The Fitness Achievements thread

[Pheidippides]

The 5k is this Saturday.

Good luck! Don't worry about time goals too much (if you've got them - and it's fine to have them or not). Just enjoy the race, the people, and the finish. My first 5k was a memorable accomplishment and yours should be too.

[lambdacoug]

Good luck! Don't worry about time goals too much (if you've got them - and it's fine to have them or not). Just enjoy the race, the people, and the finish. My first 5k was a memorable accomplishment and yours should be too.

I did enjoy it. I unexpectedly ran into a few friends. We had a great time and I finished in just under 45 minutes (my chip time was 44:30). I had no time goals, I just wanted to finish and run most of it, which I did. I basically ran the first 3 kilometers, walked the 4th and ran the 5th. There is another one in 2 weeks that I'm running with my girls, and for that one I want to finish in under 40, and begin to work my way down from there.

[Moliere]

I did enjoy it. I unexpectedly ran into a few friends. We had a great time and I finished in just under 45 minutes (my chip time was 44:30). I had no time goals, I just wanted to finish and run most of it, which I did. I basically ran the first 3 kilometers, walked the 4th and ran the 5th. There is another one in 2 weeks that I'm running with my girls, and for that one I want to finish in under 40, and begin to work my way down from there.

Congrats AC! That's awesome.

Keep building on your previous work but don't go too fast or you'll injure yourself.

[ERCougar]

Two fitness achievements over the last ten days:
1) My first century.9 on the bike. Why can't they ever just stop at 100?
2) 43 running miles in a week. I never run two days in a row and usually max out at about 35, and that only during marathon training. However, because of weird timing, I ended up doing 43 since last Thursday morning. Which sounds a lot less cool than the 50 I could have gotten in if I hadn't had to work today and done my slow 13 I have planned for Friday. Still, 43's my new record and is a lot for me.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Two fitness achievements over the last ten days:
1) My first century.9 on the bike. Why can't they ever just stop at 100?
2) 43 running miles in a week. I never run two days in a row and usually max out at about 35, and that only during marathon training. However, because of weird timing, I ended up doing 43 since last Thursday morning. Which sounds a lot less cool than the 50 I could have gotten in if I hadn't had to work today and done my slow 13 I have planned for Friday. Still, 43's my new record and is a lot for me.

I've been waiting for a report on the century, hoping it went well. How did it go? Any thoughts/regrets on your training, esp. the two weeks prior?

[ERCougar]

I've been waiting for a report on the century, hoping it went well. How did it go? Any thoughts/regrets on your training, esp. the two weeks prior?

I'm having garminconnect issues (what else is new?), so my ride wouldn't download. It went well, outside of the 5 (!) stops we had to make for a single bike in our group of three. Certainly didn't break any speed records but I really just wanted to enjoy it, which I did. The toughest part of the ride was a 10 mile section climbing up out of a valley at about mile 80. We had rain and a stiff headwind but fortunately hooked up with another group of 5 or 6 riders, two of whom were superwomen cyclists (way stronger than the men in their group), one of whom gave me a nice view for the ten miles I was behind her in the paceline, until yet another of the aforementioned mechanicals. As for training, I didn't get in the long ride that I wanted to. I certainly would have been helped by that one and fitting in a few others earlier on.

Great scenery:

http://ellisprophoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Desperado-Dual/G0000jyPvbA9ktAE/I0000ukri.VFsYQk/C0000NaEfTmlfhAA

Including my paceline scenery:

http://ellisprophoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Desperado-Dual/G0000jyPvbA9ktAE/I00004ue4DN.Hm0c/C0000NaEfTmlfhAA

(no, I'm not cyberstalking...her pic was right next to the other one)

[Joe Public]

Two fitness achievements over the last ten days:
1) My first century.9 on the bike. Why can't they ever just stop at 100?
2) 43 running miles in a week. I never run two days in a row and usually max out at about 35, and that only during marathon training. However, because of weird timing, I ended up doing 43 since last Thursday morning. Which sounds a lot less cool than the 50 I could have gotten in if I hadn't had to work today and done my slow 13 I have planned for Friday. Still, 43's my new record and is a lot for me.

Nice. Now is a good time for me to mention the Oceanside 70.3 in March.

[ERCougar]

Nice. Now is a good time for me to mention the Oceanside 70.3 in March.

Funny--I've been looking at 70.3 plans the last few days. The combo of century plus marathon training has increased my exercise time to 7-8 hours a week, which is probably a little out of balance but isn't burning me out. I think I could do a low volume "just finish it" type plan, particularly if I cut back on the swimming workouts, which I hate. Oceanside would be fun, but the timing is terrible--I am not putting in those cycling miles on a trainer. St George has the same problem, but to a slightly lesser extent. I'd do a fall one if I ever do it.

But good luck to you! I'll be following your training.

[TripletDaddy]

Those are nice pics of the red rocks and trees. Is the entire route as scenic?

[ERCougar]

Those are nice pics of the red rocks and trees. Is the entire route as scenic?

Why am I always suspicious of any seemingly sincere post of yours?

I'll assume you're not being sarcastic, as some of us really do like the scenery around Bryce Canyon NATIONAL PARK. The highlight of the ride really is the first 25 miles or so as it abuts Bryce and you get the nice redrock and hoodoos that make Bryce famous. The rest isn't quite as scenic, although the ride never strays too far from national forest, so for central Utah, it's nice:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31828434

[OceanBlue]

Good stuff here. I went from 211 in April to 185 today. Hope to get down to 175. Really wasn't losing much until I started running faster. Ten years ago when I was forty one I was in great shape running sub 18 five k's and qualified and ran Boston a couple of times. It was hard to look in the mirror but the work has paid off. Been playing Touch Rugby and a little 15s as well which I used to play back in the day.

This past week was a five mile run and a lifting session on Monday, track work last night (400s) and a five miler today. Thursday will be a lifting session and another five miler.

I have been using Almased which is a protein mix and I add blueberrys and a banana for two meals a day. Acid reflux is gone and my old clothes fit again.
I will be happy if I run a sub six mile again. Still don't understand why I let myself go like I do.

[Coach McGuirk]

Why am I always suspicious of any seemingly sincere post of yours?

I'll assume you're not being sarcastic, as some of us really do like the scenery around Bryce Canyon NATIONAL PARK. The highlight of the ride really is the first 25 miles or so as it abuts Bryce and you get the nice redrock and hoodoos that make Bryce famous. The rest isn't quite as scenic, although the ride never strays too far from national forest, so for central Utah, it's nice:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31828434

I really enjoyed the DD when I did it. How was the weather? I hear the second 100 is more scenic but also much more difficult. Good job!

[Topper]

Nice. Now is a good time for me to mention the Oceanside 70.3 in March.

That race is beautiful but the water is too damn cold. I did early March and it sucked tough titty.

[TripletDaddy]

Why am I always suspicious of any seemingly sincere post of yours?

I'll assume you're not being sarcastic, as some of us really do like the scenery around Bryce Canyon NATIONAL PARK. The highlight of the ride really is the first 25 miles or so as it abuts Bryce and you get the nice redrock and hoodoos that make Bryce famous. The rest isn't quite as scenic, although the ride never strays too far from national forest, so for central Utah, it's nice:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31828434

I was being serious!

That is a nice view. I do enjoy that stuff, just not a lot of the desolation that surrounds it. I think it is much like the beach. Not all coastline is created equal.

[lambdacoug]

I ran 30 minutes straight last night. The workout only called for 28, but when I got done I felt so good that I kept going. I could have kept going, too. I stopped though so I didn't overdo it and hurt myself. I was on pace for a 40 minute 5k, which is the goal for this weekend's 5k. I got faster throughout the run too, which means I could probably pick up the pace at the beginning a bit, but I hit a rhythm last night that I've never experienced before. It actually felt like running.