Asheville, North Carolina

I am currently down south in Asheville, North Carolina with some friends (and new friends) on a week long bike training camp.  We are heading home tomorrow and I thought I would write a bit of a summary of our adventures this past week. 

We drove down on a rental and the drive wasn't too adventurous.  We got here at Black Mountain which is just north of Asheville and where our home base is for the week.  The one thing that really caught us by surprise is how HILLY it is here.  Just to get to our house, we had to drive up 1050ft in about three kilometres, which means some steep hills.  After a grocery run, we decided to ride our bikes within the complex and that was an immediate shock to my legs.  That same 1050ft ascent was what we had to descend and ascend on our bikes in the rain with about a 20% grade as the max.  I am not a fan of downhills and my brake pads can attest to that! LOL!  The other thing we noticed right away was the temperature.  It is cold here, ok, maybe a little warmer than TO but not the balmy 20C or so I was expecting and with no hope of getting some bike tan lines.  The whole week I was layered in cold weather cycling clothes. 

View of the sunrise from the house on Black Mtn on our last morning there.

The  following day (Sunday) we had our first long ride, about 85km, up Jeter Mountain.  This ride we logged a total of 3596ft of climbing with the steepest part being a 21% grade.  This was a pretty demoralizing ride for me.  I was unable to keep up with the group (which took me a couple of rides to accept and then was able to enjoy riding solo),  I got cold, I lost my sunglasses lens which popped out when I put my sunglasses in my back pocket when it got too foggy, I bonked because I made a rookie mistake of not taking any nutrition during the ride, and unfortunately, someone crashed!  The crash was really unfortunate but he was back on the bike bravely the next day.  The ride was a tough one with the first half being quite hilly.  I was actually a bit proud of being able to out climb a couple of people who had to get off their bikes and walk because they weren't able to climb the hills.  At least I can muscle through them and not have to get off the bike.

Monday we swam in the morning and then climbed up Elk Mountain with a total of 3573ft of climbing with a 17% grade as the steepest hill and about a 10km steady climb.  I had my trusty Garmin 705 with me so I would not get lost.  I had uploaded our route and even though this process took some time I at least had something that would tell me if I got off course and showed me where to go.  Pheww!  This helped the group out too when I was with them and was able to tell them when we got off course.  After this ride I told the group not to wait for me though.  The last thing I wanted was to hold the group up and have them wait for me.  I feel terrible because I am holding them up and because I am the slowest one.  I am fine with riding on my own if I know this is what I will be doing.  And I still had fun!

Tuesday we headed for Mt. Pisgah and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This was the first day I was able to wear tinted sunglasses lens as the sun was out and I didn't have to wear a ton of layers.  I even got a bit of a sunburn on my face, although that may have been a mix of wind burn.  Even though the sun was out we had to contend with quite a strong headwind which meant some teeth chattering descents.  We climbed a total of 4200ft with a 12km climb up the mountain and the steepest part being 13% for a total of about 98km, our longest ride for the week.  I even managed to take a picture when we stopped momentarily to add some more layers at the top of the mountain.  I also did a short 10min run off the bike.

Here is a pic while on the Blue Ridge Parkway on our one of two sunny days:

On Wednesday some people wanted to take it easy with a break form the bike.  A small group of us still went out on our bikes and did a shorter ride, about 39km up Morgan Hill.  Still some steep sections here, the steepest being 13% and a total elevation of 2342ft.  Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy and by the end of the ride I was shivering and wet.  I was probably hypothermic as I was unable to do stuff, lol!  I wasn't such a happy camper at the end of that ride but was still happy that I went!

Thursday was probably the stupidest stunt I/we have ever done!  Definitely something to talk about for years to come.  We decided to climb up Mt. Mitchell but had to re-route our original route due to some rock slides.  So we were going to approach the mountain from the east on the Blue Ridge Pkwy rather than the west.  It was another chilly day but we had no idea what was going to hit us.  I started the climb feeling pretty good and just kept a good steady effort until we hit the Blue Ridge Pkwy.  By this time it was quite cold and very foggy.  Ironically, I noticed the sign that read to not use the pkwy in snow, ice, or foggy conditions.  Wish I would have paid attention to this.  After some time waiting for another rider, I soldiered on, but now quite a bit cold from waiting.  It was raining so we also had to contend with wet conditions.  Further along the pkwy the fog got more dense.  I was happy I had both a tail and headlight in hopes that motorists could see me.  I was barely able to see two feet in front of me.  I fully admit I was nervous riding on the winding rodes with no visibility.  All I knew was that I wasn't going to descend because the little bit I did try to do I got extremely cold and lost all feeling in my hands and feet.  So my plan was to keep riding and wait at the top for someone in the group to pick me up and I was going to tell someone of my intentions when I would see them on their way down since the route was an out and back.  Well, with about 6km to get to the top I see Ming coming down and he was yelling at me to turn around right away as it was too cold higher up.  He didn't make it all the way to the top as he realized it was too cold and he started descending to get to the car and pick us up.  I didn't really realize how cold it was because I was steadily climbing but when I turned around and started descending I knew I couldn't do it.  Another rider from the group that I met up with wanted to just get to the tunnel so we can be protected from the elements.  That was the hardest few km for me.  I absolutely froze!  I couldn't feel my hands or feet, I could barely brake, it had started to hail then snow, I was almost in tears and was just desperately looking for the tunnel through the thick fog.  I was ready to quit until I saw the sign for the tunnel.  I was a wreck!  The other girls managed to hitch a ride down.  Three of the guys made it to the top and nearly froze to death themselves and managed to hitch a ride from a park ranger that was radioed in and took them half way down the mountain.  I stayed in the tunnel with the other rider waiting to be picked up.  There was no way I was able to descend, so we waited.  I would have rather continue climbing because at least I can generate some body heat.  But instead, I resorted to becoming the tunnel troll waiting to be rescued.  I was for sure hypothermic here.  I just wanted to go to sleep to end the shivering and pain.  It was not fun!  Probably after an hour or so of waiting in the tunnel we got rescued by our other group members!  I was shivering uncontrollably and it took at least 45min for me to stop shivering, and more to warm up.  What an experience!  I managed to pull out my phone and take a couple of pics of the tunnel and the fog while waiting:

the thick fog on the Blue Ridge Pkwy - this picture does not do it justice

where I became the tunnel troll - my refuge until we were rescued

Needless to say we were all happy to be alive and that no one got hurt while pulling that silly stunt.  We really should have turned around when the fog got really dense or when it really got cold.  The outcome could have been completely different.  I still managed to climb 4150ft in about 38km, the whole ride was pretty much climbing with the steepest part at about 12% and most of the climbing was at about 6-9%.

Surprisingly enough, most of us were still willing to ride on Friday.  We went back to Morgan hill and this time it was sunny although quite windy and a bit chilly on the descent.  A better ride for me the second time around.  After the ride, a few of us headed to the pool and I did about a 3.3km recovery swim.  We are heading home tomorrow after a short run.  I hope I have made some gains here this week.  My legs feel it for sure!  I wish I was able to take more photos but I was either always climbing, decending, or it was too cold to stop to take a picture.  Ah well!

North Carolina definitely has some beautiful cycling terrain but I do not know if I would be willing to come back here.  It would have to be warmer for one thing.  Maybe South Carolina!?

Torture Thursdays ;)

I have been thinking about what term to coin my Thursdays.  Words as epic, insane, intense have all come to mind and describe my Thursdays well but I have decided on torture! LOL!  I like the "TT".  And I mean torture in a good way...really!  Thursdays are my masters workout day, both run and swim! Ha!  So that means I am at the Athletic Centre at UofT for about 4.5-5hrs.  Masters run starts at 6:30pm til about 8:30pm and then this is followed by Masters swim practice from 9-11pm. 

The run workouts are pretty intense.  These are track workouts where we are going pretty much full throttle at the specified distance as determined by our coach.  Thursdays are short distance days so we have had repeats of 50m to 500m so far.  This is followed by some circuits involving core/strength work and running/jumping up stairs.  Mondays are the other masters run workout day but I am usually working on Monday nights and have not been able to attend.  This is the first time I have done track workouts and I have been having quite a blast with the group and getting a good butt kick each time!  These guys are a great group of people full of speed, talent, kindness and motivation.  I am in awe of some of them for their age and speed and feel privileged to be able to train with them.  I hope this helps me become a better runner and I have actually started seeing improvements in my splits lately!

After a 30min break where I have started a trend of drinking a can of coconut water and eating a protein bar I then jump in the pool with the Masters swim group.  I have been swimming with these guys for a little over a year now and I have definitely seen improvements!  Actually, tonight a couple of my swim mates have commented that I have gotten a lot faster in the pool over the last year! Yay!   Thursdays are my favourite night to swim with the group because it's 50m long course and the coach is great!  We also swim Mon, Wed, Sun mornings and Fri nights but I normally only go to about three practices a week.  And a further bonus is that usually no more than ten of us show up Thursday nights so we get a bit more attention.  Swimming after a track workout is quite difficult.  I end up hitting the wall in the second half and my legs start cramping.  However, this hasn't happened the last couple of weeks.  I think my body is starting to get used to this a bit and I have been feeling stronger.  I usually get in about 4-5km of swimming on Thursday nights.

So there you go, Torture Thursdays!!!  And I love it!!!

It's here! It's here!!!!!!

This will be a short post but David just got my bike from Guru!!! Yay!!!!  He sent me a sneak peak of my new ride so here it is:

I'm soooo excited!  Can't wait to see what it looks like in real life!!!  So how does that fancy paint look?!

Chilly Half marathon

My 2011 season has officially began.  I ran the Chilly half marathon in Burlington on Sunday and I am quite pleased with the results.  I only had two long runs this year, a 17km and a 20km run, so I wasn't sure how this one was going to go.  My plan was to be aggressive and run hard from the beginning and  basically try to hold that pace until I blow up! Lol!  My goal was to try to match or beat my PB of 1:55 which means running a 5:27 pace. 

The weather gods were not all that kind to us as it snowed quite a bit overnight.  When we got to Burlington, there was a mix of snow, ice, and slush!  Yuck!  And it was cold and windy!  Ah well!  No big deal.  I had my bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and had a coffee to go.  I am going to try to stick with a morning coffee for all my races this year! ;)  We just made it with enough time to go to the portapotty and make it to the start line on time.  The driving conditions were not the greatest getting from TO to Burlington.

The race started and I was running with my friend Marina.  We started pretty quickly which usually happens at the start of a race.  Adrenaline is pumping and everyone around you is running fast so I usually get caught up and start fast as well.  Our first couple of kms were about 5min and it took me about 4-5km before my feet defrosted.  We then settled into our pace and were pretty consistent throughout while pushing each other.  We had to be careful with our footing due to the snow and ice and had to avoid some pools of water which was impossible at times and resulted in soaking wet feet.  I was running hard and it felt good.  I was able to push until I hit about 19km and I almost hit the wall.  No bonking, just couldn't hold the pace we were holding anymore.  Almost!  Crossed the line in 1:55:59.  51 seconds short of my PB.  Not bad!  I'll take it!  It is early in the season and I haven't put in my long runs yet so I'll take this as a positive sign!

trying to keep warm before the race

nearing the finish!

Central Park and another threshold test.

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!

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:

The snow is so pretty!

 

Me in action!





A masters ski race - Marianne is third in line on the far left in the above photo.





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!

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!