Luck of the Irish to ya!

Happy St. Patty's day to all, if you haven't already guessed I am about 80% Irish and proud of it.
So for St. Patricks day we are going to do a ride to Tempe to Rula Bulas and enjoy some Irish Festivities if anyone wants to join Laureen and I you are more than welcome!

Also just wanted to make a comment on the VO2 testing one of the main goals of this is to determine your heart rate zones, and where your heart rate should be, during training, so that you do not burn out to early, and helps you to train for the distance so important in endurance training, I am looking forward to begin training in my heart zones!

Happy St.Patricks Week!

VO2 testing and 36 weeks out!!

Wow!! It is time to get serious! Only 36 weeks or eight months out from Ironman AZ.
So, I met with someone who is going to help me be more specific with my training and give me some purpose here, not like I didn't have that already but I want to finish this event feeling well and enjoy it I hope, if that is possible.
So, he will start giving me my weekly or daily training this week, also I had a metabolic testing a year and half ago on the treadmill my VO2 max (which has been defined as "the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise") was in the mid fifties (average for females in their forties is 26-35) and he said that was really good above average, which means I have a lot of endurance, (It is generally considered the best indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness)we are now going to do it (Metabolic testing, vo2 max) on the bike which can be very different, and I am sure it will be, since running is my strength and I have never consistently biked even for a year, he said it can take up to 7 years to reach your full potential on the bike, interesting, now I know why it seems so difficult at times.

Well, since my last entry on the 10th, I had a pretty strong week, that day did a 17.5 mile bike and 2mile run off the bike, swam a mile on Wed. Did boot camp (ouch) and cycled 12 miles/hills on Thursday, still sore from boot camp (my quads and hammies). The cycle was at south mountain have not been out there for years and it was beautiful, there is an area that is paved and closed off to cars so a great place to ride after work to avoid rush hour traffic. Friday was a 45min run on treadmill and 25 min swim.
Saturday decided to get some hills in on the run and it was a beautiful day for a hike/run at Pinnacle although pretty crowded, so I did it twice, once round trip is 4miles and ran parts of it, it is almost impossible to run the whole thing because of the hills (someday maybe). It was great though, exhausted that evening so took it easy and am taking Sunday off since I really have not had a day off for eight days and my house is a disaster!! Would rather be training than cleaning obviously ;-)

All Doggies go to Heaven!

Well, quick update, had kind of an down I mean depressed week last week as my dog passed on to doggy heaven, he was my buddy and my sons best friend, we had him almost 12 years not quite he was about 11 1/2 and I really wished we had that extra 6 months with him, I miss him alot. More that I thought possible. He was always there for me no matter what, the unconditional love we only know with animals, our children and God. He will be missed immensely.
Last week I began with my Sunday bike of 30miles into the wind and hills it was tough, then a swim in the afternoon. Then I got talked into going back to boot camp at Lifetime fitness last Monday morning, it isnt hard for me to get talked into that, as I love it, always something differnet but it is 6am in the morning, and it is an all around super workout, including strength training and cardio and you dont really stop during the entire hour.
Tuesday nothing as that is the day my dog passed, Wed, yoga. Thursday a hard spinning class and then 5 mile run, so basically a brick with my buddy Laureen. Friday another rest day and movie. that evening. Saturday approx. 9mile run with a hill in there and trails. Then a friend of mine called me and was doing the indoor tri and LTF so I decided to join her at 4pm for that, a 10min swim as many laps as you can, 30 min spinning as fast as you can and 20 min run again as fast as you can, my legs were tired from the morning so I did OK> It was a lot of fun and that is the main goal.
Then Sunday a great ride pretty good pace for two hours 30miles with the NWLB group, a great way to end the week. Last night was an easy swim 30-40min and today well of course a brick with Mau Mau it will be a beautiful day for it. Keep on training!!!!!