Brick-idy Doo Da

I think I'm finally hitting my stride again, though there are still some wrinkles to iron out before the race in just over three weeks. Last night was the first hard bike-run workout that we've done with the club this year, so I was a bit nervous since most everyone else has been doing them for weeks now. We've just been a bit delayed by the marathon and recovery. The workout was a 16km team time trial on the bike, transition to run, and 500-600 meters all out run. That was followed by an 8km TTT, T2, and the same run again.

I paired up with Craig and Dean, feeling rather nervous that they would ride me into the ground, but fortunately Craig had raced this past Sunday and Dean wasn't feeling overly frisky, so I was able to hang on and actually do my share of pulling for the group. We managed to bring the 16km piece back into transition in under 23 minutes for an average speed of around 42 kph (26 mph). Amazingly, my legs still felt pretty solid and ran well on the little out and back into the woods way above my half iron run pace. I'm kind of excited now to do a longer bike-run workout on Saturday with about 70km-5km on the schedule.

There were, however, a couple of things that need work/practice. First, with new, better designed tri shoes in my stable this year I'm trying the "start with your shoes already attached to the pedals" thing to speed up my T1. In attempting it for the first time last night, my right foot slipped off the top of the shoe and I smashed my shin down into the pedal creating a bit of a nasty cut and bruise which is none too comfortable this morning. I'm certainly going to have to be a bit more careful about that in the future. Second lesson from last night - "take off your helmet when you start running, dummy!" Stupid me went through the transition the first time and totally forgot to take my helmet off before I ran. After realizing the mistake, Rob saw me and asked knowingly, "first transition practice this year?". Maybe I was just subconsciously worried about tripping over my own feet in the trail!

Weekend of AWESOMENESS

This weekend was AWESOME.

Saturday saw Team Pink with Team Pink Special Corespondant Dan travel to the grand island of Vancouver for a ride.


The ride was 100 km (ok a little less for me but I don't have the looming race pressure so I could cut short) of sunshine and gorgeous roads and perfection.

But one of the hightlights of the day was the ferry trip. We got to meet and hang out with an awesome gal from Calgary (Hi Jen!). She's a triathlete and was doing one of the many races in town this weekend. In true TP style we forced food on her (Mocha Muffins) and talked her ear off. I hope she had a great race and we'll keep our eyes peeled for her at future races for sure.

Then today I got to run the last indoor LETC swim of the year. All on my own. Luckily the numbers were down with various teammates off at races around the province. I hope everyone had fun. Well I know Rob didn't but that wasn't because of me. He was in a lane with Steph and she's a tad competive with any games. Including Swimopoly. Yup. We spent half the work out playing Swimopoly and just "having fun". The prize for hte lane who won? They got to pick what I make for next week's first open water swim practice of the year. So all in all it was good. I hope.

And then it was a 1:45 run in the sun with Stan. Followed by burgers. Good times!

All in all perfect weekend, perfect weekend, perfect friends. Summer's here.

And to wrap it up Brian celebrated the Wings' and the Spitfires' wins today with a mojito in his Eiffel Tower beverage container.

State of the Union

Let's investigate the state of the union between my mind and my body, with 30 days to go until the Victoria Half Iron ...

As you well know, the winter and spring this year were devoted to running in preparation for Big Sur. Unfortunately, with Big Sur out of the way, my mind said, "All right! Time to switch from slow and steady to quick like a bunny!" The retort came from my body, "What's your stinkin' rush brain?! I like 7 minute kms!! Leave me out of this 'fast' crap." I'm a few weeks back into training now though, and the body is finally starting to react. The heart rate can be brought up again when I start to push and last night I hammered out 9 kms at 5:00 pace. That was faster than my planned race pace since I can't hold it for 20km off the bike (Victoria is only a 20 km run instead of the standard 21.1), but at least the legs were willing and the rhythm felt great. I think the run is going to be fine.

In addition to the running, we managed to get a fair bit of swimming in over the winter as Fastlane never stops. I haven't really gained any speed this year since swimming hasn't been the focus, but I haven't lost anything either. The distances are feeling easier and easier and I'm reasonably certain I can knock out a pace between 1:45 and 1:50 per 100m over the course of the 2km swim. I've also got Andrew racing in my age category since I age up this year, so I might be able to just grab onto his toes and draft the whole thing!

But then there's the bike. Sweet, sweet Felicity. We've missed each other this year, haven't we? It's not that I've been ignoring you on purpose, it's just that the marathon instilled the utmost fear in me, and really, there are only so many hours in the day. I missed you, if that's any consolation. With time clearly running out, I've been trying to make up for all of the missing rides, but it's rather difficult to build as quickly as I need to at this stage. Last week I knocked out a 50km ride with Curtis on Monday and then Captain Pants and I threw down for 65km Friday night before heading off to Vegas. As she alluded to in a previous post, it damn near killed us. So, with 50 and 65 km rides putting serious damage into me, do I feel ready for 87kms in the race? Nope!! Which is why tomorrow, in what is forecast as spectacular "beginning of BC summer" weather, we will venture to the island for 110kms in the saddle! That's the plan, anyway. Of course, I know a few shortcuts just in case the body remains less willing than the mind.

We're back!

Team Pink went to Las Vegas.

Nothing happened.

In unrelated news somehow I ended up with new strappy pink heels and a beverage container in the shape of the Eiffel Tower.

Trying to get back on the horse

It's been three weeks or so now. We thought we were ready. We had rested. We had recovered. We were chomping at the bit. Speed work baby! Bring it!

Um not so much.

The mind was willing but the legs, heart, lungs, and general rest of the body was having none of it.

My speed is gone. I've got nothing. No kick. No get up and get hustling. Nope. I have one speed now. Steady. Like the tortoise. I wanna be the hare again!

So after only 4 mile repeats (fast with 1:30 recovery) we called it on Thursday night.

Friday morning was not pretty. I have never felt more like I had been hit by a bus in my life! Ug.

Today Team Pink is going to Vegas with Team Pink Dad Peter. Woohoo! Like good little triathletes we got in our long ride (last night) and suffered for a shortish run this morning. And now it's off to the land of buffets and bright lights and heat. Vegas baby!

This weekend saw sunshine and friends and some training. Oh and one MASSIVE melt down.

For the record I am usually ok with traffic and riding and stuff. I usually don't have issues with bridges or heights. And aside from the occasional rage at an idiot driver or the dang tourist who look the wrong way on the one way street before stepping out in front of on coming down hill death I am a fairly calm (sometimes aggressive) rider. So it came as a surprise to me when I ended up in tears at the side of the road vowing that I would never cross THAT bridge again even if it meant that I would have to stay forever on the North Shore.

But backing up a bit. We had a house warming/happy birthday/brunch social on Saturday morning. Alison was super keen to show us Westsiders her Eastside neighbourhood and do a shortish ride to Deep Cove and back. Which we did. The catch is that to get to Deep Cove from there the best way is to cross Second Narrows both ways.

Now the NArrows is freaky enough coming south when it's a long climb to the top and a short gradual descent back to solid ground. Not so bad even with super duper narrow sidewalk with clastrophobia inducing rails and Transcanada highway traffic wizzing by you on the left (seperated by a few inchs of concrete and a rail that doesn't come quite to your shoulder). But going north over that "thing" OH MY GOD. That short descent becomes a short ascent and that long climb becomes a white knuckle descent of hellish perportions which NEVER ENDS. And the traffic seems to be made up of monstrous dump trucks and semis that wizz by mear inchs from your head.

And that's how you end up in tears begging to get off the bridge and then collapse under a tree bawling and saying you will never ever ever go over that THING again.

But after the tears ended and my heart calmed I got back on and continued to Deep Cove and I am proud to say that I managed to bike back over the BRIDGE OF DOOM heading south. But I will never ever ever go north on it again. And we had a lovely tour of Alison's new neighbourhood just east of the Drive which is really cool. And a great brunch with friends.

Character Building - Or Lack Thereof

On our way to practice last night, the Pants and I wandered our way through four grocery stores in search of just the right ingredients for tomorrow's dessert (I can't wait for this ... there will have to be pictures ... mmmmmmmmm). Practice is at 6:30 and since it took us so many stores, we had hit about 6:25 before we had everything and it was starting to look pretty crappy out. So, we made the executive decision to scrap hill repeats in what would probably be rain in favour of 45 minutes on the trainer watching The Biggest Loser on the PVR. (Hey - it's better than 45 minutes on the couch with a tub of ice cream watching BL!) Today, we received reports back that it was quite possibly the most miserable workout in the history of workouts. Curtis claimed to have arrived back home at the end of it looking like a drowned rat and getting dirty looks from the people in his building prior to needing 30 minutes in a shower to finally warm up. Nicole spoke of being unable to stop or steer coming down the rain-slicked roads. I think we made the right decision, even if we've got a little less character today because of it!

In other news, I was riding to work this morning thinking that it feels like forever ago since we did the marathon. With actually coming back to work for a couple of days at the end of last week and then this week dragging on a bit, I feel like I need a vacation again - though maybe a restful one this time! Fortunately, my legs are also starting to feel like the marathon was a little while ago and riding to work and running have started to feel normal again. We'll see how a jog around False Creek feels tonight, but hopefully by Saturday morning, we'll be feeling great for the ride out to Deep Cove with the gang.