Tonight was my first scheduled run of week 3. I also plan to go Thursday morning before work (gasp!), and on Saturday. Today was a really beautiful day for a run after work. I live far enough from the lake that it was still 55 or so when I got home, and it was great to run on my lovely flat landscape. This couch to 5k plan is brilliant - just when I think I need a break, it's time to walk. I will need to work on pace at some point, but right now, I just want to get up to running the full 30 minutes.
As I walked up the front steps at home, I had my first calf cramp of the season. I've taken some quinine, and I chugged some diet tonic water as well. My cheek has swollen up, and I've added an antibiotic to the end of the steroid taper I started on vacation. This panoply of illness is the only side effect I envision keeping me from doing the triathlon this year. I am a bit concerned about the stress training might put on my system. I'm going to keep it to 3 training sessions per week for now, and I'll be checking in with my doctor to be sure that this is not too ambitious a plan.
On the not technically related to tri training but still relevant in my mind front: I got the veg prep and meal plan done on Sunday. I did not dig out the tri training materials, nor did I set up the bricks for the training schedule. Once my doctor says it's okay for me to go for the triathlon, I will get a training schedule together.
On the upgraded bike equipment front: I will probably be able to borrow the bike from from my friend at work on April 10th. I will need to get bike riding shoes, or else swap the clips for pedals. If I understood what she was saying. I'll just bring my bike rack on the car, and take a look at it when I get there. That's the beauty of the plan - if I get the bike on a Saturday, I can go straight to a bike store and get the proper shoes to be able to ride it/pedals so I can ride it with running shoes.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Week 2, complete
This program sure does work! I finished the run today feeling really good. I got out earlier in the afternoon than I've been doing my runs, and I definitely prefer running on an emptyish stomach. So, at the end of week 2, the run is a brisk 5 minute walk, then alternating 90 seconds running with 2 minutes walking, until you get to 20 minutes, and then cool down with a 5 minute walk. I took a different route than yesterday, and signs of spring are everywhere. Tulips, crocuses, hostas - they're all bravely sprouting up. And its just going to get better: by the end of the week, we're predicted to be mid-70's. Yay crazy Wisconsin weather!
I am going to spend tomorrow prepping veggies and cooking chicken so that dinners can go together more smoothly next week. Dinner is my main excuse for not working out, which is why I'm blogging about dinner in my exercise blog. There are a couple of meals that are not a colossal pain to make, and I can delegate those, but I am trying to eat more meals with fresh vegetables. Which take chopping, peeling, etc. But, I can take Sunday and get the big stuff - broccoli, fennel, carrots, celery - washed, chopped, peeled and labeled. That should cut down on the chaos in the kitchen after I pick up the little guy at school. I also found one crockpot meal which should give me time after work one day for a run.
That said, I've looked at my schedule every way possible, and I have concluded that the morning is going to have to work for at least one workout each week. I came to this conclusion after looking at the meal schedule I wrote out, balancing it with what seems reasonable to ask my husband to cook for dinner, and not wanting to load 2 workouts into the weekend. So then I started trying to brainstorm solutions and changes I could make to get out of the box I've thought myself into.
I was listening to a podcast that included an interview with a woman who's doing something called "The Hapiness Project." When asked for one nugget that guarantees happiness, she said "Get enough sleep." Ugh. I am really not up for this change. But the more she talked, the more sense it made. Maybe if I give up facebook? Just kidding. Maybe. I'm not sure how realistic it is to change everything all at once. But this exercise piece has to get put into the puzzle some time. So, I'm considering heading to sleep by 9:30 on the nights before morning workouts. I can't imagine doing that every day, but maybe it'll feel so good I'll start doing it every day.
So, along with the veg prep, tomorrow I'll be plotting out a tentative training schedule for the tri. As I recall, weather became a real factor last time for my training, so it'll have to be flexible. I also need to scope out some pool access - my swim is clearly my weakest leg, and I'd really like to improve my performance there.
I am going to spend tomorrow prepping veggies and cooking chicken so that dinners can go together more smoothly next week. Dinner is my main excuse for not working out, which is why I'm blogging about dinner in my exercise blog. There are a couple of meals that are not a colossal pain to make, and I can delegate those, but I am trying to eat more meals with fresh vegetables. Which take chopping, peeling, etc. But, I can take Sunday and get the big stuff - broccoli, fennel, carrots, celery - washed, chopped, peeled and labeled. That should cut down on the chaos in the kitchen after I pick up the little guy at school. I also found one crockpot meal which should give me time after work one day for a run.
That said, I've looked at my schedule every way possible, and I have concluded that the morning is going to have to work for at least one workout each week. I came to this conclusion after looking at the meal schedule I wrote out, balancing it with what seems reasonable to ask my husband to cook for dinner, and not wanting to load 2 workouts into the weekend. So then I started trying to brainstorm solutions and changes I could make to get out of the box I've thought myself into.
I was listening to a podcast that included an interview with a woman who's doing something called "The Hapiness Project." When asked for one nugget that guarantees happiness, she said "Get enough sleep." Ugh. I am really not up for this change. But the more she talked, the more sense it made. Maybe if I give up facebook? Just kidding. Maybe. I'm not sure how realistic it is to change everything all at once. But this exercise piece has to get put into the puzzle some time. So, I'm considering heading to sleep by 9:30 on the nights before morning workouts. I can't imagine doing that every day, but maybe it'll feel so good I'll start doing it every day.
So, along with the veg prep, tomorrow I'll be plotting out a tentative training schedule for the tri. As I recall, weather became a real factor last time for my training, so it'll have to be flexible. I also need to scope out some pool access - my swim is clearly my weakest leg, and I'd really like to improve my performance there.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Home, flat, home
I did the second run of week 2 (just one day behind - I'll catch up tomorrow!) tonight between dinner and bath time. I have never been so glad to run my regular route. It was sweetly flat, which felt really easy. It was also pretty cold (30s), but I had my cold weather running gear, so I was all set. Tonight's podcast included "It's Raining Men," so I was chortling to myself as I huffed and puffed along.
I was thinking as I ran as well as laughing. It is practically April, which was when I wanted to start the brick training schedule. My current scheme is that on Sunday I'll be able to plan out a few weeks of training, along with a dinner schedule. The two things are interconnected in my mind, because they are where I have the biggest mental hurdle making time for my training.
Getting up early is a concept I have toyed with for many years, but I have had to face facts. I am simply not a morning person. I can get up early in spurts, but I am trying to find a training program that I can make a routine, that I can stick with forever, basically. So I am going to try this planning thing I've been reading so much about. I'll include the outlines of my plan as I go, since I see it as an integral part of this whole process. Besides, I'll be writing it all down anyway - if it's in my blog I can access it from my phone via the internet any time I need to.
I was thinking as I ran as well as laughing. It is practically April, which was when I wanted to start the brick training schedule. My current scheme is that on Sunday I'll be able to plan out a few weeks of training, along with a dinner schedule. The two things are interconnected in my mind, because they are where I have the biggest mental hurdle making time for my training.
Getting up early is a concept I have toyed with for many years, but I have had to face facts. I am simply not a morning person. I can get up early in spurts, but I am trying to find a training program that I can make a routine, that I can stick with forever, basically. So I am going to try this planning thing I've been reading so much about. I'll include the outlines of my plan as I go, since I see it as an integral part of this whole process. Besides, I'll be writing it all down anyway - if it's in my blog I can access it from my phone via the internet any time I need to.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Week 2, Run 1
This post will be rather like the run - nothing fancy, but it will get the job done. Again, I snuck the run in after dinner and tuck-in. The podcast is just so distracting, in a good way. I was surprised when the little helium voices cheered that I was all done. The back of my left knee/upper calf feels a bit wonky, but not enough to justify skipping a workout or anything. I did take it easy, so as to avoid injury. I'm prouder than is reasonable to be 1/3 of the way done with week 2, and I don't want to have to start over. Especially since, if I recall correctly, I'll need to start scheduling out bricks in April, and they require some sustained running capacity. That's all for now.
Friday, March 19, 2010
After dinner run
I needed to squeeze in my third workout of the week. But the day was a wonderful vacation day, spent with my son and sister, and my niece and nephew. In the morning we tromped around the zoo, to the tune of a 3 mile walk, per my sister's pedometer. Then we spent the afternoon with naps and Legos, and then we had dinner. Again, a lovely vacation day, but no time for a run that worked with the rest of my day.
So, after I helped wrangle the kids into bed, I changed clothes, put on running shoes and flipped on a podcast. I had a fairly decent workout today. The sun was setting as I started, and I finished in the dark. I probably looked pretty funny - I am listening to various podcasts, timed to the couch to 5k plan. Tonight's selection included Girlfriend in a Coma, I think by The Smiths. Definitely sounded like something I listened to in the 80's when I was in high school. I kept laughing as I was running - another song's lyrics told me I had 10 minutes to go, and that was at the point where I literally had 10 minutes of running left. It was a great compilation, and trying to guess what might come next kept me entertained.
My feet are feeling better as I go. I am also remembering the genius of the running plan, and savoring the easy beginning week one. On to week two - it's in my sights. I ran mostly along a local lake tonight, which meant much flatter terrain, along with the peace that comes from being near water. That route is definitely worth repeating.
So, after I helped wrangle the kids into bed, I changed clothes, put on running shoes and flipped on a podcast. I had a fairly decent workout today. The sun was setting as I started, and I finished in the dark. I probably looked pretty funny - I am listening to various podcasts, timed to the couch to 5k plan. Tonight's selection included Girlfriend in a Coma, I think by The Smiths. Definitely sounded like something I listened to in the 80's when I was in high school. I kept laughing as I was running - another song's lyrics told me I had 10 minutes to go, and that was at the point where I literally had 10 minutes of running left. It was a great compilation, and trying to guess what might come next kept me entertained.
My feet are feeling better as I go. I am also remembering the genius of the running plan, and savoring the easy beginning week one. On to week two - it's in my sights. I ran mostly along a local lake tonight, which meant much flatter terrain, along with the peace that comes from being near water. That route is definitely worth repeating.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Mobile blogging test
I am trying out the new mobile blogging feature - I imagine if I see a particularly great sunrise/sunset while running I might snap a picture to share the upside to the new (redux) training regimen. We shall see if I can master the next function - it took me about 6 tries to get my blackberry linked up without incurring text charges. But I think we are set to go now!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Hills
I did my second workout of week one this evening, with my sister. It was lovely to have someone to go with, even though her trainer has in good enough shape that she was mostly just jogging in front of me during the jogging segment. We did a brisk 5 minute warm-up walk, then 60 seconds of jogging, alternating with 90 seconds of walking for 15 minutes. Sort of.
The main point of this entry is - Holy Hills! I had no idea that this area around Seattle was basically cut out of the face of a cliff. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but just barely. So right around 15 minutes, we were going up a verrrry steep hill, and we walked for about 3 minutes, before resuming the pattern. But we did it.
2 workouts out of 3 for the first week. And while on vacation. Thank goodness for having set the clocks back -- we were able to go out for our "run" after tucking the kids in. I had pretty terrific arch cramps after about 15 minutes, and I am so looking forward to getting the orthotics when I get back home. But that won't be until next week, and in the meantime, I am going to keep going with the insoles I have.
The main point of this entry is - Holy Hills! I had no idea that this area around Seattle was basically cut out of the face of a cliff. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but just barely. So right around 15 minutes, we were going up a verrrry steep hill, and we walked for about 3 minutes, before resuming the pattern. But we did it.
2 workouts out of 3 for the first week. And while on vacation. Thank goodness for having set the clocks back -- we were able to go out for our "run" after tucking the kids in. I had pretty terrific arch cramps after about 15 minutes, and I am so looking forward to getting the orthotics when I get back home. But that won't be until next week, and in the meantime, I am going to keep going with the insoles I have.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Moving On
I am moving on with my workouts, and I am moving my blog from its old host to "blogger." So, I copied and pasted a batch of my old blog's entries below my March 13 entry. I was going to try to "import" the blog, but I couldn't sort out how to do it, so I went to the Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V method that never fails. Next step will be to migrate the photos over. I may tap my techie sister to help on that score.
This was not an official workout day on my 5k plan, so I used the hour or so while my husband and son were at the park to try out a walking DVD I bought about a year ago at a used book store. It reminded me of aerobics classes of yore. The bright side was that the patter seems to have evolved from relentless cheer to new-age affirmations. I think I'm going to have to turn the volume down once I get a handle on the routine and substitute my own music, just to maintain my sanity. The workout was fun, and I can imagine doing it for a 30 minute jumpstart to my day. Just need to lose the Stuart Smalley stuff. I can't believe I let the disc sit there for a year!
It felt good to get the sore muscles and achy joints moving a bit. I still have killer arch cramps, but I am waiting for some orthotics and hope they will help at least reduce the cramps. I look forward to the next run.
This was not an official workout day on my 5k plan, so I used the hour or so while my husband and son were at the park to try out a walking DVD I bought about a year ago at a used book store. It reminded me of aerobics classes of yore. The bright side was that the patter seems to have evolved from relentless cheer to new-age affirmations. I think I'm going to have to turn the volume down once I get a handle on the routine and substitute my own music, just to maintain my sanity. The workout was fun, and I can imagine doing it for a 30 minute jumpstart to my day. Just need to lose the Stuart Smalley stuff. I can't believe I let the disc sit there for a year!
It felt good to get the sore muscles and achy joints moving a bit. I still have killer arch cramps, but I am waiting for some orthotics and hope they will help at least reduce the cramps. I look forward to the next run.
March 13, 2010
Wash, rinse, repeat
Here I am again! A friend from work mentioned that she would be attending an informational meeting about the Trek women's triathlon during a car ride on March 11th. So there I was, discussing the sprint distance triathlon with a carload of colleagues on the way back from a meeting in Madison on the 11th. I explained my frustration with my bicycle, and how I want to do another tri, but only if I can upgrade my bike (which is prohibitively expensive). And one of my friends from work has a racing bike she has not used in a few years, which she says she is happy to let me borrow all spring and summer. Yippee!
So, I'm back training again. I have had to start from square one on the couch to 5k running plan. Today was my first "run" on that plan. The first week on the plan has three sessions - first one was relatively easy. It's a cool, soggy spring day here in Wisconsin, and the melting snow has revealed a multitude of garbage, but I can also see crocuses and the green nubs of hostas poking out of the ground. I no longer have my doggy running partner, so it was a different experience than in the past. The podcast helped distract me from that change, and I think I will be able to run without my buddy - something that I was worried about.
I will be heading to Seattle on Tuesday for a 9 day vacation on the 16th, and I'm packing my iPod and running shoes. I'll be staying in a suburb, and I think I'll try to use MapMyWalk to find a good route while I am there.
To make it official, I plan to be training at least 3 times/week between now and July 11, and I will blog a little something after every workout. Here we go!
3:55 PM
2:25 PM
11:40 AM
So, I'm back training again. I have had to start from square one on the couch to 5k running plan. Today was my first "run" on that plan. The first week on the plan has three sessions - first one was relatively easy. It's a cool, soggy spring day here in Wisconsin, and the melting snow has revealed a multitude of garbage, but I can also see crocuses and the green nubs of hostas poking out of the ground. I no longer have my doggy running partner, so it was a different experience than in the past. The podcast helped distract me from that change, and I think I will be able to run without my buddy - something that I was worried about.
I will be heading to Seattle on Tuesday for a 9 day vacation on the 16th, and I'm packing my iPod and running shoes. I'll be staying in a suburb, and I think I'll try to use MapMyWalk to find a good route while I am there.
To make it official, I plan to be training at least 3 times/week between now and July 11, and I will blog a little something after every workout. Here we go!
August 15, 2008
The health trifecta
In order to avoid the TMI issue, I will simply say that summer colds can be very good for weight loss and leave it at that. I have also been writing down everything I eat, and that exercise really makes a difference. The running: not a bit since the race. Literally one excursion since the big day.
There will be a Susan Komen Race for the Cure in late September in Milwaukee, and that is the race I need to develop a training schedule for. Then I can start training to improve my pace.
I just need to get a schedule established that allows me to run in the mornings, and cook healthy meals after work. And get enough sleep. That would be the health trifecta. Unfortunately for you, dear reader, if I can figure out how to achieve the trifecta, I will be selling the formula in book form. I will give publication dates on this blog.
There will be a Susan Komen Race for the Cure in late September in Milwaukee, and that is the race I need to develop a training schedule for. Then I can start training to improve my pace.
I just need to get a schedule established that allows me to run in the mornings, and cook healthy meals after work. And get enough sleep. That would be the health trifecta. Unfortunately for you, dear reader, if I can figure out how to achieve the trifecta, I will be selling the formula in book form. I will give publication dates on this blog.
August 01
July 24th entry
I am essentially back to where I was at the beginning of May, weightwise. This is rather frustrating, although I can't say it is a surprise.
I have slacked off on the exercise (I went running on the 22nd, but otherwise have done nothing since the 13th), and I have been eating way more than would seem prudent. This weekend I have the challenge of a camping trip with group meals and a menu planned by others (read - no control over the choices) and group activities (see above). I am bringing extra veggies and bread that's low calorie/high fiber, but other than that I am just going to try to play with the kids and walk as much as possible.
My new plan is to choose a running race in September and plot out a training plan for that similar to how I planned the training for the triathlon. I definitely require a goal to motivate myself to exercise. My other big trick will be doing my training in the morning. I am hoping that this will free up my evening time so that I can get back on track to cooking healthful dinners.
Here's hoping the numbers start descending again.
July 17
Link to photos
I was just emailed the link to my photos from the photographers who were at the event. http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=36768&BIB=783&S=230&PWD=#
I don't know if the link will work, and I plan to get the picture CD when I'm back from vacation, but I just had to share. Look rather different from last year!
July 16
New training plan
I have found my next running plan, at least I think I have. I definitely understand what I need to do for the first week or so. I probably need to write out what the workouts will entail when I get to the third stage, because there is math involved. I found it on the Runner's World website at the link: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-380-381-388-11879-0,00.html
I'm going to be looking for some sort of run to participate in in September, and I'm going to try to get my mile pace down to 12 minutes per mile by next summer. If I can get to 15 minutes per mile by September, I'll be very pleased. It's all relative.
I'm dreading the weigh-in tomorrow, because I've been ravenous for the last few weeks. Luckily, I finish up with my prednisone next Tuesday, and then I will be back with the program. In the meantime, I'm off to enjoy time at the waterpark with the boys and my mom. Hoping to get a couple of runs in too.
10:58 PM
9:01 PM
10:49 PM
11:17 PM
July 13
Fresh air and sunshine
I did it! And I lopped 47 overall minutes off of last year's time!! 2 minutes off the swim, half an hour off the bike, 12 minutes off the run and the rest from the transitions.
I scoped out logistics on Saturday and decided to rack my bike on Saturday and then drive to the outlet mall parking lot and walk the 2 miles in to the race site on Sunday morning. The survivors' breakfast on Saturday was lovely, although it seemed to actually have a program and to have started at 7:30 a.m. So when I wandered by around 9, they were pretty much wrapping up. Oops. It was still nice to meet other survivors doing the race.
Expo day was pretty much as expected. I checked in and wandered amongst the vendors. I don't seem to have won the new bike I was lusting after from trek. But I did get some delicious free jelly beans, a sweet crocs armband for my MP3 player, a new water bottle, a couple of shirts, a hat, a survivor pin and free peanut butter. I was almost starting to feel bad about all the free stuff, but then I bought a race belt (for my number), and a cheapish pair of sunglasses so I wouldn't have to wear my prescription glasses in the race. The kids shirts were the same as last year, and our son has not grown too much, so I passed on T-shirts.
I stayed for the course review, after with Sally Edwards was signing autographs. And she very sweetly signed the pictures I had brought along. The people in line behind me were a bit surprised by my dorkiness in having the big envelope of pictures, I think, but I'll never see them again, so oh well.
I got up at 4:45 a.m., got dressed and checked out of the hotel, and I was at the outlet mall by about 5:20 a.m. I walked to the transition area and set up my gear by 6:20 a.m. Then I moseyed over to the swim start and hung out.
It was a lovely upper 60's start to the day, and the water was actually warmer than the air. I splashed around in the water and put my swim cap on early - once my swim cap was on I was more than warm enough.
I was in the seventh wave to go, and we started at 7:20 a.m. There was a tailwind for the swim, which made up for the fact that we were swimming into the sun. I really enjoyed the swim, with the exception of one woman who kept swimming over my legs again and again. It was odd - usually someone swims into me, corrects course, sails by and I never see her again. This woman would stop, look around, and then start sidestroking straight back into me. Ugh. I finally started splashing my arms and yelling, "Oh my" every time she swam into me, and she stopped the nonsense. My left foot started cramping as I came out of the water, and it kept it up for most of the rest of the race. Boo.
My first transition was pretty quick. Then I biked for forever. My left foot kept cramping on the bike, and my new, properly adjusted seat slid down into the post again. So by about mile 10 this guy who was cruising along the bike route felt compelled to tell me that after the race I should raise the seat up about 2 inches, as I'd have a much better ride. Apparently, knees around the ears is not optimal tri biking. Who knew.
The second transition was even quicker (helmet off, sun hat on, eat jelly beans and chug gatorade), and then I was running. Ever since I did the math about my running pace after the race on the 4th, I've been a pretty self-conscious runner. Today did not help much. Ladies who were walking were passing me. I did achieve three goals vis-a-vis the run, however. 1) I ran the whole 3.1 miles, 2) I improved my pace quite a bit, and 3) I saved enough energy to be able to run faster for the last quarter mile. So when I passed my husband and son down the finish chute, I looked like I was really running. It was an outstanding day!
I'm pretty exhausted and turning in early today, but I'll be continuing to work on the running pace and weight loss things, so more blogs are forthcoming.
I scoped out logistics on Saturday and decided to rack my bike on Saturday and then drive to the outlet mall parking lot and walk the 2 miles in to the race site on Sunday morning. The survivors' breakfast on Saturday was lovely, although it seemed to actually have a program and to have started at 7:30 a.m. So when I wandered by around 9, they were pretty much wrapping up. Oops. It was still nice to meet other survivors doing the race.
Expo day was pretty much as expected. I checked in and wandered amongst the vendors. I don't seem to have won the new bike I was lusting after from trek. But I did get some delicious free jelly beans, a sweet crocs armband for my MP3 player, a new water bottle, a couple of shirts, a hat, a survivor pin and free peanut butter. I was almost starting to feel bad about all the free stuff, but then I bought a race belt (for my number), and a cheapish pair of sunglasses so I wouldn't have to wear my prescription glasses in the race. The kids shirts were the same as last year, and our son has not grown too much, so I passed on T-shirts.
I stayed for the course review, after with Sally Edwards was signing autographs. And she very sweetly signed the pictures I had brought along. The people in line behind me were a bit surprised by my dorkiness in having the big envelope of pictures, I think, but I'll never see them again, so oh well.
I got up at 4:45 a.m., got dressed and checked out of the hotel, and I was at the outlet mall by about 5:20 a.m. I walked to the transition area and set up my gear by 6:20 a.m. Then I moseyed over to the swim start and hung out.
It was a lovely upper 60's start to the day, and the water was actually warmer than the air. I splashed around in the water and put my swim cap on early - once my swim cap was on I was more than warm enough.
I was in the seventh wave to go, and we started at 7:20 a.m. There was a tailwind for the swim, which made up for the fact that we were swimming into the sun. I really enjoyed the swim, with the exception of one woman who kept swimming over my legs again and again. It was odd - usually someone swims into me, corrects course, sails by and I never see her again. This woman would stop, look around, and then start sidestroking straight back into me. Ugh. I finally started splashing my arms and yelling, "Oh my" every time she swam into me, and she stopped the nonsense. My left foot started cramping as I came out of the water, and it kept it up for most of the rest of the race. Boo.
My first transition was pretty quick. Then I biked for forever. My left foot kept cramping on the bike, and my new, properly adjusted seat slid down into the post again. So by about mile 10 this guy who was cruising along the bike route felt compelled to tell me that after the race I should raise the seat up about 2 inches, as I'd have a much better ride. Apparently, knees around the ears is not optimal tri biking. Who knew.
The second transition was even quicker (helmet off, sun hat on, eat jelly beans and chug gatorade), and then I was running. Ever since I did the math about my running pace after the race on the 4th, I've been a pretty self-conscious runner. Today did not help much. Ladies who were walking were passing me. I did achieve three goals vis-a-vis the run, however. 1) I ran the whole 3.1 miles, 2) I improved my pace quite a bit, and 3) I saved enough energy to be able to run faster for the last quarter mile. So when I passed my husband and son down the finish chute, I looked like I was really running. It was an outstanding day!
I'm pretty exhausted and turning in early today, but I'll be continuing to work on the running pace and weight loss things, so more blogs are forthcoming.
July 11
Skipping the bike
I had bad leg cramps last night and a long day at work today. So I skipped the last bike before the race and just did some stretching tonight. I'm taking some quinine and extra potassium, and I've drunk so much Crystal Light my teeth are swimming. Hydration being the holy grail with the hot and humid weather we're having.
I will leave the house tomorrow morning around 7 a.m. so I can attend the survivor's breakfast. This is where I'll be casually strolling around with my big glossy pictures of me with Sally Edwards from last year. And a pen. And then if I get close to her I can just say, "Oh, look what I happen to have." And I'll whip out the pen. Must remember pen.
How could she resist, right?
I'm also hoping to meet someone at the breakfast who will be staying at thesame hotel as I am so that we can figure out how to get from the hotel to the race site. I'm hoping for a car pool. The logistics really are the most difficult part to plan for.
After I humiliate myself by stalking Sally for signatures on the photos, I'll be off to the packet pick up expo. I'll get all my materials, scan my chip, affix my number to my bike, rack my bike, and then have a delicious soft pretzel with cheeze (TM). Then I'll skulk around the hall checking out the sponsors, collecting loot bags and I'll try to hunt down a T-shirt for the supportive boys in my life.
Finally, it will be check-in time at the hotel, and I'll check in, drop off my bag and then hightail it home to have dinner with the fam and for betdime and storytime. Then I'll head back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
Until about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, when I'll wake up and have some delicious peanut butter toast, a banana and some orange juice for my power breakfast of my rugby glory days. 
Then it'll be all business. I'll get to the transition area, get my spot all set up, and then I can kick back and chill out until my wave starts.
Then it'll be all business. I'll get to the transition area, get my spot all set up, and then I can kick back and chill out until my wave starts.I won't know when my wave will start until the expo tomorrow. I am hoping it will start by 9 a.m. This would allow the guys time to get to the race and see me run across the finish line. I'm hopeful to cut my overall time down to 2 and a half hours this year. I don't expect much improvement in the swim. I do expect to shave lots of time off the transitions, and I am hoping to take at least 20 minutes off the bike. I fully expect to do about the same this year as last on the run, based on my performance on the 4th. I won't write again until after the race I think. Here goes nothing! 
July 10
Last jog before the race
I faced weather again tonight, so I decided to flip the run and the bike. Ran today, will go out on the bike tomorrow. It was hot and humid during the jog, but I was able to get through my usual route in a little less time than it usually takes. About 10 minutes after I got back the skies opened up and we had thunderstorms for about half an hour. I definitely made the right call not to get out on the bike far from home today.
I got my race day checklist out and then I watched the DVD about how to set up the transition area. I want to make a little journal for myself where I can chronicle the preparations in terms of stuff, so that next year I don't feel so late to the party. I'll try to get it all written down on Saturday night while I'm in the hotel room. I realized today that I've been cruising along focusing on the training, and I just started thinking about the stuff aspetc of the race tonight.
So, I mixed up some Gatorade, I filled a squirt bottle with water and I got all my dirty clothes in the wash. I will get packed up tomorrow night, so I can toddle off to the breakfast early, early on Saturday. I need to get my Clif bar out of the freezer (where I threw it after last year's race -it's probably still good, right?), so it can thaw before Sunday.
And now I am off to get some sleep. And to dream of successful racing. 
July 09
Last swim before the race
I got in my last swim before the race. I need to bike tomorrow, and then I can jog again on Friday. Not quite the resting I originally envisioned, but I have missed a fair amount of the final workouts I wanted to get in, so I just want to take a look at my pacing. The last thing I want to do is go out too fast and have problems finishing.
I unearthed the CD with last year's pictures on it, and I uploaded them in the photo album area of the blog page. Tis what it is, I suppose. I also found my times for each leg of the race last year. Here they are.
Swim: 26:01 - rank 3570 out of 3940
Transition time for 1st transition - 11:47
Bike: 1:30:04 - rank 3871 out of 3940, average speed 8.6 mph
Transition time for 2nd transition - 7:17
Run: 1:01:10 - rank 3855 out of 3940, pace of 19:44 minute mile
I am getting rather apprehensive that I won't improve much this year. My swim tonight felt great, until I got a calf cramp that came and went for five minutes. In my head, I think I have to improve - I've lost 40 pounds and I fixed my bike's tires and brakes. But, I am already nervous about how I'll do. I am just going to focus on getting ready and worry about the results on Sunday afternoon.
I unearthed the CD with last year's pictures on it, and I uploaded them in the photo album area of the blog page. Tis what it is, I suppose. I also found my times for each leg of the race last year. Here they are.
Swim: 26:01 - rank 3570 out of 3940
Transition time for 1st transition - 11:47
Bike: 1:30:04 - rank 3871 out of 3940, average speed 8.6 mph
Transition time for 2nd transition - 7:17
Run: 1:01:10 - rank 3855 out of 3940, pace of 19:44 minute mile
I am getting rather apprehensive that I won't improve much this year. My swim tonight felt great, until I got a calf cramp that came and went for five minutes. In my head, I think I have to improve - I've lost 40 pounds and I fixed my bike's tires and brakes. But, I am already nervous about how I'll do. I am just going to focus on getting ready and worry about the results on Sunday afternoon.
July 07
First ever 4.1 mile run
I completed my first ever 4.1 mile run on the Fourth of July. It was great! I came in dead last, and the guy at the finish line who was collecting timing chips said, "Oh, we thought we'd lost that one!" Good times.
I got to the race site later than I'd intended but with plenty of time before the race started, as it turned out, since I was preregistered and was able to go into a nice short line in the registration area. I started the race with an uncle, a cousin-in-law two cousins, and a cousin's friend. They all finished pretty far ahead of me. An aunt did the walk portion of the race, and she too was done far ahead of me, although she walked a shorter distance.
My pace was that of a fit person's average walk, in the end. My finishing time was 1 hour, 1 minute and 8 seconds. The race route went through some pretty residential areas. Streets were blocked off, and the people who lived in the neighborhoods were out on lawn chairs, having coffee and snacks. Some had set their sprinklers up so you could run through the spray as you ran by. It was rather festive, considering that I was trying to focus on my running the whole time.
I was happy with myself for not stopping to walk at any point during the run. I am also very happy to be able to go out and go for a run at all, much less for four miles. I just keep reminding myself that I couldn't climb a flight of stairs in the spring of 2006 without stopping to rest, and I am happy with how far I have come in the last two years. On the related issue of how much progress I have made, I have still not tracked down the photos from my 2007 tri, and I have mislaid the times I dredged up from that year's triathlon. However, I will be getting that information together as I go through my final week before the big race, so that I have some targets as I race.
I promptly threw myself headlong into family reunion related activities for the remainder of the long weekend. The activities included eating too much, staying up way past my normal bedtime, and cleaning my mom's kitchen up a couple of hundred times. I also got to carry lawn chairs around, play in the lake with kids and watch a turtle make a nest. Very satisfying. Now, I am will try to finish out the training as I laid it out and start to plan all the logistical details that can be so distracting.
I got to the race site later than I'd intended but with plenty of time before the race started, as it turned out, since I was preregistered and was able to go into a nice short line in the registration area. I started the race with an uncle, a cousin-in-law two cousins, and a cousin's friend. They all finished pretty far ahead of me. An aunt did the walk portion of the race, and she too was done far ahead of me, although she walked a shorter distance.
My pace was that of a fit person's average walk, in the end. My finishing time was 1 hour, 1 minute and 8 seconds. The race route went through some pretty residential areas. Streets were blocked off, and the people who lived in the neighborhoods were out on lawn chairs, having coffee and snacks. Some had set their sprinklers up so you could run through the spray as you ran by. It was rather festive, considering that I was trying to focus on my running the whole time.
I was happy with myself for not stopping to walk at any point during the run. I am also very happy to be able to go out and go for a run at all, much less for four miles. I just keep reminding myself that I couldn't climb a flight of stairs in the spring of 2006 without stopping to rest, and I am happy with how far I have come in the last two years. On the related issue of how much progress I have made, I have still not tracked down the photos from my 2007 tri, and I have mislaid the times I dredged up from that year's triathlon. However, I will be getting that information together as I go through my final week before the big race, so that I have some targets as I race.
I promptly threw myself headlong into family reunion related activities for the remainder of the long weekend. The activities included eating too much, staying up way past my normal bedtime, and cleaning my mom's kitchen up a couple of hundred times. I also got to carry lawn chairs around, play in the lake with kids and watch a turtle make a nest. Very satisfying. Now, I am will try to finish out the training as I laid it out and start to plan all the logistical details that can be so distracting.
July 03
Hubris
I was really cooking with the workout schedule I devised. But I failed to plan for evening daycare while the husband traveled to Florida, and I haven't been keeping up with the running or biking.
Today I packed up all the running gear to run near the lake, and when I got there, I discovered I had left my shoes in the living room at home. Since the lake is about an hour away, one way, I just bagged the run. And with the lightning and thunder, swimming did not seem prudent either.
I run my first 5K on Friday, and I'm rather nervous about how it is going to go. Packet pickup is between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., and the race starts at 8 a.m. At first I thought that sounded brutal. But after starting last year's triathlon near 11 a.m. on a hot and humid Wisconsin July day, I think that an 8 a.m. start is brilliant.
And, since the office scale is locked up on the 4th, and I'll be running that morning far away, I won't be updating the pounds to go list. A week of blissful ignorance. What could be better?!
Today I packed up all the running gear to run near the lake, and when I got there, I discovered I had left my shoes in the living room at home. Since the lake is about an hour away, one way, I just bagged the run. And with the lightning and thunder, swimming did not seem prudent either.
I run my first 5K on Friday, and I'm rather nervous about how it is going to go. Packet pickup is between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., and the race starts at 8 a.m. At first I thought that sounded brutal. But after starting last year's triathlon near 11 a.m. on a hot and humid Wisconsin July day, I think that an 8 a.m. start is brilliant.
And, since the office scale is locked up on the 4th, and I'll be running that morning far away, I won't be updating the pounds to go list. A week of blissful ignorance. What could be better?!
June 27
Funny question
I am on the right track with exercising. This was confirmed for me when our four-year-old asked me tonight if I were going for a run. I said no, and he asked if I would go for a bike ride. I said no and he asked, "Swim?" The look of consternation on his face when I said no to that as well was priceless.
I explained that exercise is good for our muscles, but so is rest some times. And I showed him some stretches. I have a feeling the "rest is good" explanation will come back to haunt me some evening when I want to go running and he wants me to read him a story. Time will tell.
I didn't think I'd have much to blog about on an off day, but the little conversation cracked me up.
June 26
All in all, it's
just another brick in the wall. Love the Pink Floyd - must get some on the MP3 player for workouts. I did get through the bike and the run today. It was mid-80's, and I wanted to take the younger dog with me on the run portion, so I rode my bike around for about 40 minutes first. Then I went out for a run. I got through the 28 minutes straight of running, which I really ought to call jogging if I'm being accurate.
I am starting to get excited about the race. I just found out that a friend of a friend has an extra hotel room in the area of the race, so I won't have to get up at 5 a.m. to get to the race on the 13th. The dear husband will need to be on duty with the dear child while I'm gone for the night, but I foresee my performance improving a whole lot this year.
I will post some supercharming pictures of me doing the race last year when I rediscover the disk they are on, and then I'll put up new ones from this year when I get my hands on them.
June 23
Reunion and recuperation
I have a torn or strained muscle in my calf from the leg cramps I had the last time I wrote. I was awake every half hour or so with powerful calf cramps that whole night, and then even walking was painful the next day. I have not been running since I woke up with the sore calf. The bright side is that the timing worked out well to coincide with my 20th high school reunion.
I did not do a workout on the 20th or 21st (both days with reunion events, hence the good timing comment above), and then I swam on the 22nd instead of the scheduled run. Tonight I did some gentle stretching, and tomorrow I plan to do the bike ride as scheduled. Then I'll swim on Wednesday and try to run on Thursday. I hope that taking it easy pays off and doesn't result in a serious setback. I figure I've been doing some good preparation, and I don't want the leg to get worse.
I did not do a workout on the 20th or 21st (both days with reunion events, hence the good timing comment above), and then I swam on the 22nd instead of the scheduled run. Tonight I did some gentle stretching, and tomorrow I plan to do the bike ride as scheduled. Then I'll swim on Wednesday and try to run on Thursday. I hope that taking it easy pays off and doesn't result in a serious setback. I figure I've been doing some good preparation, and I don't want the leg to get worse.
June 18
Great weather
Tuesday and Wednesday were beautiful days here in Miwaukee. I went for a 45 minute bike ride yesterday and felt great afterward. And today I actually needed a windbreaker to keep warm as I ran. I like this kind of cool weather to exercise in, although I am afraid it will leave me defenseless on July 13th. Last year race day had a heat index of 107 degrees, or something similarly outrageous.
I had very strong leg cramps late tonight. I've had problems with leg cramps for the past few years. But I had thought they were a thing of the past. So, my next task is to figure out what I can do to keep from having more bad cramps. Cutting back on the training is not in the cards - especially since the cramps improved when I started exercising. Maybe taking a combination of quinine and potassium? Must google to see if there are any side effects to that combination.
June 15
First brick
I finally got my first training brick in today. I swam in the less flooded lake for a while (maybe 20-30 minutes?), and then I did a 25 minute run. All in scenic Delafield. So my swimming training is going to be exclusively in outdoor lake water, which is just what the tri uses. I am pretty happy with how I'm feeling, although the real test will probably be if I can get out of bed in the morning tomorrow.
I will drive the run route at some point so I have an odometer reading of how far I go in 25 minutes. I'm concerned that it's going to be only 2 miles. But, I still have 4 weeks left of training, so I will use it to my advantage to start working on speed.
I will drive the run route at some point so I have an odometer reading of how far I go in 25 minutes. I'm concerned that it's going to be only 2 miles. But, I still have 4 weeks left of training, so I will use it to my advantage to start working on speed.
June 14
Flooding and sunburn
I think there should be a rule that if you have to detour around flooding over roads, you should not then get a sunburn when you forget to slather on suncreen and are outside in the afternoon. Apparently there is no such rule, unfortunately.
I considered scrapping today's workout in favor of filling sandbags a couple of counties over today, but I was itching to get in a good bike ride today, as more rain is forecast for the foreseeable future, and wet roads make me too nervous to go really fast. I decided to ride my bike to the bike shop to have the seat readjusted, since my husband got the seat stabilized enough for me to ride again.
I ended up out on a three hour tour. I only spent about half an hour at the bike store, and another ten minutes picking up some blankets at a friend's (long story), and the rest of the time I was riding my bike. I can't figure out how far I rode, but I am really tired tonight. I did not then go for the run I had on my agenda, which is kind of screwing up my schedule. I think I'll shift my run to tomorrow, and then move the runs over a day until I get to a day where I have only flexibility/resistance bands sceheduled. Then I can double up on the run and the stretching/strength. We will see how this works out.
June 12
Wanted: bike mechanic with a soul
So, my bike was "ready" a day early. But apparently getting it ready did not include adjusting the seat back to a rider of my height or attaching the seat securely to the frame.
Sigh.
I picked the bike up after work today in between downpours and drove it home, attached to the bike rack on my car. Then, during a break between tornado warnings and thunderstorms, I went for a 40 minute ride. I cut the ride short by about 35 minutes. When I started out, I was streeetching my hamstrings with every pedal stroke. By the end of the ride my knees were up around my ears, and I was just a banana seat shy of emulating the cool boys from the late 70's I remember.
Oh well. Here's hoping my husband can fix the seat in time for my bike/run brick tomorrow.
Sigh.
I picked the bike up after work today in between downpours and drove it home, attached to the bike rack on my car. Then, during a break between tornado warnings and thunderstorms, I went for a 40 minute ride. I cut the ride short by about 35 minutes. When I started out, I was streeetching my hamstrings with every pedal stroke. By the end of the ride my knees were up around my ears, and I was just a banana seat shy of emulating the cool boys from the late 70's I remember.
Oh well. Here's hoping my husband can fix the seat in time for my bike/run brick tomorrow.
June 11
Run down
I did the run which was 10 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 10 minutes running today. I can't believe I went for the whole 10 minutes, and honestly I don't think the dog could believe it either.
And the bike shop called to say my bike was ready a day early. Rainbow Jersey rocks. They have been very nice to work with, and for being a day early I'm giving them a shout out.
Now I just need to hope they have lights I can buy for my bike, because I don't think my dear husband will give me a free pass on the child care two nights in a row. So the bike ride tomorrow will likely be after our four year old is in bed. Which is probably going to work out just fine, since we are forecast to get heat tomorrow, and it should cool off by the time I am able to get out on the bike.
I'm still pretty excited at the progress I've made in my running. Last year I walked the final leg of the triathlon, but this year I may be able to jog, at least part of the way!
And the bike shop called to say my bike was ready a day early. Rainbow Jersey rocks. They have been very nice to work with, and for being a day early I'm giving them a shout out.
Now I just need to hope they have lights I can buy for my bike, because I don't think my dear husband will give me a free pass on the child care two nights in a row. So the bike ride tomorrow will likely be after our four year old is in bed. Which is probably going to work out just fine, since we are forecast to get heat tomorrow, and it should cool off by the time I am able to get out on the bike.I'm still pretty excited at the progress I've made in my running. Last year I walked the final leg of the triathlon, but this year I may be able to jog, at least part of the way!
June 09
Hypothermia?
Hypothermia was not supposed to be a concern on June 8th, but the water was not exactly warm at the lake. I swam anyway, but I did have to cut the swim short for two reasons yesterday: 1) I forgot my earplug and I still have a tube in my ear (don't want lake water in that ear, really), and 2) I did not have 40 minutes between lightning strike bearing storms.
I swam awkwardly with my head out of the water for a while to keep the tube dry, but there was a fair amount of chop in the lake because of our crazy thunderstorms, and so I gave up after about 20 minutes. Still, it was better than nothing. I hope the rain lets up long enough for me to run after work today.
I swam awkwardly with my head out of the water for a while to keep the tube dry, but there was a fair amount of chop in the lake because of our crazy thunderstorms, and so I gave up after about 20 minutes. Still, it was better than nothing. I hope the rain lets up long enough for me to run after work today.
June 07
Missing temporarily
I was momentarily sucked into a vortex in the space-time continuum which prevented me from making any blog entries. Sorry.
Anyway, I have been running along to the training plan despite nasty sinus issues even though I haven't been blogging about it. Summary - I breathe hard, and our 14 year old dog is too old to join me on runs any more. The 7 year old dog is still up to the challenge, and I am grateful for that. Then today it hit me that the triathlon will consist of three parts, and I should at least try to work on the other two legs of the race.
So, I am calling around to bike shops to get my bike tuned up/have skinnier tires put on, and I am slowly realizing that I probably should have taken care of this issue before the weekend immediately preceding Father's Day. At least the weather has definitely broken and I'm not in danger of getting hypothermia if I use an outdoor lake to "train" for the swimming leg of the race.
I just found a shop that can get my bike back to me on Thursday if I get it in today, so I'm off again. I'll be deleting the workouts as I do them, so here's hoping the workout lists empty out between now and race day!
Anyway, I have been running along to the training plan despite nasty sinus issues even though I haven't been blogging about it. Summary - I breathe hard, and our 14 year old dog is too old to join me on runs any more. The 7 year old dog is still up to the challenge, and I am grateful for that. Then today it hit me that the triathlon will consist of three parts, and I should at least try to work on the other two legs of the race.
So, I am calling around to bike shops to get my bike tuned up/have skinnier tires put on, and I am slowly realizing that I probably should have taken care of this issue before the weekend immediately preceding Father's Day. At least the weather has definitely broken and I'm not in danger of getting hypothermia if I use an outdoor lake to "train" for the swimming leg of the race.
I just found a shop that can get my bike back to me on Thursday if I get it in today, so I'm off again. I'll be deleting the workouts as I do them, so here's hoping the workout lists empty out between now and race day!
May 10
Back in town
I got over my fever and cold, and then I chaperoned a group of high school exchange students to New York City for four days. This was a wonderful experience for me. I ate approximately the entire month of May's allocation of grease in those four days, but we walked miles each day. We also climbed flights of stairs, and it turned out to be a good thing for my fitness plan.
Now I'm getting back into my regular schedule and routine back at home, although a teacher's retirement dinner, Mother's Day and my birthday are going to throw wrinkles into the usual schedule. I feel more confident about making good choices after the New York experience. I can really see the offset that I can achieve with exercise, even when I can't do more than estimate portion size/ingredient lists of what I'm eating.
So, I am definitely setting my sights high with the 5 times/week exercise, but I do believe that if I manage to develop the exercise habit, it will allow me to continue to lose the weight I want to lose. And the triathlon is creeping up on me. Pretty soon I'll need to start focusing the training on the July race date. So, I'm planning to get back to the weekly blog entries and updates of the lists.
April 12
Lesson learned
I have learned that exercise is like paperwriting from my college days. Based on last week's performance, I put it off until the last possible moment. This leads me to skip workouts when something, like dinnertime or bedtime, comes up.
Still, the prospect of getting up at 6 a.m. is daunting. Especially when it's snowing again. I did enjoy the walking/jogging I got in last week, and I'd like to keep that up, so I have scheduled it for three times this coming week. But I cannot figure out how to rearrange my schedule to fit in the time to exercise. On one hand, it's only about half an hour for the running program. But that's half an hour of actual running. I need to figure in more time for driving back and forth to the indoor track for rotten weather, which complicates the morning option.
But last week's experience reminds me that morning workouts are the ones I actually do. So my exercise goal for next week is to do my workouts in the morning. The food habit I am working on regularly is to eat two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day. Short entry this week, but I don't have a lot more to say about this. I just need to do it.
April 03
Striding into spring
I have revamped the site a bit. I'll be tracking my weight only on Fridays. Salad of the week is no more. And I have added a new feature. I will plot out my workouts for the week on Fridays. Then, as I do them, I will update the list.
I am preparing for the running portion of the July sprint distance triathlon by following something I found on the internet called the Couch-to-5K Running Plan. Link here. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml This is the couch potato plan I will reference in my workout lists.
I am hopeful the weather will cooperate with the running portion of this plan. I can use an indoor track around the Olympic ice oval for $3.00 per run, but I prefer to run outside with my dog. We will see how this spring continues. After the Good Friday blizzard I am not building my plans around being able to get outside to exercise. I'll just consider it a bonus.
March 26
End of an era
Our work group has dwindled now to three, perhaps four members, with the end of our seven week sprint today. The remaining members of the group who want to keep monitoring our progress at work and supporting one another were talking after work today about what we want to use our group for. We are considering rotating the responsibility for the salad each week so that each member gets 2 or 3 weeks "off" from bringing salad fixings, and then during the "on" week is responsible to bring in a salad to feed the rest of the group.
So the salad of the week posts may trail off now that I'll only know the recipe every three or four weeks. In its place I may be substituting an exercise log for myself (and Angie, if she wants to keep on here). I started this site as part of the contest to win a trainer for a year, and I suspect we have won bupkes, since my email inbox has been quiet since St. Patrick's Day. Nonetheless, it's been fun adding to the blog, and thinking of things to write about has been helping me focus on getting healthy.
This blog may morph into Jess' journey, depending upon whether my teammate wants to focus on her own progress with a little more privacy. I'll talk with her this week and get an idea of where to take this website going forward.
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