bike talk

I didn't work out yesterday, although I did ride my bike to and from school -as I hope to do as long as it's not pouring rain.

Instead, I spent the evening watching Chariots of Fire and putting my accessories on my bike. First the easy stuff -water bottle holder, seat pouch (for allan wrenches and lock), rear light that attaches to the seat pouch, front light (mandatory in Japan, and neccessary since there aren't many street lights here in the boonies), bell, AND the piece de resistance: my new odometer/speedometer/cadance meter!!

It's exactly 3.7 km to my school. Top speed today: 30.4km/h.

This is fun!

A dip in the pool

It seems like ages since my last swim. It's just been hard to get to the pool since my car's been in the shop. I've yet to try the bike that far. Maybe today if the weather holds up and I get my lite attached.

Anyway.

Warm up: 800RIM 400Kick

5x100 Free on 2:15
5x100 Pull on 2:00

8x25 fly on 1:15

200 cool down

2600m

shoulders feel ok

My 4th Kurobe Road Race

Another road race over and done with.

I got a best time (53.10), but it's not as great as a first thought it was. I had the idea that my best time was 55 minutes, but actually it was 53.21 which I apparently ran in Nyuzen last November. My, how easy it is to forget. Dang, that means I have to shoot for 50 minutes soon.

I went back over my old results for the road races I've done in Japan. Here's the tally:

2003 May 25 Kurobe 5km 31.06 (153rd place)
2004 May 23 Kurobe 10km 59.16 (90th place)
2004 October 17 Namerikawa 10km 56.58 (32nd place)
2004 November 21 Nyuzen 10km 1.09.21 (81st place)
2005 May 22 Kurobe 10km 58.03 (93rd place)
2005 November 20 Nyuzen 10km 53.21 (34th place)
2006 May 28 Kurobe 10km 53.10 (60th place)

as you can see, I've been pretty up and down. I started out well in the 10km but had a bad lapses big time in the 2004 Nyuzen race, I had had a fever up until the day before...I actually walked part of that race. Last May's race was also a tough one for me. I guess I need to focus on breaking the 50 minute mark. Perhaps if I can do that by this year's race in Namerikawa I could be convinced to try for the half marathon in Nyuzen in November. PERHAPS.

I have also participated in 2 marathon relays in the past year. One in Toyama last fall and one this year in Kanazawa. Both involve running 2km laps 4 or 5 times. I much perfer running a 10 then trying to sprint 2km. Yuck. But they are sooo fun!



Since the road races around here are pretty much done until the fall I have time to focus on the triathlon in July - a half an Olympic distance triathlon. I hope to see the entry forms this week sometime.

6:35

Ran to the expressway and back. I felt good at first, but I've decided in need better sports bras. :(

The Kurobe Road Race is Sunday morning. How does a year go by so quickly??


Under 55 minutes is my goal. I haven't done it yet...

Sunday was our first ultimate frisbee game of the year.

Last season was a bust.

Hopefully we'll have a good turn out on the weekends!!

Yay!!

took my bike for a spin

chose a road leading to the mountains

followed it as far is it would go in a straight line before I had to turn

biked for 40 minutes

nice

A double day

Well, I ran in the a.m. and swam in the evening!

Warm up: 800RIM 400kick

6x100 free alternating pull and swim -long and strong (trying to get my rythmn the same for both) rest was sporadic due to the people in my lane.

4x100 kick alt E & T

cool down


shoulder hurts...

Triathlon training begins

Well, I finally did it.
I blew my coin jar money on a new bike.

It's a GIANT OCR3 road bike. It's black (I always seem to get black bikes...), it's shiney, and it's going to kick my butt.

I've never trained on a bike before. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, learning not only the mechanics of the bike, but the mechanics of my body! Hopefully this won't be as stressful on my back as running is and not as stressful on my shoulders as swimming is. I hope I like it....

The timing is bad, rainy season is coming. I've got to make a schedule and stick to it. I may start alternating running and biking mornings -but I have to find a good route for both -roads here are a bit narrow to say the least, and it's very easy to get lost.


Amy has also bought a bike to train for her BEE ride, hopefully we can do a few good rides together -now we just have to convince Sista K that she needs to get one too!!!

out the door by 6:20

another short run to the express way and back.

I know it's not long enough, it only takes me 10 minutes -which means it's about 2km there. A 4km run is not going to help me next weekend when I run the 10km. I need to find a running route I like...

Warm up: 200 RIM 400kick

5x200 pull (yes, i did them pull, and the shoulder held up!!)

4x100 kick

200 cool down


2800m my best swim in a lonnnnnng time.

Another short swim

2x 400IM 4x100kick

400m drill

Ran to the expressway and back.

not so early morning run

i'm TRYING to get myself to get up and run in the mornings -the sun's up around 5ish now, so it's bright by 6:00 perfect for running. I have tried on and off for the last month to get my butt out of bed and get moving before work. But until today, I hadn't been able to convince myself that exercise we more important than sleep.

Maybe it was all the lying around last week, maybe it's the frustration I'm feeling because I'm putting off everything else right now (cleaning, studying etc). I tossed and turned for 10 minutes: "OK, 6:10 -still time to get a decent run in...6:12...6:15, if you don't get up now you'll never go...you've got time to run the the expressway and back...that's enough for your first day!"

And I did it! I was out the door by 6:24.

I ran to the expressway and halfway back, then the lack of breakfast caught up with me and I walked the rest of the way.

The Kanazawa Relay Marathon is on Sunday, I'd like to do better than my last relay marathon -that means not feeling like I'm dying after every lap....

small swim

400 RIM
2x100 IM

400 kick

4x100 random flailing

shoulders still feeling tweeked -blah

50 minute walk with Kirsten -felt good!!

no swimming yet for me -i still have trouble getting up in in the morning (stiff neck -stemming from my shoulder) so i've stayed clear of the pool for the week. tomorrow will make it a full week of being out of the water. i'm not sure what's driving me more crazy, my sore shoulder or not swimming.

in the mean time, i went for another run today -a short run, but a run nonetheless.

and i signed up for the kurobe road race -this will be my fourth time to run it -and i've chosen the 10km again. my goal is to run under 50minutes by the end of the season (the nyuzen race in November) -haha, there I go presuming i'm still going to be in Japan next year!!!

We had a warm day yesterday so I went for a run.

I ran to the seaside, along the coast and back home.

total time: 60minutes

total distance: I have no idea....

Well, we survived. Not without the help of ibuprofen for me...but it was a great experience and I'm learning to try things even when I know I'm not going to be good at it. I think that's my biggest fault when it comes to competing. If I don't think I can do well, then I don't try. Well, yesterday I tried. The results weren't what I wanted, but the fact that I dove in and finished both my races were a big stepping stone for me. I don't think I could have done it alone, I really needed Kirsten there to talk me through it. And I thank her for putting up with all my whining (and providing the drugs!!) regarding my shoulder.

I only had one major glitch of the day...I thought I was swimming 50 free which was scheduled for the afternoon, but I was down for the 100 free instead which was one of the first events!!! I didn't miss my swim, but I had some of my teammates in a panic over it.

The surprise of the day was my 200 Medley relay race. I was put on a team with 3 other swimmers who are all ex-compets -I was quite intimidated, especially since I was swimming BUTTERFLY!! It was my last race of the day, my shoulder was throbbing at this point, but Kirsten convinced me I'd be ok, and when we were waiting behind the blocks my teammates encouraged me with "MY PACE" -which basically means "go at your own pace". It made me feel a lot better and I even got a little bit excited about my first 50 fly!

We came in first!! We were all pretty excited about it and were giving high fives when they announced that we had broken the meet record!! It was a total suprise, especially for me! I don't think anyone got our splits unfortunately -most of the team missed our swim because they were in the marshalling area or they thought we were swimming in the other pool...haha. Oh well, I got to take home a gold medal nonetheless!


The day ended with a drinking party -of course...but Kirsten and I were so exhausted that we just stayed long enough to fill our bellies and collect our medals. It was a fun and fulfilling day. I had a great time, despite the shoulder and the exhaustion.
The next meet's in October...I guess if I'm staying in Japan another year, I should really try to improve my times.

100Free: 1:21.67 -blah!!!
25Back: 21.17 -I swear I was doing under 20 in practice -haha.

swim meet tomorrow

K and I decided to hit the pool one last time before the meet, nice and short but it felt good.

Warm up: 200E 200T 200K 4x25Y 200kick

random swimming

turns

I have had a kink in my next since this morning - I decided to go swimming anyway. I was in Toyama after work so with no time to get back to the Kurobe pool I took a trip to the pool I'll be competeing at on Sunday...I was able to do pretty much everything despite the kink, however I couldn't hold a board to kick...

Warm up 200E, 100T, 100K, 4x25Y

3x200 Pull on 4:00 1.L&S 2.hard 3L&S

8x25Y @ 1:00

8x25K @ :40

cool down