OMG!!! I've done it!!!!

Ok, here it goes... I've done it... I've signed up for a half marathon on February 6th 2011... OMG!!! Now it's for real... oh my! I'm so excited! I know it's a bit away but... might actually debut on January 9th but we'll see! Still, this is supposed the be the half of halves here in Catalunya... the first 10K are uphill then it goes down! At least the hard work is at the beginning :P I decided to go ahead and do it after being adviced by 2 good running friends. In life either you take chances and challenges or life just goes by (she says... LOL!) So as if I didn't have enough with a full time job, 3 kids, a husband, the house, being a full time student at uni and having a tiny social life, I have to organize myself to get all the training in! Isn't it exciting? It sure is! I know I can do it... I just gotta do it! I saw this video Susan Stout shared on FB about Ben running off 120lbs... so inspiring and encouraging, very motavitional... so I decided I can do it too! He says if you want to do it, you just have to do it... and aint' he right? He sure is!

My friend Xevi, has told me about LSD, long slow distance (no drugs involved...) so I've googled it and read a lot about it. I still have 4 months but need to start building up. I can't wait. Granollers is only about 35-40 minutes drive from here so I hope my hubby and kids can be at the finish line, it'd mean the world to me!

So there... it's done. I've paid for it, so I better do it!

Haven't trained since my race on Sunday but I am dropping Pol off at the sitters tomorrow pm after school (will do so every Thursday) and will go training. Thursdays will be MY day, yippee!!!! She's heaven sent and Pol will have a blast with her!

Ok... Granollers... here I come!!!!

OMG!!! I've done it!!!!

Cursa de la Mercè

So, another 10K under my belt. Today was another edition of the Cursa de la Mercè in Barcelona. Got to the city at 8, had a coffee at my bro's and set off to the race. Got there and did some warm up (something I never do :p). I was with Xavi Papell, a friend, all the time. We headed for the start line after a porta-potty stop ;) and started slow and easy as there were 12,000 runners! We run at a good/nice pace for me until K6 when we stopped due to his terrible pain on the leg. We walked a little and then resumed running until we stopped again. We did a few times until K8 when I kept running. I so have to thank Xevi for pacing me at the beginning. Had I been on my own I would have surely stopped to walk a lot earlier! I finished nice and strong and loving every minute of the race! My finish time was 1:07:22, 4 minutes faster than my last 10K on August 8th! So happy and feeling like I want more!

Next race to come soon! My brother run too... he did a whooping 51:34, he's a champ!

And so I did!

Well... this sums it all... I AM A TRIATHLETE!!! :) that's the grin on my face upon finishing!!!

So I did it... this am at 9, 300 m swimming, 8k on the bike and 2k running... a great morning! Transitioning from biking into running was very very hard but loved it all... I got tired I admit but it was awesome! Finish time 45:18 (4:41-26:09-14:28) not too bad!

And I did a 12k yesterday. Happy with the result considering I hadn't run in a while. I was able to run the full distance, except the hills that were very steep in 1:27... happy to see I could run over an hour non stop. Felt awesome. Guess my legs could feel them 12k on my legs today for the tri but it coincided that way and I'm happy I was able to do both!

Wow... accomplishing little by little, slowly but surely ;)

Deceived :(

Aaaaaaaaaaaargh... I had written an extremely long post and it didn't publish... sigh...
So I was saying that training called for a straight 8k run yesterday. It was my first day back at work and I was tired after what felt like a long day (after a month off). I found myself finding excuses not to go for that run. I decided to ignore those voices and after putting Pol in bed, I headed out. I did my usual 2k warmup walk/trot and then proceeded to run. I felt good. I felt fast. But, surprise! I check my GPS... I was going slower than my race on Sunday when I felt I could have gone waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster... OMG... I totally sunk. I did a little over 6K and stopped to walk and then did another 1.3K. My pace was slow, very slow so I was upset, very upset. I wonder what's happening... why don't I get any faster? Ok, ok... no training all June, July and only picked it up at the end of August, that could be it, couldn't it?

Extremes Jacky is back... upset on the one had for a terrible pace, yet proud and happy on the other hand for getting out there and getting a run in. A little over 10K including warmup and cooldown.

Training called for 1h15mins of mountain bike today but after work and getting dark at 8, there's no way I can get out. I took a rest day and I think I needed it. I will continue tomorrow.

What to do? Speed, speed, WHERE ARE YOU??? Guess I'll keep going and hope to collect something some day after all the hard work... sigh...

A bit of this and a bit of that

Ok... so after the hills on Tuesday it was swimming on Wednesday and then off on Thursday as I couldn't fit the training in my "busy" (LOL) schedule... ped appt at 10:30, then it was too hot and then bday party in the afternoon... no way. Anyway... bike ride and swim on Friday to make up for what I didn't do on Thursday :p So, 13k on the bike and then 560m in the pool. Lovely, getting better every day and loving it!

It was my grandma's 93rd birthday on Tuesday, so we celebrated, then Marc, my nephew was 6 on Thursday so we celebrated again :p

Yesterday was a rest day and today... 5K in Ripollet (near Barcelona). I had initially signed up for the 10K but downgraded since I didn't feel prepared enough. And know what? I could have taken that 2nd lap, o yes I could have! Isn't that great? Gotta love it! I got to run with people I knew so it was great! I did wait and stop to walk with Xavi as he couldn't run the hills due to a very sore injury on his quads but still it was great. I finished wanting more which is always good! In the end 35:35 and more than happy with it!

Rest day tomorrow although I might, depending on what we do (2 days left ONLY of vacation... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa), go for a bike ride!

10x100m uphill

I did it! Today, my training schedule called for 1km easy and then 10x100m steep reps... it was after 10m and it was hot, hot, hot... not a shadow to be seen, but... I did it nontheless!!!! A total of 5K between warmup, series and recs. Not bad. Schedule calls for swimming tomorrow so... hi-ho to the pool I go!

We celebrated Oma's 93rd birthday today... she's as fit as ever. It was nice and intimate. Had a great time! We swam in the pool. Kids had a whale of a time. Food was nice and it was good indeed!

Took both boys to have their hair cut. They look so cute! Paula and I are going on Thursday!