So, I'm a logger

**Warning: Boring workout log post.**

Since I am signed up for South Carolina Half Ironman I need to get back in the habit of logging my workouts and taking things a bit more seriously.

So, yay! I have a race and I am very happy about that. Looking very forward to it. I've been feeling a bit wayward since my next marathon isn't until December (maybe November) and that was just too far away for me.

Admittedly though, I am nervous as crap about how long it is going to take me to do this half iron man. I know I said I would never say never but I am almost certain I will never do a full ironman because I just can't imagine wanting to do anything for that long. The idea of starting something at dawn and not finishing until it is dark does not appeal to me in the least. But a half seems doable. Still long, but doable. I am worried though that it is not going to be as much fun as a marathon. People keep telling me that a half iron man is much "easier" than a marathon but I have my doubts. I do like that I get to change outfits though in a triathlon. That is definitely appealing to me.


But I am worried about this half iron man because I know in a marathon that I will be done in four hours or less--even if I walk. Half Iron man? I think I am looking at 6 hours. Holy crap. Me. Do something for 6 hours. Right right right. I did that century ride and that was 6 hours. But remember. I was sitting down for that.

Sigh. I would feel much better about all this if I was faster on the bike. Really fast. Like 20+ mph fast and I can hop off and run a my regular one forty half marathon. That would be great. And then it wouldn't take 6 (or God forbid more) hours.

Sigh.

But even if I work my booty off I think the best I can hope for is 17 mph and a one fifty half marathon. And, I think that would be okay. But really. I should be realistic: 15mph and two hour half marathon. Gosh. I really hope I don't have to run for more than 2 hours. That will pretty much kill me. I'll be fine however long the bike takes because most important to me on the bike is-- as is always my main goal when I am on a bike-- not wreck and not fall. Second to that is not get a flat tire. Slow, I suppose, I can deal with. I am use to it, after all.

What? The swim? Oh well, I am working on that. I'm a decent swimmer. A guy did ask me on Sunday if I was training for the Olympics. He seemed super impressed even if he was totally creeping me out because he was just sitting in the pool doing nothing but watching me swim (at least as far as I could determine). Despite the creep factor it certainly made me feel pretty confident in my ability. But I think Dara Torres can rest easy. Her position on the team is secure. And I think I will improve some. Assuming I actually make myself get in the pool and you know, swim laps and stuff. That is always the hard part. Swimming back and forth and back and forth for an hour or more gets very boring. Sure you can try to break it all up with drills and what not but still, it is more of the same thing: back and forth, back and forth. The only excitement is the flip turn. Which, right, I know as a triathlete you are not suppose to do them but whatever: I am a marathoner and I like my flip turns. Like I said, they are my excitement in the pool.

But boy. I think swimming a mile+ in a river is going to be A LOT different than swimming 2 miles in the pool and getting to see the wall every 20 seconds. Yeah, I'll just try not to think about that when I am out in the middle of the river. But I am almost certain my first thought will be after about 20 seconds and no wall is forthcoming: What the fuck was I thinking? But those are thoughts for another day. A day say at the end of September. Say the 28th to be specific. . .

So here is my very sad log from last week:
Sunday (July 6th): Kids and Ryan and I went to the trail. Ryan and kids rode their bikes and I ran. Beau decided to hang with Ryan and so I got the best pacer ever: Carmella. She negative splitted it for me: 23: 12 for the first 3 and 21:13 for the last 3. 6 miles @ a 7:25 average pace.

Monday: Birthday run. Got pushed a bit late in the morning so it was getting hot. 80 degrees for whole run. I incorporated 5 miles at the Leita Thompson trail. It was super muggy but cooler in the woods. Run was 13 miles @ an 8:20 pace.

Tuesday: Ugh. Bit of a hangover. 4 miles at the Greenway Trail with the kids (them on the bikes me in my running shoes) 8:37 average pace. Continued to feel worse all day. Low grade fever, tummy issues, aches and horrible headache. Not a hangover after all.

Wednesday: Headache and fever persisted for most of the day. Waste of a human being. Took a Motrin and rallied for the kids. They rode their bikes around the neighborhood and I chased. We went up to the local track and I ran many laps. Forgot my Garmin but we were gone about 50 minutes so I figure easily this was 5 miles.

Thursday: Since it is summer and I only have Lala to help me out I am hard put for babysitters. Lala agreed to watch the kids so I could ride my bike (read Lala does not have Bikram Yoga on Thursdays). But since there have been afternoon storms everyday the kids and I went to the Greenway so I could get a run in. We did 8 miles at an 8:04 average mile. It should be noted that the average is time actually spent running. There are multiple breaks: Beau falls, someone needs a sip of water, someone needs to have an argument about not being first, someone needs to look at Bamboo, someone needs to look at what might be a scary bug, a turtle or a fox. So I only count the time I am running but we pretty much stop for 30-60 seconds every 2 miles. They are getting better though and not stopping as much.

Afternoon rolls around and the thunderstorms hit. I headed out once they cleared. Or so I thought. Around 6 miles it started lightening so I stopped by Steph's and waited it out. I lost about 30 minutes. I decided to just take the long way home and cut it short since the roads were very wet and I didn't want to risk getting caught out in a storm again. So I got in 15.6 miles for at blazing 15.9 mph pace.

Friday: Hit the pool. Hello pool. It has been awhile. I've been meeting with my other favorite lovers: Mr. Running Shoe and Mr. Bicycle. They are more exciting. Sorry.

And I was duly punished for my neglect:
I started out with 2 400's that I timed (45 seconds rest in between 400's):
1st 400yds : 5:52
2nd 400yds: 5:45

Next I timed some 100's with 30 seconds rest in between.
1st 100yd: 1:22
2nd: 100 yd: 1:25
3rd 100 yd: 1:24
4th 100 yd: 1:27
Mess up 50: :42--my cap kept coming off.
5th 100yd: 1:29

My cap kept riding up and it was driving me crazy. So I bailed on the "speedwork".

Closed with a 2000 yd steady swim. I timed the last 400 and it was 7:18. Didn't think to time the whole set so I have to assume that was somewhere on the slow end of the average. Total 3350yds in an hour.

Saturday: Again with no sitters and Ryan was working. Off to the Greenway so the kids can ride and I can run. 10 miles for an average 8:13 pace. Again with all the stops but I needed them today. It was muggy and in the high 80's. Heck, it may have even been 90 since it was around lunchtime when were there. Hot, hot, hot.

Total:
Run: 46 miles
Bike: 15 miles (hangs head in shame. Kids rode more than I did last week.)
Swim: 2 miles

Run is good but the bike and swim are not.

And this week is off to a better start:
Sunday: Rain, rain and more rain. So swim.
200 yd w/up
450yd: 6:40
45 sec rest
450 yd: 6:36
30 sec rest
100yd: 1:26
Long set: Planned 2000 yd/35 minutes.
Creepy man in pool watching me swim made me lose count during 3rd 400--about 15 minutes in.
Swam to 41:39 figure 2200-2400 yds.

Need to be better, faster.

Monday: Kids and I went to the Greenway.( seeing a pattern here? Sam has been out of town. I hate the treadmill.) Was thinking 12 miles. Carmella dropped her chain right after 2 miles (which we blazed in just over 14 minutes) so I had to walk her bike back. Sux.

Ryan came home early from work and since there was no storms I rode my bike for an hour. People on Sandy Plains rode are very very mean. Do not ride there. Even if there is a bike lane people yell nasty words at you, gun their truck engines and honk their horns at you. The result of this is that you pedal really really hard. 19.52 miles at 17.22 mph.

Hopped off bike and took kids with me on a short brick. This run was surprisingly good. I didn't even notice the heat which is a good thing. Normally it is all I can think about. Starting out was very rough (read up hill with jello legs). But when I hit that track at the school my jello legs knew not what they were doing with a 6:25 pace. Cranked it out for 2 miles and ran home for a 5k with a 7:34 average pace. First brick of the season. Pretty happy with it. Now, to add on 36 more miles to the bike and 10 more miles to the run and keep the paces and I will be all set race day.

Sam is back in town so tomorrow I get to get up at 4:30 to run and Thursday-- hopefully it works out-- and I get to ride my bike for 40 or so miles AND do a little brick after. Today? Kids and I are going running (hopefully 12 miles) and then swim in the evening. Evil Aquafit is at 6 so I have to try really hard to get to the gym at 4:30 otherwise no swim.

Boy. I have lots of work to do before I am ready for the triathlon.