VRB - week of 7/25

[Kathy B]

I did a round of weights at the CC this AM and then thought I'd give the air-conditioned track a go. It is tiny! 16 laps make a mile. No light headedness today, but it's a wonder I didn't get dizzy! I just did about a mile and a half (although honestly, I lost count). Hoping to get out early tomorrow for a "real run". :D

Robyn, glad to hear you had such a great ride! Best of luck to you on Sunday, and HAVE A GREAT TIME!!! :)

Les, at least you were leaving the hospital to walk rather than arriving. Hope you had a good sleep! How much time do you have left at the hospital? ANd when does your fall semester start? Do you get any time off in between?

Good job on your run and your ride, Natasha! Have you broken in your new scooters? I need to go get some myself this weekend.

Susan, sometimes I am sorry that the kids don't seem to have the long lazy summers that I grew up with. I never used to think the summer flew by, but it sure does for the whole family now. But the things they are doing they really enjoy. Summer band was 0730 to 1230 M-F for the whole month of June, and definitely an OPTIONAL activity. They wouldn't have even considered missing it. Gotta hand it to their band director......:D (He really is amazing the way he motivates all of the kids and makes them LOVE band!).

Just peeked to make sure nobody else started a thread while I was typing. Didn't see one, so I'll "Submit New Thread". Wishing you all a good weekend.

.....and GOOD LUCK ROBYN!!:)

[Natasha]

Hiya Kathy! Thanks for starting us off this week.

The A/C track sounds neat! I'm surprised too that you didn't get dizzy, though :) Glad you didn't get light-headed, either.

Les, walking sure beats no exercise at all, right? Sounds like you got in a good workout after all.

I used my new scooters for the run last night and they felt pretty good - thanks for asking!

Today we plan to road ride, though I have to admit that part of me wants to just go out for dinner and a chat with DH - it's been a nutty week. Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early to go to the farmers' market with a friend, and hope to trail run, but we'll see how the weather is.

As Kathy says... Good luck Robyn!!

Take care, all :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by but...
Good luck Robyn!!!

Kathy B - thanks for starting this week. I'm done at the hospital on August 8th (I think that makes 10 more work-days). I have 3 weeks off before starting back to school on September 2nd. LW and I are going on a vacation and celebrating our 25th anniversary early (or at least partially) for a week or so to decompress and be. Glad that you weren't dizzy today - that's a good thing in my book.

Nat - I hope that you have a good weekend too and get past the weirdness of your week like I hope to tonight/this weekend

I left work a little earlier today and got a good 40 minute grind in on my bike was fantastic today. But for now - I'll leave it at that and close out this work week with a nod and a wink of sleep... Maybe run 12 or 13 miles tomorrow (I've really got to see if I'm going to be there by the end of August).

Happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

Thanks everyone! I'm sitting here trying to relax a bit then will be heading for a light swim and to the race packet pick up and meeting. My stomach is doing flip flops but I think mainly it's excitement and just wanting it to be here already. After the meeting my plan is to come home and go through my transition plan a couple of times and then get everything packed up and ready to go. Relaxation is the name of the game tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to get to sleep at a decent hour but I'm not counting on it.

Les, I'm so glad you got a ride in tonight, I'm sure that did wonders for you. Hope today's run is a good one.

Nat, I haven't been to the Farmer's Market in so long since I've been concentrating on training at the times when the market is open. :(

Kathy, I remember those long lazy days of summer as well. Now I hear about all these camps and suddenly school is only weeks away and where the heck did that time go?

[Natasha]

Les, glad you got in that ride and good luck with your run!

Robyn, sounds like you're all prepared - try to relax and take it easy. You'll do great :)

So yesterday I got in a (short) ride without waiting for DH, and then met him for dinner. It was the thing to do - we had an absolutely wonderful time at one of our favourite restaurants, and had some good laughs and great food. There was a neat sunset on the way back and it was all just what the doctor ordered :)

This morning we enjoyed the farmers' market with a friend - picked up some goodies, socialized with others at the market as usual, etc. Good times!

Now I'm trying to get DH off his computer so we can go mountain biking (him) and trail running (me)!

In the meantime, here's an inspiring athlete story to make you smile and maybe shed a tear or two, as I did:

http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RunnersWeb_External_Links.html?http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=156411&sc=24

[Leslie Ferguson]

I agree Robyn, it sounds like you are good and ready - in my opinion sleep two days before the race is almost more important that sleep the night before the race because I often am wound up right before the race anyway. Regardless, you'll do great.

Thanks for sharing that story Nat, another gut wrencher. I hope that you get DH off the computer and get out for a run/ride. It sounds like yesterady evening was just what you needed. A farmer's market sounds fun. Maybe I'll get to the one around here tomorrow before they close (but they are open during church hours so...).

Well, I can officially say that I've lost my edge. I ran this morning and it wasn't too bad but it was a struggle. Of course I did a bunch of riding last night and finished at 7:45-7:50 and there weren't a lot of flats to ride on. I got over an hour in but ended up doing a mix - sometimes 4/1 and in the especially hilly parts it was more like 3/:30. I guess I have spent my fitness savings account and need to get back to a routine - sometime after the next 10 days (or so) before that can happen. So for now I'll just keep plugging along.

Since we're sharing motivational stories here's one I got from my coach the other day about Cliff Young (http://www.my-inspirational-quotes.com/inspirational-stories/cliff-young-a-farmer-who-inspires-a-nation/) a guy from Austrailia who did an 875 km race.

For the rest of the afternoon - I will get ready to help one of my new classmates move in. Hopefully it won't be like the one last week (I didn't do it) that took almost 4 hours. :(

Happy trails,
Les

[Natasha]

Hi Les,

Sorry to hear your run was tough but that's great that you stuck it through and it must have still felt good. You've got a good attitude too about plugging along for now and being patient for a few days more.

BTW, great story - thanks for posting it! I'd never heard of Mr. Young and he sounds like he was just amazing.

I didn't end up trail running at the conservation area because DH's mountain bike needs a bit of tweaking. So I ran through town instead, over to the trails by the pond. It was nice but about 20 minutes in it started to thunder, so I headed back earlier than planned. I did 40 minutes total and had planned on an hour, but that's okay. It was raining by the time I got home but I missed the heavy rain by about 2 minutes.

Tonight we have company - looking forward to it but I need to tidy up the house before then!

Hi to KathyB, ktg, Susan, Vicci, Carrie, TKay, Seathyme, and everyone else!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Nat - That's too bad that DH's bike needed so much work but if you have to take the "second choice" of runs the lake isn't a bad place to be. :) Good that you missed the nasty rain too - I could have used a little rain today. I'm really trying to take a long view of running right now so I'll be happy for the next couple weeks. Have fun this evening too.

BTW - I reported heather2046.

Have a great afternoon and weekend all - miss seeing the rest of the gang.

Les

eta: I got my upper body and lower body workout in. We're (school) in the process of moving new students into their apartments. 14 of us (including the couple) offloaded a Budget Rental truck and hefted the stuff about 150 feet from the parking lot and then up to the second floor. Not too bad until we started taking on the 75-100 kg pieces of furniture. :rolleyes: But that's done now and I can rest tonight.
Happy trails all,
Les

[Natasha]

Les, I'd agree that that counts as a very good upper and lower body workout. Hopefully it was at least somewhat fun, though, since there were so many of you out.

Back from our long ride. It was a nice, sunny day and not too hot. As is often the case in the morning on those roads, there were more roadies than cars. You could tell that yet another storm may blow through soon, as it got increasingly windy. After the first few minutes I felt good, and really enjoyed myself. Now I'm sipping a shake made with Endurox lemon-lime powder, vanilla soy milk, and a generous handful of blueberries. I don't care for Endurox on its own (it's mostly a texture thing), but the shake is really tasty!

Hope everyone is having a great afternoon and I look forward to hearing Robyn's race report!!

[Robyn1007]

Just popping in quickly before my head finds a pillow to say I DID IT! I'm so, so happy with my performance (well, the swim s*cked but oh well) and I flew on my bike. Finished 3rd out of 7 for all women doing the Bike-Swim-Bike discipline. :D I'll post more when I have photos and such but for now, I only had about 4 hours of sleep and need more.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Congratulations Robyn!!! I'm glad you had a good race even if you didn't care for the swim. Now is the time to sleep too - you deserve it.

Nat - It was fun, especially because there were so many of us. Plus most of us haven't seen each other since the end of May so it was nice to catch up after hauling things over a beer/soda/water (not all for me mind you). Your shake sounds tasty and refreshing after a good ride - congratulations.

I had a better day today after another morning to sleep in (not terribly late but it was a touch after 8). This afternoon, after the torrential rainshowers, I went for a ride - took the mountain bike out - it does a lot better on potentially wet and slippery pavement but I forget what the extra 20 pounds of bike does to my ride. :rolleyes: Still, a great ride!

Dinner time - not sure what's coming but I'l think of something.

Happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

Okay, here is my race report.

The alarm went of at the cruel hour of 4:25. I'd only gone to bed at midnight so it really hurt. But, at least the hours I got were solid. I got up and had breakfast which I switched to multigrain hot cereal and a protein shake. Got dressed and headed out the door. Did you know it's tough to load a bike on top of your car when it's still dark. I headed to my coach's house so that we could drive together and got loaded up there and headed over. We parked and unloaded and headed for transition after I pumped my tires up. We got there early enough to get spots right on the main lane so there was a straight shot from the transition "In" and the "Finish" with one 90 degree turn down another main lane to the "Out". My spot was also right on a white painted line on the pavement which also helped me in locating it during the race.

After setting up my transition area we picked up our timing chips and got our bodies marked. At the time I didn't think much of it but they marked our discipline (so for me BSB) on our calves. We walked around, scoped out the swim and walked my in's and out's since it's a confusing race with people going every which way.

At 7:30 sharp they started the race. I took off with about 30 or so people doing Bike first. Including a couple in aero helmets. I took off super fast and had to pull myself in a bit later. But I did the ride, passing some people on climbs and playing cat and mouse with a couple others. Over all the ride felt great and I did it with an average speed of 18 mph. :eek: Never seen that before for more than a few minutes!

As I came into transition a friend of mine was there cheering which was fantastic. I stripped down and was ready to head for the swim. I kind of jog/walked down trying to get my breathing under control. And then I hit the water. HOLY CR*P that was cold. It read at 68 degrees and after being hot getting of the bike it really shocked my system. I couldn't breathe. I treaded water for a minute and then started to side stroke forward. Goggles fogged again, grrrr. Eventually I was having so many problems seeing where I was going that I used a guy's surf board (legal as long as I don't use it to move forward) to rest and get the goggles fixed. Used spit this time and never saw fog in them again. :rolleyes: Started forward again at a sort of mix of strokes but couldn't put my face in the water as it set my breathing off every time I tried. :( Used a kayak just before the turn around to fix my timing chip which nearly came off in the water. I put it on my wrist for the remainder of the swim. The person on this kayak was great, talked to me a bit and calmed me down. I rounded the buoy and headed back toward shore. While I never got my face in the water I found somewhat of a rhythm and made it to shore. Friend was there cheering again although I as I passed her my words to her were "That s*cked!". I headed up the beach and into T2.

At T2 I saw 2 women that are also part of my coach's group. They were getting ready for the run and kind of socializing so I said hello and kept moving. Clothes back on, suck on the spare gatorade bottle grab the helmet, gloves and shades and bike and off I go. When I jumped on the bike the legs kind of felt like lead but I made it up over the first little hill then got a while of downhill to breathe and recover. Then really start pounding the pedals. As I ride I'm feeling pretty good and picking of riders in front of me. Even on the uphills. :D I round the turnaround (where I had to hesitate because stupid driver was coming quite close even though the police officer at the turnaround was directing them to stop. The course is really lots of rolling hills so I hit the headwind coming back and knew I still had a number of hills to go after but still feel pretty good. I pick off a girl and see that the marking on her leg says BSB. Dude, that means I'm not last in my discipline, awesome. Then I pass another BSB woman! I keep going and don't think there's anyway I'm going to pick off the 2 a ways out from me, a man and woman. But, just as we get to the entrance station I catch 'em and go by. The woman is another BSB'er We've only got about a quarter mile to go so I know I need to push it here. Finish strong and make sure I stay in front of the last girl I passed. I nearly get run over by a car coming into the finish area and pass a mom and 2 little girls. The girls yelled very loud for me and I don't know them. :D I dismount, run down the little hill into transition where I need to rack my bike and decide if I'm going to finish in cycling shoes, tennis shoes and barefoot. The volunteers here have a list of names with numbers and cheer me by name. I come in rack the bike tear off the helmet and shoes and decide to take the finish in socks. I took off running for the finish where I hear my name announced and the fact that it's my first tri. I catch the clock as I finish 2 hours 24 minutes. I can't breathe but I'm so happy. I look up and there is another friend there and then my coach appears and drags me to shade to cool off and get my breathing under control.

Just before awards I check the postings of results and see it. In my discipline of women doing BSB there are 7 competitors. And I am 3rd. 3rd. :eek::D:D:D I'm 18 minutes behind the leaders but wow, I am totally in shock. When I checked my bike computer I averaged 15.5 mph over the 28.5 miles. My fastest average ever!

All in all, it was a fabulous day. I'm tired and sore but you know what, I can't wait until next year!

Transition area (with my coach off to the side)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e38eed424400000010O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

[Robyn1007]

More photos

Coming into T1
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e2f501a37100000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

Coming out of the Swim
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e33ca4425400000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

Leaving T2
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e2fe2b62f600000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

Mounting after T2
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e3ee5ec3f700000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

Here I come toward the finish!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e3fea0c30100000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

Almost done (notice the stocking feet)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e3b65342e600000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e38088422600000040O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

Post race in my transition area
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e2e77aa30300000010O00AcsmTNm3aMm IPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

[Leslie Ferguson]

Robyn - That's a great story! And I love the pictures too. Love all your comments and think I've I have had many of those feelings in my races, especially when I did my Du and had to do the second run - my legs were like... "dude, we've already done this and we're not donig it again!" :mad: I guess I can count myself blessed to do tri's with the swim first so I can kind of work my way into the water.

You should bask in your glory and have a great couple days off.

Happy trails and congratulations,
Les

[Natasha]

Les, good to hear that you had fun catching up with your friends and enjoyed your time out on the mountain bike. Don't want it to feel neglected compared to your road bike, right? ;) I was just thinking that I need to take out my mountain bike again soon - probably more in the fall.

Robyn, great stuff!! I admit I didn't yet read the second post but did read your first post-race post and see the photos and it looks like you had an awesome time. I look forward to reading the details later. Congrats!!

Take care, everyone, and happy start of week. :)

[luvItalian]

Robyn way to go. I am always so impressed with you athletes. Thanks for the pictures I will show my DH when he gets in. Where was the race? I tried to figure it out but I think I missed something. It looks like you had a nice day.

[Robyn1007]

Robyn way to go. I am always so impressed with you athletes. Thanks for the pictures I will show my DH when he gets in. Where was the race? I tried to figure it out but I think I missed something. It looks like you had a nice day.

It was in Aurora Colorado, a suburb of Denver at the Aurora Reservoir. It's a really unique race as you can do all three tri events in whatever order you choose or do two of them and pick which event to do twice. I thought it was going to be mass confusion and it was somewhat at the start but after that it really wasn't.

[lindrusso]

Great job Robyn! Thanks for sharing. :)

[SusanMac]

Robyn - You rock!! Congrats on your first tri. Loved the RR and the photos. Very cool about your various cheering sections. You survived the swim just fine -- made it to the end legally, and that's what counts. Didn't even swallow water. Nice job on the strong bike (both of them!)

Here's my quick fly-by report:
Fri - planned rest day
Sat - 14 mile LSD run. Went great. Felt strong & smooth til about mile 13, so I'm definitely getting stronger. Funky ache in my right glute.
Sun - rest day
Today - about to head out for a spin on the bike

I want a running skirt so bad! I think it would really help my speed & motivation, don't ya think? ;-) Anyone got one you like??

[VictoriaL]

Way to go, Robyn!!! :D What an incredibly satisfying feeling this must have been, to accomplish such a thing! But you know what really surprised me-- you aren't the same person pictured on your avatar. I was expecting you to be blonde. :o

Susan, I didn't know that there was such an animal as a "running skirt"! Anything like a tennis skirt (which I notice is actually a "skort")??

Les, I remember those days of moving into 2nd floor apartments (without elevators) and am so glad that they all occurred while I was much younger! I am quite impressed that you did this for the new student (and labelled it as an "upper- & lower-body workout"!). Is this week looking any less emotionally draining? And when do you get to return to the book-learning part of school (probably can't come too soon...)?

Nat, I'm impressed that you can host guests, then go out for a long bike ride the next morning and post about it shortly after noon. Stamina, stamina, stamina... ;)

We returned from the lake house late this afternoon and I can report 2 runs while there. Both were about a half-hour long which pooped me out a bit since it was warm. The driveway is so steep that my HR got up to 130 in the 3 minutes it took to climb up it, but that was great because then my HR had a bit of a "bump" to start it out. Then, once I got to the ridge, there's a seemingly-unending series of hills. Whew. But I needed the exercise because it seemed that all we did while our guests were there was cook and eat and drink. Not a bad way to spend the weekend! I'm sitting here with the last slice of guava-swirled cheesecake and wondering how long this sugar-high is going to last. :rolleyes: One of our guests brought 2 bag-fuls of vegetables straight from his garden, so I shall spend the next few days eating only good, healthy, lowfat foods. Until I go to visit my parents this weekend!

Hi to everyone, and hope that your week has started out well.

[Robyn1007]

Way to go, Robyn!!! :D What an incredibly satisfying feeling this must have been, to accomplish such a thing! But you know what really surprised me-- you aren't the same person pictured on your avatar. I was expecting you to be blonde. :o


Um, yeah, they're both me. But, my hair lightens quite a bit in the sun plus I used to highlight it so the bottoms that you see in the avatar are extra light while when my hair is up more of the dark shows plus it was wet which makes it darker.

[Robyn1007]

Les, yeah that's exactly what my legs were saying at first. Then all the sudden they changed their minds and "Dude, right, I know how to do this let's go!" :D

Susan, when I start running again I'd like a running skirt as well.

Vicci, that guava swirled cheesecake sounds yummy!

Thanks to everyone else for the kind words about the race, I'm definitely still basking in the enjoyment. And, um, have scheduled the next event. The Buffalo Bicycle Classic is a popular ride up in Boulder to benefit CU so I'm going to do that one. Now, I just have to decide if I'm going to do the 50 mile or 70 mile ride. I'm going for 50 this Saturday.

Also, reporting in on an 800 yard swim tonight. I really debated about whether to do anything today but I was really tight all over and thought the swim would be a good, minimal body impact way to loosen things up. It felt good to find a rhythm early after yesterday's swimming debacle. Off to do some more stretching...

ETA: Unfortunately taking the finish yesterday without socks did my foot in for awhile it hurts like heck today. I nearly screamed while waiting for my indian takeout when a sharp pain hit. :(

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by... getting late and tomorrow will be fun and busy.

Sorry aboout your foot Robyn, hopefully it isn't too tweaked for this weekend and 50 miles on your bike. You should continue to bask in your accomplishment too. Hopefully your muscles loosen up a little too.

There was a neat article in the recent (a recent) Runners World about running skirts and a fabled race.

Great jobs to all with their runs, rides, and safe returns (and runs) on mini-vacations.

Yes, I'm kind of looking forward to classes getting started again - that way I can have a predictable (and relatively open) schedule to get exercising back on the track. I ran tonight for about an hour. Felt a lot better than Saturday so maybe... I'll have to keep trying to get home early enough to run before it's too late.

Need to head to bed - it may be an interesting day tomorrow, nothing bad on the horizon, just a couple out of the ordinary things.

Happy trails all,
Les

[Kathy B]

Congratulations on a great race, Robyn! I really enjoyed reading your detailed review, and then having the pics to go with it. You let us all be there virtually! :) You are a braver woman than me finishing the race in your socks. :eek: Hope your foot feels better soon. You just go right ahead and bask for a while! You definitely deserve it!

Good job on getting your run in Les. I know what you mean about trying to get back into a schedule with the workouts. I am thinking things will settle down when school starts. Both the kids will have early band and be out of the house by 6:45, so maybe I can just run out the door behind them for a while, and get my runs in early.

Vicci, I don't even know what a guava is. But if it's swirled into a cheesecake, it probably has something going for it. :D Way to get your runs in.

Susan, way to go on your workouts, too. Glad to hear your LSD went well. Is a running skirt really a skort? (The combo shorts/skirt look)? I can't quite see running in a skirt if it isn't.... I am probably just getting too old! :o

Natasha, what is endurox? After the Mother's Day 5K in May, one of the freebies was bottles of Cal-C which is a drink that combines milk and OJ among other things. We really enjoyed it, but it isn't easy to find since it is a small company. I finally ordered some through the mail, and now I am trying to keep DS from going through it too quickly. ;) Nice to see him going for the healthy stuff, though!

Today was a 4.5 mile run that went pretty well. I worked 12 hours yesterday, but Sunday I did get in yoga and weights.

Hi to everyone else (we are really missing some of you....ktg, newsomz, Mary H, Elizabeth, seathyme, legolas, Tkay). Hope all is well!

[SusanMac]

Yes, running skirts are skorts. Much like tennis skirts.

Les - wasn't expecting a skirt tip from you, but thx ;-) I did see that article, which is part of the inspiration. It had lots of brands I wasn't familiar with.

Nat - we are also an Endurox household. I typically have it in smoothies. Much tastier that way! (Kathy - it's a post endurance workout mix that you add to water or milk or, in my case, yogurt. It's supposed to speed recovery & reduce aches)

Robyn - so sorry about the foot! I would've done the same thing, tho (not stopped to put on shoes) Your Boulder bike ride sounds awesome!

I can report an 18 mile bike ride yesterday. Mostly in the shade, which was intentional! I need to do a tempo run today, and didn't make it out this morning. It will be a scorcher!

[Natasha]

Hi everyone!

Vicci, cheesecake - yum. Welcome back from the lake house (that sounds so idyllic). How's the mid-week vegetable eating going? :D

Robyn, the ride this weekend sounds fun. I hope you take it easy and just relax - you've earned a gentle, fun ride!

Someone here had a running skirt - Betsy, I think. I've seen some cute ones that have almost tempted me but I've been (fairly) good about buying less technical clothing lately. For now. ;)

Les, glad you got in a run and felt better than on the weekend!

Kathy, you're doing great fitting in the workouts despite your busy schedule! Endurox is a recovery drink that comes in powder of different flavours and has some protein in addition to the carbs (4:1 ratio, I think). DH usually buys the fruit punch flavour but this time he got lemon-lime. I won't have more than a sip or so of the drink plain but it worked well in a shake. Cal-C sounds interesting!

Susan, sounds like you are getting in some good workouts!

Today I had a very productive day and then couldn't figure out whether to run, ride, or both. Went back and forth a couple of times on what to do, and ended up cranking out a 14k run. :)

We're heading into a long weekend here so things will be hectic 'til then... so if I don't get a chance to post on this thread again, hope to catch you on the new thread!

Hi to everyone else, and happy Tuesday.

[Natasha]

Forgot to mention... luvItalian and Alysha, nice to have you stop by!! :)

[VictoriaL]

Robyn, hmmm… haircolor… never thought of that! ;) Still very impressed with your effort in that race, though! And now you’ve scheduled a bike race, too. *whew!*

Les, sleep can be such a good thing! And I think that your run yesterday was a result of the less-than-enjoyable run over the weekend—your muscles just needed to “remember” what they had to do!

And Susan, don’t you realize by now that Les can give a knowledgeable opinion on practically any subject?!? ;) I wish that we could find a mostly-shade bike trail. We’re planning an 15-mile ride tomorrow morning, and if we leave the house by 8 the sun will still be low enough to be in the shade for at least half of the ride.

Kathy, I am amazed that you fit regular exercising into your busy schedule- summer or school-year! And I had to laugh about the indoor track—16 laps per mile must make for a well-rounded run. :rolleyes:
I am also not quite certain what a guava actually is, but the fruit does have a pleasant sweet-tangy flavor.

Nat I’m surprised that you didn’t do both a run and bike today!!! :) You’re right, the lake house is idyllic, but a different sort when there are a lot of people there. As for the veggies, we stuck to it today but we have to polish off the remaining coconut-rum brownies then it’s all fruit and veggies for the rest of the week. Really! Um, isn’t coconut a fruit, anyway? And what about rum???

This morning I watered the garden (it hadn’t rained since last Wednesday) and then came in to do weights. Big mistake. I must remember to always do the weights first! After spending an hour stooping over in the garden, I was in a weakened state… But I got in a decent 20 minutes, plus the stretching when I first got up, made for a good day. We plan to go out on the bikes tomorrow morning before it gets too humid.

Question for those who know this sort of thing—my trail runners are over a year old. I still feel as though they are good enough to use, but should I buy some “regular” running shoes for when I go out on pavement and save the trail runners for only running the paths? I hate to change, since I’ve had such good luck with these trail runners. Maybe I should just use these on both surfaces and plan to buy another pair of trail runners this fall? Any thoughts from you experienced runners out there? I realize that the trail runners have deeper treads than the typical running shoe, but am I doing myself a disservice buy using them on pavement?

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by... Vicci, my secret is out isn't it? I am on eht cutting edge of running fashion (don't look in my running clothes drawer either). I've been blessed to run with many females in the past 10 years so... I'm not used to running in trail shoes but I'd guess that road or at least non-trail shoes will be better suited for road running - less beefy shank and more cushioning. Sorry I don't have first hand knowledge.

Sorry I missed luvItailan and Alysha in my greeting yesterday too.

Great runs and rides to all.

No run to claim but a semi-planned rest day. Need to keep the legs and ankles happy with me that includes not running/riding 4 days in a row.

See you in the funnies and have a great day.

Happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

Hey all, just a quick drive by today as it's kind of been a rough one. Reporting 21 miles on the bike yesterday at around a 14.7 mph average. It was just a chill group ride and had to do quite a bit of waiting for others. Felt good though to get back out. Today is my first rest day since last Friday.

[VictoriaL]

Hi All!

Well, I had a fun exercise-experience today. :)

It's quite embarrassing, but DH and I have not had our bikes out since last fall. The main reason is that the bike trail is a 10-minute drive and we have both been busy enough that it has been an accomplishment to use the EB in the house or run out of the back door to use the trails. For our first ride of the year, especially in the humidity, I was not expecting much.

Apparently, my ankle rehab regimen (which I still practice, though a little less stringently these days) has helped those muscles which I use when biking (in addition to those used while running on hard surfaces). First time out, slightly over an hour, was 15 miles! And it wasn't difficult. I've never been great at biking, and last year I sometimes averaged a paltry 11mph, but I really was zooming along this time. My speedometer is broken, so I wasn't able to get any precise indication of how fast I was going, but it was much faster than both DH and I remember doing in previous years.

And I have to also mention, because I keep forgetting to when posting about running, that my tight hamstring problem which annoyed me most of last summer, is gone. Knock on wood... :) Could there possibly be a couple of small "rainbows" to that broken ankle experience???

Now I just have to keep getting out on that bike at least once a week!

Happy Hump Day, everyone! :D

[Leslie Ferguson]

Robyn - I hope you have a good rest day tomorrow after all the riding and exercise you've done in the past week or so. Especially since you are riding 50 miles this weekend.
Vicci - Isn't it grand that something good comes out of adversity? ;) Sounds like something I hear all the time... Faster is faster in my book even if you can't "prove it." You're motivating me to go back and do more ankle exercises now. :D

Another rest day but I'm a little beat from the emotional weeks I've been through. If the rain stays away tomorrow then there may be a ride in the offing.

Sorry it's short again, lots of things to wrap up before the internship is over. Have a great downside of the week.

Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Howdy, gang. Hope you're all having a good day.

Robyn - I love social "chill" rides! Enjoy your well-deserved rest day.

Vickie - awesome job on the bike ride. Who cares about your speed -- as long as you get out there. Isn't it funny how something like a 10 min drive will keep you from doing a workout? That's reality, though. It has to be convenient.

Les - Hope all the moving has gone well. Are you officially done w/the internship gig??

I got in a 1-hour bike ride yesterday. It's my last week where I need to ride downtown on Wed afternoon for errands (to put our blanket out & reserve a spot for the outdoor concert on Wed evenings). Whatever will I do for Wed workouts the rest of the summer??

Today is a rest day, as DH & I plan our LSD run tomorrow. Changing things up a bit & doing it on Friday, instead of the weekend. We'll see how it goes. (and how late I have to work to make up for taking the a.m. off to run!)

[Kathy B]

Hope you don't have to stay TOO late on a Friday, Susan! Have a good run!

Les, a rest day sounds like it was in order yesterday. Hope you managed to get your ride in today if you were up for it.

Vicci, YEA! So nice to hear some positive results from your long recuperation. Sounds like bonus points to me. I wish I could find a class about bike maintenance/repair. I don't know how to change a flat, and I am not even very good at airing up the tires (which doesn't seem like it should be that hard!). The weather here is starting to be really nice for biking in the evenings.

Robyn, what is your 50 mile ride this WE? Are you with a group, or is it an organized ride, or on your own? Sounds like a good workout, regardless.

Natasha, finally got my new shoes this week, and after saying I like to stick with what works, I ended up getting something else. The new model of my shoe felt a little weird, and the sales person helping me said he actually preferred the Brooks shoe of a similar style. It felt fine, so what the heck? I did my not quite 4.5 miles in them this AM, and they felt like I had always been wearing them!

Planning yoga/weights tomorrow, and hopefully an easy run Saturday. See you all on the new thread.

[VictoriaL]

Les I hope that you were able to get in a ride today. I'll bet that you're really looking forward to your upcoming break! :)

Susan, can't you continue the Wednesday afternoon bike-errands even if there's not a concert to "stake out" for? I would love to be able to bike somewhere instead of on a trail, but we live on a winding country road (narrow) that trucks seem to love to speed on.

Kathy I look at running shoes occasionally to check out sale prices and see what is out there, and I don't think that I have seen the Brooks brand before. They sound comfy, and I'll have to keep my eye out.

A light stretching-yoga-weights day today. I wish that gardening would count as aerobic-- spent a few hours pulling weeds and hauling them away in the wheelbarrow in 90 degree heat. My back is very sore tonight, but hopefully I can get a run in tomorrow morning before we leave for my parents' for the weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll "see" you all next week!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - I'm officially done with my internship on Friday next week (probably around noon). Then it's a little "us" trip to points north (PA and farther) to unwind a little. I hope that your run goes well tomorrow and that you don't have to work too late because of it.
Kathy B - Yeah for new scoots! Congrats on 4.5 miles today too.

Howdy to you too Vicci - hope you have a fun weekend.

Alas and alack, even though the rain held off, I wish work, the trains, and busses would have cooperated. There were 5 trains in 10 minutes and they were all going to the wrong place (the baseball game). And I could have used a ride if it hadn't been 8 pm and I was contemplating dinner (even though I didn't want any at the time).

I'd say that maybe tomorrow but I have a sense that I'll get out of work at 5-ish and maybe get home in time for a smooth ride (but probably should hold out for a longer run on Saturday).

Hope you hae a great Friday and Happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

Just a quick one again but hi to everyone!

I logged 25 miles tonight, a little slower than this weekend but I didn't want to go all out either. The ride on Saturday is just on my own which I'm kind of looking forward to.

[Robyn1007]

Susan, I'm hearing some good things about www.skirtsports.com for running skirts.