On our group ride Sunday, we started out as a group 7 riders and by the end we were down to 4. Along the way there was a bike crash and Teresa went down. She banged her arm, leg and hand pretty good. Ian (who from this day forward shall be known as MacGyver - I believe he was actually thinking about using some chewing gum to hold the spokes in place) managed to temporarily fix her broken spokes so she could ride home. That's right ladies and gentlemen, Teresa rode home. Wynn and Wingman rode ahead to get the truck to come back to pick her up, but we wound up making it back to almost a mile from the house when Wynn pulled up. They loaded up her bike and then the remaining 4 of us (me, Crazy Mark, 'MacGyver', and Joan) made it back to the house. Teresa showed some serious warrior spirit by riding home, so we awarded her the warrior hat for the group ride. MacGyver earned the other warrior hat for his ability to repair the spokes and then he and Joan rode in front to shield Teresa from the wind. Now here's a little insight into what makes Teresa a total badass (in case the ride home wasn't clue enough):
- Teresa doesn't mow her own lawn, she stands out there and dares it to grow
- Teresa counted to infinity - twice
- When Teresa does pushups, she doesn't push herself up, she pushes the world down
- Teresa once broke the land speed record on a bike that was missing a chain and the back tire
- Teresa can sneeze with her eyes open
- Teresa ordered a Big Mac at Burger King......and got one
- Rudolph has a red nose because Teresa kicked him
- Teresa doesn't run from tornados, tornados run from Teresa
I chatted with her yesterday and she is feeling better, which is always good news because I need my running partner on her feet!!
This weekend I was supposed to do a 5k on Sunday, but the group said they were riding on Sunday and running Saturday. Itching to ride with a group (and Wingman on his new bike) I flipped my workout days. I toyed with a 4 miler in Patchogue or a 5k in Wantagh. Basically the orders came down from "The Boss" that I should do the 4 miler in Patchogue. Gotta do what "The Boss" says because she creates my workout schedules and she can make my life a living hell ;-) And yes Jen, I did see next week's schedule and that slightly resembles hell.......but I digress.
My schedules are created in Training Peaks and it's setup to email me each morning two days worth of workouts. For example, on Saturday morning I will see Saturday and Sunday's schedule. And what's nicer is I get it on my Blackberry as well. Each morning I wake up and check my email for my instructions. It's kinda like "Mission: Impossible." It usually reads (and interprets) something like:
"Good morning, Wingnut. Today's workout for Saturday, March 27, 2010:
Race: Push Hard! No holding back!!! Gun it and hold on!
You're mission, should you decide to accept it, is to PR this race.
Should you not attain this PR,
the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
This message will self destruct in 5 seconds."
Then oddly enough, I hear this:
I made it down to Patchogue and signed up. I had my Garmin GPS with me, but I could not find my heart rate monitor strap. I figured I would use the GPS just to check my pace every now and then, but otherwise, I would stick to the 'mission'. The race was starting on Main Street just in front of the St. Patrick's Day Parade (I know, I know, I can't figure out why they do a parade 10 days after the fact). As I stood around waiting for the start, I could hear a sound that I thought the Geneva Convention protected me from:
I swear it's like listening to cats mating....and please don't ask me how I know that sound. I was now dying to start the race. I finally see the starter come out to line us up. Next thing I know the horn goes off and I am on my way. All I am consumed with right now is getting away from the bagpipes. I raced down the street and was finally away from that awful noise. I was following my orders to push hard. And push is what I did. In the first mile I was thinking that there was no way I could run 4 miles. I had a bad two weeks and didn't run as much as I would have liked. But now is not the time to worry about this. I have to gun it. So I continue on my way, leary about another run in with the pipes. But alas, that would not happen.
At the first mile marker, I do a quick inventory. I checked my pace and was doing OK. Not sure I can hold it for 4, but I'll do my best to try. I didn't even really think PR at this point. I would worry about this when I get to mile 3. But for now, I move through to mile 2. The legs are still moving and I am starting to feel that disconnect between my legs and the rest of my body. I haven't felt that in a long time. It's a feeling where my legs are going, but I don't really feel it. Almost like it's no effort to run. But my heart is telling me it's quite an effort. I can feel the pounding in my chest and my mind starts to drift a little. I start to wonder what it is looking like on an ECG (yes, I still have school on the brain). At least this occupies me for the next 1/2 mile. Next thing I know I roll into mile 2 and am still feeling good. Check my pace and see I didn't slow down much.
The next mile was the challenge. I tried to focus on the race in front of me, but now I started playing the math game. I look at the time I have run so far and what I have ahead of me. Can I make it in PR time? I start flirting with the idea. If I can keep my pace or if it slows a bit, I can make it.
I am a woman on a mission. I can feel my body rally now to complete the mission. I make it through mile 3 and look at the watch. I think I can make it. I've been gunning it and now I have to hold on.
The last mile hurt a bit. I could feel my legs start to burn and my sedentary week was catching up with me. I check the GPS again and I have .4 miles to go. I check the time and realize that unless I stop and walk the rest of the way, there was nothing stopping me from my PR. Feet don't fail me now!! I can see the finish line clock ahead and begin a new race against the clock. I tried to summon up every fast-twitch fiber in my body, but it was hard to do. But I finished in fine fashion. I ran this race 1:44 faster than the 4 miler I did 2 weeks ago. Not too shabby seeing as how this was a stressful month with exams. I'm excited to see that my running times have been coming down. No time to celebrate, I had to get back to work. I found my way to the car and got out of there. I called Wingman and told him of my race. I told him I opened a can of this:
He currently owns the 4 mile record in the house, but now he hears me coming up behind him. I have it in my sights. I have another 4 mile race I want to do in April. Mark my words, I will work hard the next few weeks and make that race not only a PR, but a house record. Hmm, another Mission: Impossible?
What a wild swing this weekend. First, we had a huge improvement in the weather. And unfortunately with that comes a migraine. Friday around lunchtime I felt it coming on. I took something, but it seemed to take a long time to have any effect. I had a massage appointment that I thought about bailing on, but knew it might help me to relax. So I got there and told Tammy I wasn't feeling well. I laid down and let her do her magic. I was still for the entire hour. When she was done I was feeling better. Or so I thought. I had one last errand to run prior to going home. I had to hit Trader Joe's. When I got to the mall, I had to pull over and take a nap. I slept in the car for ~25 minutes and woke up feeling a little better. I went to the store, got my things and made my way home. Unfortunately my stomach had different ideas. I won't go into details, but I know where I can stop on the expressway so I have a large shoulder to pull onto so I can open the door and hang my head out. Very sad, I know. I finally got home and hit the couch. Wingman took care of me when he got home. I recovered just in time for our race on Saturday.
Saturday morning came along and we made our way out to Greenlawn. This was our first race of the year. I don't count the marathon in January as a 2010 race because it was on my 2009 training schedule and closed out that season. The race Saturday opened up the season. I had no idea what to expect. I had a rough idea of what I thought I would do. The course was not quite flat. It had some nice rollers to it. I wore my HRM/GPS so I could collect data about my race. When we got there it seemed real cold and windy. I didn't bring a jacket because I thought it would be warmer. I was wearing just a long sleeve shirt and running tights. It was a little too chilly for my taste to run without another top layer. So I wore my hooded sweatshirt. I knew during the race I would get a little warm, but I figured it was only 4 miles so I didn't worry. I also borrowed Wingman's gloves to keep my hands warm.
There was quite a turnout. There were ~500 people at the race. We made our way to the starting line and with all the people standing around, it seemed like there was no wind. Finally the gun goes off and I am on my way. I quickly notice there is a slight uphill to start. What sick bastard does that to me?! But I know "what goes up must come down" (OK, so I'm about to break out into "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat and Tears). And there it was, my beloved downhill. It's still early in the race and the course is a little tight. I like to look down around here so I can see people's feet so I don't trip. I start to notice the street getting darker. Hmm, looks wet. Oh no, is that rock salt? Oh crikey!! Ice on the road!! So I walk through this section because deep down inside I am an 85 year old woman that fears breaking her hip. But I digress.
I get through the icy section without an incident and continue. I didn't look down at my Garmin GPS because I was trying to focus on running by feel. As long as I felt OK, the pace was fine. I didn't want to get caught up in the numbers. When I got to mile marker 1, there was a person there calling out times. Normally I don't like to know, but this time I listened. When they called out the time I thought "Zoinks!! I'm going a little faster than I thought (about 40 seconds faster)". I tried to focus on feeling good and keeping the feet moving. The course had some nice gently rolling hills to it. At this point I ran with my head up. I could see what was coming. I seemed to handle the course well, but as the race went on, I could feel my heart rate pin waaaaaay up in the red zone on the hills. I was hoping that the end was near. And I mean the race, not my life, though there are some days............. again, I digress.
The last mile was rough. You had to pass the school where the race started and I really wanted to cheat and cut back into the parking lot. But I knew I had to gut it out. I certainly did slow down the last mile a bit. At this point I started playing the math game. This is where you are looking at the GPS to see how much more you have to run and what time you think you can do it in. If could maintain a certain pace, I could finish under a certain time. It now became a race against the clock.
The school was in sight. Look at the watch. Get to the corner to cross to the school. Look at the watch. Feet don't fail me now. Look at the small incline to the school parking lot. Look at the watch. Now I am on flat land and my eyes are fixed on the official time. Can I make it? Legs are pumping and I'm almost doing the Paula Radcliffe head bob. It's a stare down of the race clock. Can I make it? Who will reign supreme? Heart is pumping, ready to explode. Legs are trying to carry me. I almost feel like I am running in quicksand. The line is getting closer. I finally make it across the line. 12 seconds under the specific time I plotted during the last half mile. Overall, I ran it about 1:30 faster than I thought I would.
I waited for Wingman to come through. After he was done, we made our way over to the post race food. My stomach was grumbling and I wanted a banana. I grabbed one and couldn't find the Wingman. He was on the soup line. Wait a minute?! There's soup here? And it was good soup. Chicken rice with potato and carrots. Mmmmm, hot soup is really tasty after a race in the cold.
Overall I have to say I am pleased with the race. Nothing like a good race to bring back my running mojo. Next race up is in Kings Park. It's a 15k (9.3 miles) that is described as challenging and hilly. I've run parts of the course with Teresa so I have an idea of what is there. It's a beast and I'm being called a Masochist for running it. I hope I live to tell that tale..........
This morning the Wingman and I got up early so we could ride outside before work. The bags were packed the night before so all we had to do was load the bikes and bags in the car and head over to 'Rachel' and Teresa's house so they could join us. Ian and Joan would not be riding with us as they are in sunny, warm Arizona. We had a route planned out, but my fear of black ice made us change up the route. Also, this was to be Teresa's maiden voyage using Look pedals. She's tried them on the trainer, but on the road is another story. Once she clipped in, we were on our way. We decided to head south on CR111 towards CR51. The temps were perfect for winter riding. We were dressed in just the right amount of layers to be comfortable, but not look like a little kid that is packed into a snow suit:
We barely made it to CR51 when I hit a bump and launched my water bottle. Wingman was kind enough to stop and pick it up. Once I reloaded, we caught up with Wynn and Teresa. The ride down 51 to the county center was nice. The shoulders are nice and wide so if you want to ride along side someone you can. I kept thinking how nice it was and that I would have loved to be riding all day. Perhaps the tailwind had something to do with that. We got to the county center before we knew it. Teresa practiced unclipping and clipping back in in the parking lot. After a few minutes, we were on our way back home. And Mt. Ventoux was looming ahead. I did notice through the trees that there were some ice fishermen. If I didn't have to work I would have gone home to get the camera and then head back to take some shots. That thought distracted me enough from the approach to my old nemesis. I started to worry about my legs being tired from yesterday's hilly run and how they would handle the hill. I started the climb next to Teresa and told her we'd meet again at the top. I stood up and got a little speed going (and I mean a little speed, not a lot). I made it to the top feeling pretty good. Wynn and Wingman were waiting at the top for us. When Teresa made it up, we were off again. Since we had some flat road, I took out my little camera and grabbed a few shots:
I forgot to put the wrist strap on so it was
floating in the photo
The sun shining down on Teresa
Teresa in hot pursuit of the guys
The Wingman and my helmet
We did well until we got back to CR111. We had to ride back to the house in a headwind. It seemed like slow going but before we knew it, we were back at their house and of course we had the obligatory group shot to pose for:
Wingman tried to pull a fast one on us. Both he and Teresa got new bikes for Valentine's Day (Wynn, how did we not get new bikes?). Wingman is under the illusion that the purchaser of the new bike is responsible for keeping it clean. Of course I strongly disagree with that logic. He attempted to get Teresa on his side but I quickly alerted Wynn to what those two were up to and I think we squashed any idea of added maintenance. As usual, we enjoyed our training ride with our Warrior training buddies. We have some fun summer training rides planned. I also put the bug in Teresa's ear for the Bermuda Triangle Challenge in January 2012. Sorry Wynn ;-)
Wingman and I quickly packed the bikes up and headed to work. It was a long day and now I have some reading to do before class tomorrow. No rest for the weary............
Wingman and I just finished watching the women's Curling match on TV between the USA and Great Britain. I believe it was back in 2002 during the Salt Lake City games when we got hooked on Curling. Unfortunately in the US it's not on TV so we have to wait every four years in order to watch. The match tonight wen to an extra end to decide the winner. The US team came back from 2 stones down to win, 6-5.
This morning I ventured out to Kings Park to meet up with Teresa and her homeboys Wynn and Crazy Mark to run the course for a race that is coming up in a few weeks. I knew going into it that I would not be able to run the full course (9.3 miles), but we managed 7 miles today. Let me tell you, that course is wicked hilly. Teresa carried the map and off we went. The beginning was real easy. Perhaps starting out downhill had something to do with it. About 1 mile in is where the first hill comes into play. We managed to get up without an issue and I was thinking "Hey, this course isn't so bad." We chatted away and the miles seemed to float by. Then we made "the turn." There is a road named Kohr Road that we renamed "whore road." What a hill to climb. As we made our way up, I couldn't see where it ended. When I thought we were at the top, I looked right and said to Teresa "oh crap, don't look to your right." The street continues upward after a bend to the right. Finally we got to the top and found our running rhythm again. I think we faired pretty well overall. I originally thought I was going to bail after 5-6 miles, but I made it through 7, which is pretty good seeing as how I am not running very well these days. I was worried about slowing Teresa down, but she didn't seem to mind. She has become my running muse. I seem to run well when I run with her. I will join her again next weekend to tackle the same course. The group was kind enough to agree to start earlier in the morning for me so I can run longer and then get to work on time. I'm mulling the idea of signing up for the race. I'll see how I do next weekend on the course and take it from there.
Tomorrow some of my fellow Warriors (Wynn and Teresa) will be riding with the Wingman and I in the morning before I head out to work. After Wingman's bike fitting the other night, he is eager to get riding again. The order for his new bike has been placed and we should have it by mid/late April. In the meantime, he'll have to make do with his current ride.
So I have talked about my Wingman in my posts, but I am not sure I have given much insight into how important he is to me. Perhaps you can gather that from my posts, but just in case, here goes:
He hasn't complained that almost all of our vacations over the last 6 years have revolved around races....
When I decided to stop working and return to school full time, he stood by me........
He has an uncanny ability to know when I am about to get myself into trouble (such as walking into a bike shop alone) and calls me. I swear I think he's psychic.......
He spends his weekends running or riding with me as I train for races.....
He gets up early on race days and packs my bike and bags in the car (and only occasionally reminds me that I made him get up early on his day off)......
When I come home from school or work too tired to cook, he takes me out.......
When I am sick, he brings me my favorite pillow and quilt so I can be comfortable on the couch.....
He's smart enough to know that power tools and I are a bad combination so I have been forbidden from touching them.......
Even though many of my ideas are probably crazy, he will rarely tell me so......
He reminds me daily that I can do anything I set my mind to......
He greets me with a smile each morning when I wake up and each night when he comes home.....
He laughs at my stupid jokes......
When my legs, back or neck is sore, he will rub them until I feel better.....
He understands my needs for new toys (as long as he is the recipient of my hand-me-downs).....
Hopefully now you have a good idea of what a wonderful person my Wingman is. I probably couldn't do 1/2 of what I do without his support.
What goes "Run, cough, walk.......Run, cough, walk....."? That would be me this morning. I met up with my fellow training partners - Wingman, Teresa, Ian and Joan (Wynn was already out running) - for a 1 hour trail run. After yesterday's ride, I felt really wiped out and thought about bailing before the run today. But when I woke up this morning I thought "wow, I feel great!" So at High Noon we met up and headed out for a 1 hour trail run. Teresa led the way. Once we got to the trail, we started to "run". We went nice and easy, but the coughing started immediately. I would stop to walk at each ice patch in the trail to ease my throat and then resume running. But when running resumed, so did the cough. I think I actually lasted ~20 minutes at most. Phew. The rest of the time was spent walking the trails. This was the 2nd workout that I fell off the back of the pack. I just don't have it yet, as I was reminded last night in a 'scolding' email from Jen. She reminded me to not go out so hard and just ease into the workouts. And I figured that out after 20 minutes of attempted running. See, I can catch on quick.
I had a brief scare at one point. I stopped to turn around to see where the Wingman was and I saw him standing with his pants down around his ankles. My first thought was "WTF is he doing?!?!" But then I realized he was taking off his sweatpants and had running shorts underneath. How a real warrior runs.
One thing I forgot to mention about riding yesterday with the crew. Joan doesn't take kindly to Wheel Suckers. So consider yourself warned if you ever go riding with them. She won't give a warning shot. You have to ask yourself do you feel lucky, well, do you, punk?
After the run, we bid adieu to our friends and hit the supermarket and then home before the Jets game. Now I am on the couch bundled up waiting for my beloved Jets. If they can win today, and that is a big if, they will play in the superbowl in two weeks. Hopefully this week will bring me better health. It's my last week off before school starts. Zoinks!
Today we went out for a ride outside. The weather was nice (for January) and we rallied our fellow warriors for a ride. Poor Teresa was under the weather today and unable to ride. We went to Ian and Joan's house to meet up with Wynn. Ian had a ~20 mile loop planned out for us. I was thinking "I haven't really been riding for a while. But I can manage 20 miles easy." Famous last words. For the last week I have been battling a cough while recovering from the marathon. I wound up struggling to stay with the group and quite often was off the back.
We started out nice and easy. And then I heard a crack sound. My jacket pocket was open and my cell phone fell out. So Wingman and I stopped to pick it up. The group waited ahead for us and we caught up again. I could feel a little fatigue early on and my nose was running like crazy. But otherwise I was doing OK. Wingman showed some early promise. He stood up and blew right by me. I thought I heard his sonic boom as he broke the sound barrier (or maybe it was just gas).
I was worried because coming later on in the ride was my nemesis, 'Mt. Ventoux' (CR 51). I have to say I was a little worried about the hill. It would appear around mile 14/15 in this ride. But as Wynn told me earlier in the week, I had to HTFU and just ride up. Before we got there, I could start to feel the heat. I was dressed well for the weather, but I started to heat up now. I stripped the gloves and put them away. I even unzipped part of my jacket. And there it was staring down at me, Mt. Ventoux.
Oddly enough, I made it up OK. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But needless to say, I was getting pooped. At this point the rest of the ride was flat, but I felt bad because I felt like I was slowing the group down. All along CR 51 I was coughing and it slowed me down. I just had this nagging feeling like a tickle/irritation in the back of my throat and it would force me to cough to clear it. I think after a few more outdoor rides I will be ready to roll with my fellow warriors! It was impressive to watch Ian and Joan on the tandem. They looked so smooth and effortless in their pedaling. I am trying to convince them to get this bad boy:
Badass Tandem
We made it safely back to Ian and Joan's with no mishaps or flat tires. We avoided all loose debris on the rode and we kept the rubber side down. Ian and Joan prepared lunch for us and Teresa stopped by to join us. She was feeling a little bit better and said she will be ready to run tomorrow.
