100 Days Until Ironman Florida...

I must be feeling confident about my minimal blogging abilities, but I'd like to try something new.
Today marks 100 days left until Ironman Florida on November 6th!
Mostly for myself, but possibly for anyone else out there training, or interested in seeing what all goes into these things, I'd like to start a little log, a form of public accountability, really, about what I plan to do/am doing/did to make each day count. That is truly what it is all about. But I don't want to bore anybody to death with posting the minutae of deatail on the main page.
So here goes!

...I have also come up with a list...of things that have to stay kind of balanced to actually produce a sane and healthy athlete at the start line. Each week I will review this list and rate on a scale of one to ten how I think that week went and which things I might need to give a bit more, or less, attention to the following week. The areas include:
Training (actual workouts)
Nutrition
Sleep/Rest
Physical therapy/Pilates/Massage
Stretching
Strength Training
Education (reading/videos/podcasts)
Planning of Race Arrangements
Equipment
Domestic Maintenance/Family/Animals
Hobby Maintenance
"Work"=clinic

7/29/10
100 days left
No childcare today. 48 hours until the start of Barb's Race 1/2 Ironman in Santa Rosa. With kid in tow, I will be spending much of today packing and running errands for last minute supplies, printing directions and going over all my gear lists.
I will do my physical therapy exercises, will go to Masters Swim this evening, and have added 400 calories of carbs to my usual daily allotment (this is a whole system I have race week--adding calories, protein 1st half of the week and shifting to carbs the second. It's a neurotic little system and I like it.)
Bedtime, 9:30pm.
Done.

99 days left 07/30/10
Doing my pre-race brick: a 40 minute ride, easy except for 4 15-second pickups followed by a 20 minute run with 4 15-second pickups.
Stretching
Packing up and leaving for Barb's Race check in, dropping off run gear, heading to hotel and readying bike and transition bags.
2100 calories (500 extra from usual, mostly carbs).
Done

98 days left 07/31/10
Barb's Race: see race report.
Got up and had oatcakes and an apple 2 hours before start. Left early for race to deal with parking and getting to set up; worked out well.
8th place out of 71 in my age group--can't believe it!!
Total Time 6 hours, 5 minutes and 45 seconds
Swim 46.03
Bike 3.02.25
Run 2.08.48
T1 4.05
T2 4.22

97 days left 08/01/10
Doing whatever I want. No workout. Eating what I want, but only of the "whole food" variety. Corn on the cob, sweet potatoes and an avocado! Hurrah! Nap!

96 days left Monday 08/02/10
The start of 2 "on weeks", total of 21.5 hours this week, but no speed work.
Stretching/Abs
Spin on trainer one hour
Pilates class
Easy weights
Easy one hour swim (misc)
Hot tub and nap
1750 calories.
Done

95 days left Tuesday 08/03/10
PT exercises
4 hour ride, easy pace with 30 minute easy run following.
1950 calories
5-10 minutes of swimming imagery with metrognome.
produce shopping and looking at a recipe in Clean Eating magazine.
Done

94 days left Wednesday 08/04/10
Stretching and ab work
Swim: drills, 100-200-300-200-100 pyramids, 10 seconds rest
Treadmill run (for leg speed) 1 hour total, 1/2 hour at tempo (heartrate 130-150,speed at 6.5 mph, 2% incline)
Weights 2 sets of 15 reps
Visit to ART therapist for work on stupid bunion foot and left hip/piriformis
1750 calories
Done

93 days left Thursday 08/05/10
PT exercises
Run, easy pace, Iron horse trail, 2 hours
Swim Masters
1800 calories
Done

92 days left Friday 10/06/10
Stretching and ab work
Swim: start upping the time for endurance day to one hour fifteen minutes. 400 warmup, 54 laps in one hour with metrognome set on 55 strokes/min. Total 3100 yards.
Ride: computrainer, IMFL course, 15 min. warmup, 40 minutes at tempo (heartrate between 130-150, cadence over 90 rpm), 5 minutes cooldown
1700 calories
***wish I could say Done. Workouts perfect. Ate more than necessary.

91 days left Saturday 10/7/10
Ride/short transition run 5 hours
2000 calories
Done: windy, but even added an extra half hour to get a 70 mile ride in

90 days left Sunday 10/8/10
Run easy 3 hours

Week summary:
This was the first week of not only ramping up the training, but of some ridiculous other life-stress situations including a looming clinic (and no vets), and shuttling Noah back and forth to various daycamps and the gym to find necessary training time.
Training: made all workouts, 23 hours total. 10
Nutrition: One bad day. Didn't weigh myself this week. 5
Sleep/Rest: Actually did great at sneaking in some nap; imperative this week recovering from race. 10
PT/Pilates/Massage: did all PT exs., visited ART therapist, got to Pilates class. 10
Stretching: 3X did video. 10
Strength Training: did 2 full workouts, experimenting with upping weight on quadriceps to strengthen right leg/knee. 10
Education: got to Masters, but didn't get as much reading done as I'd planned, especially regarding swim drills for overgliding. 3
Planning of Race Arrangements: Hoping today to look at bike shipping for FL and look at Disney DVD. 5
Equipment: need new power meter battery
Domestic Maintenance/Family/Animals: good! got caught up on some animal duties, got to spend some time with Noah. 8
Clinic: good! Trouble shooting impending issues for 8/22 clinic. 8
Hobby Maintenance: trying to hit some of that today. 4





____________________________________________________________________________

89 days left/Monday, August 9, 2010
stretching and ab work
Swim: drills
Ride: trainer, 30 mintues at tempo
Pilates class
weights: 2 sets of 15
1750 calories
Done.

88 days left/Tuesday, August 10, 2010
PT exercises
Ride: 4 hours
Run: 15 minute transition run
1950 calories
Done.

87 days left/Wednesday, August 11, 2010
stretching and ab work
Swim: drills and 100-200-300-200-100 on 10 seconds rest
Run: Treadmill, 1 hour total, 30 min at tempo, 2%grade
weights: 2 sets of 15
1750 calories
Did the workouts. Not even close to 1750 calories.


86 days left/Thursday, August 12, 2010
PT exercises
Run: 2 hours
Swim: Masters
1800 calories
Did the exercises and the run...stress starting to build...meltdown impending...didn't go to master's due to too much work to do.
Ate as planned.

85 days left/Friday, August 13, 2010
stretching and ab work
Swim: long,15 min warmup, 1 hour with metrognome, 15 minute cooldown
Run: 1.5 hours, easy
1800 calories
Done.

84 days left/Saturday, August 14, 2010
Ride and transition run: 6 hours total
2100 calories
Not even close to either. No workout.
First major Ironman meltdown (see below). I'm a mess.


83 days left/Sunday, August 15, 2010
Run: easy 3 hours
1800 calories
Well, that was the original plan....
Day 2 of meltdown..no workout.
Where to start to unravel the mess this week was? I thought my plan was solid and my determination intact to get me through this week of 25 training hours, minimal childcare and big-clinic-stress. Some days I muddled through but by Saturday I just could NOT face the six hour ride and the time I would lose to putting some other things in order. Some serious soul-searching ensued. I have 12 weeks to pull this thing off. Today, Sunday, I will treat as a prologue of sorts and ride and run what I can when the husband gets home from his ride. This week is a rest week, and good thing! cuz I have to get the kid ready for kindergarten a week from tomorrow and we have a really stressful spay/neuter clinic a week from today. I have broken out in some sort of hives and am itching all over. It is time to once again re-group and re-commit. The next 12 weeks are going to be tough, but I need to see them through in the best way I can. So, today I am hitting the reset button.

______________________________________________________________________________
This is a week of resting and testing. 12.5 hours total.
82 days left/Monday, August 16, 2010
stretching and ab work
swim/test 500 yd. times/drills
weight training
Pilates class
weights
misc. swim visualization
1650 calories
Done.
Best time for 500 swim test: 10.52 (slower: last test 10.39)


81 days left/Tuesday, August 17, 2010
PT ex
Ride--mt. diablo time trial test (only up to 1st ranger station)
Try to get to the 10am Masters swim, or swim alone.
misc. swim visualization
1750 calories
Done.
Ride tt. time: 16.59 (faster by 3 whopping seconds)

80 days left/Wednesday, August 18, 2010
stretching and ab work
run 1 hour with mile tests (3)
weight training
misc. swim visualization
1650 calories
Went out to do run with mile tests. Long story short, found an injured baby squirrel that I then ran back to the car and transported to the wildlife museum. Run aborted.

79 days left/Thursday, August 19, 2010
PT exercises
Appointment with ART therapist
swim: endurance 1 hour with metronome
misc. swim visualization
1600 calories
Visit to ART therapist
Made up the run from yesterday
Mile run test: 8.12 (slower than last test 7.55)

78 days left/Friday, August 20, 2010
stretching and ab work
Ride 3 hours (while kid at camp)with some drill work
misc swim visualization
1800 calories
Done

77 days left/Saturday, August 21, 2010
run 2 hours with some drill work
misc.swim visualization
1700 calories
Done

76 days left/Sunday, August 22, 2010
CLINIC DAY
Ride trainer (tempo) 1 hour with 1/2 hour transition run
1650 calories
Done.

***This week I not only want to work on doing some more work on swim visualization stuff, but I want to improve 2 areas: eating no later than 2 hours before bedtime, or 7:30 pm, as well as really nailing back down that 9:30pm bedtime. We've been shifting to a summer like schedule and it needs to stop.

______________________________________________________________________________

Geez, Louise, August and into September have kicked my behind on so many levels: training, the clinic on 8/22 and the aftermath, and seeing the kid safely into kindergarten. I'm catching up on these past 2 weeks in retrospect. Haven't totally tossed out the whole "Balancing Life tally card", but I'll have probably sum it up on a training period-wise basis.
So, here's what was done:

75 days left/August 23, 2010:
First day of Kindergarten for Sporty Spice; had to spend morning at the new school.
Exhausted from clinic yesterday.
Stretching and ab work.
Rode the trainer 1 hour with 30 minutes at tempo.
Had another workout scheduled and totally bailed on it and took a nap.
Also ate very badly.
Also didn't make it to Pilates class.
mini-meltdown

74 days left/August 24, 2010:
PT exercises.
Rode, Palomares loop,50 miles with 20 min,2mile transition run.
Swam, drills.
2000 calories.

73 days left/August 25, 2010
stretching and ab work
Swam (speed work)
Ran on treadmill (tempo work)
weights
visit to ART therapist
1750 calories

72 days left/August 26,2010
PT exercises
2 hour run with 5 intervals of 3:1
masters swim
1800 calories

71 days left/August 27, 2010
stretching and ab work
swam (starting to up endurance days to one and a half hours) 3700 yards
Ran: 30 minutes warmup, 30 minutes tempo, 30 minutes cooldown
1800 calories

70 days left/August 28, 2010
In Arnold for weekend!
Rode an Angels Camp loop plus up the mountain and back to make 83 miles and a 10 minute transition run.
2200 calories

69 days left/August 29, 2010
Ran, trail, 15 miles
Ate more than intended.

_______________________________________________________________________
The "big week" (highest volume between now and IM)

68 days left/August 30, 2010
stretching and ab work
Rode trainer an hour, 1/2 hour at tempo
swam, drills
weights
Pilates class
Ate more than intended.

67 days left/August 31, 2010
PT exercises
Rode, Calaveras with 5 intervals of 3:1, 60 miles
plus 10 minute transition run
2000 calories

66 days left/September 1, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
swam (speed work), 2100 yards
treadmill run 1 hr, 30 minutes at tempo
weights
1750 calories


65 days/September 2, 2010:
PT exercises
Went out for my speed work run and it was hot! Gave it a good try, but packed it in, hoping to do tomorrow instead. Even skipped masters--just had nothing left.
Ate badly.

64 days left/September 3, 2010:
stretching and ab work
swam, endurance day: 500 warmup, 2750 yards in one hour using metrognome set on 55 spm, 500 cooldown
Ran (ill-fated run from yesterday): 5 intervals of 3:1
1800 calories

63 days left/September 4, 2010
Big long ride: 102 miles. 75 miles in, flatted and had to have the spouse drive out with a valve stem adaptor. Did NOT get in car, but finished ride and did 10 minute transition run.
Worked on my nutrition plan and eating every hour on the clock.
2300 calories

62 days left/September 5, 2010
Big long run. 18 miles on Ironhorse trail, easy, easy, easy. Worked on nutrition plan and eating every hour on the clock.
2100 calories (starving and had to double my "workout calories").

___________________________________________________________________________
Hallelujah---Rest Week!!

61 days left/Monday, September 6, 2010:
I'm fried! Labor Day holiday and kid is out of school.
Stretched and did ab work
Went to Pilates class
Swam super easy--drills
1600 calories

60 days left/Tuesday, September 7, 2010:
PT exercises
Did my little Mt. Diablo time trial from the first gate to the first ranger station: 15.51 (the fastest of this year!)
Ate more calories than intended. Not pleased with myself.

59 days left/Wednesday, September 8, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
swam, did my 500 yd. time trials: 11.33, 11.07 and 11.05--I'm impressed with my own slowness.
Weights
Visit to ART therapist
1650 calories

58 days left/Thursday, September 9, 2010:
Victory is mine! I made it on to the track at the high school for the first time! I didn't need it when we first moved here and they've been resurfacing it all summer. I'd been using the mile-marked trail for my mile-tests until now. It is pretty flat, but does slope just a bit, so one direction is downhill and the other up. So this is my first "true" time in quite some time.
8.22, 8.22 and 8.28.
Rewarded myself by paying a visit to Tyrone and his "magic hands" (our massage therapist).
Went to Master's swim.
Physical Therapy exercises
1700 calories

57 days left/Friday, September 10, 2010:
My "long" ride this week is only 3 hours--a picnic! And I needed to do it today because the mr. is away all weekend doing his third double century. And the ride started out until about mile 15, when I found "Buster", the yellow labrador bouncing around in the middle of a very busy street. Using a spare tube and an energy bar I lured him to me and caught him. Of course his parents were not home at the phone number on his tag. So, the mr. graciously picked up Buster and chauffered him to our house until I could reach his people. And I even got to finish my ride! And do a 15 minute transition run before picking up Sporty Spice from kindergarten.
Stretching and ab work

56 days left/Saturday, September 11, 2010:
The mister is gone to his last double-century of the year, so I had to do my "long" swim at the gym. Swam 2500 yards.
Weight training.

55 days left/Sunday, September 12, 2010:
The mister still gone. Easy run in afternoon, 2 hours.

_____________________________________________________________________

Heading into a 3 week period of 2 weeks Build and one week Rest. I know the hard part is coming! Just going to take it one day at a time.

***I am having t-r-o-u-b-l-e with nutrition! I am hungry all the time and trying to stick to my tried and true calorie plan(s). But it seems to be really really hard right now and I am guessing it is because I am starting to add some speedwork to the endurance work. I am desperate to get it figured out soon! I am pretty sure I am the only human being on the planet who has gained weight training for an Ironman.

54 days left/Monday, September 13, 2010
stretching and ab work
Pilates class
swam,drills (1500 yards)
rode trainer, 1 hour total, 40 minutes at tempo
weight training

53 days left/Tuesday, September 14, 2010
PT exercises
swam, masters--I now have 3 different high level coaches, and at least one of them a former olympian, trying to unravel the mystery that IS my swim stroke; they might actually be helping! My pull is too shallow!
Ran, some drills, plus 5 X 3 min: 1 min,total of about 8 miles.

52 days left/Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Stretching and ab work
Swam, muscular endurance workout, total of 2000 yards
Ran on the treadmill an hour total, 1/2 hour at tempo--good news! My tempo workouts are now at 2% grade, and 6.8 mph (as opposed to 6.5--with heartrate of no more than 140). Could this be....fitness??
weight training

51 days left/Thursday, September 16, 2010
PT exercises
Rode, out Calaveras Rd.: some drills and 5 X 3 min:1 min. intervals, total 48 miles

**week a little messed up due to Catfish swim on Sunday, so had to do long run Fri, ride Sat and swim Sun---it really really hurt this way.

50 days left/Friday, September 17, 2010
Stretching and ab work
Long run! 18 miles on Ironhorse trail. 4 hours. Thank god for the Ipod.
Had an evening wedding to go to and had to sneak out in order to get home close to neurotic bedtime.

49 days left/Saturday, September 18th, 2010--Lance Armstrong's birthday!
Set out for my 100 mile ride and 11 miles in it started to rain (the weather man lied, I tell you!!) and I got a flat. Another one of those, "there isn't really an option to turn around and go home" rides. Carried on and got in my 100 miles, gosh darn it! 10 minute transition run.

48 days left/Sunday, September 19th, 2010--Catfish Swim
2.0 miles, wetsuit division. 1 hour 27 minutes by my watch. Good swim! Using my newfound skills from the masters coaches, I wasn't even trashed when I finished.
At the entrance to Stevens Creek reservoir, where this swim is held, is the white bicycle memorial where our friend Kristi Gough lost her life in a terrible head on collision while riding on a group ride in 2008. It is always good to stop a moment at that spot, remember her, and remember that triathlon is a privilege.

____________________________________________________________________________
My traditional 6-week out meltdown seems to have come about a week early. Lots of eating, lots of crying. Swearing (and meaning it) that I'm not going. I know it will pass, but it's ugly while it lasts. Went to the pool and couldn't face it. Came home and went back to bed on...
47 days left/Monday, September 20, 2010
Stretching and ab work
Pilates class
rallied and swam drills,total 1500 yards
weight training
rode trainer, 1 hour total,40 minutes at tempo

46 days left/Tuesday, September 21,2010
Have made some peace with the fact that this is temporary and necessary: if I get anything done in a day besides the basic necessities of training, caring for the animals and family, and getting the October 24 clinic to reality--great! but don't count on it.
PT exercises
Rode, Mt. Diablo to junction and back, with intervals (6 X 4: 2.5 min. and 6 X 2: 15 sec)
1/2 hour transition run

45 days left/Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Stretching and ab work
Swam, Muscular endurance workout, total of 2500 yards
Ran on the treadmill an hour,30 min at tempo--same as last week--6.8 mph and 2% with heartrate less than 140
Weight training
visit to ART therapist
Also booked my bike in to a round trip to Florida and back on a truck with some new bike friends, via tribiketransport.com. I don't even have to disassemble it or put it back together! They will pick it up from a shop in Walnut Creek and deliver it to the transition area in Panama City Beach! And bring it back home so I am free to make a very unencumbered trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!

44 days left/Thursday, September 23, 2010
PT exercises
Ran, Ironhorse trail, speedwork (4 X 3: 1 min., 2 X 6: 2 min, 6 X 1: 30 sec.), total of about 6 miles
Swam masters

43 days left/Friday, September 24, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
All I had planned was my hour and a half continuous swim. Got to the pool just in time, but ran into a friend I hadn't seen since she set out to do her swim last month--across Monterey Bay--something like 26 miles---English Channel rules, which means...no wetsuit! The day after her swim I had seen on the morning news little headline ticker at the bottom of the screen that someone had attempted to do this swim and had to abandon due to jellyfish swarms/stings. Sure enough, it was her! So we had some catching up to do, and although the story was well worth it, I only got to swim for an hour. Did 2800 yards.


42 days left/Saturday, September 25, 2010:
Hot weather this weekend. Headed out at daylight for 100 miles. Met up with a group of men in the first half, out Calaveras Rd., who lured me into their web of speed. I paid for it later, when I had to climb Palomares and then Redwood, alone in the last half. No flats! 10 minute transition run.

41 days left/ Sunday, September 26, 2010:
The mister rides with his team on Sundays, so I get the "pm" shift to do my run. It was around 100 degrees out here in the afternoon, so I waited until 4pm to head out for my 20 mile, 4 hour run. Running the last hour in the dark, lit up like a Christmas tree in the warm evening, was very Ironman-esque. Had experimented earlier in the day with adding some healthy fats to my diet--I felt fabulous!

_________
Hallelujah! Rest week is here!!!

40 days left/Monday, September 27, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Pilates class
weights
Just 1000 yards of swimming

39 days left/Tuesday, September 28, 2010:
PT exercises
Swam: 500 warmup, 3 X 500 yard time trials (10.56, 10.31 and 10.29--hey, that's my fastest this year!), 500 cooldown

38 days left/Wednesday, September 29, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Mt. Diablo test time trial from first gate to the first ranger station--It was really hot out, even at 9:30 in the morning! 16.20, about 30 seconds slower than my last test--what's up with that?
Visit to ART therapist
Weight training
Life stress is messing with my sleep pattern and I just decorated my whole house for Halloween at midnight.

37 days left/Thursday, September 30, 2010:
PT exercises
Did my track workout. Timed miles with 1/4 mile recovery between
Mile 1: 8.17 with heartrate under 145
Mile 2: 8.18 with heartrate under 150
Mile 3: 8.21 with heartrate under 155
Now, others might not be impressed with this speed, but I am! But even more so with the consistency--check that baby out!
Visit to massage therapist (fabulous!)
Life (clinic) stress messing with my sleep and nutrition!

36 days left/Friday, October 1, 2010:
Oh, my god! I't's October!
Stretching and ab work
Long swim. 500 yard warmup. Strapped on the "wetrognome" set on 55 strokes a minutes and cranked out 54 laps in just over an hour. 300 cooldown. Total of 3500 yards.

35 days left/Saturday,October 2, 2010:
At the Slow Twitch Chalet (in Arnold); hooray!!
Did an Angel's Camp loop on my road bike, about 45 miles. It was warmer than I expected.
20 minute transition run.

34 days left/ Sunday, October 3, 2010:
Woke up to pouring rain. No real option to not do my two and a half hour long/recovery run--so out I went. Stopped raining within the first hour. Really easy pace and felt good to run anything different than my flat Danville trail. Did my road loop that goes up the highway.
Rest week was wonderful and I took full advantage of it!!

33 days left/ Monday, October 4, 2010
Stretching and ab work
Rode trainer one hour, 40 minutes at tempo (hr 130 plus).
Pilates class
Weights
Trying to get other potential areas of stress under control.

32 days left/ Tuesday, October 5, 2010:
PT exercises
Drove car out to Pleasanton Ridge to use Calaveras Rd. for some intervals; did some drills (spin ups, single leg), 4 pickups, 3 X 1 min: 15 seconds rest, 2 X 9 on 2 minutes rest.
10 minute transition run.

31 days left/ Wednesday, October 6, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Swam, muscular endurance 5; 2500 yards total
Ran on treadmill, 1 hour total, 30 minutes at tempo, heartrate 130-140, 2% incline and 6.5 mph.
weights
visit to ART therapist

30 days left/Thursday, October 7, 2010
Kid home sick from school; the mister was nice enough to come home at noon to let me go do my run workout and will come home early for me to go to Masters swim.
PT exercises
Ran, Ironhorse Trail: 10 minutes warmup, 4 pickups, 1 X 12 minutes on 5 minutes rest (1st half heartrate 130-140, 2nd half 140-150), 1 X 9 minutes on 3 minutes rest (hr 140-150) 6 X 1 minute on 30 seconds, 6 X 30 seconds on 15 seconds.
Swimming masters tonight.

29 days left/ Friday, October 8, 2010: 
Stretching and ab work
Swam:  500 warmup, one hour with timer and metrognome (55 laps!), 500 coodlown:  3750 yards total.

28 days left/ Satruday, October 9, 2010:
Rode 100 miles (Mama Bear, Pinehurst, Frontage, Palomares, Frontage).  Wonderful Fall weather.  10 minute transition run.


27 days left/Sunday, October 10, 2010:
Did the Primo's Half Marathon (in about 2.35), but ran to start from house (with 10 seconds to spare!), and home after the race, which ended in San Ramon--total 24 miles, in exactly 5 hours.  Ran the whole way, 12.5 minutes per mile.

26 days left/  Monday, October 11, 2010:
Stretching and ab work.
Got on trainer at 6am, and realized I had no business on it --fried from yesterday--got off and went back to bed for an hour.
Pilates class
Weights

25 days left/Tuesday, October 12, 2010:
PT exercises
Rode, Mt. Diablo to junction:  4 15-second pickups, plus a 20 min "time trial" effort
30 minute transition run


24 days left/ Wednesday, October 13, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Swam, muscular endurance
After a particularly unpleasant "farm chore", I was so sick to my stomach I could not rally for planned workout of treadmill run and weights (will make up later in week).
Visit to ART therapist

23 days left/ Thursday, October 14, 2010:
PT exercises
Rode trainer, 30 minutes at "tempo", one hour total
Ran one hour:  4 pickups, 8 X 2:1 (heartrate at about 140)
Swam masters workout

22 days left/ Friday, October 15, 2010:
stretching and ab work
swam an hour and a half:  500 warmup, 55 laps in just over an hour using metrognome, 500 cooldown=3750 yards
(Makeup) treadmill run one hour, 30 minutes at "tempo", 2%grade, between 6.5-6.8 mph
weights

21 days left/ Saturday, October 16, 2010:
Foxy's Fall Century Ride!!  Fun!   Drove up to Davis and did this one solo.  Only a bit of wind.  Kept hooking on to some fast "trains", which pushed me and was exactly the ride I needed!

20 days left/Sunday, October 17, 2010: 
last long run!  Hallelujah!!!
Hit the Ironhorse trail and ran out 11 miles and back 11 miles.  Leg still hurting from last weekend and having doubts whether I have any business running at all.  The constant battle of overtraining vs. gaining the confidence of knowing you can go the distance.

19 days left/ Monday, October 18, 2010:
THE TAPER IS OFFICIALLY HERE!!
Stretching and ab work
Easy swim and some deep water running
Pilates class
Weights
Leg is screaming and I am stressed out.


18 days left:/ Tuesday, October 19, 2010:
PT exercises
Mt. Diablo "time trial"--15. 56 (only 5 seconds off my best time this year--I'll take it)
Dropped off bike at shop for tune-up

17 days left/ Wednesday, October 20, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Swam 500 tests:  11.20, 10.56, 10.51--what can I say?
Visit to ART therapist

16 days left/ Thursday, October 21, 2010:
PT exercises
Ran, track (in the dark! with a headlamp!) mile tests:  8.27, 8.21, 8.33.  What I lack in speed I make up for in consistency.
Massage Therapist

15 days left/ Friday, October 22, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Rode, Happy Valley to Moraga (a little rainy)--about 35 miles
30 minute transition run

14 days left/ Saturday, October 23, 2010:
Ran, flat, out and back 2 hrs.
clinic setup day

13 days left/ Sunday, October 24, 2010:
Clinic Day!  I've found I actually operate better throughout the long clinic days if I get up and do some sort of exercise.  So, I got up and rode the trainer for an hour, 40 minutes at tempo, and then went for a 30 minute transition run.  Seeing as I have to do all my animal chores and get to the spca at 8:30, it's a pretty early wakeup call--and a long day.


12 days left/ Monday, October 25, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
Swam:  15 minutes warmup and one hour with metronome for 300 yards total
weights
Pilates class

11 days left/ Tuesday, October 26, 2010: 
PT exercises
Brrr! Chilly!  It's suddenly winter here this week!  Cold ride, up Mt. Diablo to the junction with 4 15 second pickups and 3 X 5:2 efforts.  20 minute transition run.
Then raced down to get my bike dropped off by the deadline of noon to get it on the transport truck.

10 days left/ Wednesday, October 27, 2010:
stretching and ab work
Rode trainer one hour with 40 minutes tempo.
Ran, 15 minutes warmup, 1/2 hour of 1 minute accelerations on the 1/4 mile mile-markers, (10 accelerations), 15 minutes cooldown.
Visit to ART therapist

9 days left/ Thursday, October 28, 2010: 
PT exercises
Masters swim, which will be the last until spring (this team doesn't have formal practice in the winter).
Visit to massage therapist.

8 days left/ Friday, October 29, 2010:
stretching and ab work
Blew it today!  Was planning to swim this afternoon, but after a full morning of working with Sporty Spice's classroom, I was fried!  Knowing we had to go to a Halloween event that evening, I came home and took a nap.

7 days left/ Saturday, October 30, 2010:
My focus and self-confidence has definitely taken a hit from yesterday.  Not helped by the fact that when I headed out for my ride, it started raining.  I went around the block and came home, totally defeated.  Sat down and thought about taking a nap, and then I got so mad about the whole thing, I headed out for the ride and did it.  My tri bike is on it's way to FL, so I took the road bike and reminded myself of all the "reward rides" I will have with it when I get home, which was nice.  50 miles, easy, and a 10 minute transition ride.

Today also involved the "Ironman before the Ironman"--6 hours of cleaning animal enclosures and moving supplies for the sitter.

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Since we are fixin' to leave, I'll post my last workouts as intended:

6 days left/ Sunday, October 31, 2010:
Easy 2 1/2 hour run on flat.
As much stretching, Ice and heat as I can work in.

5 days left/ Monday, November 1, 2010:
Stretching and ab work
1/2 hour spin on trainer
1 hour swim
Pilates class

4 days left/ Tuesday, November 2, 2010--travel day:
If there is time, I will try to spin on the trainer for 1/2 hour before we leave for the airport
When we get to Orlando, I hope to get in a 1/2 hour run and stretching

3 days left/ Wednesday, November 3, 2010:
stretching
1/2 hour swim, 1/2 hour run

2 days left/ Thursday, November 4, 2010:
stretching
1/2 hour ride, 1/2 hour run

1 days left/ Friday, November 5, 2010:
stretching
1/2 hour ride, 1/2 hour swim

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2010:
RACE DAY!!!