Back in Civilization!

My posts have been absent for a few days as I was cut off from the modern world while in Korea. My cell phone and blackberry didn't work and the terrible hotel we stayed in didn't have internet access. Needless to say there was no gym, so I have no training updates to post. But I have some adventures to share. We land on Sun afternoon, check into the hotel, stare in disgust at our rooms with floors so scary you won't even walk around in socks, shoes are required. We head off to dinner, traditional Korean BBQ where they cook at the table. It was Ok. The meat was good but I was not a fan of most of the sides. Boy they love their Kim chee (yuck). The next morning we leave early to meet with the Korean Red Cross (work stuff). I started feeling a little off but figure it is being stuck inside with the heat blaring (did I mention it is FREEZING in Korea, in the 20's with strong, cold winds). We left and headed to lunch and I started feeling really sick. I wasn't sure if it was car sick (that happens to me at times) or something else. It soon became clear that I had a bad stomach flu. We were supposed to drive another 40 minutes to a plasma center. I couldn't make it 10 minutes without throwing up so they had to leave me behind. We needed someplace where I could rest for a few hours, and luckily we were close to a "reputable" hourly hotel (I am not joking). So they ushered me in, I am feeling really bad and barely paying attention, but do notice that it is very dark inside, the car park has a curtain thing so you can't see what cars are there, and they rent rooms by the hour. They shuttle me upstairs, make sure I lock my door and head off to the meeting. I try to sleep, mostly just rest and keep getting sick. I did have a rather strange dream about someone trying to get in the room, saying they heard the blonde American was in here. At least I hope it was a dream! But seriously, it was actually a really nice room, clean and quiet. But the group is now teasing me about my experience in the "love hotel".

Now it is Wed and I am safely in Hong Kong staying in a lovely hotel with all of the amenities. I have stopped throwing up, but am managing to eat only crackers and a bit of porrige this morning. I got some Chinese version of Gatoraide as I feel very dehydrated. I am hoping to make a speedy recovery as we are doing presentations for the whole Asia Pac team tomorrow and our President is here. I might attempt some exercise tomorrow as well if my healing continues. Stay tuned for more adventures from abroad!

Bonjour!

I have been finding it very hard to stick to eating right here in the land of pomme frites, chocolate, and great wine. So I am trying to keep up with the workouts. Today I went back to the little hotel gym and did 40 min on the stationary bike (trying out Coach Rand's workout) then another 40 min on weights (lots of crunches to make up for the chocolate)! I definitley feel better now and more awake, jet lag was really kicking it to me today. Now I just need to try to resist too many good dishes at dinner tonight!

Bike = 10 miles

Trying to exercise in Paris

Wed:
This morning I got up early (of course, the first night sleep in EU always terrible). So I checked out the little fitness center in the hotel. I ran on the treadmill for about 20 minutes, my legs feel great, all recovered from Sun. Then I hit the weights for 40 min and did as much of my circuit as they had equipment for. Then off to meetings. If it gets a bit warmer tomorrow I may try to run outside. Today it was only 33 degrees (and you thought San Francisco was cold)!!!

Tues:
I took Mon off from working out, actually I spent many, many hours on a plane to get to Paris. Arrived Tues morning and needed a nap (a long nap since I never sleep on the plane), then needed to stretch my legs. Couldn't get my colleague to run with me but we decided to walk the neighborhood instead. So not sure it really counts as a workout but we did walk for 3 hours. We covered a good 5 miles!

Walk = 5 miles

Sun FPOL Half Marathon:
Yesterday it was 78 degrees and humid and I was a little worried about the race. But this morning I got up and it was cloudy and cool, even a little misty. The perfect day for a long run. Our little team of 9, very amateur runners, headed to the start line. This is the first year for the "Five Points of Life (FPOL)" Marathon. They are raising money and awareness for blood, bone marrow, plasma/platelet, organ, and tissue donation. My company, Chiron, was a major sponsor so that is why we put together a little team. Since it was a long weekend my Mom came down to spend the weekend with me and was there to cheer us all on and take pictures.
At the start my colleague Mary and I discovered we had the same goal, try to hit 2 hours, so we decided to run together. At the starting gun we wished each other luck and off we went. The first half of the course was great, we had a good pace going, it wasn't crowded and the course is nice and flat, just a few little rollers. We chatted a bit, set our sights on a few fading runners, and picked them off one at a time. But then we started seeing the signs that this was the first time the city had hosted this race. The water stops weren't where they were supposed to be, the cups were too full so that we spilled half our gatoraide or snorted it up our noses, the mile markers were missing in a few spots, but the spectators were great. A friendly man giving water in front of his house saved us at mile 6. We were just under 54 min at this point, right on our pace. We stayed strong and determined until we passed the 10 mile marker. We had to run through the stadium, not on the track but the dark scary part that you walk to the stands. We were both getting a bit claustrophobic and ready for this race to be over. We were worried about our time and there was no mile 11 marker, sure we had passed it we starting looking for mile 12. That one never appeared either. Knowing this was the spot I DIED in my first half marathon, I was determined to stay strong. Mary was fading, I would ask her how she was and got a little squeak of "tired". There was a girl in yellow shorts who had been just in front of us the last couple of miles, she looked strong and consistent, so I said "let's stay with the girl in the yellow shorts." I stopped thinking about anything else, stopped checking my watch and worrying where we were. I focused on her back and staying right behind her. A few minutes later we saw it, the mile 13 marker. We were going to make it in under 2 hours. I was ready to be done and picked it up a bit, Mary was tired but determined and settled in right behind me. Then I saw my Mom cheering and taking pictures and I crossed the line. I even beat my goal coming in at 1 hour 55 min. We were so excited. Mary and I both said "I couldn't have done it without you"! It was a great race, I really enjoyed it!

Run = 13.1 miles (in 1:55!!!!!!!)

Fri Swim:
I arrived in FL after a pretty long flight at around 8 pm. I decided a nice swim would be a great way to unwind. So I got ready and headed for the pool. It is very nice out, still a little warm and the pool is big and empty. I got my goggles and cap on and jumped in, then almost jumped back out again. It was freezing!!!! I suffered through about 600 meters and couldn't take any more and headed for the jacuzzi. That hit the spot!

Swim = 600 meters

The TNT team cheer to finish the night! 

Thurs easy weights:
Ahh, the taper begins. I have my half marathon on Sun so I took it easy today, but wanted to do something. So I did an easy weight routine for an hour focused on arms, shoulders, back, and abs. I feel like I am cheating, but know I need to rest before my run.

Wed night track workout:
It was a cold, crisp night at Kezar as we huddled around, hats and gloves on, to hear about the evenings workout. We split up into 3 groups to takle 3 running stations. First I had the sit-up, push-up, run lots of stairs station. I am glad I had it first, it was good to get it out of the way (my butt is still a bit sore, but that means it was good for me). Then it was on to "pacing" around the track where we alternated L3 and L4 laps. I finished 7 laps and change in 15 min. Then it was off to the running drills. This included the high knees, kick your butt, and my favorite "power skip"! For a few minutes I was 10 again! All in all it was a great workout and lots of fun!

Run = 3+ miles (w/ stairs baby)

Monday and Tuesdays workouts

Tuesday Feb 14 (Happy Valentine's Day):
I stated off this day of love with my favorite event ever (insert sarcasm here), a leisurely swim. Though it is still not my favorite, I am finding that the morning swim really kick starts my day. I am more alert and happy when I get to work. Who knows, by the end of this season maybe I will find my "love" for the swim!

Swim = 1200 meters (0.75 miles)

Monday Feb 13:
This week I am moving my day off to Sat so I can rest before my race, so today I just did an easy (yeah right) hour with weights. It is amazing how much stronger I am getting and I am starting to see changes in my body (woo hoo). By the end of this season I expect to hear comments like "wow did you see her arms, she is ripped" and "I wish I had legs like that"!

Run in GG Park

Another beautiful morning as we head to GG Park for our a captians run. I lead the Age Group on a 30 min run. It was great, we had a nice small group so I was able to get to know a few more of our teammates. I also convinced 2 people to join as "buddies" this morning. Shawn and Carrie, we may be able to get Shawn to join, I am not so sure about Carrie. We just did a quick out and back, not quite sure how far. Mike had the water stop at 1.5 miles and we hit there at 13 min so we ran for 2 min more then turned around. So we probably did a little less than 3.5 miles. It was a great run and a lovely way to spend a morning!

Run = 3+ miles

Last long run

Today was my last long run before my half marathon. My tri coach advised me to take it easy so I went for a relaxed 7 mile run out to Baker beach along the dirt trail (easier on my legs). It was such a beautiful morning, the view of the bridge and water was incredible. Then the tri group went through some bike clinics, tune up, and fit. Then we went on a short ride to make sure everyone knew the rules, could clip in and out of their pedals, and just felt comfortable on their bikes. Then my group went to brunch. It was a great way to spend a sunny morning in SF!!!

Run = 7 miles
Bike = 3 miles

I am a day behind in my journal, I didn't get to it Fri. But Fri morning I braved the outdoor pool. It was such a glorious morning, I actually enjoyed the whole thing. I think I have been more afraid of swimming than necessary. If I take my time I am able to complete the whole workout. Again I was able to do the Elite one, yeah!!!! If I keep this up maybe I will get a bit more efficient and faster.

Swim = 800 Meters, 0.5 miles

Well I cheated a bit on my "bike ride" today. Since we have our TNT team dinner tonight I had to workout in the morning. It was still very dark so I went to the gym and did some "spinning" for 30 min. Then I worked with my trainer on weights for an hour. WE have stepped up both the pounds and the repetitions. I am getting much stronger (yeah) and much slimmer (double yeah)! For indoor biking, coach Rand sent out some suggestions this morning. I am excited to try them out. Not all the time, but for other days like this when I can't ride outside.

Bike = 7 miles

Run marker set at Kezar

Ah, back to Kezar stadium, the coldest place in SF. Of course tonight it was beautiful. Clear (we could actually see the moon), warmish, perfect for our first track workout and run marker set. I was feeling good in the warm up (3/4 mile), but I was a little worried. I have been doing low impact cardio lately (which means running slow), and I really wanted to be around the level I finished the season last year. So my goal for the 2 mile marker set was less than 17 min. After the first mile I was at 8:26 so I knew I needed to pick it up a bit. All went well in the last mile, I felt great and finished in 16:29! Can I hear a woo hoo! Now I am felling more confident about starting this season and about my race next weekend. Of course this also means the bar is high and I have to improve from here. But I know I can do it! I finished up with a mile cool down, well it was supposed to be cool down but I ran with Fernando and we were kind of pushing each other and were only a little slower than our marker set. Finally to celebrate a large group from the team piled into the Kezar pub for a beer (carbo loading) and a chat. It was great fun!!

Run = 3.75 miles

I have to say I LOVE the UCSF pool. It is so nice and clean and empty, I almost enjoyed my swim workout this morning (in case you hadn't picked up on it, I am not a fan of swimming). I am still not used to swimming as exercise. I always associated it with fun, on the beach, in a lake to cool off, etc. But I am coming around to the whole idea. Today I was able to complete the whole Elite workout - woo hoo!!!! Then after work I headed to the gym for an hour of weights. At first I thought the 2 workouts in a day would kill me, but it is not too bad. When I got home I was dying for food and a shower, but now I have that nice "I am going to sleep so well" tired feeling. Off to bed for me!

Swim = 0.625 miles (1000 meters)

Swim marker set + run

Ah the dreaded swim marker set where we see how much work I have to do this season. Today was a few minute warm up, some drills, and finally the 12 min lap swim. We count how many laps we are able to do in that time. I pulled my journal from my first season where I was only able to do 13. Today I was able to do 20. Much better than before, still not fabulous but passable. I tried not to focus on those who can do 30 and concentrate on the fact that I have improved quite a bit.

Then later in the afternoon I went for an easy run (still preparing for that 1/2 marathon). Today I did about 5 miles at a more relaxed pace. Now I am definitely tired. But certainly earned my stint on the couch with a beer to watch the game (more so the commercials).

Swim = .50 miles
Run = 5 miles

Long run in glen park

Today my training with the team was triathlon university at Cliff Bar in Berkeley. It was a great intro for our first time triathletes. Since I am doing a half marathon on 2 weeks I needed to go on a long run. So after coming home I went for a run around the glen park loop. It is tough because it is slightly uphill 2/3 of the way. Each loop is about 3.1 miles so I did 2 (6.2 miles). My time was 59.59 (I swear, just under 60 minutes). Not too bad, this is the pace I hope to have for the half marathon, so I think my 10K needs to be faster, but since this is the first long run I have done in months, this is Ok. I think I am going to try to go for another long run tomorrow after our swim workout. Trying to pack some good endurance training in my last couple weeks before the race.

Run = 6.2 miles

AAHH the first swim!!!

This morning I went for my first swim since Oct. Every year I say I am going to keep up with swimming so it is not so hard, well again I failed to do that. I checked out the new pool at UCSF Mission Bay campus. It is fabulous, so nice and clean with great lockers, showers, and everything. It is $15 for drop in which is a bit expensive (especially when I have to go twice a week), but it was very convenient. I went on my way to work, did my swim, showered and got ready. The process was easy, the workout was harder than it should be. I did the Elite workout, just 30 minutes and it was pretty tough. I will have to work hard on swimming again this season. I can't wait for the team workouts. I usually do better when I have had a bit of a refresher.

Swim = .5 mi

First bike workout plus weights

Last season I tried to incorporate strength training as well as my tri sports. Then in the "off season" I did strength work 2-3 days a week. Now that season is starting again I am going to try to keep up my weight training while adding in my tri workouts. I started with the bike, as Elite level I should have done 45 min, but I was running a little late and only did 40 min (still more than the age group workout). I tried to keep it at L2 the whole time with a few moderate climbs. I did about 10 miles, not much but a good start. Then on to my weights. I did a complete circuit (legs, arms, back, abs) 3 times in an hour. I definitely felt tired at the end, but it was that good, I am going to sleep well tonight tired. So far so good!

Bike = 10 miles

Todays training log starts with an admission to "oops". I read the calendar wrong already!!! So yesterday was supposed to be optional swim, not run. Today was the run so I did it again! Tonight I went for the Pro workout and ran 45 min at L2 (with a few hill intervals since I was on the treadmill and needed to make it interesting). Between it being dark and raining, it is going to be tough to workout outside. I think I have a few treadmill runs in my future. Thank goodness for iPod!!!

Run = 4 3/4 miles