Training Log 5/18 and Miscellaneous Adventures

This past week, I was preparing for my first road race on Sunday. I was originally planning to do two training rides with the cycling club, but we had some sketchy weather this week. I didn't want to get caught in the afternoon thunderstorms, so I rode on my own earlier in the day. On Thursday, I cut my ride short, which was luckily a smart decision because it started raining right when I got back home!

My road race on Sunday was in Richmond, Virginia, which is about 2 hours away from where I live. Thankfully, the women's race didn't start until 12:20, so I didn't have to get up at a ridiculously early hour. It was 44 miles (actually a bit shorter) through the Virginia countryside. We had perfect race conditions, and the course was beautiful. I had a great time, and I'll post a more detailed race recap in a bit.

Other adventures I had this week was going mountain biking with a friend on Wednesday. I used to MTB, but haven't been in more than 4 years. I love it, but I only have an old, not so great MTB. Both me and my bike survived the trails, and I had a blast! On Saturday, I also went stand up paddleboarding for the first time. I bought a Livingsocial coupon for a three-hour lesson. Check out the GoPro video that I made!

Monday- 75 mins vinyasa yoga

Tuesday- cycling 21 mi, avg 18.1 mph

Wednesday- cycling 25 mi, avg 17.9 mph
                      MTB 6ish miles on singletrack

Thursday- cycling 12 mi, avg 18.3 mph

Friday- 75 mins vinyasa yoga

Saturday- stand up paddleboarding, 3-hr lesson
                 7.3 mi shakeout ride, avg 18.2 mph

Sunday- 43.5 mi road race, avg 20.8 mph

Totals

Cycling- 108.2 mi + 6 mi MTB
Running- 0

What a week! And now I am exhausted and ready to pass out. Got to get to yoga this week to stretch out those tight muscles.

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Training Log 5/11

I got a solid week of training for my cycling road race coming up in a week. I had originally planned on doing training rides on both Tuesday and Thursday, with the fast paced group that slightly intimidates me. However, on Tuesday, I got stuck in traffic and got to the ride start 6 minutes late. Unfortunately, the group had already left. I was pretty angry with myself for not accounting for traffic, so I drove the 30 minutes back home and did a short ride from my house.

I learned my lesson and made sure I was early for the Thursday training ride. It was challenging, but a good, hard workout. On Saturday, I went to Virginia to ride with another bike club, and rode with the "B" group, which is slightly less fast than the "A" group, but not a leisurely ride at a "C" pace. The group used rotating pacelines for part of the ride, which was good practice for me. It's amazing how much energy you save when working together! At the midway rest stop, my legs were still feeling fresh. If you're not familiar with how pacelining works, here's a video:

I also went on two short runs this week. On Friday, I spontaneously decided to go for a trail run in the woods near my house. It was a bit hot and I regretted not bringing water with me, but I really enjoyed running in the woods for a change of scenery. The hills were a bit tough, and I was completely soaked in sweat afterwards!

Monday- 75 minute vinyasa yoga

Tuesday- cycling 11 mi

Wednesday- running 2.75 mi

Thursday- cycling 29 mi, avg 18.7 mph

Friday- 75 minute vinyasa yoga
             trail running 5.5 mi, avg 9:06

Saturday- cycling 47.8 mi, avg 17.9 mph

Sunday- cycling 30.5, avg 17.8 mph

Totals

Running- 8.25 mi

Cycling- 118.3 mi

A lot of hard riding this week. I need to get to yoga class tomorrow to stretch out those tight muscles. And foam roll more.

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Training Log 5/4

I haven't run since last Sunday, when I raced the Pike's Peak 10K. Earlier this week was soaking wet, so I only got to ride outside on Monday. My legs were a bit sore after the hard 10K effort, but a few miles in, they seemed fine. Nothing like a nice bike ride to cure sore legs!

The weather on Tuesday and Wednesday was gross, so I went to yoga. I still wanted to get some cycling in before I left for Boston for three days, so I did a workout on the bike trainer. Short, but pretty effective!


On Thursday morning, my dad and I left for the 8 hour drive up to Boston to go apartment hunting. We actually ended up taking close to 9 hours because of rest stops and traffic. We didn't even stop for lunch! Just to get gas and take bathroom breaks. The route we took had an exceptional amount of tolls and construction zones, which really slowed us down. We got to Boston around 5pm and checked into the hotel. It was a good time to arrive in the city, just in time to find a place to get dinner and then walk around to explore. We strolled around Boylston and the Back Bay area. I kind of squealed when I saw the Boston Marathon finish line! I also fell in love with the neighborhood; the streets lined with brownstones are beautiful! I wish I could live in that kind of a neighborhood someday.

The apartment hunting was actually successful, and by the time I left on Saturday afternoon, I had secured a perfect place. And it was in Back Bay, too! It is so convenient, great restaurants and bars in the area, safe neighborhood, and a quality bi-level apartment. I feel so lucky and so happy I found it! Can't wait to start my new life in the city :)

I didn't get to run while I was in Boston because I was too busy dealing with apartment stuff. I even brought my running clothes, but oh well. I'll have plenty of chances to run along the Charles when I actually live there.

We made it back late Saturday night, and I was planning on going for a long bike ride the next morning with my bike club. I had a great ride in the countryside, even though I got lost for a little bit. I ended up cycling 68 miles, and I was pretty wiped out by the end. The pollen levels today are very high, so I spent the rest of the day sneezing my head off and dying of itchy eyes and throat. Fun. But so worth it!

Monday- cycling 21 mi, avg 17.9 mph

Tuesday- 75 min vinyasa yoga

Wednesday- 60 min hot yoga
                      30 mins on bike trainer, 5 x 1 min hill repeats w/ 2 min rest

Thursday- rest

Friday- rest

Saturday- rest

Sunday- cycling 68 miles, avg 16.7 mph

Totals

Cycling- 89 miles

Running- 0

I haven't seen a zero for my running mileage in so long! Hopefully I can get at least one run in this week. I am still focusing on strengthening my bike skills for my first road race on May 18th. I have two weeks left to train, so I need to learn fast. I'll share more details about the race when I actually register for it.

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Training Log 4/27

Last Sunday, I came back from a week-long vacation in Disney World. During vacation, I indulged to my heart's content, but stayed active by walking around all day and doing three runs. I had a great time and it was totally worth it ;) When I got back, I used this week to tune up for my Sunday 10K race. I was planning on running at least twice, but that didn't happen. Instead, I felt like training on the bike. I cycled 26.2 miles on Marathon Monday, because I'm a dork. On Wednesday, I went with a local bike club for a training ride. It was pretty hilly, with about 1000 ft of elevation gain. I felt strong on those hills, and had a great ride.

On Sunday, my legs were feeling rested and ready to race! My head was in the game, and I had a great race. I must have done something right with my training, even though it's been pretty lax, lately. Check out my race recap here.

This pic makes me LOL

Monday- cycling 26.2 miles, avg 17.9 mph

Tuesday- running 6.2 miles with walking breaks, avg 7:22 pace for the run

Wednesday- 60 minutes hot yoga

Thursday- cycling 25 miles, hilly group ride, avg 19.3 mph

Friday- 60 minutes vinyasa yoga

Saturday- rest

Sunday- 10K Pike's Peak race , avg 6:59 pace
               90 minutes Yin/Yang yoga

Totals

Running- 12.4 mi

Cycling- 51.2 mi

Now that this season's goal race for running is over, I am considering entering in my first cycling road race. I am still pretty new to cycling, but have made significant improvements since the fall season. There are a lot of skills I need to work on, and racing a bike is a whole different beast. I am learning, and though I feel far from confident in racing, I may just do it.

How did your training go this week? What was your best workout?

Any cyclists who can give me racing tips?

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Training Log 4/20

This past week, I was on vacation in Disney World, so I wasn't expecting much in terms of workouts. Our flight to Orlando was on Monday night, so I was able to go to my yoga class in the morning. The best time to squeeze in a run was in the morning, since I knew that I would be too exhausted after a day of walking around in the theme parks.

The resort I stayed at, Caribbean Beach Resort, had a small lake with a foot path around it. The loop was about 1.15 miles, and I ended up running the same loop for all of my runs. It was flat, and the view was gorgeous.

On Saturday, it was pretty hot and humid when I went out for my run. I am so not used to 70 degrees and humid after this winter of training in sub-freezing temperatures. The humidity kind of got to me, and my 3 mile progressive run was at a hard effort. 

Monday- 75 mins vinyasa yoga

Tuesday- rest

Wednesday- running 1.5 mi, walking around Disney World

Thursday- running 3.75 mi, avg 7:35

Friday- rest, walking around Disney World

Saturday- running 3 mi progressive (7:45, 7:25, 7:07 pace), 2 mi recovery (8:00 pace), total 5 mi

Sunday- cycling 10.25 mi, avg 18. mph

Totals

Running- 10.25 mi

Cycling- 10.25 mi

(weird, my run and bike mileage is exactly the same)

I have one week to get ready for my 10K on Sunday! This is my goal race for the season, and I really want to break 46 minutes. That's a pretty big PR (1 minute 32 seconds faster from my previous 10K) and I'm not going to lie, I have some doubts about whether I can hold a 7:24 pace for 6.2 miles. However, the course has a 190 ft elevation drop. Also, given my history of surprising myself with my race day performance, I realize that I should set higher expectations for myself. I can do this!

What are your current goals? Are you looking to PR or finish a new distance?

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Training Log 4/13

This week, I toned down my workouts in preparation for my race on Saturday, my first duathlon. I did a lot of yoga, practiced transitions, and did a couple of easy bikes and runs. I was supposed to take it easy on Friday and just go to yoga, but I wanted to go hiking with my aunt! We ran a couple miles at an easy pace, but hiked most of the route.

My race on Saturday was great! I will try to post my race recap later today, so stay tuned. Let's just say I did better than I expected :) After the race, my family and I went to DC to see the cherry blossoms, so I ended up walking around all day. My legs felt okay, but at the end of the day, I was exhausted!

Sunday morning, the weather was beautiful and I couldn't pass it up; I wanted to be out there on my bike! I had the full intention of going for an easy recovery ride, but my legs just wanted to go hard. They were feeling a bit fatigued from the day before, but I still managed to feel strong throughout the ride. Thanks, legs, for being awesome.

On Monday, I will be heading to Disney World for a week-long vacation. I will try to get some runs in, but I don't expect to get much training done. I'm so excited to run around in the Disney resorts, though!

Monday- 25 minutes yoga

Tuesday- Cycling 5 miles

                 75 minutes vinyasa yoga

Wednesday- 60 minutes hot vinyasa yoga

                      Transition practice, cycling 5 miles, running 1 mile

Thursday- running 2.3 mi, avg 7:22 pace + 2 mi walk

Friday- 60 minutes vinyasa yoga
             5.5 mile hike/trail run (easy pace)

Saturday- Sprint duathlon! 5 miles running, 10 miles bike

Sunday- Cycling 20.5 mi, avg 18.1 mph

Totals

Cycling- 40.5 mi
Running- 8.3 mi

Do you work out during vacation?
Did you race this weekend? How did it go?

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Training Log 4/6- Bricks and BBQ

This week, I did two bike/run bricks and went on a longer ride on Saturday with the bike club. The bricks went really well, which give me the confidence for my first duathlon next weekend. I also made it to yoga four times this week, and even went with a friend on Friday.

My ride on Saturday wasn't as great... Let's just say it wasn't a very pleasant ride. My friend and I were planning on joining a faster paced group (which was ALL men, except for us) this time, which averages 18-20 mph. I think I should have been able to keep up with the group if the conditions were better, but it was a really windy day. I felt like I was fighting either a headwind or cross wind the entire way. Also, because the route had a lot of traffic lights, our group kept getting split up. At one point, I got cut off from half the group at a traffic light, and I was at the front of the second half of the group. I had to pull in the front for a while, and it really tired me out. When other riders took their turn up front, I just couldn't keep up with the pace. My friend and I were dropped, and for the rest of the ride, we were chasing the group. We kept them in our sights for a while, but eventually lost them. Since this was my second ride with the club, we didn't know the route very well, and ended up making a few wrong turns. I had to stop a couple of times to check the map on my phone. It was pretty frustrating.

After a morning of fighting the wind and trying to navigate around unfamiliar roads, we decided to take a trail that would take us straight back to the parking lot where we started. At one point on the trail, there is a conveniently located BBQ joint. I saw and smelled it last time, but didn't stop. This time, we were tired and hungry, so BBQ sounded so good. Thankfully, I thought to put a $20 in my jersey pocket, so we got some delicious BBQ. Best. Decision. Ever. It really hit the spot. Tough ride, but the food made it better :)

Monday- rest/ walking ~4 miles around DC

Tuesday- Hatha yoga
                 Bike/run brick: 15 mile bike avg 16.9 mph, 1.6 mi run @ 7:05 min/mi

Wednesday- bike 11 mi, avg 17.2 mph

Thursday- Hatha yoga

Friday- run 2.26 mi avg 7:38 + 5.1 mi bike avg 17.5 mph
            Vinyasa yoga

Saturday-  cycling 45 miles with the bike club, avg 15 mph (wtf)
                 walking ~6 miles in DC

Sunday- walk/hiking about 5 miles
              Yin Yang yoga

Totals: 

Running- 6.7 mi
Cycling- 76.1 mi

What was the best workout you had this week?

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Training log 3/30

I had a great week of training, doing a variety of workouts including running, cycling, yoga, and rock climbing. I met my goal of practicing a bit of yoga every day and doing a bike and run brick. On Saturday, I wanted to go cycling with a group of friends, but it's been soggy all weekend and we opted to go indoor rock climbing instead. I was in a rock climbing club in college, but I haven't been in a while and am still a noob at it. Since I rarely go to the rock climbing gym, I am not belayed certified and we only had two people who were in our group. They were kind enough to belay for most of the time, but I felt kind of bad. I also went bouldering, which I'm really bad at! I've climbed a 5.10 before, but when it comes to bouldering, I can barely get up a V.1. My arm and grip strength is so weak, and my arms were so fatigued by the end. I had a great time doing something a bit different!

On Sunday, I had my first race of the season with my running club. It was rainy and windy, but I was just glad to race! I planned my wardrobe rather poorly and wore shorts, so my legs never really warmed up. They felt a bit leaden and not very fresh, but I managed to PR! I'll have a more detailed race recap in another post.

Monday- rest day

Tuesday- 40 mins on bike trainer, weights

                  Vinyasa flow yoga

Wednesday- hot power Vinyasa yoga

Thursday- bike/run brick, 30 mins on trainer, 2.36 mi run avg 7:18

                   20 mins yoga

Friday- 3.1 mi run avg 7:40

              Vinyasa flow yoga

Saturday- biking 11.3 mi
                 20 mins yoga
                 indoor rock climbing

Sunday- Piece of Cake 10K, avg 7:33
               Yin/Yang yoga

Totals- Running 11.7 mi
            Cycling 11.3 mi + 70 mins on trainer

How did your training go this week? Do you have a goal race this season?

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Training Log 3/23 and First Club Ride of the Season

This week, I started taking yoga classes, ran a few speedy miles, and biked a bunch of easy-ish miles. I've been telling myself that I should start practicing yoga for years, and this Thursday, I finally decided to try a yoga class. It's been over 5 years since I took a yoga class (which was a high school gym class), and I've been doing a little yoga on and off in between. Thursday was my first real yoga class in a yoga studio. I was a little intimidated at first, since I wasn't sure what the class would be like, but it was very enjoyable! I went to another yoga class on Friday which was faster paced. I was able to keep up and felt so much better after all the stretching.

On Saturday, I went on my first bike club ride of the season. My friend invited me to ride with the Reston Bike Club, which was kind of out of the way for me, but I'm glad I went. I rode with a group of about 40 people, which split up into 3 groups. I went with the more relaxed paced ride and had an enjoyable, social ride. Since I wasn't familiar with the area (I live in Maryland, so Virginia roads confuse me), I just followed the group and didn't really think. We ended up riding 44 miles, and the time just flew by! The day started off pretty chilly, but by the end of the ride, I was really starting to sweat.

Afterwards, my friend and I went to check out a triathlon expo. We mainly went to hear Merinda Carfrae, the 2013 Ironman World Champion, and her husband, Tim O'Donnell, give a speech. It was pretty exciting to hear from the best of the best in Ironman! They talked about how they became triathletes, their races in Kona (the Ironman World Championships) and what it's like to be married to a triathlete.

My first 10K of the season is in a week, so this week I will do more speed work and a tempo run. Can't wait to race!

Tuesday- 45 mins on bike trainer + weights

Wednesday- 3.1 mi fartlek

Thursday- hatha yoga class
                  cycling 7 mi

Friday- running 5 mi tempo, avg 7:39 min/mi
             vinyasa flow yoga class

Saturday- cycling 44 mi with bike club at a relaxed pace

Sunday- running intervals: 7 x 400s avg 6:40, total 4.68 mi
              Yin Yang yoga class    

Totals
Running- 12.78 mi
Cycling- 51 mi

What was your favorite day this past week?

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Training Log 3/16

This past week has been so great in terms of training. It actually felt like spring, and I was able to run and cycle outside every single day! Spending time outdoors makes me so happy :)

My highlight of this week was going on a trail run with my friend on Saturday. We ran a trail around a lake at a relaxed pace. It's a nice change of pace (ughhh pun not intended) to run on softer surfaces and be surrounded by nature. I need to do more trail running!

Another great run I had was on Sunday. I went out for an "easy, don't-care-about-pace" run, and I was able to knock back 5 miles averaging a 7:45 min/mile pace! I ran negative splits, and I just felt great. I guess when I'm not looking at my Garmin all the time and just run by feel, I am capable of more than I think. I think being more relaxed and not having a this is hard mentality really helps, too.

Monday- biking 21 mi, avg 17.3 mph

Tuesday- running intervals, 6x400s with 0.25 mi rest in between. Total 5.25 mi

Wednesday- biking 20.5 mi, avg 16.5 mph

Friday- running 3 mi at 7:36 pace + 2 mi 8:09 pace. Total 5 mi

Saturday- 6ish mi trail run, relaxed pace (didn't really use the Garmin)

Sunday- running 5 mi, avg 7:45 pace

Totals:

Running- 19.25 mi
Biking- 41.5 mi

What was your favorite workout in the past week?

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Training Log 3/9 and a 5K Whole Foods Fun Run

How has your week been? The start of this week was still like winter from the snowstorm, but as the week went on, everything thawed out, and it finally feels like spring is just around the corner! I stayed indoors on Monday and Tuesday because of the snow and ice, but I got tired of sweating in my basement and was dying to run outside. Wednesday's run was a bit rough, but Thursday was a bit better, and Saturday's "long-ish" run felt really great! I forget how enjoyable my weekend long runs are, when I get to run easy and the miles seem to tick by without much effort. I haven't done a long run since marathon training last fall, but I will try to do a longer run on the weekends.

Today, I participated in a 5K Fun Run event by my local Whole Foods and Fleet Feet. There were about 60 people who came out for the run, and we went around the neighborhood. They suggest a $10 donation to participate, which benefited the Whole Planet Foundation. It was fun to come out to see the local runners and support a good cause.

I decided to bike to Whole Foods, do the 5K, and bike back home. I was able to store my bike in my brother's car while I ran. I wanted to bike a bit more after the run, but it got really windy and it sucked, so I went straight home instead.

Monday- 65 mins on bike trainer
Tuesday- 60 mins on bike trainer
Wednesday- 5.5 mi run
Thursday- 6.2 mi run (5 mi at tempo 7:45 pace + 1.2 mi cool down)
Saturday- 8 mi run avg 7:51 pace
Sunday- 6 mi bike, 3.1 mi run (5K Fun Run), 6 mi bike

Totals- 19.7 mi running, 12 mi biking + 125 mins on trainer

What was the highlight of your week?

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Training Log 3/2

This week, I am back in the training groove! Last weekend gave me that push to up the frequency and intensity of my workouts with the first outdoor rides of the season. Counting last Saturday and Sunday, I was able to train for 6 consecutive days before heading off to New York City for weekend of fun and reunion with my college friends. I definitely did NOT plan on training during the trip, so I'm glad I had a productive week. 

Tuesday's run was fun and interesting because it started snowing right when I headed out! It was pretty running through the snowflakes, and I collected a lot on my vest. 

Monday- 2 mi 8ish pace, 1 mi 7:23 pace, 2 mi slightly under 8:00 pace, total 5 miles

Tuesday- 6.2 mi steady effort, avg 8:09 pace, 0.8 mi cool down, total 7 miles

Wednesday- 65 mins on bike trainer. 10 mins warm up, 7:00 mins sustainable hard effort/ 3:00 mins easy, 7:30 hard/2:30 easy, 8:00 hard/2:00 easy, 10:00 hard, 15 min cool down

Thursday- 45 mins on bike trainer. 10 mins warm up, 30 sec sprint/30 sec recovery x 15 with 5 mins easy between each set of 5 sprints, 10 mins cool down 

It snowed on both Tuesday and Wednesday! And it's going to snow even more tonight and Monday :/

I have been feeling that runger lately, and with the increase in activity compared to the past two months, I am getting hungry constantly. I should try to eat more, especially before my runs. I've been eating oatmeal cooked with egg whites with a banana for breakfast, but when I go out for a run an hour later, I get hungry in the middle! Like that kind of hunger that drains your energy and you feel it deep in your belly, followed by a general feeling of weakness and lightheadedness. Not good.

Post-workouts, I've been eating Greek yogurt with Kashi GoLean Crunch, almond milk and fruit. Unfortunately, I think my lactose intolerance is getting worse and the dairy is giving me pain. I am sad because I love my yogurt :(

This week, it looks like I'll be doing more indoor workouts if it snows as much as is in the forecast. Sigh, I am getting impatient with all this wintry weather. 

I am on my way home from NYC, and I will be sharing what I did over the weekend in my next post, so stay tuned!

How was your weekend? Are you getting hit by the snow storm where you live?

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Finally a Training Log- 2/24

I haven't posted one of these since... October!? What have I been doing with my life? Not training much, apparently. Well, here are the workouts I've done this past week:

Wednesday- 47 mins on bike trainer doing intervals; 15 mins warm up, 1 min on, 30 sec rest x10, 15 mins cool down. Followed by Insanity Core Cardio (17 mins)

Thursday- 5 miles, 7:57 pace

Saturday- 37 mile bike ride

Sunday- 28 mile bike ride

Umm, I think I did another workout on the bike trainer earlier last week, but I didn't write it down and I can't remember.

Today, I went on a 5 mile run. I was planning on doing 2 miles relaxed, 2 miles tempo pace (under 7:30), then 2 miles cool down. That didn't happen and I only did one mile at 7:23 pace because my ankle started to bother me and I was gasping for air and felt like shit. If anyone cares besides me, my splits for this run went like this: 7:54, 8:09, 7:23, 7:59, 7:50.

It was windy and cold at the start, but I soon got pretty warm. At least it was nice and sunny!

Blergh, I have a lot of work to do before my 10K in 2 months and a handful of days. I got this. I got this.

Have you gotten your run/workout in today yet? What are your goals for this week?

*** You can still enter to win a sample of ENERGYbits, so enter my giveaway HERE***

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