No Singing In The Rain Today

Practice today at 10am .... nothing like getting a text from your coach at 6am telling you to dress appropriately for the impending storm expected to hit partially through practice ... I still haven't warmed up from the ride/run with him from several days ago .... fun, I can't wait ... BUT at least distances were modified and shortened ... only 6 for me today!! Yay!!

Teammates showed up in full force minus a few lucky souls ... one being my favorite running partner who so luckily is enjoying her spring vacation in Florida! Don't I wish I was so lucky ... warm weather, beaches, hot sun .... okay enough ... reality ... cold, dreary, raining New England Spring - the humid heat will be here soon enough ... we like the extremes ... no walking the middle ground in this place. New uniforms were distributed! Team pow wow explaining the course and detailing the various runs ... from 8 miles down ... whew, 6 for me along with the twins ... out and back 2x .... "Hills?" I ask (my IT hates down hill!) .... "some long inclines with one small steep climb" is the response .... great! And off we go ... just as the rain starts ... we start as a group of 6 ... I just love the twins, they are amazing ... joking with the guy in the group ... nothing like a guy in sexy tights ... something only those that train in tights could appreciate .... speaking of tights, I spend more on my riding & running gear these days then I do on my "other" wardrobe ... so yeah, I do appreciate a nice pair of tights when I see one. Back to the twins ... they started running with EFS last year ... each has lost about 70 lbs ... they are game for anything ... competed in their first tri last year and are working towards their first half marathon this summer. They run side by side ... matching each other step by step in perfect rhythm as if they were one ... occasionally one will pull ahead of the other but never forgetting about the sister behind ... every few minutes calling out words of encouragement and support and never losing sight or step of each other ... not to mention the words of support they both have for the other team members as we cross paths doing our various and often diverse runs.

I finished the first 3 mile loop with the twins ... one thought the coach had dropped us down from 6 to 4 miles .... but no such luck ... he yelled "half way there" at the turn around so we knew we had one more loop to go ... just as the rain really started coming down. With streams of water rushing down the "inclines" and big puddles forming on the side of the road .... cars driving by without a touch to the break, splashing water on us ... we headed out for another 3 miles ... 1 1/2 out and another 1 1/2 back .... about 4 miles into the run I started feeling warmed up .... when I say I'm slow and steady, I'm not joking .... takes me 3-4 miles just to warm up .... it's always the same thing ... thoughts running through my head, arguing with myself ... "I can't do this ... yes I can," "what the hell am I doing?" "I'm so slow, fast walkers could pass me at this rate" and yes, "I could be in bed right now or eating a pancake breakfast somewhere warm & dry!" ... not to mention a few things I wont repeat .... but after I hit that 3-4 mile mark, I find my second wind and I just want to go .... I can't say I'm any faster but the evil thoughts go away and it just feels good and I want to keep running ... lately, when I get to that good point, my IT says "I'm done" and my mind and body lose their partnership as my muscles slowly rebel .... very frustrating BUT today .... that didn't happen ... my legs and mind were ready for more when I hit the 6 mile mark ... if it wasn't for the freezing rain and 10lbs of wet clothes covering my body, I would have kept going ... I know I'm never going to win any races ... maybe one day, if I keep running long enough, I will eventually reach an age group I can win ... 60 maybe? I can hope ... but in the meantime ... I'll just keep running! My coach says I have what it takes to do the ultra stuff ... we'll see ... I will be talking to him soon to set some goals and just see where I can go and what I can do ... my passion is mountain biking but I'm learning to love running just as much ... one day at a time.

Photos: 1) handing out uniforms; 2) me & the twins; 3) Coach Jay; 4) Team photo after the run.

Weekly Training Schedule

Message From My Coach:

Ok, so here are the goals for the week. I know this is going to be tough with your increase cycling mileage for Vermont, but lets really give this a shot this week. I want to make sure your legs and IT are ready for quick mileage increases when we start focusing on Stone Cat.

Today: 6 miles easy
Sunday: Long Ride
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: Mid-Ride + 3
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Rest

I'd like you to shoot for 100% of this mileage this week. The runs are short enough where you can "cram" them in, but the mileage is high enough to really test your IT. From here, I'd really like to start focusing on getting above 20 miles of running a week, but I want to make sure your legs are ready, so this is somewhat of a test week.

Welcome To My World

Under the encouragement of my beautiful "apprentice tiger trainer" daughter, I am making this blog with the thought that today is as good as any to start ....

"Slow and steady" has been my motto for quite a while but I'm working to change that to "a little faster and steady" with the help of my coach and a regular training schedule which beats the impromptu "wing it" schedule I have lived by for the last couple years. My "fly by night" approach got me through quite a few races including my first marathon (Stone Cat Trail Marathon to be exact) but I paid the price running ... more like limping ... through it with a misdiagnosed stress fracture finishing at the back of the pack but not quite last. I hobbled through the next 3 weeks before I finally convinced my doctor that it was more than sore muscles and I needed an MRI. Surprise, surprise .... stress fracture. I suspected as much but who was listening ... also pedaled my way through my first and second mountain bike races in my slow and steady style ... the first was a 12 mile course and I encountered some rock gardens like I'd never seen or rode before ... and a few narrow bridges which kicked my claustrophobia into high gear but I made it through with minimal mishap ... next was the Vermont 50 ... nothing like taking the leap from 12 to 50 miles with your eyes closed! Starting with a combination of nerves and a lingering stomach bug, I had to walk my bike up a paved hill only 2 miles into the race because I was feeling dizzy and sick .... only 48 more miles to go ... a great start! Made it to the first aid station, ate a little, rested a few and headed onto the first of many miles of twisting climbing trails. Again at the back of the pack, I was in awe as the first and fastest of the runners caught up with me with a little more than 40 miles to go. I rode with a small group from Canada for a little while, chatted with a few runners along the way but spent a lot in my own solitude praying I didn't get lost. Pretty much spent the last 15 miles with the same group of runners - passing them on the downhills with them catching up on the twisting single-tracks and climbs. Pure determination got me through the last miles as I could hear the after-race party and announcer broadcasting finishers as they came down the mountainside finish. Looking over my shoulder, I saw another girl rider catching up to me and slipping into competitive mode, thinking "pedal damn it, don't let any one pass you now!" I rode as hard as my tired legs would let me. On the downhill finish, passing a few runner friends I'd made along the way and cheers of "Go Girl!" I crossed the finish line in just under 10 hours. Not a spectacular time ... last in my age group of 9 women (it would figure the girl that got me moving in the end was in a younger age group!) but I did it! Slow and Steady. I probably walked about 10 miles or at least that's how my feet looked and felt after hoofing it up some of those bigger hills with my bike in tow - bike shoes weren't made for this ... and my first thoughts at the finish .... I can't wait to do this again next year!!

And that brings us to this year ... started riding my mountain bike as soon as the snow melted from the trails and found myself a coach to help with the running ... started the season with my classic "wing it" style by running the Hyannis Half with less than 15 miles (3 at a time) total running for the season under my belt. Finished 30 minutes faster than my first half (Hartford) which was a pleasant surprise although my IT protested for the last couple of miles. Its been a little slow going since February, keeping the IT in check, with a lot of mountain biking and minimal running but everything is falling in place.

Ran a 3 mile trail race a couple of weeks ago - another slow and steady - but finished with minimal IT pain and ready for more.

This week ... ran 7 miles with the team last Saturday and no IT pain .... celebration! This week I racked the miles up on my mountain bike - Sunday - 7 miles of trail - Tuesday - 13 miles of trail and 3 mile run ... Wednesday - 9 miles of trail ... Thursday -8 miles (trail & road) pacing my coach on his run, although he paced me on the trails - he can run like a mountain goat being chased by a lion! And that brings us to today .... a 3 mile run and an easy ride are on the agenda! My mountain bike buddy is away for Easter so I'll be at it alone this weekend. My regular trails are a little crazy with riders preparing for tomorrow's mountain bike race so I'll probably do a little more running then riding.

That's it for now!!