Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011: A Year of Accomplishments!

This year has been a big year for me! I started out last year 15 pounds heavier and hoping to complete an Olympic distance triathlon. Last year my goal was to stick with the triathlon training and finish Memphis in May triathlon.. Little did I know, I would not only finish the Olympic distance triathlon, I continued and finished a Half Iron Man (70.3)....

Training was hard... and it takes a lot of dedication to keep up with  the training.. I had a lot of help along the way this year. I had my husband, my best friend and training partner, that kept me moving... yes.. at 4:30 am.. he was there to kick me out of bed.

Now I will need to think of new goals and continue with my new lifestyle! Yes... This is a new lifestyle! Last year, I trained with a group and this year, I have a training coach to help me along the way... Lesley is my coach, mentor, and someone I truly admired. I am setting small goals and working one step at a time.

This new year, I would like to ride a little faster, swim a little faster and run a little faster. I know it is going to take a lot of dedication and motivation... My first race will be Germantown Half Marathon... Yes, I am expanding and including running races..Then it will be Los Locos  Duathlon in  April, and Memphis in May triathlon.. who knows.. maybe I can qualify for HyVee in the Athena division.. That is the icing... the goal is to improve from last years time. I am still looking at completing another 70.3.. I think it may be Ironman Kansas 70.3.. and maybe Augusta 70.3.. still trying to decide.. 

Next year will be busy.. I will keep on trying to learn this new lifestyle.. one turtle step at a time..

Happy Training!
Eling


Monday, November 28, 2011

Post Turkey day and the week(2.5 days) of work that I would like to forget...

Last week was a really long and short week for me. Work was so stressful that I almost started eating everything out of the refrigerator that I could find...Luckily for me, my husband was there to stop me and made chicken salad for dinner... I was in the middle of locking a data base and it seemed like we were never going to make it but we did!... so I was able to get ready for Thanksgiving!

This is how I felt on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday!
So, my relatives came in with coconut macaroons, ginger cookies and stuff to make "Chex Muddy Buddys".. All of the things, I really shouldn't be eating.. and they wanted to make more sweets... ugh... what was I to do?!? Luckily, I had signed up to run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.. I gotta help fight the eventual weight gain.....At least, I can slow it down by running in the race and continue with my training plan. 

The Turkey Trot was a 4 mile race in Shelby Farms.. This was a lot of fun. Prior to the race, Lesley arranged my workouts to make sure I had a fast race... right.. I don't run fast.. I mean the Saturday before, I ran a 4 mile and my average pace was 13 min/mile. See... I am a Slow Turtle..She had all of confidence in the world in me and even stated that I should have a negative split for my last two miles..I was just hoping to go a tiny bit faster than 13 min/mile. The night before, I said a little prayer and asked God to help me with my race and it worked!

My first mile was a 11:18 and I felt great. I even ran  1/4 mile with Kelly and was talking with her.. Mile 2 = 12:19.. I slowed down a little cause I wanted to save something for the last two miles.. I had to meet the goal of a negative split for my last two miles... Mile 3= 11:45 and I met up with Nancy and her daughter and I should have kept up with them cause they were keeping a good pace.. next time. Mile 4 = 11:32 and it wasn't the finish line.. the finish line was 250 ft in front of me and I just picked up my legs and ran as fast as I could... a 9:53 min/mile... Ok... you are probably saying that was for 250 ft.. you know what, I will take it. I am getting a little faster and who knows.. this speedy turtle will be passing that rabbit one day!

Thanksgiving was a  success.. I ran intervals on Saturday 3x3 min (2 min rest) and 2x1min (1min rest). For my 3 minutes, I averaged 10 min/pace.. and for one of my 1 min interval, I maintained an 8:30 min/mile pace.. Yes.. I said it, 8:30.... So, I am slowly getting there. I hope to surprise myself when next season comes... for now.. I will follow Lesley's plan and keep on moving!

Happy Training,
Eling




Saturday, November 19, 2011

Speedy Turtle is trying to get faster....

It has been over a week since I wrote. I am starting to get faster. Last week, I was trying to get all of my workouts in, but it was getting really hard to fit them in. Training in the winter is a lot different than training in the summer time.

In the summer, I would run or bike in the afternoon if I missed my 4:30 am workout. Well, I can't do that now because it is soo dark.

So, what I have been doing. Well, I have starting working out on intervals. I am doing intervals in running, swimming and biking. My bike and the trainer are becoming really good friends. Every other night, I have been getting off of work, cook dinner, change and go to the garage. Quite the routine. In the mornings, I will get up at 4:30 am... actually, I will hit the snooze button two times and Don, would push me out.. I need that motivation. This is when I have been getting my running and swim done. It worked this week, so now I have to continue next week and the week after to come a habit.. So just maybe.... my 14 minute mile will get faster.. hence, Speedy Turtle getting faster!

So, I am working hard and following Lesley's advice, hard work will hopefully pay off..

Happy Training!
Eling


Thursday, November 10, 2011

Another week of training...

This week winter has decided to arrive...ok... I am a girl that grew up in Southern California.. we had lows in the morning of 40 and highs of 57... so, for some of my friends this isn't cold, but I was cold. So this week, training on the bike was on the bike trainer. I am getting to like my garage. This week, I have done a couple of interval trainings and I have found that 3 minutes can be a long time when you are trying to maintain a cadence of 95+ on the bike. I finished it, but it was hard. I know this will help me for next season.

I am actually getting excited about next season. Ever night, I look at the Ironman 70.3 website and other websites to look for another half to complete. Yes, I am hooked. This time I want to be able to complete a half and some Olympic, and sprint triathlons. So, this off season, I am going to be training and probably griping about the cold.. I will always be a true Southern California Girl.

Happy Training!

Eling

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Back to training again..

Hi all,
I have changed the title to the blog.. I thought I would title it The Speedy Turtle.. yes, this seem like a contradiction.. see, I am starting to get a faster but I am still slow... as slow as a turtle.. but.. I don't care. I  am still training - off season training and come next triathlon season, I am going to get faster.

During this off season, I am going to work on my swimming, biking and running. In fact, I am now working with a new Coach - Lesley. This week was testing week I swam a 500 yard swim as fast as I could.. not. I finished in 10:56 sec. Yesterday, I had to ride my bike for 20 minutes as fast as I can.. THAT was hard.. Still not fast but it was Hard! Now next week, I will be training and really train hard. My new motto is "NO EXCUSES"..So, I am going to use this forum to keep me honest and no excuses.

Have a great week!

The Speedy Turtle!

Eling

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Austin Ironman 70.3 Completed!!!!!!

Well, I finally did it! This was one of the hardest things I have done in my life but worth it!

So, as the current title of my blog says "Half -iron, Full Pain" Sunday, I felt it. I have blogged about training in the heat, the wind, and the hills and I encountered them all on the race.
The morning started out at 4:30 am waking up and trying to swallow down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with the sports legs and the salt tabs. We dropped our son off and headed out to the race venue. The expo directed us to the parking area and then dropped off our bags at T2 and took the shuttle to T1. Yes, this was a swim to bike transition and then a different point for the bike to run. We arrived at the T1 area just before the swim start. It was dark, cool and the stars were out. After the usual nerves of going to the bathroom, getting body marked and setting up our bikes. We sat on the grass and watched the sunrise. Before the sun came up, I looked up and saw a burst streak through the night. It looked like fireworks but it was a meteorite. Yes, I saw a meteorite and I knew that I would finish this race. It was so beautiful and I never saw a meteorite before. The sun came up and the pros were off... I was in wave 6 and getting nervous, but my nerves settled downed when I looked up before entering the water and my husband said he was "proud of me". I knew I could complete the swim. It was our turn. The announcer said go.. so we took off! The water was great! It was wetsuit legal and I just got into a groove. 1, 2, 3 breathe, 1,2,3 breathe and site. I kept going and next thing I know I am at the first turn. I knew then I would finish the swim. I finished the swim in 49 mins. Thank you Mike and Lesley for working with me on my swim for the last few weeks. Every drill you both put me through helped me complete this swim in less than hour!
Out of the lake, I ran up a sandy hill to T1 and there was help from volunteers to take off the wetsuit! Yeah me! I get the suit off immediately! But my transition time was slow, according to my son. :)  I was running through dirt and grass and I wanted to clean my feet before I put on my bike shoes. I hear the cheers from my son and Billy.. Wow, just hearing your name in the crowd is motivating.. So away I go...The bike started out with a hill... boy am I glad I trained on Memphis-Arlington Road, Donnell Road and the Herb Parsons Loop. Then after mile 20, the winds started and the roads started getting rough, but I kept on going. During the ride, my husband came up, and patted my back wished me good luck. It is a great feeling racing with your best friend! At mile 40, I met up with someone from Santa Cruz and the two of us pushed each other to the end of the bike. Thank you "Santa Cruz" for keeping me going at > 16 mph. It was nice to have someone to chat with during the hard part of the bike knowing that I had a half marathon ahead. I entered into T2 and hooked my bike up, sprayed sunscreen, and put the ballcap and running shoes on. I wobbled out of T2. I was telling myself.. omg.. how am I going to do this and then I heard the crowd and started moving. I started to get "hot feet" and stopped and took off my socks.. The weather was soo hot.. It was like over 90 degrees with no shade. The run was a 4 mile loop that we ran 3 times, so I was able to see all of my training partners and even shared a  water break with my husband. I learned a lot about myself during the run. I guess you can say this was the hardest part of the race. I was at a low point where I almost gave up and then I would hear encouragement from Billy and I knew I could keep on going. So, I plugged on. Every water station, I drank water and had an orange slice. I, also, poured ice water on my shoes, to cool my "hot feet" and poured ice in my shorts and sports bra. This felt soooo GOOD.. There were points in the run where there was no aid station, so I took some of the ice out of the jog bra and cooled down. On my final lap, Billy was there on his bike, giving me encouragement  to keep moving. That was what I needed at the moment. As I was climbing my last hill, I saw my husband, Kelly, my son, and my colleague from work with huge smiles cheering me on. I had to keep running, I didn't want to disappoint anyone or give up. So away I went... running into the stadium and finishing the half ironman in 8 hours 13 minutes and 6 secs.

The feeling of crossing the finish line was amazing! I still can't believe I did it, but I did! Thank you to everyone who have supported me over these last few months.  I will continue to blog, but the title will be changing.. as this half ironman is complete and now I am on my way to making triathlons part of my life. Finally, a big thank you to my Family for supporting me!

Eling


Before the race

The group: Tripp, Billy, Kelly, Don, me, and Kathy








Thursday, October 20, 2011

Austin or Bust!

So, today we took off to go to Austin. What a long trip. 11 hours later and we made it. I am so glad we left today and not tomorrow. We can now looking over the route. I am getting excited! I just can't believe the race is here. Well, I will write up my race report in a few days! Happy training! Eling.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Countdown...9 Days 11 hours until I start!!!!

Oh MY Goodness... Austin Ironman 70.3 is almost here! Am I ready? I hope so! The training has gone by so fast, I can't believe it is here! Every day, I have been going over the race in my head.

Swimming
I have been wishing and hoping that the lake will be wetsuit legal.. so far it is looking good. Also, I am wondering how far along will I get with the song 99 bottle of beer on the wall... Yes, I sing..

Bike
OK.. so, I told you all that I don't like hills and windy.. I mapped out the bike and read some reviews and I am soo glad I have been practicing hills and riding in the wind! The course is rolling.

Run
I am just hoping I will be able to get through.

I think I am ready.. just 9 more days..

Happy Training,

Eling aka Speedy Turtle

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Hard Training!!!!! Nerves..anxiousness..

Sorry I haven't written in a number of weeks, the last few weeks have been some really hard training. The days are getting shorter till Austin! Two weeks from today, I will be getting myself ready to start my race in Austin, TX for the Ironman 70.3. Where did the time go?? I know! I have been training, working, and being a swim taxi to my 14 year old son, (Donnie). I have, also, been getting nervous as I see the countdown clock. Will I make it, can I finish before the time expires? I guess you could say I have been a bunch of nerves and anxiousness... I know I will finish, I am determined..

So what have I been doing? I have been trying to re-learn how to swim freestyle and training. Yes, a few weeks ago, I learned what I was doing wrong. So for the last two weeks, on Tuesday and Thursday morning and on Wednesday evening this week, I have been swimming. Tuesday and Thursday morning it is up at 4:30 and swimming. My son's swim coach, has been pushing me with freestyle drills for an hour each day. It is great because my 25 free used to take me 40 secs and now I am at 30 secs and my 100 has gone from a 3 min 100 down to 2-2:10. Boy do I wish I had corrected my freestyle sooner. Thank you Coach Lesley! You will be seeing me more after Austin!

I have been working a lot of hours each day at work and when I am done, I really need to go for a run, to relieve the stress. So I have been running. In fact, last week, I had to complete a long run, but I didn't get out until 5:22pm  So, I strap on my lights and reflective gear and headed out. I was having a great run.. until the sun went down..... It was Dark! I couldn't see farther than 5 feet in front of me.. and the cars coming towards me were soo bright! I was blinded. BUT, I kept running and running. Then came along a familiar car.. my husband! I was soo happy. He rescued me. Luckily, I ran almost 9 miles, so I was happy.. This week, I went for a long run and I got out early enough and finished 9 miles in 2 hours.. whoo hoo!

So, my last two Saturdays, have been >50miles on the bike. I found out that I really do not like wind. Last week, the wind was > 13 knot winds and this week it was 10 knot winds.  The only good thing about the rides were my average speed... 16 mile/hour with head wind and crosswinds. This is a huge improvement since I first started riding. Maybe, Austin won't have any wind and hills. Oh yea.. I don't like hills either.  I can only hope and wish!

So, after today's workout, tomorrow will be a rest day and I think we are supposed to start to taper.. I only hope this happens. But if it doesn't, then I am ready to tackle the training.

Happy Training!
Eling


Thursday, September 22, 2011

Teaching an Old Dog new tricks!

Last night I had a swim lesson to correct my freestyle. I have been getting really nervous about the swim and I didn't want to revert back to my standby stroke - breaststroke.  You see my breaststroke has always been faster than my freestyle. Even when I was on the high school swim team, I swam faster as a breastroker than a freestyler.

When I started training, my tri coach said, I had to swim freestyle. Begrudgingly, I swam freestyle. I would kick so hard and move my arms so much and still not get anywhere.   I would still be the last one finishing up the swim set and swimming was not fun anymore. Friends and family who have known me for a long time know that I used to be a fish in the  water and for me to not like swimming would be a shock. I was bummed. I really wanted the swim to be easier but it was getting to be just as hard as running. (I am a fast turtle when I am running).

After watching my son swim his first short course swim meet and watching him get a PR in his freestyle, I decided, I wanted to improve my freestyle. So I emailed another triathlon coach who is swimmer to help me out. Lesley came highly recommended. I also watched her race and it was amazing. I wanted to get better. 

Making the phone call was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I learned that freestyle really isn't as hard as I was making it to be. I learned how to improve my stroke and kick the correct way. I learned that I was working way too hard to be an endurance swimmer. I still have a lot of work to do. More drills to complete, but I am determined. I will get better and just maybe... I will keep up with my husband in the water..

Yes, an old dog kind learn new tricks. I am proof positive about this one. Thank you Lesley for working with me! I look forward to working with you after Austin to get better and learn more new tricks!

Happy Training!
Eling



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Almost 10 mile run....

So, for the last few weeks, I have been busy getting ready for Austin Ironman 70.3.. I can't believe it is 5 weeks away.. where did the time go..Today, was a long run day.. I ran 9.75 miles. I almost made it to 10 miles but I had a dog come running at me and I was ready to turn back.. The run felt great! I guess my running legs are starting to come back.. Yeah!

I am still a slow runner.. or as my son would tell me, I am the speedy turtle mom now! I will take that. I love his description.

Happy Training!
Eling


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Motivation!!!

This past weekend was a very busy triathlon weekend! My Husband, Don, qualified for the HyVee Triathlon 5150 US Championships back in May when we competed in Memphis in May. So, we packed the car, the cats, the bikes and the gear and headed to Des Moine, IA. What an experience! As my son, Donnie stated on his Facebook page..."Not only did i get to see my dad complete a tri, i also got to see pro's do (their) work!" I would have to say the same.. This weekend, I got to see my husband, Don, complete an awesome race, but I was able to watch how the pros compete. It was after the race that I found out that this is the highest paid race for professional triathletes! Wow!


What has motivated me was seeing all of the competitors compete and cross that finish line and then to see the pros. I was so close, that I was almost knocked over by one of the riders during the bike portion..

I am now even more motivated to  continue with my training for Austin 70.3. In addition, I now have a new goal to reach next year. I want to go to the HyVee Age Group Championships next year! So, I will keep on training. 


Here are some of the photos that we took over the weekend! This is such an awesome competition and the people of Des Moine, IA do know how to put on a triathlon!




My Handsome Husband! I am so proud of him!




Winner!



 

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Busy Week this week...

I just received my workout for the week and boy am I going to be busy trying to fit in the workouts, work, and going to they HyVee Championships to cheer my husband on! I will make it work but it should be interesting. Lucky for me, I will bring my bike, swim suit and running shoes and practice the course with my husband on Saturday. This should be a lot of fun as I haven't swam in open water since end of July. I still can't believe Austin is right around the corner..yikes... less than 60 days.

Here is my week.. I will do my best to do all of the workouts:
Tues-Swim and run
Swim
2 x 500 (20)
2 x 400 (15)
2 x 300 (10)
100 ez
6 x 50 odd fast/evens ez (20)
cool 100
Run
1 mile warm up
3 x 1 mile tempo/hard effort (4 min rest)
1 mile coo
Wed:Bike/Run
 Bike
15 min warm
5 x 30/30 (30 sec sprint/30 sec rest)
3 min rest
5 x 30/30
3 min rest
5 x 30/30
15 ez
Run-30 min
10 min ez
10 min mod hard
10 min how you fee
Thur-2 hr run(practice fueling for  race day)
30 min zone 1/ez
2 x 12 min @ zone 3 or half marathon pace  (3 min rest)
30 min @ zone 1
25 min @ zone 2 or marathon pace

MAKE THIS RUN A NEGATIVE SPLIT

Fri
Run
15 min ez
8 x 30 sec uphill sprints 4-6% incline ( recover as much as needed)
remainder of time zone 1 or 2

Swim
300 warm
3 x 400(20)
4 x 300 (15)
5 x 200 (10)
200 ez
Total 3700

Sat-Bike (practice race day nutrition)
3 hour totall
30 min WARM UP
8 min at 95-100% effort (3 min rest)
10 min at 95-100% (3 min )
12 min at 95-100% (3 min)
12 min at 95-100% (4 min)
10 min at 95-100% (4 min)
4  x 12 min at 80-85% (2 min)
remainder is whatever you can maintain

Run off the bike 30 min
easy out
mod hard on the way back

Sun-2 hr bike

Happy Training!
Eling

Saturday, August 27, 2011

50 Miles!!! Whoo Hoo!

Well, I finally did it! 50 miles no longer elusive! In fact, I went farther than 50 miles today. I finished my long ride and it was 56.55 miles. To top it off, I went faster than I thought I would. My average speed was 16 miles/hour. The hills was awesome up and going down! I now know that I will be able to complete the swim and the bike. Now I have to work on the run.. I have ran a half marathon before, so I know I can do that too. I have 8 weeks left and I will be ready!

 For now, I am going to celebrate my little victory and enjoy the fact that I rode 50 miles. Now I have to get ready for tomorrow.. going to ride for 2 hours..
Proof from my speedometer


I did it! Whoo Hoo!


Sunday, August 21, 2011

The elusive 50 miles.....

So, this weekend we were supposed to simulate a triathlon. (1.2  mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and a 30 min run). The group  did this yesterday, Saturday. I couldn't train with them because I had to be the swim taxi to my son. My hubby and I planned on this because he would get the opportunity to be challenged on the bike with our triathlon coach!

Today, I tried to wake up at 4:30 am and it didn't work, I hit the snooze button and wanted to hit it again. Thank goodness for my hubby, he kicked me out of bed and said go swim! So, out I go and headed out to pool to swim the workout. Awesome swim. I haven't had such a great swim in such a long time. Reminded me of when I used to be a fish in the water. I drove home and got on my bike and started to ride. The weather was cool and overcast. I was having a great ride. On one of my hills (The hill is on Donnelson Road) that I had to climb, I went over 12 -10 miles/hour. Yes, I got slower. But this is truly fast for me because I normally go about 3-4 miles/hour. I was steadily riding along and got to the SAG to buy water. As I was buying water, the thunder clouds rolled in and the rain started to pour. I was only at mile 35. I called my husband and he said that I would be rained on the entire way home, so he would pick me up. I was so bummed. The last time I tried to complete the 56 miles, it was 97 degrees with a heat index of 125. I know I will get there. I mean the longest ride I have done so far is 47 miles. He picked me up and drove the rest of the route for me, so I would know exactly where I should go.

So, I got home and put the running shoes on and out the door I went and ran for 40 minutes. Actually, this was a little over 3 miles. The weather wasn't cool anymore, it was hot and humid and I was drenched. I finished the workout. I am going to try again next weekend. This will not elude me.

Now, I have to get ready for the new week of hard work and pain.. Oh.. I forgot, I can not touch my toes cause my hamstrings are in pain... I will be rolling those out tonight before bed.

Happy Training,
Eling



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Staying Motivated....

This week has been a very hard week to stay motivated.. I am not sure why, but it has been hard to just do the workouts. I have been feeling down on myself. I have been cranky at work and all I wanted to do is eat cake, chips, and popcorn....but I haven't..I wonder if I am just feeling nervous and stressed because I know that Austin is just around the corner.. or Is the stress of all of my deadlines at work getting me down.. I don't know... all I know is that it has been hard.

Thanks to my wonderful husband. He has made me feel beautiful and has encouraged me to continuing doing the workouts.. So, I will keep going and knowing that today is Wednesday and I still have more workouts to go, I will.

Here is a Big Thank you and a I love you to my wonderful husband and training partner!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Juggling Part 2

So, last week was my first week on juggling a new schedule..It was hard but I did get in some training.

Here is what I supposed to do:
Monday (Swim)
300 warm
Set 1
200 (50 sprint, 150 ez) 20 sec rest
200 (100 sprint, 100 ez) 20 sec
200 (Sprint)
Straight into a  ez 50
Repeat two more time
400 at any pace u chose
Cool 200

Tues(swim and run)
300 warm
Set 1
200 (50 sprint, 150 ez) 20 sec rest
200 (100 sprint, 100 ez) 20 sec
200 (Sprint)
Straight into a  ez 50
Repeat two more time
500 at any pace u chose

Run (Mile repeats)
15 min warm up, include 4 x 30 sec sprints
3 x 1 mile at tempo pace (4 min)
10 min ez running

Wed (Bike  intervals)
15 mim warm up
4 x 10 min at threshold  95-100% intensity (2 min rest)

Run 30 min run (3 x 4 min at Half marathon pace) 2 min rest

Thur(long run) hour and 40  min
30 min at ez pace
2 x 1 mile at tempo (4 min)
remainder of time at whatever pace you can maintain

Friday (Threshold Swim)
300 warm
200 @ threshold (10)
300 @ threshold (20)
400 @ threshold (30)
300 @ threshold (30)
200 all out

8 x 50 (odd sprint, evens ez) 20 sec rest
100 ez

Sat-Long bike with interval (3 hours) with run off the bike
15 mim warm up
2 x 20 min at threshold (6 min rest)
10 min very ez
5 x 15 min @ moderate hard intensity (2 min rest)
30 min run off the bike (15 min ez out/15 min hard back)

Sun-2 hour moderate hard bike.

Ok.. I didn't quite follow the plan. Here is what I did:
Monday - Rest Day - family priorities took over
Tuesday -  Ran 4 miles
Wednesday -  was supposed to ride  but.... family and work distracted me
Thursday -  Long Run! This was my best run ever! The weather finally cooled down and I ran 7 miles and had a 12 min/mile pace. I have a chance of getting faster.. maybe....
Friday -  I did the swim workout! Thanks to my hubby.. He got me up and out the door!
Saturday -  I finally got out the door at 3:30 pm and rode my bike for 3 hours 42 miles.. Loved the ride! Weather was awesome! I could have gone further but it would have been dark..
Sunday (today) -  28 miles and I got lost. Thank goodness for my iPhone. I also had a faster ride! My average speed was 17 miles/hour. I guess when I get left in the dust by the training group, I tend to ride faster to catch up.  One day, I will keep up with everyone..

This weeks is a new week and more training. I still have to juggle family and work. 

Training is getting harder, but it was really great talking to my triathlon coach on  what I should concentrate on. I need to remember to do the long runs, long rides and sprints for the run and bike. I am still committed and I know it is going to be hard.

Working one day at a time and juggling life...

Happy Training!
Eling






Sunday, August 7, 2011

Juggling!

Tomorrow is the first day of high school for my son. He will now be in 9th grade.. Wow, where did the time go. I still remember when his was a little guy, now he is a young adult! So..with him starting high school, I have to figure out how to juggle working out in the morning, getting him to school before 7 am (Yes.. 7 am) and getting to work by 8:30...Then there is the pick-up at 2 pm, swim team practice at 3:30 finally home by 6 pm. When am I going to workout and get ready for the half ironman?

These were my thoughts today when I went on my bike ride. I kept asking, how am I going to do this? I just got used to getting up at 4:30/5 am each morning. I did this so I can get at least a 2 hour workout. Now, I am going to either have to decrease my training by an hour or train at night..hmm... that sounds like a great idea.. but then it is figuring out how do I struggle with work... luckily, I think I can handle the work hours. I will just have to work some times at night.

I know other triathletes have done this, so it is possible, this will be something I will need to work on. Once I figure this out, then it will become my routine.

Happy Training!
Eling

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Good Morning!

Well, I am starting to like this morning workouts. This morning I woke up to 88 degrees with a heat index of 98 and went for my "long" run. Actually it was long for me... I ran 4 miles and it felt great even with the heat. I saw a deer jumping across the road in front of me and was just amazed by the beauty. So, this turtle is ready to get her day going..

Happy Training!

My new mascot!
Eling

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Weekend of Triathlons!


 What a busy weekend! This weekend, Start 2 Finish hosted a weekend of triathlons. People who completed the super sprint and longer triathlon.. The total was 1280 meters swim, 33 miles of biking and 6 miles of running. Last year I completed the Annie Oakley and I didn't really train. This year I dropped 10 minutes. The Annie Oakley was 400 meter swim, 11 mile bike and 2.4 mile. I didn't really train last year, I would run a little (once) bike (once) swim (once).. So training does really help. I haven't said this yet, but the pictures from last year's triathlon was what inspired me to start training. Here are couple of pictures from this year and last year.. I called myself the Chinese dumpling last year and this year I am the speedy turtle!
 Before
Chinese Dumpling         
After
Speedy Turtle

This was a great weekend! I placed 7th in the Annie Oakley and 4 in the Showman Shooter. I am going to continue with my training and do a lot better next year! Austin Ironman .... Here I come!

Happy Training!
Eling 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

I Did It!

 I just signed up! Ok.. I know when I first started this, I was going to complete the Bridge to Battleship half iron distance but plans have changed. The logistics and cost of racing in Wilmington was causing me a lot of anxiety. The Austin race is happening the week before and my teenage son will be on fall break so I made the switch.. Wow.. now I am committed.
This is a big deal for me, I have a goal to work towards. So when you see me out training, look for the  waddling turtle running, biking or swimming.

 Happy Training!

Eling 

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Long Hot Run!!!

Ok.. so last night I went for a 3 mile run and I had a few people say.. try running in OKC.. which is hotter. I don't know how hot it was yesterday but today, it was REALLY HOT for my long run.. here is a picture of how hot it was..

 I guess you can say I am trying to get ready for my long run after the long bike ride.. or you can say that I am that I just like pain.. either way..I am trying to make sure I get my workouts done whether it is hot or cold..

Happy Training!
Eling

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Excuses!

Keeping up with my blog has made me accountable for my triathlon training! So, I am making a confession.. this past week, I came up with so many excuses to not train and I didn't.. Last Thursday, I ran 6 miles and it was slow but it felt great. I had big plans to run in Knoxville that weekend... I should have realized it after that run. Last weekend, I was the supportive Mom sitting in the stands watching my son swim in the USA Swimming Southeastern Swim Championships.. So.. the excuses started each day after the meet..."It's raining outside... I am soo tired.. I want to take a nap...Let's go see Harry Potter..." Great excuses and we had a great time as a family.. but I only have 14 weeks left to train for the half..Oh my goodness... I really need to get back on track!

As Billy, my triathlon coach, stated: "..we really need to step everything up...All of the workouts are going to be tough but I know everyone can do them.." 

So.. I am going to give it my all, I know I may slip, but I will just get back on track.. so here I go.. 
Happy Training!

Eling

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Hot Weather....

So yesterday, my workout entailed running intervals... the routine included 10-15 min run as a warm-up and 3 x 1 mile run at tempo pace rest 10 min between each mile.. I made the morning excuse and slept in.. oh and sleep  felt soo good..I regretted it that afternoon.. I decided to run at 6:30 pm.. the weather was 97 with a heat index of 105.. but I did it anyways because there was shade.. Was I wrong!! It felt like this:
I was drenched after the first mile!.. The good thing about the run was that I was running  on my bike route..yes, i took a picture:
 See... I had shade..LOL.. I finished the workout, almost... I ran the two miles at tempo and the last mile, I walked and did a tempo run for .5 mile.

This morning I trained with our tri-group and we rode for almost 30 miles ( actually my speedometer stated 27.5 miles). It was the first time I hit a true double digit on a hill! I went 12 mile/hour up a hill.. remember, I am really slow. I was keeping up.. I wonder if the run the night before helped me out.. I don't know but the ride was great. .. training is going well.. I am still fighting with my personal excuses and staying on track, but my hubby and the tri-group is helping me a lot to stay on track.. Thank you everyone!

Happy Training!
Eling

Monday, July 11, 2011

Sleeping in....what's that?

Yes.. that is right... I was up this morning at 4:30 am... ok.. ok.. . I have my hubby hit the snooze button a least once maybe twice... it states 4:35 am..We (hubby and I) have been getting up early to get in our workouts.. because it has been sooo Hot... Also, our group meets at 5:30 am and we live at least 30-35 minutes away... On the weekends, we get to sleep in till 6:30 am..whoo hoo!
Why, I have been doing this?....
Actually, working out in the morning has been the best thing for me. I don't have the chance to say..."oh, I have to finish this project now at work and work until 7 pm..so I can't go for that run or go for my bike ride..." Now, I don't feel guilty working later because I did my workout in the morning..The other excuse I use is "Oh... it is too late to workout, I need to get dinner made.." As you can see,  I know how to make the most excuses when it comes to exercise. I guess that is why I have started to set these goals of triathlons.. I am starting to get back into shape again and not get injured.....I love the fact that I am working out with a group and my hubby....

For now.. sleeping in will be 6:30 am,  bed time10 pm.. and wake-up is 4:30 am..No more excuses... It is almost time for bed for another 4:30 am wake up..

Happy Training!
Eling

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Enjoying Mother Nature!!

So, yesterday I had one of the best training rides ever! I went 25 miles and average 14.7 miles/hour.. with hills going about 9 miles/hour ( this is a big deal because I usually go 3 miles/hour...yes, I should just get off the bike and walk...) Even though the weather was about 90 degrees with 100% humidity, I still had a great ride..

Going with the theme of the title.. I enjoyed this ride because of the beauty of my surroundings.. There were parts of my ride where the road was covered in a canopy of trees.. The hot wind was blowing and I was riding..The scenery around me makes one appreciate the beauty of the earth.. The best part of the ride was seeing two deer running across the road...Being a girl that grew up in San Diego, I am still always amaze at seeing critters on the road.. I couldn't get out my phone fast enough to take a picture, so I downloaded a picture.. When I came in from my ride (hot and sweaty), I was the silly girl talking forever to my husband about the deer and the trees and my ride.... He looked at me and smile.. All in all, it was a good ride.

Eling

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Procrastinating....

So, last week was a difficult week to make sure I got all of my training done. Every day, after a long day of work, I came up with an excuse to not go.. actually... I did have a good excuse... I was getting fitted for a new  triathlon bike.. my wonderful hubby bought me a Cannondale Slice.. so, last week after work, I was getting fitted for my bike.. I LOVE my new bike!

So..I made up the training over the weekend!.. On Saturday, I rode my bike for 47 miles... It took me 4 hours with some great SAGs ( rest area with water, PBJ, fruit.. and everything else).. yum!.. I then rode for another 30 miles on Sunday.. It was a bike weekend!.. On the 4th July, I went for a 4 mile run.. It felt great...

Now, I am starting a new week and I have been on track so far..

Happy Training!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Getting back to a normal routine..

This past week was getting back to a normal routine and to really get into the training. I sat down and wrote out my workout, with the thought that I would try to follow it..For the most part, I did..Yeah me! I had to adjust my workouts because I now had to be a mom, wife and a Clinical Team manager.  For the most part, I followed it, but I had to make adjustments as I had work "fires" come up. Last week, I was getting up at 4:30 am to make sure I got my workout in..That is hard to do, by 9 pm each night, I was really tired and ready to go to bed. I really did look forward to Saturday when I got to sleep in.. that is if you think sleeping to 6 am is sleeping in.  Getting back to a normal routine will take some time..

So, what did I do last week??
 Swimming workout
I hadn't swam in Annapolis and boy could I feel it..my shoulders and legs where screaming at me.. saying "WHAT  ARE YOU DOING!!!"  I continued with the sets and felt great after that! I was ready to tackle the world.  Last Friday, I took my first Master Swim class and again.. my body was going.."What are you doing to me???" I now knew what my son was saying about his coach. He is hard but encouraging. Actually, the Friday swim felt really good on my joints after the run I had on Wed. Then on Saturday, I went to Gray's lake and swam open water. If you ever swam open water, it is soo different than swimming in a pool. The water is murky or brown and there isn't a wall to push off of. My destination was to the red barn and back which equals 500 yards. My hubby wanted to do this 5 times. So.. I get started and halfway across, I look up and freaked out for a moment.. my head was going "OMG.. that is a long way to the barn".. I put my head down and started singing " ♫ row, row, row your boat ♫ ♫" you see.. this has been my song for the longest time to calm me down when I am swimming so I don't drown. I guess it has a good rhythm to remember to breathe.. This helped me a lot and I finished 4 laps (to and from the red barn). Now, I just need to do this continuously for more than 4 laps and I will be ok for the the swim in the half.

Biking/Brick
Holy Molly... yesterday I did a brick set.. What is a brick? This is when you complete to sets of exercises for one setting...So yesterday, I rode my bike for 34 miles.. great ride!  I finished the ride in 2 hours and 20 minutes and then I tried to run 6 miles.. The big word here is try.. It was already 95 degrees and felt like 103 and I barely completed 2 miles. In fact, my walk was faster than my run.. that didn't work at all. I was deflated after that workout.. I kept asking.. " How am I going to ride for 56 miles and then run a half marathon.." then I realized.. I have about 16 weeks to work on this.. So, instead of doing what I have done in the past and give in to my doubts.. I picked myself up and said " I can do this!"  I still think I am crazy.. but you know.. I really do want to complete this half..

Running..
This last week, I didn't run as much as I wanted. Actually, I only ran a 5k on Wednesday and tried to run yesterday. So this week, I am going to try to incorporate more training on the run.. Yes... I am probably be one of those crazy people, that I used to think and workout in the morning and again in the evening.. go figure..

Now, we I have to get ready for this week. I woke up again at 4:30 this morning and tomorrow is a run set.. I hope I can do this.

Happy Training!
 Eling 

Friday, June 24, 2011

Last Week in Annapolis!

So, I missed writing up what I did last week...so, I will catch up... Last week, I was still in Annapolis and enjoying the cool weather! It was so beautiful and no humidity! Quite amazing that in the middle of June in Annapolis, Md there was beautiful weather!

Tuesday and Wednesday, I went for a 3 mile run. I ran the Naval Academy Bay Bridge.. what a beautiful run! I ran during sunset over the Severn Bay! Then I walked the campus to get pizza! If I ever get a chance to go to Annapolis, I will definitely stay on the Naval Academy!

That Thursday, I got ready to home. Boy was it great to be home... Being away for 10 days is quite a long time. I guess you can say I have become a home body.. Anyway, I drove straight home last Friday night and got home at 1:30 am.. Three hours later, I was up again to watch my hubby and the tri group race in the Dragonfly triathlon. It was soo cool to see them.  I wanted to race, but I knew if I did, I would have dropped dead after the bike!.. Here are a couple of pictures from the triathlon:
 
Our Lifetime Tri group aka "Team Looney Tune"



My Handsome husband! Yes, we are training together! He is actually training for NashVegas half while I am training for the Bridge to Battleship! Actually, it is really great to have a training partner. He keeps me accountable, even when I was away.. This is why I wanted to  be home!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Exploring Annapolis, Maryland

So this week has been quite a week for me. On Monday, I trained with the Lifetime Fitness triathlon group and it was a great swim set followed by a two mile run. A lot better run than I had the day before. Gotta love running with my Tri - Buddy Nancy!.Tuesday I had a 14 hour drive to Annapolis, MD. I was taking my son to Navy Swim Camp at the Naval Academy..That was a long drive, I had packed up my running shoes, my bike (yes, I took my bike), and my swim suit.. along with my work desk ( I have to still work)..

Wednesday morning, I dropped Donnie off and went to work. I was in my room all day (temp 72 degrees) and not realizing how hot it was. After work, I decided to look for a trail near by and went for a run...... OH MY GOODNESS!! It was soo hot.. I ran 3.5 miles and I had to walk some of that route.. I had forgotten what it was like to run in over 90 degree heat and humidity...wait.. a minute... hmmm I take that back, last Sunday it was hot, but I think I was delusional.. I forgot, it was that hot then too. Oh well... It was blazing hot, and I thought I was crazy..I vowed that I was going to do this route again without stopping...I did, I ran the route again on Friday and that was a great run. I guess I had a goal in mind.... If I ran the entire route, I was going to have some Maryland Blue Crabs.. I did! Yummmy..

Cantler's Riverside Inn Blue Crab Steamers
So, I thought to myself, if I could keep running, let me see if I can find a bike trail while I am here. I mean, I am in historic Annapolis, there has got to be routes/trails here.

I was in luck, one of the local Bike shops here: Bike Doctor Annapolis (www.bikedoctorannapolis.com) told me about the B and A Trail. That was my goal on Saturday.

I am a  geek..I love to research how this trail came about and so I looked it up on the internet and found out that this the B and A trail is part of the East Coast Greenway. The B and Trail was once part of the Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line railroad and over time, the railroad stopped. So.. today, I got up and went on my bike ride.
Here is a map of the trail where I parked my car.

Before I started,  I tried to inflate air into my tires with a hand pump and instead of inflating it, I deflated my tires. Not Good! A very nice couple came by to help and that didn't work. We deflated the tire even more... So, we tried my CO2 air pump. WOW! I am soo glad someone told me to only inflate the tire with one pump.. Swoosh!...A lot of CO2 came out really fast. My tires were inflated. I started my ride. What a ride! I nearly ran over a squirrel, that surprised me. Then a rabbit decided to jump in front of me.. so, I had nature interrupting this great ride through nature. The trail was really nice. It was paved route. I may have to try this again before I leave. On the way back, I stopped at the ranger station to replenish my water..

This was about 20 miles.. Here is what I looked like at that point. Hot and ready to finish.. Not!
I still had 8 more miles to go..So, away I went and I finished my ride. I was going to go for a run, but that didn't happen as it started to rain. Sorry, Billy, I know I should run after a ride and I did run in thunder and lighting, but not today. I wimped out. I will run tomorrow.

So, as you can see, I have had quite an adventure so far. I am going to have to get up early tomorrow to go for a run.  I get to see my son tomorrow and then we are going to visit his Godmother (Aunt Wendy) in Delaware and have dinner with her and her husband.

Happy Training!
Eling