Spring Cleaning

I move back to the E-U-G this weekend.  Moving is the perfect time to clear out the clutter.  I went through ALL my stuff and well, I now have a carload of clothes, office stuff, and random crap to take to Goodwill.  Didn't I just do this a month ago?  I guess I'm just really good at hiding things in every nook and cranny.

Last night I put my BarBri (bar exam prep class) and training schedules into my Google calander.  According to the BarBri website we're expected to spend 7-8 hours outside of class each day to study on our own.  On most days, class is just 3 hours long.  On some days it's 8.  Good grief. That ontop of my training... well it's not looking pretty folks

This isn't funny.  I'm having some serious worries about my life this summer.  I will have a schedule with little variation from this for a little over 2 months.  Gross.

Why is it 43 and raining outside?  Spring?  Are you there? 

Anyways, Are you participating in the Eugene Marathon this weekend?  Let me know, we should meetup :)

King Estate 5K

I traveled down to Eugene with run a 5K with my friend AJ.  I was scheduled for my long run today, but I'm glad we only did a 5K since my shins and ankle have been bothering me.  Got up early,cleaned house, and dyed Easter eggs.  Drove down south and went to the race.  The weather was perfect.  65 and sunny.  The race started out fine.  Crowded at the start but little did I know I had 2 giant hills to run up on gravel roads.  Because of the gravel, I twisted my ankle twice.  That SUCKED.  The run was HARD.  I hate hills and well, there was quite the elevation gain.  I finished with a major case of chaffing.  I can't walk now.  great.  I love that my thighs rub...not.  I finished with a time of 27:17:18 and a distance of 3.26 ( I started in the middle of the pack)  There was no chip timing. I've never struggled to run so much for 27 minutes!  My triathlon 5Ks are faster then that.  I ran a 24min 5K at Beaver Freezer.  oye.  Anyways, We got a glass of wine at the end and went home.  The End.


1/19 age group; 20th woman; 66/379 overall.  I've never gotten 1st in my age group so that was cool, despite the slow time.




Last week I was able to do my 50mi bike ride.  It was hard.  I got 2 flats.  I survived.  Rev3 will be rough!  I have another 50 scheduled for tomorrow but I have a lot of stuff to get done.  *sigh*

Rainy Day

I'm so sick and tired of the weather.  I haven't seen sunshine in forever and at this point I'm happy with overcast gray skies as long as it's not raining.  It'd also be nice to get above 55 for once.  I had my long run planned for today.  The forecast was for clear skies.   They lied.  It was a constant stream of rain the whole freaking day. It was also just below 50 degrees.  Finally by 4:30 I decided to head out and go for my run.  I was dreading every, single moment of it. 

Not thrilled to be heading outside.

TH has been off running a mini version of the Hood to Coast relay down south.  It's from Roseburg to Coos Bay and is about 67 miles.  Instead of 12 runners, there's only 5 per team.   I got a text an hour ago stating that TH's team won the entire race.   Of course they did.  TH was the slowest one on the team and he's fast!  

I know I live in Oregon and it rains here but if this keeps up, I'm moving to the desert.  

A Very Portlandia Weekend

I don't think I could have had a more "Portlandia" weekend if I tried.  Friday I biked out from where I live all the way out to Oregon Health Sciences University which is on top of a giant hill.  It was suppose to be a 18 mileish ride, but I got a bit turned around on some of the roads and I made the trip just over 20 miles.  It also took me 2 hours.  WOW.  After getting to my destination and eating some BBQed salmon, TH, our friends, and I went out to the Blazer/LA Lakers game and were happy to see that the Blazers won.  While we were waiting for out bus back home, SoyJoy was handing out free bars so naturally, we grabbed as many as we could. Saturday morning, I met up with my friend ZG for a run in the Pearl (NW Portland) and along the waterfront.  We stopped by the farmer's market and after sampling a ton of goat cheese, I headed back home.  I later returned back to Portland because TH and his friend JD had tickets to a high school basketball tournament.  MD and I went for a 3.2 mile run around the hills there.  I was a lil tired from the morning run, but the 3 miles still felt good.  Sunday, TH, his mom, and brother and all of out dogs went to the Jules Fun Run down in Salem.  I think we can agree that we had the most unbehaved dogs there, but probably the cutest.  The run was just a quick 2 miles around a park.  I had Momma Bear's dog (aka my half sister).  She decided that she was done running after mile marker 1.  I got the pleasure of carrying her the remaining mile.  I got a wonderful forearm workout and we still finished the 2 miles under 23 minutes. 

After the run :)

I had a 50 mile bike ride scheduled for Sunday.  I just didn't have the motivation, energy, or time to do it.  the weather was threatening to rain and it was windy. 

This has me worried that I won't be prepared for Rev3 come July.  I can blame the weather all I want, but I really just need to get things together and go outside!

CONTACTS

Yup.  This girl got fitted for contacts today.  The doc told me I was a pro at putting them in and taking them out.  Maybe I should rethink this triathlon thing and join the world of professional contact lens putter inners and outters. 

I'm not completely blind or anything without my glasses, but it will be nice to bike from now on and be able to see.  Running as well. 

Having a bad day?  Watch The Beagle finish off some Greek yogurt:

 Taking the tub to his bed

 Diving in

 Getting every...last..

 ...drop.

Target running skirt that I talked about earlier. 

Oh Noes!

Rev3 Portland Bike: Just look at the elevation.  No more Miss LaaDeeDa biking for this girl.

Monday Mondays

I actually had a somewhat productive day today.  Woke up, went to the pool.  Swam a decent workout even with my sore shoulders and neck from biking yesterday.  Got home and didn't eat too much junk and hydrated a bunch.  Later in the afternoon I went for a run in the wind and rain.   My shin didn't really hurt but my legs were tired.  I can't believe how out of shape I've really been.  I finished my large patent litigation paper more or less but I'm scared to turn it in as a draft to my professor.  I hate being judged and I know he's going to mark it up like crazy or come up with crazy ideas related topics for me to add to my paper.  I just have a lot of anxiety about my legal writing ability and I hate being graded on it. 



Workouts:

AM: Swim: WU-150each S/K/P/S;  Main set: ladder: 275, 250, 225, 200, 175, 150, 125, 100, 75, 50.  I actually didn't do the ladder just like that because I think it's awkward don't swimming in even 50s.  I did my "ladder" as follows:  300, 250, 200, 200, 200, 150, 100, 100, 100;   CD: 200 easy  Total: 2400yds

PM: Run :  5.01 miles at 46.13 for a 9:14min/mi average.  My speed has clearly gone down the drain.


PS:  so far the only commenter on my prior post was Big Clyde from The Clydesdale Project.  Basically, at this point... he's the only winner, winner, chicken dinner.  Make it happen people.

Interested in a Giveaway?

Friends,

I'm thinking about hosting a product giveaway.  I'm worried that no one will enter.  I need ideas on what you would like to see.  Seeing that only 18 of you officially "follow" me, your odds of winning free stuff  are pretty dang good. 

Yes, that's right, THIS IS A BRIBE.

So far I'm thinking about having a  sampler pack of energy gels and the winner of the giveaway promises to give me their opinion on their favorite, whether it be flavor, ingredients, or brand.

Another idea is that I make some sort of gluten free goody and you trust that my culinary skills aren't horrid.

Those are my 2 ideas, what are yours?


Do you want free stuff?   Comment and let me know what you would like to see and whether or not you would enter.


And no... I will not agree to giveaway a bag of diamonds or a car.  shocking.  :)

First long Bike ride

TH and I rode just a tad under 42 miles on our bikes today.  A few climbs, but nothing crazy.  I started getting emotional (aka hungry) about 19 miles in.  Ate half a SoyJoy bar and a tangerine and felt better.  I also fell off my bike at a stop because I clipped out my right foot as usual, but ended up tipping to my left and couldn't regain my balance.  I fell hard.  I scrapped up my elbow even with thick arm sleeves on.  I also bruised my left shin and I have a funky bruise on the inside of my right forearm where I hit my aerobar elbow rests.  I was pretty tired and my neck was sore from the ride but I am so happy we got to go out and do it. We got home, I drank some almond milk with whey protein and made delicious burgers.  After gorging my face in meat and ketchup, I took a good long 2 hours nap.

We finished off the HEED this weekend from the Beaver Freezer so I looked online to order more.  I first went to get 15% off from a sponsor, but shipping wasn't free unless I spent over $100.  I started thinking more about race nutrition and I really liked the Hammer Perpetuem Solids as well.  I opted out of the sponsor purchase because REI discounts 20% off all nutrition products when you buy 12 or more at full price.  Gels and drinks rarely ever go on sale at REI or online anyways.  They do have their "gel of the month" promos but it's Powerbar gels and I hear they taste like poo and I don't like their ingredients...too much shitty sugar and they include oat and wheat derived sugars and syrups.  Plus I like the Hammer gels and Cliff gels.  I like Cliff because of the sodium since I'm super prone to hyponatremia but I also like Hammer products because they don't include any crap that you don't need.  I ordered 2 26-serving bottles of Hammer gel in raspberry and a handful of Cliff gels in various flavors.  After the 20% off the Hammer gel bottles were only $16!  I've really enjoyed using whey protein so I ordered some Hammer Whey protein.  Costco is probably a tad cheaper, but with the 20%.. it wasn't too bad.    I opted out of getting some Heed becuase it's a ton cheaper in the 80 serving containers and REI only had  the 32 serving can.  I decided to order a can of GU's Electrolyte Brew.  Probably the closest thing to Hammer with a quarter of the price.  Plus the Brew contains more sodium which is a plus for me.  I decided to add on an aero bottle and mount to my order.  All in all I spent  $84.90 in nutrition and $27.99 in my aero drink system (stupid mount).  I plan on purchasing some Hammer Perpetuem Solids at a local store because I don't want or need the giant jug, I only want a couple of 6-pack canisters.  I can't wait to receive my new products and for Mama Bear to lecture me on online shopping.  She should be proud of me for being such a bargain hunter and for keeping my body healthy.


PS:  my biker short tan line is making a comeback!  :)

Beaver Freezer 2011

First tri of the season.  38 degrees in the a.m.  Luckily, I didn't start until 9:30.  Watched TH and his friend swim and start the bike.   Watched TH start his run before I had to head inside to swim.  This was a sprint tri with an indoor swim.  It's actually the largest in the USA according to the website.  When we registered we had to put in our 500yd swim time.  I put in the time I had last year.  There are 4 people per lane.  I was seeded 4th, meaning there were 3 girls ahead of me.  we were sent off 5 seconds apart.  All the ladies in my lane were conservative and started out at pace as opposed to a sprint which is good because sprinting at the start is a common mistake at tris  All was great the first lap.  Lap 2, I was right on the leg of #3.  So, I tapped her feet.  At the wall, she didn't let me pass.  Um.. okay.  SO I tapped on the way back down.  I did this for the next 400 meters.  Tap...breaststroke...tap...breaststroke...etc  WTF.  I ended up swimming breaststroke with my head up about 90% of the swim.  Whatever, we got out and started to T1.  It was freaking cold out so I opted to wear my compression calf sleeves for support and warmth.  Compression + wet skin = SLOW SLOW SLOW.  T1 took forever.

The Bike went really well.  I started out slow, but once I got going at the first turn around about 4 miles in, I picked up the pace.  Unlike last year where everyone and their grandma passed me, I only got passed once.  This is kind of meaningless since there are 10 different waves, so you can't really tell whose the same pace as you.

T2 went okay.  The bike dismount to my rack spot was a pretty long distance, but not unheard of compared to other races.  I was happy to sear the sun come out and the skies clear.

As usual the first mile of the run sucked and really the whole run was really hard for me.  My shin hurt a ton and I was really warm.


Overall, I finished and actually cut just under 8 and a half minutes off my time from last year with a lot of overall improvements considering the issue with the swim and my slow T1 this year.  As great race and it got me excited for the rest of the season.... so long as my stupid shin figures its life out and stops being such a bitch.

Last year's splits (Langton Pool: Longer run to T1 and crappy bike):
S:9:02  T1:4:17  B:48:36  T2:1:56  R:26:23     Total 1:30:15  Overall 266/399 place   92/176 in women  15/26 age group




This year's splits (Dixon Pool: Shorter run to T2 and crappy "slow" swim...though faster then last year. HA):
S:8:41  T1:3:31   B:42:26   T2:2:17  R:24:46    Total 1:21:43   Overall 172/414place   57/186 in women 13 ( tied with 12th) /30 age group


So after the race I was back in transition putting my stuff together.  The lady in front of me in the swim asked me if I was in her lane.  I told her I was and she went off talking about how she kept trying to get passed and how it was silly because there were people ahead of her.  She said something along the lines of "oh it doesn't even matter since it's only going to save them (meaning ME) like 15 seconds at the most."   Sorry lady, 1) if it was only 15 seconds, why didn't you pull your ass over and let me pass you.  2) 15 seconds in a sprint tri makes a HUGE difference. 3) I guarantee you  I would have gained more then 15 seconds off my swim.  I was freaking doing the breast stroke.  COME ON!   grrr.  I didn't say that to her and I instead acted disinterested.  I'm sure she thinks I'm one of those competitive asshole triathletes that care too much about speed.  But to prove my point, just 15 seconds makes a difference of 10 places.... and that's the 15 seconds that she thought was the difference, not what I could have swam.  That matters to me and last time I checked, this was a RACE.  My bad.. I didn't realize it was typical lap swim at the pool I don't know what the EEF I am doing because I don't know any lap swim etiquette even though the race director gave me a refresher.