Trail Run!

This past week my roommate and I decided that it was time for us to venture off the roads and treadmills and onto some trails. This was a discussion that has taken place over a long period of time, but I think my recent Garmin Forerunner 305 purchase helped push us over the edge. Along with some persuasive suggesting from a guy at work that it would be good to help strengthen muscles and stave off boredom.

So, Major and I decided that Saturday morning, 8am, it was on. I was out with Jacque and friends Friday night, so I was forced to call out early and be home by midnight. Only of taste of the Bri they will know in the upcoming months.

So, at 7:55 we locked the front door and drove (yes, drove- no sidewalks here) to St. Edwards park. After studying the map as best we could and determining that we would NOT be trying the "difficult" paths we took off.

Needless to say, we got lost several times. Not really "lost" but unsure of which trail we were actually on. That, coupled with the constant insane beeping since I flipped the settings on my Garmin, made for a humorous run. At one point I actually turned the darn thing off on accident, so there's a nice gap in the route that I uploaded. Oops! We only actually spent about 20 minutes running, but with the frost still on the ground and this being our first time out, we felt pretty good with it.

Actually, I felt great with it. I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful thing! Trail running! What a concept!

Blisters and pressure

There's two things that are pretty much guaranteed to make me cranky: bad workouts and being hungry.

Both of them are a factor in my mood tonight- which really sucks because it was a gorgeous day in Seattle! I could easily solve one by going downstairs and snacking on something in the fridge- except there's nothing to eat down there!

So, instead, I'll get this off my chest, grab my shoes and head to a friend's house and maybe grab something on the way.

I've been having workouts that haven't been up to my own expectations recently. I know I ran a marathon just 19 days ago- so taking some time off is necessary. Especially to heal the large blood filled blister on my middle right toe. Which has now opened up and has exposed several layers of skin. Eww. But, this week, I started running again, just a couple miles. Last night, I had to cut it short due to a blister forming on the ball of my right foot (what's up with the right side of my body??? Shin, knee, foot, neck...)

The problem is that I tend to have high pretty high expectations for myself. And, the people I see most in the gym are males- so I can't compare myself to that. But, it's difficult to be on the treadmill next to them sweating like a pig and in pain and they're just gliding along and at a faster speed. It's even worse when they start asking me questions and for advice because they're newer to running and know I've done several types of events and distances. I mean, it's awesome that they trust and respect my opinion and want to hear about my experiences, but sometimes, when it's going rough, I just want to put my head down and slog through. I love these guys though and it's much easier to get my butt to the gym knowing they'll be there. And they do tell me quite a bit how cool/awesome/inspiring my stories are to them... which always makes me blush a little, but deep down it makes me feel really good- at least when it's inspiring. In fact two people I work with just registered for the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon, which neither would have done without me- I actually filled out the entry form for one. :)

I need to remind myself that everyone has bad days, from novices to elites and it's nothing to dwell on! So now, I'm going to find something delicious to eat and go hang out with some fun friends.

Run hard!

Chilly Ride

Finally! It was dry enough and 'warm' enough for a bike ride. Okay, so I do ride in the rain sometimes, but I'd prefer not to, especially not winter rain. I hadn't been on a bike outside since sometime in September, maybe October. I woke up this morning and the sun was shining, and when I took the recycle out it seemed pretty warm. I had put air in Casper's tires the other day, so I checked the chain and brakes and headed down to the trail for a flat easy 30 minute ride.

I love my bike!!!! I bought my Cervelo P2C (Casper) late last summer with only one race left to go so I haven't ridden it much. I stare longingly at it everyday though. It wasn't as warm as it had been at home and the clouds were rolling in, but man, that bike just begs to be ridden!!! He loves the curves.

When I finished there were some men gathering in the parking lot for their ride and they all turn and look and ones says "Wow. That looks like a fast bike!" so I say, "It tries to be!!" He comes over and asks if I'm a triathlete and then we get to talking a little about riding and bikes- to which I'm still definitely considered a novice.

It's a pretty cool feeling for people to stare at my bike- hopefully I can ride it well and do it justice!

Garmin 305

Tonight was my first official run with my new Garmin 305. Okay, so I know it's not the newest model out there, but it was free. Well, pretty much free. I had enough "reward" points at work to get it. It arrived just before the Surf City Marathon, but I held off using it knowing that I might get addicted and three days wouldn't be enough to learn it well enough to run a marathon.

So tonight after work I headed out for a short run. The weather was perfect- just crisp and clear enough to need a lightweight long-sleeved top and gloves. I haven't quite mastered the buttons on my new toy yet, and the Heart Rate settings aren't totally customized to me yet, so the beeping was a little out of control as it yelled at me to speed up or slow down, and told me my heart right was too high or too low. However, I could easily ignore it for a couple miles. It was so cool to see how my heart race or pace changed on a hill. I love it!!!

Anyway, at the end of my run I could see my average heart rate and pace. Not bad. And I loved being able to see my run mapped out and how far it actually was instead of guesstimating.

Basically- I love my Garmin 305!!!! I can't wait to learn all the functions so I can maximize it's potential.

Anyway, I just made a delicious pasta/vegetable dinner that I must go eat. Mmmm, butternut squash ravioli!

sick

I'm sick. bleh. Looks like another day off.

Released!

I got released from physical therapy this morning. Last March I was in a car accident and went through several weeks of physical therapy and then was released, with the agreement that I'd finish my season and see how things were going. Well, come November, my head is still having difficulty turning right and there's a weird click. Even after taking some time off. This was not normal so I headed back to my doc who sent me for more physical therapy. Dr. Phil (lol) kicked my butt. He had me using stretch bands and weights at 7 am! But, I've built up enough strength and flexibility to be released. The click is still there, but my range of motion is great. Phil said I'll need to keep up with the strength probably forever... I'm okay with that- at least for now. So, hopefully I'll be able to settle from the accident soon. Yay!

Finally getting a training blog!

After several years of racing, I'm finally creating a training/racing blog. It's about time! I have a feeling this is going to be a big year for me- learning a lot, trying a lot, racing a lot- and I want to get it all down. What works... what doesn't.

So, welcome to my blog. I'm Iron Bri :)