Lasso'd the Yasso's.....

After our triathlon last Sunday, this recent week was supposed to be a "recovery" week---like everything else, it's all relative. Nothing is easy when it comes to IronTeam training. The biggest challenge this week was completing the run marker, which consisted of the Yasso 800's, which is supposed to predict your marathon time based on how fast you run 800 meters (2 laps around a track or 1/2 of a mile). You are supposed to run ten 800s at threshold pace (meaning as fast as you can go) with a four minute break between each 800. No way would I do this by myself---If alone, I would have ran 3x 800 and called it a night. As with many of my teammates, peer pressure is a good incentive to show up and do the entire drill. So on Thursday evening, 6 of us met at the DVC track to take on the Yassos. Since I have hardly run since New Years Day, it was a tortuous exercise---but surprisingly my times were fairly consistent and not as bad as I thought: 4:42; 5:00; 5:02; 5:28; 5:12; 5:27; 5:17; 5:23; 5:39; 5:21 for an average of 5:15. The good news is that Coach Simon bumped my VDOT score from 26 to 28---meaning that my predicted 5K pace is now 10:46/mile and my full marathon pace is 12:26/mile...... A shout out to Jen Jay for getting our butts to the track and to Ellen for running with me and then cheering the team to finish the Yassos!

On Saturday, our team met at Sports Basement in Crissy Field for a 1.5 hour run, a strength/core workout with the TRX, and a workshop on wetsuits and nutrition. It was a beautiful San Francisco morning--no rain, some fog which burned off by late morning. Coach Simon was merciful and allowed us to run at our easy pace, so I ran 6.1 miles in 1:18:22.

Working out with the TRX was not so easy....as you can see, it looks like a torture device and it IS! Coach Doug is the TRX guru and said that he was going to take it easy on us, so the workout would mostly be stretching...HA! Yes, we did stretch (the last two exercises), but most of the workout was a combination of core, strength and balance.

I was going to do the bike marker today, but just needed a day off. My quads and hamstrings were sore, plus I just felt "a quart low"---so spent the day touring around Sonona County and Healdsburg, enjoying the sites and food!

TRI (ED) and True....

It's true, I completed by first triathlon on Sunday, January 24, 2010! The event was the 8th annual Louie Bonpua Tri in memory of an amazing individual who was an Iron teammate. Louie joined the IronTeam AFTER he was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) and finished Ironman Canada. A few months after Canada, Louie's cancer progressed and despite being weak and in pain, Louie was able to carry the 2002 Olympic Torch on his own. Sadly, later that evening, Louie slipped into a coma and died two days later. Throughout the entire day, I would remember the strength and sheer will of Louie, Brenda, Raji and so many of our remarkable past and present honorees.

The Louie Bonpua Tri consisted of a 1,500 yard swim, 27.5 mile bike ride and a 5.5 mile run. I was in the first wave of swimmers (the slower ones) and we began promptly at 9:00 a.m. The pool was welcoming as it was quite toasty warm. It took me about 200 yards to get into a groove. During our training, we usually warm up, do some drills and then swim for speed. I didn't have that luxury this time and had to swim for speed at the outset. My focus was on consistency and not sapping my strength, since I had two more sports to conquer. I felt good during the swim and can hear cheers from the surface. The only distinct voice I could make out was from Lindsay--I'd know that yell anywhere! Fortunately, there were volunteers who counted our laps for us, because I lost count and would've kept on swimming. Finished the swim in 40:26---got myself hoisted out of the pool and transitioned into bike gear.


Pulling on spandex and socks is no easy task after a swim. Wet hair and all, I pulled on my bike helmet, clipped in and began my journey to Pig Farm Hill. The ride had its highs and lows (literally). Several rolling hills and a couple of big ass hills --hence Pig Farm Hill is now dubbed Pig Arse Hill. I walked about 50ft of the steepest portion and seeing Coach Mike at the top gave me the extra incentive to clip back in and ride myself over the hill. All the training and coaching is paying off big time---I felt great and pretty strong during the ride and some of the hills seemed less daunting than before. I have no idea how long the bike portion was. I was so focused on other things that I never looked at my watch from T1 to T2.


One would think that the run portion would be the easiest for me---NOT! It was the most difficult and the longest 5.5 miles I have ever run. Granted I just swam and biked, but 5.5 miles is usually a warm up run for me. It was humbling to resort to run/walking. I'm just glad that my run coaches weren't there to see me shuffling along at a snails pace. A big shout out to Jen Jay who ran/walked with me for quite awhile and kept me going! I got a little teary seeing the finish line, because I never thought I would (or could) complete a triathlon. It was my "Bond Girl" moment---(thanks Sandy!)



A big hug and thanks to the Coaches who made this possible! They have prepared us well, which really showed on Sunday. All of my teammates who participated in the Louie Tri looked strong and confident!

Riding with Animals

No, I'm not referring to my teammates--although some of them are total beasts when it comes to training. Our January 9th ride was dubbed "Pig Farm" and this past Saturday's 35 mile ride is commonly known as the "Three Bears". To date, the "Three Bears" ride has been the most difficult--don't let the cute bears fool ya. Notice the expressions on their hirsute faces.

We met at the Orinda Bart Station and Captain Tony led the ride through the idyllic neighborhoods of Orinda and Moraga. At the outset, rolling hills became evident and the first nasty hill was going up Glorietta, which I had to walk a portion of the way (gasping, panting and swearing...). However, this was just a precursor to 'Da Bears, which were still a few miles away. Finally, as Janice and I turned on to Bear Creek Road, I had a feeling of forboding---soon enough, Mama, Papa and Baby Bear did not disappoint.
The hills seemed endless so I really could not say that there were only "3" bears---seemed like a herd to me (do bears come in herds?) The pluses were---only had to walk about 100 yards, there were others who were suffering along beside me, and best of all, the downhill segment was crazy fun! I white knuckled it all the way down, but such an exhilerating rush!!! I knew it held promise when I saw a sign warning trucks to use a low gear due to a steep downhill grade.

Kudos to Tony and Janice for giving me the moral support to get my butt over those hills!

Flip Turns and Pig Farm

So what do flip turns and a pig farm have in common??? Both were instrumental in my coached training yesterday. At 8:00 a.m., the team met at the Pleasant Hill Adult Education Center (about a mile from my house) to start with a 27.5 mile ride from Pleasant Hill to Pinole along a rural route that takes you by an abandoned pig farm. However, it isn't the actual farm that is the attraction of the ride, but a short, albeit wicked uphill grade on the return trip. Evidently if you utter the words "pig farm", experienced Bay Area cyclists will give a collective groan just thinking about the hill. At this point in my cycling career, I did not take on the challenge of going up the grade---since I would be walking it anyway. However, I was not off the hook---my teammate and 2009 Ironman finisher, Jennifer, made sure I got in my mileage and hill repeat practice. Jennifer followed behind me and kept shouting "pedal, pedal, pedal". The key is to keep pedaling even when I'm flying downhill, so I will maintain enough momentum to climb uphill. I ended up riding 20 miles.

After our ride, we jumped into the pool for 1.5 hours of swim drills. During the last 30 minutes or so, a group of us were taught how to flip turn. Mind you, I was on the swim team as a kid, but that was about 40 years ago and I haven't flip turned since. I didn't have any trouble with water going up my nose, but I was totally disoriented as to where the wall was. However, it was a lot of fun practicing somersaults in the water.

The last part of our training was core and strength exercises. Coach Mike made sure that we felt our stomach muscles afterwards. Several crunches, planks and "supermans" basically finished us off.

2010 at a Glance:

1/1: Lake Chabot Trail Run with Mama Lisa & TNT Alums: 6 miles

1/2: Team Ride 25.60 miles (including marker set) (Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Franklin Canyon)

1/3: Coached workout: 1.5 hours swim; 18 mile bike ride (San Ramon/Highland)

1/4: Swim workout: 1500 yards (including marker set)

1/5: Spin workout at Sports Basement

1/6: Core/Strength workout with Kelley

1/7: Swim workout with Coach Mike & teammates

1/8: REST!!

1/9: 20 mile ride; 1.5 hour swim; 30 minute core/strength

1/10: slept in until 10:00 a.m., went to REI sale......