Black Fly Results!

I am writing about this a bit after the fact, but did want to reflect on my experience at the Black Fly. I checked in and picked up my packet on Friday night and then watched/cheered on some S2 team members who were competing in the time trial or Lord/Lady of the Flies competition. It was a blast to watch the action and see all the positive energy. After the time trial, I cooked up some pasta and had a relaxing evening at the Black Bear Lodge (which was a great location). Everything about the Black Fly is set up to make it a great venue for racers and spectators.

On Saturday morning mother nature did not feel like being nice to me again--luckily the rain didn't start coming down until I already had my wetsuit on and station set! I lined up and got ready for the individual start for the swim around Corcoran Pond (pictured above). It was an interesting setup because you could see the other swimmers going around the pond while you were waiting. I dove right in and ripped up the swim course at 7:24, which I was happy about but certainly will work to bring down.

The transition to the bike took me awhile as all my stuff was wet. Just a minute or two after I started the bike course, my cateye monitor fell off my bike (my own fault as I did not clip on correctly), but I didn't stop because I didn't want to lose time. The whole first part of the bike ride was a downhill, but with the blistering rain it was a challenge. The last 8 miles of the course is a long, gradual, and painful uphill. But I completed the bike course in about an hour and eleven minutes, which I was happy with.

Then came the run--this is definitely where I lost a ton of time and many places in the rankings. The first mile was brutal after biking uphill prior. I imagine that I finished that one in 12-13 minutes, but eventually picked up the pace. I averaged 10 minute miles, but after a lot of training this was the area that disappointed me :( Oh well, something to work on anyway!

The last part of the race was exciting as I had a lot of supporters there cheering me on! Thanks to Mark, Melissa, Chad, Colleen and all the S2 team members--you truly made the race unforgettable!

Would I do this triathlon again? Definitely! The Endorfun crew did an amazing job hosting/planning this event! I don't have any major events lined up for the rest of this season, but next year I hope to do a lot more!

The Taper Before The Blackfly

I decided to just do one blog this week as I tapered in preparation for the Blackfly. I am really hoping the weather cooperates for this race, but at least I have a hotel room reserved so I can stay dry as long as I need to!

Workouts this week consisted of the following:

Monday- rest
Tuesday-30 minute swim (5 X 100s) and hour bike ride in Bristol
Wednesday- 20 minute run with 3 X 100 steady accelerations
Thursday- 30 minute bike ride and 10 minute swim easy
Friday- rest

Tomorrow I just need to pick up my wetsuit and some Gu gels and I will be ready to head to Waterville Valley for the weekend!

4th of July Weekend!

Thursday was a rest day and then I began the 4th of July weekend by doing my own little mini triathlon (out of order and a bit spaced out, but still effective). Friday began with a 4 mile fartlek run, then I did a 30 minute swim (straight through and fast), and finally, I completed a 16 mile bike ride.

Saturday I did not have a workout planned but Mark and I ended up hiking up Belknap Mt. and then doing a quick swim after. It has just been so great to get outside and enjoy the weather!

And lastly, today (on my 29th birthday), I did a nice 3 mile run in the morning and then headed up to Stockbridge, Vermont to tube on the White River. It really was the perfect birthday!

This next week is taper time and then bring on the Blackfly. I may be 29, but I am stronger than I've ever been!

Portsmouth & Sculpted Rock

Yesterday Morgan and I had a great day wandering around Portsmouth. We did a little shopping, then lunch on the decks, and finished with frozen yogurt and a walk around Prescott Park. In the afternoon I met Crystal at the gym and completed the track workout on the treadmill (much cooler that way!).

Today I headed up to Bristol to bike around Newfound Lake with Melissa. We took a slightly different route and saw Sculpted Rock in Hebron, NH. It was really cool to see the carved out swirling rocks and swimming area. We ended up completing a little over 21 miles. The weather was fantastic for a ride.

The last pic above is from Portsmouth--the rest are at Sculpted Rock.

Tonight I did a 50 minute swim workout at the pool (10 X 100s) and steady swim for a total of 45 laps :)

Virginia Roadtrip

Prior to leaving for a wedding in Etlan, Virginia, I completed a mini triathlon workout on Friday morning. Friday consisted of a 40 minute swim, 20 mile bike ride, and finished with a 15 minute run.

Then, we left around 4 for a long drive to Virginia. We ended up sleeping in Greencastle, Pennsylvania and then finishing the rest of the trip on Saturday. Saturday was the Nate & Kara's wedding. The ceremony had a beautiful view of the Shenendoah Mountains.

Sunday, I woke up in time for the sunrise (that is the picture above) and then went for a 5 mile run. I had the chance to see the lovely farms/rolling hills of Etlan in a way that I would not have seen them just driving.

Today, it was back to the pool for a 60 minute swim workout. I cranked out 10 X 200s and did 46 laps total for the swim. Then tonight I met Crystal at the gym for a little elliptical and some weight lifting. I am feeling strong and ready for the Blackfly!

Open Water

Yesterday I drove up to Bristol to meet up with Melissa for an open water swim in Newfound Lake. We did about 40 minutes along one of the beaches and it was really nice after we got over the initial shock of the 66 degree lake temp (I know that is not cold for my Minnesotan friends and family!). But anyway, it was fun and woke me right up!

Today was the exact opposite. I went for a 5 mile run in the morning and thought 8 AM was early enough--nope, not at all! It was so humid I almost fell over from the heat. Luckily, I brought a water bottle, but it was almost empty by about mile 4. I decided that I would run into Concord Hospital and drench myself in cold water and fill my water bottle. It was funny because there was this older man (probably some type of orderly or security guard) who looked like he was going to stop me, but when he saw how red I was and that I was not slowing down in my quest to get over to the drinking fountain, he thought better than to bother me :)

So, I left the hospital drenched with a freshly filled water bottle and plodded through the last 2 miles of my run. I imagine I looked like quite the site to everyone who passed me!

Tuesday Track

This morning I completed my track workout which consisted of the following:

1 mile warmup
300 @ 5K
100 @ Recovery
2000 @ 10K
400 @ Recovery

Repeated 3X---yikes!

Then tonight I met up with Crystal at Planet Fitness for some cardio and lifting.

I hope the weather cooperates so I can swim outside tomorrow!

Workout Update

This past weekend I spent some time up in Bristol, Vermont with Mark's family for Father's Day. It was a relaxing and nice time, but I did get a little behind on my blogging, so here is the summary of recent workouts.

Friday 6/18- 30 mile ride in Concord/Loudon
Saturday- 5 mile run followed by Tri-swim practice
Sunday- off

Today was an intense 60 minute swim workout (6 X 400s and warmup/cooldown). It ended up being 55 laps total! After the swim, I had some lunch, watched some HGTV, and took a little catnap. Then, tonight I did a nice 16 mile ride in Concord. Well, it was nice for the first 13 miles, but the last 3 on Clinton Street were stressful because the drivers were so inconsiderate! In fact, I almost got hit by a moving truck (ironically labeled "Gentle Giant Moving") that decided not to come to a stop at the stop sign as I was pedaling by! Arghhhh. It is summer and people are out running and biking, so drivers be careful please!

Waterville Valley Ride

I woke up bright and early today and cranked out 50 laps at the YMCA pool by 7:00. The workout consisted of 5 minute warmup, 10 X 200s (fastest one was 3:40), and then a cool down. It was such an adrenaline rush and I kept that energy throughout the day. Melissa and I drove up to Waterville Valley to do a test ride on the Black Fly course. It was pretty good, but the long climb on the final stretch dragged on forever it seemed! I also wandered into the reservations center and got a great deal on a room for the Black Fly weekend so I am psyched about that!

Back to Blogging

This week I started back up on training with S2. My new focus event is the Black Fly International distance triathlon in July. Tonight was track practice at Memorial Field and consisted of the following:

1 mile warmup
400 @ 5K PACE
400 RECOVERY
1600 @ 10K PACE
400 RECOVERY
400 @ 5K PACE
400 RECOVERY
1600 @ 10K PACE
400 RECOVERY
400 @ 5K PACE

It was very hot out on the track, but I finished the workout. I could feel every ounce of bad food and beverages that I ate and drank over the past week and hope to be much better for awhile!

Bring on the Black Fly!

Dear Mother Nature, what did I do to you that was so wrong?

At 4:30, this morning, Mark and I got our stuff together, got the bikes set, headed to Dunkin Donuts, and then up to Bristol for the Mooseman. We anticipated that it was going to be not great weather, but we had no idea what we were in for! It started to rain halfway up to Bristol and then we arrived at the parking field. It must have rained much of the night up there because the field was already a mud pit that we were not looking forward to trying to get out of. Then, as we were trying to unload all our stuff and do the 1/2 mile walk to the start of the race, a massive thunder/lightening storm hit. EVERYTHING got soaked, but we still made the miserable trudge to the course. Once we were there, we found out the swim was cancelled completely and the race was delayed!

We surveyed the area, checked in with a few people we knew (although, I couldn't even get to the S2 tent because it was flooded every direction I stepped). The race wouldn't start until 9:00 (it was only 7:30 at this point) and we really couldn't find a great place to stay dry. The race would become a dualthon with a shortened bike course due to flooding on various parts of the course. This was not exactly what I had in mind for my first big race. The announcers even stated that the race could be cancelled depending on what happened with the weather. Mark and I made the difficult decision to pull out of the race and attempt to get his car out of the mud.

This was such a heartbreaking decision for me...I've trained for months and was psyched yesterday when I picked up my packet. I feel like a wimp, but I was just not comfortable biking that distance with everything soaked. I did not even know if they would actually hold the remainder of the race (of course, once we started driving home, the weather cleared up a little bit).

So I got home, unpacked some of my soaking wet gear, took a shower, signed up for The Black Fly International in July, and went to bed for a few hours.

So, Mooseman 2010 was a bust. Bring on the Black Fly and bring on Mooseman 2011 (I will complete that race!).

Love the Taper!

The only one who can tell you 'you can't' is you. And you don't have to listen - Nike

Only 2 days until the Mooseman!!!

Workouts completed this week:

Tuesday- 2 miles run w/3 steady accelerations / 15 mile steady swim
Wednesday- 45 minute bike ride
Thursday- 20 minute bike ride / 20 minute open water swim

Tomorrow I am getting a massage, and prepping all my stuff for the big day. This is when all the hard work and training pays off!

Good luck to all the S2 team members!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

It has been such a nice weekend that I didn't have the desire to spend a lot of time indoors working on my blog. So here is what I've been doing for workouts the last few days.

Friday: 3 mile run with some quick bursts
Saturday: Tri-swim and 18 mile bike ride
Sunday: 4 mile run and an open water swim in Newfound Lake

Only 5 days until the Mooseman! Time to taper and enjoy :)

A Break in the Heat Wave

After riding in the heat yesterday, it was a welcome break to have day in the 70s today. I did another ride today that was slightly shorter than yesterday--just shy of 17 miles. I am feeling stronger every day on my bike and am really starting to enjoy that time on the road. It is an escape from the craziness of teaching and such an adrenaline rush when you go down the big hills! I got up to 39 mph this afternoon! Good times :)

Open Water Suggestions?

This evening I went for a great bike ride with Melissa. We did the Sewalls Fall/Oak Hill loop in Concord and Loudon. I say it was great because it is much cooler on my bike than in school or in my apartment. It was about 18.5 miles and I kind of wish it was longer because I stayed pretty cool. Melissa and I both concurred that we felt so much better after having done something active for the day! The next thing for the evening is 50 minutes of swimming at the YMCA. S2 has 20 X 100s planned for me, yikes!

On a side note, does anyone know of a good place to open water swim that is close to Concord or in Concord? I am going to swim up in Bristol this weekend, but for future reference I am looking for closer swimming areas.

Sweltering, Hot Day

Today felt like a mid-August hot day. It got up to about 94 degrees, which for May is pretty extreme! My body didn't quite know how to react to the whole temperature jump. It was too much for me to attempt the track workout at Memorial field. However, I did make it to the gym to complete the workout on the treadmill. It was nice to have the AC. Mark and I do not have AC in our apartment right now, so I am roasting at the moment!

Tomorrow I have bike ride and swim workout planned. Hopefully it won't rain, but it would also be great if it cooled down a bit for the ride.

Gotta Tri

Mark and I woke up early today to head up to Bristol to meet Melissa for a ride around the Mooseman course. I put quite a bit more effort in today, so it took about 1:54 to complete 29.6 miles. After the ride, Mark and I headed out for a 4 mile run along Newfound Lake. It was an intense day and overall an intense week in training! I'm still feeling pretty good :)

Catching Up

Well, my week got a bit crazy so I am playing catch up on my blog today. It is a gorgeous day to sit on my porch and write about the week in training. It is hard to believe but it is exactly 2 weeks until the Mooseman! With that said, I hope I have been doing enough to complete it and enjoy it. Thursday was a easy 15 mile, rolling hill bike ride and yesterday was a rest day. Today I had every intention of getting up early and going to tri-swim, but the play went late last night and I really needed my sleep this morning. However, I did not play hooky from the workout; I met Melissa at the YMCA at 1 and we followed the workout that the tri-team left on the board. In the end, it was 39 laps and many of them were fast or all out 50s and 25s. I only missed 1 workout this week (a swim) and I will try to tack it on tomorrow if I have energy after the Mooseman ride/run brick.

Rock 'N Race 2010!

I woke up early this morning and completed a 40 minute steady swim (1 mile overall). I felt confident and relaxed during the whole 40 minutes, so I think the swim portion of the triathlon is all set.

However, the main event tonight was the Rock 'N Race in Concord. I joined a team called Team Snooch and was able to raise a little bit of money for cancer research. It was also a lot of fun because 5000+ people participate in the event! I saw many of my S2 teammates out destroying the race course---great job all! I had pretty good pace 9:06 for just over 28 minutes. Unfortunately, I replaced someone on the team so my results are recorded under someone else's name! I was Rachel Roberge in this particular run. Oh well, still had fun :)

A Little Jog

In preparation for the Rock N' Race I did a short 3 mile jog at an easy pace. My chosen destination--Memorial Field. If it was quiet at the track I had planned on doing a few laps around, but it was bustling with activity so I just turned around and headed back home. It was a nice afternoon though and it felt nice to get outside. Tomorrow is an off day and then the 5K is Wednesday.

Only 18 days until Mooseman!

Bricking

The wedding yesterday was a lot of fun, but I did not have a chance to workout. However, it worked out well because I got a full day of rest/recovery and then had a bricked workout today.

This afternoon Melissa and I biked 29 miles and then I followed the ride with a short 2 mile run. It felt pretty good--especially considering that I was up late, etc. last night at the wedding. I think this triathlon might turn out ok :)

Swimming 200s

Tonight I did a fairly intense workout of 10 X 200s. It ended up being about 50 minutes of swimming. I tried to do a short run after the swim, but my hamstrings were pretty angry with me, so that didn't last very long. I am hoping to get up early tomorrow for tri-swim and then I off to a wedding for the rest of the weekend.

I am definitely getting a little nervous for the open water swim--look at all the people in this picture!

Evening Ride

Yesterday I finally got out for a run. My legs felt pretty good and after 3 miles they were a little stiff. I think I have made a full recovery from Big Lake on Saturday!

Tonight I completed a 20 mile bike loop in the Concord/Loudon area. I started out on N. Main Street, went right on Sewell Fall Road, left on Mt. Rd, right on Holt, and then another right on Oak Hill Rd. The Oak Hill portion is the most challenging part as it has a fairly long gradual hill, but the ride is really nice after that! The picture for tonight is of Turtletown Pond--I passed that on Oak Hill Rd. My least favorite part of the ride is going right next to the highway on the bike path. I always feel a bit unstable.

During the ride, I was thinking that it will soon be time to do open water swim...hmmm....I wonder what the temperature of Newfound Lake is right now? Has anyone done any open water swims yet?

Yoga Night

Tonight was my yoga for athletes class at Quest yoga. I did not make it to track practice because I felt I needed one more day of stretching/recovery from the half marathon. The plan is to get up early tomorrow morning and get in the track workout that I missed. Yoga was great tonight--so relaxing and inspiring. I always feel refreshed and calm at the same time after class.

Second Recovery Day

This cartoon has nothing to do with working out, but it is how I feel about my students on some days. Although, many are too apathetic to even make as much effort as Calvin does in this cartoon!

Anyway, tonight I did a 30 minute 30 lap recovery swim. My quads seem to be loosening up a bit. I think yoga class tomorrow night should help finish the stretching. Then, it is back to some more intense training for the triathlon. It is only 25 days away!

Recovery Swim

Ouch! That is what I feel today. I did manage to get to the pool for my 20 minute recovery swim, but that is all I could do. My muscles are very angry with me today! I spent most of the day watching movies and grading. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel a bit more functional....

Big Lake Half Marathon 2010!

Well, the Big Lake Half Marathon 2010 is over and I met my three goals for the run. I completed it in 2:03 which was better than the previous two half marathons that I ran! I also had fun (at least for the first 8 miles :)) In addition, my pace was 9:27 which is my fastest to date. The weather was pretty good for most of the run--cool with a slight drizzle of rain, but it did get pretty wet around mile 9. People didn't really stick around very long after the race due to the poor weather, but it certainly was better weather for running than a hot day would have been.

Overall, I am content with my performance, but now my next goal will be to finish a half marathon in under 2 hours :)

Next up, Mooseman International Distance Triathlon on June 5th!

The Night Before Big Lake

Tomorrow is the big day! I enjoyed a much needed off day today and purchased last minute items for the race. I picked up a new quick dry shirt because it looks as though the weather is not going to cooperate tomorrow...arghhh.

I have a few modest goals for the Big Lake Half Marathon 2010:

1. Beat my time from the 2004 Big Lake which was 2:27:54 (approx. 11 minute miles)
2. Beat my time from the 2006 Seacoast Half Marathon 2:13:28 (approx. 10 minute mile)
3. Have fun!

I'm ready! I've trained hard for this so I think it should be a good day. I am excited to have Mark and his sister Vicki on the course as well!

Tapering

Well yesterday I took the day off from working out (sort of) because I had to work Cinco de Mayo at Hermanos. It was super busy and I got plenty of exercise going up and down the stairs to the lounge! Today I did an easy 2 mile run and then a 20 minute swim tonight. Tomorrow I plan on really taking the day off (no stairs at work) because Saturday is the half marathon!!! Woo hoo. I am getting really pumped up for the race :) I hope we get a decent day weather-wise as well.

Easy Run with a Bit of Roadrunner

It was a gorgeous morning when I jogged in the direction of Rollins Park. I completed a 3 mile run with 3 X 100 yard sprints mixed in. The vitamin D seeped into my system from the warm sun as well. Tonight was another yoga class and I found out I really have pathetically weak core muscles. Instead of doing a dolphin pushup, I fell face first into the mat! I really need to improve my strength in the middle. On a positive note, I have very bendable hip flexers :)

Any suggestions for core moves that you have success with are appreciated!

Also, what is your favorite healthy/energizing breakfast meal?

"Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?"

At school today we began our Shakespeare unit. Of course I selected Sonnet #18 to analyze. Not only did it go along with the iambic pentameter activity, but it also went well with the weather. Today was a hot, muggy, summer day! My body was pretty sore from intense workouts last week, but I only had a 30 minute swim tonight so I managed to get that in. I am excited for this tapering week before Big Lake on Saturday!

Yield to Cyclists Please!

I drove up to Bristol, NH today to do another round of the Mooseman course. I am starting to feel more and more comfortable with the ride; however, Melissa and I both encountered rude people in trucks today. Just an FYI, cars/trucks must yield to cyclists! This does not mean honking (aka scaring the cyclist and possibly causing an accident!) to get us to move out of the way. We make every effort to stay over as far right as possible, but sometimes you might just have to wait to go around. Sorry, but that is the way it is. Oh, and if you hit us, the cyclists definitely have the stronger case! So save everyone the hassle and just slow down and give a friendly wave. It is much appreciated!


Tip: Safety Article

6:30 AM on a Saturday--Swim Practice!

I jumped out of bed a 6am to make it to tri-swim practice by 6:30. We whipped through a 35 minute workout followed by a 200 yard relay race. I think I would have been all set for the day, but alas, I had to run 5 miles as well. I did take another catnap in between (too bad there are not beds along the race course!) and then went out during the peak sun part of the day. It was nice to see Mr. Sun shining all his happiness down on us again :)

Windy Friday Ride

A 20 mile bike ride was on the training schedule for today. I went outside on this beautiful day only to find there was a deceptively strong wind. The wind almost tipped me over on one of the bridges that I went over! But other than that it was a nice ride. Afterwards, I drove up to Mark's law firm and we went out for a yummy lunch at O Steakhouse. The picture above is right outside the restaurant. It was a gorgeous setting and a nice afternoon break.

Swim and Run

Yesterday was a rest day, but today I certainly made up for that! After grading some DBQ essays (oh the excitement of vacation!), I went to the YMCA for a 60 minute swim. I ended up completing 50+ laps! Then it was back to the apartment for some lunch and a nap. After the nap, I headed out for a 6 mile fartlek run. It was pretty intense, but I feel like I accomplished a lot for training today!

Tip: Today I used a Motion Traxx Interval mix podcast for the fartlek run. It was very helpful to have someone/signal to stop and start the faster intervals! I highly recommend the Motion Traxx series.

Restorative Yoga Poses

Today was another rainy day in New England so I did not go to track practice; I did the workout on the treadmill instead! Also, tonight was yoga class at Quest and we did these awesome restorative yoga poses. The one pictured is a seriously intense groin stretch that felt amazing! I am more impressed with every class that I go to at Quest studio.

I am ready for this week to warm up so I can get outside and run and bike!

Goggle Suggestions???

Monday was a swim day and my legs were so grateful not to have to run or bike today :) I did a 40 minute swim that included 10 X 100s with my fastest 100 at 1:36. My BlueSeventy swim goggles are ok, but starting to really bug me because just a tiny bit of water seems to get in my eyes (enough to be annoying!) Does anyone have any suggestions for a good pair of pool/open water goggles? Thanks!

Biking in Bristol

I woke up early this morning so I could drive up to Bristol, NH to meet up with Melissa. We got on our bikes and began riding the Mooseman course. Not too far into the course we ran into some other S2 team members who were doing the half iron course. I'm definitely grateful that I'm only biking 26 miles! It was nice to run into them. We had a nice ride (always with the exception of Devil's Hill). On my way back to Concord, I passed a lot more cyclist attacking the half iron course. It was a gorgeous day for a ride and I was happy I survived a really intense week of working out. I only missed one swim workout and I will just tack that on to next week :)

Sunny Saturday

It was a phenomenal day for a run today and run I certainly did. I ran 12 miles today and it was quite the challenge. Have you ever been to Carter Hill in Concord, NH? I have to say that running up that hill is completely exhausting! Anyway, I managed to finish without walking, so I know I will be ok for the half marathon in a few weeks. I actually got a ton of sun as well, so at least it will look like I went on vacation this week :)

Friday was a rest day and I thoroughly embraced my rest time. It was also the last day of school before April vacation. I am not going anywhere, but intend on using the time to continue to train hard for the Big Lake half marathon in May! I also had a chance to meet up with some colleagues after work which was a much needed catch up session. I'm going to head to bed early so I can get to tri-swim early in the morning.

Rolling Hills and Steady Swim

After school, and a little catnap, I completed a rolling hills 6 mile run. It was a pretty good day for a run--almost a little too warm, but I felt decent after the first two miles. I find it always gets easier after the first major set of hills. I felt the burn in my quads and calves from the bike ride yesterday.

Now, I am off for a 30 minute steady swim to complete 6 days in a row of working out! I definitely got back on track after the English program was completed.

Cycling Smoothly

Today in school I had a chance to bring my class down to the art room for a Renaissance art presentation. During this time, I had a chance to paint an atmospheric perspective watercolor. Now mine certainly does not look as good as the picture above, but it was a relaxing thing to do. While I was cycling, I pictured the lovely mix of colors and took in the colors/sights around me. It made for a really enjoyable bike ride (except on the killer hills of course!). Anyway, I did a 20 mile ride today and then took the rest of the evening to relax. I'll do a swim/run tomorrow. I'm going strong this week and I feel great!

Track Practice

Guess which one I am...the hare or the tortoise?

I am such a slow runner! I did everything I was supposed to do without walking, but I definitely am at the back of the pack. There was a track meet at Memorial field today so we ended up running at St. Paul's school. Even their track is cushy!

After track practice, I attended a yoga for athletes class at Quest.

Overall, it was a very productive day!

Lap, Laps, and more Laps

It was a great start to the week as I hammered out 10 X200s tonight at the pool. I built on each 200 and eventually got the time down to 3:28, which seemed fairly strong! The swimming also helped loosen my legs after the 10 mile run yesterday! I already feel better about the direction of training this week!

Rainy Run

Today started out as a nice lazy morning, but eventually I needed to get some cleaning done as well. After I completed the cleaning, I went for a 10 mile run. It was quite difficult since I missed one run workout this week, but I still finished! It was my longest run to date and I completed it in some intermittent rain showers. Yuck! Hopefully the rest of this week will be much warmer and filled with some sun.

Tip: I tried out GU Proctane gel shots today and they definitely gave me a strong boost of energy!

Kickboard Race!

I never did find my motivation yesterday, but I was up bright and early today to get to tri-swim practice. It was an awesome workout and we finished with a 50/50 kickboard/freestyle race. I am actually pretty decent with the kickboard :) At swimming practice we were told that many of our fellow triathletes have been named All-Americans! It is just so amazing to me that I have the privilege of training (although I am just in the very early stages) with such incredible athletes! Congratulations to the S2 All-Americans!!!

After swim practice, I headed upstairs for an intense spin workout. Since the weather has not been cooperating, spinning seemed like a good option for the weekend.

Woo hoo! It was a great day :)

An Evening Ride

Last night, Mark and I enjoyed a nice evening bike ride around Concord and Loudon. We did a 19 mile loop with a few hills, but it was mainly flat or downhill (my favorite!). Anyway, this weather today and for the rest of the weekend is soooo depressing. It actually snowed this morning!!! All I want to do is get under a blanket and hide from the cold. I need to somehow find motivation to go for a run and get to the pool tonight. I better get home and find that motivation! Big Lake is in 2 weeks and I felt more prepared 2 weeks ago than I do this week.