Cycling in the garage.

This week, I'm going on three says of working out in a row- woot! Monday I rode my bike on the trainer for 50 minutes, Tuesday I ran 3 miles, and tonight I had an hour on the trainer. 

Monday's ride was audibly fueled by my Moves Like Jagger Pandora station. Yeah that's right. Moves Like Jagger. Don't knock it- great stuff for "pump up" workout tunes. 

Tonight, however, I impulsively decided to see what music still lived on my old phone (which now acts as an iPod). Usually I just stream something. But I for in the library and super-quickly picked songs I thought may be good to ride to. 

I'm pretty happy with my random luck. I chose a bunch and hit shuffle after starting with some Duran Duran to warm up. Here's the list, but I can't remember the order of songs except what was played first and last. 

A View to a Kill - Duran Duran

Everlong - Foo Fighters

Uprising - Muse

Addicted - Devin Townsend Project

Resistance - Muse

Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

Beautiful - Moby

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Bend It Like Bender - Devin Townsend Project

Hyperdrive - Devin Townsend Project

Hysteria - Muse

Constant Motion - Dream Theater

Total time: exactly 1:00:00 (not including some cool down) 

Constant Motion is 1) a fantastic spinning song and 2) a fantastic spinning song to end with. 

So...the order (not shown here) was pretty great and I may try to finesse this group into a set list for future workouts. 

BRICK!

The week is going pretty well for training. Last week's breakfast ride wasn't too good, and after some days off around it and pondering why I was having such a rough go at all workouts, I figured I'm low on iron again. It happens now and then, and it makes sense that since I've ramped up training I may need some supplements. So I'm taking some iron pills I've had from before and am also tracking my food nutrition carefully to see that I'm getting a good balance of everything.

I do think I'm feeling better already. Restless legs have gone away, heart flutters have gone away, and I feel I have more energy. So that's a good sign!

Monday I swam easy at lunch and ran in the evening. It was on this icky run where I figured out maybe I'm having iron issues again. Tuesday I biked on the trainer, mostly just keeping a steady pace. Wednesday I swam. Instead of running that evening, I decided I'd do a brick Thursday. So yesterday after work I set my bike up on the trainer and did my first brick exercise of this training season.

I had read on Steve In A Speedo's site about a pretty killer workout he learned about at a duathlon clinic. He said it was great for sprint tri preparation as well as for duathlons, and believed it was great for getting your legs used to pushing when tired. Here's how it flows:
- 10 minute warmup on the bike with a couple pickups
- Run a mile, pushing
- 9:30 on the bike, alternating 30 seconds hard with 30 seconds easy
- Run a mile, pushing
- 9:30 on the bike, alternating 30 seconds hard with 30 seconds easy
- Run a mile, pushing
- 9:30 on the bike, alternating 30 seconds hard with 30 seconds easy

So I put some music on, hopped on my bike and warmed up.

The first running mile was all eager beaver and I did it in 8:56. For the bike, it was hard to know how much I should push at first. What gear, speedy legs, etc. I tried to find something that got my heart rate to spike and legs to burn, so I was ready for the 30 seconds of easy spinning. I rode each bike session for 10 minutes.

Second mile was 9:25, but I stopped half way. I went out too fast and would have slogged back, so I caught my breath. More biking...I learned that I needed about a minute to get my legs ready to spin again. The first 30 I took easy and on that first 30 of pushing, it was pretty slow :)  But by the next one I was back on it.

Last mile I tried to be more realistic and pace myself better. I pushed as best as I could and managed a 9:47. My legs were screaming! I decided I was done. It had been an hour and I was happy with the effort. It was a great workout. And I can see how it will get better for sure. Next time I'll do the last bike part as well. And I can up the pushing for sure. I didn't want to go crazy, not knowing what the workout would actually feel like later.

We'll see how I recover, but I think I will do this workout each week leading up to the race. I'm feeling good so far!

6 Weeks to Go

Today I got an email from the Iron Girl Rocky Gap triathlon that E and I are doing September 7th. It was some bad news: they have cancelled the race. They couldn't secure a permit they needed for the roadway and therefor couldn't ensure a safe bike course. Whatever that all means, it is very disappointing that they couldn't pull it together properly. And I was especially disappointed for E, since last year she was injured and could only do the swim portion after registering for it. She's been doing such a great job with training, and this was going to be her first complete race. I know she was looking forward to showing up this year ready.

However, she found another one for us to do that same weekend in West Virginia: The Appalachian Traithlon. It's actually slightly farther away, but it sounds low key and fun enough. It is only the second year for it, which kind of makes me nervous. But I think I'll register on Saturday before the race when I get there, because, well...last year there were only 13 women and 32 men. Yeah. TINY. We can camp at the park it's in, perhaps for free. Kinda roughing it, but whatever. It is just going to be a very different experience! Small race, no shwagg, CHEAP, and just down and dirty - what a race should be, really. The only thing I'm worried about is the lack of people. It's just not as fun to not have someone to chase, but who knows. Maybe this year the word has gotten out and it will be bigger. (Right now there are only 4 people pre-registered though - ha!)

So now I have to get my money back for Rocky Gap, cancel the hotel, say goodbye to the prospect of beautiful, clear water and kayaking the next day in Maryland, and now focus on maybe winning the whole damn (women's) race. Because last year's winner had a bike split of 17 mph. And it's a flat course.

So. Back to work!!!

Here's what this week looks like.

MONDAY:
Just back in town from a LeMons weekend in Joliet and friend-visiting in Chicago. It was a pretty fantastic weekend, even with the LeMons race failure.

TUESDAY:
Bike: Tempo. I'll do spinning (first time at the Y I'm now a member of)
Strength.

WEDNESDAY:
Swim: 1500. Warm up 250, 8 x 25 drills, 8 x 75 max (45 sec rest), 4 x 50 sprint (20 sec rest), Cool down 250.
Run: Tempo Run 32 minutes. 10 warm up, 12 tempo, 10 cool down

THURSDAY: 
Bike: on trail 45 minutes. Speed intervals. 4 x 1 min with 2 minute active recovery.
Strength.

FRIDAY: 
Swim: 1500. Warm up 250, 8 x 25 drills, 3 x 200 (45 sec rest), 8 x 25 sprint (20 sec rest), Cool down 250.
Run: 35 min run + 6 x 20 sec strides.

SATURDAY:
Bike: Long group ride - Breakfast Ride.

Here I go. 6 more weeks - woohoo!

Breakfast Ride Take 2

Saturday Casey and I rode the breakfast ride for only the 2nd time this season. I looked up when we started riding it last year, and July 20th was our first ride. So...still slightly ahead of last year ;) but I really thought I'd have been out there every weekend so far. Weekends have just been full I guess.

The first time out this year, back on June 14, I had only been riding a bit by myself on the trail or around the 'hood. And by a bit I mean like 3 rides of 15-20 miles. I hadn't been spinning, running or really doing much else because of the crazy work stuff. But knowing I wanted to do these rides again when it wasn't too chilly in the morning anymore, I tried to get in some biking. However, I wasn't too surprised that the ride went pretty terribly. I got dropped on the first hill and the group never waited to re-group. So then we were so far back we didn't know what route people were taking to avoid a construction detour. Quite a few miles ended up being cut off the ride and we arrived earlier than the main group. Coming back, I fought nausea as I worked hard to stick to whatever wheel was in front of me so I didn't get dropped again. Comments from the sag person and experiencing the reality of my physical fitness sat pretty poorly with me.

But it was also motivational. I love the breakfast ride and didn't want to have such a bad time on it next time. So I have really begun to work on my biking. I have sought out hills (still am trying to find a good area of hills for repeats) and have been working on my cadence. Plus, now that crazy work time is over I am back to working out – running and swimming and strength. Hurray!

So, this past Saturday when we went on the ride for the second time this year, it went SO much better. I managed the first hill without losing the group. I may have even been ahead of someone. And all of the other little rollers that can sap it out of me – I managed those better too. I attacked and kept my cadence high so that my breathing didn't spike so quickly. I thought about quick, full circles. Then I used my gears to pull out of the hill at the top and stay the pace with the group. I may still be working harder than the others, but I think this is a huge improvement for me. I feel like this ride was nearly as good as my first ride after the tri last year.

Coming back we had to take a detour due to a bridge that was out. There was a steep climb and I was really done. I almost fell over I was going so slow. I just had nothing left due to a short climb minutes before where I felt my quads burning and shuddering, and mentally I was really done. So for the first time ever, I maxed out my legs before I maxed out my breathing ability. A weird win! I'm pretty encouraged to see direct improvement from how I've been working at it. And I can work harder, so I think things will get even more fun.

Mile Swim and Some Sunning

After finishing up a block of work Thursday, I took a long lunch break and went to the Y to swim. I figured I was about due for another long swim, and the weather was really nice.

I decided I'd try more of the "yards on time" intervals. For the first two 400 blocks, I did 100s on 2:30. I'd get done around 2:15, and then rest the remainder until it was time to go again. For the next 400, I did whatever I wanted for the 100s, resting as needed. Threw some breast stroke in there (or my version of it, anyway). For the last 400, I did 50s on 1:15. That was getting rough for the breathing. I may have done 200 and then took a break before the last 200.

After that I laid outside some. It was nice and relaxing.

Loveland 5K on the Bike Trail, #2

Wednesday evening we crammed in another 5K run in Loveland before working on the race car. It was a really nice day –  no humidity and just mid-80s. The air condition is off (maybe all these window days will make up for the expensive winter?)  I met Greg there after work, and we were earlier this time, so we could go down to Roncker's to register and get a chip. Hey why not, it's kinda fun to see where you fall.

I was hoping to run faster than I did last week. Thinking about that started to sap the spontaneity and fun mode out of it though. I began to feel pressure, like I always do with running. Clearly, I'm better off not thinking about things, but it's a mental game with me I'm realizing. The less I think about how I'm doing or may or may not do, the better.

I did the same "strategy" of going out fast* and smooth and just try to hang on. My breathing was kinda rough, and I began to feel it in my legs this time. I guess it's appropriate this week's workouts have been kinda light, in my "getting back to it" phase. At the turn-around, my watch read 14:15. Last week it was 14:22. Crap. That's great! But pressure. I immediately thought, "ok, you did the first half better...now don't worry...you can just go easy if you want to...you won't be able to hold this pace anyway..."  A lot of not so great thoughts. I really never realized how much I do this with everything until recently.

I slowed down quite a bit coming back, at least right after the turn-around. (See above mental stuff.) Then I worked on lengthening my stride again and began to pick people off. That was stressful too. What if they pass me back? It will take everything out of me, I worried. But no one did. I yo-yo'd with a little red-haired boy for the remainder of the race. And I was passed by a woman pushing a stroller right at the end. I watched my watch and was pushing, trying to get to my time from last week. I made it 3 seconds slower. So, not bad, and I'd say I'm learning a bit in the racing/how much to push/positive thoughts realm. Good practice for sure.

Unlike most races, this one's age groups are heavy in the under 18 category. There are a lot of kids and cross-country teams that show up. Some have their coaches with them. It's kinda fun running with little kids. I happened to be 3rd in my age group when I left...out of 4, haha.

Greg smashed his time from last week by almost 30 seconds. His time was 26:08 or something around there. He's a whole minute per mile faster than me. I'm wondering if it's possible to get down to that pace by the end of the summer (and before the triathlon in September). Hmmmm.

Plank update: They still suck. ;)  I am still doing them, for 30 seconds only at a time. Blargh. Actually, during the race I could feel how much I engage my core when running. So maybe that is a good sign.

Race car update: It now has red paint on the back. We still need to do the blue stripe. I have red paint on my feet, and I just blew my nose after sneezing a few times: pink came out. I think tonight we may put the blue stripe on. Then this weekend: electrical, delivery thingy on top, brake check...not sure what else.



*I'm far from fast. This is a relative term for me.

Outdoor swimming at the YMCA

I am now a YMCA member.

Got my 20% off per month via the friend referral and did a short swim this afternoon right after lunch! :)  I'm looking forward to being outside swimming. Man, it's so different and much more enjoyable.

I didn't have much time thanks to my 2 hours at the Apple store this morning, but I decided I'd do a quick 800. I did 400 as I pleased, taking some breaks. Then I did 400 on 1:15. I think that's how you say it? I'm very slow swimming. I can do a 50 anywhere around :57 or 1:03. I think most people do 100 around 1:20. I saw something last night that talked about starting each interval at a certain measure of time. So if I can muster a minute for 50 yards, then I would have about 15 seconds of rest before I'd start again. That way you stay working and consistent, not taking too long of breaks.

I think it worked well. I really need to remember to focus on pulling rather than kicking. It's amazing how little you need to kick with swimming. And, over-kicking makes me completely unable to breathe. I found the pull buoys and kick boards on my way out of the pool. They are in the indoor pool area, which is right off the outdoor pool.

I stuck my foot in the indoor pool water...it felt like bath water!

I have not one pool but apparently 3 pools to choose from. The schedules look kinda complicated. But it looks like every afternoon is all mine to swim outside. And maybe some sunbathing too.

Some running, some disc golf and a one mile swim.

July is off to a good start with training. On Tuesday the 1st, I ran 2.5 miles in the morning, trying to loosen up my very very tight hamstrings. I weeded a couple days and that always gets them. Then later I swam what has become my usual 800-1000 yards at the Community Center. It was fine, nothing spectacular. Oh swimming.

On the 2nd, Wednesday, I walked the 2.5 mile loop in the morning. The temperatures had cooled and it was pretty nice out. Again I was trying to loosen up the legs because later that evening I wanted to run the free 5K that Roncker's holds in Loveland on the south side of the trail. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to really run, or just jog and just elevate my heart rate for a bit. Turns out, I ran faster than I've ran in months, and completely blew my mind. I ran a 9:30 pace. I don't know how it happened, having been struggling with 10:30 10:45...even 11 pace some days. I guess my only explanation is that I just got past the break in phase with getting back into training. Whoopee!

Thursday I took the day off. With friends coming into town, I was very ready to have some fun and do some triathlon workouts with Erika. Those of us who weren't working went disc golfing at a newer local course. It was fun. However, I got suddenly sick, and after 3 holes of chills, cramps and sweating, my body finally gave me no choice in the matter and I had to poo in the woods. Like a bear. It was pretty funny, gross and unbelievable all at the same time. And yay for carrying disc golf towels, but I'm going to pack some bio-degradable tp in my disc golf bag for the future. Oy.

Friday the 4th was another breakthrough workout day. In the morning, I just went on an easy run, not quite knowing what we'd do the rest of the day. Erika wanted to go swimming, and belongs to the Y, so we went to the Blue Ash Y (me as a guest) where they have an outdoor pool. I swam laps outside and it was fantastic! I also swam a mile!! Erika wanted to do a mile, and I said "sure" thinking I'd just kill time floating or something after I was exhausted with however far I could go...but I just kept going. I can't believe I swam that far! I have been doing 800s and feeling like, yep that's all I got today, folks. I don't know if it was the sun or maybe having someone to work out with. Whatever it was, it was terrific and I'm so happy and relieved about my swimming abilities right now. 

 

Saturday we went canoeing down the Little Miami for 9 miles with some friends, though probably 6 of those 9 were just floating. It was a little strange. I get the leisurely canoe trip thing, but it felt strange to be so inefficient. I was kind of bored almost. 

Sunday I didn't do anything too physical, but did go on a 72 mile motorcycle ride which was pretty fun. And it was with my old motorcycle! The guy I sold it too is a new rider, so we did a ride that I think is pretty fun from this area, and has some good things to practice. G followed in his miata, though I'm sure at the cautious new rider speeds we were going, it wasn't too fun for him. We stopped for brunch in Waynesville. It was great to finally get out on the motorcycle again...the weekend was so nice. I was itching to go and could have gone another 72 miles no problem. 

So that was the long weekend! Very fun-filled!

I'm in the process of getting a membership to the Y. The swim with Erika couldn't have come at a better time. I'm losing my free membership at the Community Center because G's company changed insurance providers again. So that benefit is gone. While waiting for her to finish getting ready after we swam, I saw a "member referral" process sign in the lobby. So, price-wise, the Y is going to be the cheapest place with some friends giving me a referral. Plus, I can't believe how awesome that outdoor pool experience was. I'm going to sign up tomorrow after an appointment at the Apple store to fix my phone and hopefully fonts on my computer. 

Sooooooo, that was a long winded update for a very full week... And now on to this week.

Tonight, I biked after work for an hour. I wanted to try to find some decent hills around the house that I could maybe do hill repeats on, but no luck. However, it was crazy windy. A storm was blowing over the entire time and pedaling down hill was still kinda rough. So even though I found no hills, pushing through the wind certainly made for a good workout. I forgot my water bottle though, which was annoying. Today I also started doing planks. Erika was talking about how they've benefited her training, and I've known for a long time now that I should start doing some strength stuff. So here's my weak starting point: 30 sec. I am doing the kind where you're on your hands and the kind where you're on your elbows/forearms. I don't know which is better, so I'm just going to do both. Seems like the elbow version is a bit harder. I did 4 sets today, each 30 sec. WEAK!!!

Tomorrow I plan to run a little in the morning and then swim around lunch. It probably won't be outside if the rain is all rainy.

Whooo this was a book. I need to update more often...and start drawing again!

Really. I'm back.

It's July.

Crazy work thing is done, I'm slowly getting back to training and feeling not like a sloth, and ...ooh ooh! Look! I'm writing again! Now all I need to do is draw. Though I did kind of do that a couple weekends ago. More on that later.

I've missed writing and training and general absorption of life. It really did feel like I was stuck in a box from March - mid/end June. A 3 or 4 a.m. - 6 p.m. and then 10 - midnight kind of box. Miserable. A weird working prison. I do think it's important to jot down what I learned through that mess.

1. I really know what it's like to "not have time" now. I will never again say I don't have time for something. Because I do. But when I was in this crazy work thing, I absolutely faced the not enough minutes in the day kind of thing. It was terrible and surreal.

2. I met and got to work with some great people. Even through all the pain of the job, I must say that none of the challenges stemmed from those I was working with. I hope to continue the relationships.

3. I'm thankful for the clients that stuck with me. It's tough. How do you explain that you got yourself in over your head and there's no way out except to burn a huge bridge and ruin a bunch of stuff? I felt like I was constantly making excuses to people and it sucked. Every day I'd try so hard to get to things, and suddenly the day was over. I wasn't my working self. That was definitely the worst part of it all, even over the 4 hour average sleep. I enjoy what I do, and I really enjoy pleasing my clients. For that to have suffered meant all the work felt pointless.

So...it's time to put it behind me. I'll never get myself in that situation again. Lesson learned. Moving on.


I was eager to start working out again once I had the time. I have certainly lost a lot of fitness, but there's only one direction to move. I thought I could do the Mason Triathlon again at the end of June. It was my first triathlon I did last year and I wanted to own it this year. Easy-peasy short pool swim, easy bike, 5k at the end. But... I hadn't been swimming. I had to bag it.

But now that I've had a couple regular workout weeks, I'm happy to say I signed up for the Iron Girl Rocky Gap triathlon again! It's in September. It's such a great venue. Clear lake. That's the best part. I have time to get better and I'm planning to crush my time. The course is different this year, so I won't have a direct comparison, but I know how I did last year. And I think I can improve! :)

Some things I'm already doing different: I think I was trying to do too long of activities last year. I have been shortening my runs and swims but trying to do them more frequently and quicker. We'll see how it goes.

July is off to a good start. I ran and swam on Tuesday. Then I walked and did a 5K on Wednesday. Roncker's does a free 5K Wednesday nights on the trail. I was just going to make myself run, figuring it would be more enjoyable with people around. I've been sucking at running. Stiff, always hurting, and about a minute and half  2 minutes off my normal pace. But when we started, I just went. I don't know what got into me, but I held strong for the entire 3.1 miles at a 9:30 pace. That just seems unbelievable when all I've been able to do is struggle with is 11:00. So weird. Running is so mental.

Hoping to get some workouts in with my friend who's in town this weekend. Off to see them now!

Enough! It's Time to Write Again!

Ok. So, I keep holding off writing here until I'm "back in training" or at least doing regular workouts. Or have some rough idea of what the heck I'm going to be doing this year for fun. But work just keeps being crazy busy and I'm irregular in pretty much everything I do right now... except for work hours. So, whatever. I'm just going to start writing anyway. This blog was never supposed to be a perfect publication.

Hmmm a quick update... In summary things have been pretty fantastic.

•  Ran the Heart Mini 15K in March - ran the first half well, pooped out the second half. But I was really happy with that first half's pace!

•  Didn't do the Pig. I really wanted to do it, but after the Heart Mini things REALLY got crazy and I just couldn't be consistent with running. And the Pig Half is no casual 13.1 miles. I knew I'd be miserable if I wasn't trained well (been there done that), so I just didn't do it. Maybe a Fall half will be in my cards.

•  Triathlon. Oh triathlon...I'm coming back for you, I swear! I haven't swam since... February. BIG Sad Face. But getting to the pool is pretty tough when you start working at 5 a.m. at home. And then don't take a break all day. Ug. Soon things will be under control again!

•  There is now a big sliding door in the back of our house! And a deck is being built. And a wall is in the garage so we now have a laundry room and "basement" storage area. So awesome. Someone sawing a hole through your cinder block and brick house does not make for easy work days. But the dogs and I have prevailed.  It's been me and Mack for almost 2 weeks now. Some of our conversation: "Hi Mack...going to a meeting!" "Hey Mack, going for a run, I'll be back in a few!"  Mack to me: "I need a haircut." :)  He's a super nice man and I feel like I should make him lunch. If I had more time and food in the house, I would. Maybe next week...

•  Went to Florida for a quick get-a-way (tagging on G's business trip) and now have a HUGE appreciation for getting away from work. People always say it. "I need to get away." But really, I did. I had an entire day where I walked, sat by the pool for a few hours, went on a run and had more pool time. The entire weekend was amazingly refreshing. Now I know that even though I didn't have time to do it, doing it anyway was mandatory.

•  I'm in a wedding this Friday. I have to do last minute shopping for jewelry and a slip/keep-the-boobs-in-place contraption. Then I need to paint my toenails. And I need to come up with some artwork for a sandwich-board-style chalkboard sign for the bride and groom that they thought would be cool to have somewhere on the wedding grounds. Eeek! It will probably be a Thursday night/Friday morning kind of thing.


So...now.
Now I'm really trying to run in the mornings. The weather has broke. I think. My work schedule should start to get better end of May/beginning of June. I'm still mega-stressed, but am working through it way better. There are a few other things going on right now that are pretty difficult, but I'm focusing on the happy and good. Even when there isn't time to work out, it kinda still has to happen. Not for getting better or winning or anything like that, but just for the mind and body.

And finally. What I would normally be writing about here anyway... I ran yesterday. 3 slow miles where I felt like I was dragging a small child behind me. But I did it. And last night we went karting. I'm so sore! And the seatbelt cut my neck so now I look like I have a hickie there. Great timing. I'm putting neosporin on it, hoping that will make it fade before the wedding! If not, I suppose makeup could do the trick.

Today. Perhaps a short short bike ride. It's going to be beautiful outside.

Next week... swimming?

Winter. Go Away.

It's been a while... My March is not looking so full...Bleh.

Last weekend, I had a project derail my chance to run 8 miles again. This week has been better, and I'm focusing on running and biking more. Swimming will come around again. I'm just not that worried about it right now.

I've done a couple rides on my bike on the trainer recently. I want to be able to hit the roads feeling pretty good whenever this stupid weather decides to be better. Spinning classes are great, but it's quite different from the bike.

Tonight I did a ride to music and it was pretty great. I pushed and it was rough, but it felt good. My heart rate was up and never really came down, which I have a hard time preventing in spinning classes. Too much fly wheel nonsense–I look at my watch and I'm all the way back to 134 or something. Anyway, good quality 45 minutes. Short and purposeful.

This morning I ran 3.5 miles. I tried to just run strong. I managed a 9:44 pace, which I suppose isn't too shabby (for me) given how little I've been running. So that's encouraging.

I registered for the Heart Mini and have decided it's just going to be an awesome training day. No pressure, no goals. Just run and enjoy it. I haven't had the best month, so there's no sense in keeping the same goals. It's all about having fun anyway, so that's what I'll do.

Friday it's going to be 54º.  I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

Miami Whitewater Park

Saturday morning I finally made it out to Miami Whitewater. It was warm and sunny - perfect weather to get 8 miles in. There is a loop there that is 7.8 miles around, which was going to be close enough for me. It's hilly and scenic, and such a nice change from the neighborhood.

The lake was still a little frozen.

I wasn't feeling like I had an 8 miler in me, to be honest. I swam for the first time in two weeks the day before, and also went for a 2 mile run that afternoon that was quick. But I just figured I'd go slow and take my time.

The first couple of miles forced me slow, because there was icy run-off going over the path that made for a solid sheet of ice on the trial. I used my broomball ice-running skillz and trotted lightly over those areas. Sometimes I could get in the grass, which was good.

Frozen/thawing flooded areas off to the side of the trail.

After than stint, I really knew I was in for a rough 8. I just felt sluggish. So I threw out any thoughts of pace and just moved forward. Part of the trail was closed because of erosion. I didn't remember what it looked like before, but I know there wasn't a drop-off to the right of the fence. I went up on the horse trail to get around it.

About a couple feet to the right of the wood fence is a complete drop-off.

I saw a lot of people with dogs. It was nice to see people in general. There were a few cyclists too. I suppose when it's not crowded this would be a fun loop to do without having to slow down for people often.

I was really done at mile 5 and began the torture of counting down until I would be finished. It was hard to just zone out about the miles when they were painted on the trail in bright white. My steps were small and my progress was slow. When I got to 7, I told myself I only have to make it to 7.75. That was my compromise.

Pretty grasses along the trail. Didn't see any horse riders...maybe too cold still.

It felt good to be done, though I wasn't done with being outside. Even though my pace was terrible, it was still a good amount of time on my feet so I know the run was worth it. Next time I'll go on fresher legs so I can work on some pacing.

And now, back to cold weather we go. I'm glad I was able to enjoy this day at least...hopefully some more warm ones are sprinkled in sooner than later.

Dear Swimming...

I decided it was time to get back to swimming today. For one thing, my morning was free. For a second thing, I haven't swam in quite some time, since two Fridays ago actually. So it had been two weeks, and it was time to get back to it. But in that time off, I've had some swimming reflection and decided I have something to say.

ahem.

Dear Swimming,
     Hi. I know it's been awhile. Two weeks to be exact. I'm sorry about that, but I needed some space. You were getting kind of clingy (or maybe that was just my suit). I'm not saying you pushed me away, but, I just needed to have some time with my pals Running and Cycling. Turns out Cycling wasn't really available, but Running and I have had some nice talks.
     It wasn't you, it was me.
     It's no secret I'm just not that good at you. I'm not that good at running or biking either. But I've gotten pretty comfortable with those activities and where I fit with them. Of course I'm always trying to get better, and I do beat myself up about things now and then. I get down that I can train so hard and still be slower in a 5K than a 90-year-old smoker carrying a large bear on her back while pushing a baby jogger filled with sacks of potatoes. Uphill. And I get frustrated that I can't run with people because I'm not fast enough to keep up. But, I keep doing it for many reasons, but mostly because I like it. For cycling, I feel like I have potential and I love it. My abilities aren't so far off from others', and that makes it pretty exciting.  
     And then, there was you.
     I didn't know anything about you when I attempted my first triathlon last year. I had dabbled in the pool a couple times, but didn't know how to swim properly. I watched YouTube videos about you and read articles on triathlon websites. I learned some drills and became friends with the pull buoy. I increased my number of days with you and finally started to see some small progress. And now, looking back to where I started, I realize I have made a lot of progress. Even from September of last year when I did my first swim-in-a-lake triathlon, I have made progress. I mean, I haven't choked on water in the middle of a set in like 5 weeks.
     You have made me stronger. You have helped my breathing and asthma (it seems). You have given me something to do when I can't do running and biking. And, most importantly, you have introduced me to all your senior friends at the community center who are perfectly content with floating on their backs...and always have a smile for me.
     And so, after some chatting with Running, I realized I like you a lot. I just hadn't been looking at you through the right pair of goggles.
     - cymbal crash -
     You and I...we work. And I'm going to stop trying to make you something you're not (Running or Cycling) and appreciate you for what you are (terrible terrible Swimming). And, I'll also appreciate me for where I fit with you now. I look forward to our future together!

Much love,
Steph

Belly Bloat

There's a delicious cereal that makes me feel terrible after eating it: Kashi Go Lean Crunch. No clue what odd ingredient or mix of ingredients is in this cereal that doesn't agree with me. The list looked like it was full of normal cereal-ish ingredients. Oh well, now I know.

I tried to let the cereal digest as much as possible before I headed out for a run in the SUNSHINE and 47 DEGREES!! It didn't matter that I felt icky, it was just nice to be out.

I started off strong before Unhappy Belly talked me into slowing down. So I barely managed a 10:07 pace for the first mile, and then took it really easy for the second mile. The easy pace should have really felt easy, but it wasn't. I felt like I had a few cans of pudding in my stomach–that's the only way I can describe it. Very full, jiggly, and uncomfortable.

For the last mile I decided I'd pick it up no matter what, so I pushed it. It was rough and I only managed a 9:29 pace for that mile, but I suppose it was a good effort.

I can't seem to get my laces tied right. The top of my left foot keeps hurting after I run, and I think it's because my laces are too tight. Maybe it's time to figure out the heal lock for these shoes.

Slowest Run in History

So it's still winter.

Monday I wanted to run 8 miles since I didn't do it Sunday. I wanted to go out to Miami Whitewater park where there is a 7.8 mile loop that I thought would be nice and scenic with all the snow on the ground. But by the time I had time in the afternoon, I saw that it was going to possibly rain. Plus, I called to see if they clear the snow and no one knew that answer. So I bagged that idea and decided to go to Sharon Woods instead, though I remembered the path being awfully snowy in the past.

I got my hopes up when I pulled into the park. The path that meets the parking lot had been cleared. I happily skipped down to the trail only to see a good 6 inches of partially packed snow waiting for me. Well, I was here. Time to slip slide my way around the path. It was pretty terrible, but I suppose the 50 minutes that I was out there was worth something.

It is pretty. 

Here's the progression of thoughts as I ran:
Well it's just going to be slow......This is kinda dumb......Ug gross! (in response to a pile of bloody animal parts left in the snow)......I'll just do two 2 loops; that will probably end up being an 8 effort......yeah, two loops.......yeah...................I'm only doing one loop......I'll just climb that mega-hill there on the main road instead......is that rain? crap.

At about 2.25 miles I had headed off the loop and up the huge road hill because it was partially cleared. It goes to the other side of the park and is all downhill. I didn't care, I just wanted to be off snow. So I enjoyed the partially slushy path and full strides for a bit. When I got to the other side, I took a picture of the little spillway and turned around to start the climb back. Then it started raining–cold, cold rain. I tried to pick it up a bit, and you can see that in the reddish orange color of my "speed" map.

3 mph?? Really I do walk faster than that.

Overview : 4 miles in 50 minutes - ha! :)

From the bridge before I turned around.

Overlook from a part of the trail.

I pretty much just ran straight to my car and hopped in. I certainly didn't need to "cool down."

Slowest run ever with funny stats. The effort was there I guess! That's just not shown in any fun graph I have. (I should have worn my heart rate monitor.)  It was a fun little adventure, but I think I'll stay off snow covered paths in the future. Maybe these warm 40º temps over the next few days will melt everything!

Final Broomball Game and Week in Review

Broomball season has come to an end (at least for the Fountain Square league). It was a fun 6 weeks. I don't get sore anymore. We all had some good plays and I even scored this season. Right about now is when I'm ready for the season to really begin, but it's just the quick outdoor league season fun. Oh well.

Now it's back to focusing on triathlon. Not that broomball took away from it much. But I guess I just feel like it's another little break in things.

Last week was ok training-wise. I took a break from swimming, mostly because of my workload. This week I'll add it back in, but I still want to put most of my efforts into running. I think for now I just need to accept my slow swimming, keep doing it, and keep working on my form.

LAST WEEK:
Sunday - 6 miles
Monday - off (I was pretty sore from the 6. Hurrah for getting back into it.
Tuesday - 3 mile run at the indoor track
Wednesday - spinning class
Thursday - 3.3 mile run
Friday - off
Saturday - broomball? Kinda counts for something.


So that's about 3.5 hours of training. Adding three swims back will be close to 6, plus I need another bike session in there. The hours will be ramping up again.

Tomorrow I'm hoping this sunshine sticks around and I'm going to run 8.

Slightly Faster

My runs have been slooooow lately. That's partly because I wasn't running enough and partly because it seems every run outside involves navigating icy patches or huffing it through a few inches of powder. Thursday night's run was a slight slight bit better. If felt faster, but when I checked later it wasn't that much faster. Or, should I say, wow my other runs have been slower than I thought. I know I could have gone a bit faster, but I was talking and kept the pace talkable I guess.

Oh also, it was a whopping 38º yesterday!!!! It felt sooo great. No bitter biting wind, just regular cold. Regular cold is fine. I cannot wait for temperatures to stop being so Arctic. I know it's going to get cold again, and probably be in the 20s for our last broomball game(s) this weekend. Then...I've seen predictions of near 60 soon?!? I don't care if it's for one day or one hour, I'll take it. And you better believe that day I'll be running outside, going for a bike ride outside, and maybe even find a body of water to swim in.

(just kidding about the swim.)

Music Makes the Spin Wheel Go Round

Last week I tried a new spinning class on a Wednesday night. It was pretty great! Challenging, basic, and seemed like a great workout. I think there's always a slight learning curve I have with each individual instructor to understand how they pace things and label things. This instructor had us always turning "big huge turns" on the bike...while if you did as many times as she called out, you'd be at a standstill eventually. So once I understood she was making small turns, things got better.

This is the first class I've had in a long time that actually uses the music to help the ride, vs just having upbeat poppy songs playing. Last night's class was full of strange mixes and upbeat music that I didn't recognize. It wasn't anything on the radio, but I guess some sort of endurance/workout mix kind of music that has been made? It worked well for spinning. Many times we pushed to the beat, and sometimes the beat sped up and we were to keep up with it. For example, one of the last songs was 7 minutes of a weird remixed Madonna song "Like a Prayer". But other things were mixed in and it really fit for cycling.

I've always used music myself to drive me when I do my own cycling workouts, but it is music that is not only driving to me, but I like to listen to already (i.e. Foo Fighters). The music tracks she used definitely weren't anything I would choose to listen to on my own for things like driving in the car or while working. But it was perfect for spinning.

Indoor Track Time

Since the weather remains in full-time Horrible Mode, I hit the indoor track for a run Tuesday. I didn't get to spin in the morning.

I went during lunch and took along my awesome new headphones that don't fall out of my sweaty ears. I guess it's not really my ears that sweat...or do they? I think it's more my entire head region.

I turned Pandora on to the Alternative Endurance station, which is a little heavy on old Michael Jackson songs (mama say mama sah ma-ma coo sa!), and started my musical circles in the hot, dry air. After "warming up" for a mile (or what my best guess of a mile was since I couldn't monopolize the outer lane of which 9 laps equals a mile) I got a drink of water.  Sooooo parched. That air is terrible.

Then to help break up monotony, I ran 2 laps hard and 1 lap easy. I repeated this for 11 laps total, which means I did 4 x 2lapshard with 1lap recoveries. Doesn't have the same ring to it as 4x200.

After that, I got another drink. Then I "cooled down" (not possible) for a "mile".  Then I did the assisted dip machine a little bit.

I was running very slowly and my legs still feel pretty dead after Sunday's 6. But my toe was fine. I think that little fluke is gone now - woohoo! So glad it wasn't something more serious.

A Pain in My Foot

I have a strange pain in my left foot, on the side near the ball, just behind the big toe (but definitely on the side before anyone starts saying I broke my metatarsal #1!) It is a strange, severe shooting pain that happens when I...not sure. I can't seem to recreate it regularly. It seems I have figured out that I can kind of twist or turn on my foot when putting weight on it and that will maybe make it happen. I can't push anywhere on it or flex my foot around to make any pain occur. But when the pain does occur...wow it hurts.


How I Think I Did This (a brilliant moment)

While walking back from Hathaways after broomball breakfast on Saturday, I saw a big chunk of ice about the size of a broomball ball and started using my stick to play with it as we were crossing the street. Hardy har, using my stick with ice, like it's a ball...so funny. And then I decided to kick it out of the street all the way before we got back to the sidewalk. Because I'm a 10 year old boy.

That kick really hurt. And right before I kicked it, I at least had some sense (debatable) to turn my foot at the last minute in order to not kick it directly with my toes. I'm not a soccer player, but at least have the knowledge that you use the side of your foot when kicking. So lucky side of my foot made contact with ice block, which was a really solid ice block, not breakable slushy stuff I thought it might be, and PAIN!! I didn't say anything because I felt incredibly stupid.

I didn't think anything of it, until yesterday. Sure it hurt when I did it, but I didn't believe I would have done any lasting damage. But Saturday evening my foot had weird twinges of pain if I stepped a certain way. Still just thought I had just stepped funny. Sunday I ran 6 miles on this foot, with no issues until the last mile when the pain happened suddenly and almost brought me to my knees. Two hobble-steps later and I was fine. That's the other weird thing - the pain goes away immediately. Nothing residual.

Last night in the kitchen I played around on the hard tile with different positions and finally think I found it, which led me to think I maybe cracked something or damaged a tendon with that dumb kick of the ice block. I don't have any other explanation for the sudden onset of the pain.

Good news seems to be (after some self-diagnosing) if I did damage my first metatarsal bone, that's an easy one to heal! I suppose I hope that is all it is, and not something nerve-like. I'm going to keep moving on it as long as moving on it doesn't create more pain. Fingers crossed, this isn't a big deal. But of course, as someone who uses feet for a lot of fun activity, when there is a pain, I tend to worry.

Long Run in Blowing Snow

Today I braved the cold, blowing snow and went for a 6 mile run. I haven't done any long runs in a while, so I thought it's about time. I decided I'd run 2 miles at race effort in the middle of the 6.

It was cold (22º) and snowing. I didn't think it was windy while I looked angrily outside at The Weather being all weather-y, but it was absolutely windy. Since all the sidewalks are still covered in snow, I had to run just around the 'hood on the clean-ish streets. With a street that is only a mile long, that made for a lot of repeated ground. But it also got me both in and out of the wind vs. an out and back.

After starting, I knew it wasn't going to be a stellar run. I was just tired. I think my legs were tired from extra kicking during swimming Friday, and broomball on Saturday. I got to 2 miles and then tried to pick up my pace. I only managed a 10 pace, but the effort was there for sure.

After that I ran another 2 miles easy. Then for the last one I picked it up again. This time it was even harder (10:20 pace - ugh) but the effort was there and that's what I was going for.

Overall, it really felt like a good workout! And 6 miles with varied pace...I'm in better endurance shape than I thought I was.

Two Days in a Row!

Wednesday I ran 4.5 miles when it was 22º but sunny outside. Thursday I ran 3.4 miles when it was considerably warmer (but cloudy. meh, it's winter). I met a friend at Winton Woods and we did the loop twice. I was surprised by how ok I felt! I've had no energy lately, feeling pretty bad after 10 minutes into any workout. So this was a very nice change. It's always good to start feeling like yourself again.


And now a little bit about the week:

Monday: swam 100 yards. Yes 100, and it wasn't really swimming. Hurt my back while sleeping and ended up having spasms. Went to an awesome massage therapist and it's on the mend.

Tuesday: no spinning because school was cancelled (and therefor the classes at the Comm Center). Plus, my back. I did hop on the trainer for 40 minutes though. That was all my back could take. Also, it was so cold (50º in the garage) that I brought everything into the living room because I hate the cold!

Wednesday: couldn't take it in the house anymore, so I got outside with my balaclava and ran 4.5 slow miles. It was 22º which is way warmer than it's been and tolerable, but I was definitely getting cold by the end. I could have stayed in the hot shower for an hour.

Thursday: ran 3.4 miles at Winton Woods. It went surprisingly well. I could breathe ok too. Last run at WW was very bad.

Friday- today!  I'm planning to swim today. I have pretty high hopes that my back will be fine. It's still sore, but there is no more tweaky jerks when moving into a certain position. Maybe now I'm at the point where the swim will help loosen me up.

Saturday: I will be playing two broomball games - our team and subbing for another team. And I think it's going to be pretty slick since it has gotten warmer and there may be rain. Ug.

Sunday: Indoor triathlon!!!!!! Looking at it as a kick-off workout to the season. I'm in terrible shape but whatever. Here goes nothing.


And smoothies. I've been making smoothies. So far banana peanut butter with some chocolate powder is my go-to one. I should experiment more though and try some new ones. I'd like to be able to recreate Bolthouse Farms mocha one. Yum....

Here's one I tried with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, and....chocolate powder. Because I have to have chocolate powder in everything.

It's Been Cold

Alright. Back to things. January has been cold. I am always cold except when I'm 1) in the shower, 2) sleeping, or (godforbid) 3) running on the indoor track at the Community Center.

I've been getting back to swimming pretty well, except for this week because I hurt my back. Some time in the middle of the night on Sunday, I moved and tweaked a muscle. It got worse and worse and eventually started to spasm. Luckily, having been through this before, I called a massage center and got a quick deep tissue massage that helped. It's still sore in certain positions, but no spasming. Maybe I'm chronically dehydrated and that's why this keeps happening.

Anyway, biking has been rough. Three spinning classes have been cancelled now because of the weather. And running has been not often enough. But I'm working on changing all of this.

This Sunday I'm doing a mini indoor triathlon. I'll swim for 10 minutes as far as I can, bike for 20 minutes as far as I can and run for 15 minutes as far as I can. Not sure about the details of it all yet. I am not expecting anything stellar from a performance outlook. I'm playing two broomball games on Saturday and I still have the hurt back and haven't swam this week at all. Buuuuuut it will at least be a good workout! Maybe I'll look at it as a short suffer fest to start off some great training.

I am so tired of being inside, so today I got out. I'm sure it's not healthy for me to run when it's 1 or -5 outside, but today it got to a balmy 22º and it was sunny. So I found my balaclava and went for 4.5 blissful cold miles. The sky was really blue.

Here's to a warmer February.

First Swim of the New Year! Finally!

It's been stupid cold here in Cincinnati. Negative temperatures for highs kind of cold. Kids were supposed to go back to school on Monday but didn't until today (Wednesday) due to the cold.

So far all we suffered was a frozen drain trap from the bathtub. Hot water fixed it after a morning of boiling water, pouring it into the drain and then syphoning it out of the drain so new hot water could be poured in again.

I had the best intentions to "get back to it" on Monday, looking forward to a regular schedule again. I had no idea I was such a schedule-needer. But I didn't even leave the house Monday. (!)  I developed a bad case of F It It's Too Cold To Do Anything. I had intentions of riding my bike, but dinner and motivation got in the way of that.

Then Tuesday, the Community Center was closed. I had my bag packed for running and swimming, but saw the message right before I left the house. And no. I'm just not hard core enough to run outside when it's -7º. Actually I fear my lungs would crack and break.

But today....TODAY I WENT TO THE GYM!!!!! Finally. Now that I'm officially back into it (because, yes, one day makes me officially back into it) there won't be anymore excuses.

I swam. I knew it would be terrible (I haven't swam since December 11th) but you gotta start somewhere. Technique-wise I was better than I thought I'd be. I had the same times, I just couldn't go far without needing to rest, chest heaving, out of breath. I only did 1100 yards, with probably 450 of that kicking. But hey, my shoulders are achy, so it's ok. It was a start and a pretty good workout.

Tonight I'm going to go for a run at French Park with R. I have this "resolution" of sorts to run in every Cincinnati area park this year...and write about it, of course, here. Maybe I'll come up with some sort of rating scale or something. I'd like there to be some kind of consistency to what I write about them...maybe the terrain, the miles, the scenery, stuff like that. Saturday we ran at Sharon Woods, which I've ran at countless times. French Park will be new.

Yay training! I feel so happy and myself again. I've had a ton of energy this morning that I've been using to work at breakneck speed.

Happy New Year

I am watching the Bengals in playoff game number 1 and hoping for a win! While watching some pretty awesome plays, I was again awestruck by the example of football players' athleticism. Say what you want about their pampered lifestyles, criminal records, etc – I probably won't argue any of that. But when they're on the field playing, it's a reminder of how amazing bodies can be. And that got me thinking about my plans for the year and how I hope to experience some amazingness from my body as well.

The holidays and some crazy crazy work projects with crazier deadlines were pretty rough on the training schedule. After the Jingle Bell run on my birthday (which was cold, wet but fun), I only ran sporadically. The last day I've swam was December 11th. So it hasn't been a month yet, but wow. It's ok though - now things are going back to routines of work and also working out. I love the new year and planning!

Here are some highlights of the past month and what's to come.

1. Dec 14th Jingle Bell Run. Me, Greg, Casey and Richard ran the race. It was a cold wet morning, but it was still pretty fun. I didn't do nearly as well as I had been running about a month before...but that's because my running was already dwindling some. I managed a 9:36 pace and it was difficult. Meh. Since then, it's been sporadic runs outside.

2. Signed up for an indoor triathlon. The Mason Community Center is hosting an indoor triathlon on Feb 2nd. It's a goofy sounding kind of thing, but I think it will be fun and it has certainly motivated me. I signed up for a 10:15 time slot. I will swim as far as I can for 10 minutes. Then, I have 8 minutes to change clothes and get to what I guess is a spinning bike somewhere. I ride as far as I can for 20 minutes. Then I run as far as I can on a treadmill for 15 minutes. Sounds like a good time!

3. Strength. I'm doing planks a bunch now. Only 30 seconds at a time, but my shoulders have been very tweaky and sore, so it's enough. I'm also planning to do weights 2 - 3 times a week at the gym for a while. I need power/strength.

4. Swimming starts again Monday! I may take lessons in February or March. But for now I'm going to just get back into the water and try to get some swimming fitness back (the little I had).


I think that's it for now. Goals are simple. Get in real shape and enjoy the year.