January 2012 - What We've Been Doing!

Month #1 of Ironman training is in the books!  Here's the breakdown: Sunday January 1 - Wednesday February 1

Date Workout Planned Actual Workout Activity Time Distance Pace Time Distance Pace Sun, Jan 1                 Mon, Jan 2 Swimming Main Set   2300 Meters     2300 Meters     Tue, Jan 3                 Wed, Jan 4 Cycling Cycling 01:00:00     01:00:00 16.5 Miles   00:03:38 Thu, Jan 5 Running Steady Run 00:40:00 5.3 Miles 00:07:33 00:40:00 5.3 Miles   00:07:33 Fri, Jan 6 Cross Training Climbing             Sat, Jan 7 Cycling Cycling 03:00:00 48 Miles 00:03:45 03:00:00 48 Miles   00:03:45 Sun, Jan 8 Running Conversation Pace 01:44:00 10 Miles 00:10:24 01:44:00 10 Miles   00:10:24 Mon, Jan 9 Swimming Main Set   2400 Meters     2400 Meters     Tue, Jan 10 Running Steady Run 01:00:00 8 Miles 00:07:30 01:00:00 8.3 Miles   00:07:14 Wed, Jan 11 Cycling Cycling 01:00:00     01:00:00 15 Miles   00:04:00 Thu, Jan 12 Running Steady Run 00:40:00 5.3 Miles 00:07:33 00:40:00 5.3 Miles   00:07:33 Fri, Jan 13 Swimming Main Set   500 Meters     500 Meters     Sat, Jan 14 Swimming Main Set   2500 Meters     2500 Meters     Cycling Cycling 01:04:00 18 Miles 00:03:33 01:04:00 18 Miles   00:03:33 Sun, Jan 15 Running Conversation Pace 02:07:00 15 Miles 00:08:28 02:07:00 15 Miles   00:08:28 Mon, Jan 16 Cross Training Climbing             Tue, Jan 17 Swimming Main Set   2500 Meters     2500 Meters     Wed, Jan 18 Cycling Cycling 01:45:00 30 Miles 00:03:30 01:45:00 30 Miles   00:03:30 Thu, Jan 19 Running Steady Run 00:51:56 6.3 Miles 00:08:15 00:51:56 6.3 Miles   00:08:15 Fri, Jan 20 Swimming Main Set   3000 Meters     3000 Meters     Sat, Jan 21 Cross Training Cross Training 02:50:00 9.6 Miles 00:17:43 02:50:00 9.6 Miles   00:17:43 Sun, Jan 22 Cycling Cycling 02:00:00 37 Miles 00:03:15 02:00:00 37 Miles   00:03:15 Mon, Jan 23 Swimming Main Set   3100 Meters     3100 Meters     Tue, Jan 24 Running Steady Run 01:00:56 8.4 Miles 00:07:15 01:00:56 8.4 Miles   00:07:15 Wed, Jan 25 Cross Training Yoga 00:30:00     00:30:00     Thu, Jan 26 Running Steady Run 00:45:00 5.6 Miles 00:08:02 00:45:00 5.6 Miles   00:08:02 Fri, Jan 27                 Sat, Jan 28 Cycling Cycling 00:30:00 6.6 Miles 00:04:33 00:30:00 6.6 Miles   00:04:33 Swimming Main Set   3000 Meters     3000 Meters     Cycling Cycling 01:00:00 18 Miles 00:03:20 01:00:00 16.5 Miles   00:03:38 Sun, Jan 29 Running Conversation Pace 02:00:00 14 Miles 00:08:34 02:00:00 14.7 Miles   00:08:10 Mon, Jan 30 Swimming Main Set   3000 Meters     3000 Meters     Tue, Jan 31 Running Steady Run 01:04:00 8.4 Miles 00:07:37 01:04:00 8.4 Miles   00:07:37 Totals: 26:31:52 2,565.93 Miles 26:31:52 298.36 Miles

Great End to a Great Year!

With Chris and Mike at JC's End of the Year Bash for HCM Foundation 12/11/11 at Antonio's Grill in Broadheadsville, PA!  A great  event with food, live music, raffles and lots great reflections on fundraising and racing for HCM in 2011.
Thanks Mike and JC!

Q&A/Meet & Greet with 4-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington at Cadence Cycle in Manayunk 12/14/11! Lots of words of inspiration for next year...and what a smile!

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Dearest Family and Friends...

I just want to take a moment to thank all of my dear family and friends who donated to my fundraising efforts for HCM Foundation in 2011.  As a result of your wonderfully generous gifts, I was able to raise $2,693 to help support families struggling with the effects of cancer in their lives.  This exceeded my goal and I am overwhelmed by your caring, giving hearts.  I really cannot thank you enough.  It has been a joy and priviledge for me to race for HCM Foundation this year in honor and memory of my dad. 

Throughout this challenging, life-altering year I had to rely a lot on the strength of others to help build up my own.  I just want to thank you for believing in me and the wonderful work of HCM Foundation.  Thank you Chris for being with me every step of the way through 7 triathlons and a marathon this year.  I couldn't have done it without you.  Thank you family and friends for your unfaltering encouragement and kindness.  And thank you Dad for your inspiration and your strong spirit that lives on every day through those who love you.

Thank you all once again for reading and supporting my racing journey of 2011.  Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season!
Love,

Polly 

The Finale: Marine Corp Marathon, Oct. 30, 2011

With the tri season ending on Oct. 2nd, Chris and I had one more big event on the docket: the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 30th.  It had been several years since Chris & I had done a marathon, but with IMLP 2012 waiting in the wings, we decided that it was time to see what we had in the legs!  There's really no training plan for combining marathon training with half-ironman training, so we sort-of pieced our workouts together and hoped for the best!

Driving down to D.C. the day before was interesting with a rare October snow storm hitting the area!  Ok, with all the rain we had to deal with at the end of summer and early fall, this was seriously not funny!  Fortunately for us it all cleared out overnight leaving us with a very chilly race day morning with temps in the 30's!  Layers were the order of the day.  Chris & I were prepared to line up in corral 2, however our friend Ted convinced us to join him in the front corral.  Indeed we were, as my chip time was 10 seconds off the clock time! 

Overall, this race was fabulous.  The Marines served as volunteers for the race and were themselves a profound presence.  Crowd support was also top notch and except for this lonely highway portion of the race at around mile 21, there were plenty of energetic people encouraging us along the way.  Being "Miss Consistent," my race splits were laughably even.  I ran with the 3:15 pace group for a few miles in the middle, but had to slowly watch them disappear around mile 17.  Chris ran with blistering speed (actually incurring two really nasty blisters!) at sub 7's for the first 30k.  We got to see each other once on the course at an out-and-back section, so were happy to note that we were both on track to PR.

Ted and I met up between mile 25 and 26 and pushed each other to the finish.  The last .2 is literally up a steep hill, so my stride turned into a bow-legged, groaning shuffle!  What a great feeling to be completely DONE and have a Marine award you with a finisher's medal!  I couldn't have asked for a better end to an amazing, emotional racing season with both Chris and I accomplishing so much and earning two hard-fought PR's!  Chris: 3:10:00; Polly: 3:19:55
The post-race massage and celebratiory beers were a great reward on an amazing day.  Thanks to Chris, HCM Foundation, friends & family and my dad's inspiration for this unforgettable 2011 season.