Cleveland Weekend

I had tons of fun visiting MB's family and friends in Ohio for a wedding weekend! I fit in one run (the first morning) of about 6 miles. It felt great to run somewhere with the air NOT filled w/ pollen blowing in your face. Crazy concept I know - enjoyed every second! I fit in 5.5ish miles in less than 50 minutes. Definitely a GREAT run (have to admit it was pretty flat).

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend - definitely did so and did not get in anymore workouts :-) oh! I guess you can count dancing at the wedding right? :-D

MB took his car to the airport this week (no bike hitch!). This is supposed to help me work on swimming and running more...ugh. I am going to miss riding my bike b/c it's just SO much easier than running :-p

Goal: hit the gym to swim, weights & run!!!!

Flight or fight?

Hah - the title is related to getting an earlier flight or accomplishing the huge workout day... I chose the earlier flight :-)

I did manage to squeeze in a 12.4 mi ride (46ish minutes) and felt good after the 3rd mile. I lost track of time as my goal was 45 minutes and I rode 24+ out. I busted a move to get back by 46:15. I was ubber proud of that :-D

The run afterwards was not pretty. OMG shaving for bathsuits and biking shorts do not mix. End of story. (not really, but sounded dramatic eh :-D ) I felt every stride and did not like it! I guess shammy-butter (?) does have a purpose and I should investigate using some for the next workouts :-p My goal for the run turned into getting back to the car ASAP so I could retain whatever mobility possible for this weekend.

I can see it now:
"Hi I'm MB's gf of 4 yrs. Great to meet you!"
"Great to meet you too. What happened? I seems like you are waddling."
"Oh yes, I have issues."
:-p Oh goodness....

I survived -> 2.6 in 25+ and showered -> switched flights -> rushed to airport (thanks ES!!) -> waiting at the gate now :-p I'm looking forward to running in OHIO w/ less pollen!!!!!

Slacker Day

I could have totally rearranged my day to fit my 6 mi run in during daylight hours but I have successfully put it off until getting ready for a church dedication and dinner w/ my sister.

My legs do not feel as dead as they did yesterday at this time - hopefully tomorrow's long workout day will be good! I am officially skipping swimming until Monday (worried I haven't paid for April gym dues -> after 15th = 1/2 month due :-D $$) so just 85 min bike & 7 mi run... I'm pumped! Hopefully 85 min ride = 25 mi & 7 mi (7.4 b/c of markers) is under 75 minutes!

Hope everyone is enjoying the Atlanta weather through pollen filtering glasses (masks...)!!!

Daily Mile

So - KM introduced me to a great website dailymile.com and that was definitely the only reason why I went out to workout this evening. Look me up!! I waited so late that I could not get in the entire workout BUT I definitely got good stuff out of it.

The 5 mile run (actually 2.6 out and back -> 5.2) was pretty good! I went faster on the way out (uphill portion) as I still have not figured out I cannot pace myself at previous fitness level times (aka not a 8 min/mi person yet...but soon!). The first mile was sub 8...whoops! I finished out at 48 minutes so definitely proud of myself! :-)

The bike ride afterward felt so sluggish. It did not feel fun (something unheard of for cycling to date). I did not want to ruin my relationship with my bike (HAHA) so I was debating how far to go... the sunshine was running out -> limiting me to less than an hour ride. I had to come to a COMPLETE stop at least 3 times on the way to the 3.7 mile market and was SO PO'd with:
- Parents who were not watching their children who were swerving back and forth across the curvy path (congrats on your children working on not being the obese % of america but you nulled out any positives by still allowing them to be IDIOTS)
- Obvious walkers who stop and turn directly to their left deciding that they are going to stop on the opposite side of the trail WITHOUT LOOKING...umm, ????
- Companion bike riders that cannot figure out how to contain both bikes on one side of the trail...and cannot figure out what it means when you say "On your left"...therefore remain on the middle of both sides ??

This ride just helped me believe the statistic that the national average IQ is 110. Lord help us all b/c we are going to be taking care of each and every one of them.

(Stepping of the soap box - back to the exercise summary)

I was frustrated -> shaved 2 minutes of the time coming back compared to on the way out. I finished the 7.4 miles in 26:15! Pumped to have gotten the lactic acid out of my legs from the long run!

Anyone surprised I avoided the swim until the gym pool was closing? (aka 9pm) hehe some patterns are harder to break...

Stubborn is a syn for stupid (e.g. ME)

Today's goal was to complete the 18 mi run I postponed from Sunday. Note to self: never switch up the long run schedule again...it's getting old and doesn't bode (sp?) well for the body to follow up a "hard" day with another hard workout day :-p

The 18 miles were terrible. I disliked it from mile 2 on...and that's a long time. My legs felt like lead the entire time (a sign you should just STOP and try another day but not this stubborn girl!) My eating pattern was off from just having bfast and fish meal after burning 2500 yesterday - it felt like I was just DRAGGING. It took me for freakin' ever to finish the 18 miles (embarrassing 3:54...so ashamed to officially share that). I was eating blueberry chews and got SICK while running (twice). Just say no to blueberry!

Sidenotes on the environment: THANK GOODNESS FOR 2 INHALERS!!! I was still wheezing (another sign to stop - ignored)
- Licking your lips normally is bad b/c it wears off the chapstick sun protection BUT now it means pollen will clump there ?!?! terrible.
- Everything I wore was yellow-ish when I finished.
- I had pollen pooling towards the front of my legs b/c of running (haha not moving that fast)

Summary:
- Finished 18 miles (best thing to be said about today)
- My knees are hating me (can't run away from rabid dogs...clothing test in Eight Cousins by Alcott ? or is it Rose?)
- My thumb looks freakin' normal (what a let down...and it hurt so bad :-p)

Goal for tomorrow:
- swim 400m, 4x100m, 4x50m (ugh, see if I survive)
- run 5 mi
- bike 60 min :-)

Riding w/ a Group

So the plan was 18mi run -> 40 mi ride -> church
The actual was 7mi run -> 30 mi ride -> church (w/ no time for real food = cranky)

The run was cut short today b/c of the lack of sleep I got from rolling onto my thumb at least 4 times last night AND the fact I wanted to be good for the group ride as I did not know what to expect pace wise. I ran walk the first 4.5 in 42...then walked 8 min (w/ a potty break). To finish the race, I attempted to keep below the 10min/mi pace for the remainder of the 7.4....and succeeded :-) W/ walking almost 15 minutes of it, I finished in a little over 72 minutes!

Meeting up with the riding group was great. Everyone I have met involved in cycling has been very cheerful and overall pleasant experience! The pace for the first 15 out was different as we stopped at the various bike shops to catch up as a group (space b/w varied w/hills, pace, etc). Then Brad (the bike mechanic I met at the bike fitting Friday) and I def picked it up on the way back. What's so challenging about biking w/ him is that I like to really push through hills and basically sprint level overall...and then coast. He was at the same overall pace - forcing my coasting to be at a minimum. This constant pedaling caught up to me w/ 7 miles left...ugh I love/hate the quad burn!!! :-D (more love than hate)

To regain energy after the 2487 cal burn -> downed a protein shake before showering -> PB & crackers at stop lights -> 2 granola bars in the parking lot -> rushed in and was early.... regret set in pining for some solid food (even the McD's I passed on the way to church). Survived therefore there are definitely worse things in life!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!!! One last exercise to conquer w/ the bum thumb -> swimming (and we all know I'll put that off as long as possible!)

Be on my right side

Habitat was great until the 4th to last board of siding to be nailed. I helped hang the insulation throughout the house, paint the front and then hang siding after lunch. Ugh on silly hammers. I was actually doing pretty well until...I smacked my thumb. I'm a lefty so it was my right thumb.

Oh how I have ignored your importance oh right thumb. Turning the ignition on the car, shifting gears...all difficult in the not so graceful get away :-p clipping of the seat belt, holding forms to register at the quick care -> all weird. (sidenote: it took 30 min to be seen, borrow in nail did not relieve pressure as it had not gone all the way back to the point the doc made the hole?!?!, 45 more minutes to get someone else in there to wrap it up obnoxiously like it was the end of my thumb)

Getting home to shower 1 handed -> interesting. Oh right thumb, how useful you would have been in washing my left arm - I was attempting to keep you dry. And the all essential task of deodorant...silly left pit was just out of reach for complete coverage. It was interesting feeling like a 7th grade boy attempting to figure out a bra...the claps were hard to find and will be interesting to find again. Ugh on delay for dressing! Right thumb - you are definitely missed!

P.S. Typing is annoying b/c right thumb = space bar! @#$()*

Bike is offically "fitted"

Finally went by Performance Bicycles (?) and got the few week old bike fitted to me :-) The only adjustment that was required was the seat needed to be moved forward. Sadly, I noticed how much more comfortable it was right away!

I was convinced to ride w/ their group on Sunday at noon. They typically go 40 miles at an avg pace slightly faster than my usual... I am supposed to run 18 miles to stay on track w/ the marathon training. So the tentative schedule for Sunday:
07:00 - up, bfast
07:30 - pack up & drive to SCT
08:00 - hit the trail running (haha...oh and w/ bike locked!)
11:00 - finish 18 miles
11:30 - hit up planet smoothie for a guilty pleasure of 400+ calories!
12:00 - Hit the trail riding! (w/ the group!)
02:00 - finish ride, pack up to head home
02:30 - home! (shower and rest for 1.5 hrs before leaving for church)

Goal: survive habitat build tomorrow, plan ahead for Sunday = smooth hectic schedule!

Almost Human

Today was great progress in terms of pink eye and breathing. Tomorrow I am going to adventure outside of the house :-D I have a bike fitting scheduled for 3pm tomorrow! Yay for buying a new seat and getting everything set up! Sadly I am debating if I should go on my schedule 2 hr bike ride earlier in the day b/c I won't have a clean pair of biking shorts (I don't want to be stinkY!) lol sad debate....

I finally went through pw my mom gave me of medical, school, car records, etc. Within the pages of school records, I found the physical fitness records of the schools in Tennessee! My timed mile in 2nd grade was 7:30 ?? The time flux from 7:30-8:15 for the 3 years I was in that elementary school. That's flat out crazy :-) I definitely celebrate running an 8min/mi pace during races...and that's my goal pace for the 5K segments of the sprint triathlons this summer.

Summary: debating working out w/o contacts in.... if I do: ride 128min, run 7 mi, abs/stretch -> bike fitting!!!! PUMPED

Pink Eye

Woke up w/ one red eye again -> went to the doctor this morning.

After clarification that it was pink eye, my new doctor wrote 4 other prescriptions for allergy stuff (2 inhalers, singular and allegra). I was worried about the cost of the 5 Rx's but it was only $80 total! :-) Def pumped as the previous $$ was over 100 for just the two allergy pills. :-p

The doctor freaked me out when she discussed how inconsistent allergy medicine could be creating scar tissue on my lungs?! Ugh on asthma. I was researching triathlon coaches for $100/mo (crazy I know) but now it will be allergy medicines for $100 a month :-) I think my body will thank me - and I will have the extra coach money in hopefully a few years (ah hemm silly student loans).

I am sick of not working out (strange I know) but I am in a delima (SP?): no gym b/c pink eye, no outside b/c pollen air! Silly silly....guess tomorrow = home abs and stretching to start...maybe run outside? (ugh I feel like I'm breaking the rules towards getting better.) Hope everyone is faring well with the pollen in ATL!

Meds day 2

Learned my lesson - went by Rite-Aid for some nyquil and vick's for tonight. Definitely got - oh - maybe 2 hrs of sleep at once! Crazy allergy time -> 2nd day of taking $$$ medicines.

My goals for this week:
** swim and run 5 x 1 mi repeats at the gym this evening. Time will show if the meds are in my system yet or not!
** schedule my bike fitting for later this week! That will also entail (sp?) a new bike seat YAY!!!
** officially join USATF to save on triathlon registrations
** register for this season triathlons (June, July, Aug, Oct ??)

Allergy Med Day 1

Boo on taking the ubber expensive allergy medicines. I AVOID them at all cost b/c if I take the two pills recommended, it costs almost $110 for 30 days. This does not include the regular inhaler, the pre & post workout inhalers, etc. I just refuse to pay that much.

Unfortunately for my cheap a$$, I've also become lazy in taking the OTC zyrtec (sp?) the past few weeks so the outdoor time (biking, running, etc) finally caught up to me! I broke down and took one of both of the expensive pills this morning. I see stars when I cough -> thinking this will lead to a co-pay moment (boo on doctors!).

I am debating working out (DEFINITELY in a gym) today but might wait until tomorrow for the meds to get working! Finally eating sweets again and not working out -> WHOOPS :-D

Easter = Chocolate!

Definitely a great day to celebrate! I enjoyed a HUGE meal w/ family and friends (wahoo for Mom & Dad coming in town)!! MB spoiled me w/ 100 donut holes and a dozen sublime donuts when I got back from 8am mass. Needlesstosay TONS of sweet leftovers (as well as tons of normal food from the feast).

No workout today - recovery from 40 mi + 7 mi.... swim + run/wts tomorrow :-p
(Determined to post everyday to "keep in" (aka create) the habit)

40 miler completed!

So this morning MB & I went on an adventure to get a lock for my bike while on the hitch rack (so I can run after riding) -> totally pumped to try it out!

The ride was going well - cruising through 15 and decided to aim for 20. 20 would not be accomplished in the 64 min I had planned (64 out, 64 back), but I stretched it by 7-8 minutes and made it! I took a few minute break and Tim (new friend) rode by. He stopped when I was just trying to say good job - and said he would ride back part of it with me (he lives off of the 13 mi marker).

The ride back was very even-keel, very low pace through mile 13 but it was great to hold a conversation, learn tricks of the trade, hear that his son teaches bike 101 classes at Atlanta Cycling in Vinings (small world), etc. So at mile 13, he went off the trail to head home and I realized that is was already 1:47:--. That is NOT cool... 13.3 miles left and 43 minutes left towards the goal of at least finishing in 2:30:--. SOO - I BUSTED A MOVE :-)

When I got to the 0.9 mile marker I was shocked to see that it was 2:27:-- Sweet!! Calculating that out....I averaged at least 18 mph for those 12 miles around the multiple intersections, silly 2x2 walkers on both sides, unpassable periods of time, etc. SO pumped! I finished the last mile -> sub 2:30:-- AWESOME!

Getting off the bike on such a high was great! Getting ready for a 7mi run after -> not so exciting :-p lol After tying up the bike w/ the new lock, I felt like I had to at least attempt the run! There is no 3.5 mile marker -> had to continue to the 3.7 one. No biggie until you hit the last part of the run (UGH).

GOODNIGHT does it feel so much SLOWER when you are running after riding. I felt like I would never reach the next mile marker sign - thinking "OMG this is going to take FOREVER!!!" I ran the first 57 minutes (almost 6 miles) and DIED. I literally walked the at least 1.4 miles back to the parking lot, finishing in 77 minutes. Oh well - it's a start to doing HARD brick workouts! (triathlon term: bike -> run w/o break)

Hope everyone got outside to enjoy the WONDERFUL weather!!! :-)

Another reason to do long runs on Sundays...

So after the long run - everything hurts (to be expected). Unfortunately, this puts me behind in pool time, weights and biking for this week! This weekend is Easter and will be a wee bit hard to fit in all the workouts to end the week on a good note - so I guess I'll have to disregard all the missed workouts thus far and just keep up with those already planned for this weekend...

Boo but still trying! Yay for sweets again in just a few days :-D