The other night there was a show on television about the Mont Tremblant Ironman 70.3.
First of all, I was a little confused by the name as I had never seen Ironman 70.3 before. I had seen Ironman and I had seen Half-Ironman. I had seen 70.3 and 140.6 and I knew that the first represented the distance covered (in miles) for a Half-Ironman and the second represented the Ironman.
An Ironman is an Ironman just like a marathon is a marathon. It's a set distance, a predetermined race and when someone says they ran a marathon or did an Ironman, there should be no question about what they actually did.
So when I read Ironman 70.3 I wasn't sure what exactly the distance was. I soon discovered that it was a Half-Ironman, no small feat in itself mind you, not an Ironman.
I did do some online checking and an "Ironman 70.3" is apparently the same as saying a Half-Ironman but it feels a little different. Perhaps because not everyone knows what the 70.3 is. They will just see "Ironman". It's kinda like saying that I completed a marathon 21.1 isn't it?
Anyway, that's not actually the point of the story. The point of the story was the story itself. The show talked about the elite athletes and it followed them along the course as they competed at mind-boggling speeds. But it also followed some other folks. The regular folks. The ones who take hours and hours and hours to finish. Folks who, three years prior, weighed over 300 pounds and freely admit that they didn't do any exercise. Folks who had decided to get in shape, learn to run and progressed from there.
I saw these people training and I saw them competing and I saw them cross the Half-Ironman finish line. And I thought to myself - bloody hell, good for them.
Olympic distance triathlons are just about half the distance of a Half-Ironman. Not quite but close enough for me to know that doing twice what I just did is not for the faint of heart. It's also not something that the average person can just wing. It takes a huge amount of training, commitment and guts to get to the start line of a Half-Ironman, let alone cross the finish line.
So yes indeed. Bloody hell, good for them.
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Brick Training...With a Coach!
On Wednesday I wrote a blog about the fact that it might be time for me to seek some professional help.
Professional triathlon training help that is.
Within a few hours of posting the blog, several local friends had replied and all of them had recommended the same person. After work that day, I ran into a great friend that I haven't seen in months and we had a great catch-up chat in a grocery store parking lot. Having read my blog that morning, he recommended the same person.
So I figured I had better contact said person and figure out what all the hullabaloo was about.
Turns out that he runs a triathlon club out of my favourite running store. He explained how it works and I can either pay a weekly fee for three group workouts (one swim workout, one running workout and one brick training workout) + a personalized weekly training plan + feedback and support or I can pay a la carte for as many of the workouts as I want, a training plan if I want or just some support if I need it.
I'm not sure I'm quite willing to jump into the deep end and sign up for everything but I was pretty intrigued by the Saturday morning brick workouts that are offered.
The plan is that we meet at 7:50am on our bikes. We bring our running gear (shoes etc) that he then drives to a set location. We do a tough bike workout that apparently involves some distance, some hill training or other fun things. The rides tend to be between 40-50k based on each person's individual goals. We then meet as set spot, put on our running shoes and head out for a 5k (or so) run while he watches our bikes. Return to bike, switch shoes again, and bike back to the beginning spot where he will arrive with our shoes. Head home and probably have a nap.
Sounds like a tough, long, tiring workout.
Which is probably exactly what I need and is certainly a challenge I will enjoy.
There is no workout this Saturday as most people in the group are heading off to do triathlons. But on August 1st - watch out! This lassie is doing her first official brick training workout.
Professional triathlon training help that is.
Within a few hours of posting the blog, several local friends had replied and all of them had recommended the same person. After work that day, I ran into a great friend that I haven't seen in months and we had a great catch-up chat in a grocery store parking lot. Having read my blog that morning, he recommended the same person.
So I figured I had better contact said person and figure out what all the hullabaloo was about.
Turns out that he runs a triathlon club out of my favourite running store. He explained how it works and I can either pay a weekly fee for three group workouts (one swim workout, one running workout and one brick training workout) + a personalized weekly training plan + feedback and support or I can pay a la carte for as many of the workouts as I want, a training plan if I want or just some support if I need it.
I'm not sure I'm quite willing to jump into the deep end and sign up for everything but I was pretty intrigued by the Saturday morning brick workouts that are offered.
The plan is that we meet at 7:50am on our bikes. We bring our running gear (shoes etc) that he then drives to a set location. We do a tough bike workout that apparently involves some distance, some hill training or other fun things. The rides tend to be between 40-50k based on each person's individual goals. We then meet as set spot, put on our running shoes and head out for a 5k (or so) run while he watches our bikes. Return to bike, switch shoes again, and bike back to the beginning spot where he will arrive with our shoes. Head home and probably have a nap.
Sounds like a tough, long, tiring workout.
Which is probably exactly what I need and is certainly a challenge I will enjoy.
There is no workout this Saturday as most people in the group are heading off to do triathlons. But on August 1st - watch out! This lassie is doing her first official brick training workout.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
A Little Coaching May Be Needed
So here's the thing.
When I first started running, I joined a running clinic where I learned how to run properly, how to pace myself, how and when to use gels and body glide, how to run hills and how to do interval training on my own. They took me from newbie to half marathoner and I will be forever grateful for that.
Once I got the hang of things though, I stopped going to the running clinics. The clinic times didn't really work for me since I preferred pre-work runs rather that post-work ones and I didn't need the motivation factor since I'm pretty good at kicking my own ass into gear. Also, there was pretty much nothing they were able to teach me about how to run with diabetes so I got used to figuring things out on my own and just kept doing that.
A lot of things have changed thought since I stopped going to the running clinics. I have taken up cycling. And swimming. And duathlons and triathlons. And I've gradually pieced together my own training routine based on trying to fit all three sports into a week and making sure I was able to do the distances required. Sometimes I even tossed in a few brick workouts although I must admit that I haven't done one of those all summer.
Anyway, I'm starting to feel that I've gone as far as I'm going to go on my own. I seem to have plateau in terms of running speed and I don't think I've come close to unlocking my potential on the bike. If I want to get better at triathlons, if I want to be able to finish strong, do the distance, cross the finish line in a decent time etc etc, I'm going to have to get some training advice.
Whether that comes from a real life coach, an online coach, a really good training plan, a decent triathlon book, I don't yet know. But I think it might be time to see if I can get a little stronger and a little faster by tweaking a few things.
So I'm on the hunt for either a coach, an online coach, a great and helpful website or a useful book. And hey, if they know a few things about doing all of that with Type 1 diabetes, all the better.
If anyone out there has any advice on where to go next, I'm all ears.
When I first started running, I joined a running clinic where I learned how to run properly, how to pace myself, how and when to use gels and body glide, how to run hills and how to do interval training on my own. They took me from newbie to half marathoner and I will be forever grateful for that.
Once I got the hang of things though, I stopped going to the running clinics. The clinic times didn't really work for me since I preferred pre-work runs rather that post-work ones and I didn't need the motivation factor since I'm pretty good at kicking my own ass into gear. Also, there was pretty much nothing they were able to teach me about how to run with diabetes so I got used to figuring things out on my own and just kept doing that.
A lot of things have changed thought since I stopped going to the running clinics. I have taken up cycling. And swimming. And duathlons and triathlons. And I've gradually pieced together my own training routine based on trying to fit all three sports into a week and making sure I was able to do the distances required. Sometimes I even tossed in a few brick workouts although I must admit that I haven't done one of those all summer.
Anyway, I'm starting to feel that I've gone as far as I'm going to go on my own. I seem to have plateau in terms of running speed and I don't think I've come close to unlocking my potential on the bike. If I want to get better at triathlons, if I want to be able to finish strong, do the distance, cross the finish line in a decent time etc etc, I'm going to have to get some training advice.
Whether that comes from a real life coach, an online coach, a really good training plan, a decent triathlon book, I don't yet know. But I think it might be time to see if I can get a little stronger and a little faster by tweaking a few things.
So I'm on the hunt for either a coach, an online coach, a great and helpful website or a useful book. And hey, if they know a few things about doing all of that with Type 1 diabetes, all the better.
If anyone out there has any advice on where to go next, I'm all ears.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Gravenhurst Olympic Triathlon Report Card
The Gravenhurst tri is in the books and what a fun day that was!
Race wise, it went fairly well.
I decided to wear my new wetsuit for the swim and I'm sure it helped. I finished the 1500m swim in 30:44 and came out 9/29 in my age group. That put me at 87/327 overall. Swimming is definitely my best sport.
The bike went quite well. I had hoped to keep an average pace of 25km/hour but didn't know if I could on a hilly course. I finished the 40k ride in 1:33:08 and my average pace was 25.77km/hour. So I was thrilled with that. I was 18/29 in my age group and 250/327 overall. So I obviously have some work to do on the bike.
The run, on the other hand, was just brutal. The temperature was hot and humid - in the 30s, with beating sun and no shade to speak of. The course is tough and very hilly. And I just fell apart. I ran some, I walked some. I ran a bit. I walked some more. By the end I had given up even trying to run up the hills but I did force myself to run the flats and the downs. It took me 1:20:11 to run 10k. At least 15 minutes longer than I had hoped.
But, if you add my two transitions times (2:39 and 3:01), my overall time was 3:29:43 which was pretty much the 3 1/2 hours I had figured it would take me.
Diabetes-wise, it went ok but not great.
I had my race-day basal profile programmed into my pump and, as planned, I had two dates (with salt) right before the swim. When I got out of the water it take a while for Rose to find the signal again so I was riding blind when I hopped on the bike. I did not know what my blood sugar was.
A few minutes into the bike, she started vibrating which meant that she found the signal and I was either over 10 or under 4. I figured I was over 10. Every few minutes she would vibrate again and I was trying to figure out the best way to dig her out from inside my outfit and check while riding as fast as I could on a hilly course. I waited for a flat section, pulled her out and glanced down.
I couldn't see anything.
I was so bright that I couldn't read the screen and my dark sunglasses made it even harder. I pulled those up and looked under them. Nothing. I tried a few more angles. Nothing.
Bloody hell.
The only option was to a) keep riding and go by feel or b) pull over, stop, unclip and check.
I kept riding.
At 30k, I ate two more dates. Rose had stopped vibrating which meant that I was between 4.0 and 10.0 but I had no idea where or whether I was climbing or dropping.
In transition, I checked Rose again and this time I could read the screen. It was 6.3 which was great but not high enough for a 10k run. So I ate a package of fruit chews and headed out. Before the first kilometre, Rose was vibrating and I had a headache. I was climbing fast and, by kilometre 2 I was 16.4. What the hell?!?
I drank water at every stop but just kept climbing. So I did what I never do in a race and I took insulin. Two and a half units of it, at the 4k mark. I figured I had to finish the remaining 6k before I dropped too low.
I did and was back down to 8.0 by the finish line. My headache was gone and I stayed within range for the rest of the afternoon, even after chocolate milk, orange slices and a piece of pizza.
So not bad overall but there is certainly room for improvement. Including figuring out how to keep tabs on my blood sugar on the bike.
Some photos for those of you who like the visuals.
Squeezing my caboose into a wetsuit is never easy or pretty. Doug often helps by giving it a good yank.
All aboard the steamship and ready to head to the start line.
All I kept thinking as I approached the dock was "Oh don't end yet, this swim is awesome!"
Sucking back some Nuun before hopping on the bike.
Roar!
Heading out for the run. I feel great. Let me wave to the camera. (That feeling changed about 2 minutes later but it was nice while it lasted).
I'm back, I'm alive. Sorry it took so long!
Couldn't resist a wetsuit-free swim in the early morning hours before we headed home.
So very peaceful and a wonderful way to end another Gravenhurst adventure.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Daydreaming Diabetes
Two example of what diabetes does to my brain...and my stress level.
Example one: Several of my colleagues were talking about the number of places that are opening up where people can go to buy medicinal marijuana. And how interesting it was that people could go into these little shops to purchase their medication. I popped my head out of my office and asked if anyone was interested in joining me on a new business venture:
Insulin cafés
Think about it! A community place where you can go to purchase your insulin. Where you can hang out with people at the back table who are putting in their infusion sites. Maybe give a word of encouragement to someone who is still getting the hang of it. A place where you can chat with people about the best place to put your CGM or the best tape to use to keep it on. Where you can trade supplies you no longer use for supplies that you now need. Diabetes humour posters hanging on the walls. Jars of candy lying around...just in case.
I'm telling you this could be great.
Example two: Doug and I were cycling on Canada Day. As we sped along my mind kept wandering to my upcoming triathlon. I was imagining what would happen if the weather was bad on race day. I've never done a triathlon in nasty weather so I have no idea what happens. Do they still do a swim if it's a downpour? Do they do the bike? I guessed that they would cancel the swim in a downpour just in case there might be lightening while we are all out in the lake. And I guessed we would have the opportunity to switch to the duathlon which was what? I think the Olympic duathlon is a 10k run, then a 40k bike, then a 5k run. I guess I could manage that although I would not like it nearly as much as a triathlon.
And then I almost fell off my bike in horror. OMIGOD! If they cancel the swim on the morning of and give us a chance to run twice instead, I'm in huge trouble.
Why?
Because I will already be two hours into my race day basal profile. A basal profile that is very specific and tailored to the fact that I swim, then bike, then do a 10k run. If I had to switch at the last minute, I couldn't undo the basal insulin I had already taken and I would have to eat a huge amount of food or I would have an almighty low partway through the first run. And then I would have no idea what to expect for the rest of the race and wouldn't know what was best - keep using the basal profile that was designed for a different event or switch back to my regular basal and just dial it back and cross my fingers.
Then I wrenched that train of thought from my mind and ran over it several times with my bike to ensure it didn't find its way back into my head.
The rest of the ride was lovely.
Example one: Several of my colleagues were talking about the number of places that are opening up where people can go to buy medicinal marijuana. And how interesting it was that people could go into these little shops to purchase their medication. I popped my head out of my office and asked if anyone was interested in joining me on a new business venture:
Insulin cafés
Think about it! A community place where you can go to purchase your insulin. Where you can hang out with people at the back table who are putting in their infusion sites. Maybe give a word of encouragement to someone who is still getting the hang of it. A place where you can chat with people about the best place to put your CGM or the best tape to use to keep it on. Where you can trade supplies you no longer use for supplies that you now need. Diabetes humour posters hanging on the walls. Jars of candy lying around...just in case.
I'm telling you this could be great.
Example two: Doug and I were cycling on Canada Day. As we sped along my mind kept wandering to my upcoming triathlon. I was imagining what would happen if the weather was bad on race day. I've never done a triathlon in nasty weather so I have no idea what happens. Do they still do a swim if it's a downpour? Do they do the bike? I guessed that they would cancel the swim in a downpour just in case there might be lightening while we are all out in the lake. And I guessed we would have the opportunity to switch to the duathlon which was what? I think the Olympic duathlon is a 10k run, then a 40k bike, then a 5k run. I guess I could manage that although I would not like it nearly as much as a triathlon.
And then I almost fell off my bike in horror. OMIGOD! If they cancel the swim on the morning of and give us a chance to run twice instead, I'm in huge trouble.
Why?
Because I will already be two hours into my race day basal profile. A basal profile that is very specific and tailored to the fact that I swim, then bike, then do a 10k run. If I had to switch at the last minute, I couldn't undo the basal insulin I had already taken and I would have to eat a huge amount of food or I would have an almighty low partway through the first run. And then I would have no idea what to expect for the rest of the race and wouldn't know what was best - keep using the basal profile that was designed for a different event or switch back to my regular basal and just dial it back and cross my fingers.
Then I wrenched that train of thought from my mind and ran over it several times with my bike to ensure it didn't find its way back into my head.
The rest of the ride was lovely.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Long Course Triathlon
Triathlons come in a whole range of distances. I guess the same can be said for other races but there is something interesting about looking at triathlon options. They all have a swim, bike and run component but, depending on the distance, the percentage of time spent doing each sport changes.
I've done one super sprint (aka try a tri) and the distances were 400m swim, 10k bike and 2.5k run.
I've done a sprint which is 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run.
I've done a bunch of triathlons that don't technically fall under a specific category. They tend to be something like this: 750m swim, 30k bike, 7.5k run, or 750m swim, 25k bike, 7k run.
I've done one olympic triathlon which is exactly twice the sprint triathlon distance: 1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run. My favourite triathlon distance so far.
And then there are the more famous half-ironman races which are 1.9k swim, 90k bike, 21.1k run.
And finally, the ironman which is 3.8k swim, 180k bike and 42.2k run.
The jump from olympic to half-ironman is just big enough that I have tucked the half-ironman distance away in my 'maybe one day if I'm feeling crazy' drawer. But it's not a goal right now - not even a tiny spec on the horizon.
On Sunday I was browsing for another triathlon or two do to this summer. I found one in Kingston, Ontario and they have something called a 'long course triathlon'.
What?!
It's a 2k swim, 56.2k bike and 15k run.
The swim is actually longer than the half-ironman swim but 2k is not a big deal for me so that's fine. The bike and the run are the perfect distance. They are longer than the olympic and long enough to give a taste of a half-ironman without actually doing one.
The race is August 2nd which makes me thing it would be a great goal...for NEXT summer.
I've done one super sprint (aka try a tri) and the distances were 400m swim, 10k bike and 2.5k run.
I've done a sprint which is 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run.
I've done a bunch of triathlons that don't technically fall under a specific category. They tend to be something like this: 750m swim, 30k bike, 7.5k run, or 750m swim, 25k bike, 7k run.
I've done one olympic triathlon which is exactly twice the sprint triathlon distance: 1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run. My favourite triathlon distance so far.
And then there are the more famous half-ironman races which are 1.9k swim, 90k bike, 21.1k run.
And finally, the ironman which is 3.8k swim, 180k bike and 42.2k run.
The jump from olympic to half-ironman is just big enough that I have tucked the half-ironman distance away in my 'maybe one day if I'm feeling crazy' drawer. But it's not a goal right now - not even a tiny spec on the horizon.
On Sunday I was browsing for another triathlon or two do to this summer. I found one in Kingston, Ontario and they have something called a 'long course triathlon'.
What?!
It's a 2k swim, 56.2k bike and 15k run.
The swim is actually longer than the half-ironman swim but 2k is not a big deal for me so that's fine. The bike and the run are the perfect distance. They are longer than the olympic and long enough to give a taste of a half-ironman without actually doing one.
The race is August 2nd which makes me thing it would be a great goal...for NEXT summer.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Planning My Next Race
I have 5 weeks until my next triathlon.
I want to get comfortable swimming 1.5k and do several open water practice swims between now and race day.
I want to get a bunch of longer bike rides under my belt so that I'm ready for the 40k distance. I also want to get a bunch of hilly bike rides under my belt because that route is a lot hillier than the Welland one.
I want to keep my running fitness up since I've fought so hard to get it here. I want to do some hill training to prepare for the hills and I want to do some speed work to see if I can run a little faster than I ran last weekend.
I have 5 weeks until my next triathlon.
Not enough time to transform myself but enough time that I can probably make some gains in terms of running and cycling fitness.
Any tips for how to get the most out of the next 5 weeks my triathlon friends?
My thinking?
Run three times per week. Stick to 10-15k long runs, do one speed or hill workout per week and one regular run per week (7k or so).
Cycle twice a week. One long ride on weekends and a shorter one during the week. Perhaps ride up and down the escarpment a few times?
Swim twice a week, at least once in open water. Working on endurance so that 1.5k doesn't feel like a big deal.
Taper in the last week. Watch my salt intake. Sleep well. Eat well.
Any other suggestions?
I want to get comfortable swimming 1.5k and do several open water practice swims between now and race day.
I want to get a bunch of longer bike rides under my belt so that I'm ready for the 40k distance. I also want to get a bunch of hilly bike rides under my belt because that route is a lot hillier than the Welland one.
I want to keep my running fitness up since I've fought so hard to get it here. I want to do some hill training to prepare for the hills and I want to do some speed work to see if I can run a little faster than I ran last weekend.
I have 5 weeks until my next triathlon.
Not enough time to transform myself but enough time that I can probably make some gains in terms of running and cycling fitness.
Any tips for how to get the most out of the next 5 weeks my triathlon friends?
My thinking?
Run three times per week. Stick to 10-15k long runs, do one speed or hill workout per week and one regular run per week (7k or so).
Cycle twice a week. One long ride on weekends and a shorter one during the week. Perhaps ride up and down the escarpment a few times?
Swim twice a week, at least once in open water. Working on endurance so that 1.5k doesn't feel like a big deal.
Taper in the last week. Watch my salt intake. Sleep well. Eat well.
Any other suggestions?
Monday, June 15, 2015
Welland Triathlon Report
The first triathlon of 2015 is officially in the books.
The short version of the story goes something like this
Start swimming. Think "Omigod I forgot how much I loved open water swimming!!". Enjoy a strong swim where I am passed by two people but I pass at least 15 others. Turn at the last buoy and head for shore. Think "The swim is almost over. That's sad. Now I have to hop on the bike for 30k. Bloody hell". Cycle the first 15k thinking "wow, I'm faster than I thought I was. All the half marathon training and winter cycling on the trainer must have paid off". Turn around at 15k and think "nope, that was just a nice tailwind". Cycle 15k into a pretty strong headwind and think "my shoulders and my a$$ are killing me". Finish the bike ride, pull on my running shoes and think "it's only 7.5k. That's like 1/3 of a half marathon and you rocked a half marathon last weekend. You got this!". Run 7.5k without stopping at a strong and steady pace and think "this is the easiest triathlon run I've ever had. I feel great. I love triathlons!" Cross the finish line with a smile on my face and think "when's the next one!"
The longer version is, well, a little bit longer.
We got there super early because this crazy girl decided a 1pm the afternoon before the race that she needed to buy her very first wetsuit. Why?!? Because at 12:30pm she read the race report online and learned that the water temperature in the canal was 15C/59F. The wetsuit mandatory cutoff is 14C and there was no way I was getting there in the morning and finding out that I couldn't swim. So I sucked it up, drove to our local triathlon store, said "do you have any wetsuits in my size?", spent 15 minutes trying to get the damn thing on, felt ridiculous in it and yet walked out with it anyway, a few hundred dollars poorer.
So we got to the race 90 minutes early so I could a) pee a bunch of times before putting on the wetsuit, b) put on the wetsuit and c) swim in it for as long as it took to feel comfortable. Doug, the smart man that he is, set up his transition zone and headed back to the car for 45 minutes where it was warm.
I racked my bike as several other triathletes were arriving. They were all new to the sport and asked me a bunch of newbie questions that made me smile as I remembered wondering all of the same things not that long ago. One of the newbies noticed my pump and proudly showed me his Animas pump. Spotting another T1 in the wild means instant bonding and we kept cheering each other on every time we saw each other during the race.
The donning of the wetsuit went much better the second time. It helped that I knew what to expect, I came prepared with a plastic bag to wrap around my feet (to help them slide more easily) and I was in and zipped (by myself) in less than five minutes. I made my way down to the water where a bunch of folks were milling around trying to decide whether or not to go into the now 16C water. I greeted them all and walked right in. I forced myself to simply tread water for a few minutes while the cold water seeped into the wetsuit (what a strange feeling that is) and I made sure that I wasn't going to start panic-breathing. The water felt cold but manageable and I had no issues getting used to the tighter feel of a wetsuit. I swam a few hundred metres, made sure I wasn't going to freak out and then happily floated around chatting to all the others who were brave enough to get in.
I had a few diabetes issues to figure out at the last minute. First of all, tucking emergency carbs into the pockets of my triathlon suit was not going to work because there was no way to get to them once the wetsuit was on. I ended up stuffing two packages of fruit chews and a ziplock bag with two dates into the arms of my suit. It felt weird but worked fine.
I had also planned to be able to stalk my continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in the time leading up to the race but, once I put the suit on, I could no longer see Rose. And, even if I could, it would not have mattered anyway as she lost the CGM signal, not to be found again until I was finished the swim and took off the wetsuit. So I went on feel and had one date (with salt) 30 minutes before the start and one (again with salt) a minute or two before going in.
When the race started, I swam hard. I felt like I was swimming really fast and I had been told that I would feel that way but I wasn't sure if I just felt fast or if I really was fast. I passed a bunch of swimmers but that's typical for me. Swimming is definitely my forte in a triathlon.
Getting out of the wetsuit was tricky and awkward but I'm sure, with experience, it will be easier. It added a minute to my transition time but I wasn't too worried about that.
The bike ride was easy and fun for the first half and tough on the way back when I hit the headwind. I obviously have not had enough training on the bike and my body could feel it during the last 10k. I'll have to make a point of riding more and riding farther in the next month so that the 40k olympic distance ride doesn't feel quite so never-ending. I did have two dates (with salt) on the bike ride and drank a lot of NUUN in an effort to keep my electrolytes up and prevent a blood pressure crash on the run.
The run felt great. I approached it the same way I approached the half marathon last weekend. Run at a strong and steady pace, watch my heart rate and don't stop running. It worked well and, as I picked off the kilometres one by one, I enjoyed the moment rather than waiting for it to end.
I crossed the finish line with a blood sugar of 12. Not bad considering that I hadn't checked it before or during the race and had just done it all by feel. I had set a race day basal profile that was supposed to allow me to eat before the swim and during the ride which is exactly what I did. A glance at my CGM when I got home showed me that I had climbed pretty high (16+) during the bike ride but had dropped back down again by the end. So lows were not a problem but I hate being that high during a race. I'll have to tweak those basal numbers before the next race.
Here are the results for this year's race:
Swim 14:38.9 1:57min/100m (Overall 89/240 Gender 27/90 Category 4/18)
Bike 1:13:05 24:62km/hour (Overall 210/240 Gender 74/90 Category 13/18)
Run 51:43.7 6:53min/km (Overall 221/241 Gender 79/90 Category 15/18)
T1 3:23
T2 2:31
Total 2:27:50 (Overall 220/240 Gender 79/90 Category 15/18)
Compare it to the one I did two years ago:
Swim 14:30.00 1:55/100m (Overall 120/296 Gender 43/128 Category 7/20)
Bike 1:03:17 28.44km/hr (overall 224/296 Gender 81/128 Category 14/20)
Run 55:33:00 7:24min/km (Overall 262/296 Gender 105/128 Category 17/20)
T1 2:30
T2 2:39
Total 2:20:45 (Overall 243/296 Gender 99/120 Category 16/20)
The swim times are almost identical. Two years ago I was at my swimming peak, doing master's three times a week and super hardcore. This time I was nowhere near that level of swimming fitness but I did have a wetsuit. So perhaps it did make me faster.
The bike was a lot slower this year - no surprise there considering my lack of practice.
My run was 4 minutes faster which is great. It felt much better too. I remember really struggling in 2013 during that run.
No personal best and I obviously have some work to do if I want to place high on the bike and in the run but it sure was fun.
After a few days of trepidation last week I'm happy to announce that triathlon girl is back!!
Here are a few photos taken from Multisports' Facebook page, the fine folks who organize these great races.
The short version of the story goes something like this
Start swimming. Think "Omigod I forgot how much I loved open water swimming!!". Enjoy a strong swim where I am passed by two people but I pass at least 15 others. Turn at the last buoy and head for shore. Think "The swim is almost over. That's sad. Now I have to hop on the bike for 30k. Bloody hell". Cycle the first 15k thinking "wow, I'm faster than I thought I was. All the half marathon training and winter cycling on the trainer must have paid off". Turn around at 15k and think "nope, that was just a nice tailwind". Cycle 15k into a pretty strong headwind and think "my shoulders and my a$$ are killing me". Finish the bike ride, pull on my running shoes and think "it's only 7.5k. That's like 1/3 of a half marathon and you rocked a half marathon last weekend. You got this!". Run 7.5k without stopping at a strong and steady pace and think "this is the easiest triathlon run I've ever had. I feel great. I love triathlons!" Cross the finish line with a smile on my face and think "when's the next one!"
The longer version is, well, a little bit longer.
We got there super early because this crazy girl decided a 1pm the afternoon before the race that she needed to buy her very first wetsuit. Why?!? Because at 12:30pm she read the race report online and learned that the water temperature in the canal was 15C/59F. The wetsuit mandatory cutoff is 14C and there was no way I was getting there in the morning and finding out that I couldn't swim. So I sucked it up, drove to our local triathlon store, said "do you have any wetsuits in my size?", spent 15 minutes trying to get the damn thing on, felt ridiculous in it and yet walked out with it anyway, a few hundred dollars poorer.
So we got to the race 90 minutes early so I could a) pee a bunch of times before putting on the wetsuit, b) put on the wetsuit and c) swim in it for as long as it took to feel comfortable. Doug, the smart man that he is, set up his transition zone and headed back to the car for 45 minutes where it was warm.
I racked my bike as several other triathletes were arriving. They were all new to the sport and asked me a bunch of newbie questions that made me smile as I remembered wondering all of the same things not that long ago. One of the newbies noticed my pump and proudly showed me his Animas pump. Spotting another T1 in the wild means instant bonding and we kept cheering each other on every time we saw each other during the race.
The donning of the wetsuit went much better the second time. It helped that I knew what to expect, I came prepared with a plastic bag to wrap around my feet (to help them slide more easily) and I was in and zipped (by myself) in less than five minutes. I made my way down to the water where a bunch of folks were milling around trying to decide whether or not to go into the now 16C water. I greeted them all and walked right in. I forced myself to simply tread water for a few minutes while the cold water seeped into the wetsuit (what a strange feeling that is) and I made sure that I wasn't going to start panic-breathing. The water felt cold but manageable and I had no issues getting used to the tighter feel of a wetsuit. I swam a few hundred metres, made sure I wasn't going to freak out and then happily floated around chatting to all the others who were brave enough to get in.
I had a few diabetes issues to figure out at the last minute. First of all, tucking emergency carbs into the pockets of my triathlon suit was not going to work because there was no way to get to them once the wetsuit was on. I ended up stuffing two packages of fruit chews and a ziplock bag with two dates into the arms of my suit. It felt weird but worked fine.
I had also planned to be able to stalk my continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in the time leading up to the race but, once I put the suit on, I could no longer see Rose. And, even if I could, it would not have mattered anyway as she lost the CGM signal, not to be found again until I was finished the swim and took off the wetsuit. So I went on feel and had one date (with salt) 30 minutes before the start and one (again with salt) a minute or two before going in.
When the race started, I swam hard. I felt like I was swimming really fast and I had been told that I would feel that way but I wasn't sure if I just felt fast or if I really was fast. I passed a bunch of swimmers but that's typical for me. Swimming is definitely my forte in a triathlon.
Getting out of the wetsuit was tricky and awkward but I'm sure, with experience, it will be easier. It added a minute to my transition time but I wasn't too worried about that.
The bike ride was easy and fun for the first half and tough on the way back when I hit the headwind. I obviously have not had enough training on the bike and my body could feel it during the last 10k. I'll have to make a point of riding more and riding farther in the next month so that the 40k olympic distance ride doesn't feel quite so never-ending. I did have two dates (with salt) on the bike ride and drank a lot of NUUN in an effort to keep my electrolytes up and prevent a blood pressure crash on the run.
The run felt great. I approached it the same way I approached the half marathon last weekend. Run at a strong and steady pace, watch my heart rate and don't stop running. It worked well and, as I picked off the kilometres one by one, I enjoyed the moment rather than waiting for it to end.
I crossed the finish line with a blood sugar of 12. Not bad considering that I hadn't checked it before or during the race and had just done it all by feel. I had set a race day basal profile that was supposed to allow me to eat before the swim and during the ride which is exactly what I did. A glance at my CGM when I got home showed me that I had climbed pretty high (16+) during the bike ride but had dropped back down again by the end. So lows were not a problem but I hate being that high during a race. I'll have to tweak those basal numbers before the next race.
Here are the results for this year's race:
Swim 14:38.9 1:57min/100m (Overall 89/240 Gender 27/90 Category 4/18)
Bike 1:13:05 24:62km/hour (Overall 210/240 Gender 74/90 Category 13/18)
Run 51:43.7 6:53min/km (Overall 221/241 Gender 79/90 Category 15/18)
T1 3:23
T2 2:31
Total 2:27:50 (Overall 220/240 Gender 79/90 Category 15/18)
Compare it to the one I did two years ago:
Swim 14:30.00 1:55/100m (Overall 120/296 Gender 43/128 Category 7/20)
Bike 1:03:17 28.44km/hr (overall 224/296 Gender 81/128 Category 14/20)
Run 55:33:00 7:24min/km (Overall 262/296 Gender 105/128 Category 17/20)
T1 2:30
T2 2:39
Total 2:20:45 (Overall 243/296 Gender 99/120 Category 16/20)
The swim times are almost identical. Two years ago I was at my swimming peak, doing master's three times a week and super hardcore. This time I was nowhere near that level of swimming fitness but I did have a wetsuit. So perhaps it did make me faster.
The bike was a lot slower this year - no surprise there considering my lack of practice.
My run was 4 minutes faster which is great. It felt much better too. I remember really struggling in 2013 during that run.
No personal best and I obviously have some work to do if I want to place high on the bike and in the run but it sure was fun.
After a few days of trepidation last week I'm happy to announce that triathlon girl is back!!
Here are a few photos taken from Multisports' Facebook page, the fine folks who organize these great races.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Triathlon Trepidations
The summer of 2013 was a big summer in terms of triathlons. We did four of them. And I learned all sorts of things about triathlons and blood sugar management. So much so that I hardly thought about it by the end of the season. Kinda like how I handle long runs. After having done so many of them, I just know what I need to do.
Well after a summer off, I'm feeling decidedly out of practice in the triathlon department.
Thank heaven's I have a little book where I write things down. Like basal rate settings for every triathlon I did in 2013. I have a schedule that is broken up into 30 minute segments from 5am until 2pm, that includes timing for breakfast and snacks and bolus percentages for each, basal rates (by percentage and actual amounts), and a summary of how well it worked in case I forgot (which I did).
It's kinda like trying to read Spanish. I know enough to make out the message but wonder if I'm missing any of the subtleties.
So I guess I'll be programming my pump tonight with a race day basal profile. I'll be trusting my report from two years ago because I have nothing better to go on. I must admit that I'm feeling decidedly out of practice. I've only been back in the pool for a few weeks, I have only had one long bike ride and I just ran a half-marathon 5 days ago and my body is tired.
The good news is that I have a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Two years ago, I had nothing of the sort so I had to rely on blood sugar checks in the transition zone. Now, other than during the swim where the CGM doesn't work, I'll be able to see what is happening before, during and after and Rose will warn me if I'm high or low. There is a comfort in that.
Come back on Monday and you can hear how it went. I don't expect to have many, if any, photos because Doug won't be out there supporting me this time. He'll be out there swimming, cycling and running with me. But I'm sure I'll have some stories to share and some lessons that we can all learn from.
Well after a summer off, I'm feeling decidedly out of practice in the triathlon department.
Thank heaven's I have a little book where I write things down. Like basal rate settings for every triathlon I did in 2013. I have a schedule that is broken up into 30 minute segments from 5am until 2pm, that includes timing for breakfast and snacks and bolus percentages for each, basal rates (by percentage and actual amounts), and a summary of how well it worked in case I forgot (which I did).
It's kinda like trying to read Spanish. I know enough to make out the message but wonder if I'm missing any of the subtleties.
So I guess I'll be programming my pump tonight with a race day basal profile. I'll be trusting my report from two years ago because I have nothing better to go on. I must admit that I'm feeling decidedly out of practice. I've only been back in the pool for a few weeks, I have only had one long bike ride and I just ran a half-marathon 5 days ago and my body is tired.
The good news is that I have a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Two years ago, I had nothing of the sort so I had to rely on blood sugar checks in the transition zone. Now, other than during the swim where the CGM doesn't work, I'll be able to see what is happening before, during and after and Rose will warn me if I'm high or low. There is a comfort in that.
Come back on Monday and you can hear how it went. I don't expect to have many, if any, photos because Doug won't be out there supporting me this time. He'll be out there swimming, cycling and running with me. But I'm sure I'll have some stories to share and some lessons that we can all learn from.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Last-Minute Triathlon Training...and a Hobbit
The half-marathon is over and my Monday of rest is also, sadly, behind me.
Back on the saddle I climb.
We are down to a handful of days until this Saturday's triathlon. My first of the season and my first since 2013.
Last summer, for a variety of reasons that are not worth revisiting here, I did not do one single triathlon. I did continue to train in all three sports but not once did I slap down my credit card, clip on my race bib and do all three together in front of a loud and supportive audience.
All that changes on Saturday.
Including today, I have four mornings left before race day. Not enough time to get better or stronger at any particular sport but long enough that I need to keep my body moving so that it doesn't go into rest and recovery mode after last weekend's race.
I was supposed to swim this morning but it turns out that the pool will be closed for the next 2 1/2 weeks. So that plan quickly got changed to a leisurely bike ride to get the legs moving.
I'm going for an easy run on Wednesday morning. Nothing hard and nothing long. Under 30 minutes for sure. Just enough to get my legs turning over and to let them know that it isn't rest time quite yet.
Thursday morning I'm not sure if I'm going to hop on my bike for another easy ride but I know I'll do something.
Friday? I don't know. Does it make sense to run again the day before the race or should I take a rest day? I guess I'll decide that based on how Tuesday to Thursday go.
And then, before I can say "Omigod the canal water is freezing. Maybe I should have listened to Jeff and bought a wetsuit" I will be lined up along the canal bank on Saturday morning thinking "only 2 1/2 more hours until I get chocolate milk and some pretzels".
Game on!
Oh, and for something completely different, guess who ran the Niagara Falls Women's Half on Sunday?
Back on the saddle I climb.
We are down to a handful of days until this Saturday's triathlon. My first of the season and my first since 2013.
Last summer, for a variety of reasons that are not worth revisiting here, I did not do one single triathlon. I did continue to train in all three sports but not once did I slap down my credit card, clip on my race bib and do all three together in front of a loud and supportive audience.
All that changes on Saturday.
Including today, I have four mornings left before race day. Not enough time to get better or stronger at any particular sport but long enough that I need to keep my body moving so that it doesn't go into rest and recovery mode after last weekend's race.
I was supposed to swim this morning but it turns out that the pool will be closed for the next 2 1/2 weeks. So that plan quickly got changed to a leisurely bike ride to get the legs moving.
I'm going for an easy run on Wednesday morning. Nothing hard and nothing long. Under 30 minutes for sure. Just enough to get my legs turning over and to let them know that it isn't rest time quite yet.
Thursday morning I'm not sure if I'm going to hop on my bike for another easy ride but I know I'll do something.
Friday? I don't know. Does it make sense to run again the day before the race or should I take a rest day? I guess I'll decide that based on how Tuesday to Thursday go.
And then, before I can say "Omigod the canal water is freezing. Maybe I should have listened to Jeff and bought a wetsuit" I will be lined up along the canal bank on Saturday morning thinking "only 2 1/2 more hours until I get chocolate milk and some pretzels".
Game on!
Oh, and for something completely different, guess who ran the Niagara Falls Women's Half on Sunday?
Samwise Gamgee!
Also known as Sean Astin.
I had no idea that he was running but apparently he was in town for Comic Con and decided to run. And, of course, I had to check his finishing time.
I finished the race in 2:33:52 and crossed with the clock reading 2:36:55.
Samwise finished the race in 2:34:07 and crossed with the clock reading 2:35:19.
So we basically hung out together for 2 1/2 hours and I had no idea. I'm hoping that, once the official race photos are sorted, there is one with me running beside a hobbit.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Triathlon Training or the Lack Thereof
Why is it that I am extremely regimented when it comes to half marathon training...
...and yet extremely lackadaisical when it comes to triathlon training?
I have had my long run distances written out for two months now. They are posted on a sticky note in my office. Every Saturday I dutifully run the distance I am supposed to run. Every Monday when I get to work I cross another run off my sticky note.
I have a triathlon the weekend after this half marathon I am training for and I won't be doing anything specific for it other than swimming at the pool and cycling either on the trainer or outside if it ever warms up enough to do so. I don't build up. I don't taper. When I swim I swim for 45-60 minutes and when I cycle I cycle for about an hour. C'est tout.
Maybe it's because a triathlon is three different activities, and none of them too long. I never worry much about finishing because I know that I can fairly easily complete each of those distances on their own. And if I slow down a bit, I have enough energy to complete them in a row.
I could never just go out and wing a half marathon. Run a few 10k runs and then somehow pull off twice that on race day. I've been running this distance for years and have never once thought it was remotely easy to do. Even the training knocks me out.
And yet every triathlon I have done has been done without following any kind of triathlon training plan. I just swim, cycle and run and then, on race day, do them one after the other wearing a special outfit.
Is that weird? Do other people religiously follow triathlon training plans the way I follow half-marathon ones?
I have an Olympic distance triathlon coming up in July. The first and only other time I have done that distance I did not follow a training plan. I just took it one activity at a time and tried not to burn out before the finish. I didn't burn out and it went fairly well.
Should I try following an actual training plan this time? If so, why? I'm open to it of course but if my triathlon goals are to a) finish and finish strong and b) have fun doing it, then do I need to do any more than what I'm doing?
I do all three sports because I like them and they help keep me healthy. I string them all together on race days and call myself a triathlete because it's fun and I really enjoy it.
Why make it any more complicated than that?
...and yet extremely lackadaisical when it comes to triathlon training?
I have had my long run distances written out for two months now. They are posted on a sticky note in my office. Every Saturday I dutifully run the distance I am supposed to run. Every Monday when I get to work I cross another run off my sticky note.
I have a triathlon the weekend after this half marathon I am training for and I won't be doing anything specific for it other than swimming at the pool and cycling either on the trainer or outside if it ever warms up enough to do so. I don't build up. I don't taper. When I swim I swim for 45-60 minutes and when I cycle I cycle for about an hour. C'est tout.
Maybe it's because a triathlon is three different activities, and none of them too long. I never worry much about finishing because I know that I can fairly easily complete each of those distances on their own. And if I slow down a bit, I have enough energy to complete them in a row.
I could never just go out and wing a half marathon. Run a few 10k runs and then somehow pull off twice that on race day. I've been running this distance for years and have never once thought it was remotely easy to do. Even the training knocks me out.
And yet every triathlon I have done has been done without following any kind of triathlon training plan. I just swim, cycle and run and then, on race day, do them one after the other wearing a special outfit.
Is that weird? Do other people religiously follow triathlon training plans the way I follow half-marathon ones?
I have an Olympic distance triathlon coming up in July. The first and only other time I have done that distance I did not follow a training plan. I just took it one activity at a time and tried not to burn out before the finish. I didn't burn out and it went fairly well.
Should I try following an actual training plan this time? If so, why? I'm open to it of course but if my triathlon goals are to a) finish and finish strong and b) have fun doing it, then do I need to do any more than what I'm doing?
I do all three sports because I like them and they help keep me healthy. I string them all together on race days and call myself a triathlete because it's fun and I really enjoy it.
Why make it any more complicated than that?
Monday, March 16, 2015
All About the Pride
I've tried being patient.
I've tried being understanding.
I've tried guilt and I've tried peer pressure.
And I'm still not finding a way to get myself back into the swimming groove.
Which seems completely bizarre to me because I really do love it when I get there.
I just don't seem to care enough to get there.
So I'm through being patient and understanding and I have dropped the guilt and peer pressure tactics.
I'm moving on to more drastic measures.
I've registered for two triathlons. Entered my information. Chose my shirt size. Gasped at the price once they added taxes, administrative fees and insurance. Entered my credit card number anyway. Clicked confirm. Got the email saying I was in.
I'm committed. I'm doing a sprint triathlon in June and an Olympic triathlon in July.
I'm eyeing two more races as well although I have yet to pull out my credit card again. But they are another sprint and another Olympic which would bring my summer total up to 4 triathlons. (Plus a half marathon just to liven things up a bit.)
This is where the psychological part is going to kick in.
See, I know I could swim the distance if I had to do it tomorrow. When I hopped in the pool back in January, after a few months off, I swam 3k fairly easily. So the thought of having to swim 1500m is not enough to get me back in the pool.
What is enough is the thought of swimming 1500m poorly.
See, swimming is actually my strongest of the three sports. But I've neglected it so my speed and my form are nowhere near where they were two summers ago when I was swimming 3 times a week.
And finishing a triathlon in June with a swim time that is several minutes slower than it was two years ago is enough to get me back in the pool when nothing else was.
Turns out it's not about the guilt.
It's about the pride.
I've tried being understanding.
I've tried guilt and I've tried peer pressure.
And I'm still not finding a way to get myself back into the swimming groove.
Which seems completely bizarre to me because I really do love it when I get there.
I just don't seem to care enough to get there.
So I'm through being patient and understanding and I have dropped the guilt and peer pressure tactics.
I'm moving on to more drastic measures.
I've registered for two triathlons. Entered my information. Chose my shirt size. Gasped at the price once they added taxes, administrative fees and insurance. Entered my credit card number anyway. Clicked confirm. Got the email saying I was in.
I'm committed. I'm doing a sprint triathlon in June and an Olympic triathlon in July.
I'm eyeing two more races as well although I have yet to pull out my credit card again. But they are another sprint and another Olympic which would bring my summer total up to 4 triathlons. (Plus a half marathon just to liven things up a bit.)
This is where the psychological part is going to kick in.
See, I know I could swim the distance if I had to do it tomorrow. When I hopped in the pool back in January, after a few months off, I swam 3k fairly easily. So the thought of having to swim 1500m is not enough to get me back in the pool.
What is enough is the thought of swimming 1500m poorly.
See, swimming is actually my strongest of the three sports. But I've neglected it so my speed and my form are nowhere near where they were two summers ago when I was swimming 3 times a week.
And finishing a triathlon in June with a swim time that is several minutes slower than it was two years ago is enough to get me back in the pool when nothing else was.
Turns out it's not about the guilt.
It's about the pride.
Friday, June 13, 2014
What Makes a Triathlete?
The license plate on my car has one of those license plate covers on it. It has a little stick figure swimmer, a cyclist and a runner. It says 'triathlon'.
Doug gave it to me for my birthday.
I love my license plate cover. I don't see it often because it's rare that I approach my car from the angle where I would see it but, every time I spot it, I smile.
I spotted it yesterday while pushing my grocery cart to my car.
And for the first time I wondered. What makes someone a triathlete?
Is it the fact that they have competed in triathlons?
The fact that they are able to swim? Ride a bike? And run? In succession?
I wondered because, for the first time in two years, I'm not exactly sure I can call myself a triathlete. I'm not exactly sure I am allowed to be in that group of athletes.
How long does the secret password last?
I have been running a lot and running well. But I have not been in the pool once in the past three weeks and now it's closed for two more.
Cycling, which I do every Sunday, hasn't happened once in five Sundays. Why? Because I had two weddings, one bachelorette, one half marathon and one wedding shower all either on Sundays or out of town.
So am I a triathlete if I'm not currently swimming or cycling but I really want to? Am I a triathlete because I guess, if I tried, I could do a triathlon tomorrow and get myself across the finish line? Am I a triathlete because I have done triathlons?
How long does the crown last before it starts to rust?
I don't think it's too rusty yet. I mean it's been less than 10 months since I did a triathlon and there was a Canadian winter in there so I'm not the only one who wasn't competing.
I am a runner. I am a half marathoner. I don't think anyone would argue with that.
As long as I get back in the water and back on my bike and, if I do at least one triathlon before the snow flies, I think I can keep the triathlete title.
For another year at least.
Doug gave it to me for my birthday.
I love my license plate cover. I don't see it often because it's rare that I approach my car from the angle where I would see it but, every time I spot it, I smile.
I spotted it yesterday while pushing my grocery cart to my car.
And for the first time I wondered. What makes someone a triathlete?
Is it the fact that they have competed in triathlons?
The fact that they are able to swim? Ride a bike? And run? In succession?
I wondered because, for the first time in two years, I'm not exactly sure I can call myself a triathlete. I'm not exactly sure I am allowed to be in that group of athletes.
How long does the secret password last?
I have been running a lot and running well. But I have not been in the pool once in the past three weeks and now it's closed for two more.
Cycling, which I do every Sunday, hasn't happened once in five Sundays. Why? Because I had two weddings, one bachelorette, one half marathon and one wedding shower all either on Sundays or out of town.
So am I a triathlete if I'm not currently swimming or cycling but I really want to? Am I a triathlete because I guess, if I tried, I could do a triathlon tomorrow and get myself across the finish line? Am I a triathlete because I have done triathlons?
How long does the crown last before it starts to rust?
I don't think it's too rusty yet. I mean it's been less than 10 months since I did a triathlon and there was a Canadian winter in there so I'm not the only one who wasn't competing.
I am a runner. I am a half marathoner. I don't think anyone would argue with that.
As long as I get back in the water and back on my bike and, if I do at least one triathlon before the snow flies, I think I can keep the triathlete title.
For another year at least.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
One Step at a Time
By the time you read this, I will have finished my first run since my June 1st half marathon.
By some people's standards, I gave myself a long recovery of 8 days off. By other people's standards, I'm going back much too early.
I feel rested, much more rested than I was feeling this time last week. My legs feel good. Muscles are a little tight but no pain. My feet seem happy and they survived a golf game last night (nine holes) without so much as a whimper.
I ran 20 and 22k during my training and yet was right back at it two days later. This time, because it was a race, I forced myself to recover a little more thoroughly.
I'm going for a run before work. I'm setting the alarm for 5am. I'm going to try for an easy 5k. If that goes well, I'll do it again on Thursday. If that goes well, I might try an easy 10k on Saturday.
My goal for the next two months is to run 7-9k on Tuesday mornings. To do a hill or a speed workout on Thursday mornings. And to run between 10-14k on Saturday mornings. That should keep me in pretty good running shape to train for a fall half without exhausting me to the point where I'm not ready to add distance come August.
I'm also chomping at the bit to get back into the pool after two weeks off but the pool is now closed for two weeks so I'll have to find other things to do with my energy. The open water swim course is slowly warming up but has only recently hit 63 degrees. I'd be a little happier to hear 68 degrees before I start jumping in. Soon...
As for triathlons, I really have no idea what I'm doing yet. There is one this weekend in Welland but I don't think a) the water is warm enough and b) my body is ready to compete for 2 1/2 hours. We'll see though. I may, in a moment of madness, sign up later this week.
There are a few triathlons in July and August within easy driving distance. I just need to sit down with a calendar and book them in. It feels strange after last summer's strict triathlon schedule that I haven't committed to even one tri yet. The Type A part of me is getting a little twitchy. The go with the flow part is pretty happy. She knows I'll end up doing at least one this season so she's not too worried about it.
Let's see how Tuesday morning's run goes first and then I'll start thinking about the summer's triathlon possibilities.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tri Limbo
People keep asking me what triathlons I'm doing this summer.
I'm not sure what to say to them.
As much as I love cool spring weather and as much as I prefer 12 degrees to 28 degrees when it comes to running temps, our freezing winter and less than balmy spring have meant that the water temperatures are taking their sweet ol' time warming up.
Last year, we had a super early and unusually warm spring. Despite the warm temperatures we didn't get into the canal for open water swimming until June and, even then, it was breathtakingly cold.
This year, I'm not sure what's going to happen.
The first triathlon on my radar is Welland which is in the middle of June. At this rate, the water will still be so cold that the swim will be wetsuit mandatory.
And no, Jeff, I have not yet jumped on the wetsuit bandwagon.
There is a triathlon in Toronto in early July but it's in Lake Ontario. Last year I swam in Lake Ontario near Toronto in August and it was still agonizingly cold.
I feel like I'm in a weird sort of triathlon limbo.
I'm keeping up with my swimming, cycling and running. All three are going well. I could do a triathlon tomorrow if I needed to.
And yet I have no firm plans lined up for what my tri season will actually look like. After last summer's über-organized triathlon schedule, it's bizarre to be training but not really sure what I'm training for.
It's also kinda freeing.
I'm just enjoying the activities for what they are and am not at all worried about the details.
It's kinda nice to be honest.
I'm not sure what to say to them.
As much as I love cool spring weather and as much as I prefer 12 degrees to 28 degrees when it comes to running temps, our freezing winter and less than balmy spring have meant that the water temperatures are taking their sweet ol' time warming up.
Last year, we had a super early and unusually warm spring. Despite the warm temperatures we didn't get into the canal for open water swimming until June and, even then, it was breathtakingly cold.
This year, I'm not sure what's going to happen.
The first triathlon on my radar is Welland which is in the middle of June. At this rate, the water will still be so cold that the swim will be wetsuit mandatory.
And no, Jeff, I have not yet jumped on the wetsuit bandwagon.
There is a triathlon in Toronto in early July but it's in Lake Ontario. Last year I swam in Lake Ontario near Toronto in August and it was still agonizingly cold.
I feel like I'm in a weird sort of triathlon limbo.
I'm keeping up with my swimming, cycling and running. All three are going well. I could do a triathlon tomorrow if I needed to.
And yet I have no firm plans lined up for what my tri season will actually look like. After last summer's über-organized triathlon schedule, it's bizarre to be training but not really sure what I'm training for.
It's also kinda freeing.
I'm just enjoying the activities for what they are and am not at all worried about the details.
It's kinda nice to be honest.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Working on the Little Things
I was reading the latest Triathlon Canada magazine yesterday.
It's a magazine that mysteriously started arriving at our door without either of us having actually subscribed to it which is a little odd. The magazine is in Doug's name so my best guess is that, if someone makes it on the podium at a triathlon event in Canada they get a free one-year subscription.
If the magazine were in my name I might think that, if you compete in several triathlons and finally make it out of the bottom 5 in your age group they congratulate you buy giving you a subscription. But it's not in my name so that hypothesis is out the window.
Whatever the reason, it's a fun little present to get in the mail every two months.
The latest issue had an article about things that triathletes should work on to improve their overall race day performance.
In running, the goal was to increase speed and so the thing to do was interval training.
In swimming, the goal was to get better at kicking so they had some kicking drills to do at the pool.
In cycling, the goal was bike handling. Not bike speed or hill climbing or whatnot but bike handling. Specifically, braking efficiently and at the right time as well as turning tight corners.
Almost every triathlon or duathlon event I've been in has been an out and back course. That means that, at some point, I get to a pylon in the middle of the road and I am expected to slow down, and negotiate a rather tight turn before heading back the way I came.
Every time this happens, I spend the first half of the ride dreading that turn. I slow right down, unclip both pedals and almost always end up with one foot on the ground to stabilize me and prevent a spill.
Why?
Because I have really bad balance. And because I'm not particularly good at handing my bike. Point me in the right direction and I'm good to go but please don't ask me to make a quick turn, to go over loose gravel or even reach for my water bottle without a long stretch of flat road ahead of me.
So the article suggests that people like me head to a quiet parking lot and practice turning in tighter and tighter circles. The ultimate goal is to be able to turn between the lines of a parking space without falling off your bike or unclipping your pedals.
Guess what I'll be doing once the weather warms up?
It's a magazine that mysteriously started arriving at our door without either of us having actually subscribed to it which is a little odd. The magazine is in Doug's name so my best guess is that, if someone makes it on the podium at a triathlon event in Canada they get a free one-year subscription.
If the magazine were in my name I might think that, if you compete in several triathlons and finally make it out of the bottom 5 in your age group they congratulate you buy giving you a subscription. But it's not in my name so that hypothesis is out the window.
Whatever the reason, it's a fun little present to get in the mail every two months.
The latest issue had an article about things that triathletes should work on to improve their overall race day performance.
In running, the goal was to increase speed and so the thing to do was interval training.
In swimming, the goal was to get better at kicking so they had some kicking drills to do at the pool.
In cycling, the goal was bike handling. Not bike speed or hill climbing or whatnot but bike handling. Specifically, braking efficiently and at the right time as well as turning tight corners.
Almost every triathlon or duathlon event I've been in has been an out and back course. That means that, at some point, I get to a pylon in the middle of the road and I am expected to slow down, and negotiate a rather tight turn before heading back the way I came.
Every time this happens, I spend the first half of the ride dreading that turn. I slow right down, unclip both pedals and almost always end up with one foot on the ground to stabilize me and prevent a spill.
Why?
Because I have really bad balance. And because I'm not particularly good at handing my bike. Point me in the right direction and I'm good to go but please don't ask me to make a quick turn, to go over loose gravel or even reach for my water bottle without a long stretch of flat road ahead of me.
So the article suggests that people like me head to a quiet parking lot and practice turning in tighter and tighter circles. The ultimate goal is to be able to turn between the lines of a parking space without falling off your bike or unclipping your pedals.
Guess what I'll be doing once the weather warms up?
Monday, February 3, 2014
January Goal Update
It's February!!
The month of red roses and chocolates. The month that starts off cold and dreary but with a promise of spring by the end. The month when I start seeing the sunshine again during my early morning workouts. February holds so much promise.
It's also time to look back on January and see how the first few steps towards meeting my 2014 goals have gone.
Running goals
I've set my sights on the Chilly Half Marathon the first weekend in March and so far so good. Despite a frightfully cold January, I did manage to get all of my long runs in and logged the oh so important 14k, 16k and 18k runs. For some reason, the worst of the weather always seemed to happen on weekdays so my shorter runs suffered but my long runs did not.
Swimming and triathlon goals
I'm keeping my training up for the summer triathlon season but obviously I haven't met any of those goals yet. In fact, I have yet to even register for a triathlon, let alone compete in one. My little sis is getting married at some point this summer but has yet to firm up the date. Until that happens I won't be registering for anything beyond March to ensure I'm not double-booked. Stay tuned, I should know more by the end of February.
Other goals
Learn to braid my hair - I'm getting better at French braids and I make myself do them at night while we're watching golf or at work instead of an easy ponytail. Someday, I may actually post a picture.
Learn how to make proper Israeli hummus - I bought the dried chickpeas. And that's about as far as I've gotten in that department.
Improve my golf game - well, you can rest assured that, if it's too cold to run, it's too cold to golf. While I haven't actually held a golf club since October, I have found three other friends who are interested in forming a weekly ladies golf foursome once the weather improves. I also bought my first pair of proper golf shoes (note: they are wickedly cheap in the middle of January!). Finally, Doug and I are heading on a two-week road trip on Saturday (more on that later) that involves several golf games at some pretty sweet courses. So I'll have a head start on the season.
Diabetes Advocacy - well, I announced in January that I wanted to do more in this department and moments later I was asked to be the keynote speaker at a diabetes conference in April. I'm super excited and will start working on my presentation in the next few weeks. Who knows where it might lead...?
Twenty-fourteen is starting off just swimmingly.
The month of red roses and chocolates. The month that starts off cold and dreary but with a promise of spring by the end. The month when I start seeing the sunshine again during my early morning workouts. February holds so much promise.
It's also time to look back on January and see how the first few steps towards meeting my 2014 goals have gone.
Running goals
I've set my sights on the Chilly Half Marathon the first weekend in March and so far so good. Despite a frightfully cold January, I did manage to get all of my long runs in and logged the oh so important 14k, 16k and 18k runs. For some reason, the worst of the weather always seemed to happen on weekdays so my shorter runs suffered but my long runs did not.
Swimming and triathlon goals
I'm keeping my training up for the summer triathlon season but obviously I haven't met any of those goals yet. In fact, I have yet to even register for a triathlon, let alone compete in one. My little sis is getting married at some point this summer but has yet to firm up the date. Until that happens I won't be registering for anything beyond March to ensure I'm not double-booked. Stay tuned, I should know more by the end of February.
Other goals
Learn to braid my hair - I'm getting better at French braids and I make myself do them at night while we're watching golf or at work instead of an easy ponytail. Someday, I may actually post a picture.
Learn how to make proper Israeli hummus - I bought the dried chickpeas. And that's about as far as I've gotten in that department.
Improve my golf game - well, you can rest assured that, if it's too cold to run, it's too cold to golf. While I haven't actually held a golf club since October, I have found three other friends who are interested in forming a weekly ladies golf foursome once the weather improves. I also bought my first pair of proper golf shoes (note: they are wickedly cheap in the middle of January!). Finally, Doug and I are heading on a two-week road trip on Saturday (more on that later) that involves several golf games at some pretty sweet courses. So I'll have a head start on the season.
Diabetes Advocacy - well, I announced in January that I wanted to do more in this department and moments later I was asked to be the keynote speaker at a diabetes conference in April. I'm super excited and will start working on my presentation in the next few weeks. Who knows where it might lead...?
Twenty-fourteen is starting off just swimmingly.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Snippets
This just feels like a good day to write about random snippets of things.
In the past week, for example, my blog was found by complete strangers who were searching the following things:
"carbohydrates in Cabot Trail whiskey"
"how to train for a 7k marathon"
"My curling shoe is too slippery"
I'm ok with the first one. I'm not sure how different Cabot Trail whiskey is from regular whiskey and I'm not sure that either have any carbs worth mentioning but it's kinda funny that someone found me that way. Perhaps they figured out my secret love of the single malt?
As for the second one, well, I can't really expect every person on the planet to know that there is only one marathon distance and that it is 42.2k. It is a little teeny bit sad though that my blog comes up as a place to find the answer of how to train for a 7k marathon.
For the record, I have never ever trained for a 7k marathon nor do I plan to.
Ever.
The curling shoe one - well, I'm not sure how to say this but curling shoes are just about the slipperiest things on the planet.
Other snippets...
Since January 1st I have been faithfully logging all of my workouts on Training Peaks and, as the days go by, I enjoy looking at the pretty little pie graphs on the side of the page. I have one that shows the distance I've gone in each sport (relative to each other) and I have another that shows the time spent doing each sport. The distance one doesn't mean much since it doesn't make much sense to compare the distance I swam to the distance I've cycled. It takes me 2 minutes to do a kilometre on the bike, 6:15 to do it running and about 18 minutes in the pool.
Time spent doing each activity is interesting though. It's been an odd few weeks because the extreme cold has forced me to switch a few runs for bike rides on the trainer but, so far, in the month of January, I have spent the exact same amount of time doing each of the three sports I do.
I spent 3:30:00 time swimming (33.3%)
I spent 3:27:30 time running (32.9%)
and I spent 3:32:41 time cycling (33.7%)
As fun and random as those times are, it did get me thinking about time spent doing things.
Example: an Olympic distance triathlon is divided up, for me anyway, this way. The 1500m swim takes just over 30 minutes. The 40k bike ride takes about 90 minutes. The 10k run takes about 70 minutes.
1:3:2.3
Does that mean that if I were training for an Olympic distance triathlon, for every hour I spend in the pool I should spent three hours on the bike and 2.3 hours running?
Not that I would be that strict about it of course, particularly because I train for different events simultaneously (open water races, half marathons and triathlons) but it does bear thinking about.
If nothing else, it's yet another reminder that, except when we're experiencing cold weather alerts, I don't spend nearly enough time on the bike.
A few more snippets:
I had a discussion the other day with a co-worker who is not (I should make this clear) a runner. We talked about running races and how most of them provide finisher's medals. I argued that finisher's medals are really important for a lot of people and that crossing that finish line, no matter how far the race, if often a huge accomplishment for someone. They have had to overcome a lot of physical as well as mental challenges to get to the start and even more to get to the finish. The medal symbolizes this.
He argued that medals are for winners and, in almost every other sport, that is who they are reserved for. In running, he argued, we should all get a t-shirt or a hat or something but only the actual winners should get a medal.
We argued back and forth a few times and I finally had to agree to disagree. I understood what he was saying but I couldn't agree with him. There is something really motivating about getting a medal and I didn't think that should be taken away from people. And I did point out that the winners often get a different medal so they still stand out as winners.
As with most conversations I have, I got me thinking. I have brought home a medal from every running race I've ever done. On the other hand, I have never received a medal for any of the duathlons or triathlons I've done. Doug, on the other hand, often comes home with one because he actually places in his age category. I was bothered the first time I finished a multisport race without getting a medal simply because I was used to getting medals. Now I don't really care but I do know that, if I ever do get one - it will be because I earned my spot on the podium. I can guarantee that it will be my most prized.
In the past week, for example, my blog was found by complete strangers who were searching the following things:
"carbohydrates in Cabot Trail whiskey"
"how to train for a 7k marathon"
"My curling shoe is too slippery"
I'm ok with the first one. I'm not sure how different Cabot Trail whiskey is from regular whiskey and I'm not sure that either have any carbs worth mentioning but it's kinda funny that someone found me that way. Perhaps they figured out my secret love of the single malt?
As for the second one, well, I can't really expect every person on the planet to know that there is only one marathon distance and that it is 42.2k. It is a little teeny bit sad though that my blog comes up as a place to find the answer of how to train for a 7k marathon.
For the record, I have never ever trained for a 7k marathon nor do I plan to.
Ever.
The curling shoe one - well, I'm not sure how to say this but curling shoes are just about the slipperiest things on the planet.
Other snippets...
Since January 1st I have been faithfully logging all of my workouts on Training Peaks and, as the days go by, I enjoy looking at the pretty little pie graphs on the side of the page. I have one that shows the distance I've gone in each sport (relative to each other) and I have another that shows the time spent doing each sport. The distance one doesn't mean much since it doesn't make much sense to compare the distance I swam to the distance I've cycled. It takes me 2 minutes to do a kilometre on the bike, 6:15 to do it running and about 18 minutes in the pool.
Time spent doing each activity is interesting though. It's been an odd few weeks because the extreme cold has forced me to switch a few runs for bike rides on the trainer but, so far, in the month of January, I have spent the exact same amount of time doing each of the three sports I do.
I spent 3:30:00 time swimming (33.3%)
I spent 3:27:30 time running (32.9%)
and I spent 3:32:41 time cycling (33.7%)
As fun and random as those times are, it did get me thinking about time spent doing things.
Example: an Olympic distance triathlon is divided up, for me anyway, this way. The 1500m swim takes just over 30 minutes. The 40k bike ride takes about 90 minutes. The 10k run takes about 70 minutes.
1:3:2.3
Does that mean that if I were training for an Olympic distance triathlon, for every hour I spend in the pool I should spent three hours on the bike and 2.3 hours running?
Not that I would be that strict about it of course, particularly because I train for different events simultaneously (open water races, half marathons and triathlons) but it does bear thinking about.
If nothing else, it's yet another reminder that, except when we're experiencing cold weather alerts, I don't spend nearly enough time on the bike.
A few more snippets:
I had a discussion the other day with a co-worker who is not (I should make this clear) a runner. We talked about running races and how most of them provide finisher's medals. I argued that finisher's medals are really important for a lot of people and that crossing that finish line, no matter how far the race, if often a huge accomplishment for someone. They have had to overcome a lot of physical as well as mental challenges to get to the start and even more to get to the finish. The medal symbolizes this.
He argued that medals are for winners and, in almost every other sport, that is who they are reserved for. In running, he argued, we should all get a t-shirt or a hat or something but only the actual winners should get a medal.
We argued back and forth a few times and I finally had to agree to disagree. I understood what he was saying but I couldn't agree with him. There is something really motivating about getting a medal and I didn't think that should be taken away from people. And I did point out that the winners often get a different medal so they still stand out as winners.
As with most conversations I have, I got me thinking. I have brought home a medal from every running race I've ever done. On the other hand, I have never received a medal for any of the duathlons or triathlons I've done. Doug, on the other hand, often comes home with one because he actually places in his age category. I was bothered the first time I finished a multisport race without getting a medal simply because I was used to getting medals. Now I don't really care but I do know that, if I ever do get one - it will be because I earned my spot on the podium. I can guarantee that it will be my most prized.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Goal Planning
My favourite multi-sport series just announced the dates for the 2014 triathlon season.
I have already been asked several times if I'm doing the Niagara Falls Women's half marathon in June 2014.
There are a few half-marathons early in 2014 that, if I sign up for, would keep me running when the weather gets nasty.
Around the Bay 30k is at the end of March and I need to decide if I'm willing to risk my stress fractures and my ear plugging to tackle the distance.
I want to focus on becoming a stronger and faster runner in 2014 which means I need to change how I train in order to see if I can get my half marathon time a little closer to 2:10 rather than 2:20.
I want to focus on becoming a stronger cyclist since that's my weakest of the three triathlon sports and yet it's the sport that takes the most time during a triathlon. So I need to get more focused on the bike and need to get more cycling in to my training schedule.
I want to do some open-water swim races, at least one 3k and perhaps (perhaps!) a 5k.
I want to do some sprint triathlons as well as a few Olympic distance triathlons in 2014 because I loved that distance last year and want to do more of it.
I seem to have a lot of goals for 2014.
I'm guessing the first goal I need to actually accomplish is to figure out what my goals are going to be eh?
I have already been asked several times if I'm doing the Niagara Falls Women's half marathon in June 2014.
There are a few half-marathons early in 2014 that, if I sign up for, would keep me running when the weather gets nasty.
Around the Bay 30k is at the end of March and I need to decide if I'm willing to risk my stress fractures and my ear plugging to tackle the distance.
I want to focus on becoming a stronger and faster runner in 2014 which means I need to change how I train in order to see if I can get my half marathon time a little closer to 2:10 rather than 2:20.
I want to focus on becoming a stronger cyclist since that's my weakest of the three triathlon sports and yet it's the sport that takes the most time during a triathlon. So I need to get more focused on the bike and need to get more cycling in to my training schedule.
I want to do some open-water swim races, at least one 3k and perhaps (perhaps!) a 5k.
I want to do some sprint triathlons as well as a few Olympic distance triathlons in 2014 because I loved that distance last year and want to do more of it.
I seem to have a lot of goals for 2014.
I'm guessing the first goal I need to actually accomplish is to figure out what my goals are going to be eh?
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
August Goal Update
Hi kids!
We're back from 6 days at the cottage where we swam in the lake, ran down cottage country roads, watched hummingbirds, listened to loons and ate surprisingly healthy meals. It's always nice to be home but I do miss the peace, quiet and absolute stillness of a cottage night.
I'm a few days late on my monthly goal update but we were without wifi so it couldn't be helped. Because I'm a stickler for rules I will update as of August 31st even though I already have a run in the books for September and it would make my running goal total so much prettier.
Here are the goals I set back in January as well as a few more I've added along the way.
- complete the Tel Aviv half marathon
- stay injury free (no longer a goal as I managed to develop a stress fracture in my foot)
- complete three triathlons, including an Olympic distance
- pay down debt
- log 1000k of running this year
- complete two events in the Aktiv Swim Series this summer
- play 10 round of golf
- play the baby steps golf course until I can do it in 50 rather than 61.
I'm a few days late on my monthly goal update but we were without wifi so it couldn't be helped. Because I'm a stickler for rules I will update as of August 31st even though I already have a run in the books for September and it would make my running goal total so much prettier.
Here are the goals I set back in January as well as a few more I've added along the way.
- complete the Tel Aviv half marathon
- stay injury free (no longer a goal as I managed to develop a stress fracture in my foot)
- complete three triathlons, including an Olympic distance
- pay down debt
- log 1000k of running this year
- complete two events in the Aktiv Swim Series this summer
- play 10 round of golf
- play the baby steps golf course until I can do it in 50 rather than 61.
Here are where things stand as of August 31st.
Complete the Tel Aviv half marathon - done! Ran it back in March which feels like a lifetime ago now. I do have the medal and t-shirt to prove it, as well as a few horror stories of the heat wave that threw a pretty big wrench in the whole event.
Complete three triathlons, including an Olympic distance - done and more. I managed to complete four tris this summer. Welland, Gravenhurst (Olympic distance), Belwood and Toronto Island. I'm pretty proud of having finished four and even prouder that I got better and better with each one. Tris are definitely a favourite of mine and I'm already planning my 2014 season. The 2013 season is finished for me now and I'm going to spend the off-season working on my running, swimming and cycling skills. Oh, and a hint at one of my 2014 goals: buy (and actually use) a damn wetsuit!
Pay down debt - this goal is a lot like cha cha. Two steps forward, one step back. I have good months. I have bad ones. In August, I increased my debt by a measly $42.00 but it didn't go down which is frustrating. I did look back to January 1st however and I'm happy to say that my debt since the beginning of the year is down by $4,300. So it's getting there but slowly. We're entering the birthday and Christmas season soon and there will be curling fees and new tires needed for my car so it's going to be a tight few months.
Log 1000k of running this year - I managed to run 86k in August which is the most I've run since the height of my half marathon training back in February. My foot is holding up well to the increased mileage and didn't even whimper when I ran 14k on it at the cottage...on a road that had more rolling hills than flats. My year to date running total is 494k which is so close to half that I was tempted to round up. I have four months left and, if all goes well, September will be a mileage heavy month as I train for the Niagara Falls half. I don't know if I'll actually make the 1000k but I'll be closer than I thought I would be back in April when I was limping around on a stress-fractured foot.
Complete two events in the Aktiv Swim Series - done! In fact, I would have loved to do a few more but only two out of the six actually fell on days I was in town and able to race. I can report that I competed in two open water races, both 1.9k in length. The first one I finished in 36:53. Three weeks later, I did my second one in 35:56 (1:53 per 100m). They are a great way to train for open water swimming and triathlons but they're different because I can push hard the whole way knowing I don't have to hope out of the water and onto my bike. I will definitely do more next summer. Plus, there is another open water race weekend in Welland that I may look at in 2014. They have a 1k, 3k, 5k and 10k race. Three kilometres is totally doable so I'm thinking maybe the five? No point in reaching for the low-hanging fruit right?
Play ten rounds of golf - golf, my latest athletic pursuit, is not on a set schedule the way running, swimming and cycling are. Some weeks I play two games. Then I play nothing for three weeks. It's up and down but I love it and want to play more. To date I've played 8 games and I have one booked in September already so I'm guessing I will meet my goal of ten. Ten games felt like a lot when I first set my target but I'm actually wishing I had more time to play and more games under my belt. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze in 4 more before I trade my golf clubs for my curling shoes?
Play the baby steps golf course in 50 rather than 61 - the baby steps golf course is the first course I played with Doug. It's a 9-hole par 3 course. I've played it three times now. The first in 61. The second in 50 and the third in 49. (Insert polite golf clap here).
There are still four months left in 2013 and I still have things to work on. Like make it through Christmas and birthday season with less debt, not more. For the most part though, I'm on track and happy with everything I've been able to do to this point.
And my list for 2014 is already forming in my head...
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