Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

Archives for January 2013

Changing the plan…

I was hopeful that an illness that was bothering me over the weekend wouldn’t put me off my plan but that was wishful thinking. After a terrible night’s sleep, I missed my morning workout and am off my game at work. I hate missing workouts but don’t want to prolong my illness either.  So I am changing things up a bit and hope to be back at things full tilt tomorrow
Here are the changes:
Monday: Yoga + hip and core exercises
Tuesday: Distance focus swim 3200 yd Skipped
6 mile fartlek run Instead of going outside in the cold to run hard I think I will do 60 min on the elliptical at the gym
Wednesday: 90 min spin class
Yoga/Pilates Class Easy yoga at home with this guys help:













Thursday: 60’ progression Run
Swim: Masters swim 2700 yds
Friday: 90 min spin class
Strength session
Saturday: 2.5 hour bike ride (snow forecasted, hello trainer)
Sunday: 15 mile run
Strength Session
If I can I would like to get in an extra swim this weekend to make up for missing this morning. Last year I skipped a lot of swims and paid for it on IM race day.
Do you change up your plan when you are sick? Take a bunch of time off or stick to the plan? 

Ironman Lake Tahoe Training Week 2

I was excited to hear this weekend that one of my favorite pro triathletes is starting to offer coaching to all level of triathletes. Beth is a pretty kick ass athlete and still works as a school psychology, major props to her.
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Check out her site for Reve Endurance if I didn’t already have a coach that I loved working with I would totally sign up in a heart beat!

After being kicked in the head this weekend by a virus I am taking full advantage of todays rest day. I am hopeful that I will be recovered enough to get all the rest of my training on the schedule in for the rest of the week. This week looks a lot like last week. I think this will be the recipe for my base building phase that will make up the bulk of my training. Coach defines Base Building as:
The BASE BUILDING PHASE is used to build the aerobic capacity. Although
longer duration workouts at slower pace and intensity are predominant, there
will be some training that will test your anaerobic base. Specific emphasis will
be placed upon each discipline (swim, bike, or run). Depending upon when
you begin your training schedule and your level of fitness, the Base Building
Phase generally makes up the bulk of your training schedule

So this is ‘hopefully’ what my week will look like (pending not getting any sicker)
Monday: Yoga + hip and core exercises
Tuesday: Distance focus swim 3200 yd
6 mile fartlek run
Wednesday: 90 min spin class
Yoga/Pilates Class
Thursday: 60’ progression Run
Swim: 2700 yds
Friday: 90 min spin class

Strength session
Saturday: 2.5 hour bike ride (snow forecasted, hello trainer)

Sunday: 15 mile run

Strength Session

Weekly Total: ~17 hrs

Other things I need to focus on this week is setting myself up for success for the rest of the semester (starting next week and ending mid May). I have been trying to get back into a routine with work and training. Now I need to make sure that I am as organized as I can be now because free time will be extremely limited once classes start. What does your week look like?

January 2013 Goals

 In an attempt to get to my BIG 2013 Resolutions I think it’s helpful to make monthly goals. I am a few days behind but that’s ok better late than never, riiiiight.
January is a hard time to train, it’s cold and dark 80% of the time. But it’s time to get after it anyway. Time to invest in cold weather gear to ride in and get used to the trainer again. Anyway here are some goals I would like to achieve in January:
1.       Train no less than 45 hours total for the month
2.       Miss no more than 3 planned workouts
3.       Don’t buy food out more than twice (traveling doesn’t count) I did this way too much in Dec. and it’s not good for the wallet or the waist!
4.       Blog at least 20 times (5 times a weekish) this is to work on the consistent
5.       Get organized before classes start and stay on schedule
6.       Take more pictures
There it is, hopefully January won’t hold any surprises for me, until then I will be dreaming of palm trees and Miami ING Half Marathon

Ironman Lake Tahoe Training Week 1!!!

Good morning everyone, today was my first day to wake up back at 4:20am, it was a little painful after a week and a half vacation from work and super early alarms. It will get easier as the week goes on but it’s always a little bit of a shock. It’s already Wednesday (whaaaaaat?) but I thought I would list this weeks workouts since it’s my first week in base training for Ironman Lake Tahoe. I have a long way to go so it’s time to get after it!
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Monday: 2000 m swim with short transition to 2 hour bike ride brick
Tuesday: 13.2 mile run
Wednesday: 90 min spin class
Yoga/Pilates Class
Thursday: 60’ Tempo Run
Swim: 2900 yds
Friday: 75 minute spin  
Strength session
Saturday:
Swim/Bike Brick:Swim – 2500 yds, short transition 75’ on a spin bike
Sunday: 14 mile endurance run
Strength Session

Hungover Half Marathon

Happy New Year! I hope you have recovered from all the fun you had last night and a ready to take on the new year. Cory and I slept in and then set out for our tradition of running a half marathon on New Years day. There isn’t an official half in Colorado (that we know of) so for the last two years we have just ran a self supported 13.1 mile on a local trail. This year we decided that we really wanted to get up into the mountains. It was only 12 degrees so we tried to dress warm loaded up our hydration packs and headed out. DSCN7725.JPG

Two hats, two pairs of pants and two coast kept things from being two cold but I won’t go so far as to say that I was “warm”. But the trail was beautiful and the sun was shining so I can’t complain. We were even sheltered from the wind by the heavy cover of trees.

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It was difficult to eat and drink well on the run because our water and food froze. Luckily the view was worth it!

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The plan for tonight is to eat a new chicken curry slow cooker recipe (will share if it’s good) relax and get ready to go back to reality tomorrow.

What did you do on your first day of the year? Do you go back to work tomorrow?

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