Lots of bike riding!!!

Seemed like a pretty mellow week once running was sort of taken out of the picture. This blog might be quick. The weekend kind of got away from me and tomorrow is already Tuesday.

Schedule- Will have a mildly big work day on Friday. Will also have to run flow which I usually do the following day but think I will run it on Friday night. It will only take an hour or 1.5 hours or so depending on how easy it is to set up and if the machine doesn't get clogged. That will give me Saturday without having to worry about it.

     The rest of the week should and into next week should be busy but not horrible. Mostly just finishing up this experiment. Big experiment. 36 mice total. 

PT- I already told you about that. I haven't gotten in yet this week for a follow up. Ran on Saturday and my foot didn't hurt that bad. Hopefully the new shoes and stretching will take care of it. Doesn't hurt so much during the day either. If anything the pain has changed to a more dull ache. 

Lots of biking this week. 

Wednesday long ride- Good ride. Felt very good about it when I was done. Did the 40K Tritons course. Felt like I was able to pace well and get a good sense of pace going uphills and downhills. 

Thursday- Swim. I liked this workout. 1500 pace swims. Trying to work on what that is. Trying to have good form and stay smooth, but also more fast and a little uncomfortable. I think there was a kickboard in there. What is the point of that? I basically just tried to not let it float away. Is there a special way to position it? 

Friday- Took off the afternoon and went over to work on the house. Painted on foundation sealant and knocked off foundation ties. My Dad left at 5 so I did too. Rode the CX bike for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful evening. Rode over to the Triple Tree Trail and up part of it. I have hopes of seeing a mountain lion someday. 

Saturday- Swam in the am. Another one of those tricky workouts. Did the swim in the 50m pool and 1:30 was not a lot of rest. Just had to keep going. Band work was good. I am having trouble getting my feet to stay up. Usually go about 12.5 meters before having to regroup. Except on Saturday I zoned out while doing the second to last 50 and swam the whole 50. Maybe I need to stop thinking and let me body just do it's thing. 

Run- Felt good to run again. I just wanted to sprint. Put some insoles in my shoes but that hurt really bad, so took them out. New shoes felt great. Pain was not a 4 and there was not much pain the next morning. 

Sunday- Masters was a little bit of a slacker workout. We only got in 2000. One set of 500 was really fun though. 25 fly 25 free, 50 back 50 free, 75 breast 75 free, 100 IM 100 free. 

Ride was really good. Did a long warm up. Almost an hour and then TT hard on the Tritons course. 36:45 and it was windy from every direction. Weird vortex.  I looked up last years results and it was 38 something. I think it is longer because of the transition timing mats. Think I am in a good spot. Would have been happy if that was my bike ride for a race. Paced it well and figured out where in the past I would blow myself up. There are some tricky uphill sections on the course on the way back. 

Monday- Organized a group ride to Chico!! A little longer than prescribed 98-99 miles but a perfect day. Great company, coke and tater tots in Livingston, a Chico Olympia and soak after the ride. Also, a hard ride. Rode with 3 strong guys. Had to work hard to sit on their wheels most of the time. We would go hard, drop a few people, regroup, ride a little easier, and start over. Really fun!! Stayed pretty on top of things with water and food. Feeling strong and tired. 

Focus

Calgary 70.3- Are there any races, events, key training sessions that would help or be good for Calgary? What do you recommend? I want to start preparing the best I can. In my mind I am being slightly (well a lot) drawn to the Bangtail 38K again. Too much? I think I want to do Cow Country too. Doesn't sound like many of any Bozeman girls will be there. Nobody wants to be left alone with the mother hen.

Question? The Frank Newman marathon is this weekend. $3 to run a marathon. The first half is uphill over Jackson Creek and the Bozeman pass. The second half is downhill and boring into Livingston. If one wants to run a half marathon it is the second half. Not the fun or challenging half. Do you think I have it in me to run a full marathon? Not a good idea? Thoughts? Actually, now ( a day later) this seems ridiculous.

Schedule- Next week.  Tuesday (isn't Monday Memorial day) I have a big day. One of those where I will go in later and stay late. Last time I was at work until after 11pm. It won't be quite that late. We cut it down a little bit. If I swim this day, can you make it a shorter swim. The pool is open from 11-1 but I don't want to get to work much later than noon.

The week-Good days and bad.

Tuesday- Tuesday night RR. Stayed with the group!! Yeah! Never happened before on a Tuesday nighter. Felt like I was going to die on the first hill and figured I would not make it over the next couple of big hills. Not a problem. Never felt terrible again. If I actually knew where the finish line was I would have even tried to win, but got confused on that one. Rode the long way home. The race is only 18 miles. Ride home was at least that. Saw a field of bunnies, a raccoon, got chased by a couple of dogs. Pulled into the garage as the sun was setting, and the full moon was rising.  It was a great evening.

Wed-
Track. Like it? Hmmm. Not so sure about that. Is it possible to have a really good race and then never, ever, run that fast again? Remember the Run to the Pub was mostly downhill. I think gravity gave me a 5-10 second faster pace. On the track workout I could not get faster than a 7:00 minute mile. As the workout went on I got slower and slower. The two mile tempo was a 7:15 and the last 800 was a 7:20+. I really felt like I would die. As I was trotting/walking back to the gym even had to lay down on the grass for a couple of minutes. Highs of the workout- MSU provides a water jug and cups!

Thursday- Rode with the MSU tri club kids. What a crew. I was laughing (to myself) the whole time. Brandon has a Softride, another girl has a single speed with a tire that looks like it is going to blow any second. I think they have some raw talent though. The group ditched Brandon and I and we rode to catch them. He popped me. Can't wait to ride with them more. They have a coach who has written a plan for them (which between you and me is not so great), but their skills and actual knowledge of triathlon are pretty bad. Clinic? Want to come to Bozeman again?

Friday- Feeling super tired this day. One of those days where I think this is too much and I really need a massage because everything hurts. Went to the gym at 11 to get the swim in. Michelle and Ellen convinced me to run with them. I even borrow Michelle's clothes. It was nice to run with some people when I was having a hard time motivating. Went back to the pool at 5. Ugghh. However, I ended up having a great swim. My goal was to swim those 150's faster than a 2:15. I could come in on about 2:10. I was doing all the 50's on a :40 or a little under. I was happy. Felt like I actually can swim faster than a 1000 pace if I have to. My left shoulder was really sore. Had to really concentrate to use my lats instead. Was grateful for a weekend of no swimming just to recover a bit.

Saturday- Rode with Lawrence and Art for a bit. Did the flatter Amsterdam/Churchill to Manhattan roads. It was a beautiful day. Definitely got the base tan/burn. Lawrence got a couple of flats and I had to get to a previous engagement by 6 so ended up riding only 60 miles. I felt great though. Wanted to ride more but doing so would have compromised everything else.

Sunday- I played with the weather today. Not sure if anybody won. Rode up Hyalite for the ride. As I was on my way a storm blew through the mountains. Rode a little slower to wait it out. Did one 15 minute interval up Hyalite and it was wet but not raining. The unfortunate thing about riding uphill on a cold day is that you have to ride downhill. I was freezing at the bottom. Decided to go ride up Triple Tree for the next interval. Still freezing. Decided to ride home instead. Took the longer way and did a 40k effort on the way into town. I don't often ride hard going downhill and I know Spring Meadow and Calgary have a long downhill section so maybe this was okay. Or maybe I was making excuses since I was skipping the second interval. Good thing I went home. As soon as I walked in the door a storm hit. Heavy, heavy rain and thunder and lightning. I think that even though I missed one interval, being outside was better than the rollers.

Run- Still raining. Hard to motivate but I did go up Sypes Canyon. Steep uphill trail in the Bridgers. There is an intersection with another trail 3.5 miles up. Ran most of the way. Had to walk a couple of times because of mud, steepness,  and snow. Run down always goes by fast. Was in the clouds and a little depressed for the whole way up. The sun finally came out near the bottom. The sun is so glorious. I think it ended up being a good run.

Feel like the weekend was a bit easy compared to normal and the rest of the week. I was glad. My legs were tired a little both Saturday and Sunday. Feeling a bit run down.

Also, my Plantar Fascia is acting up. I think it might be the shoes.

Fresh

Hopefully this is better this week.

Poor blog causes- 1) I was really focused on the Grizzly for a long time. The swim has been such a focus for a long time now, I really had something to prove to myself. I actually didn't have a goal (as far as gunning for top 5 or anything). My goal was  just to have a FUN and solid race. Be the best I could be. Anyway, after that I have been sort of checked out. Calgary is the next focused thing and it seems like a long ways away. Okay, so here is Julie checking back in. Wasa Lake is a month away and the Bozeman race is 6 weeks away. I have something to prove for the Bozeman race. I need to close that gap on Holly Walker. A bit by bit, year after year. Who knows, she could have a bad race.  Also, Wasa Lake will be good, with a good competitive crowd and a chance to test myself in a longer swim. 

                            2) I have a tablet but something is wrong and it won't publish the posts. So I have to write everything at a desktop. It is less flexible to update if something pops into my head and/or I am doing it at work and feeling guilty for not "working."

Wasa Lake- Our hole is getting dug today (Monday) and as I was riding back to work after looking at it, I had a very clear thought. I should NOT do Wasa Lake. With this house we need to be saving money and vacation time. By going to that race I am not doing either and I don't really see what the huge benefit of the race will be. I think more cost than benefit. I am going to travel to Calgary and want to feel like I can afford it time and money wise. That is my final say. I want to do Wasa Lake someday. I love, love Canada.  So, I guess that leaves the Bozeman Tritons race the one to focus on. Then I can follow it with Spring Meadow on July 6th.. That would be two back to back weekends of triathlon on a much easier time and cost budget. Got it? Good. 

Schedule- This week is busy with the mouse take downs I did last week and other stuff. I need to get a paper (I am one author, of about ten) read and edited on Monday. However, the boss goes on vacation for two weeks on Wednesday. Yeah! So, after that I can have some flexibility. I try not to take advantage, just feel a little more at ease. 

               This weekend is supposed to be nice. 70 and sunny! So hopefully some great riding weather.

               Masters- No masters on Sunday. There is a meet in the pool

Injuries/normal body problems- My left hamstring is tight. So is my right. I think I am genetically prone to tight hamstrings. I stretch almost every time I run. My right achilles is tight. Not just running but after biking. I try and stretch it very often too. My right SI joint doesn't inhibit me, but it demands attention at least once a week and I try to keep on the PT as often as possible. Probably could and should do it more. I have always struggled with keeping up on stuff like this.
Whacked my shin on the concrete pool deck. It was seeping for most of the rest of Sunday and is kind of bruised now.

The week

Wednesday- Didn't sleep well and went to a friends thesis defense at noon so missed the noon pool time. Swam at 430 or so and had to just  drag myself there. Felt okay swimming and really enjoyed the 1500. Wish there was some way to zone out and count at the same time. May have done a little more or a little less. Convinced myself to run. The first 800 was on 3:30. Two through six were on about 3:26 and seven was about a 300m. I completely shut down. My legs would not run another lap. That has not happened often. My brain just stopped my legs. It didn't even battle itself for a while. 

Thursday- Got out of work a little late. Started riding in great weather. Rode into a potential Mule teammate. A really nice guy. The one who has the SQ labs saddles. Ready for some gossip? Found out that the one single girl (single for very tragic reasons + kids) on the team has been simultaneously dating three guys on the team. We had a party a few months ago and they were all there. She thinks nobody knows the little games she is playing, but let me tell you I know and I am kind of mad. She has been leaving upheaval in her wake. Changing peoples lives forever. Including contributing to breaking up marriages and lying to her own kids. Anyway, that gossip took a while. Then I was cold so rode up Story Hill (you rode up that once with us). I rode like the wind. I rode so fast. Have never felt so amazing climbing that hill. Crazy. I should have been racing that day. So strange how one day can be so bad and then next so good. 

Friday- Another back to back swim and run. Don't like these. Even contemplated on trying to get the swims done in the am if my schedule is going to continue to be this hectic. Swim was great. Really needed that. Was feeling a bit stagnant. My 50's are still 20 seconds, I think I am getting slower on the 1000 pace. It was good to try and get a faster pace going and do a lot of it. I really had to fight for the turnover on the last 15 or so. I am not actually sure how fast I could go for 200. It is kind of long but not very long. Did a lot of thinking on that. It was raining all day and still raining when I got out of the pool. Threw on some shoes and ran on the treadmill.  I had this blog typed up on my tablet and it wouldn't publish. Here I had inserted a really long thing about being grateful. Apparently science shows that grateful people are happier people. I spent some time thinking about that on Friday on the treadmill. Basically I have a lot on my plate right now which bring about anxiety, stress etc. Except I wouldn't change one thing and I am grateful that all those things are there. So, I guess I just need to plan better and go with it. The anxiety is not always worth it. 

Saturday- Swam at 10 or so until 12 or so. The weather was fine. Got home, got some food, got dressed out for a long ride, went outside, a storm was blowing in and it was 40 degrees. Came back in and rode the rollers for 2.5 hours. Was going to ride with Lawrence so at least I had a trainer buddy. We watched the TTT of the Giro, very dramatic. Stupid weather. Question- Pool schedules and weather did not mix. Should I choose long ride over swim if this is the case? Next time? Maybe this should be written into the plan. Obviously I would choose to do both but I feel like I keep riding those damn rollers. I actually cleaned up the floor and put all the indoor riding equipment upstairs yesterday. No more of that. 

   Was very tired after the ride though. Got some housework done, made dinner, stretched and did some PT. 

Sunday- Swim in the am. Sunday Funday. Involved push ups, streamline jumps, core work, and more. Worked pretty hard at it all. Mainly because debbie downer in our lane was slacking and not doing pushups or streamline jumps. I was trying to annoy him by doing it all and keeping up with him. Negative energy. I need to stop that.
        - Run was great. Got out of the pool, downed some coffee and a grilled cheese sandwich and went on a run. Mapped out 14+ miles up and down hills. Ran up Peet's hill to start then went over to Story Hill and ran up it. Ran down the trail part which was fun. Felt pretty good for the whole run. Finished off half a mile or so trotting around alley's and looking at people's ADUs to get in an extra mile or so. I have a new favorite fuel for running. Shot Blocks. Did the math with the cost and they are the same price per calorie as a gel. Also, the local grocery store sells them for easy convenience. They are easy to eat and not messy like gels. Actually the calories per block is pretty good for running too. Quickly showered and changed and got in the car and drove to Willow Creek for dinner. Ate a big steak!! However, my legs were tired. My hip flexors are so sore and my shoulders from those wall pushups at the pool.
     Despite the time crunch I pulled off Sunday!!!

That is all I can think of for now. Hopefully better and more to work with than the last couple of weeks. 

Beautiful life

So, not that I have made some progress in my swim fitness and speed I have another worry that needs to be addressed. The open water swim. I am worried that my new fitness will not trump my fear of the chaos at the start. Pep talk? Advice? How to practice for this? Probably not for Wasa Lake but for Calgary I would like to feel more confident.

I think I want to do Wasa Lake. It looks like fun and the timing is good. Well maybe not good, but it replaces what would have been a weekend up in Kailspell.

Schedule- Thursday and Friday I have an experiment, so kind of busy. Especially in the morning to mid-afternoon. If anything maybe a small run during the day. Not a huge day, but solid.
Sunday- Mother's Day- Need to get done with training by early evening/later afternoon. My sister and I were going to take Mom to dinner (the parents like to eat early).
Pool- MSU is only open from 10-12 on Saturday for the rest of the summer. No pool time on Sunday. My swim friend might still be renting the pool which would give me another hour, but not sure. So, only two hour swim window.

Tuesday- Track workout. Stayed within the interval and felt as smooth on 12 as on 3. It wasn't easy though. 12 of those is a lot of fast running. I guess that is the partial beauty of the group workout. They are getting pretty big, so there is always somebody to run with. I got Andy. A whole other story.

Thursday-
Took advantage of the glorious day and left work at 2:30. Did the ride, the run, and even the swim basking in the glorious sunshine!! :)

Friday-
Followed the directions pretty close. Not as amazing as Thursday. Work was a little anxious plus family in town etc. made the day a little stressful. This is terrible to say, but it was kind of warm and dry out. I think it was 70 and maybe too much for me. :)

Saturday-  Swim was great. Continually amazed at how much more I like your workouts than others. Even in the 100m pool.
Run was executed exactly as prescribed. Legs not super tired but I was. Erik was surprised I hadn't made him dinner.

Sunday- Another glorious day. Ride was executed as prescribed. Lots of climbing. One side of Kelly Canyon is super steep. Wouldn't mind do a few of those climbs at some point. Felt like my lungs were the limiter. Perfect temperature though. I could keep this temperature all year round.
Didn't get the swim done. Masters was cancelled for a clinic. MSU was closed. Boo.

Not a lot to say. Got the week done