Miles of Life ~ My life as a donut Kylie Donia

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running & HR progress

Thursday, May 25th, 2006

So when I started doing really HR running, it was definitely frustrating. I had to slow down soooo much! I always averaged around 10 min/mile, and now it was a struggle to stay at 11:30 or 12 minute miles! But it was base training time, so I was hoping it would pay off. I just noticed in my monly averages on motionbased…

For street running, in January (when I started to do really HR training) I averaged 5 mph and did about 86 miles.

For street running in February I averaged 5.5 mph but only did about 53.5 miles.

For street running in March I averaged 5.6 mph for 54 miles.

For street running in April I averaged 5.7 mph for 61 miles.

And so far this month (although it has felt like not many miles since the race has left me SORE!) I’ve averaged 5.8 mph and gotten in 49.5 miles.

Although I’m not as strict on my HR, I think that means it is working! I just need to find my true love of running again (it left last week as my sore knee and exhaustion took over). And keep ice on the knee so that soon I can get those miles back up :)

Posted in running, Training Thoughts | 3 Comments »

wow… feelin’ GREAT

Saturday, April 29th, 2006

I just did an awesome ride (my first with the Inland Inferno Tri club). We rode out to the Santa Fe dam, and then climbed up GMR (Glendora Mountain Road). Now, I’ve done the dam ride before… it’s just under 40 miles round trip from the bike shop. With the addition of GMR it made for a 60 miler. And not just any 60 miler… but a 60 miler with just over 4700 feet of climbing! Hot damn. Heh. Oh, and was I done then? Nope… rode the 4 miles home right after the club ride, and turned it into a brick with a 4 mile run.

I felt really really strong today. Yes, most of the climb was very slow. But it was tons of climbing for me, and I did it. I climbed a road that has been somewhat intimidating to me. And I climbed it fairly easily (as far as HR is concerned). I got over my fear of just cruising up in my lowest gear (I’m often cautious about using it in case I turn a corner and have a steep hill. But hey, this way I don’t burn up my legs climbing in a higher gear. My run was floating on clouds… I just did it, and felt strong and smooth and powerful. Which is great after a ride with that much climbing.

Last week I did a 50 miler and a 3 mile brick run, and felt strong there, too. But it was a 50 mile ride with 3400 ft of climbing at 14.2 mph (3 hr 40 min), and then a 3 mi (30 min) run at a 9:33/mi pace. Today was a 60 mi ride with 4700 ft of climbing at 11.8 avg (5 hr 2 min) (70 mi total with riding to and from the start, but I’m not counting that in the elevation — also, the club regrouped a number of times). And the run was 4 mi (40 min) at a 9:43/mi pace. My HR stayed relatively low and comfortable the whole time :)
And tomorrow is the first tri of the year! Ok, not a smart day before, but hey, I’m going with new clothes that I haven’t tested in the race, so I figured I might as well break every rule :) . Really, it’s a little local sprint (3.5 mi run, 10.5 mi bike, 150 yd pool swim) and reverse order. So it turns out it should be a great time to try out new stuff (since it’s shorter than many of my workouts, and since I’m doing it for fun). I’m excited to see the club folks there… they were great fun to ride with!

So I was going to skip the hill climb of the ride today. Was worried about being able to hang with the group, etc. Bobbi would have none of it… Bobbi is many times over an Ironman. She has started 17 of them, and finished 12. Oh, did I mention she was the oldest woman racing at IM AZ last year? She is in the 70+ division. Amazing, inspiring woman. I am lucky that she is in my club and that I got to ride with her. Oh, another inspiring rider today. His name is Alan. He was talking about how he doesn’t want to take the number off his bike… but will have to for Brazil. What number? Oh, just his number from Kona last year. He got 4th in his age group there… you know, the M75-79 group. And the other riders were great to talk with as well. I’m looking forward to the next ride.

So definitely as great day… I felt great and was surrounded by great people. I felt strong, and my fitness confidence was definitely boosted by it! Heh… I’m such a girl. Today leaves me feeling fairly in shape, and pretty. And boy was that pasta and veggies and bbq chicken great after the ride!!!

As for tomorrow’s race… bring it :) Should be good fun.

Posted in biking, General, running, Training Thoughts | 10 Comments »

baaaaad Sat and great Sun

Monday, April 3rd, 2006

First training reminder: I’ve always loved the run of tris. I love the feeling of getting off the bike, and just me and the ground spending time together. Yet lately it’s the run workouts I’ve been missing?? I just don’t get it. Gotta fix it though — sometimes I get too confident about not losing run base as my low mileage times seem to have had a 13 mile run as the long run for over a year now. Well if I don’t get in more long runs soon that’s gonna be gone. And I’d rather not have to get it back. So cheers for running!

Ok so this weekend was pretty cool. I was baaaaaad on Saturday. Got up late, as it was raining and I was planning a brick. It was supposed to clear up, but I wanted to go watch a collegiate cycling crit less than a mile from my house. I could have done the long run planned for Sunday, but instead I sat around and read. Then I felt lazy, and I was craving the pool, so I headed to the gym (it’s awesome to have a closer one finally!). Got in 3400 yds!! And felt comfy and relaxed during and after. Took about 1:12 for the whole thing (500 warmup, 6×400, 500 cooldown) — and I negative split the 400s. After I felt I could just keep going… so that was great!

Then I was more bad (I really should have biked or ran instead of swam)… as I knew there was a big sale at a cycling store nearby. So I headed over. My favorite tires were like 50% off, and I need a new set. I knew I also could use a few more jerseys, especially with all the commuting. And then I got distracted by all the shiny bike stuff… I ended up spending $225! That doesn’t sound bad, until you learn that my total was going to be around $600 if it wasn’t for the great sales!!

My loot:

  • 2 Trek bike helmets (they had an orange one, I couldn’t pass, and the other is officially for my roommate)
  • 1 pair Specialized sport mtn shoes
  • 1 pair specialized road shoes (just like the ones I have that commuting is beating up a bit)
  • 2 Continental Grand Prix 3000 tires
  • 1 pr Pearl Izumi women’s tri shorts
  • 1 pr Louis Garneau tri shorts with matching top
  • 2 sleeveless jerseys
  • 2 short sleeve jerseys
  • water bottle
  • cable and lock

umm… I think that was it. So now I have tons of new stuff to play with… hehe.

Oh and then I went to the college crit and it was fun to see old friends race.

Sunday, however, I had a great brick workout! 55 miles on the bike, and then 40 minutes of running (just over 4 miles). Near the end of the bike my right knee started to get a bit sore, but I kept a high cadence and when I got off the bike and started running it felt just fine. Why is it that my pace right off the bike is faster than normal and feels sooo good? I don’t get why people think bricks are painful (ok, it’s painful, but it feels soooo good). When I got home my friend Brian (who had done the 55 miles with me) and I made yummy yummy BBQ chicken and tortellini! We had earned it :)

Posted in biking, swiming, Training Thoughts | 4 Comments »

just keep swimmin’!

Thursday, March 30th, 2006

It’s a good thing I like Dora from Finding Nemo so much. Her “just keep swimmin’!” song is often in my head. This morning I was being crabby… didn’t really want to bike commute, didn’t want to go to work, didn’t want to run… etc etc. Finally realized a swim might be nice, and realized this at about 6:30. I just had time… so I threw things in a bag, climbed in the car, and made myself go to the gym. Driving I realized I should be at work by around 8:30 or 8:45, so I’d have to be leaving the gym at 8. No excuses… I kept driving to the gym (it’s easy when you already have a suit on to say you’ll get in the water even if just for 30 minutes).

Well then the water took over. I was gliding, and it just felt good. Lisa was a lane over, and Brandon (from the other 24HF) was also in a lane. It was fun to see much of the Rancho morning pool gang has moved to Upland! It’s soooo nice to go to a gym that (at least for now) is less crowded and still has a new/clean feeling to it. So I decided to put my drills in the 500 warmup that was on my schedule, and then, since I was feeling so great, decided to go for all 6 300s (schedule called for 4-6 of them for the main set). I was feeling comfy in the water, and totally in tune. I mean, when else would I be feeling the tip of my fingers (like from above the top joint) and exactly how the water is flowing around, over, and between them?? It was a somewhat crazy level of awareness, and damn it felt good! Finished all 6 repeats of 300s, and then did a 500 cooldown, just making my stroke feel accurate. An awesome morning of 2800 yards in about an hour!

Why is it that swimming always makes me have to pee?? Even if I didn’t really hydrate tons for it. I don’t think I drink that much of the pool! If I did, it would be empty every few days! :p

I have found a way to break some of my bad habits (really the food-centric ones): Focus on breaking it for a month, and then the good version of the habit takes the place. I did this around October to break my Froot Loop habit, and another month I broke my tortilla chip habit. What is next? My processed sugar habit. Candy, and chocolate, and frozen yogurt, and ice cream, and all those wonderful tasting things. Well, having them less often will just make the more special! So for April I will not eat processed sugar as a regular thing. Once a week I can have a single processed sugar snack (ie a single frozen yogurt or serving of chocolate). Because life still has to be fun, and hey, I work out a lot and should get some rewards sometimes. Plus I’m spending Easter with my nephew (ok and his parents) and I know there will be some sugar around then.

This lower-sugar-month should also help me start dropping a few pounds. I’m feeling a bit heavy right now, and I know I have some extra fat I would be happy to shed. I’m in a decent exercise habit right now, so I know it has to be my lack-of-good-eating-habits that are responsible. Sorry I just-like-dashes-right-now. Perhaps May will be drinking more water month…

Posted in nutrition, swiming, Training Thoughts | 4 Comments »

boo!

Thursday, March 23rd, 2006

I’m baaaaaack. Ok, well I was never really gone. But I’m writing again. Many rides and runs, and even a few swims, have passed since I last wrote. Hmm… the new bigger things…

swim: going pretty well. I really really like working with Karen (a friend and, as it turns out, an awesome coach!). She’s also the person behind TriSwim hair stuff (which I’ve loved even before I knew her). I am feeling like I’m getting smoother in the water, and defintely starting to feel more in the groove. Now to just make it too the pool more often… :)

bike: all about who you associate with, right? I’ve done a ride with the UCLA men’s cycling team (their post-race ride one day, tough for me!) and a few rides with a friend who is on their team (Brian). In fact, while I think he has done wonderful things to my cycling, I might have convinced him to do the Aquabike full at Vineman (bad ankle = no running for him). I feel more comfortable on the bike, and am really liking the bike commute as the start to mornings. It’s getting warm enough here that I might need to start wearing a tank jersey! Today it was just short sleeves, and no armwarmers or underlayer was needed (I took it off on the train). The other day I realized I had no meeting, so I extended the ride to work by climbing for an extra 3.5 miles. It was great.

run: I’ve been slacking a bit in this one. It’s my strongest, so that shouldn’t completely kill me. But I need to get in a nice long run this weekend. Oh, and I need to get my foot checked out to see if I really have a swollen/pulled/strained tendon in the top/outside of it (I have the MRI referal… now to just make the appointment). However, it doesn’t hurt when I run — in fact, running makes it feel stronger. But things like sitting indian style or walking or standing a lot sometimes hurt (I know I know… so don’t do it… my mom always says that), as does unclipping on the bike. Of course, it’s on my main clip-out side.

Life: I’m in a good mood today. Work has been a bit crazy for a few weeks (thus the lack of posting as I craved breaks from computers after 60ish hour weeks) but it’s calming down a bit, and I still like what I do. In fact, I think the bike commute makes me like it even more. I’ve been spending more time with friends lately, which is nice. And cheering at races (mainly bike ones, but also CA 1/2 IM). Good times… good times. Actually, why wouldn’t I be in a good mood today? I smell like chlorine, there are bike clothes drying on the chair behind me, and my commuter bike is waiting for me in the hallway =)

Posted in biking, General, running, swiming, Training Thoughts | 2 Comments »

full speed ahead

Thursday, February 23rd, 2006

Training, work, life… all of it seems to be in "zoom" mode.

Work has a bazillion things due last week. That ended up having me work a good 20 or so hours over the weekend, and still putting in longish hours all week. At least I'm hourly ;)

Training has been rocking. Well, Sunday on it has been. Saturday I was working all day.

Sunday: bike ride with a good friend from college. ~40 miles, and a nice amount of climbing. Gave me another fun loop to do.

Monday: biked to the beach (~50 miles). A slight downhill the whole way, but kept a moving average of over 17.5 mph! Crazy fast for me. Was with some great other tri ladies, and so it was a blast. When we got to the beach, we swam about a mile :) We had taken a car of wetsuits down the night before. It was all in all a great day. I kinda wanted to ride back (a few people did so) but they left the same time those of us craving water went for a swim. So next time!

Tuesday I had a great run where I found a good hill that will be happy to kick my butt into shape. I then got in two 10 milers on the bike with my train commute.

Wednesday night I went for a bit of an interval run (4 mins in HR zone 3, 2 min in zone 2, and repeat). I could totally tell I've been eating well this week, as that run felt awesome and relaxed and great and energized!

Today was another bike commute, so one of the 10milers is done, and I've actually gotta run and get ready for the other now. Stopping in Rancho and getting in a swim and a pilates class on the way home.

Ok time to transform from computer Kylie to commuter Kylie. I take that p, and make it an m, just like that! Ok I'm done now =D

Posted in General, Training Thoughts | No Comments »

breaking in the commuter

Thursday, February 16th, 2006

Finally rode the commuter bike on the commute today! It means my tri-bike has no pedals right now (as the bike shop is ordering some cheapo looks for the commuter, and while waiting the good pedals are on the commuter bike). I also got a flat. I think the tube on the bike wasn't really good. Although it held air, I think it was really just old and dried. I tried to avoid replacing it by just adding air, but that wasn't going to cut it this time. So I stopped, and did the whole thing. My commuter bike's tires are way easier to get on and off than my tri-bike's.

Luckily it wasn't a day I was racing time, but had about 20 minutes of flex time in there, so I still made it in ok. And the bike handles nicely. I think I do want to put aerobars on though. I missed them!

My foot (that I rolled back around the beginning of Oct) is still kinda bugging me on and off. For some reason mostly after biking, not running, and not much during either. Maybe I should suck it up and just go get it checked out.

In a training class this week (C#) and it's pretty good… starting again so will have to stop this here =)

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Slacker (& spender)

Thursday, February 2nd, 2006

Swimming (with Lisa) was good yesterday. She doesn’t look at all as broken as I was worried about! And her swim form in particular looks great as always. This morning though my bed was too warm, and I had been up to late. I may run this evening, or I may let the BAAR Brawl (24ish hours of AR training/mock race) this weekend take care of it.

Last night’s excitement… I FINALLY BOUGHT A COMMUTER BIKE! $75, and it will probably save me much more than that on repairs on the TriBaby with how bad some of the roads are. I really like it so far, but I’ve gotta play with it more (I haven’t even pumped up the tires yet). That is for tonight. But here it is…


Isn’t it cute? An older Trek 1200… complete with shifters on the frame. Shimano 105 components (at least the ones I looked at). And it seemed to shift well (in the front, haven’t tested back yet…). I can’t wait to commute on it next week!

The test commute will have to wait til at least Tuesday though… I’ve got BAAR Brawl this weekend! It’s a 24ish hour mock race for AR, and I’ll be playing with Ross and Matt (Team Engine). It should be fun… I’m excited, and ready for rain and cold and biking and kayaking and dark and lights burning out and muddy fun times in San Francisco! I head up there tomorrow afternoon, and will report more on it Tuesday when I’m back.

Posted in General, pics, Training Thoughts | No Comments »

got rest time?

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Ok so yes, I did a lot this weekend. I earned my rest day today!
Only pilates, and I'll be good after that. I promise! I didn't even
bike commute (thanks to an 8am meeting when I get here at 8:30 on the
bike).

But yeah, damn that was a great weekend!

Friday I extended the bike commute in to 17 miles on Friday morning, and then the regular 10 back, and then Pilates was so good that I'm going again tonight!

Awesome ride (about 55 miles)
Saturday morning, making it home just in time to leave for a swim
clinic, which included about 2 hours in the pool. I even got
complimented… some people didn't have fins, and they said they'd take
fins from people who'd do fine without them, and then asked if another
guy could use mine. So that was good. It was a good clinic — mostly
stuff I'd heard, but good to get feedback on how I was doing with doing
it. Unfortunately, the underwater lense for the camera was broken, so
we only got above water filming/analysis, but get to go back for the
other part on a date to be announced.

Sunday I slept in (got home a bit – or maybe very very very – late from
the wonders of karaoke and Denny's), and then did a short "long
run" for the week (barely longer than my reg runs). That
afternoon, Joey (who I also hadn't seen in way too long)
made his way out to Claremont and we went on a wonderful gorgeous happy
and thrilling mtn
bike ride (Claremont Hills Wilderness Park through to
Marshall Canyon). Good goood gooooood times!

So I definitely got in my workouts and my fun… and even managed sleep yet again! I'm getting good at the whole "weekends" part of life. Now if only some weekdays got converted to 'em as well…

Posted in Training Thoughts | No Comments »

doses of all 3 sports

Friday, January 27th, 2006

This has been a good week so far…

Wednesday night I met with Coach Tony at the pool and got some AWESOME swim tips. Many of the actual bits were the same as I'd heard before, but he gave me a wonderful visualization tool: You are swimming in a tube. This tubes is parallel to the bottom of the pool, and you can't move outside it as you swim. This includes keeping your legs in it (ie body flat) and arms (never going too low in the water or too high on the recovery of the stroke).

He then highlighted some drills (on your side, how to get proper pull, and some timing things. A fun night in a beautiful 50m pool! Oh, and some of the best advice he gave? Remember, it's time to get out of the pool once you are too tired to use good form. When you switch back into your old habits, keeping going is just reinforcing the wrong way.

Thursday morning I got in a run (1:05, 5.34 mi, 145 bpm avg). Woooo! Finally managed to stay at 145 without feeling like I was gonna go crazy! I've basically decided to use that instead of the 70% = 137 bpm that my coach had given me, as that was just tooooo frustrating for now (and honestly, as much as I want to get better and train well, making me dread the training isn't worth it).

Then was bike commuting to work (10 mi, 48 min, 13.2 avg mph, 157 avg bpm) and home (9.6 mi, 40 min, 14.9 avg, 159 bmp avg). The train ride was more people than usual, and for once they all wanted to talk to me. I kinda wanted to read Ken's book, or work abs, but was polite and didn't (next time I will… that time is my time).

This morning I got in a quick swim (about 1200 yds, 25 min) so that I wouldn't miss the train, and then bike commuted in the rest of the way. However, I had some extra time since there was no 8:30 meeting, so I went a long way (1:16, 17 mi, 13.6 mph avg, 154 bpm avg). It was a bit cold, but generally nice morning. I think it rained overnight though…

I'm really working to get in a regular habit of bike commuting… but that will be easier once the pool isn't 12 miles away from home (right by another train station, but it would be 12 miles in the morning dark, and I don't have a good light for that right now). A closer pool is set to open mid-Feb. I can't wait, as it will also make it easier to get in a swim workout "just cause".

Posted in General, Training Thoughts | No Comments »

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