February Update

Hello my blog friends! I have been having a ton of fun in real life, but have not had the time/energy to blog about it!  Without further ado, let's cut to the chase:

Running:  In my last post, I said I had started half marathon training.  This is still ongoing, but I'm not following the training plan to a "t".  The first 4 weeks was on one physical page (and I was doing the modified plan) and then the one the second page, apparently the modified plan merges with the full plan.  This meant jumping straight from 6 mile long run to 8, then to 10 with midweek tempo and even speed runs being at least/around 5 miles.  I'm a slow runner - my speed runs are at 4.5 on the treadmill!  Those take me over an hour. 

Even Tri Coach Jeff said he thought the plan was "aggressive" and that if I feel like doing my long run at 7 miles instead of 8, then to go for it.  Duh, I want to do less mileage!  The training plan has us running 3 times a week (speedwork, tempo, and long run) and then cross training 3 days.  I've been running my required 3 and, depending on the week, cross training 2 or 3 days, whichever I feel like. 

I've kept the long run and the speedwork mostly according to the plan, but tempo I have had to make my own and I use it as a time to run a certain distance/time frame without stopping.  I still haven't done a 5k without walking, so I'm working up to that and I think I'm pretty close.  Last week I ran 1/2 hour without stopping TWICE.  Once on the treadmill and once on the indoor track, the latter was 2.75 miles w/o stopping. Math is a lot harder when you are exercising (my excuse!) and I would have done 3 more laps (1/8 mile track) to get a 5k in if I had realized I had been so close. 

Basically, my legs are tired most of the time.

Swimming:  Ah, my love!  I had only been able to go to one of the two practices that my tri team has each week because of work, but they move the second one to 6am on thursdays, so I will be able to go.  It is early, but misery loves company, especially in the pool :)  On my birthday swim that I did, I did a timed set where I did some 200s on 3:30.  I didn't make a single one.  Last week we got snow in the evening, so I did my swimming in the morning and was making the 200s on 3:20 and getting plenty of rest.  Was it a fluke or did I get faster?  I don't know, but I like the trend.  I talked to Tri Coach Ellen (swim coach) and she said she would be interested in doing open water races this summer too.  She's faster than me at the point, but we are in different age groups.  It would be a nice friendly competition!

Biking:  They say biking muscles are complementary to to running muscles.  Which means I should do more biking.  I really don't have an excuse.  My bike/trainer is in my room.  If i look up from my computer, I see it!  I finally was able to make it to a Sunday afternoon bike trainer group ride and when I walked in (late) I was met with cheers.  That's embarrassing to know that you haven't been there in so long that everyone cheers when they see you.  ha.  Of course I set everything up and get riding and they are like "uh, what's wrong with your bike..it shouldn't be making that noise".  My bike trainer is apparently not supposed to make that noise, but I had only ever ridden it alone, so I didn't know the difference.  Good thing it has a lifetime warranty!  Tri Coach Jeff is awesome, so he put my bike on his trainer and he grabbed a spin bike from the adjacent room.  I only got in like a half hour ride, but my hammies are so sore!  Should have stretched....bad Melissa!

Triathlon:  We did our indoor tri on Feb 1.  I was tired from my long run 2 days before!  And running late.  I jumped in the pool, got my cap/goggles on and then they said go!  This triathlon is for time, not distance.  I did 625 yards in 10 minutes.  Slower than I wanted to go, but I was tired by 150 yards!  Basically, we did that in practice in December and i got the same distance.  Oops!  We did a half hour on the spin bikes and I think I got around 13...they said it was miles but personally I think its kilometers.  That would make more sense.  Then for 20 minutes on the treadmill I got 1.48 miles.  I think I was too conservative for the first 15 minutes! haha  I never really push it going fast on the treadmill and got up to 5.7, which was doable for a short while, but very fast for me.  The good news is that I saw improvements in all areas versus my distances last year.  A quarter mile farther on the treadmill alone!

Food:  I need to write up my review of Diet to Go that I did in January!  I won 5 days of food from Double Chin Diary and the results were great! 

I'm currently doing Advo*care's 24 dayy challenge, which is okay.  I learned a lot in the first 10 days (cleanse) about my food portions and my food urges (wanting rewards).  Now I'm just kind of bored, but will stick it out till the end.  But seeing the scale go down is a nice effect as well.

PS I'm cheap and would probably never do these two things on my own.  I won the first thing (as stated) and then a friend bought my the second as a birthday present. 

2014 is great so far...minus the 2 times I've had to get my car repaired :) haha