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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thanksgiving Week

The week was, as I expected, hit and miss with workouts and chock full of eating :)  But it's ok. The previous week wasn't much of a recovery week thanks to my hilly long run with the Dav-Huffs. I'm actually fine with how it's gone this week. I feel like I've learned a bunch these past 5 weeks and am excited for December.

Some things I've learned:
1. Eating and Hunger. My appetite has been through the roof. This week I finally felt like I wasn't hungry a lot...but I also only did a few workouts, so I guess that's why. I'm not gaining weight, but I'm not losing anymore either. I guess I'll need to cut back some more calories.

2. Swimming. It continues to be a struggle. However, I know where I need to get stronger before I start worrying about never getting better at swimming. My core and upper body is so very weak.

3. Biking. I am cruising through biking ok right now. Nothing is changing here at the moment and that's ok. I've settled into the Tuesday spinning class and alternating Saturdays with spinning or riding at home with a run afterwords when I feel like it.

4. Running. It was rough running with E and R through the hilly neighborhoods. I got pretty down about my fitness, but realized I had no business thinking I'd be suddenly good out of nowhere when I haven't been working on running all that much. I think that's going to come in December.

5. Overall Strength. I am so weak. I have endurance, but I don't have strength or power. I've decided in December I'm going to work on weights and building some power. I think it will be fun!


So...December is going to be fun. I'm looking forward to seeing some improvements and feeling good! When it gets crazy around the holidays, so be it. I'll do what I can. But first is the Jingle Bell run on my birthday! It's hard to say how it will go. I would be elated with 9s. We'll see, it will be fun to run no matter what.

Spinning + an eventual run

The end of the week again got difficult. I think for a while I'm just going to roll with this. I have no problem swimming on Friday mornings, but getting a run in has been challenging for some reason. I've changed things up by moving the run to Saturday instead (when I also bike).

The first time I did that, it was a true "brick," where I changed as fast as I could after an hour on my trainer and started running on weird after-biking legs. This past Saturday it was more of just a bike....(doobie-doooooo)....then a run. I went to the gym for a spinning class. I cooled down in the class, stretched with everyone, etc. Then after I cleaned off my bike, I went down to my locker and changed into my running shoes, walked back upstairs, and ran on the indoor track for 20 minutes. It was interesting how much the time break made a difference with how my legs felt. I was a little tired from the class, but I didn't feel so disconnected with my legs. I guess this is just proof for how important the brick exercise is to get yourself used to pushing right after the bike.

The class Saturday morning was a good one...and crowded! I counted 35 people in the mirror. It was like a big Saturday morning group ride, except stinky. We did a "running" class, where all of our intervals involved a lot of running and pushing in position 2. I liked how short the intervals were. It wasn't easy, but it was nice to change what we were doing so often.

As mentioned above, I ran after the class. The indoor track is, I don't know, a tenth of a mile per lap? It can get pretty mind-numbing, but I still prefer it to the treadmill. It was a few laps before I settled in to a pace. Half of the track was cool (the part around the climbing wall and big atrium area) and the other half back by the basketball courts was HOT. It felt like I was running by a heater blasting hot air, and maybe that was the case since the track is up high near the court ceilings. It was a strange sensation.

This morning I haven't done anything yet because I'm getting some invoicing done. I'm going to brave the pool crowd at 11. And then I suppose I will go shopping for Thanksgiving! Running today is going to be really chilly and I'm dreading it.

Hills and hills (and hills)

Wednesday evening I met some friends in Oakley and we ran through that area and Hyde Park. Um....hills. So many of them. Long ones, tall ones, steep ones, neat ones.  It was supposedly about a 4.5 mile route...but we ran for 56 minutes and I am pretty certain we didn't go that slow.

I did slow down a lot on the hills though. It just takes everything out of me and I can't breathe. It was a great wakeup call to the fact that my usual terrain is not very challenging at all.

It was difficult to not feel very disappointed with how hard the run was. After all, I've been "working out all the time" according to people that mostly see what I do on Facebook. I think I had a false sense of fitness, that I was going to tromp all over those hills like they were nuthin'. I'm getting stronger, yes. But in reality, I haven't been training that distance nor that kind of terrain. And I'm already not a gifted runner. So, patience and more work, young grasshopper.

I am certainly feeling it in my legs. Quads and inside my thighs. No achilles pain though, so that's great!
Thursday I didn't do anything. Figured it wouldn't hurt to take a day off. Friday I swam, but am going to cram some running and biking into Saturday morning again. It's really hard to do a workout Friday afternoon, I'm learning. Maybe the accumulation of the week both physically and mentally.

I'm so anxious to run more miles. I want to get out to Miami Whitewater and do the 8 mile loop. Soon. Soon.

Swimming Breathing: the Quest for Air Continues

Monday I had to get an insurance physical and blood work done. So I did that and wasn't really done with all of it until about 10:45. The pool lanes open back up at 11, so I headed to the Community Center to swim then, after ravenously devouring a breakfast bar and stopping for a coffee. I'm not a good faster.

I have been swimming in the earlier mornings and was reminded why this is a good decision. The pool just kinda had an overall funk to it – a mix of perfume and sweatiness topped with odd country western music blaring over the speakers. It was so crowded. Most of the people that go at this time aren't very good at sharing the lanes, unfortunately. I did my best, hugging the lane divider and sighting often (sighting practice!). And then it wasn't too long before I had my own lane which was nice.

It was an easy swim (it's a recovery week):  250 warmup, 6 x 25 pull drills, 5 x 100 base interval set, and 250 cool down for 1150 yards total. For the main set, I tried something new. Breathing is definitely my weakness. This has proven true for all the sports. But I've noticed it getting better since I've been swimming, which is awesome! I think that the swim intervals are helping, forcing me to breathe in a way that I never have. I decided to really really focus on my form for this swim and not worry so much about my pace. To do that, I really wanted to not have to breathe every other stroke, which means breathing on the same side. I wanted to practice reaching and rotating, and breathing on one side makes you kinda lopsided. In the past I've been going down the lane breathing on one side, then coming back breathing on the other to work on that whole one side is dominant thing. But I wanted to swim like I can with the pull buoy between my legs, breathing every third stroke and feeling myself in the water better.

To do this, I tried to slow down, but eventually got too out of breath again. But then I tried a different breathing pattern that I think worked out. I basically fit the every three strokes breathing in there when I could. So, it looked like this:

stroke - breath right,
stroke - breathe right,
stroke - stroke - breathe left,
stroke - breathe left,
stroke - stroke - breathe right,
stroke - breathe right....
....and repeat.

(And yes, I just air swimmed to make sure I had that right)

When I knew I was going to have to take two strokes before breathing again, I exhaled a little differently, and consequently, feel I controlled it better. But the quicker breaths allowed me to keep getting enough air.

Voila! Maybe on to something here, to increasing my VO2 max, lung capacity or something.

In the evening, I ran 4 miles and it felt very easy. I haven't had any more achilles tendon soreness, so maybe I'm getting used to my shoes.

Last Week's Summary

Three weeks in to new training, I (finally) made ALL my workouts. I have been having a hard time with Thursdays and Fridays. I still didn't do everything quite exactly to plan, but I think by listening to how I felt, I actually did a better choice of workouts at the end of the week.

Last week:
- Monday I swam 1400 yds and ran about 4 miles.
- Tuesday I did a one hour spinning class.
- Wednesday I swam 1850 yds and ran about 4 miles. I was pooped from the swim.
- Thursday I rode on the trainer for 1:30:00...the longest I believe I've ridden inside. At least in a long time. Also the longest I've ridden since not doing Saturday morning breakfast rides (since I don't want to ride in the cold).
- Friday I swam 1500 yards and was supposed to run my 2.5 loop. But the swim was pretty rough, and I was so tired. So I decided I'd add that run to my ride the next day and make a little brick out of it
- Saturday I rode on the trainer for an hour to music and then, somewhat quickly, changed into my running stuff and ran as steady as I could for the 2.5 mile loop.


Stuff I Learned:

1. While on the 1:30:00 trainer ride, I watched an episode of Breaking Bad and two episodes of the Colbert Report. This was nice to pass the time. But I've realized I have a hard time keeping a steady pace while watching things. So it was a pretty slow hour and thirty minutes, but hopefully my heart rate was in a decent zone (didn't wear it). When I ride to music it's a much better workout.

2. I needed a new saddle. So I bought one Saturday afternoon! I'm excited to try it this week.

3. The brick...I think I'll do one of these every 3 weeks, timed before my recovery week. Such a good way to get a real idea of how strong you are. It is amazing how terrible I run after riding. And I don't run well to begin with, so...extra terribleness.

4. I miss running. I feel like I don't run much anymore. I'm learning about balancing these three sports. It's very interesting trying to think about which sport's mindset I'm in. Mostly, I think I need to think about putting them all together. That is the big difference from just running.


This week is a recovery week. This morning I only swam 1150 and it felt crazy quick (as in the time I was there, not me moving through the water). After this week, I think I might repeat these past 3 weeks since I now finally feel like I handled the training ok in the last week. Maybe I can aim to do them better, especially the running. I must must must add some core also.

It Got Cold Out = Time to Whine

Wednesday's p.m. run was....cold. It has gotten cold, I know this. But this was the first run I've had to do in tights. And a head warmer. And gloves. Sigh.

Turns out I just went too late and the darkness got to me. I am historically a morning runner. But now I don't run in the morning at all because I swim in the mornings (when the pool is less crowded and less perfumed by, well, perfume). Monday, Wednesday and Friday are a.m. swims and p.m. runs. When coming up with my schedule, I thought this would be awesome for winter, because I'd rather run in the sunny winter afternoon than cold cold morning still in the 20s. This thought still holds true. I just have to remember the time change happened and it's dark at 5:30.

From the above, it looks like I match when I run. I don't typically. (But I am sure I run faster when I do. Hmmm...)

Anyway, it was a good 40 minute run, despite my grumpy face. It was dark, so no one could see it anyway.

Still Settling In

The end of last week got busy. Instead of running at Kingswood, I ended up riding inside on the new bike setup in the garage. I watched some Colbert Report and fit in 50 minutes of riding.

In the past, I would bring my fluid trainer and bike out into the living room. I'd set it up and pick something to watch on Netflix or Hulu+...or just listen to some music. And from the street, this is what you'd see:

I'd bring a fan out, grab a cup of water and ride. It's not a terrible amount of setup, but it does kind of take over the living room in our small house. Now everything is set up out in the garage (which is heated to some degree and carpeted with carpet tiles). I have a roku to stream Netflix and Hulu+. That is all hooked up to an old monitor and receiver. I can also plug my phone in and listen to music. It's a pretty fantastic setup for the winter, and makes it easy to just hop on my bike, since it's already on the trainer. I just pump up the tire(s), get some water, pick my media and turn on the fan. No excuses. I don't take over the house, and I can easily get a ride going in a couple minutes rather than 10.

Right now, I'm just going with the flow of things and trying not to worry about missing a workout here or there as I learn what is going to work with my schedule. I am prioritizing swimming and going from there. It's been hard to adjust to colder running weather. I love the warm afternoons we've been having, but they also tease me into thinking it's not going to get too cold. I'll be better when it's just always cold. 

I took Sunday off and did a bunch of yard work. Monday I got back to things with a 1400 yard swim in the morning and a 40 minute run in the afternoon. It started raining right as I was beginning the run. It wasn't that warm and I thought I'd have to bag it, but I stayed out there, running close to home in case it started raining cats and dogs. It never did, so I wasn't too wet by the end. Hot shower immediately!

Last night it snowed, and it was 27º this morning when I scraped the car off and drove to the gym for a cycling class. It was a really tough class! We did two sets of hill intervals and tabata. The hill intervals were 2:00, 1:30, and :30-30 where we'd increase every so often, then push the last :30. Then we'd bump it back down to one gear above where we started the previous interval and go again. I think there were 5 in each set...2:00, 1:30, then :30-:30. Then right after that, we went straight into a tabata that had about 6 sessions I think? I was toast after this entire first set...and then we did it all again. Except this time the intervals were done out in 3rd (instead of seated). My legs were getting jelly-like.

My average hr was 145, but I forgot to stop the monitor until some time during cool down. I maxed out at 170 during the second tabata (which was also when I thought my legs were going to fall off). The instructor said this ride was designed to make our heart rates go up and then back down over and over, and as I watched mine that is indeed what happened.

I'm pretty tired and need to recover well today in order to get up and swim sprints and run my 2.5 mile weekly time push route in the afternoon. Yikes! Like I said, still settling in....