My First Marathon (x2)

This one seems a bit short because there's been the race report and the recovery video report, but... After the race we drove home from Grand Rapids on Monday and I had a 90 minute massage, which was wonderful.  Tuesday I ran an easy 4 while the PBT crew was on the track.  I wandered off the Monon and ended up getting deeper into a neighborhood than planned and had to walk quite a bit after I shut down the run when I was supposed to.  Wednesday was TRX and then pool time with my swim coach for the first time in a while.  I feel like my stroke is still a giant mess, but I continue working on it.  Thursday I went for an easy ride - which was also the first ride (maybe this year) without wind.  Friday I had a successful "ride the bull" swim, but it was the "easy setting" version of the bull ride.  Saturday I rode 20 miles with David, Swati, and Matt R then went to a sun salutations workshop at Kompose.  Oh!  I got new wheels for the bike! ...

I've never done a video entry before and I'm not super savvy with any of it, but here's a video update on this week's recovery from Sunday's 70.3.

Sunday (6/11) was my third 70.3 and the first time I did a 70.3 that was not Ironman branded.  I love the Grand Rapids tri (I did the Olympic last year) so I felt comfortable doing a non-branded race.  It is also the USAT Athena/Clydesdale championship race and so that is appealing since there is special attention to detail for the national champion athletes. David and I drove up to Grand Rapids/Ada on Saturday after I did a little shakeout brick at home, showered, and loaded the car.  We stopped at Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend for lunch on the way up since I hadn't been to SB in a while and I love that place.  I talked to coach Matt about the race on the way up and then we went to packet pickup at the Amway Spaulding campus.  I weighed in, got my packet, and we headed to the hotel.  We found a great restaurant called the Twisted Rooster for dinner and I had pork lollipops for dinner...so amazing.  We also split a gluten free chocolate cake/mousse/...

The Grand Rapids half Ironman distance race (1.2 mi swim, 56 mile ride, 13.1 mile run) is in a week.  I am trying to be positive and working though impostor syndrome, but I will get right in the head this week. The past three weeks recap: M: uninspired swim and lifting T: quality work.  Ran it hard, which I needed mentally but probably didn't help physically. W: Rode before hanging out at the track.  Felt good.  Rode hard.  Evening swim was uninspired. T: Death slog run in the morning.  It was humid and my legs were cooked.  I took it off life support at 30 min.  Went to yoga in the evening and that helped. F: swim. S: Paced Geist half marathon.  Right on 12:30 pace.  Had fun.  Weather was the best we've had for Geist.  Amazed I could run and keep on pace after Thursday when I wasn't sure what was up. S: 50 mile ride.  Tested the new aerobars but they weren't fitted yet.  There was wind.  That has been t...

Three weeks ago my finish at Carmel was good and I was excited about TourdeLOU, my trip to NYC coming up and the start of tri season. Week 1 Monday: swim 2350 Tuesday: easy 6 run Wednesday: 2200 swim, 24.2 mile ride (progression)...well, until the wind shifted anyway, then more effort with less speed Thursday: bike commute (~9.5 mi each way), and TRX Friday: swim 2200 Saturday: I finally scheduled things too tight to make a run (especially a long run) work.  But I was at the ordination/consecration of the 11th bishop of Indianapolis, so it was cool. Sunday: TourdeLOU 100K ride with David.  Lots of wind, a little rain, lots of cray people. Week 2 Monday: Warm up to lift, lifting by myself at the Y, cool down. Tuesday: AM predator run (7 miles total) since I was working in the evening Wednesday: 2200 yard swim, 17.5 mile ride on the trainer (thanks cold rain) Thursday: 13.7 mi trainer ride (thanks rain) and TRX Friday: switched long run since I was headed to N...

Late last year I decided that David and I would ride the metric century (100K/62 miles) at the TourdeLOU that is part of the Kentucky Derby Festival.  I thought it would be a good way to start riding around Louisville some.  But with the weather this spring, April 30th came pretty quick as far as outdoor riding goes.  Pretty sure 37 miles on Easter was the farthest either of us had ridden in a single ride this year.  We both got some good wind training on Wednesday as David was out on City Loop with Phoenix and I was on a solo ride from Westfield to Sheridan and back when the wind associated with a storm front rolled in. The weekend was pretty full with the Ordination and Consecration of the 11th (Episcopal) Bishop of Indianapolis on Saturday and I was serving in one of the processions, so I needed to be there pretty early.  But with the storms Saturday morning (noticing a theme?) and the Y not opening until 7 to treadmill run I thought I would be able to get ...

Somewhere in this block we went from cool and windy/raining to unseasonably warm...sometimes with wind (or rain).  In any case, it was time for me to break out tank tops and have Blake at Runners Forum get me this: I think I might have enough for the season.  But at least one is hanging out in my emergency race kit in my car.  It's also good for when you're wearing boy shorts under a dress :D. Anyway, the log: 3/27: 2400 yd swim 3/28: 6 miles moderate (30 sec per mi faster than easy) run 3/29: 2150 yd swim and some killer 5/10/15/10/5 bike intervals where I died 3/30: 9.5 my bike trainer ride that felt awful and strength for athletes where I discovered my TFL 3/31: 2500 yd swim 4/1: 12 mile run with a fast finish.  The inner monologue was amusing, but it got it done.  Yoga for runners too.  First time at Kompose with Toni and I like it. 4/2: 27 mi ride at Crown Hill - 12 min intervals with Swati and David chasing me.  Also lif...