12 miles and a baby jogger...........

The PF Changs 1/2 marathon is just a short 3 weeks away.

We're in our final weeks of training and the miles are starting to pile up. I ran 11 miles on Sunday. My friend and training partner Tammy left today for Utah to go skiing over Christmas; so we decided to do our long run this morning.

This meant that I had to take Cathryn with us.

I usually don't like running with the jogger. I can't swing both arms, and well it's just a bit awkward.

Okay people. It's challenging enough to run 12 miles, but try doing it pushing a 25lb baby.

Hey, I did it. This will make me stronger, and I'm really happy our long run for the week is over.

I do wish I had a camera. At about mile 11, Tammy was helping me push. Tammy is about 5' tall, maybe even 4'11" and me, well I'm 5'9". I'm sure we had several chuckles from passers by.

We made it to the end, and Cate never made a peep!

I'm tired!

1K Swim 28Mile Bike 6.55 Mile Run

The Soma Quarterman- October 28, 2007

I had a really stressful week, and day before the race, so I wasn’t really as excited as I usually am about doing a race.

The swim is always stressful. But, really no one likes the swim, except those who are swimmers. So I try to keep that in mind.

I kept myself at a comfortable pace all throughout. I did have a moment in the water when my goggles fogged up – it was hard to see and I was thinking I didn’t quite want to do this. I focused on Team Hoyt, and all of my own training, and decided what a waste it would be if I quit. Plus the thought of quitting, is worse than swimming. So I just decided to take my swim very relaxed and that seemed to do the trick.

The bike ended up being 29.2 miles, hilly, crowded lots of sharp turns, lots of debris and water bottles in the road which at times was very nerve racking. A larger woman who was reentering the bike course (maybe she had a flat) almost took me out- my heart was in my throat.

The run was hot, which prevented me from going faster. I don’t like racing in the heat at all. I just kept on telling myself the entire way just race your own race. Then I saw Bruce @ about the 4 mile mark. As I passed Bruce he was saying he was having joint issues. I ran past him telling him just to race and don't talk. Okay, I love you too he says.......

I was racing. He was racing. I was focusing on my race. I can't talk except for a couple of words- everything I have is going into racing.

I did have lots of fun (mostly on the bike) and had a huge smile on my face when I finished.

Since this was my first Quarterman, I didn’t have a goal time- I just wanted to finish. I finished in 3:03. 8th out of 41 in my age group.

Triathlon season is over.

Now it's time to focus on the PF Changs 1/2 Marathon in January.

Fun, fun fun

Time Flies When You're Having Fun............

Chasing after a busy toddler. It's hard to believe that it's been 3 months since I last posted. No, I didn't lose the triathlon bug. No, I haven't lost my ability to type. But, I have lost my ability to blog since Cathryn has been mobile and wanting to do everything I'm doing. Including typing on my computer. We've given her a old mouse to click while she sits on my lap- she's almost figured out that the one she plays with doesn't work. Hmmm.... What to do next?
She's sleeping right now. We already swam this morning, so hopefully, she'll be down for a long nap.
Yes, I'm still a triathlete. I haven't missed a beat. I've completed 2 triathlons since my triathlon in May, and I have 1 coming up in September and 1 coming up in October. Bruce may make his triathlon debut in September also. We'll see............. It's a long swim for his first race, and his heart hasn't been in it. He has a lot of stuff going on, so training has been last on his list. Except for cycling. He does consistenly ride his bike 3x per week.
In the heat of summer it means we get up very early here. My alarm goes off at 4:15am. We're out of the house by 5:15-5:30. Yes, it's early. But, the sense of accomplishment I get from finishing my workout before most people are getting up is good for me. It sets the tone for the whole day. Okay, so I'm practically asleep by 8:30pm. But, for now that schedule works. And I guess I do enjoy sweat, having my muscles burn, and pushing myself when I think I can't.
My goal is to be faster. I have improved in swimming, but I have a long way to go. I've been swimming for 6 months and I can say that only recently have I been able to "feel" the water. My endurance has improved, so now I'm really focusing on my "feel" for the water and my pull. I'll get back to taking pictures. It's something to see people of all ages out there during the group workouts.
Swim drills and strength training this afternoon................

I AM A TRIATHLETE

That sounds pretty awesome. The day was great. I had fun! My family was out to cheer me on! And our Tri Club WON the Club Championship.

Our day started early. I woke up @ 3:50am. I made some coffee, and had my usual oatmeal and blueberries. I only had one cup of coffee since the butterflies in my stomach were already hard at work. I packed the car the night before, so all I needed to do was eat, go to the bathroom and get dressed. I met our group of friends at the Y. We were all very anxious. We followed each other down to Tempe and set up our transition area. We set up near the Bike Out/In section.

It was pretty nerve-wracking waiting for the swim start. The race director started the race and realized after the first 2 waves that he had given us the wrong instructions - or the buoys weren't set up correctly. We had to wait for the first 2 waves to come in, have the buoy's reset and then we were able to start.

I somehow got myself in the middle of the pack, rather then on the end like I wanted. But I did survive being swum over, pushed, etc. and didn't have a panic attack (YEA!). I was really glad I was in a wetsuit.

Finally, the swim leg was over. I can't tell you how happy I was. Then it was off to the bike. I was excited for this part, since it's my favorite and I feel pretty strong on the bike. Well, not on race day. I struggled to get my legs going for the first 5 miles. I felt like I was turning lead logs and my bike weighed about 50lbs. There were some slight hills, and I think I probably put my bike into a big gear too soon. Oh well, live and learn. I only passed one of the gals we train with at the Y on the bike. So I was thinking that I'd never catch up to the others.

I dismounted my bike too early because there were 2 others at the bike entrance that were dismounting. Sh-t. I should've just kept going. I lost a few seconds there. So I got out of the 2nd transition as fast as I could and just continued to go at a steady pace. I saw a little gal with a white hat and a ponytail bobbing far ahead of me. I wondered if it was Tammy, so I just kept on focusing on that and sure enough it was Tammy and Maryann. After I saw Paige on the turnaround I was able catch Tammy and Maryann and eventually pass them. Tammy told me to go for it - but I wasn't sure if I could make the whole 1.5 miles if I started running really hard to get Paige - she's pretty fast. I just kept on staying focused and kept my pace steady, passing one runner at a time. Finally, the end was near and I was able to sprint it in after the little annoying hill at the end.

I finished in 1:19:33 and came in 7th out of 19 for my age group. I feel really happy about that time for my first Triathlon.

The kids were so excited I could hear everyone cheering for me at each transition and then again at the finish. That really did help alot!

What fun we had. Now it's time to plan for more races. We've got 2 picked out for late summer and early fall. I'm going to sign up Bruce as well. We still need to figure one out for summer.

Thanks to everyone to supported me and cheered me on. I greatly appreciated it!

Sporting a Wetsuit

My second day of training in the pool with a wetsuit. Much better than yesterday. There's Paige in the background in the pool trying hers out as well. I swim 32 laps in 17:10, which is faster than yesterday. I wasn't racing, but just trying to go at a nice easy pace. I felt good. That's all that matters to me right now. Then after my swim I hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes. It feels good to be done with my workouts! Yeah!

Wetsuit, Wind and Achilles Tendonitis

Thank you Paul Dignan for letting me borrow your wetsuit. Paul is my friend Tammy's husband- he's an IRONMAN! I wore the suit in the pool today. A few people said the pool's heated. I said I know, I'm training for a race and I've never swum in a wetsuit before.

I jump in the pool. Hey, I float. How cool is that. I like that.

I start swimming. Hey, I could get used to this. This makes the swim so much easier. Then the panic began to creep in. It felt tight around my chest- like I was being squeezed...... I pushed myself through it and was able to continue. I'll practice again tomorrow. At least I know the feeling now. So hopefully I won't feel panicky again.

It's Wednesday and guess what? It's windy again. Okay, not as bad as the past few Wednesdays. But, geez.......... And today I was riding alone. Tammy couldn't make it today. Riding in the wind is really starting to bug me. I don't like it- it makes a training ride all that much harder. Tammy I missed you today!

I have a mild case of achilles tendonitis. Bummer. At least I'm treating it before it turns nasty. The doc says it's about a 4 on a 10 point scale. So, that's good news. No hill running- or fast training runs until it calms down. I thought I was doing a good thing by doing the elliptical. But, it turns out- I should just run. The elliptical can cause other issues.
Oh, the life of an athlete at 41......................
But, I'm not stopping yet. I see myself doing this into my 70's. :)

Finally my weeks of hard work are rubbing off on others in the family. Bruce jogged for 23 minutes this morning and swam this evening. How fun would it be for the both of us to do triathlon together. I think we should find one with mountain bikes- that would be right up his alley.

The swim

This is Ryan. For some reason the picture didn't upload on my previous blog.

I swam today and used the techniques Ryan taught me. My stroke has greatly improved. YIPPEE. I still need to work on my kick. I noticed during a pull drill I was ahead of 2 other swimmers that are usually ahead of me. This proved to me that my stroked technique has improved. Now if I can just get my legs to work- we'll be good.

Today I also learned to only focus on myself- I spent too much time worrying about what everyone else was doing and questioning why I wasn't as fast- I need to put my energy into the swim..........

Thanks Ryan- see you Sunday.

Where has the time gone?

I haven’t blogged in a while……… I’ve been keeping up with my training plan. Life has just been busy and I guess I’m spending a lot of time thinking about race day and all that energy was preventing me from blogging.
I ran a 5k on April 14th in 25.29 (an 8:11pace) not bad. But, I know I can do better than that. I volunteered at the Ironman on April 15th. What an incredible experience. I’ll volunteer again next year. I don’t quite see myself doing an Ironman. Maybe a half ironman someday.

I’m still a pretty lousy swimmer. This past Saturday my friend Tammy’s son Ryan helped me. He’s in high school and swims on a club swim team. And well, Ryan is a pretty awesome swimmer and he’s only 15. He swims long distance.
We met at the pool on Saturday and he could right away see what I was doing wrong. For the first time it actually clicked. He explained what I was doing wrong and showed me what to do through various drills. Some people can be great swimmers- but not great teachers. I think Ryan has the gift of also being a good teacher. By the end of my lesson I could feel myself gliding through the water with much less effort. Before I was paddling so hard and not getting anywhere. I also do this pretty hysterical move with my legs. I have to practice practice practice. Bruce was able to videotape the lesson. Oh my……… seeing myself was pretty hysterical. It’s a good thing I can laugh at myself because I sure did get a lot of teasing from Bruce. He was actually laughing at me from the pool deck at one point. He exclaimed you really don’t know how to swim.
I’m going to meet with Ryan again next Sunday. Hopefully my practicing will show by the time I meet with him next Sunday. Here's Ryan and I after the swim.

Climbing a hill……
Okay, well we live in a hilly area. I thought I had a good handle on the hills. Well, that was until this past Sunday. It was silent Sunday in South Mountain Park. That means it wasn’t open to cars. A big group from Gage Total Training got together to ride in the park. We rode out to San Juan which is lots of rolling hills. I didn’t warm up prior to this so I felt pretty crappy during most of the ride. Then they were all riding up to the TV Towers. I wasn’t sure I was going to do this. But, Tammy and Bruce said come on let’s go and off we went. OH MY GOD. On the one hand it was good to see that my training has paid off- Bruce had to stop. I thought I’d meet him at Telegraph pass, but by the time we got there I was feeling good and decided to continue the climb to the towers. Slow and steady was the theme for me. At some points closer to the towers I was standing on my pedals very slowly turning 1 crank at a time. Tammy was a head of me and I just kept on focusing on getting to the top. We were about 100 yards from the top when the big group of GT3ers started their descent. They yelled for us to turn around, which we did. Down we went. Sometimes it was a bit scary but we made it in one piece.
I think the fact that Bruce was sucking wind finally pushed him to realize that the once per week workout schedule isn’t working for him.(lol) So we bought him a bathing suit, a cap, goggles and paddles. He’s going to start swimming tonight. I hope he sticks with it. I know he’ll feel so much better if he does.

I did it........

I swam with the group for a 2nd day. My legs felt like lead though. I needed to use the pull buoy through some of it just to get through. By using that your legs stay still and you just pull with your arms and upper body. They need to get stronger anway.......

Cate woke up early today (5am) so that helped me meet the group @ 9:30. She went down for a nap around 8am. I ran during that time- 35 minutes @ a 9:09 pace. I needed to keep my HR under 146. It was a good easy steady run on the treadmill. I set the treadmill on an incline of 1. By doing so, they say this helps mimic outdoor running.

After my run, I stretched, showered and then got my things ready for swimming. I peeked my head in Cate's room @ 9:10- her eyes opened. YEAH. So, I quickly got her ready and off to the Y we went.

I felt excited about meeting everyone for the swim. Today, it didn't matter to me if I was slow- all that mattered was that I got there, and I for now anyway, got over another hurdle.

I need to focus on positive thinking more and keep the self-doubt door closed. Opening that door doesn't do me any good.

I'll do my strength training a little later today. Tomorrow will be another rest day because I'm going to rest for a 5K race on Sat. morning. Caroline and Sara will do the 1 mile fun run, and we'll even get Cate out there in her baby jogger. So, it truly will be a family affair, except for Bruce who will be in a golf tourney on Sat. We'll miss you hon.

A little bit of nudging

from Coach Jane today was what I needed.

I haven't been swimming with the group that much. I was doing my swim workouts on my own. I guess because it's safer that way. By safer I mean I don't have to feel "uncomfortable" if I didn't want to. And then of course I wouldn't have to feel embarassed.

I had my workout in hand. Coach Jane asked if I was going to swim with them today. "Well...", I said. (Feeling intimidated. Intimidated because all the Ironman athletes are coming into town and some of them are swimming in the Y pool. Here I am - the girl learning to swim.)

I told Coach Jane, "Well, no - I have my workout...", and then tried some lame excuse of why I was just going to do the workout alone.

THANKFULLY, she told me she had read my blog about DETERMINATION and then mentioned that someone else new to swimming was doing the workouts and they were improving. That's all I had to hear!

So I got in the middle of Coach Jane and Coach George. Jane modifies the workouts to my ability and George kindly explains what it means when Jane says we're going to do it on the 1:20. I think I might have that finally figured out.

It was clear to me that I hadn't been pushing myself in the pool. It was also clear to me that I won't improve unless I push myself. So, I need to do these group swims. It is also clear to me that I need to focus on what I can do rather than focusing on what I can't do. So, for instance, just a short 8 weeks ago I could barely do 4 laps. Now 12 laps is the warm-up. I have come far, and with hard work I'll continue to improve. But nothing comes without hard work.

Define Determination

Determination:
noun
1. firmness of purpose: will, or intention full of ambition and determination

With that in mind.....
Would I let the fact that I had 30ppl coming to my house on Easter Sunday deter me from my goal? Would I let the fact that I didn't have my usual "support team" (Caroline, Sara and Bruce) home on Saturday morning hold me back from my long run? Well, that was a question I didn't have the answer to until Saturday morning.
This Saturday morning, when Bruce got up @ 4am to do is last Sat. testing shift @ DHL. He left the house @ 5am. I dragged myself out of bed, dreading the 1:15 long run I was supposed to do with no company (except for Cate in the baby jogger). I didn't even make my usual oatmeal and coffee. I had whole wheat toast and coffee. I still was going through the motions, not really taking my morning run seriously. Not thinking that I was going to be able to run this 1:15 with the baby jogger. Hoping for a way out. Wondering when Cate was going to wake up? Hoping she'd sleep late, and I wouldn't have enough time to run and get ready for the Easter Parade.
Just at that moment, I hear her on the monitor. Her morning gurgles..... It was 5:50am. Cate was ready to get up- that meant I needed to run.
We got ready. I dressed Cate. Dressed myself. Strapped on my heart rate monitor and watch. Grabbed water. Secured her in her baby jogger. Turned on my Ipod and off we went. I warmed up by walking fast up the hill to the trail parking lot, and then off we went. The entire time I was thinking I was going to quit. I just didn't want to do this, and I was just looking for an excuse to turn back. But, I couldn't find one. Before I knew it I was at the Y. I saw a bunch of people from the Y. Some I've biked with. Some run in a group I run with (the fast ones). I stopped, took off my long sleeved shirt, tied it around my waist and kept going. It was seeing them that helped me keep going. I was almost halfway there. I couldn't quit now- it was almost over and soon enough I'd be patting myself on the back.
Before I knew it, my time was over. I DID IT. Finally, I got over that hurdle of running with the baby jogger on a long run ALONE. It really wasn't that bad.

I know now I have it in me to achieve whatever I want. You just have to WANT IT. I guess that's what DETERMINATION is to me.

Oh NO!

Can it be Thursday already. Wow how time flies when you're having fun. I can't believe I haven't posted all week.

Monday was a nice rest day.

Tuesday:
I did a tempo run. Running 6.8 miles or and 8:34/mile pace per hour until I reached my max heart rate, than after about 15 minutes I had to continue to lower how fast I was running to keep my heart rate below 146bpm. So all in all that was a good run. I then did my swim which totaled 1000m in drills 200 warm up; 100 pull; 100 kick; 12-25's rest for 15 secs; and 6 50's rest for 20 secs.
I also did my strength training.

Wednesday:
I rode my bike- but my legs felt like they were pushing cement blocks. I didn't sleep very well the night before, so I now know lack of sleep affects performance. I rode for 45 minutes.
I only had to swim for 15 minutes continually- swim part done. I did lots of stretching too.
I also saw my sports Chiropractor and massage therapist. Okay, so maybe the massage therapist part sound glam. But, it's not. He's working out the knots I have in my hip. OWIE. But, hey it feels better today. Sports massage is a part of training. Thank goodness insurance covers it and it's only $20 a trip. It helps prevent injury, I guess that's why it's covered.

Thursday (Today)
I ran for 30 minutes at a steady pace keeping my HR under 146.
Swim drills-
WARM UP 200
6 X 50’s - REST 20 SECONDS
1 X 300 - REST 1 min
3 X 100-REST 20 SECONDS
WARM DOWN
That's 1000m total.
I also strength trained and will do more stretching later

That's all for now!

Another week down

Aah. It feels good to have a had a great week of training. Our ride this morning was wonderful. We rode for 1:45 (approx. 29 miles) and I kept my HR under 143. I had to slow a few times, but the good thing is that I was pedaling at a pretty good speed before my alarm would go off.

Erin is here on spring break, and the Penman and McFeely ladies came over for breakfast, then we all went to Yoga. Sunday yoga is in it's 3rd straight week now. Andrea and I go. Jen usually works out in the gym. Erin joined us for yoga today. She felt weird doing the poses. I felt weird the first time I did yoga too. Andrea didn't think the class was as hard and isn't giving herself any credit. She's getting STRONGER. The class was just as hard. Andrea had an easier time of it because she's starting to build muscle.

I still enjoy yoga and it's doing wonders for my tight muscles. I got Cate from the amazing kids care all ready to take her swimming, but she was ready for a nap instead. I went home, and Cate didn't even make it to Chandler Blvd when she conked out.

That's all for now.

Ciao!

4:30am

Some of the information here may be a little gross to some. So if you get grossed out easily then don't read this post.

Time to get up and get ready for the run @ 6am.

There's a morning ritual that runners, and probably any endurance athlete has.

Mine is to get up at least 1.5 hours before run time.

Drink 16 oz of water, drink 1 cup of coffee and have 1 cup oatmeal with 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Then I get dressed and the entire time I'm hoping I'm able to hit the bathroom before I leave. Finally, that moment comes and I feel relief- the BM. I'm ready to run!

I met a group at the Pointe @ South Mountain this morning. There are various runners there. From someone whose training for the marathon Olympic trial to Tammy and I. We head up the rear. As I said I'm training with my heart monitor now. Today, we ran 7.5 miles and I kept my HR @ 146. That's just the top of my zone 1. Unfortunately, I again didn't set my watch correctly so I don't have all the cool stats I so look forward too. Very frustrating. So this is now my mission. To make sure my watch is set correctly!! What's the point of having one if it's not set.

My run was great. Tammy has done several triathlons and is a wealth of information.

My bladder has still not adjusted since having a baby. I guess I need to be more vigilant doing kegels. Once I stop running- I just might as well as pee right there. I practically did that today. I had to walk because my HR was getting high, then I stopped for a moment. Then ugh oh. I quickly found the nearest bush I could find and squatted right there. My shorts, got wet, my leg and the arm of my long sleeved shirt. YUCK. Thankfully, I had my water bottle and rinsed off where I could. This happened midway through the run, so I was dry by the time we got back.

My morning of exercise was done by 7:15am. YEAH!!!! I grabbed Caroline and Cate and we went to Einstein's for breakfast.

Here's a picture of Cate enjoying her bagel.

It always feels good

when your workout for the day is completed.

Cate is doing better, so I was able to make it to the Y. I rode the bike for 50 minutes and kept my HR in zone 1- zone 1 for me means 115-142 bpm. Even though I stayed in zone 1 around 130ish, my legs were hurting. So I guess I need to get my legs stronger. That will come in time. Following the bike, I got in the pool and swam continually for 15 minutes. I was getting tired toward the end and my left calf is acting up. BUMMER. What the heck did I do to it? But, the swim felt GREAT! Could I actually be liking the swim? Who knew?

Cate is napping. I just finished my lunch. A yummy casserole of brown rice and lentils topped with cheese. I added avocado and salsa on top of that. It really is quite yummy and filled with carbs- the energy I need to go go go.....

Time for my chores around the house-

Ciao

A Sick Baby and little sleep

Makes for a difficult day. Bruce was off to work and I was off to work here as the COO of the Penman-Ozer Clan. Cate was MISERABLE.

When Cate took her nap this morning I did my running workout on the treadmill. I warmed up for 8 minutes, ran for 3 miles and then cooled down for 5 minutes. I now train using a heart rate monitor. I needed to keep my heart rate between 119 -146 beats per minute. I kept it steady @ 130. Today is supposed to be an easy work out day. It was easy.

I had planned to go to the pool later when Sara got home from school. Unfortunately, when Cate woke up from her nap she still was running a fever and was not her usual happy camper self. She was MISERABLE. So, I called the triage nurse, and they told me to bring her in. Sure enough our little baby cake has her first ear infection. We stopped at the pharmacy and got her antibiotics- motrin and around dinner time she seemed happier. Thank goodness!!!

I still had planned to go to the gym to swim. The pool at the Y stays open until 8:30pm. Well not tonight! It was raining with thunder and lightning. The pool was CLOSED. That's okay. I'm exhausted from lack of sleep. Sleep is probably more important. I hope we ALL sleep better tonight.

JUST DO IT

The famous Nike slogan. It's true. Now matter what your goal is. JUST DO IT.

The weeks of my struggle in the pool are paying off. It's suddenly easier. And over time I know I'll be faster. As my friend KK reminded me (an old wise triathlete with weathered skin, a long braided pony tail, and a gentle kind voice) I'm not trying to be a swimmer. My goal is to be a triathlete. True. But, shouldn't try to be fast at swimming? Eventually he said. Right now, if I kick too much during the race I'll never make the run. I think he was kindly trying to tell me that I'm not a 20 year old. That I'm a "master" (that's what they call the "old folks") So just give it time. Okay, so I'll JUST DO IT and will just give it time also. Time for my body and mind to get stronger. It's a process. But a process I do seem to enjoy.

I did my swim workout today. I did intervals including a 200 warm up. I forgot the intervals- but, I swam for about 50 minutes. I can really feel it in my upper back and arms. I also biked 12 miles today. It was windy- but the ride was good.

So Andrea, Jennifer, Donna and Alyssa: If you're reading this. JUST DO IT- you'll love yourself for it. Bruce, I know you're reading this so JUST DO IT- or I will end up beating you on the bike. :)

It's Tuesday

And today I swam almost 30 laps I think. I swam 8, and then the gal in the lane next to me was chatting about her upcoming race and my upcoming race. I had a little rest, and then just continued to go to almost 30. I lost count. I felt relaxed and was just concentrating on gliding the pool.

I also ran for 30 minutes today and tonight Bruce and I strength trained at the gym.

Bruce was kind enough to let me get a Triathlon Coach. It's with Gage Total Training- this will be the team I will be on for the race. I just received my calendar of workouts and I must say I'm glad I decided to get a coach.

That's all for now. It's time for bed.

Happy Anniversary!

We were up early and out the door by 6:50am to meet the group for the group ride. We were doing a time trial today. I really was feeling tired physically. Sunday is my 6th day of training and I always look forward to Monday. My day of rest.

Sunday is also my FAVORITE day to train because it's the only day Bruce and I can ride together. Riding our bikes together is probably one of my most favorite things to do. I can't wait until Bruce's project is over. Maybe he'll start training for a sprint triathlon. I hope so. That would be so much fun.

So, anyway we did a 5 mile warm up and then we did the time trial along Pecos. I forgot to turn on my watch. DUH! So unfortunately, I have no stats of my own. I'm so bummed.
Bruce figured out I rode 10 miles in 29:06. Pretty good for my first time trial. He was actually pretty impressed. He's thinking that if I keep training he won't be able to keep up with me. Go figure.

He's an amazing bike rider. He rides 1 day per week (that's all his schedule will allow right no) and he smokes everyone. Well, except for a little gal who is super speedy.

Oh and today is our second anniversary. I feel like I've known Bruce my whole life. That's a good thing. We'll be going to our favorite pizza joint for dinner. In May we're going to Vegas to see the Cirque du Soleil show LOVE. That's our anniversary present. I can't wait.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I'm happy to report that I wore green on my run this morning! I didn't have the best run ever, but hey I finished 6 miles. My legs are sore. I guess because I didn't stretch after my ride yesterday. Bad! Very bad. The group I ran with ran 7. I stopped at 6 because of my calf being so tight. Tammy swung back and got me, so I did end up jogging another .25 - .5 mile back to the Y. But, I didn't turn my GPS back on for that.

Here's my route. Think Green!!!!! Everyone is IRISH today.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=2261204

This is cool!

No, not the temp in Phoenix today. But, this very cool way of showing everyone the routes I take on my runs and bike ride. Today I biked. Here's my route:

Maggie's Ride

Click on the link above and take a look. So, I'm not sure if this will give you all the stats. And I'm a little pressed for time. So, I guess I'll figure that out tomorrow.

TIRED

I felt tired today. I have not been sleeping well these past few nights and I think it's catching up with me. So, my run today was a little poor. I ran on the treadmill and I must have had too much coffee because I needed to keep on taking bathroom breaks. Annoying! Especially because I was only spending 30 minutes on the treadmill. I try to make my Thursday runs easy because I see the sports chiropractor and a massage therapist on Wed. I see them for my IT band issues and for the stiffness in my left hip. I'm positive that if I haven't been going to them, I wouldn't be training. I would be injured!
So, then we all went to the Y. Me and all the girls. The big girls played pool, and the baby girl went to play with all of her little friends.
I swam 20 or 22 laps today. That's a 500 or 550. I felt better swimming than running today. Go figure. But, I did sit on the edge of the pool for 5 or ten minutes just staring at the water. Not wanting to get in. Finally, I got in and off I went.
After my swim I gathered all the girls and we all went swimming for a little while. I forgot Cate's hat so I didn't want to stay too long and get her little Irish/Scottish head burnt. So, we showered and then off to lunch we went- Chipotle. Yum Yum. Then home and all the girls took a much needed nap.

I had company

Today my sister Barb drove all the way from Surprise to join me for a swim. What a treat. Wow, such a long drive. I hope she enjoyed the swim. Unfortunately, there was no time for chit chat since I only have 2 hours to keep Cate in the child care- and I've only left her there for 1.5 hours at the most. We needed to get to work right away.

So, in the pool we went. I swam 20 laps and I did have to do breast stroke for 2 laps. Otherwise I did freestyle. Then I did a 50 kick. I need to work on my kick. I have a weak kick. So maybe on Friday I'll spend more time doing that. I did a 150 with fins, a 100 with the pull buoy and I think that was it. I sort of lost track. Barb did breast stroke and then finally got her hair wet with a little freestyle with the pull buoy toward the end. She kept on saying how relaxing it was. I on the other hand was gasping for air- to me it's really hard............ I guess when you're still in your twenties it must be easier. It's crazy to think I'm 13 years older. Geez.

So it was 30 minutes in the pool, Barb had to go back and work- and I hit the bike for 30 minutes. I was able to spin between 98 and 107 rpm at a level 9 and I made it 10 miles. Then I did a little ab work, and it was time to get Cate. We came home and had lunch- and now I'm about to put her down for a nap and hit the shower.

I think I've got

the swim down. At least a better feeling for the endurance part of the swim. I swam 20 laps today which is 500m. Then I did 100m with a pull buoy and 200m kick (but I used fins for that) A pull buoy is something you put between your thighs. You don't kick- you just use your arms. I use it to help me get better at my form. I'm sure as time goes by I'll understand this swimming thing more and all of the correct lingo.

Okay, what else- oh after my swim I took Cate for a swim. SHE LOVED IT. She was laughing. I don't remember Caroline or Sara being that excited their first time in the pool. I remember them being a little scared. Looks like we're going to have some fun with Cate in the water. Of course I forgot my camera- so I'll have to remember that for tomorrow.

Also as part of my training I ran for 30 minutes and did my strength training. So I'm done for the day! YIPPEE!!! Cate is napping- so I better hurry and get my chores done.

Ciao

A Day of Rest

From exercise anyway. When you're a mom and wife I don't think you ever get a day of rest. Unless of course you go away alone, not telling anyone where you are and you conveniently leave your cell phone at home. :)

First Brick Down

This was a good weekend. The kids have started spring break and are off in CA with Grandma, Aunt Esra and their Dad. It's just Bruce, Me and Cate at home. On Saturday, I met a group at 7am for a 6 mile run. It's so much easier to run with a group of people. We end up chatting the entire way and before you know it we're done. The route was filled with rolling hills, so I was working in 80-90% of my max heart rate for about 35 minutes of the hour we ran. I was TIRED at the end, but felt great to get a pretty decent run in.
Thanks to Daddy for watching Cate in the morning so I could meet with this group.

On Sunday, Aunt Jennifer came over bright and early 7:15am to watch Cate while Bruce and I met up with a group of people to ride. We did a 20 mile ride and then immediately following I ran a little over a mile. This is called a brick. I was surprised that I ran it at a 9 minute pace. I thought I would be really tired, but my legs kept moving. We had a fun group to ride with, and they shared some very valuable information for me to have under my belt when I finally do my first race. Thank you Mitch and Julie!

Big thank you to Bruce for getting my bike ready and then being close by in the car when I did my run. I couldn't have done it without you babe.

Lots of Snot

Still feeling congested and dealing with the annyoning post nasal drip. Today I swam. I swam 16 laps of the pool and took very little rest.(That's 400m) That's a first for me. So, going to the pool 4 days per week IS paying off. I'm excited now. I can see that if I keep on practicing the swimming thing does get better.

Oh and about the snot. My sinuses decided to drain while was swimming. So along with the pool water there was lots of snot. I don't even want to think about what other fluids are floating in that pool water. Chlorine is a good thing.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get in my bike ride. Family comes first- and today I needed to get the girls packed for spring break, and then take them shopping for some new duds. Sara has grown like a weed- and has outgrown all of her shorts from last year.

That's all for now.

10 weeks to go

It's hard to believe that there's only 10 weeks left to race time. I missed 2 weeks of training due to illness and this is my first week back.

Today I ran 3 miles on the treadmill while Cate was sleeping, then off to the Y we went. I swam 700m. Cate and I had lunch, then I put her down for a nap. I still need to do my strength training.

Cate was eager to get to the Y. She has fun playing with some kids her own size. We were lucky enough to run into some friends. Tammy, Stacey, Susan, Cate, and mom. These ladies are super athletes. I'm lucky to know them. Hopefully, some day I'll be as strong as they are.

Okay, time to finish stuff around the house before Cate gets up.

Why?

Running only just got boring. I needed another challenge- or shall I say I needed something else to motivate me to be active. I thought, I love to ride my bike, I like running, but what about swimming. Well now I'm swimming. Not well, but I'm doing it.

I'm registered for my first sprint triathlon on May 20th 2007. It's a 400m swim in Tempe Town Lake, a 12 mile bike and 3 mile run. Yes, one right after another.

My training goes something like this:
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Swim/Run/Weights
Wednesday-Swim/Bike
Thursday-Swim/Run/Weights
Friday- Swim/Bike
Saturday- Run
Sunday- Bike and maybe a short run if I feel like it

I will try to be as funny and as creative as the other Penmans. But, since I married into this family, I'm afraid it will take quite some effort to be funny since it doesn't come naturally for me. Geez, that sounds depressing. Okay, I've been told all my life I'm too serious. So maybe that's why I'm not funny. But, at least I understand humor and I naturally laugh at all of my husbands jokes. He IS the funniest man I know. He even said so on our first date.