30 miler

Heidi:

Yesterday morning Dad, Heather & I hit the road for our 30 mile bike ride.  It was goign to be 70 degrees for a high so we were super excited about being outside.  Thankfully, mom took the kids (or we would have been stuck inside on our trainers!).  We are so lucky to have so many options in people who want our children!

It was a great ride.  Some head wind on the way home but we told Dad his bonus for riding with us was the fact that he had to pull us home!

Heather & I both made the comment that we feel ourselves getting stronger and we are able to recover better after long hills.  Below are some pictures of us before the ride.  Sorry that Dad had to take the picture and didn't make it in it!  The John Deere place let us use their parking lot- reason for all the tractors!

Adventure race.

Heidi:
Let me start off by saying that I WAY under estimated this race.  I was a little nervous (as usual for a race) but I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Secondly, let me mention that I love my husband very much and on this day we hit a new milestone of love and commitment.

Nathan went to the pre-race meeting and came home and said "you might want to kill me tomorrow....".  The race director (who is also a friend of ours) decided to add a sandbag course to the end of the race.

The race went like this:
4 mile gravel run
7 mile gravel bike
2 mile canoe (in which you had to drop your bike and climb this HUGE dam to get your canoe)
7 mile bike back
40lb sandbag course with at least 6 military crawls on the ground with your sandbag

Throughout this whole race you had to carry your backpack.  Thankfully I had a very small backpack and only had to carry some nutrition, my running shoes and my shirt & pants (oh, and a compass, whistle...).

The course was on the hilliest roads you can imagine.  During the run it was hard to recover on the downhill because it was so steep and gravel.  I was quite proud of my performance however.  I got on the bike and I can't even explain the hills.  And unlike road biking where you can gain speed downhill and carry some of that up the hill on the other side- mtn bikes on gravel don't get you anywhere!!

On at least 6-8 of the MOUNTAINS I climbed on the bike Nathan would catch me mid hill and put his hand on my back and push me up- allowing my legs to be able to do it.  I would have been walking a bunch of those hills (like many of the other bikers) if Nathan would not have done that.  I have no idea how he climbed them himself AND helped push me.  I seriously got emotional on one of them when he did this.

The first 7 miles of the bike went decent.  I got off the bike to head to the canoe and my legs were shaking.  I was so happy to see the canoe and it went fairly smooth. It was a beautiful day- sunny & high 50's.  Back on the bike and I had no legs left.  I got through it.   On to the sandbag.  I really didn't care about anything at that point.  I grabbed the sandbag, ran to the first crawl, fell on the ground and just started rolling through it and dragging that stupid bag, back up on my shoulder to run to the next one....

I was stunned that this race was so tough for me.  I felt like I had been working hard on endurance- running & biking- and I don't understand why I didn't have it that day.  It gave me a good view of where I am at and where I need to go from here.  Yes, the gravel is totally different- and the hills were tough to say the least.  Plus, the race was 4 hours for us.  I have never raced that long before.

It was a wonderful day spent with my husband.... and I must admit that it was sort of fun too....

40 Miler...

This Sunday, after a very busy day, Phil, Dad & I headed out to accomplish 40 miles. My longest ride since I was in Pathfinders (grade school years). It was gorgeous day! Perfect temps & lots of sunshine. I was really looking forward to riding outside!

The first 20 miles went really well! My legs felt strong. I pushed myself & did my best to keep up with Phil & my Dad. They were kind & waited for me. We turned around to head back home, mind you we were cutting it very close to arrive back to our cars before dark. So close in fact that we packed some tail lights in case it got too dark. We pulled out our lights around 30 miles. The last 10 miles the sun was setting and the legs were ready to be done.

40 miles felt like more than I was ready for, but its done. I am sure that in the coming weeks 40 miles will feel like a short ride.

Today was swim day. 2000 yards. Like Heidi mentioned, March is a month of building our distances. We'll bike 30 miles Weds followed by a 10 mile run Friday.

By: Heather

Friday- Feeling stronger

This is our easy week.  We have been enjoying it.  However, we were talking on our 3 miler on thursday that we really just get warmed up at 2 miles so beyond 2 miles is the easiest part of the run.  I definitely struggle the most on mile one.

Today we had a 45 min bike.  It was going to be a high of 52 today- and sunny- so we hopped on our road bikes for the first time of the season!   It was fantastic!  I chose shorts & long sleeves.  A little cold to start off with but it felt great.  The best part of the ride was how great I felt.  I really do feel myself getting stronger.  We did a ride that we rode many times last summer and I never felt as good as I did today.  Last year I would struggle on those hills and today I really felt like I conquered them easier... and didn't dread them like I did before.

Tomorrow is a first for me.  Nathan & I are doing a team adventure race.  It involves backpacks, compasses, whistles... and adventure!  2-3 miles of canoeing, 13 mile mtn bike and a 3-4 mile trail run.  I'm excited about- and a little nervous. I haven't done many bricks yet (bricks are back to back things- like a bike & run, or swim & bike...). But nothing I can't accomplish!  It will be fun to do it with Nathan and I know I will push myself very hard.

I'll post how it goes!

Oh, and Sunday we have our first BIG bike- 40 miles!  The most I've ever biked was 28 miles.  We'll see how my legs feel after tomorrow.  March has begun- and the hard core training is starting its full swing!

Our Tues/Thurs running group

It was picture day for our running group this morning.  This running group started with just a handful of people and has grown to as many as over 200.  Today was an average attendance for the winter months- they have huge attendance during the warmer months.  Its a fun time- they take attendence, give out beads for perfect & near perfect attendance and makes you feel a part of something fun.  Heather & I really enjoy it because it gets our workout over with early in the morning, there are other people with you in the dark (and cold) and we don't have to arrange child care since our hubs don't have to leave for work until we get back home.

They have 3 different routes (A, B & C)- ranging from 4-8 (or more) miles.  Heather & I usually pick up the "D" route since we have to be back home by 630am.  It starts at 530am so if we have a long run scheduled that day then we just start earlier.

heather & i are in the front row.

Florida Runnin

We are back from vacation as Heidi has already mentioned. I am so proud of us for keeping up with our training, while on vacation. Normally I do good just getting half the workouts done on a training plan. But we are getting nearly ALL our workouts done! This is amazing. I think part of me is so afraid of this 1/2 ironman distance that I am ultra motivated to be absolutely prepared.

Heidi emailed me at the beginning of Feb and told me "DO NOT LOOK AHEAD TO MARCH! Lets just enjoy February" Well- here we are.... the 1st day of March... ready or not here we are....we have a 40 mile bike ride on Sunday + 1 mile run. But until then I'm going to enjoy an "easy" week of training! I'm still not ready to look to far ahead on our training calendar.

Heidi & I after our 9 miles in Marathon Florida

by: Heather

Home & back at it.

Heidi:

We are back from Florida and I'm ready to hit it hard!  Good thing because that is exactly what the plan is telling me to do!

My run with the Crocs went very well.  I did a few loops and felt pretty good.  The hardest thing about it was running without my partner!  I turned up the ipod and stayed away from the crocs.

While down in the Keys we did a few short runs, a core workout taught by Nathan and a 9 miler on friday.  I was dreading the 9 miles the whole week.  I'm not sure why besides the fact that I really didn't feel ready for nine yet.  And the first three were very hard on me.  I have been having trouble with my toes and feet going numb and hurting.  It was pretty bad on my 8 miles by myself.  I'm going to talk to my shoe girl this week about it.  I've always had some issue with numbness but this feels like my foot is dead and the bottom is hurting.  Anyway, after the first 3-4 miles I got in a grove and the final 5 miles went quickly and quite easily.  I was thrilled to be done with it and felt silly about dreading it.

Yesterday was our first day home and we had a 2 hour bike ride on our schedule.  I was very ready to get back on the bike.  I knew my legs had been missing it.  Heather didn't have much time yesterday and decided to hop on the trainer.  I wanted to be outside.  I despise the trainer and if the sun is shining and I have a partner I will choose outdoors any day.  Nathan wanted to go so we gave the kids to Gram (who was begging for them any way) and headed out on a beautiful ride in the MO countryside.  We choose the gravel and had a glorious ride.  As soon as we hit the MKT trail (1/2 way through) it got mushy and irritating!  It was a tough workout on soggy trails but I got it done and felt very accomplished.

This morning was back in the pool.  Another thing that I have been feeling behind on.  It felt good- and tiring.  I could feel my 2 weeks out of the pool.

We're kicking it up a notch for March!  Thanks for tuning in & keeping me accountable!