Looks like I’m going to miss the Second Empire 5K this weekend. It falls on the same weekend as the WFTDA Championship Tourny in Austin. I’m really looking forward to watching some roller derby and to check out Austin TX. The Carolina Rollergirls play their first game on Saturday morning against Tuscon Rollergirls. It should be a fun weekend.
I hope to continue training while in Austin. I’ll find some running routes and maybe get in a swim or two in the hotel pool. The City of Oaks Marathon will be here soon.
Borrowed a bike yesterday evening and took it for short half mile spin. I also got swimming goggles and tri shorts, so I guess I’m ready to do this triathlon on Saturday morning. Let’s see, the pool here at State is still closed, so I offically logged no swimming laps, borrowed the bike last night and logged a 1 minute half mile on it — nervous? naw — well maybe — ok maybe I just shouldn’t think too much about it now. Hopefully I’ll have a full race report sometime this weekend if I can find time to be online.
Grae’s Post
OK so I signed up for this triathlon this weekend and I’m starting to become a little nervous. I’m been reading up on beginner sites such as: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/ and http://www.trinewbies.com/ There are very good articles on how to train and what to expect.
The pool here at NC State opens back up tomorrow and I expect to go and do some laps Wed, Thurs, and Friday. I’m also going to try to get in a bike ride Friday evening with Grae since I haven’t trained at all on a bike other than stationary bikes.
My goal with this triathlon is to finish. Set that initial time to beat for any other future triathlons I may compete in. We’ll see how it goes.
Not much happening but training and dieting. There are no local races in August with the heat, I’m not sure I would want to run in a race this month. I have been dieting and training for the 1/2 marathon in September and the Marathon in November. My diet has mostly involved counting calorie intake vs what I think I am burning. Over the past couple weeks I have lost a few lbs and I can really tell it when I do my training runs.
Most of my training runs have been in the NC State gym track because I haven’t been waking up early enough to get a run in before work. The gym will be closing for a few weeks soon and I’ll be back to training outside which I don’t mind at all. I’ve just started to training schedule for the City of Oaks Marathon that was printed in this month’s edition of Endurance Magazine. It seems like a good schedule to follow and my 1/2 marathon fits right in with that schedule. I’ll just move my long run to Sunday that weekend of the Rock n Roll Half.
Got in some skiing this winter. I went to the Snowshoe resort in WV for a few days. It turned out to be a really good trip since it was college week. The weather was great the first two days, but turned warm and rainy for the last day. On the warm days I saw a few people brave the weather and do some skiing in the slush and also some people run the mountain roads. Running the steep curvy roads from the base of the mountain up to snowshoe looked pretty cool. I’m not sure how many miles that is, but I’m sure it would be a good challenge for me. I’ll be taking my running shoes next time I go to Snowshoe.
So, I get a free class per semester while working at the university. I was checking out all of the classes offered here and found a few that sounded interesting, but they were filled up. So, I decided to try a PE class. There is a Run Conditioning course with the following description:
Benefits and development of a personal fitness and wellness program. Emphasis on a variety of training techniques, including all levels of intensity. Satisfies the Fitness and Wellness one hour requirement for graduation.
But it was full . . . .
There is also a Triathlon course with the following description:
Benefits and development of a personal physical fitness and wellness program. Swim, cycle and run techniques that maximize fitness gains and minimize injuries. Bicycles and ANSI approved helmets must be provided by the students. Satisfies the Fitness and Wellness one hour requirement for graduation.
But it was full
So I turned on the search that listed all of the courses that weren’t full and the list included classes such as swimming, tennis, raquetball, scuba diving, etc.
I chose racquetball since I feel that I will be able to get a good workout from it and also since I enjoy playing racquetball. So, as long as all the paperwork gets approved and filed on time, I’ll be adding racquetball to my weekly schedule.
There are other cool courses that I’ll be looking out for in the fall semester including the running class and some Nutrition, Exercise, and weight control classes that are only offered in the fall semesters.
I didn’t get in a training run over the past weekend. I definately could have made the time, but simply didn’t. I went to a wedding Saturday that included a rehersal dinner Friday night. Also had ECU football Saturday night and Panthers football on Sunday. The good news is that they both won.
I did try to make up for it Monday evening with a softball game and soccer game. The other team didn’t show up in softball, so we spent that hour with some batting practice. The soccer game I really tried to run hard and did work up a good sweat. I’m pretty sore today from both games. I’m going to try to get a run in tonight.
The weather is perfect for a run. The temps are in the 70’s and there is a nice stiff breeze. I have to say this is a nice change from running in the humid 90 degree temps.
Actually less than two weeks, but here are the tips from Jefferson Health System 1/2 Marathon Training:
TWO WEEKS TO RACE DAY
TIP #1
Avoid boredom by altering your course from time to time. If you have been running for some time, you have probably developed a sense of how long it takes to run a mile, on average. Runners may take six, seven, eight, nine, even 10 minutes running a mile. If you are at a point where you are normally running six miles at a time, at the rate of eight minutes per mile, and you are bored, then you run about 45-50 minutes. So when you alter your route, time yourself on the new route. You should get a sense of what you doing just by using time.
TIP #2
On days that you feel a little lazy and need some motivation to get out to complete your running workout, think of the many health benefits that running provides. Running conditions the cardiovascular system, lowers one’s risk of hypercholesterolemia and adult-onset diabetes, and helps runners maintain a healthy body weight. Running is very beneficial in reducing one’s risk of developing osteoporosis. Runners also report lower stress levels. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages to running as a form of exercise is that a health-club membership is not required. You can do it anywhere. Whether you are traveling or on a lunch break at work, you can just put your shoes on and go out the door and run.”
While reading up on shoe reviews, I found a great article on training for a marathon. It answers some questions such as:
Why do I want to run a marathon?
Should I train in a group?
When should I start training?
How far should I be running when I first start?
How can I get started?
Secrets to start: What you wish you knew before training
All runners wish they could turn back time — run a race over again, return to peak form, log some extra training — to use their post-race knowledge to their benefit. Melody Barron, a newbie turned marathon runner, has some things she learned the hard way:
- “Everyone is different with what they can and cannot eat while training, but you have to pay attention or else it won’t be pretty.”
- “It’s OK to need to walk during your long runs.”
- “The burning feeling in your lungs when you first start out will go away if you just keep training.”
- “Look for other runners — listen to what they have to say.”
- Steer clear of cotton socks to avoid blisters, and invest in a good pair of running shoes to replace every 350-400 miles. Running stores can help with this one.
- Radios and mp3 players help pass the time on the long runs, especially if you’re alone.
- “Having small goals and motivational tools really helps. One of my favorites was that I printed out a map of the Chicago Marathon course and posted it on my wall. Every time I reached a mileage I had never run before, I highlighted that mile on the course, all the way from one mile to 21 miles. And it felt really good every single time.