Indoor -cough cough- Track -hack!-

It always sounds like a good idea to run on the indoor track. Avoid the cold! The laps go by so quickly! Bacon!* But it usually ends in me saying "I should have just ran outside".

I went Wednesday night, after telling myself how awesome it would be. It was sooooo hot and dry. Heat rises and the track is on the second floor around the gyms and climbing wall, overlooking the pool on one side. I noticed there was a stairwell door propped open, probably trying to get some cold air flowing in.

I don't know how many laps of insanity = 1 mile, so I just ran for time. My first lap was about 1:10. So then I'd figure out when I would be done with my next lap (2:20...3:30...etc) and check in when I crossed where I started. I was trying to be consistent and steady and give myself something to think about. But I think it made it worse. I sped up and that also threw off my simple addition distraction.

Here is a drawing of what the GPS data could have looked like. Those random loops that seem to go off the path are where I go around people. I was the fastest person on the track! (Never mind I was the only person running).

I made it 20 minutes before I thought my lungs were going to disintegrate into a pile of dust. Then I changed out of my sweaty shirt into a new shirt (which promptly got sweaty from my Already There Sweat) and did some machines.

I did the assisted weight machine in three different positions. The over arm pull-ups, hands rotated perpendicular pull-ups, and dips. I need to come up with better names for these exercises. I just did 1 set of 10 for each. I didn't want to overdo it since I swam farther that morning. It was the perfect amount - sore the next day, but not too bad.

I also did the ab thing where you prop yourself up in the air and lift your legs until you want to puke. Then I did some sit-ups on the incline bench, 15 reps each side of the twisty ab machine, and some planks and stretching.

Thursday after work I ran with R again. We met at Fleet Feet in Blue Ash, and this time it was his turn to fight traffic unfortunately. It was really really cold, but not raining like last week. We tip-toed through the icy and snowy spots for 3 miles. It was an easy 10:30 pace that really couldn't have been any faster since the sidewalks are still snowy/icy.

Saturday morning is the Jingle Bell run! It is going to be cold, and probably snowing. Snow will be great. Ice not so much. I hope the weather holds out!




* Bacon is not actually in any way affiliated with the indoor track (unfortunately).

A New Week

Last week was pretty weak in consistency terms. I had some weird work stuff come up and also succumbed to cold dreary days. It was a really easy week. I swam, I biked (spinning) and I ran (hilly hills again). But all just once each. Suck.

Sooooo I'm happy for the new week. Today I did an easy base interval swim session:
Warmed up 250
6 x 25 pull drills (which really were not too great - I was all out of balance)
4 x 100 with a LOT of rest in between (:30 - 1:00, ug)
8 x 25 kicks
2 x 25 fast
200 cool down

I was still sore from our go-karting session on Saturday evening, but thought the swimming would help loosen me up, and it did. My breathing wasn't too stellar - the 4 x 100s were really tough. I think I've lost my endurance in the pool, and maybe everywhere.

Tonight after work I ran. I was supposed to do 34 minutes with 14 x :30 all out with :30 recovery in between. I warmed up a mile then started on them. It was dark, but with all of the snow on the ground, I thought it would be light enough. It was light enough to run and see where I was going, but eventually I couldn't see my watch anymore. And no, it doesn't have a light. It's a cheap-o Armitron that has recently come back from the dead after fizzling out Thanksgiving day. After about 7 of the intervals, I just started counting to the rhythm of my breaths up to 45. I figured my breaths were a bit quicker than a second apart, so 45 was the adjustment. This was MUCH better since I didn't have to struggle to see in the dark while bouncing. I did something around 14; I kept losing track, but I'm sure I did at least 14. Then I ran easy for the remainder of the time to 30 minutes. I decided I couldn't see well enough anymore, and there were plenty of patches of wet road that had turned to ice...4 minutes wasn't worth sliding.

Now I am utterly beat. I don't know what has been going on with me lately, but I am always tired. I know I'm not sleeping too well, so maybe that's part of it. It feels like I'm sick, that same worn out feeling...but I'm not. Who knows, maybe it's just the weather.

Tomorrow is spinning and I really really really hope it's an hour on the bike and no stupid abs. I'll do abs and arms afterwords though. I'm excited to get back to the strength routine that I started...um...last Saturday.

The State of the Muscles Address

During my Thanksgiving Break Reflection Time (TBRT), I came to the conclusion that I do in fact need to do strength work. I am a confessed weakling.

Me: "Hi, my name is Steph. I'm trying to do triathlons, but I can't do a pushup."
Audience: "Hi, Ste– bwaaaaaahahahahahaahahaha!!!"


Last Saturday I lifted. I found some machines and non-machines that seemed to work the same areas as swimming muscles and I did a little bit, or what I thought was a little bit. But it turns out I am really starting at the bottom and I still am so sore. It is three days later and I tried to lift again after spinning this morning. I couldn't do much more than look at the machines though. I tried and it was no good. So I just looked at the machines a little longer, had some nice words with the assisted dip/pull-up machine ("today I'm going to set it to ALL my weight and just take a little ride, mmk?") and went home.

I'm pretty excited though. I can only get stronger if I stick with it! Maybe I'll try again Thursday.

Strength Training

I have never done much strength training, at least never consistently or properly. In my ongoing triathlon knowledge research, I've been reading a lot about what different athletes do in the off-season (aka Season of Pie, see previous post) as well as regular season. I have a ton of room for improvement as far as my strength goes (in other words, I'm pretty damn weak). I have free weights, but have been wanting to try out the Machines. Machines!! So yesterday after spinning class, I went wandering into the weights area of the community center.

It was intimidating, but I know it will get better once I'm confident with what I'm doing.

What I did:
• Curls
• Seated row
• Tricep extension
• Rotary torso (rotisserie chicken?)
• Lateral arm raise
• Shoulder press (really hard...which might explain why I am swimming slowly)
• Abdominal something or other (which I'm pretty sure I did wrong)
• Bench press thingy (awesome- felt very good for swimming muscles)

Then I did some core work:
• Leg swirl thingys (I should come up with better names)
• Reverse crunches
• Crunches
• Plank (I hate planks.)

Then I high-fived myself. Not really.