Saturday, September 28, 2013

Heart Rate Training

I recently used PolarPersonalTrainer to create an 'improve my fitness' training plan to start heart rate training. I've set up the three basic workouts--hilly run, intervals, long run--in my HRM watch. I'm still learning the tricks of getting it to work right. Apparently I have to pick a time or a distance for each zone or else it record everything as just the first zone. I wish I'd picked one that downloads workouts to the watch. At least I did (accidently) figure out how to easily merge my uploaded workouts with my planned workouts. Click, drag, and drop on top. I'm on week 2 of 4; there are 3 workouts/week, and I've done 4 workouts. I've written off the first long run as a loss, and I still need to do this week's. I was supposed to do it this afternoon (Friday the 27th), but I got into a rut at work and really didn't feel like going out. My bike ride home was surprisingly chilly and windy (out of the north). It might snow this weekend? Guess I've gotta suck it up and go out in the morning.  I almost said "...run in the morning" but keeping my heart rate in the target zones means lots of walking, little running. I know it will work though if I just have patience. So I guess I'd better shut up and go to bed.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Hiking, Running, and Swimming in Italia and Turkiye

 
Top: View of Italian mountains from hotel balcony. We hiked one a bit farther north...after we walked to it. Then once we got back down to the bottom, we ran back towards the hotel.
Bottom: The beach at the Mediterranean as seen from the street.
 


Turkey: "Heaven" A church deep in a ravine, at the mouth of a cave, where early Christians hid and worshipped. Going down wasn't too bad, but the hike back up? !!! I counted well over 200 steps up, of varying heights. I thought I had some pictures that gave a better idea of the height, but I can't find them.

I only know that it's deeper than I am tall. Beautiful!

It really is easier to float in salt water. But it's not easier to swim when there are big swells. Obviously there weren't any in this bay, but the water was rather chilly in this spot.
 
It was easier to run at sea level. It also felt a lot hotter thanks to all the humidity! Nevertheless I did a couple of afternoon runs in Turkey of 1.5 - 2mi. Not to be confused with having the runs, which I also dealt with in Turkey. :-|

Live.Love.Tri. Report


"Live well. Love more. Tri hard."

It's high time for my race report.

The week leading up to the race was busy and somewhat stressful. Friday night I stayed up way too late getting ready for the race. DH was going to go with me this time, but he stayed up even later (nervous about waking up in time) and ended up being way too tired to go. When my alarm went off, I really didn't want to get up. I reminded myself that I'd paid to do this, so I had to do it to not waste the money. So I went by myself. I don't like being up before the sun; it just seems wrong to wake up -- and be out and about -- when it's still dark.

I got to the race site, got my bike off the rack and my bag out of the car and realized that I didn't have my helmet. I'd taken it off my bike the night before, so it wouldn't get in the way when my husband put my bike of the rack on the car. Instead of putting my helmet straight into the car, I put it into the house thinking something like 'Of course I'll remember it in the morning.'  I nearly cried when I realized I'd left my helmet at home, nearly bawled like a baby. There wasn't time to go back home and get it.

I decided to go on up to the start and see if someone had a helmet I could borrow. Failing that I'd volunteer to help. May as well stay and do something. On the way to start, I passed a sign that said "Remember, you paid money to do this!" I almost cried again.

FORTUNATLEY, someone had a helmet I was able to borrow! Yay! I was so happy! I took my stuff to transition and set up. Later I saw my old boss -- his wife was doing the tri too. I mentioned about my helmet, and he said he had an extra. But by then I didn't need one. (Yay.)

 

 I had been forewarned that the course would be hilly, but as race day drew closer and I slacked on training, I started to be in denial about it. Just how hilly could it be? Albuquerque's so flat; well it's on a slant, but still. HA! Not only was the course hilly, but a good chunk of the run was in soft dirt! Too bad I couldn't take my phone w/me--not that I think I'd have stopped and taken a picture. I mostly walked up the hills and ran down. On the last leg of the run I met up with my old boss again who cheered me on then passed me pushing his kids in a jog stroller.  :-P  It was uphill again into transition then a lovely downhill ride into the street...

... only to have to drop gears for a big hill. O_O   I saw a couple of women walking their bikes up it. I thought about it but decided to tough it out, and I dropped me gears to 1-1 and slowly pedaled up that hill. And that wasn't the only hill I had to climb in that gear ratio!  Fortunately the "back" part of the out-and-back route was more downhill.  There was one part where I turned a corner and saw a big hill ahead of me. I wanted to cry; then I realized I didn't have to climb it--the route turned. Yay! (again)  As I approached transition again, I was behind a woman who was going rather slowly, even though it was downhill. I would have passed her, but there was traffic passing us, plus cars parked on the side of the road, so I wasn't comfortable with the space, plus I wasn't sure where the turn in was and didn't want to overshoot it, so I stayed behind her. 

I parked my bike back on the rack, pulled off my shirt and shorts and ran to the pool. As I dropped into the water (the deep end! caught me off guard) I realized I'd left my goggles in transition. Duh. The lanes were 25 meters long. I was used to swimming 25 yard lengths. It was hard; I did a lot of backstroke. I finished the race in 1:58:30.3. Just under 2 hours. They did have finisher's medals! I wasn't sure if they would, it being a small race. Cute bracelets.



After a bit, I turned in the borrowed helmet and bought a t-shirt and necklace. Then I went home, took a shower, and took a nap. And probably some allergy medicine. My allergies have been killing me this season what with all the rain making stuff grow.  Achoo. Overall it was a good race, and I would do it again if I were going to be here next August. I don't think it's such a good course for a first race, unless you're used to running &/or biking hills like that. I think the Girls Tri Too race was better for that, shorter and shallow water.

Live. Love. Tri.

It's high time for my race report.

The week leading up to the race was busy and somewhat   [AARGH, I typed a whole bunch last night, hit "save" TWICE, and it's all gone!!]