Yay!! Training has officially began for Lavaman, 2010 in Kona HI :)
At least the w/o was easy - run 20 min (4 x 4' run x 1' walk). Honestly, the hardest part of the workout was getting there... Since it's frowned upon to run near work on my lunch break, I had to drive away from work to the Alameda Creek Regional Park. This might become a problem b/c I only have an hour for lunch, but I have to run then since it's dark when I get up and it's dark when I get home and there are no street lights out in the sticks :(
Tomorrow is a swim day, I hope I can get to the pool early enough in the AM to finish my workout and be on time to work!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Aids Lifecycle 9
I just signed up for Aids Lifecycle 9. The event is June 6-12 and its a 543 mile (!!!) bike ride from SF to LA. Once training begins I'll post my work-outs here so you all can follow along so stay tuned :)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
All done swimming. I think I made it out in the mid 30 minute range. The water was really warm in most spots but refreshingly cool in others. 1500m is a really long distance, the bouys seemed ridiculously far apart. My race number is 1142 check out my time and some pics of me running out of the water at honolulutriathlon.com :)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Ring Raffle winner!!!
And the lucky winner is Mark Juanitas, ticket #298414!!! YAY congradulations Mark!
I would like to thank everyone who has donated and supported me in my efforts to train for this triathlon which then supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Together as a team, East Bay Tri (the team that I train with) has raised close to $150,000 thanks to people like you, our supporters. I have met several of our team's honorees and they always share stories of how LLS has really made an impact in their lives. It makes me feel really proud to be out there training for them and I hope it makes you proud to know that you have made a difference in their lives and in the lives of everyone battling blood cancer.
Stay tuned for details of how I do at my tri this weekend!! I leave on Friday and race on Sunday. I can't wait!!!!
I would like to thank everyone who has donated and supported me in my efforts to train for this triathlon which then supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Together as a team, East Bay Tri (the team that I train with) has raised close to $150,000 thanks to people like you, our supporters. I have met several of our team's honorees and they always share stories of how LLS has really made an impact in their lives. It makes me feel really proud to be out there training for them and I hope it makes you proud to know that you have made a difference in their lives and in the lives of everyone battling blood cancer.
Stay tuned for details of how I do at my tri this weekend!! I leave on Friday and race on Sunday. I can't wait!!!!
Raffle announcement!!
I was supposed to draw the winning ticket today at noon, but I left the tickets at home in my rush to get to work this morning so I will draw/post the winner as soon as I get home!!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Less than a week to go!!
It's T-minus 6 days until the triathlon! Here's what I've been doing:
Friday: Rode my bike in my tri shorts and liked it a lot better than riding in running shorts. Right as I started my bike ride, I almost ran over a 4 FOOT LONG SNAKE!!!! I didn't even realize I had almost hit it until I passed it and then I had to stop and check it out. I think it was a garter (garden??) snake since it didn't have any rattles. I was going to pick it up and move it off the sidewalk but when I got close to it, it coiled up and looked like it was going to strike at me so I backed off and shoo'ed it away with my bike tire instead. I fininshed my bike ride, gluped down a power bar gel and set off on my run. I went running along Alamo (Alameda??) Creek Trail and it was gorgeous, aside from all the tiny flying bugs. Ick!
Saturday: Swam at Treasure Island Harbor. It was OK... the water wasn't too cold, but it sure wasn't warm either! The good news is that I didn't hit a bouy, mostly because there were no bouys to hit :) We swam for 30-40 min which for me was 2 laps around some boats. I'm getting better at putting my face into the cold water and breathing which really boosts my confidence. As I was swimming my second lap around the boats, I hit a stick in the water (not a big stick either...) and it kinda shook me up. I tried to get over it and just keep swimming but all of a sudden the water behind the turn around boat was HELLA warm and that just freaked me out too much. I couldn't swim past that point and through the warm water so I just turned around and swam back to shore. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't get over the fact that the water was suddenly 20 degrees warmer, it almost caused me to panic and stop swimming entirely! After we swam, we were supposed to run 3 1.5 mile loops (a total of 4.5 miles). I ran the first loop no problem, no shin pain and no gasping for breath. Unfortunatly, I had to stop and walk in the middle of the second loop because my stupid shin was hurting too much. Grr!!! At least the pain is in a different spot now, before it was hurting at the bottom of my shin but now it's hurting near the top instead. Stupid leg, just stop hurting!!!
Sunday: was supposed to be a bike and run, except we dropped off our bikes to be shipped to Honolulu on Saturday... go figure :) It was also Mother's Day so I didn't do any work outs, just hung out with the mom's in the AM and then went and painted all afternoon.
Today: is rest day. It's also the Honolulu social send-off party at the Tiki Lounge in Alameda. If there wasn't the social tonight I would probably swim.
This week is my taper week so my workouts should be real easy. I fly out to Honolulu on Friday and race on Saturday/Sunday :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday: Rode my bike in my tri shorts and liked it a lot better than riding in running shorts. Right as I started my bike ride, I almost ran over a 4 FOOT LONG SNAKE!!!! I didn't even realize I had almost hit it until I passed it and then I had to stop and check it out. I think it was a garter (garden??) snake since it didn't have any rattles. I was going to pick it up and move it off the sidewalk but when I got close to it, it coiled up and looked like it was going to strike at me so I backed off and shoo'ed it away with my bike tire instead. I fininshed my bike ride, gluped down a power bar gel and set off on my run. I went running along Alamo (Alameda??) Creek Trail and it was gorgeous, aside from all the tiny flying bugs. Ick!
Saturday: Swam at Treasure Island Harbor. It was OK... the water wasn't too cold, but it sure wasn't warm either! The good news is that I didn't hit a bouy, mostly because there were no bouys to hit :) We swam for 30-40 min which for me was 2 laps around some boats. I'm getting better at putting my face into the cold water and breathing which really boosts my confidence. As I was swimming my second lap around the boats, I hit a stick in the water (not a big stick either...) and it kinda shook me up. I tried to get over it and just keep swimming but all of a sudden the water behind the turn around boat was HELLA warm and that just freaked me out too much. I couldn't swim past that point and through the warm water so I just turned around and swam back to shore. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't get over the fact that the water was suddenly 20 degrees warmer, it almost caused me to panic and stop swimming entirely! After we swam, we were supposed to run 3 1.5 mile loops (a total of 4.5 miles). I ran the first loop no problem, no shin pain and no gasping for breath. Unfortunatly, I had to stop and walk in the middle of the second loop because my stupid shin was hurting too much. Grr!!! At least the pain is in a different spot now, before it was hurting at the bottom of my shin but now it's hurting near the top instead. Stupid leg, just stop hurting!!!
Sunday: was supposed to be a bike and run, except we dropped off our bikes to be shipped to Honolulu on Saturday... go figure :) It was also Mother's Day so I didn't do any work outs, just hung out with the mom's in the AM and then went and painted all afternoon.
Today: is rest day. It's also the Honolulu social send-off party at the Tiki Lounge in Alameda. If there wasn't the social tonight I would probably swim.
This week is my taper week so my workouts should be real easy. I fly out to Honolulu on Friday and race on Saturday/Sunday :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Swimming running and biking
Tuesday I swam. It was ok and it went pretty fast. The warm up was a 200 and a bunch of drills. The main workout was alternating 400's and speed drills. The total distance was 2500 yards.
Wednesday was a run day so I went outside and ran around Castro Valley for 30 min. I knew I couldn't do a straight 30 min so I decided to do 4 min run, 1 min walk for the first 15 min and then try to run the remaining 15 min. I should have planned my run better because I spent the first 15 min running up a hill (which was hard) and then spent the next 10 min running back down it (which was easy...) The good news is that my shin didn't hurt so I'm hopeful...
Today is exactly 10 days before the race and that means they were supposed to post the final decision about the swimming and the jelly fish. It looks like they are canceling the swimming and making it a run (5k) bike (40k) run (10k) with the orginial 1.5k swim offered the day before as a optional, separate race. Bummer :( but since there is now no swimming I have to decide if I want to run bike run in my running shorts or if I want to wear my slightly padded tri shorts which would make my biking more pleasant but my running a bit hotter.
Today I was supposed to swim, but I decided that I wanted to go for a bike ride instead so I took my bike out to Pleasanton down by Main street and biked along Stanley rd all the way into Livermore. I thought that it was quite far, getting all the way into Livermore and such, but google said it was only 13.2 miles round trip. Dang it...
As far as the butt-covering dilema, I biked today in my running shorts and I didn't like it much. I don't know if it's the saddle or the shorts, so I'm going to bike tomorrow in my tri shorts and make a decision from there.
Tomorrow is supposed to be another 30 min bike ride followed by a 30 min run and I'm really looking foward to it :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Wednesday was a run day so I went outside and ran around Castro Valley for 30 min. I knew I couldn't do a straight 30 min so I decided to do 4 min run, 1 min walk for the first 15 min and then try to run the remaining 15 min. I should have planned my run better because I spent the first 15 min running up a hill (which was hard) and then spent the next 10 min running back down it (which was easy...) The good news is that my shin didn't hurt so I'm hopeful...
Today is exactly 10 days before the race and that means they were supposed to post the final decision about the swimming and the jelly fish. It looks like they are canceling the swimming and making it a run (5k) bike (40k) run (10k) with the orginial 1.5k swim offered the day before as a optional, separate race. Bummer :( but since there is now no swimming I have to decide if I want to run bike run in my running shorts or if I want to wear my slightly padded tri shorts which would make my biking more pleasant but my running a bit hotter.
Today I was supposed to swim, but I decided that I wanted to go for a bike ride instead so I took my bike out to Pleasanton down by Main street and biked along Stanley rd all the way into Livermore. I thought that it was quite far, getting all the way into Livermore and such, but google said it was only 13.2 miles round trip. Dang it...
As far as the butt-covering dilema, I biked today in my running shorts and I didn't like it much. I don't know if it's the saddle or the shorts, so I'm going to bike tomorrow in my tri shorts and make a decision from there.
Tomorrow is supposed to be another 30 min bike ride followed by a 30 min run and I'm really looking foward to it :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Swam into ANOTHER bouy this weekend...
The Wildflower tri's were this last weekend and I'm sure glad I wasn't there :) Camping in the rain would be no fun and I'm not yet back to full strength running.
Thursday I was supposed to swim but couldn't because I had to go pick up my Jetta.
Friday I got lucky and I didn't have to come in to work until 1 in the afternoon so I got up in the morning and took my bike over to my parents house and biked around the Tassajara/Highland road area for 110 min and it sprinkled on me the whole time. Once I got back from my ride and put the bike back in the Jetta, I set out for my run. I got the schedule confused and I thought that I was supposed to run for 50 min, but it was only actually a 15 min run. O well, a little extra won't kill me. I ran/walked for the 50 min - 3 min run and 2 min walk and it worked out pretty well until the end. Why o why do my parents have to live on the top of a hill??!!
Saturday I also had to work (ugh!!) but I told them I would be in a little later, like 11 so I could do my swim from Thursday first. It was supposed to be a 3000 yd swim, but after an hour (~2000 yd I think... ) I got bored and got out of the pool. It's not terribly exciting to swim lap after endless lap but I didn't get a headache so I can rule out the goggles causing the problem :)
Sunday was an open water swim, but it was an on-your-own kind of thing. Knowing that the only way I would actually make it is if someone else was counting on me to be there, so I emailed all the non-Wildflower athletes and tried to arrange something. We decided on Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton at 9 am, but by Sunday morning our already dismal group of 3 had shrunk to just 2, but 2 is better than 1 so Christine and I went swimming.
Shawdow Cliffs is an old gravel quarry in Pleasnaton by Livermore. In the summer they have 3 water slides open and there is a large puddle of water that you can swim/boat/fish in. The swimming area is roped off by bouys and is not very deep. As Christine and I waded into the scummy water we saw another set of swimmers and they said that the distance of the swimming lane is ~150m so we figured we would just swim it 10 times and be good to go. As always, I had a bit of trouble getting used to breathing in the open water, but it wasn't so bad. For the first couple of laps, I had to breathe every stroke but as I got more relaxed, I was able to breathe on alternate sides which I think is more efficient. Of course I would forget to practice my sighting and so I was swimming all crooked in the water, zig zagging all over the lane. I didn't really think it was such a problem until I hit my head on a bouy. SO INCREDIBLY GROSS!!!! So that's when I decided that if I'm not going to sight, I have to breathe on alternate sides so I can keep both lane markers in view. Since it was still early and there was hardly anyone in or on the water to disturb the sediment on the bottom, I could see all the gross stuff on the bottom of the lake and it totally creeped me out.
I didn't get a headache sunday either so I guess that means they can't be caused by my swim cap/goggle combo. Maybe its the pool water at the Plunge :(
Monday was a rest day which was good considering that I worked from 6 - 6 on stupid Niacin. By the time I got home I was pretty beat. I should have gone for a short run or something to keep strengthing my running but I didn't. I didn't even have the energy to go to the super market and get toothpaste or shampoo or any of the things that we have been out of for at least a week now :(
Today I'm supposed to swim. It looks easy, the main workout is a bunch of speed drills and some 400's at race pace (my race pace is not very fast, lol) but I can feel a headache lurking just over the horizon. I hope I can hold it off until later tonight...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday I was supposed to swim but couldn't because I had to go pick up my Jetta.
Friday I got lucky and I didn't have to come in to work until 1 in the afternoon so I got up in the morning and took my bike over to my parents house and biked around the Tassajara/Highland road area for 110 min and it sprinkled on me the whole time. Once I got back from my ride and put the bike back in the Jetta, I set out for my run. I got the schedule confused and I thought that I was supposed to run for 50 min, but it was only actually a 15 min run. O well, a little extra won't kill me. I ran/walked for the 50 min - 3 min run and 2 min walk and it worked out pretty well until the end. Why o why do my parents have to live on the top of a hill??!!
Saturday I also had to work (ugh!!) but I told them I would be in a little later, like 11 so I could do my swim from Thursday first. It was supposed to be a 3000 yd swim, but after an hour (~2000 yd I think... ) I got bored and got out of the pool. It's not terribly exciting to swim lap after endless lap but I didn't get a headache so I can rule out the goggles causing the problem :)
Sunday was an open water swim, but it was an on-your-own kind of thing. Knowing that the only way I would actually make it is if someone else was counting on me to be there, so I emailed all the non-Wildflower athletes and tried to arrange something. We decided on Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton at 9 am, but by Sunday morning our already dismal group of 3 had shrunk to just 2, but 2 is better than 1 so Christine and I went swimming.
Shawdow Cliffs is an old gravel quarry in Pleasnaton by Livermore. In the summer they have 3 water slides open and there is a large puddle of water that you can swim/boat/fish in. The swimming area is roped off by bouys and is not very deep. As Christine and I waded into the scummy water we saw another set of swimmers and they said that the distance of the swimming lane is ~150m so we figured we would just swim it 10 times and be good to go. As always, I had a bit of trouble getting used to breathing in the open water, but it wasn't so bad. For the first couple of laps, I had to breathe every stroke but as I got more relaxed, I was able to breathe on alternate sides which I think is more efficient. Of course I would forget to practice my sighting and so I was swimming all crooked in the water, zig zagging all over the lane. I didn't really think it was such a problem until I hit my head on a bouy. SO INCREDIBLY GROSS!!!! So that's when I decided that if I'm not going to sight, I have to breathe on alternate sides so I can keep both lane markers in view. Since it was still early and there was hardly anyone in or on the water to disturb the sediment on the bottom, I could see all the gross stuff on the bottom of the lake and it totally creeped me out.
I didn't get a headache sunday either so I guess that means they can't be caused by my swim cap/goggle combo. Maybe its the pool water at the Plunge :(
Monday was a rest day which was good considering that I worked from 6 - 6 on stupid Niacin. By the time I got home I was pretty beat. I should have gone for a short run or something to keep strengthing my running but I didn't. I didn't even have the energy to go to the super market and get toothpaste or shampoo or any of the things that we have been out of for at least a week now :(
Today I'm supposed to swim. It looks easy, the main workout is a bunch of speed drills and some 400's at race pace (my race pace is not very fast, lol) but I can feel a headache lurking just over the horizon. I hope I can hold it off until later tonight...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Finally back to running:)
I don't like updating by phone, it's too hard :(
On Tuesday I went for a swim and I was hoping to avoid getting a headache by trying various things:
- different goggles
- no swim cap
- alternate breathing sides
And it worked! Even though I started with a slight headache, it luckily didn't get any worse :) Now I have to systematically add back in those elements to try and determine the specific cause. I hope it's not the swim cap because I need to wear one for the race (that's how they identify which "wave" you started in). I tried using the tinted googles that I was saving for race day and I'm glad I tried them before racing in them. I didn't like them much, they feel funny on the bridge of my nose. I'll have to swim in them some more to determine if I really want to wear them on race day (if I swim at all... stupid jelly fish!)
Yesterday was my first day back to running!! Although it wasn't very exciting, I'm glad I can run again. Since the Wildflower race is this weekend, only the Honolulu and Escape althletes had to run the marker set (timed 2 mile run) while the Wildflower athletes listened to Coach Paul talk about race weekend prep. Turns out there was only 4 people at the training yesterday who are not going to Wildflower, including me. I couldn't do the marker set since I don't want to re-injure myself and since I haven't been running in a month (seriously!!) Coach Paul just had me "trot" the long sides of the track and walk the curves. When he said "trot" I kinda laughed because I thought it was only a horse term :)
Today is supposed to be a long 3000 meter/yard (?) swim but I don't think I'll make it to the pool since I have to go pick up the Jetta in Burlingame. Maybe I'll run/bike tonight when I get back (Friday's workout) and swim tomorrow morning. I say that now, but I know that I won't be able to get out of bed in time to swim and then go to work.
I don't know how I'm going to have time on Saturday to bike almost 2 hours and then run 50 min because I have to work. (AGAIN!!!!) Bleh, maybe I can train in the morning and go to work a little later in the day, like around 10 or 11...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Trying to update by iPhone
Trying to update by phone...
Currently waiting my turn at the pool. Watching people swim is hilarious, especially this one guy with a snorkel. His swimming just looks so horribly inefficient I don't know how he does it.
My goals for today are to NOT get a headache. I'm gonna try swimming without a cap, using different goggles and breathing on alternate sides. I think I'm hydrated enough and I just ate a power gel so we shall see how it goes. Stay tuned :)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Results and trainings
RESULTS:
X-rays: There might be something on my shin, go get an MRI and see a poditrist
MRI: There is nothing wrong with my shin (hooray!!)
Poditrist: I probably had/have shin splints. Wear inserts in my running shoes, go back to running (start slowly!!!) and if the shin splints come back, go back to and get custom made inserts
TRAINING:
Thursday was a bummer of a day because of the terrible headache that I got during swimming. I thought that I would make up for it on Friday by biking or something, but I never did.
Saturday was supposed to be an hour bike with 15 min of running afterwards, but I went to the pool instead, hoping for a better result than what I got on Thursday. I ate a bowl of oatmeal so I would be fueled and drank a glass of water so I would be hydrated and got in the pool to start my workout. Swam a 100, felt fine. Swam a 200, felt fine. Swam a 300, had to get out of the pool :(. My stupid headache came back and I have no idea why. It hurt so bad and nothing I did made it feel better. I took some ibuprofen and went home and slept for a bit.
Sunday was a glorious day!! We went out to Mt. Tam for some mountain biking fun. On Saturday, Al and I went to REI (to drool over their bike selection... ) and got a bay area mountain bike trails book and we selected a moderate, 7-ish mile trail that was supposed to take us 1-1.75 hours. When we got to Mt. Tam park, we couldn't find the trail head (some kind biker pointed it out to us) and then the directions in the book weren't so good so we got lost quite a bit but it didn't matter because we were having a great time biking around. I love love loved(!!) the hill climbing parts (is that weird??) so I didn't notice that we missed the turn for the next part of the trail until we got to the top of the trail we were on and asked other mountain bikers where the trail head was and they told us it was a mile (!) back down the hill. Oops, poor Al and Nick, they were suffering unnecessarily up the wrong trail. The views were amazing and there were wild flowers everywhere and it was just so much fun!! They only part I didn't enjoy was the going down hill part. There was loose dirt and gravel everywhere which was causing my tires to slip all over the place to I finally gave in to weenie-dom and walked my bike down the steepest parts (I don't want to fall!!!)
All in all, our moderate 1-1.75 hour mountain bike ride lasted upwards of 3 hours and we exerted ourselves much more than a 5 out of 10 (I know the boys sure did!!) But I don't care, it was soooo great!!! I can't wait to finish this tri so I can modify my bike with some front suspension so I can take it out on trails and not have to borrow Nick's old bike.
It's a good thing today is a rest day because I'm a little sore from all that hill climbing yesterday :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
X-rays: There might be something on my shin, go get an MRI and see a poditrist
MRI: There is nothing wrong with my shin (hooray!!)
Poditrist: I probably had/have shin splints. Wear inserts in my running shoes, go back to running (start slowly!!!) and if the shin splints come back, go back to and get custom made inserts
TRAINING:
Thursday was a bummer of a day because of the terrible headache that I got during swimming. I thought that I would make up for it on Friday by biking or something, but I never did.
Saturday was supposed to be an hour bike with 15 min of running afterwards, but I went to the pool instead, hoping for a better result than what I got on Thursday. I ate a bowl of oatmeal so I would be fueled and drank a glass of water so I would be hydrated and got in the pool to start my workout. Swam a 100, felt fine. Swam a 200, felt fine. Swam a 300, had to get out of the pool :(. My stupid headache came back and I have no idea why. It hurt so bad and nothing I did made it feel better. I took some ibuprofen and went home and slept for a bit.
Sunday was a glorious day!! We went out to Mt. Tam for some mountain biking fun. On Saturday, Al and I went to REI (to drool over their bike selection... ) and got a bay area mountain bike trails book and we selected a moderate, 7-ish mile trail that was supposed to take us 1-1.75 hours. When we got to Mt. Tam park, we couldn't find the trail head (some kind biker pointed it out to us) and then the directions in the book weren't so good so we got lost quite a bit but it didn't matter because we were having a great time biking around. I love love loved(!!) the hill climbing parts (is that weird??) so I didn't notice that we missed the turn for the next part of the trail until we got to the top of the trail we were on and asked other mountain bikers where the trail head was and they told us it was a mile (!) back down the hill. Oops, poor Al and Nick, they were suffering unnecessarily up the wrong trail. The views were amazing and there were wild flowers everywhere and it was just so much fun!! They only part I didn't enjoy was the going down hill part. There was loose dirt and gravel everywhere which was causing my tires to slip all over the place to I finally gave in to weenie-dom and walked my bike down the steepest parts (I don't want to fall!!!)
All in all, our moderate 1-1.75 hour mountain bike ride lasted upwards of 3 hours and we exerted ourselves much more than a 5 out of 10 (I know the boys sure did!!) But I don't care, it was soooo great!!! I can't wait to finish this tri so I can modify my bike with some front suspension so I can take it out on trails and not have to borrow Nick's old bike.
It's a good thing today is a rest day because I'm a little sore from all that hill climbing yesterday :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Mostly swimming in this week so far
This week is recovery week which is nice, but at the same time I don't feel like now is the time to be resting, the triathlon is in ~3 weeks!!!!
Tuesday I almost had to work late again. I was in such a bad mood until my boss told me I didn't have to stay to compress and that I could come in early to coat instead (joy...) Luckily I got a call from my boss that evening saying not to come in early because they couldn't finish the compression.
Since it's recovery week, the swim was easy on Tuesday, just some drills and short distances (100-200 yards) Since I don't have to push myself, I was able to work on my form and stroke efficiency and also doing multiple laps with flip-turns. When I was swimming at Lake Del Valle last weekend I had to keep stopping to rest and I think that it is because when I swim laps in the pool, I swim to the end of the lap, stop, turn around and then keep swimming and that brief little rest that I give myself is enough to sabotage my long distance swimming. So what I was trying to do on Tuesday was do as many laps as I was supposed to, but do flip turns at the end of the laps and build my endurance that way and it was working really well for me.
Wednesday was a mentor run, but I'm still not running until I get my MRI (which is tomorrow morning at 8). I was feeling really lazy and I didn't want to do anything but watch TV but Alex guilted me into going to the gym so I went and did the elliptical for 30 min. Boring...
Today was another swim, and I was feeling very tired all day (I knew I should have gone to Starbucks after my meeting) so I didn't really want to swim. When I got to the pool, there was a 30 min wait (stupid spring time, making everybody and their cousin want to go to the pool...) but a lane finally opened up and I got in the pool. Today's swim sounds easy in theory, a 100 and some drills to warm up and then a 200, a 300, a 400 and finally a 500. Since I thought I was swimming well on Tuesday, I figured I would do the same thing again but try to swim a little faster (I was going really slow on Tuesday). I got through the warm up and the 200 but when I only had 60 yards to go on the 300 I had to stop because I all of a sudden got THE WORST headache. It was so bad I had to get out of the pool and call it a day, not cool. I don't know what brought it on, I was hydrated but not really well fueled up but I don't think lack of fuel would cause a headache. Maybe it's because my muscles were using all the oxygen in my blood and so there was none left for my brain (I don't know, I'm just making this up as I go...). Whatever, I'm agnry that I had to quit with just only 1/2 my work out done. I would go back to the pool tomorrow morning before work, but I have my MRI at 8 in Fremont so I don't have anytime.
There is no work out scheduled for tomorrow but I will probably go bike or something just to keep my body in the rhythm of things and to make up for not finishing my swim work out today.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday I almost had to work late again. I was in such a bad mood until my boss told me I didn't have to stay to compress and that I could come in early to coat instead (joy...) Luckily I got a call from my boss that evening saying not to come in early because they couldn't finish the compression.
Since it's recovery week, the swim was easy on Tuesday, just some drills and short distances (100-200 yards) Since I don't have to push myself, I was able to work on my form and stroke efficiency and also doing multiple laps with flip-turns. When I was swimming at Lake Del Valle last weekend I had to keep stopping to rest and I think that it is because when I swim laps in the pool, I swim to the end of the lap, stop, turn around and then keep swimming and that brief little rest that I give myself is enough to sabotage my long distance swimming. So what I was trying to do on Tuesday was do as many laps as I was supposed to, but do flip turns at the end of the laps and build my endurance that way and it was working really well for me.
Wednesday was a mentor run, but I'm still not running until I get my MRI (which is tomorrow morning at 8). I was feeling really lazy and I didn't want to do anything but watch TV but Alex guilted me into going to the gym so I went and did the elliptical for 30 min. Boring...
Today was another swim, and I was feeling very tired all day (I knew I should have gone to Starbucks after my meeting) so I didn't really want to swim. When I got to the pool, there was a 30 min wait (stupid spring time, making everybody and their cousin want to go to the pool...) but a lane finally opened up and I got in the pool. Today's swim sounds easy in theory, a 100 and some drills to warm up and then a 200, a 300, a 400 and finally a 500. Since I thought I was swimming well on Tuesday, I figured I would do the same thing again but try to swim a little faster (I was going really slow on Tuesday). I got through the warm up and the 200 but when I only had 60 yards to go on the 300 I had to stop because I all of a sudden got THE WORST headache. It was so bad I had to get out of the pool and call it a day, not cool. I don't know what brought it on, I was hydrated but not really well fueled up but I don't think lack of fuel would cause a headache. Maybe it's because my muscles were using all the oxygen in my blood and so there was none left for my brain (I don't know, I'm just making this up as I go...). Whatever, I'm agnry that I had to quit with just only 1/2 my work out done. I would go back to the pool tomorrow morning before work, but I have my MRI at 8 in Fremont so I don't have anytime.
There is no work out scheduled for tomorrow but I will probably go bike or something just to keep my body in the rhythm of things and to make up for not finishing my swim work out today.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Monday, April 20, 2009
Stupid work, causing me to slack on training
Thursday - I got to the pool, parked the car, got out and then got back in and went home. I was really tired. I think it was because I worked a lot that day...
Friday - was supposed to be a rest day, but since I didn't do anything the day before, I went for a bike ride. I did the 15 mile loop around Highland road. It was nice, aside from all the bugs that were out :(
Saturday - Open water swim at Lake Del Valle. It was much better than the last time I was there because it was warmer. Much warmer. We swam for ~35 min but it took me ~20 min to get warmed up :( We jumped off the dock into the water and my goggles promptly broke (grumble!!) After I got my goggles back in working order, I tried to get in the rhythm of swimming but I just was having the worst time. I could swim several strokes, but then I had to stop and rest. One of the coaches was swimming with me and he told me that I couldn't do that in the race because I would get run over :( Finally I reached the half way time point and I could turn around and go back. On my way back, I finally fell into my rhythm and I was swimming really good. I was breathing on alternate sides (which was good for my sighting) and I was hyper aware of everything that I was seeing (which made me dizzy when I stopped, not good) but I could swim a long time without stopping and it was great. After the swim was supposed to be the terrible hill bike ride, but (unfortunatly ;) ) I had to go so I could make it to Picnic Day.
Sunday - I had to work. All day (830am - 645pm). And it sucked, I didn't get to do anything but sit around in a room and watch small white tablets go around in circles (which didn't do me any favors for trying to stay awake... We got home from Davis in the AM and I had to be at work at regular time, which means getting up at 630 - 7...)
Today - on the calendar it's a rest day, but since I didn't do anything yesterday, I figured I would either swim or bike or do the elliptical after work, but I didn't get off work until way late. Again... (830 to be precise) So it was too late to go to the pool and I'm way tired.
If I have to work late again tomorrow, I might just kill someone. Seriously. It was hard enough to get up this morning and I don't look forward to getting up tomorrow either
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday - was supposed to be a rest day, but since I didn't do anything the day before, I went for a bike ride. I did the 15 mile loop around Highland road. It was nice, aside from all the bugs that were out :(
Saturday - Open water swim at Lake Del Valle. It was much better than the last time I was there because it was warmer. Much warmer. We swam for ~35 min but it took me ~20 min to get warmed up :( We jumped off the dock into the water and my goggles promptly broke (grumble!!) After I got my goggles back in working order, I tried to get in the rhythm of swimming but I just was having the worst time. I could swim several strokes, but then I had to stop and rest. One of the coaches was swimming with me and he told me that I couldn't do that in the race because I would get run over :( Finally I reached the half way time point and I could turn around and go back. On my way back, I finally fell into my rhythm and I was swimming really good. I was breathing on alternate sides (which was good for my sighting) and I was hyper aware of everything that I was seeing (which made me dizzy when I stopped, not good) but I could swim a long time without stopping and it was great. After the swim was supposed to be the terrible hill bike ride, but (unfortunatly ;) ) I had to go so I could make it to Picnic Day.
Sunday - I had to work. All day (830am - 645pm). And it sucked, I didn't get to do anything but sit around in a room and watch small white tablets go around in circles (which didn't do me any favors for trying to stay awake... We got home from Davis in the AM and I had to be at work at regular time, which means getting up at 630 - 7...)
Today - on the calendar it's a rest day, but since I didn't do anything yesterday, I figured I would either swim or bike or do the elliptical after work, but I didn't get off work until way late. Again... (830 to be precise) So it was too late to go to the pool and I'm way tired.
If I have to work late again tomorrow, I might just kill someone. Seriously. It was hard enough to get up this morning and I don't look forward to getting up tomorrow either
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wind sucks!! And I hate the flappy thing!!!!
Yesterday I swam 3000 yards. The highlight was that I was able to swim some 400's in 8 min each time... The non-highlight was that I had to take the lane next to Capt. Splashy and he my training paperwork all soaked. Grumble...
Today there was a brick work out at the Alameda Ferry Terminal. Biking and running, except for me, no running, just biking. Whee! It was soooo windy and it was soooo miserable. It was a 3 mile loop and going out it was easy because the wind was to my back but coming in it was hell. My average pace dropped by half as the wind pushed back against me. And to make it worse, the stupid strap on my helmet was all flappy in the wind and kept hitting me in the ear repeatedly and IT WAS SO ANNOYING!!!!!
Long story short, it was windy and cold and I biked ~9 miles tonight.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Today there was a brick work out at the Alameda Ferry Terminal. Biking and running, except for me, no running, just biking. Whee! It was soooo windy and it was soooo miserable. It was a 3 mile loop and going out it was easy because the wind was to my back but coming in it was hell. My average pace dropped by half as the wind pushed back against me. And to make it worse, the stupid strap on my helmet was all flappy in the wind and kept hitting me in the ear repeatedly and IT WAS SO ANNOYING!!!!!
Long story short, it was windy and cold and I biked ~9 miles tonight.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Fundraising announcement!!!!
Diana made this ring and donated it so I could use it as a fundraiser!! It is a white gold band with a blue sapphire and 24 (real!!!) diamonds around the center stone and on the band. It is currently a size 6, but Diana said she would do one sizing for free so it fits on which ever finger the winner chooses. It is an extremely beautiful ring and it was appraised at over $2,000 by an independent appraiser.
Raffle tickets are $20 and I'm only selling 100 of them so let me know if you want to get a ticket! Cash is preferred, but you can make a donation on my fundraising web page and leave a comment to let me know that the donation is for raffle ticket(s). All the money raised in this raffle goes to my fundraising which goes directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society :)
I will do the drawing on May 13th and announce the winner here. Please tell anyone and everyone about this raffle as it is truly for a good cause!!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Big Brick Weekend
But first,
Friday was supposed to be a rest day in preparation for the Big Brick weekend but I read the wrong calendar page and did a 50 min bike ride instead... oops
Saturday was the Big Brick, which basically means that we biked and ran a bunch except I am still not running due to my shin so I didn't think it was all that bad. When I got to the middle school on Tasajarra I took out my bike and I went to go check the air pressure in my tires. My front was a wee bit low so I added some air, but when I went to pull the thing off the valve stem, I pull the whole stem off my inner tube (!!!) which promtly let all the air out of my tire. Luckily for me, I had just bought all my flat tire repair stuffs last weekend but the real pisser was that I left the spare inner tube at home!!! Thankfully Lisa had a spare inner tube so I quickly changed out my tube and pumped it up with a CO2 cartridge and I was on my way.
The Big Brick workout was supposed to be a 15 mile loop on the bike followed by a 15 min run at race pace and then another 15 mile loop and 15 min running at race pace. Since I'm not running, I got to cheat and walk for 15 min in between bike loops. The biking was wonderful, a little hard at times, but mostly really enjoyable. I was focused on not being the slowest person on the bike so I was really booking (as fast as I can possibly go on my crappy slow mountain bike...). Even pedaling as fast as I could in top gear, it still took me 75 min to go 15 miles :( I need to get a road bike.
Sunday was Easter and we were supposed to bike for 50 min as a recovery from the big brick, but I really wasn't feeling all that poorly and so I skipped it. I figured that I would make up for it on Monday (yah right!)
Monday was a rest day. I didn't have any time to bike as I was hanging out with Ally
Today is a swim day. I get to swim 3000 yards and the pool (hopefully) won't be closing early.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday was supposed to be a rest day in preparation for the Big Brick weekend but I read the wrong calendar page and did a 50 min bike ride instead... oops
Saturday was the Big Brick, which basically means that we biked and ran a bunch except I am still not running due to my shin so I didn't think it was all that bad. When I got to the middle school on Tasajarra I took out my bike and I went to go check the air pressure in my tires. My front was a wee bit low so I added some air, but when I went to pull the thing off the valve stem, I pull the whole stem off my inner tube (!!!) which promtly let all the air out of my tire. Luckily for me, I had just bought all my flat tire repair stuffs last weekend but the real pisser was that I left the spare inner tube at home!!! Thankfully Lisa had a spare inner tube so I quickly changed out my tube and pumped it up with a CO2 cartridge and I was on my way.
The Big Brick workout was supposed to be a 15 mile loop on the bike followed by a 15 min run at race pace and then another 15 mile loop and 15 min running at race pace. Since I'm not running, I got to cheat and walk for 15 min in between bike loops. The biking was wonderful, a little hard at times, but mostly really enjoyable. I was focused on not being the slowest person on the bike so I was really booking (as fast as I can possibly go on my crappy slow mountain bike...). Even pedaling as fast as I could in top gear, it still took me 75 min to go 15 miles :( I need to get a road bike.
Sunday was Easter and we were supposed to bike for 50 min as a recovery from the big brick, but I really wasn't feeling all that poorly and so I skipped it. I figured that I would make up for it on Monday (yah right!)
Monday was a rest day. I didn't have any time to bike as I was hanging out with Ally
Today is a swim day. I get to swim 3000 yards and the pool (hopefully) won't be closing early.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Updates updates updates....
Monday was a rest day. I should have biked to make up for taking Sunday off, but I didn't.
Tuesday I was supposed to swim, but I got off work too late to get to the pool and finish my swim before they closed so I went to the gym and biked for 50 min. As soon as I got off the bike, I felt like an old lady :( My hips were stiff and I could barely walk. I hobbled over to a place where I could stretch out and that made me feel a little better, but it still sucked.
Wednesday I went to go see my doc about my shin. She said it sounded like I possible have a stress fracture because the pain is in the one area where you don't get shin splints. She told me to get some x-rays so I did. When they looked at them, they said that they *might* see something on the x-ray in the area where it hurts so now I should go get an MRI... HOLY CRAP!! So they called the health insurance people and I've been approved to get and MRI...
Wednesday was supposed to be coached running intervals but I went to the pool and swam instead. Stupid pool closing at 7... I barely had enough time to finish my work out, I got out of the pool at 658...
I swam today also. I chatted for a bit with one of the guys who is a regular. He says him and his buddies (including Capt. Splashy... I don't like that guy because he splashes water everywhere when he does his kick-turns, including all over my work out instruction sheet) swim miles and miles each day and that they are part if the Hayward Plunge's 100 mile swim club. I thought that was was pretty neat.
... So I guess now I have to schedule an MRI. We shall see what happesns...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday I was supposed to swim, but I got off work too late to get to the pool and finish my swim before they closed so I went to the gym and biked for 50 min. As soon as I got off the bike, I felt like an old lady :( My hips were stiff and I could barely walk. I hobbled over to a place where I could stretch out and that made me feel a little better, but it still sucked.
Wednesday I went to go see my doc about my shin. She said it sounded like I possible have a stress fracture because the pain is in the one area where you don't get shin splints. She told me to get some x-rays so I did. When they looked at them, they said that they *might* see something on the x-ray in the area where it hurts so now I should go get an MRI... HOLY CRAP!! So they called the health insurance people and I've been approved to get and MRI...
Wednesday was supposed to be coached running intervals but I went to the pool and swam instead. Stupid pool closing at 7... I barely had enough time to finish my work out, I got out of the pool at 658...
I swam today also. I chatted for a bit with one of the guys who is a regular. He says him and his buddies (including Capt. Splashy... I don't like that guy because he splashes water everywhere when he does his kick-turns, including all over my work out instruction sheet) swim miles and miles each day and that they are part if the Hayward Plunge's 100 mile swim club. I thought that was was pretty neat.
... So I guess now I have to schedule an MRI. We shall see what happesns...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Swimming in the bay
On Friday, I went to the gym and biked for 50 min and then did the elliptical for 15 and called it a day. It was easy and I felt good afterwards.
On Saturday, I got up at 630 to go swim in San Francisco bay. As I was driving along The Embarcadero on my way to aquatic park, I passed the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building and it was HUGE!!! There was stall after stall after stall of vendors. I really wish I could go to more Farmer's Markets. Maybe after this triathlon when I'm not training every Saturday morning, I could go to the SF Farmer's Market.
When I woke up in the morning, I was really nervous about the swim, nervous like the way I get on the day of cross country for eventing. I didn't want to eat anything so it was all I could do to choke down some oatmeal and try to keep it down. I was nervous that the water was going to be cold and that I would suck at swimming like I did at Lake del Valle but it turns out I didn't have to be so nervous. The swim this time was a lot better than last time even though the water was just as cold.
At aquatic park we suited up in our wetsuits and got in the water. Everybody was whooping an' hollering as soon as the water trickled into the wetsuits from the zippers because it was really brisk!! Before I started swimming, I spent several minutes putting my face in the water and exhaling and I think that made all the difference in my swim. We swam for 40-45 min and I made 2 laps around the bouys, which I think is ~2/3 a mile.
Things I learned swimming in San Francisco bay:
On Saturday, I got up at 630 to go swim in San Francisco bay. As I was driving along The Embarcadero on my way to aquatic park, I passed the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building and it was HUGE!!! There was stall after stall after stall of vendors. I really wish I could go to more Farmer's Markets. Maybe after this triathlon when I'm not training every Saturday morning, I could go to the SF Farmer's Market.
When I woke up in the morning, I was really nervous about the swim, nervous like the way I get on the day of cross country for eventing. I didn't want to eat anything so it was all I could do to choke down some oatmeal and try to keep it down. I was nervous that the water was going to be cold and that I would suck at swimming like I did at Lake del Valle but it turns out I didn't have to be so nervous. The swim this time was a lot better than last time even though the water was just as cold.
At aquatic park we suited up in our wetsuits and got in the water. Everybody was whooping an' hollering as soon as the water trickled into the wetsuits from the zippers because it was really brisk!! Before I started swimming, I spent several minutes putting my face in the water and exhaling and I think that made all the difference in my swim. We swam for 40-45 min and I made 2 laps around the bouys, which I think is ~2/3 a mile.
Things I learned swimming in San Francisco bay:
- Keep your mouth shut. Sea water tastes bad. REALLY BAD
- Sighting is important. Every 3 to 5 strokes, pick up your head and look around. I swam right into a bouy, AND IT WAS DISGUSTING!!! All slimy and sea weed-y and just gross.
After the swim, there was supposed to be a 50 min run, but I'm taking a week off running (at least) for my shin so I went to the gym and did the elliptical instead. My shin has been hurting ever since the marker set, and it's even hurting when I walk or go up/down the stairs so I'm a wee bit concerned. If it doesn't get better soon, I think I might go see the doc.
Today I was supposed to bike for 2 hours and then run for 15 min but I went to Tahoe to clean out our cabin and I never made it to a bike or the gym so maybe tomorrow I'll bike/run (elliptical) instead of resting...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday, April 3, 2009
Make each challenge your own triumph
I was in such a hurry to post yesterday, I forgot to write some things that I wanted to. Mostly, when I was running on Wednesday, I kicked myself in the ankel really hard and now I have a bruise. It hurts alot still and when I was swimming yesterday, even the water going past it when I was kicking made it hurt :(
Also, my shin was hurting as I ran but it was really hurting the next morning which I think is bad... I have been icing it on and off during the day yesterday and today and it's starting to feel better, but I think that I need to cut running out for a while. Maybe make it up with walking or running in the pool or doing the eliptical, I don't know...
Yesterday was a swimming day. The warm up was a 300 and some drills. The main workout was 2 x 150 LVL 2, 200 (100 LVL 8, 100 form), 2 x 150 LVL5, 200 (100 LVL5, 100 form) 2 x 150 LVL8 and then a cool down. I must be getting better at pacing myself and judging my exertion levels because I remember the last time I did this kind of workout it was much harder and I got tired a lot easier.
Today is supposed to be a 50 min bike followed by a 15 min run but I think that I will have to find a subsitute for the run, either bike 65 min total or do the eliptical instead, we shall see...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Also, my shin was hurting as I ran but it was really hurting the next morning which I think is bad... I have been icing it on and off during the day yesterday and today and it's starting to feel better, but I think that I need to cut running out for a while. Maybe make it up with walking or running in the pool or doing the eliptical, I don't know...
Yesterday was a swimming day. The warm up was a 300 and some drills. The main workout was 2 x 150 LVL 2, 200 (100 LVL 8, 100 form), 2 x 150 LVL5, 200 (100 LVL5, 100 form) 2 x 150 LVL8 and then a cool down. I must be getting better at pacing myself and judging my exertion levels because I remember the last time I did this kind of workout it was much harder and I got tired a lot easier.
Today is supposed to be a 50 min bike followed by a 15 min run but I think that I will have to find a subsitute for the run, either bike 65 min total or do the eliptical instead, we shall see...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, April 2, 2009
3rd marker set
But first - Tuesday was a swim day. It was all drills so it was really easy and short, which is good because the pool that I swim at is closing early (7pm) for the next 2 weeks :(
Last night was the third marker set and in hindsight, I probably should not have gone. My left shin has been kinda bugging me since this weekend and not icing it after the 40 min run in Burlingame didn't do me any favors. We started our run on the (ghetto) track in Berkeley with a 10 min warm-up and right away my shin started to act up. Right as the timer started for the marker set, I told Coach Mike that my shin was bugging me and he said to take it easy, so I did. I started my laps at my easy jog pace and I figured at least this way I can estimate what my slowest time will be at the Triathlon. I was on track for a 9:30 min mile but by lap 6 (1.5 miles) I had developed the most debilitating cramp right under my ribs and I had to walk a lap. Coach (?) Mark told me that it's something about stuff attached to my diaphram getting moved out of place and that the best way to get rid of the cramp was sharp breaths and pushing the stuff back in to place... I don't know, it sounded kind of odd to me but after walking a lap, it had subsided enough to run the final lap. My time for my third marker set was 21.07, not exactly a world record or anything...
Want to hear something funny? I checked the website for the Honolulu Triathlon and they said the swimming portion on May 17 might be canceled due to a predictable swarming of box jellyfish. Seriously. Go to the website and check it out yourself: http://www.honolulutriathlon.com/
What I don't get is if it is predictable (and it is, they have a calendar for when the jelly fish swarm each month) why didn't they schedule it for when they won't be swarming?!?
They might have the swim on the 17th, but if the jelly fish are present, they will move the swim to the day before (it will still be an official timed swim) and on the day of the race, they will have us do a run (5k) bike (40k) and run (10k). Joy....
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Last night was the third marker set and in hindsight, I probably should not have gone. My left shin has been kinda bugging me since this weekend and not icing it after the 40 min run in Burlingame didn't do me any favors. We started our run on the (ghetto) track in Berkeley with a 10 min warm-up and right away my shin started to act up. Right as the timer started for the marker set, I told Coach Mike that my shin was bugging me and he said to take it easy, so I did. I started my laps at my easy jog pace and I figured at least this way I can estimate what my slowest time will be at the Triathlon. I was on track for a 9:30 min mile but by lap 6 (1.5 miles) I had developed the most debilitating cramp right under my ribs and I had to walk a lap. Coach (?) Mark told me that it's something about stuff attached to my diaphram getting moved out of place and that the best way to get rid of the cramp was sharp breaths and pushing the stuff back in to place... I don't know, it sounded kind of odd to me but after walking a lap, it had subsided enough to run the final lap. My time for my third marker set was 21.07, not exactly a world record or anything...
Want to hear something funny? I checked the website for the Honolulu Triathlon and they said the swimming portion on May 17 might be canceled due to a predictable swarming of box jellyfish. Seriously. Go to the website and check it out yourself: http://www.honolulutriathlon.com/
What I don't get is if it is predictable (and it is, they have a calendar for when the jelly fish swarm each month) why didn't they schedule it for when they won't be swarming?!?
They might have the swim on the 17th, but if the jelly fish are present, they will move the swim to the day before (it will still be an official timed swim) and on the day of the race, they will have us do a run (5k) bike (40k) and run (10k). Joy....
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Sunday, March 29, 2009
End of recovery week
Friday was supposed to be a bike on your own for 50 min but I didn't make it to the gym (big surprise...)
Saturday was a coached training in Alameda. Before the workout started there was a brief overview on what should be in your transition area (between swim/bike and bike/run) and then it was a flat tire clinic on how to change a flat on your back wheel. First they demonstrated it to us and then we all had to take our back wheel off, deflate the tire, take the tube out, put the tube back in, re-inflate the tire and then put it back on the bike. It was a really valuable clinic and I'm glad I went. Next time I'm in Walnut Creek, I need to go to Sports Basement and get:
Saturday was a coached training in Alameda. Before the workout started there was a brief overview on what should be in your transition area (between swim/bike and bike/run) and then it was a flat tire clinic on how to change a flat on your back wheel. First they demonstrated it to us and then we all had to take our back wheel off, deflate the tire, take the tube out, put the tube back in, re-inflate the tire and then put it back on the bike. It was a really valuable clinic and I'm glad I went. Next time I'm in Walnut Creek, I need to go to Sports Basement and get:
- spare tube(s)
- T-bars (I think they are called tire bars)
- CO2 canisters (to rapidly inflate my tire)
- thingy that connects the CO2 canister to the valve stem
- saddle bag that attaches under the seat to hold all this stuff
- a 'Bento Box' - a little pouch that attaches to the frame near the handlebars to hold power gels and such
- a new water bottle and water bottle holder because my bike is so crappy and so old, as I was riding over the streets of Alameda the stupid thing shook itself apart and my water bottle and water bottle holder fell off all over the street. TWICE!
The work out was a 'brick' work out. First we biked for ~3 miles and then we ran for 10 min (4 min run, 1 min walk x 2) and then we repeated it 3 more times for a total of 4 sets. The cool down was a 6 mile bike ride (2 of the ~3 mile loops).
I wish I had a road bike... Practically everyone has a road bike and they were zooming past me on the biking portion, making me very jealous :(
Today was a Captain's workout but I didn't go because I wanted to sleep in. It was a 40 min run and I figured that I could do that on my own. I didn't feel much like running this morning so it was very difficult for me to find my groove. I was running around in Burlingame up and down the hills and I was doing OK going out but I did have to take a walk break to get up one of the hills. By the time I got to the firestation I had found my groove and so I completed the rest of my run as perscribed.
My shin is doing OK, I probably should have iced it after my run but we had to get to the car dealership and I forgot to grab the ice before we left. Surprisingly my right hip is starting to bug me, I'll have to ask coach Mike or Paul about it next time I see them. Its in a place that is hard to stretch so I'm not really sure what to do...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday, March 27, 2009
Holy cow, it's been over a week since I updated this
So I'm really dropping the ball here, I've been lazy and have not updated my training blog in over a week... (but surprisingly no one has called to tell me this, to tell me that they haven't seen an update in a while and are wondering if I'm still training...)
The last time I updated it was Thursday and I swam.
Friday was a day off as the team (but not me) traveled to Wildflower for training weekend.
Saturday was supposed to be a long swim and bike workout but I had to teach for 6 hours and I never made it to the gym/pool
Sunday was supposed to be a shorter bike ride, but I did Saturday's workout instead. To warm up I swam a bunch of drills for 10 min and then 4 x 400 (it was supposed to be 2 x 800, Coach Paul has a great sense of humor apparently...). I was surprised that I could even do the 400's, they weren't as hard as I thought and each one took me less than 10 min. It was a surprisingly short swim work out. After that, I was supposed to bike for 25 miles and it was a sunny day so I figured that I would bike around outside a bit but it was terribly cold and windy so I went to the gym and did the stationary bike for ~25 miles... (The stupid bike I was on wouldn't tell me the mileage in the workout summary and I forgot to look at it before I finished...)
Monday was a rest day, like always
Tuesday was the start of the second recovery week. Easy workouts this week!! The swimming work out included a 150 and some drills as the warm up. The main work out was 3 x 150, 3 x 100, 3 x 50, and then cool down.
Wednesday was a mentor run (the first one I've ever made it too!!) in Alameda at the Ferry Terminal. The run was easy, 6 x (4 min run, 1 min walk) but running along the shoreline was beautiful. I wish I could live in Alameda, but the only housing available there is college style apartments and mansions.... I would rather move back in with my folks before I ever move back to a college style apartment (and I just might...) and I can't afford to buy, let alone rent a house out there *sigh*
Thursday was another easy swimming day. Warm up was a 100 and then a bunch of drills and the main work out was a 200, a 300, and a 400. That was it. It felt like the shortest swim ever.
Today is a biking day, pretty easy. I'm going to hit the gym when I get off work and then hopefully have some sushi for dinner... That's what I'm really craving, I haven't had any sushi in practically forever :(
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
The last time I updated it was Thursday and I swam.
Friday was a day off as the team (but not me) traveled to Wildflower for training weekend.
Saturday was supposed to be a long swim and bike workout but I had to teach for 6 hours and I never made it to the gym/pool
Sunday was supposed to be a shorter bike ride, but I did Saturday's workout instead. To warm up I swam a bunch of drills for 10 min and then 4 x 400 (it was supposed to be 2 x 800, Coach Paul has a great sense of humor apparently...). I was surprised that I could even do the 400's, they weren't as hard as I thought and each one took me less than 10 min. It was a surprisingly short swim work out. After that, I was supposed to bike for 25 miles and it was a sunny day so I figured that I would bike around outside a bit but it was terribly cold and windy so I went to the gym and did the stationary bike for ~25 miles... (The stupid bike I was on wouldn't tell me the mileage in the workout summary and I forgot to look at it before I finished...)
Monday was a rest day, like always
Tuesday was the start of the second recovery week. Easy workouts this week!! The swimming work out included a 150 and some drills as the warm up. The main work out was 3 x 150, 3 x 100, 3 x 50, and then cool down.
Wednesday was a mentor run (the first one I've ever made it too!!) in Alameda at the Ferry Terminal. The run was easy, 6 x (4 min run, 1 min walk) but running along the shoreline was beautiful. I wish I could live in Alameda, but the only housing available there is college style apartments and mansions.... I would rather move back in with my folks before I ever move back to a college style apartment (and I just might...) and I can't afford to buy, let alone rent a house out there *sigh*
Thursday was another easy swimming day. Warm up was a 100 and then a bunch of drills and the main work out was a 200, a 300, and a 400. That was it. It felt like the shortest swim ever.
Today is a biking day, pretty easy. I'm going to hit the gym when I get off work and then hopefully have some sushi for dinner... That's what I'm really craving, I haven't had any sushi in practically forever :(
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, March 19, 2009
I swam a 300 tonight
Tonight was a swimming night and the first time I ever managed to swim a 300!! After having such a miserable time on Tuesday I decided to do things a little differently this time. I ate a PB&J sandwich around 4 and I had a power gel (chocolate flavor, not the worst thing I have ever eaten but not the greatest either...) right before I swam and I think that really made a difference. I was also having a 'slow race' with myself whenever it said LVL2 and it must have worked because that's how I was able to swim the entire 300 without stopping. (I basically just tried to swim as slow as possible...)
The warm up was 300 LVL 2, 100 kick, and then 8 sets of drills. The main workout was 2 x 150 LVL3, 100 LVL8, 100 kick, 2 x 150 LVL5, 100 LVL5, 100 kick, 2 x 150 LVL8, 100 LVL2, 100 kick. By the end, I'm sure that my LVL8's had slowed down to my starting LVL5's but whatever. I constantly had to remind myself to swim slower on the easier sets.
Tonight's workout was good and I'm glad that I got it done. I feel pretty good about myself and now I'm tired so I'm going to bed to sleep and recover.
Tomorrow is a rest day and then a bunch of swimming and biking this weekend. I'm not allowed to run for a week in hopes that it will help my shin heal. The team is going down to Wildflower for Training Weekend and I wish I could have gone with them but I have to teach on Saturday and I commited to Pony Club before I signed up for this triathlon. I hope everybody has a really great time, I will miss them (but not swimming in the freezing ocean-water) :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
The warm up was 300 LVL 2, 100 kick, and then 8 sets of drills. The main workout was 2 x 150 LVL3, 100 LVL8, 100 kick, 2 x 150 LVL5, 100 LVL5, 100 kick, 2 x 150 LVL8, 100 LVL2, 100 kick. By the end, I'm sure that my LVL8's had slowed down to my starting LVL5's but whatever. I constantly had to remind myself to swim slower on the easier sets.
Tonight's workout was good and I'm glad that I got it done. I feel pretty good about myself and now I'm tired so I'm going to bed to sleep and recover.
Tomorrow is a rest day and then a bunch of swimming and biking this weekend. I'm not allowed to run for a week in hopes that it will help my shin heal. The team is going down to Wildflower for Training Weekend and I wish I could have gone with them but I have to teach on Saturday and I commited to Pony Club before I signed up for this triathlon. I hope everybody has a really great time, I will miss them (but not swimming in the freezing ocean-water) :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
High Five!
High fives for me!! I managed to complete my entire run work out as perscribed which was 35 min of running LVL 3-5 and I did it with out taking any walk breaks. :)
It was supposed to be a mentor run in Alameda but I couldn't make it so I went to the gym and ran on my own. I figure that is better for my shin anyways. My shin was kinda hurting in the beginning until I warmed up and then it left me alone for the most part. I was listening to my iPhone and that kept me entertained for the entire 35 min and really made the time fly, which was nice.
Tomorrow is a swim day and hopefully it will be better than Tuesday
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
It was supposed to be a mentor run in Alameda but I couldn't make it so I went to the gym and ran on my own. I figure that is better for my shin anyways. My shin was kinda hurting in the beginning until I warmed up and then it left me alone for the most part. I was listening to my iPhone and that kept me entertained for the entire 35 min and really made the time fly, which was nice.
Tomorrow is a swim day and hopefully it will be better than Tuesday
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Now I have a reason to fear swimming...
Tonight was a swim night, 2000 yards and I was swimming like crap tonight. I don't know if it's because of my allergies which have had me stuffed up for the last 2 days or if it's because the water in the pool was always flowing in the opposite direction I was swimming or what, but something was up and I couldn't swim normally like I usually do.
I was swimming tonight as poorly as I was on Sunday in the freezing waters of Lake Del Valle and that was getting me down. How am I supposed to swim 1.5 km in the ocean if I can't even swim 100 yards in a 5ft. deep pool?? I guess I just need to practice and remember all the things I have been taught so far like relaxing, focusing on having good form and pulling all the way through my stoke. I was feeling very "sink-y" and I was hyper-aware of all the drag my body was creating which of course makes it very hard to swim. I was trying to 'push' my upper body down so it would level out with my lower body but all I was doing was keeping my head too low in the water so every time I went to breathe, I got a lot of water in my mouth :( bleh.
The warm up was 200 LVL2, 50 kick and then 10 x 25 LVL6. After that, the main work out was (200 LVL6, 2 x 50 LVL8) x 3 and then a 400 (broken down into 100 LVL2, 200 LVL6, 100 LVL2). I couldn't hardly do the 100's at a LVL2 and I had to break the 200's down into several sections :(
What I learned tonight is that I am only a good short distance swimmer. The 50's at a high level of exertion are easy for me, I just think 1, 2, 3, breathe, 1, 2, 3, breathe, etc... Anything over 4 laps in the pool left me gasping for air which I think is because I'm too novice a swimmer to know how to differenciate my swimming exertion levels. Basically, when the instructions say LVL 3, I am probably swimming at a LVL 5 and when they say to do a LVL 6 I'm doing LVL 8 and that's why I come up short and gasping for air every time. I need to work on that.
Or it could be because I'm under-fueled. I didn't have anything to eat between lunch and swimming... I need to look into that.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
I was swimming tonight as poorly as I was on Sunday in the freezing waters of Lake Del Valle and that was getting me down. How am I supposed to swim 1.5 km in the ocean if I can't even swim 100 yards in a 5ft. deep pool?? I guess I just need to practice and remember all the things I have been taught so far like relaxing, focusing on having good form and pulling all the way through my stoke. I was feeling very "sink-y" and I was hyper-aware of all the drag my body was creating which of course makes it very hard to swim. I was trying to 'push' my upper body down so it would level out with my lower body but all I was doing was keeping my head too low in the water so every time I went to breathe, I got a lot of water in my mouth :( bleh.
The warm up was 200 LVL2, 50 kick and then 10 x 25 LVL6. After that, the main work out was (200 LVL6, 2 x 50 LVL8) x 3 and then a 400 (broken down into 100 LVL2, 200 LVL6, 100 LVL2). I couldn't hardly do the 100's at a LVL2 and I had to break the 200's down into several sections :(
What I learned tonight is that I am only a good short distance swimmer. The 50's at a high level of exertion are easy for me, I just think 1, 2, 3, breathe, 1, 2, 3, breathe, etc... Anything over 4 laps in the pool left me gasping for air which I think is because I'm too novice a swimmer to know how to differenciate my swimming exertion levels. Basically, when the instructions say LVL 3, I am probably swimming at a LVL 5 and when they say to do a LVL 6 I'm doing LVL 8 and that's why I come up short and gasping for air every time. I need to work on that.
Or it could be because I'm under-fueled. I didn't have anything to eat between lunch and swimming... I need to look into that.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Brick workout on Sunday
But first,
Saturday was and on your own run. I went out to the Iron Horse Trail to go run and I was supposed to meet up with Melissa, my mentor, but she was no where to be found :( I was supposed to run for 45 solid minutes but I could only make it 20 min and then I had to walk. I walked for a bit, and then when I started to run again, I had some gnarly cramps in my side so I could only do 2 sets of 4 min run, 1 min walk but then they went away, which was nice. I manage to run out the rest of the time and then I was done. My shin wasn't bothering me too much. The pain was there and it was kind of bothersome, but it was not excruciating like it was on Thursday. I think it's because I've been icing it and taking pain killers and really focusing on my foot fall and take-off.
Today. Today was killer. Killer times 3. I met up with the Team at Lake Del Valle in Livermore at 745 in the morning and suited up in the wet suit for our morning swim. We swam in the lake for 30 min which was 50 DEGREES!!! Do you know how cold 50 degrees is?? It's alot colder than it sounds, I'll tell you that much. I've never swam in open water before but it's more or less like the pool, except it's freezing cold and the water is a nasty green color with little bits of floating 'stuff'... gross. And I learned that when the water is that cold, your body tenses up and wont let you exhale underwater so it's very important to relax but it's impossible to relax when you realize you can no long feel your hands or feet and you are freezing to death. It took me at least 5 min to get used to forcing my body to exhale underwater so I could attempt to swim in a somewhat normal fashion. But even after getting used to breathing, I still could hardly swim. The water is so cold you have a hard time catching your breath. I could swim all of about 5 or 6 strokes before I had to roll over on my back, gasping for air. It was a very disappointing swim because if I swim at my race anything like I was swimming today, I will never EVER finish the 1.5 kilometers. After I swam my sorry butt back to shore and dragged myself out of the freezing water I toweled off, put my tights on over my tri shorts, and put of my running shoes I hopped on the bike.
For the Olympic distance, Intermediate level, the bike ride was going to be 90 min long. That doesn't sound too bad until they showed us the course. We had to go out the way we came in and then out a side road. Since the distance was longer than anybody could reasonably ride in the time frame, we just had to turn around when we hit the half time mark. If you have ever been out to Lake Del Valle, to get there you have to go up and down this crazy stupid steep hill which you don't even think about in the car until you are on a bike trying to curse whoever thought of this course but you can't because you can't even hardly breathe. It was 3/4 a mile up hill just to get out of the parking lot and then it was A MILE AND A HALF straight up the hill. It was a steep as my mom's driveway but it went on FOREVER!!!!! My legs were screaming at me and I was wishing I had more lower gears. After we got up the hill, we rode down the other side, which is approximately a mile. That was a nice rest and I'm sure wore down alot of my brake going down the hill. I rode along the side road for awhile and then I turned around. But then I had to go BACK UP THE HILL!!! It was supposed to be easier because the slope is less but soo hard because I was already tired.
Long (and complain-y) story short, I finally made it back up and down the hill and into the parking lot where I put my bike away and took off my tights and went for a 10 min run. It was brutal. My shin started to bug me and I felt beyond tired, but I made it out and back.
As far as nutrition for the day, I had part of a bagel with peanut butter and some water for breakfast. After the swim I had a power bar gel (double latte flavor, not bad) and some gatorade. During the bike ride I kept hydrated with my gatorade, but I wish I had a gel to eat at the turn-around point. I finished my two bottles of gatorade right as the bike ride was ending (perfect timing!) and then I had another gel (tangerine flavor, hella gross) and went for my run. After I got back I had my recovery shake (chocolate flavor, not too bad) and went home. The end.
And I'm really glad tomorrow is a rest day because I'm beat.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Saturday was and on your own run. I went out to the Iron Horse Trail to go run and I was supposed to meet up with Melissa, my mentor, but she was no where to be found :( I was supposed to run for 45 solid minutes but I could only make it 20 min and then I had to walk. I walked for a bit, and then when I started to run again, I had some gnarly cramps in my side so I could only do 2 sets of 4 min run, 1 min walk but then they went away, which was nice. I manage to run out the rest of the time and then I was done. My shin wasn't bothering me too much. The pain was there and it was kind of bothersome, but it was not excruciating like it was on Thursday. I think it's because I've been icing it and taking pain killers and really focusing on my foot fall and take-off.
Today. Today was killer. Killer times 3. I met up with the Team at Lake Del Valle in Livermore at 745 in the morning and suited up in the wet suit for our morning swim. We swam in the lake for 30 min which was 50 DEGREES!!! Do you know how cold 50 degrees is?? It's alot colder than it sounds, I'll tell you that much. I've never swam in open water before but it's more or less like the pool, except it's freezing cold and the water is a nasty green color with little bits of floating 'stuff'... gross. And I learned that when the water is that cold, your body tenses up and wont let you exhale underwater so it's very important to relax but it's impossible to relax when you realize you can no long feel your hands or feet and you are freezing to death. It took me at least 5 min to get used to forcing my body to exhale underwater so I could attempt to swim in a somewhat normal fashion. But even after getting used to breathing, I still could hardly swim. The water is so cold you have a hard time catching your breath. I could swim all of about 5 or 6 strokes before I had to roll over on my back, gasping for air. It was a very disappointing swim because if I swim at my race anything like I was swimming today, I will never EVER finish the 1.5 kilometers. After I swam my sorry butt back to shore and dragged myself out of the freezing water I toweled off, put my tights on over my tri shorts, and put of my running shoes I hopped on the bike.
For the Olympic distance, Intermediate level, the bike ride was going to be 90 min long. That doesn't sound too bad until they showed us the course. We had to go out the way we came in and then out a side road. Since the distance was longer than anybody could reasonably ride in the time frame, we just had to turn around when we hit the half time mark. If you have ever been out to Lake Del Valle, to get there you have to go up and down this crazy stupid steep hill which you don't even think about in the car until you are on a bike trying to curse whoever thought of this course but you can't because you can't even hardly breathe. It was 3/4 a mile up hill just to get out of the parking lot and then it was A MILE AND A HALF straight up the hill. It was a steep as my mom's driveway but it went on FOREVER!!!!! My legs were screaming at me and I was wishing I had more lower gears. After we got up the hill, we rode down the other side, which is approximately a mile. That was a nice rest and I'm sure wore down alot of my brake going down the hill. I rode along the side road for awhile and then I turned around. But then I had to go BACK UP THE HILL!!! It was supposed to be easier because the slope is less but soo hard because I was already tired.
Long (and complain-y) story short, I finally made it back up and down the hill and into the parking lot where I put my bike away and took off my tights and went for a 10 min run. It was brutal. My shin started to bug me and I felt beyond tired, but I made it out and back.
As far as nutrition for the day, I had part of a bagel with peanut butter and some water for breakfast. After the swim I had a power bar gel (double latte flavor, not bad) and some gatorade. During the bike ride I kept hydrated with my gatorade, but I wish I had a gel to eat at the turn-around point. I finished my two bottles of gatorade right as the bike ride was ending (perfect timing!) and then I had another gel (tangerine flavor, hella gross) and went for my run. After I got back I had my recovery shake (chocolate flavor, not too bad) and went home. The end.
And I'm really glad tomorrow is a rest day because I'm beat.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday, March 13, 2009
Biking, running and swimming
Thursday was a 50 min bike ride followed by a 10 min run. I was going to go to the gym after work and do the stationary bike while reading my wedding book and then run on the treadmill for 10 min. I got to the gym and I even got one of the prized parking spots right in the very front and thats when I realized that I DIDN'T HAVE MY STUPID GYM CARD!!!! Grrr. So I had to go all the way home but instead of scavanging for my gym card, I hopped on my bike and rode around Cull Canyon. It was nice, mostly uphill all the way out which made it hell going out but real nice coming back :) As soon as I got home I put the bike away and went out for a run and that's when I think it became official that I have a shin split in my left leg. It's on the inside, lower part of my left shin and it was hurting alot on the run, and it still kinda bothers me but I'm icing it and taking some pain killers. We shall see how this plays out.
Today is Friday and I GOT MY WETSUIT!!! Yay, except that it was really difficult to put on because it is very snug. We did some 50's in the wet suits just to get used to them and then we had to take it off before we over-heated to finish the swim workout. The coolest thing about the wet suit is that I totally float in the water so swimming is no effort at all. I get to use it in open water on Sunday at Lake Del Valle in Livermore and hopefully not freeze my tukus off. The only not cool thing about the wet suit? I don't get to use it at the Triathlon in Honolulu because the water will be too warm. O well, you win some, you lose some.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Today is Friday and I GOT MY WETSUIT!!! Yay, except that it was really difficult to put on because it is very snug. We did some 50's in the wet suits just to get used to them and then we had to take it off before we over-heated to finish the swim workout. The coolest thing about the wet suit is that I totally float in the water so swimming is no effort at all. I get to use it in open water on Sunday at Lake Del Valle in Livermore and hopefully not freeze my tukus off. The only not cool thing about the wet suit? I don't get to use it at the Triathlon in Honolulu because the water will be too warm. O well, you win some, you lose some.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The second half of training has started!
I have officially recommited and I got the second half of the training schedule. Yesterday was supposed to be a swim day and today was an on your own run day but I did them in reverse.
Yesterday I ran. It was a straight 35 min run with no walk breaks. I ate a peanut butter bagel as I was driving over to my parents house and that was the worst idea I've ever had becuase as soon as I got to my folks house, I set off on my run so that I could be done before the sun set. But somewhere around the Wolfe's old house and minute 10, I could start to not only feel the partially digested bagel sloshing around in my belly, but I could hear it. So I only made it to the intersection of Tassajara and Johnston Rd from the bottom of my parents driveway before I had to walk. It was 1.7 miles and it took me less than 16 min and those last 6 min were awful. I got to Tassajara and turned around and walked for 5 min. I managed to run for another 5 min before the bagel sloshing got to me again and then I had to walk most of the rest of the 'run'. My 35 minute run turned out to be only a 22 minute run :( Better luck next time...
Today I went swimming and I swam 2000 yards. Some of it was hard, and some was easy. The 150's were killer, but the 200's weren't so bad which was kind of weird. Maybe it's because the 150's were supposed to be at a level 6 (of exertion on a scale of 1-10) and the 200's were at a level 3. After this last weekend when I had the swim video analysis clinic, I'm more aware of my swimming and my form. I think that the 150's were hard because I was pushing myself and my form was suffering, which makes me less hydrodynamic, which in turn makes me work harder to accomplish less. When I was swimming my 200's at an easy pace, I was better able to control my form which stream lines my body and I get more done for less work.
Tomorrow is a bike and run and Friday I GET MY WET SUIT!!! Yay wet suit party, I'm sure it will be awkward LOL
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Yesterday I ran. It was a straight 35 min run with no walk breaks. I ate a peanut butter bagel as I was driving over to my parents house and that was the worst idea I've ever had becuase as soon as I got to my folks house, I set off on my run so that I could be done before the sun set. But somewhere around the Wolfe's old house and minute 10, I could start to not only feel the partially digested bagel sloshing around in my belly, but I could hear it. So I only made it to the intersection of Tassajara and Johnston Rd from the bottom of my parents driveway before I had to walk. It was 1.7 miles and it took me less than 16 min and those last 6 min were awful. I got to Tassajara and turned around and walked for 5 min. I managed to run for another 5 min before the bagel sloshing got to me again and then I had to walk most of the rest of the 'run'. My 35 minute run turned out to be only a 22 minute run :( Better luck next time...
Today I went swimming and I swam 2000 yards. Some of it was hard, and some was easy. The 150's were killer, but the 200's weren't so bad which was kind of weird. Maybe it's because the 150's were supposed to be at a level 6 (of exertion on a scale of 1-10) and the 200's were at a level 3. After this last weekend when I had the swim video analysis clinic, I'm more aware of my swimming and my form. I think that the 150's were hard because I was pushing myself and my form was suffering, which makes me less hydrodynamic, which in turn makes me work harder to accomplish less. When I was swimming my 200's at an easy pace, I was better able to control my form which stream lines my body and I get more done for less work.
Tomorrow is a bike and run and Friday I GET MY WET SUIT!!! Yay wet suit party, I'm sure it will be awkward LOL
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Monday, March 9, 2009
Full weekend of training
Saturday - It was a biking day and I was really looking forward to finally being able to ride with the team. I got up early and packed up all my gear and right as I was about to get on 24 from 13, I realized that I didn't bring my helmet! I was so angry!! I had to go all the way home and get my helmet, but by then it was too late and I would have missed the group ride so I went down to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station and rode on the Iron Horse trail. By myself. In the freezing cold. It was so very cold. Next time I'm going to ride with my snowboarding thermal shirt and some gloves, preferably my snow gloves, LOL. I made it all the way to Bollinger Canyon Rd before I turned around to go home. According to the Iron Horse trail map, that's about 14 miles round trip and it took me approximately an hour.
Sunday - It was a coached training with a swim video analysis and then a run. I got in the pool at 10 and we were supposed to be filmed, watch the film with the coach and get tips on how to improve and then get back in the pool and practice some more. While I was waiting for my turn to swim for the camera, I was doing laps and getting tips from the coaches and captains which was improving my form. I was in the pool swimming for an hour at least before it was my turn to be filmed. The main work out was 20 sets of 50 yards, but I kept losing track of how many I had done because everyone was talking to me. Oh well, I'm sure I did at least 20 sets.
After we got out of the pool and saw our video, we went for a 45 min run. It was really nice because the sun was out and I had my mentor Melissa to run with and that made all the difference in the world. When I run on my own I'm always checking my watch to see if it's time to walk yet, but with some one else there, I didn't feel the need to check my watch ever. We ran, and when we thought about it, we checked the time and if it was time to walk, we walked and if not, we just kept running and it was great! I can't wait for Wednesday now because it's supposed to be a run on your own day and I think that Melissa and I will run together again. Yay.
I'm really glad today is a rest day because my body is very tired. The time change cut into my sleeping time so I feel like my body has not fully recovered yet.
I get my wetsuit on Friday! I've only put on a wetsuit once and I remember it being very difficult so I'm sure that will be tons of fun. Stay tuned!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Sunday - It was a coached training with a swim video analysis and then a run. I got in the pool at 10 and we were supposed to be filmed, watch the film with the coach and get tips on how to improve and then get back in the pool and practice some more. While I was waiting for my turn to swim for the camera, I was doing laps and getting tips from the coaches and captains which was improving my form. I was in the pool swimming for an hour at least before it was my turn to be filmed. The main work out was 20 sets of 50 yards, but I kept losing track of how many I had done because everyone was talking to me. Oh well, I'm sure I did at least 20 sets.
After we got out of the pool and saw our video, we went for a 45 min run. It was really nice because the sun was out and I had my mentor Melissa to run with and that made all the difference in the world. When I run on my own I'm always checking my watch to see if it's time to walk yet, but with some one else there, I didn't feel the need to check my watch ever. We ran, and when we thought about it, we checked the time and if it was time to walk, we walked and if not, we just kept running and it was great! I can't wait for Wednesday now because it's supposed to be a run on your own day and I think that Melissa and I will run together again. Yay.
I'm really glad today is a rest day because my body is very tired. The time change cut into my sleeping time so I feel like my body has not fully recovered yet.
I get my wetsuit on Friday! I've only put on a wetsuit once and I remember it being very difficult so I'm sure that will be tons of fun. Stay tuned!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday, March 6, 2009
I ran tonight
I ran tonight at the gym after dinner. Bad idea. I was all full of enchiladas and salad. And then I was running and I took a swig of water and oy!! I lost 2 running sets due to cramps. Bleh. Note to self: Don't drink a lot of water and run. I need to wait until I want the water, not force it on myself. Other than that, it's all good.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Marker set last night
Last night was my second market set run at DVC. I managed to run the 2 miles in 18 min 17 sec. That's almost 30 seconds faster than last time! Last time I ran my first mile in 9 min flat and my second mile in 9 min 46 seconds. This time I ran my first mile in 9 min 2 seconds and my second mile in 9 min 15 seconds. So at least I'm sustaining my pace longer.
But it was COLD last night. I mean, really cold. I thought that since it was not raining I would be too hot in the tights so I wore my shorts but that was a bad idea. It was so cold that as I was going around the track, I could practically feel ice crystals forming in my quads. Bleh.
Do you know what else I learned last night? That my biking distance is NOT 12.4 miles... It's 25 miles!!!! Surprise!!! I also learned that I only have an hour to complete the swimming portion or the race before I'm disqualified. So I better start swimming faster :)
Tonight is supposed to be a swimming night but I think that I'm going to go ride my pony instead. I can't even remember the last time I was on a horse, it's been so long since I've ridden last...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
But it was COLD last night. I mean, really cold. I thought that since it was not raining I would be too hot in the tights so I wore my shorts but that was a bad idea. It was so cold that as I was going around the track, I could practically feel ice crystals forming in my quads. Bleh.
Do you know what else I learned last night? That my biking distance is NOT 12.4 miles... It's 25 miles!!!! Surprise!!! I also learned that I only have an hour to complete the swimming portion or the race before I'm disqualified. So I better start swimming faster :)
Tonight is supposed to be a swimming night but I think that I'm going to go ride my pony instead. I can't even remember the last time I was on a horse, it's been so long since I've ridden last...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Long distance swimming
Tonight was a swimming night. It felt good to be in the pool, except that the warm up was 2 x 150 yards plus other stuff. The main work out was 2 x 200, some single lap drills, 2 x 150, some more single lap drills, a final 2 x 150 and then a 200 yard cool down. The total distance was 1900 yards and it took me at least an hour and a half, but it was all good :)
My favorite part of the work out is always the cool down, not because it's the easiest thing or becuase it's the end of exerting myself, but becuase I really like doing the breast stroke... It always makes me feel like I'm 'flying' or gliding underwater. It's hard to describe, but it's the best feeling :)
Before I go, have you ever put on a swim cap? It's like putting a condom on your head. Not that I've tried that, but that's what I think every time I put on my swim cap. Just in case you were wondering...
Tomorrow night is my second marker set for running. Wish me luck so I can beat my last time of 18:46. This time it will be raining so I don't know how that will affect me...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
My favorite part of the work out is always the cool down, not because it's the easiest thing or becuase it's the end of exerting myself, but becuase I really like doing the breast stroke... It always makes me feel like I'm 'flying' or gliding underwater. It's hard to describe, but it's the best feeling :)
Before I go, have you ever put on a swim cap? It's like putting a condom on your head. Not that I've tried that, but that's what I think every time I put on my swim cap. Just in case you were wondering...
Tomorrow night is my second marker set for running. Wish me luck so I can beat my last time of 18:46. This time it will be raining so I don't know how that will affect me...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Ha! Guess what I DID do?
I finally made it to a bike. I felt kind of guilty never making the bike workouts, so last night Al convinced me to hit the gym. He had a good point, it's not like I did enough snowboarding to warrant resting the next day.
I got to the gym armed with my wedding planning book (LOL, I know) and sat down on the bike. Having a book to read made the 40 minutes fly by and it's not like I was peddling slowly. I managed to bust out 8 miles before I even knew it. I would have stayed the whole 60 minutes, but it was already 945 when I got to the gym and I needed to sleep.
But I'm pround of myself for actually making it to a bike and now I look forward to my next on my own bike ride. (This Saturday is a group hill climbing ride. Yikes!)
Swimming tonight and then running on Wednesday. Cross your fingers it doesn't rain on me!!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
I got to the gym armed with my wedding planning book (LOL, I know) and sat down on the bike. Having a book to read made the 40 minutes fly by and it's not like I was peddling slowly. I managed to bust out 8 miles before I even knew it. I would have stayed the whole 60 minutes, but it was already 945 when I got to the gym and I needed to sleep.
But I'm pround of myself for actually making it to a bike and now I look forward to my next on my own bike ride. (This Saturday is a group hill climbing ride. Yikes!)
Swimming tonight and then running on Wednesday. Cross your fingers it doesn't rain on me!!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Monday, March 2, 2009
Can you guess what I DIDN'T do?
Biking... yes, biking. Why do I never have the motivation to bike?? Why is biking training always on days that conflict with Tahoe?!? Why? Why? Why?
Friday was a biking day. I thought maybe I will do it in the morning. But I didn't. I have to figure out a way to make bed lass comfortable. So then I thought that I would do it after work, since I wasn't going to Tahoe until Saturday. But I didn't. I went to the neighbors and had delicious home-made pizza (Fred made a yam/sweet potatoe one, OMG so good!!! Sounds weird, tastes amazing!)
Saturday was a run day and I got up, went to the barn to walk my pony (yay!) and then I went for my run (yay!). I need to be better about hydrating myself. When I was doing my last run set, I was just feeling so drained. It's not like I was out there all day either, I guess I just didn't drink enough before hand.
Sunday was supposed to be another long bike day, but we left for Tahoe on Saturday afternoon and were going to snowboard on Sunday. They said it was going to rain (ick!!!!!) but it was cold enough to make it snow. Unfortunatly, it wasn't cold enough to make the snow stick, so once it hit your body, it instantly melted and within an hour, I was soaked. But it didn't really matter because Alpine only had ~5 chairs running, and the visibility was nil on the top of the mountain, and my legs were sore, all of which sucked. Last time I was snowboarding, I felt great all day. But this time, even on the first run, I was hurting and sore. Not cool. We were on the mountain for 5 runs, about an hour and a half and then we called it a day.
Today is my rest day and I think that I need it. Recovery week is over and now we will start more intense training. On Wednesday I have to do my second marker set (run a timed 2 miles). Let's hope I have improved from a month ago!!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday was a biking day. I thought maybe I will do it in the morning. But I didn't. I have to figure out a way to make bed lass comfortable. So then I thought that I would do it after work, since I wasn't going to Tahoe until Saturday. But I didn't. I went to the neighbors and had delicious home-made pizza (Fred made a yam/sweet potatoe one, OMG so good!!! Sounds weird, tastes amazing!)
Saturday was a run day and I got up, went to the barn to walk my pony (yay!) and then I went for my run (yay!). I need to be better about hydrating myself. When I was doing my last run set, I was just feeling so drained. It's not like I was out there all day either, I guess I just didn't drink enough before hand.
Sunday was supposed to be another long bike day, but we left for Tahoe on Saturday afternoon and were going to snowboard on Sunday. They said it was going to rain (ick!!!!!) but it was cold enough to make it snow. Unfortunatly, it wasn't cold enough to make the snow stick, so once it hit your body, it instantly melted and within an hour, I was soaked. But it didn't really matter because Alpine only had ~5 chairs running, and the visibility was nil on the top of the mountain, and my legs were sore, all of which sucked. Last time I was snowboarding, I felt great all day. But this time, even on the first run, I was hurting and sore. Not cool. We were on the mountain for 5 runs, about an hour and a half and then we called it a day.
Today is my rest day and I think that I need it. Recovery week is over and now we will start more intense training. On Wednesday I have to do my second marker set (run a timed 2 miles). Let's hope I have improved from a month ago!!
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday, February 27, 2009
Recovery Week swimming again
Recovery week is winding down and yesterday was the easiest swim ever. It was 1300 yards, but it was almost all one lap exercises and body position drills which made it seem so easy. I almost wanted to move up to the Olympic distance advanced level just so I would feel like I got something accomplished, but this isn't the week to be pushing myself. On Tuesday I had a really bad headache as soon as I got in the pool and I'm thinking it was because I was dehydrated. So yeasterday I was really aware of how much water I was drinking and I wanted to be sure to be hydrated and it worked! I didn't have a headache and that made my swim really pleasant.
Recommitment is right around the corner and I'm going to do it! I am going to commit to being on the line financially and raise this $5,000!!! That means that if I can't raise the money through donations, I pay the remainder out of my own pocket. If you have not donated to this great cause, please do so!!
Today is another bike night and I'm hoping it won't be as boring as last time. Maybe I'll bring some music or a magazine to distract myself...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Recommitment is right around the corner and I'm going to do it! I am going to commit to being on the line financially and raise this $5,000!!! That means that if I can't raise the money through donations, I pay the remainder out of my own pocket. If you have not donated to this great cause, please do so!!
Today is another bike night and I'm hoping it won't be as boring as last time. Maybe I'll bring some music or a magazine to distract myself...
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Running on Wednesday
Oy, I've got to get better at updating this every night...
Yesterday was supposed to be a mentor run in Alameda, but I had dinner plans so I busted out my run before I left work. Since it's recovery week, it was an easy run of just 4 min run, 1 min walk repeat 4 times and then walk for 5 min and call it a day. It was easier in theory to complete this run... I've only been training on either a treadmil or a nice, cushy track and neither are any think like the open road :( I think that I'm going to have to bite the bullet and just get my butt outdoors more.
Tonight is a swim and I'm hoping it goes better than it did on Tuesday... I'm forcing myself to hydrate better today and hopefully that will keep any headaches at bay. Now if I could only get my goggles to stop fogging up. Does spitting in them help?? I know that sounds really gross, but I think that some one told me when I was a kid that it works :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Yesterday was supposed to be a mentor run in Alameda, but I had dinner plans so I busted out my run before I left work. Since it's recovery week, it was an easy run of just 4 min run, 1 min walk repeat 4 times and then walk for 5 min and call it a day. It was easier in theory to complete this run... I've only been training on either a treadmil or a nice, cushy track and neither are any think like the open road :( I think that I'm going to have to bite the bullet and just get my butt outdoors more.
Tonight is a swim and I'm hoping it goes better than it did on Tuesday... I'm forcing myself to hydrate better today and hopefully that will keep any headaches at bay. Now if I could only get my goggles to stop fogging up. Does spitting in them help?? I know that sounds really gross, but I think that some one told me when I was a kid that it works :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Recovery week swimming
This is the third week of training and it is also recovery week to allow my body to recover from the stresses that have been applied over the last 2 weeks. I don't feel like I have trained all that hard to deserve a recovery week yet and I don't know if that is good or bad.
I went swimming last night but I just wasn't that into it. Usually I'm really excited to swim because it's new and low impact and (can be) easy. But last night I got in the pool and I felt sore and out of shape and tired and I had a headache and my goggles kept fogging up and whine whine whine, etc...
I was supposed to swim 1300 yards but I'm pretty sure I only made it 1000 before I got out of the pool. I did my 100 yard and 4 x 50 yard warm up and then I swam 3 x 150 and then I'm pretty sure I only managed to do 2 x 100 instead of 3 x 100 and I never got to the 3 x 50. Instead of the 4 x 25 cool down focusing on stoke and position, I did 2 - 3 laps of breast stroke. Not a very good night for me :(
Tonight is a mentor run in Alameda, but I'll miss it because I have dinner plans. I plan to do my running during lunch today, let's see if I can actually make it :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
I went swimming last night but I just wasn't that into it. Usually I'm really excited to swim because it's new and low impact and (can be) easy. But last night I got in the pool and I felt sore and out of shape and tired and I had a headache and my goggles kept fogging up and whine whine whine, etc...
I was supposed to swim 1300 yards but I'm pretty sure I only made it 1000 before I got out of the pool. I did my 100 yard and 4 x 50 yard warm up and then I swam 3 x 150 and then I'm pretty sure I only managed to do 2 x 100 instead of 3 x 100 and I never got to the 3 x 50. Instead of the 4 x 25 cool down focusing on stoke and position, I did 2 - 3 laps of breast stroke. Not a very good night for me :(
Tonight is a mentor run in Alameda, but I'll miss it because I have dinner plans. I plan to do my running during lunch today, let's see if I can actually make it :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Monday, February 23, 2009
No running, just snowboarding
Saturday was a run on your own day, but I went snowboarding instead. It's been so long I've forgotten when I went last. The snow was OK, but I was so happy to be out there that I didn't care. We did a few runs and then we took a hike up to the high traverse which was my absolute favorite part of the day! The hike wasn't long and thankfully the top of the snow was firm so we didn't sink much with each step but we all had to stop and take a few breathers on the way up. Once we got up there, it was totally worth all the effort. The view was breath-taking (literally) and I wish I had brought my camera. On the way down the snow was mostly soft, a little choppy in some spots, but I was able to ride all the way down on the tail of my board, floating through the beautiful snow. When we got to the bottom, I really wanted to do it again, but everyone was tired, hungry and a little sore. I was hoping we would hike again after lunch, but no luck. I was impressed with myself on Saturday because I never felt tired or like my legs were going to give out, so THANK YOU TEAM IN TRAINING for making me an athlete and improving my snowboarding stamina.
I was hoping to snowbaord again on Sunday but it was raining (ick!!) so we went home. It took us all day to get home so it was my rest day. Today I hope to swim after work if I'm not teaching, but if I am, I will run and/or bike.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
I was hoping to snowbaord again on Sunday but it was raining (ick!!) so we went home. It took us all day to get home so it was my rest day. Today I hope to swim after work if I'm not teaching, but if I am, I will run and/or bike.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday, February 20, 2009
First time on a bike
This morning was the first time I got to bike as my workout. I made it to the gym by about 7am and hopped on the stationary bike and then proceeded to pedal for 40 minutes. How boring!! I should have brought some ear phones so I could listen to music or a magazine to read but I didn't so I had to pedal along in silence for 40 long, boring minutes. If I'm going to ride for 12.4 miles at the race I figure it will take me about 1 hour. I got to 8 miles in 40 minutes, so I'm on track.
I'm leaving for Tahoe tonight so I'll be able to snowboard this weekend and that will make up for my missed workouts. I haven't been snowboarding in forever and I'm really excited :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
I'm leaving for Tahoe tonight so I'll be able to snowboard this weekend and that will make up for my missed workouts. I haven't been snowboarding in forever and I'm really excited :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, February 19, 2009
1500+ yards of swimming tonight
I went to the pool after work and I got lucky because my fiance :) joined me which I always love. Like I mentioned in a previous post, part of my work out tonight included a 400 yard swim. I tried my hardest, but I had to split it into 2 200's. Maybe next time. I just learned how to do a flip turn (or are they called kick turns? I don't know...) and I can do them really well the first few times, but I find there is an inverse relationship between the quality of the flip turns and the number of laps I've swam. The more laps I do, the more I misjudge the distance to the wall and I either flip too early and have nothing to push off of, or I manage to get water up my nose and come up coughing and choking on pool water. At least at the race I won't have to do any laps or turns. And I swam my race distance tonight, which is good. Now I just have to build up to doing it all without breaks!!
Tomorrow is a biking day. Since I'm going to Tahoe this weekend, I plan on hitting up the stationary bike at the gym in the AM. Let's hope I have better luck getting out of bed tomorrow morning than I did today :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tomorrow is a biking day. Since I'm going to Tahoe this weekend, I plan on hitting up the stationary bike at the gym in the AM. Let's hope I have better luck getting out of bed tomorrow morning than I did today :)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Back again @ DVC last night
Last night was another coached run at DVC. It was a 10 min or so warm up jog followed by plyometric circuits and running one lap in between each circuit. I think I'm beginning to see a trend... :) The mysterious 'pain' in my left quad is still there. It's not really a pain, but I can feel it with every step and its very localized, not spread out throughout my entire quad, just that one spot which I still think is odd. The plyometrics were mostly the same stuff as last time, but held for longer intervals which really steps it up. I think that I'm going to need to start doing these more than just once a week if I want to keep on top of it.
I was going to get my swim on this morning, but I woke up kind of stiff so I have to go tonight. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. I have to swim a 400 (that's 20 laps!!!!!! Holy cow!)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
I was going to get my swim on this morning, but I woke up kind of stiff so I have to go tonight. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. I have to swim a 400 (that's 20 laps!!!!!! Holy cow!)
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
1400+ yards of swimming tonight
Tonight was a swimming night and I am really proud of myself!!! I swam over 1400 yards in under an hour. Thats almost as long as the distance for the triathlon. When I swam on Saturday I was barely tired after doing the beginner workout so I decided that I would do the intermediate one the next time. I was a little hesitant to do the intermediate workout tonight because it included swimming long distances multiple times. My warm up was 4 x 75 yards (80 for me because the pool is only 20 yards long, instead of the standard 25) and then the main work out was 2 x 150 and then a 100 (and then do that whole set again). After that it was a 200 (10 laps!!!) and then I could cool down. Since the pool is only 20 yards long, I broke my 150's into 160 yards the first time and then 140 the second time. I just started swimming and I firgured I would stop when I couldn't swim any more, but I was able to swim the whole distance every time with out stopping, even the 200!!!! So I'm really happy because my endurance is coming up and it's a great feeling.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Still no biking
Thursday - was supposed to be a swim day, but I took the day off to help my tummy settle. And I got to ride my pony, which was nice
Friday - a run day. I wanted to swim after work to make up for missing it on Thursday and then maybe run afterwards but the pool wasn't open for lap swimming in the evening so I went grudgingly to the gym and ran on the treadmill. The pain in my right shin wasn't there but there it was still there in my left quad which bummed me out.
Saturday - Today was a bike ride led by the team captain and I (Alex really) spent a long time last night putting the bike back together. After getting the tubes and tires back on the wheels and then figuring out how to get the chain on properly all that was left was adusting the brakes, and that's when it was discovered that the rear brake cable was too long. Don't know how it magically grew since it was just fine when I took the bike from my folks place but not having brakes is a problem so I couldn't go on the captain's ride. I really wanted to swim so I went to the pool (and got Alex to come with me :) ) I swam about 900 yards and today was the first day that I could do the entire beginners work out as it was assigned without any additional brakes!! I'm really excited that I'm building my endurance and I think next swim work out I will try the Intermediate one :)
After the pool I went to the barn and got to ride my pony again and that was nice too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Friday - a run day. I wanted to swim after work to make up for missing it on Thursday and then maybe run afterwards but the pool wasn't open for lap swimming in the evening so I went grudgingly to the gym and ran on the treadmill. The pain in my right shin wasn't there but there it was still there in my left quad which bummed me out.
Saturday - Today was a bike ride led by the team captain and I (Alex really) spent a long time last night putting the bike back together. After getting the tubes and tires back on the wheels and then figuring out how to get the chain on properly all that was left was adusting the brakes, and that's when it was discovered that the rear brake cable was too long. Don't know how it magically grew since it was just fine when I took the bike from my folks place but not having brakes is a problem so I couldn't go on the captain's ride. I really wanted to swim so I went to the pool (and got Alex to come with me :) ) I swam about 900 yards and today was the first day that I could do the entire beginners work out as it was assigned without any additional brakes!! I'm really excited that I'm building my endurance and I think next swim work out I will try the Intermediate one :)
After the pool I went to the barn and got to ride my pony again and that was nice too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Running at DVC
Last night was another coached run out in Pleasant Hill and it was just not my day :( I ate what I thought would be a light lunch of pho but it just sat in my tummy like a lead brick all day. I got home from work and changed into my running clothes and made myself a peanut butter bagel thinking it would give me the energy I needed to go run. I barely took 2 bites of the bagel as I was driving out to DVC, I just wasn't hungry (which is unusual for me, I'm always hungry).
As we stood around coach Paul listening to him tell us the workout I was wondering how I'd be able to run. In addition to feeling overly full all day, my quads had been 'hurting', not the whole muscle, just one very specific point, especially on the left. Luckily, the work out was mostly core strengthing exercises with light jogging in between each set.
I started off for my warm up jog and the pain in my quads was there but it eventually faded away, which is good. What was not good was that all the strengthing exercises had to be done on the ground. The WET (and very cold!!) ground. Bleh!
After each exercise set we had to run a lap and each lap for me was killer, not because of my quads this time, but becuase my tummy would tie up in huge knots as soon as I took my first running step :( And my right shin was hurting, like it occassionally does. I never knew why it hurts when I run until last night when I remembered that I have staples in that area (from my ACL repair...) It was a total lightbulb moment for me. Now I just have to figure out how to make it not hurt when I run...
Basically, I was just one big ball of hurt last time. Coach Paul says that we need to re-fuel our bodies after each work out within 45 min with proteins and carbs so I thought that sushi would fit the bill. I was hurting all the way home and I got to Safeway to pick up a pack of salmon nigiri and California roll thinking that it would make me feel better. I got home and ate the 4 pcs. of nigiri and called it quits. I just wasn't hungry (still!)
I guess I'm still not fully recovered from this weekend, which sucks. I'm going to take it easy today and just eat plain food to see if I can avoid any more stomach cramps. It's a swim day but I don't know if I'll make it out tonight. We shall see.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
As we stood around coach Paul listening to him tell us the workout I was wondering how I'd be able to run. In addition to feeling overly full all day, my quads had been 'hurting', not the whole muscle, just one very specific point, especially on the left. Luckily, the work out was mostly core strengthing exercises with light jogging in between each set.
I started off for my warm up jog and the pain in my quads was there but it eventually faded away, which is good. What was not good was that all the strengthing exercises had to be done on the ground. The WET (and very cold!!) ground. Bleh!
After each exercise set we had to run a lap and each lap for me was killer, not because of my quads this time, but becuase my tummy would tie up in huge knots as soon as I took my first running step :( And my right shin was hurting, like it occassionally does. I never knew why it hurts when I run until last night when I remembered that I have staples in that area (from my ACL repair...) It was a total lightbulb moment for me. Now I just have to figure out how to make it not hurt when I run...
Basically, I was just one big ball of hurt last time. Coach Paul says that we need to re-fuel our bodies after each work out within 45 min with proteins and carbs so I thought that sushi would fit the bill. I was hurting all the way home and I got to Safeway to pick up a pack of salmon nigiri and California roll thinking that it would make me feel better. I got home and ate the 4 pcs. of nigiri and called it quits. I just wasn't hungry (still!)
I guess I'm still not fully recovered from this weekend, which sucks. I'm going to take it easy today and just eat plain food to see if I can avoid any more stomach cramps. It's a swim day but I don't know if I'll make it out tonight. We shall see.
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Make a donation today to help cure blood cancers and help me meet my fundraising goal at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/honotri09/jlesko
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Back on track with swimming
I got really sick over the weekend so I couldn't train on Sunday and luckily Monday was my day off because I still wasn't feeling good enough to move. Tuesday was a swimming day and I was feeling well so I decided to give it a try.
I got to the pool after work and I got a lane right away, which is nice. Warm up was an easy 50 yards followed by one lap free style, one lap just kicking times 3, repeated twice. (Confused?) And that was just the warm up. The main work out (at the beginner level!!) was swim 200 yards, rest 20 sec. Swim 150 yards, rest 20 sec. Swim 100 yards, rest 20 sec. Swim 50 yards and then cool down. Holy cow!!! Each lap in a standard pool is 25 yards, but at the pool that I swim at, it's only 20 yards. That's 10 laps to do 200 yards!! And the sad part? I still can't swim more than 80 yards at a time and 100 yards is my max. So I had to break up my work out into smaller chunks with longer rest breaks, but I got it all done!
I'm really hoping to improve my swimming endurance, but man it sure is taking it's sweet time to get here.
Tonight is another coached run at DVC after work. Hopefully it won't be another 2 mile run, but then again, it really wasn't that bad last time :) I just hope it's not raining when we are on the track. I hate being outside in the rain...
I got to the pool after work and I got a lane right away, which is nice. Warm up was an easy 50 yards followed by one lap free style, one lap just kicking times 3, repeated twice. (Confused?) And that was just the warm up. The main work out (at the beginner level!!) was swim 200 yards, rest 20 sec. Swim 150 yards, rest 20 sec. Swim 100 yards, rest 20 sec. Swim 50 yards and then cool down. Holy cow!!! Each lap in a standard pool is 25 yards, but at the pool that I swim at, it's only 20 yards. That's 10 laps to do 200 yards!! And the sad part? I still can't swim more than 80 yards at a time and 100 yards is my max. So I had to break up my work out into smaller chunks with longer rest breaks, but I got it all done!
I'm really hoping to improve my swimming endurance, but man it sure is taking it's sweet time to get here.
Tonight is another coached run at DVC after work. Hopefully it won't be another 2 mile run, but then again, it really wasn't that bad last time :) I just hope it's not raining when we are on the track. I hate being outside in the rain...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Running, swimming, more running, snowboarding??
Oy, I've been a bit behind in updating this. Turns out I can't do it from the iPhone :(
Friday - a run on my own kind of day. I wanted to run at lunch at work, but it was raining and I don't much care for being out in the rain. By the time I got home from work I was tired and lethargic and I didn't want to go to the gym. But then I thought about all the people with blood cancer that I'm tri-ing for and how they don't have a choice about having cancer so I finally got my butt to the gym and struggled through my work-out
Saturday - My first long coached workout. I got to the HS in Moraga and listened to a nutrition and swim form clinic for about an hour or so and then got changed into my suit and hopped in the pool. We had to swim for almost an hour!! We warmed up with several types of body position drills (kicking only, no hands :( ) and then had a 10 min continuous swim where we had to count the number of laps completed as a kind of bench marker. I could only do 14 which really isn't that great. I have a long stroke, so I keep passing people in my lane, but I could only do a few laps before I had to rest and then get passed by the people I had just passed... And then after the 10 min continuous swim, as if we weren't tired already, we had to do 100 yd. sets with 20 seconds of rest in between. At that point, I was too tired and I could only do 50 yd. at a time so I still need to build my endurance if I'm going to swim 1500 m!! After the swim, we toweled off and got chenged into our run/bike gear. If I had my bike fixed, I would have had to do a 1hr bike ride, but since I have two flat tires, I had to run instead for 25 min.
Sunday - It was going to be a Captian's Run (where a team captain takes us out and we run a set course) but I was planning on snowboarding and that would subsitute as my running work out, but I was horribly sick all Saturday night out of nowhere, and I couldn't hardly get up Sunday morning. It was either food poisoning or one of those weird 24 hr flu viruses :( Either way, I couldn't eat or get off the couch all day so I obviously couldn't work out.
Today is supposed to be my day off, but if I'm feeling up to it, I will do my running work out from Sunday today and call yesterday my day off. My stomach still kinda hurts, so I will have to see if I can muster up enough strengh to go run.
Friday - a run on my own kind of day. I wanted to run at lunch at work, but it was raining and I don't much care for being out in the rain. By the time I got home from work I was tired and lethargic and I didn't want to go to the gym. But then I thought about all the people with blood cancer that I'm tri-ing for and how they don't have a choice about having cancer so I finally got my butt to the gym and struggled through my work-out
Saturday - My first long coached workout. I got to the HS in Moraga and listened to a nutrition and swim form clinic for about an hour or so and then got changed into my suit and hopped in the pool. We had to swim for almost an hour!! We warmed up with several types of body position drills (kicking only, no hands :( ) and then had a 10 min continuous swim where we had to count the number of laps completed as a kind of bench marker. I could only do 14 which really isn't that great. I have a long stroke, so I keep passing people in my lane, but I could only do a few laps before I had to rest and then get passed by the people I had just passed... And then after the 10 min continuous swim, as if we weren't tired already, we had to do 100 yd. sets with 20 seconds of rest in between. At that point, I was too tired and I could only do 50 yd. at a time so I still need to build my endurance if I'm going to swim 1500 m!! After the swim, we toweled off and got chenged into our run/bike gear. If I had my bike fixed, I would have had to do a 1hr bike ride, but since I have two flat tires, I had to run instead for 25 min.
Sunday - It was going to be a Captian's Run (where a team captain takes us out and we run a set course) but I was planning on snowboarding and that would subsitute as my running work out, but I was horribly sick all Saturday night out of nowhere, and I couldn't hardly get up Sunday morning. It was either food poisoning or one of those weird 24 hr flu viruses :( Either way, I couldn't eat or get off the couch all day so I obviously couldn't work out.
Today is supposed to be my day off, but if I'm feeling up to it, I will do my running work out from Sunday today and call yesterday my day off. My stomach still kinda hurts, so I will have to see if I can muster up enough strengh to go run.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Swimming tonight
Tonight was my second swim practice. I went after work, which I have decided is not the best idea... There are swim lessons and aqua aerobics going on simultaneously so there are fewer lanes and more people. Not fun. At least at 6 or 7 am there are hardly any other people...
The first time I tried swimming, I could hardly do a lap of free style. I had no stamina and I couldn't figure out the breathing thing. I was OK at breathing on my left side, but when I tried to breathe on my right side, I ended up getting more water in my mouth than air :(
But it was better this time!! I could breathe on both sides without drinking half the pool and I could swim more laps without resting (I could do 4 laps at a time, twice as many as last time!!) So I'm on the right track.
Things I need to work on:
-Building my endurance. I could swim 4 laps at a time tonight, but its still not near the 10 min of continuous swim that is prescribed in the workout.
-Remembering to kick as I stroke.
-Not having my goggles fill up with water each lap. VERY annoying...
I'll work on these next time, which happens to be on Saturday morning.
The first time I tried swimming, I could hardly do a lap of free style. I had no stamina and I couldn't figure out the breathing thing. I was OK at breathing on my left side, but when I tried to breathe on my right side, I ended up getting more water in my mouth than air :(
But it was better this time!! I could breathe on both sides without drinking half the pool and I could swim more laps without resting (I could do 4 laps at a time, twice as many as last time!!) So I'm on the right track.
Things I need to work on:
-Building my endurance. I could swim 4 laps at a time tonight, but its still not near the 10 min of continuous swim that is prescribed in the workout.
-Remembering to kick as I stroke.
-Not having my goggles fill up with water each lap. VERY annoying...
I'll work on these next time, which happens to be on Saturday morning.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
First coached training
Tonight was the first coached training and it was for running. I ran just about 4 miles tonight. 4 miles!! We started with a 3/4 mile warm-up jog and then had our 2 mile marker set. I ran it in 18 min 46 sec. That's better than my high school mile times! After the marker set was a 1/4 mile cool down and then some plyometrics and after each plyometric set you had to run another 1/4 mile. There were 4 sets and MAN am I tired! Tomorrow morning is another swimming so stay posted!
First Swim...
So yesterday was supposed to be my first, on-my-own swimming training. But I missed it. Not because I haven't swam since high school and for lack of gear. I just bought a new (blue and green!!) suit, goggles, and swim cap on Monday and I'm really excited about all of it. I was working way late and I missed the lap times at the pool.
But no fear! I am determined to do this training and determined to do this triathlon!! I got up early this morning and did my laps before work. And I still have coached running training tonight (yay peanut butter on bagels for energy!!)
If you haven't swam in years, it doesn't get easier... I can still do the strokes, but it was tiring! I couldn't even do the 'swim for 10 min' that was the beginners workout :( But tomorrow is another day and that day's prescribed workout is also swimming, so stay tuned!
But no fear! I am determined to do this training and determined to do this triathlon!! I got up early this morning and did my laps before work. And I still have coached running training tonight (yay peanut butter on bagels for energy!!)
If you haven't swam in years, it doesn't get easier... I can still do the strokes, but it was tiring! I couldn't even do the 'swim for 10 min' that was the beginners workout :( But tomorrow is another day and that day's prescribed workout is also swimming, so stay tuned!
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