Hit the east side of town with the fall TNTers today. Started at my house and then headed out on a 23 mile loop. For Colorado Springs, it was actually a fairly flat ride with less than 1000ft of total elevation gain/loss. High point to low point was only about 550ft, but the few rollers out there make the total numbers larger. Pretty fast route as well, but being one of the first weekend training rides for some team members, we took it easy. Don't want to scare anyone off the bike! Probably was a little long for a first ride, but I hope they all enjoyed it. The weather is finally decent enough in the morning to ride around 8am. One person did get a flat - seemed to be due to old tires since I couldn't find anything wrong with the tire/tube and the road was pretty clear, just a little gravel. She said she has often gotten flats when riding, so I think new tires are in order for her! She did get a quick lesson in changing a tube. I prefer the first lessons to be in a controlled environment rather than on the side of a highway, but we got the job done and everyone made it back safely!
When we came back we had some snacks - veggies, hummus, bananas, juice and I made some pancakes for the team. Regular, chocolate chip and cinnamon chip! Delicious!
Well, it's time for bed as I have a 1:20 endurance run to do in the morning...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Banana Scallops
So I am getting sucked into Top Chef season 4 on Bravo. Here's a recipe since I haven't posted one in a while. Haven't tried it, but it looks pretty darn good!
Banana "Scallops"
Other news:
TNT Fall Season has begun - we've got a great team here in the Springs with some members training for the Steamboat Springs Tri in August and others the Nations Tri in September. The Summer Short Course Team races are coming up on June 15th and June 28th! Exciting!
I visited my grandmother a couple weeks ago in upstate New York. The whole family made it up, as she had just turned 90. She was in the hospital with back issues, so it was a bit of a bummer, but her wit is still there! And it was great to see my dad's side of the family.
I haven't posted about my training recently but it is going well. Got some new shoes so my shins don't hurt anymore (waited way too long for that new pair!). I'm still swimming, biking and running about 3x a week in each sport.
Last weekend my grandparents visited town (to meet their first Great Grandchild). My sister-in-law and niece also visited us that weekend so it was a big family weekend for the "long" Memorial Day weekend (which is always way too short!)
Working on some swim footage for the TNTers...time to get back to it!
Banana "Scallops"
Other news:
TNT Fall Season has begun - we've got a great team here in the Springs with some members training for the Steamboat Springs Tri in August and others the Nations Tri in September. The Summer Short Course Team races are coming up on June 15th and June 28th! Exciting!
I visited my grandmother a couple weeks ago in upstate New York. The whole family made it up, as she had just turned 90. She was in the hospital with back issues, so it was a bit of a bummer, but her wit is still there! And it was great to see my dad's side of the family.
I haven't posted about my training recently but it is going well. Got some new shoes so my shins don't hurt anymore (waited way too long for that new pair!). I'm still swimming, biking and running about 3x a week in each sport.
Last weekend my grandparents visited town (to meet their first Great Grandchild). My sister-in-law and niece also visited us that weekend so it was a big family weekend for the "long" Memorial Day weekend (which is always way too short!)
Working on some swim footage for the TNTers...time to get back to it!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Race Report - Better Late Than Never!
I meant to write this earlier in the week, but life, work and workouts seemed to have gotten in the way! Last Sunday (5/4) I participated in the 'tri for your cause' at the Boulder Res. But with the water being about 55 degrees, the race director gave participants the option of doing a duathlon instead. I opted for the du, as getting on a bike after being frozen was not my idea of a good time, especially since it was just a training race. If you're not familiar with a duathlon, it's a run-bike-run event. This one being a 5k run, 17 mile bike and another 5k run.
The weekend began getting up early to be in Denver for a group brick with the TNT folks, followed by the 'Tri 101' clinic. Being a coach this time, I got to stand up in front of the group and share my two-cents worth of knowledge and suggestions on the details of racing a tri, all the way from eating days before the race to after the race. After sharing as much as we could without completely overwhelming the TNT triathletes, Shannon and I headed up to Boulder. She was doing the race as well, and we were going to stay with her boyfriend up in the mountains outside of Boulder.
The first stop in Boulder was Bicycle Village as I forgot my energy gels in the fridge. I had so diligently prepared the flask I was going to use and put it in the fridge. Out of sight, out of mind. At least that was the only thing I forgot. Also picked up some chain lube since I had run out.
Next stop...the Boulder Res for packet pick-up. Gave the water a quick toe test (brrr!) and then let the registration people know we were switching to the duathlon. Hung around for a few minutes to be at the mandatory(?) pre-race meeting. The USAT officials usually go over the rules (no drafting, helmets must be worn, etc). but they weren't able to make it. Instead the race director gave a very abbreviated version and we were on our way up into the mountains.
Let me just say, the drive to Chris' place was fantastic! Up old stage road and left hand canyon was just fantastic. I bet we passed about 30 cyclists on the roads up there. 40 minutes later we were at his house on what I believe is 1200 acres. He doesn't own this land, just works there - it's an educational retreat for kids called Cal-Wood. But my goodness is it gorgeous! We had a well-deserved relaxing afternoon and evening. Early to bed to rest up for the next day's race!
Sunday:
I slept pretty well considering it was the night before a race and sleeping on a couch. But I think not having to swim took a layer of stress/complexity off of the pre-race mental prep! At 6:45am we headed out down the mountain to get to the Res. It was a small race, probably less than 300 competitors, so finding a convenient transition rack wasn't too hard. I was surprised at all the wetsuits I saw. Not surprised that people would swim with a wetsuit (I do all summer long out here in Colorado in a race) but the fact that most people had opted to swim! Granted it was a short 500m swim, but still. Brrrr!
At 8:45am the transition area closed to competitors and we headed to the start line. There was probably about 30 or so 'sane folk' lining up for the du. In the middle of the starting line chit-chat, a lady with a microphone calls out 'duathlon - go!' Guess we were supposed to start with the airhorn that signaled the first swimmers, but couldn't hear it up the beach. Mid-sentence for most of us, we looked at our watches to hit the start button and headed out on the 5k out-and-back course.
Run 1: Wanted to keep this one easy, somewhere around 8:20-8:30 min/mile. Some guy was running pretty much the same pace, so we chatted along most of the course. That helped keep the pace in check, as it is really easy to take off like a bandit. But I had a bike ride and another one of these runs to do so there was no sense in getting tired early! According to my GPS, it was a 3.2mile course and I did it in about 26:45, so right on pace.
Transition 1- Pretty quick here - about 1:30. Just had to get the bike shoes and helmet on and grab the bike.
Bike: I need to work on my mounting skills. Nothing bad happened, I'm just not a 'flying mounter' yet. I'm more of the stop-clip-go type. Once I started pedaling, it was time to see what I could do. I am pretty familiar with the course, having ridden it a few times in other races and training. For some reason my heart rate was pretty high on the ride (about 172). I was a little disappointed in my time (57ish minutes) as that is the same pace I rode my long course race last year at about 10bpm less. But, training race = no taper. And since I've never run a tempo paced 5k then hopped on the bike, my body was probably saying "what the heck!" But overall a good ride. Except when I choked on some water - I was using my 'gel-bot' water bottle that has a space for gels and water to make it easy to consume. Well, the bottle is tall and when I tipped my head back to get some gel and then drink down some water, it didn't go down the right pipe. This on top of a higher heart rate (hard breathing) made drinking a little more challenging.
Transition 2: Hopped off the bike and slipped my running shoes back on. Even remembered to take of my helmet! Took a few extra swallows of my electrolyte drink (HEED) since I didn't get as much gel calories on the bike that I had planned. Then out for run #2!
Run 2: Goal for this run - maintain a strong but comfortable pace. I set my sights on a couple women in my age group (as with most races of this sort, your age is written on your calf so you know what age group people are in). I picked them both off by mile 1 so just wanted to maintain this pace. I didn't look at my GPS to see how I was pacing on this one - just wanted to run. So after another 5k, I crossed the finish line and successfully completed my first duathlon!
A great strong training race for me in some great Boulder weather! The official results are a little messed up, as they have me still in the triathlon results. I was supposed to get switched, but it didn't get done. I even mentioned it to the race director after the race when the preliminary results came out and he said he'd take care of it. I don't think I was the only one with this goof. With the time offset for different wave starts, it's hard to know who really did what. But that's what my watch/GPS was for so I know how I did.
So there you have it - a duathlon! I'd say it was harder than a triathlon since your legs aren't fresh getting on the bike. At least after a swim, as long as you don't kick too hard, your legs feel pretty good. I'd do another one for sure. I think I'll do one on July 12th called the Cabbage Head Duathlon. If anything, it's got a great name!
The weekend began getting up early to be in Denver for a group brick with the TNT folks, followed by the 'Tri 101' clinic. Being a coach this time, I got to stand up in front of the group and share my two-cents worth of knowledge and suggestions on the details of racing a tri, all the way from eating days before the race to after the race. After sharing as much as we could without completely overwhelming the TNT triathletes, Shannon and I headed up to Boulder. She was doing the race as well, and we were going to stay with her boyfriend up in the mountains outside of Boulder.
The first stop in Boulder was Bicycle Village as I forgot my energy gels in the fridge. I had so diligently prepared the flask I was going to use and put it in the fridge. Out of sight, out of mind. At least that was the only thing I forgot. Also picked up some chain lube since I had run out.
Next stop...the Boulder Res for packet pick-up. Gave the water a quick toe test (brrr!) and then let the registration people know we were switching to the duathlon. Hung around for a few minutes to be at the mandatory(?) pre-race meeting. The USAT officials usually go over the rules (no drafting, helmets must be worn, etc). but they weren't able to make it. Instead the race director gave a very abbreviated version and we were on our way up into the mountains.
Let me just say, the drive to Chris' place was fantastic! Up old stage road and left hand canyon was just fantastic. I bet we passed about 30 cyclists on the roads up there. 40 minutes later we were at his house on what I believe is 1200 acres. He doesn't own this land, just works there - it's an educational retreat for kids called Cal-Wood. But my goodness is it gorgeous! We had a well-deserved relaxing afternoon and evening. Early to bed to rest up for the next day's race!
Sunday:
I slept pretty well considering it was the night before a race and sleeping on a couch. But I think not having to swim took a layer of stress/complexity off of the pre-race mental prep! At 6:45am we headed out down the mountain to get to the Res. It was a small race, probably less than 300 competitors, so finding a convenient transition rack wasn't too hard. I was surprised at all the wetsuits I saw. Not surprised that people would swim with a wetsuit (I do all summer long out here in Colorado in a race) but the fact that most people had opted to swim! Granted it was a short 500m swim, but still. Brrrr!
At 8:45am the transition area closed to competitors and we headed to the start line. There was probably about 30 or so 'sane folk' lining up for the du. In the middle of the starting line chit-chat, a lady with a microphone calls out 'duathlon - go!' Guess we were supposed to start with the airhorn that signaled the first swimmers, but couldn't hear it up the beach. Mid-sentence for most of us, we looked at our watches to hit the start button and headed out on the 5k out-and-back course.
Run 1: Wanted to keep this one easy, somewhere around 8:20-8:30 min/mile. Some guy was running pretty much the same pace, so we chatted along most of the course. That helped keep the pace in check, as it is really easy to take off like a bandit. But I had a bike ride and another one of these runs to do so there was no sense in getting tired early! According to my GPS, it was a 3.2mile course and I did it in about 26:45, so right on pace.
Transition 1- Pretty quick here - about 1:30. Just had to get the bike shoes and helmet on and grab the bike.
Bike: I need to work on my mounting skills. Nothing bad happened, I'm just not a 'flying mounter' yet. I'm more of the stop-clip-go type. Once I started pedaling, it was time to see what I could do. I am pretty familiar with the course, having ridden it a few times in other races and training. For some reason my heart rate was pretty high on the ride (about 172). I was a little disappointed in my time (57ish minutes) as that is the same pace I rode my long course race last year at about 10bpm less. But, training race = no taper. And since I've never run a tempo paced 5k then hopped on the bike, my body was probably saying "what the heck!" But overall a good ride. Except when I choked on some water - I was using my 'gel-bot' water bottle that has a space for gels and water to make it easy to consume. Well, the bottle is tall and when I tipped my head back to get some gel and then drink down some water, it didn't go down the right pipe. This on top of a higher heart rate (hard breathing) made drinking a little more challenging.
Transition 2: Hopped off the bike and slipped my running shoes back on. Even remembered to take of my helmet! Took a few extra swallows of my electrolyte drink (HEED) since I didn't get as much gel calories on the bike that I had planned. Then out for run #2!
Run 2: Goal for this run - maintain a strong but comfortable pace. I set my sights on a couple women in my age group (as with most races of this sort, your age is written on your calf so you know what age group people are in). I picked them both off by mile 1 so just wanted to maintain this pace. I didn't look at my GPS to see how I was pacing on this one - just wanted to run. So after another 5k, I crossed the finish line and successfully completed my first duathlon!
A great strong training race for me in some great Boulder weather! The official results are a little messed up, as they have me still in the triathlon results. I was supposed to get switched, but it didn't get done. I even mentioned it to the race director after the race when the preliminary results came out and he said he'd take care of it. I don't think I was the only one with this goof. With the time offset for different wave starts, it's hard to know who really did what. But that's what my watch/GPS was for so I know how I did.
So there you have it - a duathlon! I'd say it was harder than a triathlon since your legs aren't fresh getting on the bike. At least after a swim, as long as you don't kick too hard, your legs feel pretty good. I'd do another one for sure. I think I'll do one on July 12th called the Cabbage Head Duathlon. If anything, it's got a great name!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Bike Camp Report
This past weekend (Friday, Saturday, and today) I was at a Carmichael Training Systems beginner road skills bike camp. As the longest time in a triathlon is usually spent on the bike, the more comfortable I am in bike handling, the better. Plus I might also learn some tricks and tips to help the TNT folks. Friday morning I headed downtown to the CTS building with my bike and riding gear ready to learn...
FRIDAY-
Session 1: Coach Natalie, Kirk, Ryan and intern Rachel took care of us this weekend. There were 8 campers - a great student/coach ratio! We rode to a grassy patch of MVP along the dirt trail (yup, road bikes on the dirt trail) to get some handling skills under our belt. Starting, stopping with and without unclipping the pedals and such. Then attempt the water bottle pick-up from the ground while on the bike. I managed a few times but can still work on that one. Then we rode behind others and next to others, trying to get comfortable next to other riders, as is important while in a pace line. Then we worked on the "track stand." Staying clipped in while completely stopped for as long as possible. Took a few spills on this one, but that is why we were on the grass!
Back to CTS for some lunch from Panera and then a presentation on cornering to get ready for Session 2.
Session 2: Work on cornerning while descending at Garden of the Gods. Rode over to the park and then did a short loop starting at the trading post - up the hill, hang a left, down the couple curves and back around down to the trading post. I think I did that loop about 8 times! Then we did a bigger loop around the Garden - once as a group and once on our own. Then back to the CTS building to wrap up the day!
SATURDAY:
Session 1: Presentation on bike clothing, then presentation on various pace lines. After the pace line we got to practice inside walking. Then we rode over to a residential street where we had about a mile with minimal traffic to try to get the hang of these pace lines for real. Going uphill into the wind (and boy was it windy on Saturday!) definitely felt the benefit of a group more than going downhill with a tailwind. After we got somewhat familiar with these lines, we rode over to Mark Dabling road to use these skills on a longer stretch. And sure enough with that strong wind out of the north, we got to experience the benefit! Then a quick ride back south (downhill and tailwind) to get some lunch.
Lunch from Pita Pit (yum!) and a presentation on nutrition. I was familiar with most of the concepts and CTS is definitely a high carb proponent.
Session 2: The wind was still super strong and a bit chilly, but that won't stop us! we headed out to climb gold camp road. Nice 6% grade or so - fairly comfortable climb. The descent not so much. With that wind you get some good crosswinds coming down so I was a bit out of my comfort zone. Probably didn't go as fast as I could have - I am pretty cautious on windy and wind-y roads. Then back to CTS for a wrap-up. I had a power meter on my bike today so I got to check out my numbers with Coach Natalie. For what it's worth, up the hill I think I averaged about 160(?) watts and a 162bpm heart rate.
SUNDAY:
Legs are a bit tired, but not as bad as I expected. it was really cold this morning so we waited a bit to head out until it was a tad warmer. Then we had our final ride of about 2 hours. Over to Mesa Rd on the west side up to centennial (some "big" climbs here) then a brief descent over to W. Woodmen. A short potty break here at a park, then up the West Woodmen hill back to Centennial, over to Mesa and back to CTS. My legs were feeling it on the steep stuff! But in the flat/downhill parts my legs felt pretty good considering all the riding I've done in the last few days - probably about what I'd get in a week's time, probably even more! Back to CTS for a wrap-up bagel/coffee meal and a chance to chat with the CTS coaches. A review of today's power meter had me at 180ish watts and about 172ish on the climbs. Definitely a harder workout!
Summary:
A good camp - I learned quite a bit and know I have a lot to work on. But I also have some places to ride (though I think I've been at all of them before) where I can focus on specific skills. The coaches were very knowledgeable and friendly so it was a comfortable environment to learn. We did get all the powerbars, powergels, powerbar endurance drink we wanted. They took care of us - made sure our bikes were ready to ride each day (though they did give me mine today with the rear brake open - glad I caught it before we headed out!) As with all camps, it wasn't perfect, but the negatives are minor compared to the positives. It was an enjoyable and educational weekend that went by too fast.
FRIDAY-
Session 1: Coach Natalie, Kirk, Ryan and intern Rachel took care of us this weekend. There were 8 campers - a great student/coach ratio! We rode to a grassy patch of MVP along the dirt trail (yup, road bikes on the dirt trail) to get some handling skills under our belt. Starting, stopping with and without unclipping the pedals and such. Then attempt the water bottle pick-up from the ground while on the bike. I managed a few times but can still work on that one. Then we rode behind others and next to others, trying to get comfortable next to other riders, as is important while in a pace line. Then we worked on the "track stand." Staying clipped in while completely stopped for as long as possible. Took a few spills on this one, but that is why we were on the grass!
Back to CTS for some lunch from Panera and then a presentation on cornering to get ready for Session 2.
Session 2: Work on cornerning while descending at Garden of the Gods. Rode over to the park and then did a short loop starting at the trading post - up the hill, hang a left, down the couple curves and back around down to the trading post. I think I did that loop about 8 times! Then we did a bigger loop around the Garden - once as a group and once on our own. Then back to the CTS building to wrap up the day!
SATURDAY:
Session 1: Presentation on bike clothing, then presentation on various pace lines. After the pace line we got to practice inside walking. Then we rode over to a residential street where we had about a mile with minimal traffic to try to get the hang of these pace lines for real. Going uphill into the wind (and boy was it windy on Saturday!) definitely felt the benefit of a group more than going downhill with a tailwind. After we got somewhat familiar with these lines, we rode over to Mark Dabling road to use these skills on a longer stretch. And sure enough with that strong wind out of the north, we got to experience the benefit! Then a quick ride back south (downhill and tailwind) to get some lunch.
Lunch from Pita Pit (yum!) and a presentation on nutrition. I was familiar with most of the concepts and CTS is definitely a high carb proponent.
Session 2: The wind was still super strong and a bit chilly, but that won't stop us! we headed out to climb gold camp road. Nice 6% grade or so - fairly comfortable climb. The descent not so much. With that wind you get some good crosswinds coming down so I was a bit out of my comfort zone. Probably didn't go as fast as I could have - I am pretty cautious on windy and wind-y roads. Then back to CTS for a wrap-up. I had a power meter on my bike today so I got to check out my numbers with Coach Natalie. For what it's worth, up the hill I think I averaged about 160(?) watts and a 162bpm heart rate.
SUNDAY:
Legs are a bit tired, but not as bad as I expected. it was really cold this morning so we waited a bit to head out until it was a tad warmer. Then we had our final ride of about 2 hours. Over to Mesa Rd on the west side up to centennial (some "big" climbs here) then a brief descent over to W. Woodmen. A short potty break here at a park, then up the West Woodmen hill back to Centennial, over to Mesa and back to CTS. My legs were feeling it on the steep stuff! But in the flat/downhill parts my legs felt pretty good considering all the riding I've done in the last few days - probably about what I'd get in a week's time, probably even more! Back to CTS for a wrap-up bagel/coffee meal and a chance to chat with the CTS coaches. A review of today's power meter had me at 180ish watts and about 172ish on the climbs. Definitely a harder workout!
Summary:
A good camp - I learned quite a bit and know I have a lot to work on. But I also have some places to ride (though I think I've been at all of them before) where I can focus on specific skills. The coaches were very knowledgeable and friendly so it was a comfortable environment to learn. We did get all the powerbars, powergels, powerbar endurance drink we wanted. They took care of us - made sure our bikes were ready to ride each day (though they did give me mine today with the rear brake open - glad I caught it before we headed out!) As with all camps, it wasn't perfect, but the negatives are minor compared to the positives. It was an enjoyable and educational weekend that went by too fast.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Awesome Brick!
For those not familiar with multisport - we use the term "brick" workout for a dual workout session, most typically a bike followed by a run. Some think the term comes from how your legs feel when you try to run off the bike! But the latest thing I've read is that the type of workout was created by a guy with the last name Brick. Either way, they are great workouts, and when you're training for a triathlon/dualthlon where you have to run straight off the bike, it's important to get this kind of training in.
Today's brick was a 2 x (14mi bike, 2mi run). It was a great day for such a workout - we finally had warmer temps. We set up our transition area in our cars in a shopping center parking lot and then headed out on a super bike ride. The wind was strong and cool enough we needed long sleeves for the bike, but stayed plenty warm on the run. Here's an idea of the route, except we didn't ride on hwy 115, but went behind the country club instead. Got to see some fantastic views of the city from the south side!
The run was hilly, with ~100ft elevation gain in 0.5mi! But just think how strong our legs are getting! As the coach, I watched the bikes while the team did the first 2mi run. When the last runner returned to start the second ride/run combo, I went to ride out with her and noticed I had a flat. Wish I would have noticed that while I was just sitting around watching those bikes! So I took a couple minutes, found the glass chip in the tire, and got a new tube going. I was able to catch up with the group when they started their second loop. I think that's my 3rd flat tire since February - might be time for new tires with a little more puncture resistance! When we returned for the second run, everyone put their bikes in their cars so I did the run. Yowie! My legs did feel like bricks, but I did manage to pound out a 9:16 pace. (the downhills helped bring the avg pace down for sure!)
The long course team was out for a 3 hour ride, and managed to return to the parking lot as the "short coursers" finished their workout. Great timing for sure! A super workout for the Team in Training folks!
Today's brick was a 2 x (14mi bike, 2mi run). It was a great day for such a workout - we finally had warmer temps. We set up our transition area in our cars in a shopping center parking lot and then headed out on a super bike ride. The wind was strong and cool enough we needed long sleeves for the bike, but stayed plenty warm on the run. Here's an idea of the route, except we didn't ride on hwy 115, but went behind the country club instead. Got to see some fantastic views of the city from the south side!
The run was hilly, with ~100ft elevation gain in 0.5mi! But just think how strong our legs are getting! As the coach, I watched the bikes while the team did the first 2mi run. When the last runner returned to start the second ride/run combo, I went to ride out with her and noticed I had a flat. Wish I would have noticed that while I was just sitting around watching those bikes! So I took a couple minutes, found the glass chip in the tire, and got a new tube going. I was able to catch up with the group when they started their second loop. I think that's my 3rd flat tire since February - might be time for new tires with a little more puncture resistance! When we returned for the second run, everyone put their bikes in their cars so I did the run. Yowie! My legs did feel like bricks, but I did manage to pound out a 9:16 pace. (the downhills helped bring the avg pace down for sure!)
The long course team was out for a 3 hour ride, and managed to return to the parking lot as the "short coursers" finished their workout. Great timing for sure! A super workout for the Team in Training folks!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
snow storm
Just a quick line to say it is snowing - several inches. It was almost 80 yesterday. Guess that's Colorado!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
What a workout!
With temps in the upper 70s today (tomorrow will be mid-40s- if you can believe that!) I finally got to wear shorts and a short sleeved shirt to track practice! And boy did Coach Mitch throw one at us. Well, not really, but he did surprise us with a best effort timed mile so he could update our pacing cards. I was pretty pleased with my time - 7:11. I'm pretty sure that's the fastest mile I have ever run. It'd be nice if I could go sub-7 one of these days.
The rest of the workout was as follows:
1200 at I pace
800 at I pace
400 at R pace
2x200 @ R pace (form focus) w/200 recoveries
Plyometrics (high knees, butt kickers, skipping and bounding)
Core/strength (planks/crunches/tuck jumps, etc - "killer" stuff!)
This morning I got a good swim in as well:
300 yd warm-up
8x25 drill set
8x100 with 5s rest
8x25 kicking set
300 yd cool down
-------
1800 total yards
Time to set up my bike on the trainer to get a good morning ride in tomorrow.
The rest of the workout was as follows:
1200 at I pace
800 at I pace
400 at R pace
2x200 @ R pace (form focus) w/200 recoveries
Plyometrics (high knees, butt kickers, skipping and bounding)
Core/strength (planks/crunches/tuck jumps, etc - "killer" stuff!)
This morning I got a good swim in as well:
300 yd warm-up
8x25 drill set
8x100 with 5s rest
8x25 kicking set
300 yd cool down
-------
1800 total yards
Time to set up my bike on the trainer to get a good morning ride in tomorrow.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Baked Bananas
Is that a recipe or how I feel?
This is from the Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel.
4 bananas
1/4 c. olive oil
Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
1 T. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Cut bananas in half (lengthwise) and place cut side down in baking dish greased with the oil. Drizzle with the lemon juice and vanilla, then sprinkle with lemon rind and cinnamon. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Mars:
I'm happy to report that the big guy is doing much better! He's going up and down (down is better than up) on his own and he has his old appetite back! We've backed off on the prednisone quite a bit - down to 5mg every other day. We'll compare his "on" to "off" days and then probably get his levels tested in a few weeks if the low dose seems to be OK.
Fundraising:
Well, I haven't been too agressive with my fundraising this year (there is still plenty of time to donate!) but we had an awesome fundraiser for the team on Saturday - a Texas Hold'em tournament we called Casino Royale. We raised $2200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! It was a lot of fun. Still getting the house back together from the event!
This is from the Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel.
4 bananas
1/4 c. olive oil
Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
1 T. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Cut bananas in half (lengthwise) and place cut side down in baking dish greased with the oil. Drizzle with the lemon juice and vanilla, then sprinkle with lemon rind and cinnamon. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Mars:
I'm happy to report that the big guy is doing much better! He's going up and down (down is better than up) on his own and he has his old appetite back! We've backed off on the prednisone quite a bit - down to 5mg every other day. We'll compare his "on" to "off" days and then probably get his levels tested in a few weeks if the low dose seems to be OK.
Fundraising:
Well, I haven't been too agressive with my fundraising this year (there is still plenty of time to donate!) but we had an awesome fundraiser for the team on Saturday - a Texas Hold'em tournament we called Casino Royale. We raised $2200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! It was a lot of fun. Still getting the house back together from the event!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Phew! (well, sort of)
Let's call today 'Adventures at the Veterinary Specialists!'
After my morning swim I came back home and called the vet internist who had been treating his cushings to get in. Luckily someone had just cancelled their 10:15am appointment. No time for me to drive 30 minutes down south to work and turn around and head back so I just took the morning off. Got some dishes and some ironing done and somehow managed to lift Mars into the car. The first visit took about an hour. Dr. C looked at Mars, checked his alertness, his joints, etc, and ran a quick test to check his electrolyte level. She also did a 'resting cortisol' test. The electrolytes were good so that means one hormone (can't remember which) is fine, and the cortisol results will be back later this week. Her thinking about his loss of appetite is that his cortisol levels are still low from the lysodren treatment and now his body is responding. Ok, so we'll get him on a low dose of prednisone to see if that bumps his appetite. But she also noticed he was in a lot of back pain and has join stiffness so she recommended a consultation with the pain management guy next door for a consult and possible accupuncture treatment. wow.
Needing (not necessarily wanting) to get back to work for the afternoon, I left Mars with them and they brought him over (down the hall) to the pain guy.
A few x-rays and a laser pain treatment later the diagnosis is....
1) hip displaysia (boo!) But Mars gets applause for letting them get the x-rays without sedation!
2) good elbows joints (yay!!!)
3) definite back pain
4) possible slight tear in some ligaments in his right knee
5) possible neurological problem (would be a disc issue)
So I have a handful of drugs to give him now to get the pain under control and a recommendation that we get a consultation with the orthopedic guy.
First things first - make sure the Cushings is under control and he gets his appetite back while starting him on some pain meds. Then we'll see about the orthopedic consultation. (I hear they now even scope dog knees to see if surgery is really needed.)
So, phew! that it looks managable for now, though not easy on the wallet. Time to feed him and see about all those silly pills!
After my morning swim I came back home and called the vet internist who had been treating his cushings to get in. Luckily someone had just cancelled their 10:15am appointment. No time for me to drive 30 minutes down south to work and turn around and head back so I just took the morning off. Got some dishes and some ironing done and somehow managed to lift Mars into the car. The first visit took about an hour. Dr. C looked at Mars, checked his alertness, his joints, etc, and ran a quick test to check his electrolyte level. She also did a 'resting cortisol' test. The electrolytes were good so that means one hormone (can't remember which) is fine, and the cortisol results will be back later this week. Her thinking about his loss of appetite is that his cortisol levels are still low from the lysodren treatment and now his body is responding. Ok, so we'll get him on a low dose of prednisone to see if that bumps his appetite. But she also noticed he was in a lot of back pain and has join stiffness so she recommended a consultation with the pain management guy next door for a consult and possible accupuncture treatment. wow.
Needing (not necessarily wanting) to get back to work for the afternoon, I left Mars with them and they brought him over (down the hall) to the pain guy.
A few x-rays and a laser pain treatment later the diagnosis is....
1) hip displaysia (boo!) But Mars gets applause for letting them get the x-rays without sedation!
2) good elbows joints (yay!!!)
3) definite back pain
4) possible slight tear in some ligaments in his right knee
5) possible neurological problem (would be a disc issue)
So I have a handful of drugs to give him now to get the pain under control and a recommendation that we get a consultation with the orthopedic guy.
First things first - make sure the Cushings is under control and he gets his appetite back while starting him on some pain meds. Then we'll see about the orthopedic consultation. (I hear they now even scope dog knees to see if surgery is really needed.)
So, phew! that it looks managable for now, though not easy on the wallet. Time to feed him and see about all those silly pills!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Mars report
Mars isn't doing so well tonight. He wasn't interested in his food and he didn't move around much. He usually is all over treats in a kong toy - it takes him about 30 seconds to bite it to have the treat fall out. Tonight he barely showed any interest in it. I'm trying to get him into the vet tomorrow, as I know loss of appetite isn't good. A little over a week ago we had him retested to see if he was back in the "normal" range on his ACTH stimulation test, which he was. Since his mobility had decreased with him off the Rimadyl for about a week, the vet said we could wait a week or so before starting the maintenance dose of Lysodren to help the Cushings. He seemed to be doing better, but he still needs/wants help getting up and has trouble on slick surfaces. We started taking him on short (2 block) walks to try to increase his muscle strength. He had a normal appetite (the whole bowl of food gets swallowed in about 2 minutes) but he ate a bit slower this morning and tonight he just didn't seem to want to eat. Not good. I hope we find out what is going on since he is such a sweet and wonderful dog. You get pets knowing that they have a limited life span, but they are such great companions you really don't want anything to happen to them. Here's a good pic of Juno and Mars:
But it is Monday which means a banana recipe! Here's an easy one for everyone who lives in a warmer climate (why won't it just stay warm?!??!!)
Banana Freeze
Mash up a few ripe bananas
Mix in some vanilla extract
Put in freezer for 20-30 minutes to get it nice and cold and thick (but don't let it freeze too long or you will have a big banana ice cube!)
Enjoy!!!
But it is Monday which means a banana recipe! Here's an easy one for everyone who lives in a warmer climate (why won't it just stay warm?!??!!)
Banana Freeze
Mash up a few ripe bananas
Mix in some vanilla extract
Put in freezer for 20-30 minutes to get it nice and cold and thick (but don't let it freeze too long or you will have a big banana ice cube!)
Enjoy!!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
68 Degrees!
Ahhh! A day of warm weather in Colorado. Beautiful! Pikes Peak is still snowcapped from the Easter snow, the sky is almost the perfect shade of blue and the sun is out for some prime vitamin D formation!
****
Before I continue - my mom is helping my fundraising campaign - for every book you buy of hers she'll donate $1.00 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and $0.50 for every short story. Her website is www.terryodell.com. Check out her webpage for some great romance - with a twist of mystery!
****
Today started out with a strength training session at the gym. My hip flexor has been tight the last couple weeks, especially after last night's track session, so I need to make sure I'm stretching it out and also working out unwanted muscle adhesions (I'm quite prone to these). The Stick does wonders on tight muscles! Anyway, some leg presses, deadlifts, shoulder exercises, pull-ups and push-ups got the day going. Of course it wasn't complete until I did some planks! Then the trip to the coffee shop for the morning's coffee - today's choice was English Toffee.
After a few hours of werkwerkwerk I had to get outside and enjoy the fabulous day! So I hopped on my bike and headed for the hills! I did a 13 mile ride that had almost 1000 feet of climbing - and 600 of it was in the first 3.5 miles! yowee! The loop from work took me up behind the Broadmoor Hotel and not too far from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I think others were enjoying the day as there was a HUGE line of cars along the road that takes you to the zoo. I really didn't want to go back to work, but alas, I did. (I was also getting a bit hungry!)
A few more hours at work, picked up some extra pain medicine for Mars at the vet on my way home, then enjoyed the outdoors a bit more. Tim took Mars for a very short walk(~2 blocks) to hopefully strengthen his legs up and I took Juno for a bit longer walk (~1.5miles). Had some dinner and now it's time to work on some coaching things.
****
Before I continue - my mom is helping my fundraising campaign - for every book you buy of hers she'll donate $1.00 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and $0.50 for every short story. Her website is www.terryodell.com. Check out her webpage for some great romance - with a twist of mystery!
****
Today started out with a strength training session at the gym. My hip flexor has been tight the last couple weeks, especially after last night's track session, so I need to make sure I'm stretching it out and also working out unwanted muscle adhesions (I'm quite prone to these). The Stick does wonders on tight muscles! Anyway, some leg presses, deadlifts, shoulder exercises, pull-ups and push-ups got the day going. Of course it wasn't complete until I did some planks! Then the trip to the coffee shop for the morning's coffee - today's choice was English Toffee.
After a few hours of werkwerkwerk I had to get outside and enjoy the fabulous day! So I hopped on my bike and headed for the hills! I did a 13 mile ride that had almost 1000 feet of climbing - and 600 of it was in the first 3.5 miles! yowee! The loop from work took me up behind the Broadmoor Hotel and not too far from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I think others were enjoying the day as there was a HUGE line of cars along the road that takes you to the zoo. I really didn't want to go back to work, but alas, I did. (I was also getting a bit hungry!)
A few more hours at work, picked up some extra pain medicine for Mars at the vet on my way home, then enjoyed the outdoors a bit more. Tim took Mars for a very short walk(~2 blocks) to hopefully strengthen his legs up and I took Juno for a bit longer walk (~1.5miles). Had some dinner and now it's time to work on some coaching things.
Monday, March 24, 2008
This One's From Top Chef!
I think I missed last week - not that I've been a slacker - just the opposite! Sunday I felt awful and ran a low-grade fever most of the day (probably from the cold St. Patty's Day run) and then with all the workouts, and taking my dog to the vet, it was quite a hectic week! But here's the recipe for this week:
http://recipes.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_4/episode_2_1/banana_bread.php
Today was a rest day from working out, but I have been going non-stop since I woke up! At least I can sit on my butt most of the day at work. Tomorrow is a big workout day - morning is a swim and track in the evening.
I'll keep you posted!
http://recipes.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_4/episode_2_1/banana_bread.php
Today was a rest day from working out, but I have been going non-stop since I woke up! At least I can sit on my butt most of the day at work. Tomorrow is a big workout day - morning is a swim and track in the evening.
I'll keep you posted!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Race Report: St. Patty's Day 5k
Every year Colorado Springs has a St. Patrick's Day parade and before the parade is a 5k race downtown. This was the 25th running of the race and about 1400 folks participated. On the training schedule was a 50-60 minute run. The TNT team and I met at 8am not too far from the race start for our group workout. Instead of running the full workout, I did 30 minutes easy to warm up then headed over to the race start. I wanted to run strong, but not all out, especially in the base phase of my training. I figured a good tempo run would be OK.
So here's the report:
Start time: 10am, mostly cloudy and temps in the 30s (we got a few inches of wet snow yesterday, but this time of year it all melts rather quickly. Thanks goodness roads were dry.)
I was pretty cold, but being that it was a St. Patricks Day race, I wore my Jack Quinn's Running Club shirt and this fantastic green felt leprechaun-type hat I found at Walgreens.
The race was flat for Colorado standards, but heading south is clearly downhill (and all the runners that took off way to fast realize that) and heading north is definitely uphill (and those same runners really felt that!).
My time: 25:07, which is about an 8:04 minute/mile pace. That's my best 5k time in Colorado! (best overall was last November at 23:34 in New Orleans....really flat and sea-level, plus a definite taper.) I didn't want to go faster than 7:45 pace on the downhill parts and tried to keep as close to 8:00min/mile on the uphill sections. With an 8:04 average pace, I was just slightly slower than that. My T pace is about 8:20 min/mile and my I pace is 7:40min/mile so I did get a strong training run in. (Those paces are from Daniel's Running Formula, based on a mile time-trial I did a few weeks ago). Oh- and that time put me 15/135 in my age group and 72/792 overall females. So not too shabby!
My post-race recovery was some stretching, a bottle of Recoverite, half a banana and a couple bagel halves from Panera (Cinnamon Crunch and Banana Pecan) that were provided to racers.
Overall for not wanting to go all out I did OK, especially with a full week of training and no taper for the race. My right hip has been a bit tight and I certainly felt the hipflexor/abductors. Planning on a massage this week for sure!
So here's the report:
Start time: 10am, mostly cloudy and temps in the 30s (we got a few inches of wet snow yesterday, but this time of year it all melts rather quickly. Thanks goodness roads were dry.)
I was pretty cold, but being that it was a St. Patricks Day race, I wore my Jack Quinn's Running Club shirt and this fantastic green felt leprechaun-type hat I found at Walgreens.
The race was flat for Colorado standards, but heading south is clearly downhill (and all the runners that took off way to fast realize that) and heading north is definitely uphill (and those same runners really felt that!).
My time: 25:07, which is about an 8:04 minute/mile pace. That's my best 5k time in Colorado! (best overall was last November at 23:34 in New Orleans....really flat and sea-level, plus a definite taper.) I didn't want to go faster than 7:45 pace on the downhill parts and tried to keep as close to 8:00min/mile on the uphill sections. With an 8:04 average pace, I was just slightly slower than that. My T pace is about 8:20 min/mile and my I pace is 7:40min/mile so I did get a strong training run in. (Those paces are from Daniel's Running Formula, based on a mile time-trial I did a few weeks ago). Oh- and that time put me 15/135 in my age group and 72/792 overall females. So not too shabby!
My post-race recovery was some stretching, a bottle of Recoverite, half a banana and a couple bagel halves from Panera (Cinnamon Crunch and Banana Pecan) that were provided to racers.
Overall for not wanting to go all out I did OK, especially with a full week of training and no taper for the race. My right hip has been a bit tight and I certainly felt the hipflexor/abductors. Planning on a massage this week for sure!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Mars started his treatment
Last week I took Mars to an internal medicine specialist for an ultrasound. They saw that both of his adrenal glands appear to be enlarged, which pretty much confirmed the previous suspected diagnosis of Cushing's Disease. Since both were enlarged it is most likely a pituitary tumor causing it. She recommended treatment so we started that last night. He's on 750mg of Lysodren twice a day for a week. We'll take him back for the ACTH stimulation test next Thursday and hopefully his cortisol levels will be in the normal range. The drug is pretty nasty - DDT derivative, we have to wear gloves when administering it since we don't want to ingest any of it at all. It basically is supposed to kill much of his adrenal so when the pituitary tumor send the signals, the adrenals can't respond fully to the stimulus. We can't do much about the pituitary tumor - pretty sure that would require doggie brain surgery! So far after 3 doses he's doing just fine. We're hoping the dosing goes well, if you give too much, you don't produce cortisol and that can be even worse than too much. We have a prescription of prednisone just in case...
Now onto other things, like training! There are 16 weeks until the Loveland Lake to Lake race, so my official training has begun. I'm using a combination of the Team in Training schedule and the Triathlete Magazine Training Plan book to get appropriate workouts. So here's what this week looks like so far:
Monday:
-morning swim of 1400yds (300wu, 8x25 drills, 4x100m.s., 8x25 kick, 300 cd).
I'm working on getting the catch timed right - I have been waiting too long (a lot of gliding) to start it.
-lunch bike ride at the gym in the spin room. I can adjust the seat and handlebars better, and the seat is a bit more comfortable than the sandard stationary bike on the main workout floor. It was a 60 minute foundation ride, kept my HR around 145-150 after a 10min wu. Did a 15 minute cool down.
Tuesday = Track!
But before the track I did some strength training over lunch. Some legs, but mainly upper body, especially the back and shoulder.
Track practice was great, but of course hard!
it went down as follows:
1miles walk wu.
800m easy pace
1200m T pace (I nailed it at 6:15! - 2:05/400m)
400 recovery
1200 I pace (a bit slow on the first 400, but the next two were dead on 1:55/400m)
400 recovery
1200 R pace. (This was hard to maintain, I was a few seconds too slow each lap)
400 recovery
2x200 R pace - focus on form, 200 recovery.
Then plyometrics! High kneews, butt kickers, skipping, and bounding
800m easy cool down.
Long workout!!! But good as always. My abductors were tightening up so I need to incorporate them a little more into my strength training routine.
Wednesday
Didn't get to bed until late (Tim had a meeting at the house and it didn't get over until after 10pm). Just a bike ride on the trainer with 6x20s Power intervals - Big Gear! with 2:40 rest. Total time on bike - 60 minutes.
Thursday - swim and run!
-morning swim of 1600yds (300wu, 8x25 drills, 4x100 fartlek - 25ascend/25 decend, 4x50 sprint, 8x25 kicking, 300 cd). The cool down actually felt pretty relaxed. Need to keep working on my flip turns, those didn't work so well today. and my breathing wasn't smooth - felt too shallow. It's always something!
-lunch run around quail lake. 4 laps at E pace (ok, a little faster than E pace) and then 3 sets of 100yd strides. Those strides really loosened up my legs after the run. Which was a good thing because I had a long meeting to sit through that afternoon!
Tomorrow is mainly a rest day, but I think I will do an easy swim, maybe 1000yds with plenty of rest. Just want to work on feeling more relaxed in the water. And tomorrow night is swim practice with the Team in Training folks! That should be fun. Which reminds me, I need to get the workout schedule updated now...
Now onto other things, like training! There are 16 weeks until the Loveland Lake to Lake race, so my official training has begun. I'm using a combination of the Team in Training schedule and the Triathlete Magazine Training Plan book to get appropriate workouts. So here's what this week looks like so far:
Monday:
-morning swim of 1400yds (300wu, 8x25 drills, 4x100m.s., 8x25 kick, 300 cd).
I'm working on getting the catch timed right - I have been waiting too long (a lot of gliding) to start it.
-lunch bike ride at the gym in the spin room. I can adjust the seat and handlebars better, and the seat is a bit more comfortable than the sandard stationary bike on the main workout floor. It was a 60 minute foundation ride, kept my HR around 145-150 after a 10min wu. Did a 15 minute cool down.
Tuesday = Track!
But before the track I did some strength training over lunch. Some legs, but mainly upper body, especially the back and shoulder.
Track practice was great, but of course hard!
it went down as follows:
1miles walk wu.
800m easy pace
1200m T pace (I nailed it at 6:15! - 2:05/400m)
400 recovery
1200 I pace (a bit slow on the first 400, but the next two were dead on 1:55/400m)
400 recovery
1200 R pace. (This was hard to maintain, I was a few seconds too slow each lap)
400 recovery
2x200 R pace - focus on form, 200 recovery.
Then plyometrics! High kneews, butt kickers, skipping, and bounding
800m easy cool down.
Long workout!!! But good as always. My abductors were tightening up so I need to incorporate them a little more into my strength training routine.
Wednesday
Didn't get to bed until late (Tim had a meeting at the house and it didn't get over until after 10pm). Just a bike ride on the trainer with 6x20s Power intervals - Big Gear! with 2:40 rest. Total time on bike - 60 minutes.
Thursday - swim and run!
-morning swim of 1600yds (300wu, 8x25 drills, 4x100 fartlek - 25ascend/25 decend, 4x50 sprint, 8x25 kicking, 300 cd). The cool down actually felt pretty relaxed. Need to keep working on my flip turns, those didn't work so well today. and my breathing wasn't smooth - felt too shallow. It's always something!
-lunch run around quail lake. 4 laps at E pace (ok, a little faster than E pace) and then 3 sets of 100yd strides. Those strides really loosened up my legs after the run. Which was a good thing because I had a long meeting to sit through that afternoon!
Tomorrow is mainly a rest day, but I think I will do an easy swim, maybe 1000yds with plenty of rest. Just want to work on feeling more relaxed in the water. And tomorrow night is swim practice with the Team in Training folks! That should be fun. Which reminds me, I need to get the workout schedule updated now...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Banoffee Pie
It's almost St. Patty's Day and this recipe comes from my sister who lives in Ireland. Apparently it is a popular dish over there.
Get a pre-baked pie crust (or bake one yourself...any variety should work).
Take 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk and heat in a saucepan on med-high heat until it turns caramel/toffee like. I'm guessing you'll want to stir it constantly.
Pour the now toffee-like sweetened condesnsed milk into the pie crust.
On top of that layer some sliced bananas (sliced any way you want!)
Cover the entire thing with as much whipped cream as you want.
Refrigerate until chilled. Now you have Banoffee Pie. I'm going to make some this weekend!!!!
Get a pre-baked pie crust (or bake one yourself...any variety should work).
Take 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk and heat in a saucepan on med-high heat until it turns caramel/toffee like. I'm guessing you'll want to stir it constantly.
Pour the now toffee-like sweetened condesnsed milk into the pie crust.
On top of that layer some sliced bananas (sliced any way you want!)
Cover the entire thing with as much whipped cream as you want.
Refrigerate until chilled. Now you have Banoffee Pie. I'm going to make some this weekend!!!!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Chocolate Chip & Banana Pudding Parfaits
It's banana-time! I had a few bananas left over from Saturday's group training, so here is how I used some:
Chocolate Chip & Banana Pudding Parfaits
1) Bake chocolate chip cookie mix into bar cookies (13x9" pan - just follow the instructions on the package). Let cool.
2)while the cookies are baking, make the pudding
3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2c water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
and mix in a medium saucepan
Over medium heat add:
14oz sweetened condensed milk, 3 egg yolks beaten
Stir until thickened (I think it took at least 10 minutes) and mix in 1-1/4Tablespoon vanilla and 2 Tablespoons butter. Cool.
Where are the bananas, you ask....don't worry, they are here! Just slice up a banana of whatever ripeness you prefer!
Then make your desserts - cut out the edges of the cookies and crumble them. Layer cookie, pudding, and sliced banana in parfait glasses or whatever serving dish you like. However you layer and however many layers you have, end with pudding. them put some whipped cream on top and a few chocolate chips as a garnish and you're good to go!
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Good thing I did 75 minutes on my bike trainer yesterday and swam this morning! Great dessert but it sure is rich! I hope you enjoy!
Chocolate Chip & Banana Pudding Parfaits
1) Bake chocolate chip cookie mix into bar cookies (13x9" pan - just follow the instructions on the package). Let cool.
2)while the cookies are baking, make the pudding
3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2c water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
and mix in a medium saucepan
Over medium heat add:
14oz sweetened condensed milk, 3 egg yolks beaten
Stir until thickened (I think it took at least 10 minutes) and mix in 1-1/4Tablespoon vanilla and 2 Tablespoons butter. Cool.
Where are the bananas, you ask....don't worry, they are here! Just slice up a banana of whatever ripeness you prefer!
Then make your desserts - cut out the edges of the cookies and crumble them. Layer cookie, pudding, and sliced banana in parfait glasses or whatever serving dish you like. However you layer and however many layers you have, end with pudding. them put some whipped cream on top and a few chocolate chips as a garnish and you're good to go!
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Good thing I did 75 minutes on my bike trainer yesterday and swam this morning! Great dessert but it sure is rich! I hope you enjoy!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Hills and Tires
Great team workout today! The TNT tri folks and the run-walkers met up at Cottonwood Creek Park and headed up to a nice hill for some more repeats. 6 were on the schedule, but most of the tri folks just did 4 as we needed to get to Bicycle Village for a bike clinic. The awesome folks there went over how to change a flat tire and basic bicycle maintenace. Sarah brought bagels and I brought bananas (of course!) to feed the team and leave the rest with the BV shop folks.
But back to the run....from the park, we walked then jogged a bit over 2 miles to the "start line." Coach Mitch used flour to mark the path so we could find our way and also and the start line. Over a walkie-talkie a quarter-mile up the hill, we heard the "on your marks.......get set.....beeeeeep!" They we hoofed it up. My times:
1) 2:13
2) 2:03 (paced off the lead guys who really sped it up!)
3) 2:05
4) 1:59 (Last one is the fastest one!)
Then we jogged back down the hill the 2+ miles back to the car and sped off to BV for the clinic.
A little plug for Bicycle Village since they are very supportive of Team in Training. Thanks to Keaton for all the helpful hints, and thanks to Chris for getting it set up. And of course thanks to Stephen, Coach Charlotte, and the others who are all very friendly and helpful to the TNT team members! We very much appreciate the help you give us!
On a sidenote - I was surfing the Specialized Bike and checking out the 2008 Tarmac (I have a 2006). I can't believe they made one in orange and blue! I know I live in Bronco Country and am a U of Illinois alumnus, but orange and blue to me will always be Florida Gator colors. GO 'NOLES! :-)
But back to the run....from the park, we walked then jogged a bit over 2 miles to the "start line." Coach Mitch used flour to mark the path so we could find our way and also and the start line. Over a walkie-talkie a quarter-mile up the hill, we heard the "on your marks.......get set.....beeeeeep!" They we hoofed it up. My times:
1) 2:13
2) 2:03 (paced off the lead guys who really sped it up!)
3) 2:05
4) 1:59 (Last one is the fastest one!)
Then we jogged back down the hill the 2+ miles back to the car and sped off to BV for the clinic.
A little plug for Bicycle Village since they are very supportive of Team in Training. Thanks to Keaton for all the helpful hints, and thanks to Chris for getting it set up. And of course thanks to Stephen, Coach Charlotte, and the others who are all very friendly and helpful to the TNT team members! We very much appreciate the help you give us!
On a sidenote - I was surfing the Specialized Bike and checking out the 2008 Tarmac (I have a 2006). I can't believe they made one in orange and blue! I know I live in Bronco Country and am a U of Illinois alumnus, but orange and blue to me will always be Florida Gator colors. GO 'NOLES! :-)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Chemistry Revisited and Flip Turns
A friend's daughter is taking high school chemsitry and needed a tutor. Since I have a chemistry degree and enjoy tutoring, I was more than happy to take on the task. It's been great revisiting the basic chemical principles, and I really think it is starting to make sense to her. I know it is one more thing to add to my week, but I'm having a great time doing it!
As usual, it's been a busy week. Here's a taste of the training done this week:
Tuesday at the Track
Another great workout run by Coach Mitch...
~1 mile walk to warm up
800m easy jog
1600 at Tempo pace (for me 2:05/400m)
400 recovery
1200 at Interval pace (1:54/400)
400 recovery
800 at Interval pace
400 recovery
400 at Repetition pace (1:48/400)
800 jog/walk recovery
Tuesday was a big workout day since I swam about 1500yds in the morning and did some strength training over lunch. These days are great since you really eat all day to fuel for the workout and make sure you've eaten enough for the next!
Wednesday: swim in the morning (easy day of about 1000 yds just focusing on form). I'm really working on getting my elbows high and keeping my body streamlined.
Lunch time: 50 minute spin on one of the resistance spinners in the "spin room" at the gym. It's a little more configureable to seat height and handlebar position than the stationary bikes out on the main aerobic floor. Plus it has better toe clips than those awful rubber straps. I just wore my mountain bike shoes for the stiff soles. But user beware! I was about launched a few times as the spin wheel takes a few seconds to slow down - you just can't stop pedaling!
Thursday - today! Another morning swim of about 1500yds. I feel my stroke is coming along - as long as I keep my shoulders, back and lats stretched out this season I may have a chance at some faster swim times. The excitement of the day - I actually did a few flip turns! I've been working on them the last few weeks at the pool I still have to master the push-off and breathing timing, but I'm getting better! Did a nice flip with my feet landing on the wall. Shannon and I will film our strokes this weekend so I'll try a few for the camera and see how I look!
Time to play Rockband!
As usual, it's been a busy week. Here's a taste of the training done this week:
Tuesday at the Track
Another great workout run by Coach Mitch...
~1 mile walk to warm up
800m easy jog
1600 at Tempo pace (for me 2:05/400m)
400 recovery
1200 at Interval pace (1:54/400)
400 recovery
800 at Interval pace
400 recovery
400 at Repetition pace (1:48/400)
800 jog/walk recovery
Tuesday was a big workout day since I swam about 1500yds in the morning and did some strength training over lunch. These days are great since you really eat all day to fuel for the workout and make sure you've eaten enough for the next!
Wednesday: swim in the morning (easy day of about 1000 yds just focusing on form). I'm really working on getting my elbows high and keeping my body streamlined.
Lunch time: 50 minute spin on one of the resistance spinners in the "spin room" at the gym. It's a little more configureable to seat height and handlebar position than the stationary bikes out on the main aerobic floor. Plus it has better toe clips than those awful rubber straps. I just wore my mountain bike shoes for the stiff soles. But user beware! I was about launched a few times as the spin wheel takes a few seconds to slow down - you just can't stop pedaling!
Thursday - today! Another morning swim of about 1500yds. I feel my stroke is coming along - as long as I keep my shoulders, back and lats stretched out this season I may have a chance at some faster swim times. The excitement of the day - I actually did a few flip turns! I've been working on them the last few weeks at the pool I still have to master the push-off and breathing timing, but I'm getting better! Did a nice flip with my feet landing on the wall. Shannon and I will film our strokes this weekend so I'll try a few for the camera and see how I look!
Time to play Rockband!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Banana Fruit Salad
It's Monday night, and that means banana recipe time! Here's a link to fruit salad made with bananas. Yum! Slightly sweet, but with nuts for a little protein. I'm sure you can substitue walnuts or your favorite nut if you don't like pecans.
Today's training - I got up a little before 5am to get a 50 minute ride in on my trainer before work.
15 minute warm-up
5x20s Power intervals (big gear) with 2min recoveries
~25 minutes easy spin/cool down to total 50 minute ride.
Sometimes it feels great to get the workout out of the way in the morning. This means I have the rest of the day free! Tomorrow is swimming, strength and track practice!
Today's training - I got up a little before 5am to get a 50 minute ride in on my trainer before work.
15 minute warm-up
5x20s Power intervals (big gear) with 2min recoveries
~25 minutes easy spin/cool down to total 50 minute ride.
Sometimes it feels great to get the workout out of the way in the morning. This means I have the rest of the day free! Tomorrow is swimming, strength and track practice!
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