let her go. Immediately after, I settled into a good, steady pace. Maybe I should have done that at the beginning, but then I wouldn't have gotten to experience a good, hard race! 

A train stopped the race, at least for a few athletes. Although the race organizers had done everything in their power to stop trains for the morning of the race, a group of 8 or 9 got stopped by a long train on the bike course. I saw it coming from far away, and started slowing down. I figured if I was going to get caught by a train, then I wasn't going to bust my butt to pass Number 53 again! We would probably both get caught, but then I'd have gotten some more recovery time! Luckily for us, the train passed just as we were getting close to it; neither one of us got caught. In a totally unfair set of circumstances, Number 53 and I got to blow right by a bunch of cyclists who had been at a dead stop. So when you see that my bike time was 4th fastest out of all the women, you have to take that into account.

T2: 33 seconds

Heck yes!

Run: 5k in 27:45 (8:55/mile)

This is what I expected, in terms of running. It wasn't great, but good for where I'm at this season. My running took a hit this year, because I didn't have the base of two years ago. I was running more like 8:15 then. The run was hard, and it hurt, but that's how it's supposed to feel. I got some nasty blisters on the backs of my ankles; I forgot my Body Glide at home, and didn't put any on my shoes.

I did run this course much better than the last time I raced Rock 'n' Route. In the first mile, as I was running downhill, I reminded myself that I was going to have to run back uphill at the end, and to save some juice for the last half mile. I was able to ratchet up my pace as I came up the last hill, and it didn't seem as high or as long as it did last time because of it. The take-away lesson: know your course!

Total: 1:17:09, 6th F overall, 1st F 25-29

I had a blast at this race. My mantra on the run was "How are champions made, Jamie? By pushing through." By the end of the run, it was just, "Pushing through, pushing through, pushing through." And I felt like I did that, even if I didn't achieve my goal of finishing on the podium.

The Photographer and I spent a long time talking to Number 53 after the race. I think we were both able to push each other on the bike, although she definitely got the best of me. Unlike at El Dorado, I wasn't left with the feeling that I should have finished better than I did. I felt like I did my best on the day, and that the people who beat me did so because they were stronger and faster. It's a good feeling.

This is my last triathlon of the year. I know what I need to work on most: the run. I may be able to go faster on the bike, but it's already near the top of the field. I think I'll get more out of trying to balance my speed on the bike with some more speed on the run. I have it in me to run at least 25:00 for a 5k. I'm going to take it easy for the next couple weeks, then start gearing up for a half marathon in October.

Race Report: Shawnee Mission '11

This was the big one, the race I've been training for and targeting all season. I really restructured my training, this year, beginning much later than I normally do so that I would still feel fresh and motivated in July. I pre-rode and pre-ran the course the weekend before to remind myself what those hills and what that humidity really feel like. And, as usual, I had my family with me. No Photographer, though :-(.


Pre-Race
I've wised up over the years, and told my mom that I wanted to leave 15 minutes earlier than I actually wanted to leave. And it worked! We were heading out by 5:15 and at the race site by 5:30! I rode alone to transition. I was one of the first on my rack and set my stuff up just the way I like it. I got my timing chip (body marking was done by Tri Tats, which I used for the first time at this race. I loved them!), aired up my tires, and headed out for a gentle warm up on the 4.5 mile bike loop.


When I got back, someone had moved my stuff. Seriously. She had picked up my towel, my shoes, my hat, and my race belt, and moved it to the side. So I picked it up and moved it back where it belonged. "I think you're supposed to put your stuff on the opposite side your bike is facing," she might have said (it's been a week and a half, and I don't remember exactly). "I know," I replied. "I did." There was definitely some hostility. But you just don't move another person's stuff, not without asking. If she would have asked me to scooch it over a bit, I totally would have (and I did move my stuff to take up less space as the rack filled up). I felt perfectly justified, though, as I was one of the first to get in to set up my transition space AND I was in the right space, as marked on the bike rack.


I scoped out my rack to see my competition. I felt good about my chances of kicking some serious tri tail.


Swim: 1000 m in 21:34 (22:29 in '08)
I guess I still improved over my 2008 time, so it's not all bad. But the swim was definitely the low point of the race for me. I have been hitting my pool intervals at 1:35-1:45/100 m, so I was optimistic about how this swim would go. But then I got attacked by monster woman triathletes! They must have been mammoth! In fact, they may have been zombie triathletes from the year before, trying to drag me under to join their foul brood!


Okay, that's hyperbolic. But a few did literally grab me and pull me under. Not intentionally, of course; nothing like that happens intentionally in a triathlon. It just happens. But it was a rough swim in the first 300-400 m, and it really affected me mentally. I got so smashed around, it was hard to establish a rhythm. In fact, I didn't really find a rhythm until well past the turn-around, and even then I was more disoriented than usual. Through that, though, I was fortunate not to have too much negative self-talk. I just chalked it up to positioning myself poorly for the start, and vowed to make up for it on the bike. And I still came out twelfth in my wave, sixteenth swim overall, so maybe everyone had kind of a rough time.


T1: 1:30 (1:41 in '08)
There's a long run up to the bike racks from the boat ramp, which accounts for the long transition time. Fourth female overall in T1, though, and I passed two women in T1!


Bike: 18 mi in 56:24 (1:00:14 in '08)
This was my greatest area of improvement, and where I made up the most time on my competitors. I rode fifth fastest of all the women.


I don't remember much of the bike ride. I was in the zone. I could hear music playing in my head, and I matched my cadence to the beat, changing mental tracks on the uphills, downhills, and flats. I counted women as I passed them, until I lost track on the third lap, when I started passing the women who were riding the short course. I speculated as to how many women were ahead of me, at that point (seven).


Last time I did this race, I forgot to pull my feet out of my shoes before I hit transition. This year, I remembered, but just barely. I was pulling my feet out as I came into the chute for the finish. Some poor girl came into the chute just behind me, but couldn't pass me (no passing before the dismount) as I slowed down to undo my feet. Sorry, friend!


I am so, so happy with the way my bike ride went.


T2: 52 seconds (1:05 in '08)
Ranked tenth, among women. Meh.


Run: 42:11 (46:44 in '08)
This is not a fantastic run. It's about 9:20/mile. Not a great time. But you know what? I was pretty happy with it! It represents a big improvement over what I did last time, and still leaves me with plenty of room to improve. And it was still faster than two-thirds of the other women, almost, so whoopee!


My bike ride set me up for big problems on the run. I'd debated whether or not I should put Nuun in my water bottle, since I was only taking one. I should have. I could feel myself start to cramp up after the second lap on the bike, right before I took my Powergel (I felt almost immediately better). By the time I hit the run, my electrolytes were depleted again, and I was in for a rough ride. More than half of the course runs you through the gorgeous Steamway Trail area, which is unfortunately in something of a minor valley. It's hot and humid in the valley, oppressive conditions for a July run, even if it is at 8:30 a.m. With my electrolytes down, I found myself really hurting once the trail dipped into that valley. I admit it: I had to stop and walk a couple of times. My quads were cramping badly. It was torture trying to push myself back uphill. Fortunately, once I was up that big hill, the air had more cool in it, and I was only half a mile from the finish line.


I did the first two miles of the run in about sixteen minutes, so that gives you an idea of how much I slowed down over the last two miles.


My finish did not include a big sprint to the line. By the time I hit the line, it was all I could do to keep my legs going at the same pace I had.


Total: 2:02:29 (2:12:12 in '08), 3rd F 25-29, and 12th F overall!
I was very happy with this race. Unlike El Dorado, where I was absolutely CONVINCED that I should have done better than I did, this race left me with the feeling that I had given it my all. I beat myself by 10 minutes from the last time I did Shawnee Mission, and I beat 60 of the 72 women I was racing (including the girl who moved my stuff in transition, not that that's important).


I was very hot and my tummy was not happy when I finished. I had a nasty blister on my left ankle, too, a really deep one. I left my Kinvaras at El Dorado Lake after the triathlon there, so I had to buy a new pair two weeks out from Shawnee Mission. I got the Saucony Fastwitch, which I like, but I think I should have bought them a size bigger. I lubed my ankle and the back of my shoe really well, but I think it just made it worse. I'm not sure what to do about it, running sockless. Ideally, I would just buy another pair of new shoes. But that's not really practical.


This was a great race, and I had fun! As always, I appreciated the support of my family. They are always proud of me, no matter how I feel about myself. And they are even willing to wake up at 4:45 a.m.!

Shawnee Mission in the bag!

With twelfth female overall and a new PR!

Pics from El Dorado

Thanks, as always, to The Photographer.

Hey! How 'bout a tri hug?

This is why you hit the loo before your warm-up.