Fun races, long runs, and blister triage

The title of this post pretty much sums up my non-work life lately. Things have felt a bit chaotic, so I'll just jot down some random thoughts.

• Beaver Freezer was cold and not as put together as previous years (what the heck happened this year, race organizers?), but it was still tons of fun because of my awesome friends and hubby. Compared to last year I had a slower swim (no big surprise...I've been in the pool less than 10 times since Ironman), a much faster bike, and a slightly faster run. My overall time was about a minute slower, but that can be mostly attributed to the long transition this year due to the women swimming in a pool further away. Aside from a crash coming out of the pool (I slipped on the wet tile, crashed onto my right hip and elbow, and flew across the floor taking out an entire row of chairs), I felt pretty good and wasn't sore afterwards. My weight was the same as last year -- TOO MUCH! Overall, I'm satisfied with performance, but clearly I have a lot of work to do this summer.

Me, Jenn, and Laura - cold, but finished:Dirty, muddy bikes:

• In prep for the Eugene Marathon that is quickly approaching, I have been running lots. Well, lots, by my standards. Lately my feet have been developing blisters and hotspots after about 4 miles. Sometimes it's 1 annoying blister, or sometimes it's like 8 or 9 of them. Our Sunday night ritual is blister triage on the couch. Sexy, huh. I have no idea why this is happening since it has never been an issue before. As a result, I've bagged a couple of my long Sunday runs after only a few miles. No good. I've tried 4 different pairs of shoes, I have invested over $100 on all sorts of new spiffy socks, and applied body glide, vaseline, and sport shield. The most frustrating thing is that my legs feel GREAT. I wasn't even sore after 20.5 miles last weekend. If I can't figure the blister thing out, I'll likely drop down to the half marathon for Eugene. Or just walk it once the blisters show up.
  
  On that note, does anyone know of a super super super clean salon that doesn't mind touching feet covered in dead blister skin? A couple of toenails may fall off in the process. My feet really need help.

I present to you, the most hideous (yet comfortable) racing flats available on the market. Probably my footwear for Eugene. Not one item of my workout clothing matches these beauties.

• I ran the Bridge-to-Brews 10k last Sunday. So did Jenn, Kevin, Jen, Laura, Cory, Lori, and Jason. Fun crew! It was also sunny and warm...the first run this year that I wore a tank and shorts and was still sweating.
• I started the P90X program this past week. You have probably seen parts of the infomercial on tv. You know, the annoying ripped dude that won't shut up, and tons of success stores with "before and after" photos? Yeah, I bought it. Thanks, Lori, for the hookup! Day 1 was Chest and Back. Pushups, pullups, pushups, chinups, pushups, pullups, pushups, chinups, and then lots more pushups. Day 2 was Plyometrics. Meaning, do different variations of jump squats for an hour. Day 3 was Shoulders and Arms, plus Ab Ripper. I may not be able to lift my arms to wash my hair and it may take me an extra few minutes to lift myself off the toilet. But if this helps me gain some points on The Chub, then who really cares.

Yes, he really is this abnoxious:

• I've lost 4 pounds since April 12th. So at least I've got that going for me.


• Vancouver Bike Club Time Trials have started! Every Thursday night at the Port of Vancouver. 10 mile course. $2/rider for non-members. I had my slowest time ever, but at least I showed up. And I was so out of it after P90X, that I forgot to don my Zipps or aero helmet. Argh! It was Ken's first time trial...and he beat me by 25 seconds. I didn't even let him. But it's ON next week!

Gear Review: Nathan Hydration Vest

Since I'm admittedly a huge gear-whore, I decided to start doing periodic reviews of some of the products that I love, some that I abhor, and anything new and cool that I come across. Meet my latest investment:The Nathan Intensity. It's a women's specific hydration vest from the Nathan Sports line. Some of the features (as taken from their website) include:

-- women-specific shoulder straps and torso length
-- 3-way propulsion harness
-- 2L bladder
-- dual front pockets

Price paid: $84.95 (this included shipping and handling)

Location: This product seems to be backordered at several places. I found it in-stock at http://www.runningunlimited.com/. You could probably find it at just about any online running or sporting goods store, and also at REI (online only).

I have become increasingly dissatisfied with my fuel belts. They are great for some of the shorter runs, but I think they are contributing to an upset stomach after about 10 miles, they aren't quite large enough to hold water for the longer runs (on routes where there is no option to refill), and there is no spot for maps/phone/fuel without adding on a bunch of extra pouches. And I'm sorta tired of looking like a mall cop with all of the crap hanging off my waist. I have tried 2 different camel backs, 1 off-brand pack, and 1 from Gregory. None of them fit the bill when it came to exactly what I was looking for: light weight, small enough to fit a girls frame without smooshing the melons, no weird straps that will rub and chafe, and roomy enough to hold everything without being majorly bulky. I was very skeptical when I ordered this one.

My first impressions out of the box:

1) The bladder seals by rolling the top down and sliding a hard-plastic seal over the top, rather than a screw top.

2) There are no shoulder strap adjustments and I thought this was weird.

3) It's super light.

4) The back pocket could be a tad larger.

Here is a view of the top of the bladder, with the sliding seal at the top:

My impressions after a run:

1) I actually like the sealing mechanism. It's a cinch to fill and it's easier to get the extra air out than the screw tops.

2) The fit is AWESOME! It doesn't matter that there are no shoulder adjustments. The waist adjustments are plenty. The pack rides high enough on the back that it feels like it's just sort of floating there. I had the bladder completely filled, and it still didn't weigh the pack down.

3) The front pockets are sort of hard to access, but I do like that there are pockets in the front at all. Genius. Also, the pockets did not get in the way of my arm movement.

4) No jostling! No bouncing! Win!

5) My only real complaint: the chest strap is not meant for buxom ladies. It is adjustable. However, the highest position is pretty much directly across the nips and the lowest position is underneath the girls. I think that underneath is the most comfortable for me.

The front view. Ignore the big wet spot on my belly...user error.

I'm pretty sure this will be a keeper. Based on the short test run, I am extremely happy with this pack, and already love it infinitely more than my waist belts. The true test will be my 20+ miler this weekend.

Training Photos

I'm trying to get my butt out the door for my long run this morning. So instead of writing a long post about the last couple of weeks or the Beaver Freezer triathlon yesterday, here are some photos from recent training runs:

And a few from the race yesterday:

Last Weekend

Ken and I made a quick trip to South Lake Tahoe...for my little brother's wedding! The weather was gorgeous, it was wonderful to see my family, and fun to meet all the new people. While we were there, my Mom and I attempted to do some workouts. I say "attempted" because we were kung-foo'd by the elevation. I did manage a swim and about 7 miles of running. Here are some of the views:This was our hotel lobby. Three flat-screen televisions, a channel with crackling fire and sound effects with toads and owls, birch bark scattered around, and random green balls stacked on top. Weird.Some select photos from the wedding day (since we took hundreds)...

My beautiful mother.Ken and I waiting for everyone to get ready.The happy couple.Mom and I dogpiling JoshyPoo after the ceremony.

And...

...in case you were wondering, I ran the additional 4 miles today for a total of 16 miles. All that time on the pavement did a number on my feet, so to prevent more chaffing on the blisters, I switched to my VFFs for the last part. Good call. I would rather have achy feet than more angry blisters.

I am so lucky to be able to run where I do. Here are some views (and me) from tonight.

Me, by Officers Row (bad picture, but it's a good chance to show off the IM hat):

The landbridge by Ft. Vancouver that crosses over SR-14 and looks over Pearson airfield:The multi-use path along the Columbia River:

Training totals for the week:
Swim - 2700 m (bad, but getting better...)
Bike - 40.5 miles (trainer miles, so this doesn't mean a whole lot)
Run - 23.3 miles (is that all? it seemed like more.)
Plus some other miscellaneous crap like lifting
Total = 8.9 hours

Marathon Training Run

Today was my first "long" run this season that wasn't a race. A few months back, a bunch of us agreed to run the Shamrock Run in downtown Portland. But I had also signed up for the Eugene Marathon and needed to bust out a 16 mile run today. While I was deciding what to do, Shamrock sold out. Decision made! I opted to do my long run from our house in Vancouver to the race in downtown Portland. What's better than a long run with friends and a beer garden at the end?!?

This being the first day of Daylight Savings Time, it was pretty dark this morning when I headed out. The first 4-5 miles of the route had me going through some skeevy, sketchy neighborhoods. Thankfully The Hubs didn't mind too much when I roused him out of bed at 6am wanting him to ride his bike next to me until the sun came up.

Here I am about to cross the I-5 bridge. I guess the reflective vest is pretty reflective!

Sunrise while crossing the bridge into Oregon.

Best husband ever. I swear, he is the most patient person. No way in hell would I get out of bed on a Sunday morning before sunrise to ride 5mph. I should mention that it was 32 degrees with frost on the ground and windshields iced over.

Random marine propeller on Marine Drive.Ken hung with me until about mile 10 and took a quick pic before he headed the other direction. I then proceeded to get lost trying to find the right bridge to cross into SW Portland. Oh well, I needed some extra mileage anyway.Looking north while crossing the Burnside Bridge.Looking south while crossing the Burnside Bridge.

After arriving in downtown, and after getting stuck at a railroad crossing for over 10 minutes, I quickly met up with Jeff, Jon and Jessica and enjoyed some warm chowder in the beer garden. After they left, I met up with Jenn and Kevin and enjoyed a tasty beverage. Total mileage ended up being just a hair longer than 12 miles. Now I need to find the motivation to go back out this evening for another 4 miles to make it over 16 for the day. At least the sun decided to finally make it's way through the clouds!

March

How did it become March already? And it's already half-way over!

So first, a review of February... My goals were to 1) swim 2x/week, 2) ride 50mi/week, and 3) lose 5 pounds. How did I do? I swam, um, twice. I rode whenever I felt like it. And mega-stress led me to eat ice cream almost every night when I got home. But let's focus on the positive, shall we? For starters, I ran about 60 miles, including my very first trail run where I finished 15.5 miles of epic hilly muddiness. I did ride my bike about 100 miles. Even though I was doing triple this...per week...during IM training, it's a start. And despite not losing any weight last month, I didn't gain any.

And now for March... I have managed to lose a few pounds so far. Take that, Chub! I have been to the pool more frequently. I got an actual membership at the gym by my house (finally). I signed up for the Portland Marathon (that makes 3 marathons so far for 2010). And I'm starting to feel stronger and less out-of-shape. Now hopefully I can keep this good-groove going!

The Weekend

Chub and I had some good battles this weekend. Overall, I would call it an even tie.

On Saturday I was busy running errands all over the greater Portland/Beaverton/Vancouver area and almost ran out of time to squeeze in a workout. But I let some other tasks go and managed to get an hour on the trainer and then a short brick barefoot run. Win!

Today, despite a late night at the Nano Beer Fest with Jenn and her husband last night, I still managed to get up early for a run in Forest Park. It was my first time running there, and apparantly it's a very popular place on Sunday mornings. Not exactly the quiet solace I was hoping for...I'll look for something a bit more remote on the weekends I think.

After the footwear fiasco at Hagg Lake last weekend, I invested in a pair of trail running shoes. The Adidas Adizero trail runners. I know what you're thinking: "wow, those are really low key and not flashy at all." I'm pretty sure you could spot them from the moon. These ones are made by Adidas, so even though they were comfy in the store, I was a bit apprehensive. My experience with Adidas is that their gear looks good but generally doesn't meet expectations when it comes to function. There was plenty of rocky, muddy terrain for a good test run this morning. And I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of sticky grip, lightweight, and springy.

I also have a pair of these on hold. The New Balance 100. They are even more lightweight, and will probably be the ones I go to when it's not very muddy.

But back to the run. It was a gorgeous morning, the trails were fun, but I felt like garbage. Ken and I were both up and down all night with sinus pain, and it just kept getting worse all morning. Headache behind the eyes, burning sensation in the nose, and achy teeth. When my teeth started throbbing in time with my heartbeat, I found the next turnoff to the main road and called it a day.

Chub Wars

Me vs. The Chub. It's on.

3 months post Ironman and I've managed to pack on 9 pounds. Seriously. I swore up, down, and all around that I absolutely would not gain 10 pounds afterwards...as someone so kindly insisted that I would, hmf. And most definitely not the 15-20 lb that seems to find its way onto some post-Ironman bodies. So before I gain one more pound and cross that threshold, I am declaring war on The Chub.

Round 1 - After the craziest busiest several weeks at work, I managed to get out of the office an hour early today. I was tired and wanted to eat comfort food, change into my comfies, and curl up on the couch with some newly acquired yarn. Instead, I put on my Vibrams and headed out for a run. Me = 1, Chub = 0.

Round 2 - Instead of going for a swim, I am curling up with said yarn and a frosty glass of homebrew. Me = 1, Chub = 1.

Hagg Lake 25k

I've been intrigued by trail running for awhile. But have been too lazy/too busy/[insert lame excuse here] to get my self to the trails. Except for the packed dirt/gravel at Lacamas Lake, which doesn't really count, as I discovered today. I went into this race knowing that I was unprepared...HUGE understatement. Thankfully, I was having too much fun to really notice. I get it now. I'm totally hooked after my first one.

I woke up this morning and went through the normal pre-race routine: get dressed, mix fuel bottles, load gel packets, pack gear. Except when I got to the "pack gear" part, I was a little stumped. I put on a pair of normal running shoes, but they were too clean for a muddy trail run. So I put on an older pair of running shoes, but the laces were elastic and I knew I would step right out of them in the mud. I finally settled on my racing flats, solely because they had laces that tied and didn't stretch. I quite possibly had the most ill-equiped footwear out of anyone there. I was tempted to ditch my shoes and run in socks, but I promised my Mom that I wouldn't go that far barefoot.

Fast-forward to the race site. After signing in, Ken and I sat down at a picnic table in the sunshine and soaked in the warmth. We watched the 50k runners head out and waited for the 25k countdown.

Ken said that it looked more like a group of ambitious campers, than a group of runners. I guess we're both used to the atmosphere of road races. This was much more mellow and relaxing.The start.

The race started with a 1.5 mile out-and-back on a packed gravel road. Packed gravel = not so bad, right? Except that I was walking within 5 minutes due to the incline. I seriously thought about turning around, running back to the parking lot, and leaving. Except that I had already purchased a hat with the race logo on it. So I kept running. Er, walking. Finally we hit the turnaround and headed downhill. Okay, this isn't so bad.

After running back through the event area, we made a right hand turn onto single-track trail. It wasn't terribly muddy at this point. I played with technique, like running in the deep grooves without breaking my leg, and how to get downhill without hitting a tree root and flinging my body to the bottom. No broken bones, so I was at least partly successful. There were a few puddles, and my feet were soaked at about 30 minutes in. I came to a sign that read something like "bridge washed out, detour to the right". And next to it "Hagg Lake race, to the left". It's difficult to describe this section, but I was very muddy and very wet afterwards. I also lost my right shoe. And then my left one.

I reached the part were the route turns back to pavement and crosses the damn towards the first aid station. I saw Ken here -- he was riding loops around the lake on his bike while I ran. Here is a pic of his pretty new bike:

Shortly after the aid station, I saw a sign that marked the half way point. Yeah! I was feeling good. Going slow, but feeling good. The middle section of the course was fun. Lots of uphill, lots of downhill, and a moderate amount of mud. I perfected the "downhill skip", you know, where you sort of skip downhill because it's too muddy to put on the brakes without falling, but if you don't brake you will careen out of control over the edge of the hill. I learned a lot in this section. Oh, and I tossed my headphones in the trash. I doubt if I'll ever listen to music again while trail running. There really is no need.

Somewhere in the back half of the course I remember thinking "huh, they talked about all of this mud, but it really hasn't been that bad". Then I saw a sign that basically said "warning: MUD!". Oh yeah, LOTS of mud. And no way around it. And remember, I'm in the back of the pack, so almost 400 other people have churned and slicked it all up by this point. I saw someone fall, and laughed. I hit the same spot and both feet flew out to the side and I landed with a "squeeeesh" in the thick of it. I got back up, trudged on, and lost my left shoe again. But didn't immediately realize it. I reluctantly went back for it. A little further down the course, the trail narrowed and steep walls were on either side. Smack in the middle was, yep, mud. Deep mud. I fell here again. And lost a shoe again. But it was all so funny, and not frustrating at all.

After winding around several fingers of the lake (there are many, and it is always deceiving how far away from the finish you really are), and rounding one of the final corners, I knew I was close to the end. My body was starting to throb a bit. A sign marked 1 more mile to go. I had a few bunnies (aka pace booty) in front of me and did my best to catch up. To my own suprise I still had gas left in the tank and was able to make a pass. Finally, the finish!

If you look really close, I am the pink dot on the far hillside. This is maybe 1/4 mile from the finish.The finish line! Final time was actually 3:46. Yes, I am that slow. And yes, I am very proud of that time. It was a hard course!

Ken had made a trek to a nearby store and was waiting with water and beer. I headed into the water to wash off the mud...and stayed there for about 15 minutes. It was like a natural ice bath. We headed out for burgers, beers, and fries (!!!) and now I'm getting ready for a 7pm bedtime. Fun, fun times!

Note: this is a VERY well organized event. Top-notch volunteers, well stocked aid stations, the most awesome cookies ever at the end, and some pretty rad swag!

Uh...

Number of previous trail races = 0
Number of prior trail runs in training = 0
Number of trail shoes owned = 0
25k muddy, hilly trail race tomorrow = priceless

Another day, another race that I'm underprepared for. I'm trying to think of it as more of a 15.5 mile hike with some running, than as a 15.5 mile race through hills and mud. There is also a 50k going on during the same time, so even if I'm the last 25k-er across the finish line, no one will really know.

Riding for a Different Reason

How many people reading this are currently battling cancer, have had it, or know someone who has? My guess: 100% of you.

This year, I will be joining my friend Jenn and my husband Ken for the 100-mile LIVESTRONG ride in Seattle on June 20th. Sadly, I will be riding in honor and memory of many people. My Mom is a survivor of colorectal cancer, my Grandmother is a survivor of colorectal cancer, my Grandfather had prostate and skin cancer, and my husband's father passed away of a cancer that I can't even spell or pronounce. One of my best friends mother died of colorectal cancer, another good friends mother is a breast cancer survivor. My Mom's best friend died of brain cancer when I was in grade school. Almost every week I listen to a friend tell me about a family member or close friend who was recently diagnosed. The list goes on and on.

Help us raise money for cancer research by logging onto one of our donation pages. No donation is too small, every little bit helps.
My Donation Site
Ken's Donation Site
Jenn's Donation Site

Another Month Bites the Dust

32 days of running! Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? Not running. It was an interesting experiment though. I realized that I can, indeed, get my feet out the door no matter what sort of excuse I try to come up with. The quality of my running probably suffered, my body is feeling the cumulative effects of no rest day in over a month, and my biking and swimming sort of took a back seat. But here are the positives: I still love running, my form has changed (in a good way I think), and I covered 91.5 miles on my feet. While healing from a possible stress fracture. I'll call that a "win".

February:
* Swim 2x/week
* Ride 50 miles/week
* Lose 5 pounds
That doesn't sound so difficult, right?