Mad Max Weekend November 28, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentI over did it a little this weekend. 
Not too bad, really. I spent most of it at my mom’s so I used her house as my base of operations. She lives close to Bonelli where I did my two tris and it’s a great area to run and ride in. But now I have a few days to rest up.
Thanksgiving – Ran 10K out to Puddingstone and then took Hobbes out for a 35 mile spin (couple of loops around Puddingstone on the bike as well). It was a great day in So Cal, sunny and warm and tons of people out riding and running in preparation for a guilt free day of Turkey eating.
Friday – Ran 4 miles and then took Hobbes out for another 35 mile ride. This time, I was a little tired so I decided not to do any hills. Yes, I got lazy. ;P It was a little cooler on Friday, but not bad.
Saturday – Just riding so I did a 45 mile ride. This day was a compromise…1 loop around Puddingstone for a little bit of hills and then the rest was pretty flat. I rode out past the Irwindale Speedway and the dam and was laughing to myself. I used to think that trip out there was far in a car and here I was doing it on a bike! I saw tons of cyclists that day because the dam is the start of one of the river bike trails. I was tempted to jump on it but didn’t. It will be great though for when I start training for a century. When I got home from my ride, I did some housework for my mom and then rode to the Top Speed Running and the LBS and then home for another 15 miles. So 60 miles total on Sat.
Sunday – Ran 10K and then rode my mountain bike over to my mom’s. I’m spending the next few days there as well for family stuff. My sister and my nephew Max are here. My nieces aren’t here though. 
They stayed in AZ with their dad so they wouldn’t miss any school. Mad Max, the little peanut, is growing like a weed. I think he has runner’s legs for sure.
After the last four days, I am a little tired and will be glad for to “rest” for the next couple of days. No swimming, no weights, and less riding. Which is a bummer but family comes first. I did ride to work today but that will be it. And tomorrow is the funeral so I’ll just go for a 5 mile run in the morning.
Oh, I did go a little overboard on the shopping this weekend. A new pair of Brooks running shoes, new gloves, and yes, gasp, yes, a heart rate monitor.
I am thankful for… November 23, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentI tried an experiment at the gym this morning. After my swim (1000) and weight set (chest & back), I decided to see if I could lift the amount of weight I lost. They did this on the Biggest Loser last night and I wanted to see what if felt like too. I went over to the weight rack and they didn’t have one that much (130) so I decided to try 100 lbs. Couldn’t lift it off the rack! Tried 90, then 80, and finally was able to lift the 70 lb one off the rack (without injuring myself or anyone else 
). Couldn’t do much with it and that got me thinking… I weighed 70 pounds more than I do right now when I started running! How did I do that? My poor body. I think I’m going to do this periodically so I’ll never forget how hard it was for my body to carry so much weight.
Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought I would list the things that I am thankful for. I’ve had a truly amazing and mind boggling year and I have A LOT to be grateful for. I am thankful:
I am healthy (!!!!) and happy.
I can swim, bike, and run more than I ever thought possible.
My parents, grandfather, sister, nieces and nephew are all happy and healthy as well.
My sister tried one more time and Max was born without any complications.
I found the world of tri and Trifuel in particular.
I have a clean, warm pool available 24 hrs and all year to swim in.
I live in So Cal where we have gorgeous weather that lets run & bike outside all year.
I make it to/from work safely everyday and the rest of the bike commuters do as well.
I had enough overtime this summer to buy Hobbes!
For my fellow trifuelers who have encouraged me thru my newbie-ness.
For my fellow trifuelers who inspire me to strive and endure and reach higher.
For my fellow trifuelers who offer tips, advice, articles and charts. And who generously share their experiences here and in the forums.
I wanted to thank you all and tell you how much I appreciate your help and support because it cannot be said to often. We had another loss in our family this week. The second one this month and it brought to mind this quote. I am sure you all know this, but just thought I would give you a gentle reminder.
"Do not keep the alabaster box of your friendship sealed up until your friends are dead. Fill their lives with sweetness. Speak approving, cheering words while their ears can hear them, and while their hearts can be thrilled and made happier. The kind of things you mean to say when they are gone, say before they go." ~George W. Childs, 1829-1894-American Publisher, Philanthropist
A rumbly November 22, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentMy run this morning was a little sluggish. I didn’t feel so spry this morning. Maybe the weekend finally caught up to me? I felt like I was going so slow but when I finished, it was right on target. A little faster actually. I didn’t cool down this morning because I had to run straight for my apartment. Yep, stomach issues again! And I only had a gel before heading out. How will I be able to do a half marathon if I can’t eat anything before it? At least the ride to work was a cool 50 degrees under Simpson skies. No drop in energy for that. After the ride home tonight, I will be doing Pilates!
Yesterday, when I was at the gym, there were flyers posted about a man who had kidnapped a woman in the area and raped her. I didn’t really think about it at the time, just noted what he looked like and that he had a dragon tat. This morning, as I was running, the flyer popped into my head again, especially when the newspaper guy slowed his car as he was coming by me to throw a paper on a lawn. The first rule for women runners is always be aware of your surroundings. I would say that I do that when I run. I would love to get an ipod now that I’m starting to run farther but would I still pay attention? Or would I get so caught up in the music I missed hearing a car or a dog or something. I tend to get lost in music. I can’t hear music without wanting to move or sing. Anyway…my friends and family always make a weird grunting sound when I mention running or riding at night or before sunrise. I know the guys are dying to tell me that I shouldn’t do it, but they don’t. I try not to talk about it anymore. Ignorance is bliss, right? My mom is convinced I only run in broad daylight…and probably with a body guard. ;P I’ve never been nervous about working out alone and would never let it stop me. I do change my route so I’m not running in deserted areas but I refuse to let “evil” people out there keep me from doing my favorite things. Can't live in fear, right?
Oh, almost forgot…here are some photos of the route from the ride. So you can see what it's like where I live and where Kylie is moving to.
Rewind November 21, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentOk, I have to back up for a second. I already talked about riding this weekend. Now I have talk about running. So Friday night, I ran 3 miles at what was supposed to be race pace. I’ve been using Jack Daniel’s VDOT formulas (Thanks Libor ) to figure out what I should be doing on each of my runs. I found the VDOT based on my 5K race (34) and I’ve been training at my goal (36) so I should have done the run at 9:15 miles. But knowing I was going to ride 50 miles on Saturday, I backed off a little and ran them at 9:30. Still, a good run.
Saturday, you know, was the ride. It was actually a little longer – 53+ miles. With the ride there and home, I ended up riding a total of 62 miles that day! And felt tired, but great that night. Sleep came quite easily.
Sunday I did the 8 mile run! And it was a blast! Me dancing around… This time I stuck to the easy pace for the 36 VDOT and ran it at 10:36 pace. And you know what? I finished it almost the same time I did that 7 mile run last weekend. I would say my effort felt the same but last weekend I was slower. Probably because I was still recovering from that cold. Last week, I was a little worried about being able to stick to my goals for the Half, but now I’m feeling great about it. Right after I finished the run, I rode Hobbes over to my mom’s (11 miles) to take my grandfather to a meeting. And felt really good when I got there. In fact, my legs felt better last night than even a non-running day. How cool is that? All, in all, a really, really good training weekend for me. Could not be happier at the moment. 8 miles! Ha ha…I can remember when 8 miles was my WEEKLY total.
This morning, I rode to the gym, swam 1000, did weights for arms, shoulders, and glutes, and then rode to work. The heater was fixed in the pool so it was nice and warm today and my swim was good. I could have done more but I ran out of time. I guess that’s one bad thing about swimming for work – time is limited. It’s just so crowded after work. I COULD get up earlier…
Have a great week everyone. Happy training.
Le Tour de Foothills November 20, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentThe Le Tour de Foothills was a 50 mile fun ride. Not a race, but I have to say that I learned TONS on that ride. It was the 1st ever Tour de Foothills and they had a pretty good tournout – 281 riders for the 3 rides (50 mile, 25 mile, and family fun ride). It was to celebrate the completion of the first portion of the new bike trail that will soon be going by my apartment.
So…My friend John was thinking about doing it with me but he bailed at the last minute. Sign in was at 7 with the ride starting at 8. I talked to a few guys (the course designers) before the ride started and we were checking out the ride map. Then I met a guy named Bob and he offered to ride with me since his friends bailed on him too.
So the ride started out on the bike path and it was 4.5 miles to the end (eventually it will be 22 miles long). At the end of the path, we made a right turn and then it was a 6 mile ride straight up hill! I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Bob, but it wasn’t a problem. At all. About mile 9.25 we hit the part that Mike and Tom said I would curse them about – a 1 mile section w/ an 8.2% grade. When I went around the corner and saw that hill, I was like “crap, crap, crap”. I thought, okay, worst case, you get off & walk it. But guess what? Um, did not have to! Woo Hoo! Made it all the way to the top without stopping once. Passed quite a few guys riding, some who’d stopped to rest or stretch cramps, some who’d stopped to take care of business! I waited for Bob at the top and sucked down a gel and took in the view. We were in the Angeles National forest and the view of the valley below us was amazing.
The next 20 miles or so were down, down, ups and downs, but not bad. There was a stop at 25 miles to fill up on water and snacks if you wanted, which we did because it was HOT. At mile 30, we ran into the next challenge - another 5 mile climb but this time the average grade was only 2.5%. BUT there were major, major headwinds riding up into Cajon Pass. It was funny because every few hundred feet there were signs that said “No Stopping Any Time” and I’m thinking “the thought never occurred to me”. I dropped Bob again on this part and again passed quite a few guys. This time I was selfish and rode with 5 other guys down the hill and then for a few miles more in the flats. One of them says to me “you’re really strong”. Yep!!!!!!! I am!!!!!! I was 5th in line and the guy in front of me lost the wheel of the first 3 and they were gone. I passed the other guy to take over and tried to catch them but couldn’t and dropped the other 2 in the process. Not a race, I know but I wanted to see what I had me after 40 miles of riding hills. Ya know?
I rode the last few miles by myself, passing a few guys here and there. And finished spent but still feeling good. And better than some. Oh, and Bob? He arrived 15 minutes later. Is that bad that I left him behind? They had lunch waiting for us when we got back – Italian food from Spaggi’s. Delicious! AND there was chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream. Woo Hoo. I got the usual t-shirt and water bottle. It was a great day for riding. They took quite a few pictures and video so when they put em up on the website, I’ll share them with you all.
What I learned:
*I am kick a$$ strong on hills (what I thought was a weak point).
*I am kick a$$ strong period!
*I can hang with the big boys and hold my own.
*I am selfish and would rather ride with riders who are stronger than me and push me, even if it’s a “fun” ride.
*The bike IS my strongest one and I can recuperate quite easily during the ride.
*Hobbes and I make a great team.
*I am so in love with riding in a pack – a rainbow of bikes and jerseys and helmets. Is that not the biggest kick? To hear all those tires singing over the pavement? To feel that incredible speed? To know that you are where you belong!
No Fear November 18, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment4:25 came too early this morning. But I finally rolled my lazy butt out of bed and got ready to go to the gym. Warm headwinds on the way there didn’t help me wake up much either. But dang, the pool was cold this morning! Hello, I’m awake now thank you. 1000 today and then weights for chest and back. Excellent swim and I actually liked that the water was cold. Another good thing…headwinds on the way to the gym means a tailwind to work, woo hoo! Clear blue skies, the sunrise glowing on the mountains, warm winds at my back. Ah…Life is good. It was so warm this morning I wasn’t even wearing my vest. ;P He he. I’m evil, aren’t I?
Tonight, I have a 3 mile run at race pace. I have to figure out what that is. Sometimes I get frustrated being a newbie but in a way, I think I have it easy. Since I’m hitting all kinds of firsts right now, I really have no expectations except to finish. And some rough time goals. Any time is a PR for me, right? Speaking of firsts…Tomorrow I am doing that 50 mile fun ride which will be my longest ride so far on Hobbes. And Sunday I have an 8 mile run planned. 8 MILES! No fear!
Today’s quote…
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”~Paulo Coelho
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
P.S. Esta cotizacion se dedica a mi amigo. Tu puedes volar este domingo. Pero si no puedes volar, entonces…RUN !!!
Light and Bouncy November 17, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentLast night, after I rode home, I went for a 5 mile run. I felt really light and bouncy last night. It was a very good running day. I still think my legs like running much better AFTER getting off a bike. It must be that my legs are warmed up already? Anyway, I ran to Red Hill park and did my intervals around the bottom loop. By laps 6 and 7, my legs were burning! I took a little bit longer rest before the last interval so I could really give it may all. Then I ran home and did some plyometrics before heading into my apartment. The run was just a little over 5 miles, 5.2 to be exact. I almost kept going but decided not to push it. I did feel slightly nauseous when I was done. I was a good tired last night but thankfully I didn’t fall asleep during Lost!
Today is a rest day for me so just the bike commute to/from work. I feel really good today and had to keep reminding myself that I’m supposed to be cruising.
Now for some fun stuff. Not tri related but I’m in a picture kind of mood today.
This is a picture of my tat…
And this is a picture from the train station in Claremont that Kylie will be using for her commutes. I took it a few years ago for a photography class assignment.
And last, but not least…two of the toughest chicks I know…
Thanks for visiting.
A few bad eggs November 16, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentLast night, I was never so glad to make it to the safe haven of my apartment. I think the combination of a full moon and Santa Ana winds caused a little more wackiness than usual. First, two close calls from people making left turns and then this crazy guy yelling some not very nice things out his car window. I couldn’t tell if it was for me or for the car next to him, but I was sure happy when he turned off at the next corner.
This morning’s ride was much better. I didn’t go to the gym last night, so I rode to there this morning, swam (1000), and did weights for arms, shoulders, and glutes. My ride to work was under clear blue skies with light traffic. It’s going to be another sunny day in So Cal thanks to the winds. I really do enjoy bike commuting. I can't ever see giving it up and I hope I never have to. I think the benefits definitely outweigh the few bad eggs you run into.
Tonight, I will be running 5 miles with some speed work mixed in. I am in the first week of my training plan for the half. It’s from Runner’s World.
Tiger Food November 15, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentFun 4 mile run this morning. My legs felt fine but I decided not to put any pressure on myself and just have fun. There was a giant moon hanging in the sky, a big golden nightlight to run by. It was also really, really windy. Kind of dizzying. I looked down a couple of times to see a river of leaves rushing past my feet. It was like the ground was a moving mass of green, yellow, orange, and red. I finished up the run with the moon setting behind the mountains in front of me and the sun rising over the mountains behind me. Not a bad way to start the day!
Did I mention that Calvin & Hobbes is my favorite comic strip? Even though he’s not writing it anymore and I have all the books, I still get it delivered to my inbox every morning. Everyone should start the day off with a laugh. This comic came in last week and I burst out laughing when I read it. Yes, it made me think of my bike and my goal for all of my future competitors. Hey, a girl can dream can’t she? 
The ride home last night was nice and warm as was the ride this morning. I did Pilates last night and did I feel tight! I hadn’t done it in over a week. I’ve never really enjoyed working the core muscles, but I know I need to. The things we do for love, er, I mean tri! I fell asleep right away last night, before 9. I was a little tired but it’s amazing how a good night’s sleep can refresh you. I may go to the gym tonight after work. My best friend just joined 24hr and she asked me to go with her after work. She’s so gung ho about starting to work out, I couldn’t turn her down. Besides, if we go, then I’ll have more time to swim tomorrow morning.
My bike is HOT November 14, 2005
Posted by vollenda in : General , add a commentHey, did you see her smile? Sarah Reinersten’s smile was megawatt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful smile on someone. It had so much joy in it that how could you not be inspired by her? I loved that paint scheme on her bike and that she put Unfinished Business on it. Now that, my friends, is determination. I loved seeing all of the smiles on all of the finishers at Kona. I hope I’m smiling just as much WHEN I finish my first Ironman. Yes, I said when, not if.
Thursday night I had another bad night with little sleep so I was not in a very upbeat mood on Friday morning. But the day got better…a few funny threads on Trifuel and my spirits were on the rise. AND…I got two hits, yes 2, count em 2 hits, at our game on Friday night. And we won. Woo Hoo! Pizza tasted so good that night.
I finally got a good night’s sleep on Friday and slept in til 7 on Saturday. So I missed the group run but I think it was a good thing because I know I couldn’t have kept up with them. I was expecting my legs to be a little shaky since I still wasn’t 100% but I didn’t expect them to feel so heavy. I ran 5 miles at a very slow space, but I got it done. When I got home from the run, I put on the Black Eyed Peas “Monkey Business” to get pumped and then changed into my bike clothes and jumped on Hobbes and went for a 36 mile ride. My god, what a great ride! It was a beautiful, sun shiny day. And my bike is hot! LOL I had a blast, still more workhorse than racehorse but who cares, eh? When I got home, I had an hour before Kona coverage so I walked down to the store and bought a Naked protein shake and then picked up a Double Del Cheeseburger and Fries. Then settled in to watch the gods of Kona! Awesome show. Yes, I cried. ;P
Sunday, I woke up and went for a 7 mile run. My legs weren’t too sore but again I didn’t push it. Then repeated the Saturday routine…Black Eyed Peas, change, and then off for a spin on Hobbes. Another warm 75 degree day. We are definitely spoiled in So Cal. How could you not be outside on a weekend this beautiful? I saw plenty of cyclists and runners out this weekend. Oh, just 26 miles yesterday. Did I mention my bike is HOT?
My legs are toast today. They feel okay on the bike and the ride to the gym and to work was fine. But they were sore every time I pushed off the wall in my swim this morning. I decided to cut it short and only do 600 and then got in the hot tub and stretched them out for a while. Then lifted for chest and back. And voila, I’m here at work feeling like my old self…finally. Ah…it’s good to be back in the mix. Have a great week everyone!