Sunday, May 3, 2015

Triathlon Training Weeks 1 and 2

The first two weeks are down!  I'll be honest, I feel half hearted at this point, but hey, I will press on :)

Week 1:
Needed: 2 - 20-30 minute biking, 2 - 20 minute runs, 2 - 15 minute swims

Monday: 1 hour swim
Tuesday: 25 minute bike, 30 minute run
Thursday: 25 minute bike, 30 minute run

I was really liked doing my runs from last year with my run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute ratio, so I've stuck with that for now.  I did my biking and running inside, in the morning, as it was still chilly this week.

Week 2:
Needed: 1 - 20 minute bike, 1-30 minute bike, 2 - 20 minute runs, 2 - 20 minute swims

Monday: 1 hour bike
Tuesday: 54 minute run
Wednesday: 1 hour swim
Friday: 1 hour swim

I decided that it would be no harm in combining what I was supposed to do into one session at this juncture.  That's why I only rode my bike and ran once.  I wanted to get in a full 40 minutes of running, so I did 3 min warm up walk, ran 4 mins, walked 1 x 10, warm down 2 minutes.  The last 5 minutes were awful.  5 minutes before I was done, the treadmill next to me was occupied by a man who smelled strongly of axe body spray.  Which was gross, but then I got a whiff of what he was trying to cover up - pot.  I had to breathe through my mouth the last few minutes, it was so gross!

There was a crazy big half marathon in town on Saturday, so the rest of the people I swim with on Friday morning (from my triathlon group) were resting up.  We usually do mostly freestyle, but my coach let me do more of other strokes.  I warmed up 400 yds, 10 x 100yds odds IM, evens freestyle, 50yds slow, 20 x 25yds 5 butterfly, 5 backstroke, 5 breaststroke, 5 freestyle odds easy, evens hard, 250 yds cool down.  Man, I was really tired after that workout!

This next week I'm taking a couple of days to hang out in the windy city, so I will have to be creative in fitting my workouts in!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

No Where To Be

Today, I was at the grocery store and the gentleman in front of me asked if I would like to go ahead of him.  We had the same amount of groceries so, I said, "No, thanks.  I don't have anywhere to be".

When was the last time I had no where to be?

I'm finally ready to admit it:  I over commit myself!

I think I've gotten pretty good at managing a busy schedule, but as an introvert, I still need to block out time for me to do nothing.  So, today as my cramps are awful and I'm sore from my workout yesterday and work was not pressing, I took a half day.

There are plenty of things I wanted to do - grocery shop, laundry, plant seeds for my garden this summer, BLOG. :)  I just haven't had time.  When I ordered my seeds, I was so excited for them to come in and now they've been here for almost 3 weeks and I haven't planted them!  (going for zucchini, crooked neck squash, a couple of types of tomatoes, jalapenos, lettuce, and maybe an onion or two)

This week started my Olympic triathlon training - week 1 of 16!  :)  Monday I got my swim on.  Since the first couple of weeks have short bike rides and runs, I combined them and yesterday I got up early and ran for 30 mins (run 4 mins, walk 1) and was on the bike for 25 minutes.  Then I rewarded myself with Starbucks.  hahaha.  a venti pike place, but I can't drink all of that in one day.  It will last me at least 3, maybe 4.  I'm going to try to run/bike again tomorrow morning and then swim Friday morning and my 6 "workouts" of my first week will be done.

Still hoping to get that race recap from AUGUST up.  Someday! LOL

I've got to work on meal planning and keeping my eating on track.  I either do bad for me convenience food or no food until I'm starving and then eat a bunch of stuff that doesn't go together.  This past weekend was busy, as usual, but I was gushing over my new sweet little niece, Ellie.  Love that kid, but oy eating out and hospital food has not made me feel awesome this week.


My "I need to go to the grocery" Lunch
Me and sweet baby Ellie

Friday, March 6, 2015

Healed

...in the name of Jesus!

That's an inside joke.  My dad does some amazing impressions of TV evangelists.  I'm sorry you all don't get to see it.  I'm always doubled over laughing when he does it.

So...my foot is healed!

So far this year, I've done plenty of yoga, 2 bike sessions, 2 runs, and countless swims.  yeah, a lil bit lazy!!!

Around August, I was holding steady at 192, but a couple of trips to Cleveland and the holidays later, I actually saw 202 on the scale.  And that didn't make me happy.  I did feel more sluggish and my clothes weren't fitting as well.  I put in a couple of weeks of hard work and was down to 198.  I decided to do another Adv*ocare Cleanse (I had done one last year).

I stuck to the cleanse really well and lost 6 pounds in 10 days, back to 192!  I think the part that frustrated me the most is that at 192, I am only 2 pounds away from 100 pounds lost.  You would think that would be motivation, but I guess it's not.

I love where I live now, but I'll be honest, I'm a little bummed when talking about tri training.  Where I lived before in the 'burbs was ideal for tri training.  Bike lanes, wide sidewalks, trails.  Here in my part of the city, we don't have any sidewalks.  I can get to the main trail in town, but I have to take the road with no sidewalks.  I haven't done that yet because that really scares me.  especially with the amount of potholes we have right now. 

I don't feel as motivated last year and that's partly because I'm lazy and partly because I'm busier.

*cookie break*

Oh, uh, yeah.  My eating is not that great!  I'd better get on that.  :)  I don't need to do anything new, I just need to do what I know.  Plan my meals and snacks and stick to them.

Good things:  getting faster at swimming.
plenty of NSVs
enjoying life


Awe, swim kid, my niece, is growing up fast!
Chilly but beautiful mornings
I don't know why I love this meal so much.  Eggs, peas, cilantro, garlic, dill, sea salt. 
30th Bday Selfie

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Injured. Sigh.

For the past 2 years, I have done a year end wrap up post and a new year goal post. 
Sadly, not this year.  One of my goals for the past year was to remain injury free for tri season.  I stretched, did yoga, followed my training plan.  Tri season was great and I remained injury free.  Since then (August)  I've been working out several times a week, but not eating the best and have added back a few pounds that I lost. 
And then, 2 weeks ago, I was leaving my house and one tiny misstep led to the storm door taking a chunk out of my ankle.  It was pretty painful, but I NEVER want to be one to overreact, so I did what I often do:  underreact.  I didn't clean out the wound, just slapped a bandaid over it and went on with my obligations.  And bled into my shoe.  Blech.
Fast forward 10 days.  Christmas had past.  I had been doing hot yoga.  And my ankle had not been healing.  Oh, and the only shoes I can wear without pain are flip flops.  In January.  In the Midwest.  Ha.  So i consult a co-worker who used to be a physical therapist and therefore do wound care.  She said I needed to go to urgent care that very day.  The employee clinic across the street from my building only has morning hours.  I took my boss up on the recommendation to go to an urgent clinic across town.  So I go and they say its a 3 hour wait (plus a waiting room of full hacking people).  I tried the employee clinic at another location.  The doctor is on vacation.  I went to another urgent care facility and was so irritated that my initial bp reading was 158/108.
The doctor ended up giving me a tetanus shot, antibiotics, bandaged my foot, and made me take my bp again - which was normal after I got over being so upset about the days events.  And she told me no hot yoga, plenty of rest.  Doesn't that sound great in theory? 
I'm on day 6 of no exercise and I"m about to strangle someone. 
Oh, and when I was waiting for my prescription to get filled, I found 75% off Christmas candy.  And I had a mini-cold with a sore throat, of course I had to pick up ice cream.  Ugh.  The exercise has always been the easy part for me, not the eating right!
I'm about ready to look up some exercises for upper body or just not involving movement of the feet.  I'm in a hurry to get this foot healed.  I'm turning 30 this week and as much as I don't care about what others think of me, I WANT to wear cute shoes on my birthday.  And go to one of those trampoline places.  And swim. 
Bah humbug! :)
Not great eating: microwave pizza, salad with avocado and (plenty of) ranch, apple, pb and water!
In times of healthier eating!
Ugly sweater party outfit (minus the pink jacket)
Nerd.  And proud of it.