Desert Classic Duathlon, Again

This race holds sentimental value because it represents the creation of this blog - It was the very first race report.  It also viciously kicked my ass, which stung for a few days, but ultimately inspired me to invest in a better bike and become a better cyclist.  I returned the following year to debut my improved cycling skills, but a longer, more challenging course which knocked me over and kicked my ass again.

My goal for this year was simple and safe – race smart and leave unscathed. 

The original races distances, as reported online were 3.5 mile run-24 mile bike-5 mile run.  At the last minute, it was changed to 3.5 mile run-24 mile bike-3.5 mile run.  I was slightly disappointed.  However, the actual distances were 3.8-mile run-26.5 mile bike-4 mile run.  These distances are fine, I just wish these were the distances they used when determining our paces. I am glad I wore my Garmin for this race or else I would be gasping, "How could my paces be so slow?" 

My goal for the first run:  Restraint.  No one believed that I could do this – I even doubted myself.  I wrote the word Patience on my hand as a reminder.

The course starts on an uphill road and enters the trail system right before a half a mile.  I started in the middle of a large pack, but was third when we emerged on the trail.  My watch said 3:15, which meant I was running a 6:40 pace – MUCH better than the crazy 5:40ish pace I ran last year.  The course was the same as last year but with a slight modification towards the end, which seemed hillier.

Distance = 3.8, Time = 26:51, Pace = 6:58

Last year’s pace was 6:37 – but although I was slower, I was also less oxygen deprived and able to use my brain.  Instead of spending 96 seconds fumbling through T1, I only took 48 seconds. 

I was the first woman on the bike and it was everything I remembered – hilly and windy.

My goal was 20mph and I think I did that for the first loop.  But I started to struggle during the second loop....let me rewind to the following day:

The day before the race, Brenna and I had a photo-shoot at the local track. I cannot leak the pictures but each girl represented a sport.  I was the track runner.

 Brenna was the tap dancer.

 Everything was fine until I tripped over the little railing the outlines the track.  This is precisely why I am NOT a track runner.

 

The fall was exceptionally balletic and almost undeniable, but it sent a lightning bolt of pain to my delicate and very high maintenance hamstring muscle.  I had no time to get a massage, I had to rely on stretching and epson salt.

I was relieved that it felt better the morning of the race but during the second loop of the bike, my hamstring started to cramp.  I was able to stand up on the peddles and stretch it, but it made me realize that I was ready to be done with this bike ride. Immediately.

I started to curse the wind, curse the hills and curse the fact the course was 2.5 miles longer than promised.

Eventually two women passed me, reminding me that I needed to focus on my race - and I finally returned to the transition area.

Distance = 26.5, Time = 1:21:52, Speed = 19.4

Frantic to get as far away from my bike has possible, I spun around in circles in T2 desperately looking for a way out.  The transition area was about the size of a small classroom and yet I had to ask for directions.

The second run repeated the first but was a little longer because you had to run back to the start line.  Four women passed me on the bike and I was able to see two of them on the road ahead of me.  By the time we entered the trail, they were seconds ahead of me.  Well, you made it, I told myself.  Now it’s just a trail run.  This is what you do.  So I passed them and never looked back.

The only other girls I could see on the course were doing the off-road race so I did not feel compelled to push myself past discomfort.   I really enjoyed the second run.

Distance = 4.02, Time = 30:48, Pace = 7:39.

I think there was less competition this year than previous years so I managed to finish third overall:

This race is a cyclist’s race – you really need to bike around 21mph to win it.  I am not sure how you do that with such hills and wind. 

But I think considering my longest bike ride was 28 miles and I only did one brick workout,  I did pretty good.  I am not as fit or fast as last year, but I avoided all my mistakes.

And, although it is a bit sore, I did not get my ass kicked.

Training and Trains: Then and Now

It's time for my annual duathlon.
The one that routinely chews me up and spits me out.

In 2011, I trained for a little over a month.
In 2012, I trained for only weeks. They also increased the bike course to 30 miles.

I almost wrote it off this year because I just don't have time for 30 mile bike rides with bricks.  My Achilles heal each year has been endurance -- specifically around the 121st minute.  But then I read that the bike course was changed again to 24 miles and gifted an entry.  It is hard to turn away a trail race - it is impossible to turn away a free trail race.  It is hard to turn away free anything.

You know those two-week old, nearly-stale cookies cookies that the grocery store will pile into a huge bowl before throwing them away?  And then everyone, even the man who just picked his nose, reaches into the bowl to select a cookie?  I love those cookies.  I even once proudly collected them in a cookie jar.

Something for nothing always is better than nothing.  Even if this race beats me down again, I have nothing to lose.  And that logic is what suddenly spiraled me into training mode for eight days.

Day 1:  Presidents Day.  The token long workout:
26 minute trail run at South Mountain, 1 hr 25 minute bike ride (lots of hills in the last half hour), 34 minute trail run - scoping out all available hills.  3.3 mile run / 28.1 mile bike / 4.3 mile run = 2 hours, 25 minutes.  An entire hour longer than my normal "long" workout.

Day 2:  Track.  My legs were tired from that extra hour the day before but I didn't want to blow off my running partner.  800 x 4 in 3:00...it felt like we did five...in other words, did not feel good.

Day 3:  Power meter bike ride.  1 hour ride (20 miles) with 8 minutes at "race pace" x 3.  I actually was not allowed to view the numbers so I am not sure what that pace was.

Day 4:   Mid-distance run.  Easy 9.1 miles.

Day 5:   Trainer bike ride.  64 minutes easy minutes .  Why 64 minutes? Because that is how long it took me to read all my favorite blogs.

Day 6:  8 Mile trail race.  Described below.  Hill training?

Day 7:   Complete rest day.

Day 8:  Long easy workout. 28.5 mile easy bike ride bricked with 4.1 mile jog = 2 hours.

I went to Tuesday track but received a taper exercise - only 400x8, a little faster than 5K pace (mid 1:20s, 90 seconds RI).  I also went swimming a few times this week but that is irrelevant.  I will taper until race day (Sunday).

In retrospect, this is what President's Day week looked like last year - 40 mile bike rides!   5:50 miles!   12.5 mile runs!  I have not done any of those things in quite a long time.

I may have had more speed last year, but this year I have more experience. And wisdom.
This year, I WILL NOT RUN THAT FIRST RUN TOO FAST.

Continuing retrospection, this time last year I took the kids to the train park for the first time.  I thought Hayden would love the train park because, well, he loves trains.  His reaction was unexpected - he screamed and cried until his face bright red - refusing to ride the train.  Here is a never-seen-before photo of us last year.  Ironically, he is wearing a Thomas shirt:

I decided it was time to try again, but his dormant trauma awakened as soon as we pulled into the parking lot. I took him out of his car seat and he flung himself on the gravel ground, kicking and screaming as if I was trying to make him eat brussels sprouts.

I promised him that I would not make him ride the train.  Partly because I want him to trust me, and partly because I don't want my 45-pound three year old to realize that he can overpower me.  So, we had a nice lunch and looked at the train.

I guess just like one does not get magically faster, little boys do not magically lose their fears.  But, I was hoping maybe they would outgrow them!

In need of something else to do, I convinced him to ride the carousel.  It was faster than the train, and louder than the train, but I think he was just so relieved that it was not the train, he overlooked these facts.

 He refused to ride a horse so the kids had to sit on the boring bench.   I always wondered if anyone ever chose to sit on a bench, so this answers that aging question.

Duathlons and Trick-or-Treating

These things having nothing in common except for they sound like they should be assuredly awesome but yet somehow fall appallingly short.

The duathlon sounds like a dream to me - no swimming? running twice?  On paper, it's a race specifically designed for my strengths!  But in reality, they suck (as evidenced here and here and here).

I decided to try one more time.  This race was a short race:  1.5 mile run / 10.5 mile bike / 3 mile run.  I didn't train for it since those are such comfortable distances.  The race did not go badly - I finished under an hour and won.  And when I say "won", I mean that quite literally as I finished before all the men, too.  But, before you start a slow clap, let me just add that there were only 24 other people in the race.  The 211 other people did the triathlon - which involved a 400-meter swim in a lap pool.
However, it took me 9 minutes to run 1.5 miles, and it took most of them between 6-9 minutes to do the swim, and I still was the second overall-person finisher.

Being the "best" at a particular event, however, is not the same as doing your best.  And, I had difficulty deciphering if I was pleased with my performance.  Both runs were slower than I expected, however they were unexpectedly on trails.  My bike was also slower, however there was wind.  Trails and winds inevitably slow you down and it always begs the question, Am I making an excuse?  Could I have gone faster?

But all that aside - I found the race challenging.  Maybe the trails and the wind played a role in that, but I think in the end, it is the simple fact that duathlons are hard.

Look, I don't like swimming per say, but the progression of the triathlon makes sense.  The swim is a good warm up for the bike and the bike is a good warm up for the run.  As much as I love to run, I don't love the way my legs feel after I already ran once.  I want to love it so I am sure I will eventually try to love it again.

Jumping to the completely unrelated subject of trick-or-treating, this sounds like a dream for my kids - up past bedtime?  dressed in a cool costume?  FREE CANDY?  Theoretically, it should be one of the best days in their life.  Realistically, it was filled with tantrums and tears.

First, Brenna refused to wear her costume.  She had numerous costumes to choose from that she enjoyed wearing during the pre-Halloween festivities...like her dinosaur costume, fairy costume and princess costume:

After begging her to get to dressed,

threatening her to get dressed,

not allowing her outside until she got dressed,

we finally gave in and allowed her trick-or-treat sans costume.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to make the screaming stop.

Hayden wanted to put on his costume but did not want to trick-or-treat.  After only two houses, he requested to go home.  I convinced him to go around the block, which he did....very very slowly.  Not only did he walk at a snails pace, he kept tripping and spilling his candy.

After 30 minutes, Dad carried him home.

  

 I am not sure the kids totally understood the concept of trick-or-treating.  Even though we only covered a single block, every house was generous and we accumulated a decent stash of chocolates, fruity candies and Twizzlers.  Yet, my kids have not ASKED FOR A SINGLE PIECE.

Part of me gives them the side-eye as I question, Are these really my spawn?

And part of me wants to hug them and kiss them because now this big bag of candy is undoubtedly mine and I don't even have to steal it. 

Duathlon FAIL

So, that duathlon did not go so well at all.
In fact, I did not finish.
They call such a situation, "DNF" for "did not finish".

You can DNF in a race for a number of reasons - in my case, it was medical.

Everything started off fine.
I felt pretty good at the start, had a nice warm up and I was definitely in the mood to race.

The gun went off and I flew.
I wore my Garmin but I did not look at it.  Maybe I should have, turns out, my first Mile was 5:46.  I cannot believe I made such a rookie 5K mistake by going out too fast.  On the other hard, I felt really good and it was the easiest 5:46 mile I ever ran.  Mile 2 was at normal pace, 5:58.
Mile 3 is where stuff went wrong.
The mile was uphill and it was hard.  And it didn't feel good.

"Just get to the transition area," I told myself.  A few woman passed me: I went from being in 3rd place to being in 5th place.  My transition was long because I had to regain composure.
"You have the entire bike ride to recover," I told myself.

The problem was I did not recover on the bike.

It was very warm when the race started at 8:45am.  The sun was blazing.
I was thirsty and I drank my entire water bottle within the first few miles of the bike ride.  The course was hillier than I expected and I was just SO THIRSTY.  A few times, I tried to drink water from my water bottle even though I knew it was empty.  I kept thinking, "Maybe there is one last drop!"
I wanted water so badly....a drop sounded heavenly!

There was not a single water station on the bike course.  I began fascinating about water.  I couldn't stop thinking about.

I was passed 5-6 times (or maybe even more, I didn't count) on the bike...everyone had really fancy tri bikes.  I was expecting good cyclists to pass me.
I was also expecting to put up more of a fight, but I was just too thirsty and miserable.

I managed to average 20.1 mph (according to my bike computer) and I was actually OK with that.

Since I was still in the front of the pack at the end of the bike, the transition was empty.  Without the bikes, and coming in from the opposite direction, I felt discombobulated and could not find where to rack my bike.
I ran up and down each isle, feeling lost and confused.
I bet I had the longest 2nd transition.
But hey, at least I put on my shoes on fast!!  They slid right on.

I gulped the water I had stashed on transition but it did nothing for me.  Once you become dehydrated, it's too late to fix it.
I run out and easily pass 2 people.

My legs felt heavy - but that is expected.  That is OK.
However, I could no longer hear out of my right ear.  It was as if it was clogged with water - or, like when you are descending in an air plane.
I stopped and shook my head furiously.
I tilted my head and banged my ear - in the pool, that tends to work.
I opened my jaws wide, as if I was yawning - in the plane, that tends to work.

But my ear remained clogged so I kept running.
Eventually, things started to spin and I started to cry.

I didn't know what to do but someone made the decision for me by calling attention to the cops, who notified the paramedics.  Once the paramedics are notified, you cannot continue the race until you are checked out.

They gave me a lot of water, took my vitals and offered to take me to the hospital for an IV.  I declined, and signed a paper saying that I was responsible for myself - even my own death.
I knew I was not going to die.

Anyway, so that was that - it was an embarrassing and humbling experience to not finish a race.

I do ask myself - if I did things differently, would I have been OK?

For example, I drank plenty of water the night before but NO water in the morning.  What if I stocked my body with water and electrolytes?
What if I had a 2nd water bottle on my bike?
What if I wore a hat?
What if I did not have that glass of wine the night before?
What if I did not start that 5K so fast?
David snapped this photo of me on the live steaming:


Maybe I should have started in the second row and let the others pace me?
I knew that a lot of the girls were better cyclists, so I wanted to take advantage of the run.
I had a 5:49 mile in my last 5K - not that much faster - and I ran 7 additional miles after that race (in the same heat) and felt great.

So perhaps I was just destined for a bad day - which was exasperated by the lack of water and fast start.

I am okay with not finishing the race.
I am not proud - but I'm chalking it up to a learning experience.

I am upset, however, that I lost my camera.
I think I left it at the transition area.  I am not shocked - I was so out of it that I would have left my head if it was not attached to me.  But it was a new camera, and had pictures on it that I was excited to share with you guys.

I am still recovering - I have yet to muster up the energy to get dressed, even though it was now Sunday evening.  I am really really really hoping that despite a cough and scratchy throat, I am not sick.

Hayden is not feeling well either....
you may not notice it when glancing at this picture:


But if you take a closer look, you can see that he has snot dripping into his mouth:


It is awesome how someone can be so happy even when his nose is force-feeding him mucous.

Putting on the Shoes

Ever since Brenna could walk, she has been interested in her shoes.
I totally understand, who does not loves shoes?

Every day, she demands to select her own shoes. We keep the shoes on top of the play kitchen (I have no idea why). She pulls up a small chair when she wants to wear shoes. It does not matter if we not going anywhere.

It also does not matter if she is not dressed.


And nor does it matter if they are practical.


Putting on shoes is not an easy feat for a 2-year old (pun intended). She has the best luck with sandals, especially Hayden's since they are too large. Unfortunately, this means her shoes rarely match her outfit. We tried to compensate for this by painting her nails.  These feet look cute in any shoes!


And I may have gotten carried away and painted some extra feet:


With determination, she tries every day.
And although there are still some struggles,


she does eventually get it.


This made me realize that I also need to practice putting on my shoes.
If I only practice this at races, its going to take years to master the transition area.

The other day, as we were getting ready to leave my mother's house, Brenna had trouble sliding her foot in her shoe and my mother suggested a solution to her that perked my eavesdropping ears: baby powder.

If baby powder helps Brenna slide her foot into a shoe, maybe it can help me slide my foot shoe.

So my final duathlon workout focused on shoes. I set up a transition area by my front door, with my bike and running shoes laid out. And then I smothered them in baby powder.
It worked like a charm!  My foot slid and out of each shoe effortlessly.
 Here was the workout:
* 20 min bike ride to warm up. Practiced loosening my shoes while still on the bike.
* slipped off bike shoes, slipped on running shoes
* 800 (2:41 - which is a 5:25 pace, I must have been in a rush!) + .15 sprint
* slipped off running shoes, slipped on bike shoes
* 12 min bike ride. Again, practiced loosening my shoes while still on the bike.
* 1200 (4:15) + .15 sprint
* slipped off running shoes, slipped on bike shoes
* 12 min on bike. Again, practiced loosening my shoes while still on the bike.
* 800 (2:52) + .15 sprint
* slipped off running shoes, slipped on bike shoes
* slipped off bike shoes, slipped on running shoes, slipped off bike shoes, slipped on running shoes, slipped off bike shoes, slipped on running shoes...... etc etc.

PEOPLE PRACTICE THIS STUFF!

Duh, right?

This single workout isn't going to be enough to result in a perfect transition, but I do think I will be able to get my foot in my shoe this time.

Splash and Dash Race Report

I did this race for some open-water swimming practice.
And, in general, swimming practice since I failed to make it the pool.  (Actually, I did make it the pool once but had issues with my goggles so ended up in the hot tub instead).

I've done these before, as chronicled here and here.  The number of times that I choose to swim in that nasty lake astounds me.  Usually, I tag with friends to these little races.  But not this time - I drove myself to this race and did it because I knew it was good for me.
I spend a lot of reminding little people that sometimes we have to do things we simply don't want to do.
Like wait in restaurants for our food:


Or wash our hair:


Or take a nap, eat our vegetables, blow our nose or put our feet in separate pajamas legs:


I guess I ingrained that advice in my own head because I bailed on my running friends and took myself to the lake.

Even when you go to a race alone though, you are never alone once you arrive. The first person I saw was Brian. We've been running together for 8 years.


We hung out a lot more before I had kids and he decided to an Ironman. Back then, it was about Burning Man!


Anyway,
Since my goggles have a leak, I borrowed a pair from Shelly.
She said she put in "anti-fog drops." I had no idea these existed! I just assumed that everyone had foggy glasses.
I can't say that I had fun during the swim, but it was nice to have vision.

It was still hard to spot the green buoys when going into the sun though. At one point, I had to stop and look around. I am so glad that I did though because I needed to do a major re-adjustment in order to swim in directly towards the buoy.
I am not sure if Brian's goggles were foggy, but not only did he swim past a buoy, he swam past the finish.

1000 meters took 19:47.

When you get out of the lake, you run over a timing mat. That mat separates the swim time and run time.
Then you run up a grass hill to your transition area. You peel off your wetsuit and put on your running shoes.
Everything was fine until I got to my shoes - they would not go on!
Basically, I had the same problem as I did with my bike shoes last weekend.
Wide foot + orthotic + no sock + wetness = major frustration.
Eventually, I got my shoes on - it just took 3 minutes.

I started to run.
Even though I did a slow mile before the race, I did not feel warmed up.
Mile 1 was 6:09.
But then I found my groove.  The leaders had reached the turn-around and were running back.
I recognized the first two as professionals. I was not going to catch them.
The next two though were within my reach. I passed them both - and then Lewis Elliot passed me.
I chase everyone, even professional males.
Mile 2 was 5:49.
I started to get tired after that but I occasionally looked down at my Garmin and saw a sub-6 pace. That legitimized my fatigue, which made it easier to push through.
Mile 3 was 5:57.
After a short sprint to the finish at 5:37 pace, I wound up with a major PR.

The problem here is that the documented time provided by timing-chip includes the entire transition period.
It begs the question, Is it a real PR if it's not officially recorded?
I am going to go with yes because my Garmin says so.


The distance is .04 short because I lost signal under the freeway passes. But you see the average pace.
And then I went on to run an additional 7 miles with the extraordinary Janie and got some duathlon tips from Matthew Russell.

I am so excited that next week I won't have to get wet!  I feel like I paid my dues by swimming this weekend and so now I can not swim for the rest of the week.  Yay!

Last Duathlon Training Session

It's been record highs here, but it seems to be that way every year.

The kids are adjusting.  You know its a hot, sunny day when they seek refuge at the park in a tunnel:  

I have started to transition to morning workouts. The nice thing about Arizona is that we still have plenty of beautiful mornings left.

The kids seemed happy to receive their breakfast plate in the stroller. I was worried that they would resist breaking their winter routine of watching Micky Mouse while they crunched on their cereal, but I have them well-trained: they were scrambling into the stroller before I could even get the words, "Who wants to go running?" out of my mouth.

 Their jogging stroller meal has been pretty standard for a long time. It is always: a bunch of strawberries, a bagel thin w/ cream cheese (and cauliflower puree - but sssshh, they don't know that), a split banana, freeze dried apples and pears and Cheerios/Chex. This cherished combo of food is acceptable for any meal. I think they would be satisfied eating it for every meal.


For some reason I have always preferred the morning air - it seems more crisp and fresh than afternoon air, even if its the same temperature. This will be my last summer with the kids so we are going to relish and revel in every run.
We are literally going to stop and smell the roses!


Since the duathlon is next weekend, this is my last duathlon workout. I guess the timing is good - I barely have enough time in the morning for a bike-run brick, nonetheless a run-bike-run double brick. This is partly why I chose to do this workout in the midday, despite the heat. I also think training in the heat has some benefits.

It was 92 when I started at 12:30, and 95 when I ended at 2.
* 15 minutes on trainer, ending in 3 min / 1 min / 30 second sprints (30 sec RI)
* 1.15 mile loop at 5K effort (5:53 pace)
* 18 mile bike ride (it got really windy in the middle of this)
* 1.15 mile loop, ran it in the opposite way (6:12 pace, the heat and wind were getting to me)
* 1 min easy / 1 min sprint on trainer  x 5
* 2 min / 1 min / 30 second sprints back outside (30 sec RI). The wind was gone and I finished strong in the 5:40s. I drank coconut water throughout the workout and I think that helped. It was on clearance at GNC for just .33 cents a bottle!


This ends the duathlon season.  I wish there were more races - it would solve my swimming issues.

Triathlon Training - The One and Only Week

I am doing a sprint triathlon on Sunday.
Sprint triathlons vary in distance - this one is a 750-meter swim, 12-mile bike ride, 5K run. 

I didn't feel the need to train for it because it is so short and my duathlon training is sufficient for the bike and run portions. 

This is my first time doing a Sprint triathlon so I don't know what to expect. Although it sounds easy on paper, shorter distances are actually not easier than their longer counterparts.  The decreased length means increased speed.  It's a different kind of challenge.

I examined the course map and I am disappointed with the run course.  Unlike the longer distances, we have the pleasure to run up a steep hill .This hill always seems to be in my races.

I used the course map to do my one training workout. The Triathlon Workout began at the course.  I was taken aback when I got out of my car to be nearly blown over by a speeding gush of wind.
The warm included 1 mile of the course, up the hill, 2 miles on trails to the canal and then the rest:
* 1.15 miles on canal "fast" (5:57 pace) - cross wind
* Headwind to my house with a 4-minute push (6:10 pace) and 70-second sprint (5:40)
* 14 mile bike ride back to car (mostly cross wind, but a little head and tail wind action)
* 1 mile on the course "fast" (5:57) - tail wind
* 800 in a headwind (3:15)
* 2x up the hill
* 1km in headwind back to car at 6:40

I felt good about the bike and the run.
And then I remembered - the swim.

750-meters is not a long swim - until you go to the pool and swim 15 laps.
I did this.  Once.

It is safe to say I will not drown.
It is also safe to say that I won't be one of the first people out of the water.

Which is fine but in hindsight, I do wish I prepared.

There really is no excuse.  I have access to a nice indoor pool that provides childcare.
And my kids like going to the childcare.
When we went, my kids walked in as if they ownded the daycare.
When I picked them up for lunch, Brenna was happy to see me.   Hayden pretended he did not know me.


But he can never ignore the promise of lunch.

I always order them the special. This week it was a hummus wrap.
It had a lot of vegetables so it was not their favorite thing, but they ate it up anyway.


Hayden ate his entire lunch holding a yellow matchbox car. I suspect you will see this in future pictures because it is not just a yellow car, it is THE yellow car. It must be in his hand at all times, including when he sleeps.


They also ate maccaroni puffs to make the meal "toddler friendly." Hayden, who tends to wear half of every meal spattered on his shirt, decided to take the  George Constanza approach to eating puffs by using a fork. 


Brenna, refusing to be out-sophisticated, followed his lead.


So we left the gym premises well-fed, slightly more refined and with the satisfaction of knowing that I went swimming because one time is better than zero times.

Duathlon Training, Second Edition

I am feeling much more comfortable with this upcoming duathlon than my previous duathlon. In fact, I am feeling much more comfortable with this race than any previous multi-sport race since:
There is no (open-water) swim and there is no long bike ride.

It is still a new distance for me though so I want to keep my expectations low. The goal is not to have a superior race but rather a strong race. 

Duathlon workout #1:
* 20 min on trainer ending with 1 minute "sprint"/1 minute RI x 10
* Straight outside - 800 x 1 at 5k pace (3:09)
   -1 mile at "fast" pace (5:51)
   -800 x 1 at 5k pace (3:04)
   -30 second sprint x 3
* On bike - 16 mile ride
* Back to running - .33 x 4 (sub-6 pace)
Thoughts: This workout was hard to me because it was warm and sunny. Mid-80s at the start and upper-80s by the finish. I just felt so sweaty and thirsty (despite drinking water).

I had accepted that this was my fate for the next 7 months but then it got very windy and temperatures dropped 20 degrees in a single day!

Duathlon Workout #2:
* 2 mile warm up, 1.75 mile loop "fast" (5:54 pace)
* 7.5 mile bike loop x 2 (18.5mph avg)
* 1.75 mile loop w/ 1.5 min, 2.5 min, 3 min "fast" (sub 5:50)
Thoughts:  The wind was still lingering for this workout so I didn't check my paces until the end. I also did loops to balance out the head-tail-cross winds. Even though wind can be frustrating, I prefer it to the unquenchable thirst that accompanies heat.

Duathlon Workout #3:
* 15 min on trainer ending w 2.5 minute "sprint"/30 sec RI x 2
* Straight outside - 1.6 mile loop at 5k effort (6:07 pace)
* On bike - 21 mile ride (19.5mph, as good as it gets with street lights)
* Back to running - same 1.6 mile loop at 5k effort (6:07)
Thoughts:  I didn't look at my paces while running so it's a coincidence that it took me the exact same time each time to run the loop. I would love 6:07 to be my future 5k pace BUT I MUST NOT RUN THAT PACE IN THE RACE.

The challenge for me is going to be pacing.
This is why I cannot forget my goal: finish strong.

My second challenge will be transitions. I am always very slow in transitions. Yesterday, I ran with the kids to our local tri-store to buy no-tie laces.  I am hoping not fumbling with laces can save me some seconds.



This is not the first time I am going to attempt these.
Now, I just need to not be lazy and put them in my shoes BEFORE the race so that I can practice with them.

On our way to the tri store, we stopped at the park.
A young girl was very interested in Hayden. They quickly became an item.


But it was short-lived.




Next week the temperatures will be in the 90s.
This time of year is awkward because even though it is uncomfortably warm in the afternoons, it is still too dark to workout before work.  I am glad that I got these three workouts in - the next few weeks will be more about acclimating rather than accelerating.

Desert Classic Duathlon Race Report

On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this race a 3.  I didn't have a bad race nor a great race.
I did much better than last year (7th overall female instead of 21st) but I made some technical errors and struggled on the bike - AGAIN.

This race really is good at making me feel like a sub-par cyclist.

Things started off great.  It was cold at the start, but nowhere near as cold as last time.  I was a bit intimidated by all the fancy bikes, but not nervous or anxious.  I was in the mood to run and bike.



The race begins on slightly-inclined road for a half mile to the trail.  I started off very fast - not sure how fast because I did not wear a Garmin.  However, once I got on the trail, I settled into a comfortable pace.  The first run was 3.65 miles and I averaged 6:37 with ease.

Most of the bikes were still in the transition when I arrived.  I ran up my row, scanning through the nearly identical bikes, but I did not see mine.   I guess I was expecting my pink handle bars to jump out at me.  I ran back down the row, scanning once again.  Then I panicked, "Where is my bike?" I asked out loud.  A second time running up the row in slow motion revealed my bike.  I simply overlooked it in a haste.
This was technical error #1.
I sat down and put on my bike shoes.  It always sucks when you have a lead and then waste the entire thing in transition.

The bike started off smoothly until it was time for water.
I have a pretty awesome drinking system designed my Mom's husband.  The system is basically a water bottle and a camelback straw that goes up to my aerobars.   The night before the race, I moved the water bottle to the back holder - I failed to get on my bike and re-adjust the straw.  When I went to drink my water during the race, I realized the straw did not reach my mouth.  
This was technical error #2.
After slowing down to fool with it, I shrugged off the incident, determined to have a strong race.  My goal was 20mph and I thought this goal was in the bag.  20mph is a comfortable pace for me.

The road was everything I remembered - hilly and windy.  But I was very satisfied with my pace. However, at Mile 17, the race entered the park.  This was a new addition - adding 10 extra miles through the park.

I struggled.
The road had loose gravel and it was bumpy.
I didn't feel comfortable on my bike.
The loose gravel made me scared to turn, so I slowed down for each turn.
And then there was wind, my worse enemy, making things even worse.

My back and neck started to hurt.  I felt tired.

In an effort to perk up, I decided to try a GU.  This is not something I normally do since I don't normally exercise for more than 2 hours.  I know, I know, I should not try anything new on race day. But the GUs were free, so I had opened one and put it in my bento box.

When I reached down to grab it, my hands emerged full of sticky GU.
I sucked on the bag to retrieve the leftover GU.  The near empty bag  then stuck to my fingers.
This was technical error #3.

Having sticky fingers was incredibly annoying so I plugged along, at a pathetic 15mph, struggling to stay upright on the gravel road, cursing into the headwind with my all my fingers crammed into my mouth as I ferociously  attempted to suck off all the GU.
I must have been a sight for sore eyes.



After what seemed like an eternity,  the road straightened out and I realized that the bike portion was almost over.  A second wave of determination came over me and I forgot about my sticky hands.

I gratefully arrived back at the transition.  My bike pace ended up being 18.5 mph.  I feel slightly embarrassed by it.  I have to wonder if the bike course was legitimately hard, or if I just mentally gave up?

Transition number 2 ended up being just as slow as transition number 1.  For some reason, I just could not get my shoes on comfortably.  There is more to this story, but lets just say:  this was technical error #4. 

I finally start running and although the weather was getting warm, I felt really good.  I passed two women and lots of men.  I would guess that I was running about a 7:30 pace.  And then, the worst thing happened - I get a stomach cramp.
Ok, Ok...it's not the "worst" thing, I could have fallen off the mountain.
But I never get stomach cramps!  Wait...except for when I try GUs.
I know I learned this in previous races so shame on me.  And,  technical error #5. 

To get rid of the side cramp, I walked up the steep hills.  This was hard for me because I am a hill runner.  I also had to go slow on the downhills.  Doing this kept the side cramp manageable but brought my run pace to a disappointing 8:15.
In any event, I finished!


Compared to last time, I did good.
Compared to my goals, I fell short.
Run 1:  This time = 6:37,  Last time = 7:15.  Goal = 6:50
Bike:  This time = 18.5mph, Last time = 17.3mph.  Goal = 20mph
Run 2:  This time = 8:15, Last time = 8:55.  Goal = 7:55.



So once again, I have my eyes set on next year.
I really don't know if this race is challenging, or if its simply challenging for ME, but regardless next time:
- I will do more long bike rides.  I only rode 40 miles once, I only rode the race distance a handful of times.
- I will do a practice ride on the course.
- I will practice fueling before the race.  Doing longer rides will give me an opportunity to do this.

My efforts got me second in my age group. I was fated for second place, even if I made no technical errors and ran to my full potential, the first place girl was a much better cyclist.


The next big race is in the end of April. It is another duathlon, but the bike is only 20 miles. I think until the kids start school, I need to set my eyes on races that under two hours. I would love to go on long bike rides or even better, long bike rides followed by runs, but even if I bend my schedule like origami, there is no way to make it happen.

On the bright side - no more 30+ mile bike rides for me!

Outfits of the Week

It has been an uneventful week.  
I squeezed in one last bike workout on Monday - 35 miles @ 20.5mph.  It was a beautiful, quiescent day that was perfect for a bike ride.

Since then, it has been extremely windy.
Every day I think, Thank goodness I am not riding my bike!
Supposedly is it supposed to calm down today </crosses fingers>.

Between tantrums, grocery shopping and trips to the park, we have been pretty much lounging around.


I did try a new yoga class but it was Yin Yoga.
I was not a fan. For half the class we just laid in the dark and stared at the ceiling!
But at least it got us out of the house. The kids it enjoyed it, especially since it meant eating food that I did not cook. I am not sure why a simple sandwich and snacks out of a bag taste better eaten somewhere else. And lettuce?! That would be thrown on the floor immediately at home.



But even a boring week provides plenty of entertainment when you have toddlers. You just never know what they are going to say or do or wear.
This week, Hayden selected one of his outfits. The choice to wear underwear in lieu of shorts is an interesting one, but at least it matches.


Brenna decided to explore my sock drawer (really, the only drawer within her reach) and discovered my purple, sparkly arm warmers. She fervently delivered them to me to place on her legs. After a year of wearing her Babyleg leg warmers on my arms, I thought this was a reasonable request.