CEC CAMP 2013 - Day 4

HI!!  Well, camp is really underway now and I have luckily found myself in a pair of Sport Pump recovery boots....yep, I know people :)  Today went well and I was struck numerous times with the thought of just how lucky I am to be able to do what I do and have the support that I do.  So huge THANK YOU and MUCH LOVE to everyone in my life that helps make this life possible!!

Pre-ride shot...a little bundled up for the sub 50 degree start!

Today started on the bike.  Gates Pass, a couple McCain Loops, and 2x25 min intervals on Sandario....which translated for non-Tucson-ites means some hills, some flats, and 2 strong efforts on a pretty flat road.  In total it was a good 3 hours 30 minutes in the saddle.  I felt great today and am glad my legs are coming around.

Getting some instruction before the intervals

Intervals done.  We need water and snacks! 

We did a little run off the bike and then got on home for some food!!

I refueled with an avocado turkey burger and some fruits and veggies.  So Good! 

Later....short nap and somehow mustered up the energy to flounder around in the pool for a bit.  Also had a quick visit from fellow Wisconsinite,  Thomas Gerlach...who brought me some yummy popcorn to snack on!! 

And wow, did I mention how awesome these SportPump boots are???  

Tomorrow is a leg rest day.  BOOOYA!  Just swim, yoga and maybe a massage for me :) 

Just lovin' the desert!! 

Camp Totals:
Swim: 14,600yds
Bike: 8.5hrs
Run:  2hr 18min

CEC Camp 2013 - Day 3

Today:  Pushing my boundaries in the swim and run, yoga, and good eats!

Swim:   This was my longest and most challenging swim in a while.  You know that feeling when you know your stroke has fallen apart beyond any recognition but you are committed to finishing the set regardless...yeah that was me today.  Since I've been a swimming my whole life, I know that getting in the yards will get me into swim shape.  My technique is there...my arms just aren't used to the yards.   (As a side note:  if you have not been a swimmer and your technique is not sound, this will not work for you and will end up being a waste of time...technique, then yards)

Here is how it went down:


2x400 warm up

2x (2x 50 fast on :40 4x 25 fast on :20---200 ez w/ drill choice :15)

4x ( ( 300--200--100 on 1:20) 50 ez between eachs set)
Build from 300-100.

400 c-d

YOGA:  I found a SWEET DEAL!  Yoga Oasis, $5 yoga hour.  It was amazing and just what I needed to clear the mind and refresh.   Highly recommended.

RUN:  This was after yoga...well not right after...I actually found a Buffalo Exchange store (amazing fun resale shop) that made me a little late for the run (OOOPS!!-  I did get a couple great tops tho!)  We hit the same loop as Monday...this time it was 1 loop easy, some pick-ups, then 1 loop hard.  Man, my run is not in shape.  This was tough and a good reminder that I have a ways to go.  Got in a long cool down and gave myself a little pep talk :)

GOOD EATS:  Had a great dinner with Timex teammate and friend Barry Siff and his wonderful wife tonight.  They always cook up something yummy and even impressed me with some delicious dessert tonight!

Yonanas!  Jammed in some frozen bananas and yogurt frozen in ice cube trays. 

Turns it into something very similar to ice cream...but healthy!!   I LOVE IT!! 

Camp totals:
Swim: 13,100 yds
Bike: 5 hr 
Run:  2 hr

CEC Camp 2013 - Day 2

I LOVE SUN. AND WORKOUTS.  AND MORE SUN!

Today started again in the pool with a strength swim session where we were able to use all of our 'toys'.  Bands, paddles, pull buoys, OH MY!   My arms and shoulders were feeling the burn for sure on this one, but it was overall an easy swim with no real hard intervals...since apparently tomorrows swim is going to be real tough (yikes.).

U of A Rec Center Pool. 

After the swim we had some time for a snack and I ventured to get some coffee.  This is where I got a little excitement with locking my keys in my car!!  Yep.  dumb.  Luckily my wonderful mother got me a AAA membership and they showed up in only 15 minutes...wow, my lucky day??

We met for our ride at Miles Ahead Cyclery which is owned by a friend of Cliff's.  VERY nice and helpful!!  I love the Mt. Lemon ride, and the weather was amazing today.  Since we are easing into camp we only went up to mile 14 of the climb (real top is at ~mile 27 I think).  This was plenty.  Special thanks to Chris Bagg for the tasty burrito- had half at the top and half at the bottom!!   Here is what my ride looked like:

Power File from warm up, 14 miles up Mt Lemon and decent

Lauren and me at mile 14

Camp Totals:

Swim: 8500yds

Bike: 4hrs

Run: 50 min 

CEC Camp 2013 - Day 1

This will be quick...not much spare time since obviously The Bachelor was on and now it's bedtime!

Today marked the start of my train-cation here in Tucson under the expert direction of Cliff English and in the great company of some other pro triathletes.  We are at different levels of fitness, all with different race goals, but have come together to see what our bodies can do with a hard 3 week block of work!  I know I'm excited!!

We start each day with a swim outside at the University of Arizona Rec Center pool.  It's chilly here still in the mornings, but it makes the heated pool feel all the better.  Having been out of the swim for a while I'm easing back in, but still managed a 4k this morning...here's how it looked:

warm up:
2x400 swim choice
400 with drill
400 with kick

transition set:
2x(4x25 on 0:25 descend, 4x50 on 0:50, 4x25 on 0:20, 100 easy)

200 easy

Main set:  (I did only once through, others did twice through...I also went in the 'slow' lane to not completely shock my system and have some rest...hopefully by next week I can move to the faster pace!)
4x (125 on 1:50, 75 on 1:10)

Cool down

After the swim it was straight to our run.  Cliff found us a nice 2.8(ish) mile loop where we did ~1 loop warm up then a farlek run.  He hung back with me and worked a bit on head position and some technique...which I am really going to focus on during my time here- and really all the time.  So 2 loops of the run and done deal!  Felt great to be out in the sun and sweating!!

That was it for our coached workouts today.  I had some lunch, an epic nap, and made it out on a nice bike ride out and back on Gates Pass.  OOOFDA...for an easy ride I managed to get a good amount of climbing in, but that's why I'm here.

Camp Totals:
Swim: 4,000yds
Bike: 1 hr
Run: 50 min

Top of Gates Pass

Lost blogs and more...

Hey all....if anyone is still looking at this thing!!  So somehow all of my blogs from the last year and a half disappeared and I don't have the time or know-how to get them back up.  I really need to consult a professional.

ANYHOW...things have been happening, I've just not wanted to post with the bummer of losing all of those amazing pieces of literary work that told the story of my recent life.   I gotta move on (unless anyone knows how or is willing to help me fix it!).  (clearly I am not moving on very well...)

SO I'm heading to Tucson tomorrow to start a 3 week training camp with my coach Cliff English and the other pro's he coaches.  I went last year, on a whim, and LOVED it.  February is truly the perfect time to get out of WI, get some sun, and get FIRED up and motived to do some triathlons.  So updates and photo's galore coming your way for the next month!!

Love you all.  I'm going running.

Jackie

Niagara Falls and Ohio

Niagara Falls- think vegas meets a circus meets rushing river
On the way home from Lake Placid we detoured into Canada to check out Niagara Falls. Our new thing this year is integrating some vacation time with races. It's been awesome seeing so many new places this year :) Niagara Falls is amazing! The actual town is very over-the-top and over-priced, but the falls are worth it. After a $16 Grand Slam at Dennys (ridiculous) we headed down to the river and took a great ride on the Maid of the Mist. This is a must-do activity if you are at the Falls.
After a clean exit though border patrol we were back rollin' in the states on our way to Ohio to visit John's family and to celebrate his birthday. Luckily his dad just got a new boat, so we spent a relaxing day on Lake Erie.

The water was surprisingly warm (high 70's) so we even got some good swimming in :)

Lake Placid

This was my first year making the trip out to Ironman Lake Placid (LP) and it did not disappoint. I chose this Ironman not only for the right timing in the season, but also because of all of the great things I’ve heard about it. The drive went relatively quick and was super nice in the Timex Ford Edge. The town of Lake Placid is nestled in the woods, surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains, is extremely welcoming, and seems to Love Ironman!

The weather worked out perfectly for race day. Early race morning, for the first time in LP history, the call was made for a non-wetsuit swim with the water temperature up to 77 degrees F. I ditched the wetsuit for a speedsuit and was ready to go! I had a plan for the swim to take it pretty easy and stay with the front women. With ~40 pro’s at the swim start I thought it would be a fairly gentle swim start, but I was seriously wrong. This was by far the most vicious first 500m I have ever dealt with. It seemed that everyone was out for blood (for some reason) and battling to get into the perfect position. After having to stop a couple times to choke, I decided to put in a little effort to bust out of this crazy battle zone and try and get out in front to connect with the lead group that was pulling away. The effort was a mostly a success and I lead out a chase group for most of the first loop until catching a straggler from the lead group to draft the rest of the way in. The rest of the swim continued pretty steady. I came out on the feet of Heather W with a decent non-wetsuit swim time. 0: 57:20

T1: This was a little messy….When the call was made for a non-wetsuit swim I threw my calf sleeves into my T1 bag since I had never swam with them on. In hindsight, I would probably swim with them since putting on tight calf sleeves on wet legs is incredibly difficult. They went on (finally) and I ran out of there, frustrated that I had been passed in transition, but ready to have a good bike ride. I looked down on the way to my bike, and oh yeah, still had my speed suit around my waist!! Ahhh. Epic transition fail.

My goal for the bike ride was to ride my own race, not go out too hard, and stay on top of nutrition. My biking still needs some work and is not at the level it needs to be to stick with or pass the leaders. Anyhow, even with this in mind I still went out relatively hard knowing Tyler Stewart would eventually pass, but determined not to let anyone else past me. I finished the first loop still in 3^rd place, but was very soon passed and into 4^th. My legs felt ok, not amazing, so I was very worried about the second half of the ride. I saw a couple girls within minutes on those little out and backs on the ride and was riding scared and in damage control the rest of the way. I will be adding more long rides to my training so I can stay with it better those last 20 miles rather than just hanging on. I was still climbing well the last bit into LP, but I was out of power for the flats. I came into T2 in 5^th, not far off 4^th. 5:30

T2: nothing exciting here. Put on some shoes and a visor, shoved a couple things in my pockets, and put on a race belt. Done.

I took off on the run feeling great; not really thinking at the time it was because the first 6 miles are slightly downhill. I was running well, thinking about a high cadence and before long made a pass to move back into 4^th. I worked the rest of the run to stay there and keep up a decent pace. I could have probably used another gel or two on the run to keep the steam a bit higher the last 6 miles or so, but luckily I had enough juice to hang on. 3:22

Overall: 9:56, 4^th woman. I’m happy with my time, staying steady most of the day, and to be able to easily see areas where I can make up more time in the next IM. This placing moved me up in the Kona Pro rankings, but I am still just a few places away from qualifying for Kona this year. I’m not sure if I’ll throw in another IM in hopes of qualifying this year still or just rest up and make a plan for next year….gotta see how recovery goes. Motivation is higher than ever and I can’t wait for my legs to get back to normal and get working on that bike!