Amazingly good run

So, you all know that I've been training with Sam while she preps for Ironman Lake Placid. This is her last big weekend before the 3-week taper begins. I'm excited, but also not looking forward to not seeing her as much (I'm sure she'll want some time off after the race). I definitely have enjoyed the journey, almost more than when I trained for LP last year.

Today was her last long run and it was the longest by far. We've routinely done 2.5 hours, but today's schedule had a 3-hour run on tap. Half hour doesn't sound like much, but the 2.5 hour runs were tough at times. However, it ended up being an amazingly good run.

Angela (my former coach and Sam's current coach) and e-Speed joined us on the trails of N. Chagrin. I felt stronger than I have in months and I know Sam was feeling good, because she charged up the biggest hills with no problem. She even gave speedy E-Speed a run for her money on one hill (of course E answered with ease). Of course, that left Ang and me trying to keep up. The last hour it was just me, Sam and E. Every time Sam and E would get talking they would speed up, but I only had to ask them to slow down twice.

All in all, we ran 16.7 miles in 3 hours, which is pretty good for trail running with roots, rocks, mud and hills. It is my longest run since Ironman and it is Sam's longest run ever. I know she is worried about how she'll perform on Ironman day, but after what I've seen today (and the last 6 months), she's more than ready. As Ang said, "the hay is in the barn". Can't wait to see her rock LP course!

Up for a run?

Sam and I are doing a 3-hour trail run on Saturday morning. We're meeting at 7 AM at Strawberry Picnic area. Anyone want to join us for all or part of it (we'll circle back to start point)? We could use the extra company to get our minds off the run. We already know each other's stories. : )

The Hills

No, not the TV show. It was the theme of my ride with Matt this morning. I told him I wanted to mix it up and he definitely delivered.

The first hour? We averaged 13 mph. I told him to ride his own pace and wait at major turns. I was quickly used to seeing him stand up, pump his powerful legs a few times and then begin to disappear in the distance. There was this one steep fucking hill that made me wonder if I'd make it up without falling over. I haven't worried about that in a long time. But, I made it up the hill, recovered and carried on.

The second hour, we averaged 16 mph, for an overall average of 14.5 mph (this section included a brick street a la Paris Roubaix - bumpy!). By this time, we were heading back home. Despite some massive final hills of merit, we covered 46 miles total in 2:57 (a 15.6 mph average). Not too shabby given the start of the ride.

The bonus was we rode out of our house, so no gas wasted traveling to a bike ride start. It also saved time. Oh, and I did manage to keep up with Matt after that first hour. Good stuff!

TriGuyJT, did we see you on Chagrin River road this morning wearing a yellow top?

Missing

Wow, I've been missing blog land for awhile now! I found Facebook, which has taken what little free time I have. Plus, I don't have too much exciting to report for me.

Sam's Ironman is less than 5 weeks away. She did a monster 6 hour ride 45-minute run workout last Friday (thankfully, not with me) and we ran 2.5 hours on trails on Sunday. She's got a couple more big weekends left and then she'll head into taper. Can't wait to see her race!

In other news, my husband has been playing with his video camera and Mac software at home again. Check out his latest video of my kitty and me.

Glorious weekend!

This weekend was beyond lovely - the weather, the company, the plans etc.

It started out with dinner and a movie (Sex in the City) with 5 of my girlfriends on Friday night. While Hoggy's would not be a restaurant on the SIC girls' list of faves, it hit the spot. The movie was predictable, but highly entertaining!

Saturday morning at 6:30 AM I met Sam for a 2:20 run at N. Chagrin. We ran the trails strong and while not fast, we had a great time. A total of 12.15 strong miles on muddy trails with a good friend rocks!

Saturday night, Matt and I went to a Lake County Captains game. We've lived in Lake County for almost 3 years, but this is the first game we've been to. It's a nice stadium. The baseball players are not as good as I'm used to seeing, but we got to see them up close and personal. $9 a piece and we were 2 rows back from 3rd base - watch out for line drive foul balls! Can't say we ate the healthiest, but we had a nice time.

Then, this morning, Sam, Joe (her husband), Matt and I headed out for a bike ride. Matt turned around after an hour or so and we lost Joe several times (he was faster than us, but sometimes took wrong turns or didn't turn around as expected - he did manage to find us with 15 minutes left in the ride). Before that though, we got passed by a fat, old man on a road bike with hybrid handlebars. I'd like to say that it was only because we were going downhill and he was heavier than us, but he stayed away after the pass. My ego got the best of me for awhile as I tried to catch him. I tried to rationalize that I was at the end of a 4:15 ride (63 miles), but it still hurt. : 0

After the ride, the three of us headed out for a 40-minute run. Sam and I had a great run and found our legs fairly quickly. I guess two weeks of lower mileage makes you stronger/fresher. Overall, I just felt so good for the whole workout!

Sam is heading towards more mileage over the next several weeks as she does her final build towards Ironman. Looks like I'll be along for the ride as well. Good times!