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.