Not much to blog about these days in the training department. I have been consistently training everyday. I do not think I ever trained this hard and this consistently before. At times I think my body wanted to rebel against me too. After some speed work on the track a couple of weeks ago with the Masters group, my left hamstring had enough and got really tight. So tight that I was afraid I pulled it. It had hurt to walk and I proceeded with my training sessions gingerly at times. I did finally have my first day off from training last Saturday while I was in NYC for my birthday! :):):) However, I could have still probably logged something for that day as we walked and walked and walked! All-day-long! But it was a fun weekend!
While in NYC, I did do a long run in Central Park! I ran 20km and it was a great run!!! I really had fun and enjoyed that run. I have never ran anywhere (except in race situations) where so many other people were running at the same time. It was fabulous! I wish we had something like that here in TO! It took me just under 2hrs to complete the run and I was running at a steady effort. The plan was actually to run 1.5hrs until I took a wrong turn somewhere and had a little detour and made the run longer. Oops! But I was happy I got 20km in! So I hope this is a good sign that training has been going well. My first test will come tomorrow when I run the Chilly Half marathon in Burlington. I just hope the weather does not wreak havoc out there. It had been raining pretty much nonstop for the last two days and now they are calling for snow and colder temperatures overnight into tomorrow. This could mean some icy conditions. Eek!
This past Thursday I did my second threshold test on the bike. This one hurt a lot more than the last one. This time around I was using my powertap with the PT computer as oppose to the SRM with the garmin so the readings were a bit lower. We figured the garmin was reading about 10-15W higher than the PT computer. So last time my 203W average for my test would translate to about 193W on the PT. Well, for this 20min test I averaged 197W, with an average cadence of 91rpm and average HR of 172bpm. My first test my avg HR was 160bpm so I definitely worked harder this time around. I am pleased that I still managed to keep my cadence over 90rpm. I have been continuing to work on my cadence and it seems to be working. My goal was to hit 200W so I was just shy of that but I was done. I thought I was going to pass out on the bike and my legs were trashed afterwards, lol!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
SKIING!!!
I just spent this past weekend up north in Parry Sound with my second family!!! ;) I really do love going there!!! Thanks again! And this time I didn't get sick, yay! I basically go up for an awesome mini training camp in fresh air and get the best sleeps, usually about 8hrs worth, eat yummy food, and relax! :)
I arrived Friday afternoon and immediately was sent out to start skate skiing! Sooooo much fun!!! I have improved so much from last time and the hills that I barely made up my first time out were not so bad this time. I am still slow out there but feel that I am getting the hang of it. So I still have not had a day off from physical activity since I started training. It has been more than 30 days now. Not bad! Although the last few days were cross training in the form of cross-country skiing and shinny hockey! That's right! I also got to skate and play hockey twice this weekend! Friday night we went out to the local outdoor arena and the three of us had the rink to ourselves! That was pretty sweet! I even tried to do some figure skating things and was able to do all my single jumps. I didn't have guts that night to try any doubles but with some more time I may have. We did the same sort of thing on Saturday, did another 8km or so of skate skiing and then played shinny in the evening. Sunday I managed about 12km of skiing! That was tough! More hills and a few more falls but I loved every single minute of it! And I even spent some time with the Nachos watching the Superbowl that night. Although I honestly have to say that football is not really my cup of tea. I tried to get some of the rules and stuff but I don't find it that exciting. I snuck in one more ski session this morning, about 5km worth and then I did an approx 8km run in the snow, cold, and ice. Great way to end my weekend!
I logged in a total of about 11.5hrs of training, skiing, and skating last week. It was a little less in volume as I did my threshold test on Thursday before I left. Basically I was to ride all out for 20min with the goal of not going too hard at the beginning and dying but to be consistent throughout. It went well too! I exceeded Ming's expectations! Haha! He predicted an average power of about 180W. I started a bit conservative and was building slowly within the 20min. By the end I was giving it my all and I was hurting. But a good hurt. Ming told me to start at about 160W but I found I was easily holding 180-190W. As the test went on I got stronger and stronger and I averaged 203W for the test with an average cadence of 92rpm! Cadence is something I have been really working on as I tend to have a low cadence on the bike. So 92 is really good for me! Yay!
Here are some pics from the weekend:
I arrived Friday afternoon and immediately was sent out to start skate skiing! Sooooo much fun!!! I have improved so much from last time and the hills that I barely made up my first time out were not so bad this time. I am still slow out there but feel that I am getting the hang of it. So I still have not had a day off from physical activity since I started training. It has been more than 30 days now. Not bad! Although the last few days were cross training in the form of cross-country skiing and shinny hockey! That's right! I also got to skate and play hockey twice this weekend! Friday night we went out to the local outdoor arena and the three of us had the rink to ourselves! That was pretty sweet! I even tried to do some figure skating things and was able to do all my single jumps. I didn't have guts that night to try any doubles but with some more time I may have. We did the same sort of thing on Saturday, did another 8km or so of skate skiing and then played shinny in the evening. Sunday I managed about 12km of skiing! That was tough! More hills and a few more falls but I loved every single minute of it! And I even spent some time with the Nachos watching the Superbowl that night. Although I honestly have to say that football is not really my cup of tea. I tried to get some of the rules and stuff but I don't find it that exciting. I snuck in one more ski session this morning, about 5km worth and then I did an approx 8km run in the snow, cold, and ice. Great way to end my weekend!
I logged in a total of about 11.5hrs of training, skiing, and skating last week. It was a little less in volume as I did my threshold test on Thursday before I left. Basically I was to ride all out for 20min with the goal of not going too hard at the beginning and dying but to be consistent throughout. It went well too! I exceeded Ming's expectations! Haha! He predicted an average power of about 180W. I started a bit conservative and was building slowly within the 20min. By the end I was giving it my all and I was hurting. But a good hurt. Ming told me to start at about 160W but I found I was easily holding 180-190W. As the test went on I got stronger and stronger and I averaged 203W for the test with an average cadence of 92rpm! Cadence is something I have been really working on as I tend to have a low cadence on the bike. So 92 is really good for me! Yay!
Here are some pics from the weekend:
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| The snow is so pretty! |
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| Me in action! |
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| A masters ski race - Marianne is third in line on the far left in the above photo. |
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snowmageddon, huh?!?
Well today was suppose to be this huge snowstorm in TO where they were calling for 30cm of blowing snow. I was actually looking forward to it too...just too see lots of snow! But it didn't happen. We got about 15cm. And so I went out for my run today before work and grabbed my camera (since I had an easy run scheduled) and took some shots. Didn't get lots of nice ones as the sun was setting but it sure did look beautiful out there!
On the training front, I have yet to have a day off from training since I started back at the beginning of January! I put in another 13+ hrs last week. And I am seeing some gains on the trainer as I am now able to increase my power output on the bike. Tomorrow I am scheduled for a threshold test so I'll see how that goes. I also joined the masters running group at UofT last week and really did have a good time! I was actually intimidated by them for the longest time because I am not a fast runner but they were very welcoming, encouraging, and I wasn't the slowest runner either! ;) So I think I will try to make it out every Thursday and run with them as long as I am not scheduled to work. (well, and as long as Ming has it in the plan!)
My race season is almost all confirmed. I have now registered for the Montreal half marathon and the Chicago marathon! This is in addition to the Chilly Half marathon, Ironman France, and Steelhead 70.3 that I have already registered for. I just need to figure out exactly which half ironman I will be doing in May. All the other races are pretty much set in stone, I just have to register for them as well.
I also may be heading back up to Parry Sound this weekend for some more skiing action!!! Yay!!! Pretty excited about that! :) Just hope the weather cooperates so I can safely make the trip!
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| my backyard! ;) this is the cemetery behind my condo where I do a lot of my runs! it is actually very pretty and great for running! |
On the training front, I have yet to have a day off from training since I started back at the beginning of January! I put in another 13+ hrs last week. And I am seeing some gains on the trainer as I am now able to increase my power output on the bike. Tomorrow I am scheduled for a threshold test so I'll see how that goes. I also joined the masters running group at UofT last week and really did have a good time! I was actually intimidated by them for the longest time because I am not a fast runner but they were very welcoming, encouraging, and I wasn't the slowest runner either! ;) So I think I will try to make it out every Thursday and run with them as long as I am not scheduled to work. (well, and as long as Ming has it in the plan!)
My race season is almost all confirmed. I have now registered for the Montreal half marathon and the Chicago marathon! This is in addition to the Chilly Half marathon, Ironman France, and Steelhead 70.3 that I have already registered for. I just need to figure out exactly which half ironman I will be doing in May. All the other races are pretty much set in stone, I just have to register for them as well.
I also may be heading back up to Parry Sound this weekend for some more skiing action!!! Yay!!! Pretty excited about that! :) Just hope the weather cooperates so I can safely make the trip!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
In the zone!
I just completed week two of getting back into training and I am happy to say I am in the training zone! Last week I logged just over 13hrs of swimming, biking (on the trainer), and running (treadmill and outdoors). And to top it off, I ran 17km today in the frigid cold without having a day off of training yet since I started two weeks ago. And I am happy about that! :) Last year at this time I had no motivation to get going. This time I have Ming watching my back and so I am accountable to him and need to get my butt in gear! Which is the reason why I have a coach. I need to be accountable to someone otherwise I would just let my daily life take over and not train as much. I am not doing very long training sessions right now but they are intense. Hopefully this does pay off once the race season starts! I am looking forward to racing again and can't wait!
Also, I have managed to maintain my race weight over the holidays! Yay! Getting sick probably helped though. I usually gain about 5lbs over the winter and lose it once training gets serious. Last year I actually lost about 10lbs by the time I headed into Cozumel. I am still at my pre-Cozumel weight so that is good. And with all this training, I am either going to gain weight in muscles or lose some more. I'll wait and see what happens. I am not consciously trying to lose weight. I eat what my body needs and what my stomach wants and just let the rest happen on its own. I do have to stop eating whole jars of Nutella though, but I can't help it sometimes! Lol!
And my update on Limey: well it turns out that Guru can no longer replace the frame because they do not make a 650c version of the Crono equivalent they have in the market now. So they will now completely rebuild the frame. I have yet to figure out what that exactly means. Anyhow, in return they said I can have whatever paint job I want including the SFX ones (aka fancy paint!). So I went with the SFX vermilion which is an orangy-red colour and orion (silver). Hope it turns out great! It was hard to part with the lime green since I do love it and I would get soooo many compliments on it. However, change is always good and I did ride Limey for three seasons. Hopefully I can get as many compliments on my new machine as I did with Limey! ;)
Also, I have managed to maintain my race weight over the holidays! Yay! Getting sick probably helped though. I usually gain about 5lbs over the winter and lose it once training gets serious. Last year I actually lost about 10lbs by the time I headed into Cozumel. I am still at my pre-Cozumel weight so that is good. And with all this training, I am either going to gain weight in muscles or lose some more. I'll wait and see what happens. I am not consciously trying to lose weight. I eat what my body needs and what my stomach wants and just let the rest happen on its own. I do have to stop eating whole jars of Nutella though, but I can't help it sometimes! Lol!
And my update on Limey: well it turns out that Guru can no longer replace the frame because they do not make a 650c version of the Crono equivalent they have in the market now. So they will now completely rebuild the frame. I have yet to figure out what that exactly means. Anyhow, in return they said I can have whatever paint job I want including the SFX ones (aka fancy paint!). So I went with the SFX vermilion which is an orangy-red colour and orion (silver). Hope it turns out great! It was hard to part with the lime green since I do love it and I would get soooo many compliments on it. However, change is always good and I did ride Limey for three seasons. Hopefully I can get as many compliments on my new machine as I did with Limey! ;)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Year in Review
I just completed my first week back into training and it went fairly well. I am working on quite a bit of intensity stuff in hopes of getting stronger. I did four trainer rides working on cadence and power which left me leaving a puddle of sweat each time. My runs were not as successful as I got caught in a blizzard one night and had to really watch my footing. It sure was beautiful to run on the empty streets in the middle of a mini snow storm but it was a bit surreal too as no one was around. I also now have access to a treadmill now that I am working at the new hospital which is great! I have another option from running in minus something weather with the windchill and ice and snow. Not only are there treadmills at this gym, there are also ellipticals, a universal weight machine, free weights, and exercise balls so I can get a full workout in!
I thought about writing a recap for 2010 and have decided to get around to it now. 2010 was quite the year for me in the triathlon world! I sure made huge gains which I hope I can continue through in 2011. You can check back on my blog for specific race reports if you wish.
I started my race season with the Chilly Half marathon with disappointing results. I knew I wasn't ready to run a good half and I wasn't. I ran about a 2:05 but it was my longest run of the year at this point and so I just took it as a training day. Then I headed down to Florida in April with my friend Terri and we had a great week of riding. I stayed a few more days after Terri left and really had a great time with the masters swim club in Clermont and added in some runs. It was a good training week. Soon enough my triathlon season began with my first tri being the Rev3 half ironman in Knoxville. It was a tough race, tougher than I expected but I put in a solid effort. It was my first tri of the season anyway. A month later I headed off to Hawaii for the 70.3 in June and had a blast! Another tough race but loads of fun...and it was just beautiful there! It was soon after this race that I had to make a quick decision to switch coaches. My previous coach just wasn't cutting it at this point and I needed a change because the Ironman was coming up! I had a couple of options for coaching and opted to go with Ming since he had previously mentioned that he would like to coach me and he lives in TO so I can easily communicate and even train with him. So began our new coaching relationship. During this time I also did the Welland half ironman and the Peterborough half swim/bike on back to back weekends. Welland did not go as planned but I still barely managed to PB! Haha! Peterborough just hurt! I came off a heavy training week as I went to train with Terri leading up to this race. Now the training really started. And at the beginning of August I went to Benton Harbor Michigan to race the Steelhead 70.3 and got a new half IM PB!!! Yay!!! I then put in some good training days up in Parry Sound which really helped me. I even did the Parry Sound sprint tri and won my age group! woohoo! That was a first for me! ;) This all led to my A race - Ironman Canada! And boy, did I ever surpass all of my expectations at that race. I honestly could not have asked for a better race. Everything went well (besides some rain, wind, and hail) and I had the race of my life! (hopefully not the last one too!) And clocked in another new PB!!! It was after IMC I decided to join the Nachos and do Ironman Cozumel in November! So after a little break I started training again and this was when I also started getting sick. I wasn't ever sick enough to stop anything, but it did slow me down and put a little dent in my training. I did the Toronto International half marathon with not so stellar results. Ah well! And then I found myself off to Taiwan after Ming and Leanna convinced me to go at the very last minute and race the 70.3 there. I even got into the race after it was sold out thanks to Ming's mom...hahaha! Taiwan was an awesome experience and it was a tougher race than I expected. But I somehow managed to hold off the women in my age group and placed third!!! Woohoo x 2!!!! My first ironman branded podium finish and at an international event!!! That was sooo cool!!!! And amazing!!!! I will never forget being called to the podium at the awards ceremony: "And from Canada, in third place, Wendy Lopez!" A few weeks later I was in Cozumel for my second Ironman of the season. IMCoz was a battle and no new PB this time but I learned that I can mentally battle through anything! And again, I just had a blast there!!! Soooo much fun!!!!
I was just looking at my training log and this is what I put in from July-December (not including races):
approx 120.8km, 44.6hrs of Swimming
approx 1966.3km, 96.3hrs of Cycling (hrs incl trainer time as well)
approx 540.4km, 60.8hrs of Running (some runs were not measured in distance)
approx 14.8hrs of other stuff (skiing, yoga, core, etc)
For a grand total of about 216.5 hrs of training for the six months, July being the heaviest followed by October. Wow...that's nuts! LOL!
Wonder what I will log for 2011!?
I thought about writing a recap for 2010 and have decided to get around to it now. 2010 was quite the year for me in the triathlon world! I sure made huge gains which I hope I can continue through in 2011. You can check back on my blog for specific race reports if you wish.
I started my race season with the Chilly Half marathon with disappointing results. I knew I wasn't ready to run a good half and I wasn't. I ran about a 2:05 but it was my longest run of the year at this point and so I just took it as a training day. Then I headed down to Florida in April with my friend Terri and we had a great week of riding. I stayed a few more days after Terri left and really had a great time with the masters swim club in Clermont and added in some runs. It was a good training week. Soon enough my triathlon season began with my first tri being the Rev3 half ironman in Knoxville. It was a tough race, tougher than I expected but I put in a solid effort. It was my first tri of the season anyway. A month later I headed off to Hawaii for the 70.3 in June and had a blast! Another tough race but loads of fun...and it was just beautiful there! It was soon after this race that I had to make a quick decision to switch coaches. My previous coach just wasn't cutting it at this point and I needed a change because the Ironman was coming up! I had a couple of options for coaching and opted to go with Ming since he had previously mentioned that he would like to coach me and he lives in TO so I can easily communicate and even train with him. So began our new coaching relationship. During this time I also did the Welland half ironman and the Peterborough half swim/bike on back to back weekends. Welland did not go as planned but I still barely managed to PB! Haha! Peterborough just hurt! I came off a heavy training week as I went to train with Terri leading up to this race. Now the training really started. And at the beginning of August I went to Benton Harbor Michigan to race the Steelhead 70.3 and got a new half IM PB!!! Yay!!! I then put in some good training days up in Parry Sound which really helped me. I even did the Parry Sound sprint tri and won my age group! woohoo! That was a first for me! ;) This all led to my A race - Ironman Canada! And boy, did I ever surpass all of my expectations at that race. I honestly could not have asked for a better race. Everything went well (besides some rain, wind, and hail) and I had the race of my life! (hopefully not the last one too!) And clocked in another new PB!!! It was after IMC I decided to join the Nachos and do Ironman Cozumel in November! So after a little break I started training again and this was when I also started getting sick. I wasn't ever sick enough to stop anything, but it did slow me down and put a little dent in my training. I did the Toronto International half marathon with not so stellar results. Ah well! And then I found myself off to Taiwan after Ming and Leanna convinced me to go at the very last minute and race the 70.3 there. I even got into the race after it was sold out thanks to Ming's mom...hahaha! Taiwan was an awesome experience and it was a tougher race than I expected. But I somehow managed to hold off the women in my age group and placed third!!! Woohoo x 2!!!! My first ironman branded podium finish and at an international event!!! That was sooo cool!!!! And amazing!!!! I will never forget being called to the podium at the awards ceremony: "And from Canada, in third place, Wendy Lopez!" A few weeks later I was in Cozumel for my second Ironman of the season. IMCoz was a battle and no new PB this time but I learned that I can mentally battle through anything! And again, I just had a blast there!!! Soooo much fun!!!!
I was just looking at my training log and this is what I put in from July-December (not including races):
approx 120.8km, 44.6hrs of Swimming
approx 1966.3km, 96.3hrs of Cycling (hrs incl trainer time as well)
approx 540.4km, 60.8hrs of Running (some runs were not measured in distance)
approx 14.8hrs of other stuff (skiing, yoga, core, etc)
For a grand total of about 216.5 hrs of training for the six months, July being the heaviest followed by October. Wow...that's nuts! LOL!
Wonder what I will log for 2011!?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Let the 2011 season BEGIN!
I did my first real training session last night! Yay! I am so ready to start training again too! Had to wait a bit to get over my last bout of illness and although I am not quite 100% yet I just had to start training again. Hope I don't push myself over the edge and get sick again! I did a trainer session working on my cadence and it went really well. I think I was just eager to get going again and combined with a nice rest gave me last night's result. I did do some workouts while I was "off" just to make sure I kept somewhat in shape. Last week I managed a 45min trainer session, a 20min run, and a masters swim session. Not bad! Later today I am to do a threshold run workout, interesting to see what will happen with that! Lol!
On another note, I have to replace Limey. RIP Limey! :( Limey had two more cracks going into Cozumel and was sent back to Guru after I got back. This was the third time this year Limey had to go back to Guru for crack repairs or lose parts (bottom bracket and a fork recall). Guru has agreed to replace the frame this time which is great. Now I just have to decide on colour. Do I keep the same colour scheme or try something new? I am very indecisive on this right now! I do love the lime green and silver combo but trying something new is always fun! I am deciding between the lime green and purple paired with silver. I am thinking of getting another paint pattern to change it up a bit if I do decide to keep the green. I also really like this bright orange colour they have but it looks like I would have to pay extra for that colour and I won't do that. So it just may be between the green and purple. Hmmmm......don't know what to do?!?!?! Any thoughts???
On another note, I have to replace Limey. RIP Limey! :( Limey had two more cracks going into Cozumel and was sent back to Guru after I got back. This was the third time this year Limey had to go back to Guru for crack repairs or lose parts (bottom bracket and a fork recall). Guru has agreed to replace the frame this time which is great. Now I just have to decide on colour. Do I keep the same colour scheme or try something new? I am very indecisive on this right now! I do love the lime green and silver combo but trying something new is always fun! I am deciding between the lime green and purple paired with silver. I am thinking of getting another paint pattern to change it up a bit if I do decide to keep the green. I also really like this bright orange colour they have but it looks like I would have to pay extra for that colour and I won't do that. So it just may be between the green and purple. Hmmmm......don't know what to do?!?!?! Any thoughts???
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year!!!
Welcome 2011!!!!
I am excited for what this year may hold for me! I've got a tentative race plan and hope to make some more gains and break more ground in the getting faster and stronger world!
Unfortunately, my training has once again been sidelined as I once again got sick! :( I barely just got over my last cold and then I get the flu! I have never been hit so strong before by illness in my adult life like I was last week. I went up to Parry Sound and skate skiied for two days, did a 45min run, and then was hit by a Mac truck with the flu. I spent all of Wednesday either in bed or on the couch! I felt so bad that I travelled to visit my second family only to get sick and take over their couch for the day :( Everything ached and I had a fever and the chills and had little to no energy to even sit upright. I was very well taken care of (thank-you!) and was slowly feeling better by night time. Had to go into work by Friday for New Years and survived my three day shifts...barely! But this time I resorted to drugs to get over this last bout as I need to start building up again in my training. Feeling much better now but I do have a pretty wicked cough and still have a head/chest cold. Hopefully I get back to 100% really soon! ;)
I did have a blast skiing and am looking forward to trying it out again really soon!!! And I am told its good cross training so maybe this will help me get stronger as well! We'll see! Hopefully I can get back to Parry Sound before the winter is over and ski some more!
I wish everyone a healthy, safe, and happy new year!!! All the best in 2011!!!
I am excited for what this year may hold for me! I've got a tentative race plan and hope to make some more gains and break more ground in the getting faster and stronger world!
Unfortunately, my training has once again been sidelined as I once again got sick! :( I barely just got over my last cold and then I get the flu! I have never been hit so strong before by illness in my adult life like I was last week. I went up to Parry Sound and skate skiied for two days, did a 45min run, and then was hit by a Mac truck with the flu. I spent all of Wednesday either in bed or on the couch! I felt so bad that I travelled to visit my second family only to get sick and take over their couch for the day :( Everything ached and I had a fever and the chills and had little to no energy to even sit upright. I was very well taken care of (thank-you!) and was slowly feeling better by night time. Had to go into work by Friday for New Years and survived my three day shifts...barely! But this time I resorted to drugs to get over this last bout as I need to start building up again in my training. Feeling much better now but I do have a pretty wicked cough and still have a head/chest cold. Hopefully I get back to 100% really soon! ;)
I did have a blast skiing and am looking forward to trying it out again really soon!!! And I am told its good cross training so maybe this will help me get stronger as well! We'll see! Hopefully I can get back to Parry Sound before the winter is over and ski some more!
I wish everyone a healthy, safe, and happy new year!!! All the best in 2011!!!
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