Weekly Chase 5/27

I am counting down the days until I set off to cycle across the country, from Baltimore to Portland, to raise awareness for young adults with cancer. I have been preparing for this trip since I was accepted as a rider in September 2013; for months, I've been fundraising, training, getting to know my teammates through Facebook, etc. And finally, the start of the trip is just around the corner.

After this three-day weekend, I basically only have four days left at home. On Saturday, I will be heading to Baltimore for Training Day. I will meet my team, practice group riding, learn basic bike maintenance, and practice driving and loading the 15-passenger vans that will be our support vehicles. My family and I are planning on staying in Baltimore Saturday night, since the send-off is early Sunday morning. I will have to meet up at 6 am to load the vans and make last minute preparations. The send-off ceremony starts at 7 am at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, and then we head off at 8 to cycle across the country!

I have been writing Weekly Chase posts for the past few months, where I share my weekly goals and recap my previous week's goals. However, as I am cycling across the country this summer, I may not continue writing these posts. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to be blogging during the trip. I probably won't have my regular weekly posts, such as The Weekly Chase, Training Logs, Weekend Eats, etc. My posts will probably be more sporadic and shorter, but I will definitely make the effort to check in and write updates on my journey. Don't worry, I won't be completely absent :)

Last week's goals:

1. Finish packing for my 4K trip- Ordered some more gear for the trip and I am starting to gather all my bike gear, clothes, and other essentials that I will need in my room. It's all sprawled out on my floor, next to my huge duffel. Now the goal is to not overpack!

2. Spend some quality time with my family and friends- Yep, and I will continue this goal this week before I leave on Sunday morning!

3. Finish my summer reading assignment- Haha, this has not happened yet. Fail for procrastinating.

This week's goals:

1. Don't forget anything for the trip- I am making lists, trying to think of everything I will need, and labeling everything. I really hope I don't forget anything essential!

2. Summer reading assignment- I need to stop procrastinating this.

3. Yoga- My class pass is expiring this week, so I want to go to at least one more yoga class. I also want to continue practicing on my own, as well as keep up my practice during the trip. I even bought a travel yoga mat.

What are you working towards this week?

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Weekly Chase 5/21

Oops, I usually publish my Weekly Chase posts on Tuesdays, but I'm lazy and it's a day late so what can ya do.

This morning, I actually slept in until 8:30! I can't remember the last time I slept that late, but it was glorious. I had a lazy morning, ate my breakfast, and then headed out the door at 9:40 for a yoga class. I had a free class coupon, so I invited a friend to join me. The room was heated to about 90 degrees, and it was intense! The sweat was really flowing, but it felt so good. I really needed to take a rest day from running and cycling since my legs are still a bit fatigued and tight. Hot yoga was the perfect thing, and coming out of that room into the cool breeze was amazing. 

When I got home, I didn't want to stay indoors, so I brought my computer outside to get some work done and write this blog post. It's such a beautiful day to spend outdoors. A bit cool and overcast, my fave kind of weather.

Last week's goals:

1. Reach my 4K for Cancer fundraising minimum by May 15th deadline- I received an incredibly generous donation on the fundraising deadline, May 15. One of my teammate's family made a HUGE contribution and donated to ALL the riders on my team that still haven't raised $4500. They donated the difference, which ended up being over $1400 for me. I was kind of in disbelief when I saw that I had made my goal, and took a few moments to process it. I am so thankful for their generosity, as well as everyone who has contributed to make this trip possible

2. Go on two training rides- I did 3 training rides solo last week in preparation for the race last Sunday. I wanted to go to the group training ride, but afternoon thunderstorms spoiled those plans. Oh well.

3. Catch up with friends- I got to catch up with a friend last Saturday when we took a 3 hour SUP lesson together. She also joined me for my carbo-loading dinner. Fun times :)

4. Do my first road race- YES. I did it.

This week's goals:

1. Finish packing for my 4K trip- I need to get my stuff organized, make packing lists, and buy the rest of the stuff that I will be needing.

2. Spend some quality time with my family and friends- I have a week and a half at home before I ride across the country. I want to make the most of it.

3. Finish my summer reading assignment- I actually have homework from school already. All incoming dental students are required to read a book and answer some questions. I don't want to worry about having to finish this on the trip, so I want to get it done before next week.

That's all for The Weekly Chase! What are your goals for this week?

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The Weekly Chase 5/13, a Road Race, and Fundraising

My first cycling road race is this Sunday, only 5 days away! I am slightly panicking, but I keep telling myself that everything will be okay, I won't have a mechanical, and my legs are ready for this. I really have no idea what to expect, since I've never raced before. The race is in Richmond, Virginia, which is pretty far. I'll be making the two hour drive on Sunday morning, and since it starts around 12pm, I won't have to get up crazy early. The race itself is a 22-mile loop that we do twice, for a total of 44 miles. The field is small, and so far, there are only 9 women. My friend will be racing in the Category 4 men's. It would be a lie to say that I am not nervous, but I am hoping for the best! At least the weather will be nice.

Also, I can't believe that it's already mid-May and that I will start to ride across the country in two and a half weeks! I am getting more and more excited as June 1st approaches, and I can't wait to meet my 28 teammates who will be riding with me from Baltimore all the way to Portland. 

Before I go on the trip, however, every rider needs to raise a minimum of $4500. Part of the funds will cover the ride expenses, but most of them will go to support young adults with cancer by providing patient navigation services and awarding college scholarships. My brother recently made a generous donation to my fund, and I am now so close to my fundraising goal! I have been making deposits with my own money since I've been struggling a bit to make all the fundraising deadlines, but with my brother's donation, I am less than $100 away from meeting the minimum before the May 15th deadline. 

Although it makes me uncomfortable to ask for donations, I really need all the help I can get for a final push to meet the minimum. Even a small donation of $5 will help reach my goal and allow me to go on this amazing adventure for an incredible organization. Click on the image below for my donation page, as well as my profile explaining why I want to cycle across the across the country.

And now it's time for another Weekly Chase!

Goals from last week:

1. Get my cross country cycling gear together- I've been shopping around at local bike shops, REI, and Amazon for gear and cycling kit. I recently ordered a bunch of stuff off of Amazon that I will need for the trip, but I still have a few more things to get such as puncture resistant tires.

2. Go on two club rides- I went on a club ride on Thursday and Saturday. The Thursday ride was pretty hard and I got dropped halfway. Well, that's the reason I join these rides, to challenge myself and get stronger.

3. Go to yoga three times- Only went twice this week, again. My weekends were packed and I didn't have time to go to my usual class.

4. Run for fun- Not only did I run, I ran twice, PLUS one was on the trails! Both were enjoyable, though the trail run was hot.

This week's goals:

1. Reach my fundraising minimum by May 15th deadline- I am blown away by all the generosity I've received since I started fundraising in February, and I've already raised over $3000! That's incredible, and I am so close to meeting the fundraising minimum. I can do this!

2. Go on two training rides- I want to try to make it to two club rides this week before my race on Sunday, but that will depend on the weather. A lot of afternoon thunderstorms this week :(

3. Catch up with friends- Since I will be leaving my hometown soon to cycle across the country and then move to Boston, I want to spend some quality time with my friends. I'm getting a bit sad that I will be leaving!

4. Do my first road race- I just want to have a good experience. And not finish last.

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Weekly Chase 5/6

I probably accomplished 55% of my goals from last week. Since I had to take a trip up to Boston, my schedule got a bit hectic. At least I accomplished my main goal: to find an apartment. If I didn't reach any other goal but this one, I would still be happy! 

Goals from last week:

1. Find an apartment- I am moving to Boston in August, so I needed to find an apartment by this month. I went up for a visit last weekend to look around, and found the perfect place in Back Bay. Success!

2. Go on a group training ride- I was back home by Sunday, so I went out for a long bike ride with a bike club. The route was 50 miles, but I ended up riding 68 because I tacked on a few miles riding to the start, and then back home. It was a good ride

3. Run at least once- I wanted to go for a run along the Charles, but that didn't happen. Haven't run since my last race.

4. Run some trails- Again, I haven't ran since last Sunday, my last running race for this season.

5. Go to yoga three times- I went to yoga on Tuesday and Wednesday. I usually go at least three times a week, but since I was out of town, I couldn't make it to my usual Friday class.

This week's goals:

1. Get my cross country cycling gear together- I have less than 25 days before I embark on my cross country bike ride! I need to make a packing list and buy some gear that I am still missing. Time to go to shop online or go to the local bike shop!

2. Go on two club rides- Riding in a group is really useful for challenging myself, getting comfortable with pacelining, and to practice important skills for racing.

3. Go to yoga three times- I only got to go to yoga class twice last week, so I want to get back to three classes a week.

4. Run for fun- I've been focusing on biking so much lately, I haven't gone on a run! I miss it, and I want to just go for a joy run.

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Weekly Chase 4/29

Last Sunday, I ran my goal race for the season and did spectacular in running a PR in the 10K. I also found out yesterday that I got 2nd place in my age division (18-24). I think I win a $35 gift certificate, which is about how much I paid for the race registration. Haha, that's funny to think that I earned that back. I don't care about the prize, but I'm just kind of in disbelief that I actually won something in a running race. I have only gotten a lot faster recently since focusing on 10K training this spring, so I'm still kind of absorbing the fact that I am relatively fast runner. I guess I'm living up to my blog name, eh?

After finishing a big running goal, I always feel a bit at a loss as to what my next move will be. I felt the same way after the Marine Corps Marathon last fall when I didn't have my next goal race to train for. There are no running races on the calendar, and I know that I probably won't run at all this summer as I am biking across the country. After this summer, I will be moving to Boston to start dental school, where I will be Busy with a capital B. I'm not sure whether I have time to run, let alone train for a race. So my running future is a bit uncertain. I will dearly miss running this summer, but that's okay, because I love cycling equally as much!

Right now, I am working on becoming a stronger cyclist. I've been toying with the idea of racing for a while, now, and I have always wanted to try it. The race I am targeting is a road race, and it's two 22 mile laps. I'm not confident in racing a criterium, where racers go around a much shorter loop (about 1 mile) for a certain amount of time or laps. Crits require a lot more technical skills, power, and knowledge to read the race, which I don't have. Maybe after I have a few more years of cycling experience, I'll give it a try.

Here's a roundup of goals from last week, and my goals for this week.

Goals from last week:

1. Prepare for my charity yard sale/bake sale- I sold quite a few items and made a few hundred dollars. Overall, I would say this was pretty successful, though I wish I could have gotten rid of more stuff. The baked goods didn't sell as well as I would have liked, too. Oh well, more cookies for me.

2. Do two quality runs- I reached this goal about 30% of the way... only did one run last week, and that was kind of a fail. Was planning on doing 8ish miles at slightly slower than race pace, but I went out way too fast, was dehydrated, and underfueled. I also opted to go for a training ride instead of running a second time.

3. PR in the 10K- Done. I ran hard and gave it my all. Shaved almost 4 whole minutes off my 10K time and won 2nd place in my division. Read my race recap here.

4. Go to yoga class three times- Reached this goal by going to yoga class on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

This week's goals:

1. Find an apartment- not fitness related, but I really need to find an apartment by the end of May. I am moving to Boston in August, and I need to secure a place before I head off across the country in June. So this is my top goal right now.

2. Go on a group training ride- Last week, I went on a group training ride with a local bike club and it went great! If I am going to do my first road race in May, I need to practice riding in a group more. The training rides are great for me to practice pace lining and staying out of the wind. These people go FAST, and it's great to challenge myself to become a stronger rider.

3. Run at least once- Although running is taking a backseat in terms of training, I still love it and can't bear the thought of not running anymore. Cycling is my main focus right now, but I will still run to crosstrain.

4. Run some trails- Every time I go for a trail run (which is rarely), I tell myself that I should do it more often. Well, I don't listen to myself most of the time, so I haven't gone trail running all that much. Now that spring is in full bloom, it will be beautiful to run in the forest.

5. Go to yoga three times- I have been consistently going to yoga classes for the past month, and I am going to buy another unlimited month class pass. I only have one month left before I leave, so I'm going to make the most of it!

What goals are you focusing on this week?

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The Weekly Chase 4/22

Time for another Weekly Chase post, where I share my fitness goals every week and recap my previous goals. Last week, my weekly goals post was MIA because I was off on my Disney vacation. My only goal was to have fun (and not get sunburnt).

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The Weekly Chase 4/8

Time for another Weekly Chase! 

Here's how I did with last week's goals:

1. Practice transitioning from run to bike and bike to run- errr, well I did both a bike/run and run/bike brick this week, but the transitions weren't stellar. I didn't lay out my stuff like I would in a race.

2. Run some intervals- Other than the bricks, I didn't do a run work out this week. As you can see from my mileage totals for the week, I mostly cycled. 

3. Go to the yoga studio at least three times- Nailed this one. I went on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

4. Get together with friends- Definitely nailed this one! On Saturday, I got to hang out with my cycling people, then headed into DC to meet up with a bunch of old college friends. We ate great food, enjoyed some fireworks, and chatted late into the night over some great beer at Blue Jacket.

My goals for this week are:

1. Go to yoga three times- Since I am tapering for my duathlon, I'll be running and cycling less, and going to yoga instead. I've really been enjoying the power vinyasa classes since they are faster paced. I can work up a sweat and feel like I got a great workout without fatiguing my muscles.

2. Do a shakeout run and bike- Just to stay in the rhythm and build confidence. And so I don't go crazy without running or biking for a week!

3. Have a great first duathlon! Definitely my priority. I must admit that I am pretty darn nervous about the whole multisport thing. So much to think about: pacing, transitioning, rules, setting up my gear, etc. So complicated and I have ZERO experience. I also really want to place in my age group. I think it is a possibility, and I just need to stay positive and keep my cool. I GOT THIS.

4. Get packed and prepare for Disney World- I am going with my aunt and younger cousins, and I am mainly the one planning the trip. Gotta get the itinerary in order, book our FastPasses, and maybe make dining reservations.


Have you been to Disney World and what you recommend as a MUST DO?

For you multi-sporters, any last minute tips?!

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The Weekly Chase 4/1

I almost forgot it was April Fools Day, so I didn't plan any pranks. I want to pull something on my family later today, so I gotta think of something! Any ideas?

This morning, I made it to an 8:30 hatha yoga class, and I was the only one there! It was kind of intimidating and kind of nice to have a one-on-one session with the yoga instructor. I felt a bit self-conscious at first, but I just went with it and had a good practice. 

After yoga, I went out for a bike ride. After the nasty weather we had all weekend, it has finally changed for the better! I didn't really have a route planned, so I just went along my usual roads and ended up riding 15 miles. On the way back, I decided to make it into a brick workout and planned to run a little bit at whatever pace my legs felt like going. On the bike, my legs still felt a bit fatigued from the race on Sunday, but I kept a moderate effort. When I transitioned to running, my legs felt really weird! No wonder they call it a brick, because that's what my legs felt like. Although I felt like I was going at a snail's pace because my legs felt leaden, I somehow managed to be running at a 7:05 pace for 1.6 miles. I was suffering quite a bit, but I wanted to push hard. Now I need to foam roll, or preferably get a massage :P

And now for The Weekly Chase, where I share my goals for the week.

Here's how I did with last week's goals:

1) Practice yoga everyday- I went to the yoga studio four times last week, and practiced at home on the days I didn't go.

2) Do a few brick workouts- On Thursday, I did my first brick workout, and it went really well. It was my first time running off the bike, and my legs felt pretty speedy!

3) Have fun at my first race of the season- Definitely nailed this one (you can read my race recap here). Even though the weather was nasty and rainy, I went out there and had a great race! Running with my brother, cousin, and friend helped motivate me to get out there and run :)

4) Log some miles cycling on my new bike- I only got to go cycling outside once this week, on Saturday. It was cloudy and threatening to rain on Saturday morning, but I went out anyways. The rain started in the middle of my ride, so I cut it short. I was able to squeeze in an 11.3 mile ride before the rain soaked the entire weekend.

My goals for this week are:

1. Practice transitioning from run to bike and bike to run- I need to think about how I'm going to lay out my stuff for transitioning, and what order I'm going to switch out my gear so I'll be more efficient.

2. Run some intervals- I've been feeling some real progress lately with my speed development. I am going to keep it up with the interval training.

3. Go to the yoga studio at least three times- Every time I go to yoga, I leave feeling great. I'm really enjoying it.

4. Get together with friends- I am trying to make the effort to hanging out with my friends and being more social. Since I will be away for the summer on my cross country bike ride and moving to Boston in August, I want to cherish my time with my friends while I can.

What are you focusing on this week? 

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The Weekly Chase 3/25

This morning, I woke up to gloomy skies, and just as I was finishing my coffee, it started to snow. I wanted to run a couple miles outside before hopping on the bike trainer, but I wimped out and just did my bike workout. I went 40 minutes total, about 25 minutes tempo effort. After the bike, I did some strength exercises with Powerblocks. My arms and core felt pretty fatigued afterwards!

I changed out of my sweaty clothes into yoga clothes and headed off to a vinyasa yoga class. Today's class was fast paced and we did a lot of chaturangas and core work. It was tough after this morning's workout, since my muscles were already feeling a bit fatigued. I worked up a sweat (again), but it felt pretty good after the 75 minute class. 

I'm going to start sharing my weekly goals on Tuesdays with the Weekly Chase, hosted by Road Runner Girl and Molly.

Goals for this week:

1) Practice yoga everyday- after joining a yoga class last week, I am really loving it and want to incorporate a bit of yoga every day. I am trying to go to the yoga studio at least 3 times a week, and the days I don't go, I'll practice at home.

2) Do a few brick workouts (run/bike and bike/run) to get some experience with transitioning for my duathlon in less than two weeks!!! I was planning on doing this a couple weeks ago, but that just didn't happen.

3) Have fun at my first race of the season- I have a 10K this Sunday, and my primary goal is to enjoy it. It's a low key race to celebrate my running club's "birthday", so it'll be a fun affair with brunch and cake afterwards. Maybe I'll PR just to get to the cake faster ;)

4) Log some miles cycling on my new bike- need to start breaking in my new bike before my cross-country bike trip this summer. So far, I've only ridden it about 10 miles. Let's hope this snow melts really fast so I can get out and ride!

What are you focusing on this week?

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