6 weeks, 4 days and counting....
The race bike route was finalized today and the forms are being faxed to me as I type! Huzzah! Registration has been delayed as the city of Anchorage kindly decided to install speed humps over the winter (because those golf carts were just getting out of control) and the park was trying to find another suitable route. Alas, no route could be found and we will just have to deal with speed humps. I'm thinking out-of-seat full-on Evel Knievel style is called for here.
And speaking of bikes, my baby is in the shop. Boo! I took it in for a tune-up because one of the bike club guys said it looked like my rear derailer was bent. Lucky me, it wasn't my derailer, my rear axle was in pieces. I needed a whole new rim, etc. I'll be picking her up later this week.
Meanwhile, it looks like I'll be indoor biking for the next few days. It's ok though, the gym is playing the Bourne movie series. I'll just pretend like I am chasing bad guys through Paris and every so often I'll look confused and ask the person on the bike next to me if they have any idea who I am.
Here's the plan:
Monday - Cycling (Indoor)
Tuesday - Run/Swim/Kickball
Wednesday - Arms/Run
Thursday - Lunch Run
Friday - Lunch Cycling
Saturday - Girlfriend's Bike Trip!!!
Sunday - Swim/Run
*Possible off day on Friday as all of my Fridays so far have gone straight to heck.
Week 5 Training Plan - Closing in on the halfway point!
A Breakthrough! This is awesome.
After a week of challenging workouts, I dipped into the pool last night for the first time in a week. My last two bike sessions had sucked. I fully expected to be constantly out of breath and fighting to achieve and maintain my form.
But then I hit the water. (Icy cold water. What up with that UofL?) Anyway...I hit the water and flew! A lot of the tips that I had been given clicked. My flutter kick was on, my arm blade strike was on, and I was whipping up and down those lanes like Aquawoman. I had good rotation, too. It was awesome. Don't know how it looked to the other swimmers and I don't care too much. This was the first time I have genuinely thought, "I'm going to finish this race!" It was amazing. I wanted to swim forever. That is a far cry from my first swim training session where I made it across 25 meters huffing and puffing, "I (puff) have to (gasp) do that (wheeze) how many (haaaahhhh) times?"
Toward the end, Amie mentioned that she had started breathing on alternate sides and that it was making a huge difference for her. I tried it and for a couple of lengths, it did work. On the next lap, though, I lost my kick. So, that's on the agenda tonight. Nice and easy swim, focusing on technique.
Here's a blog entry that Amie found and I have read and watched over and over again. This is how it should go...http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/08/13/total-immersion-how-i-learned-to-swim-effortlessly-in-10-days-and-you-can-too/
Week 4 Training
It's only week 4???? AAAHHHH! How much longer?
Wait. I only have 8 weeks left to train? AAAAAHHHHH. Am I going to be strong enough for this???
As you can see, my lovely readers, I am of two minds right now regarding this race. The past couple of sessions have been rough for me. Not impossible, but definitely challenging. I'm tired. All the time. I believe it's how I'm eating. My appetite has vanished. That's not good because I'm pretty sure that I'm not fueling properly. This week. I'm going to eat something every 3 hours whether I want to or not. I'm going to start with snacks of almonds and protein shakes until I get back into the groove. If I go for a week or so and am still dragging butt, I'm going to hop over to my doc's office and make sure I'm not anemic or something.
I did miss a couple of workouts this past week due to life. End of school, graduation and all of that. I can only go into this upcoming week with a militant attitude of not missing a single session! Here's what's on the plate:
Monday: Bike (w/LBC)
Tuesday: Run/Swim/Kickball
Wednesday: Run/Swim
Thursday: Strength/Drum Lessons
Friday: Run/Strength
Saturday: Bike/Swim
Sunday: Swim/Softball
The orange events are early am. Before work. Before civilization awakens. Ugh.
See Bill Run
My brother Bill ran a 5K this weekend! Go BILL! I know he's ramping up for other races, too. He's mentioned a sprint triathlon coming up out in Sonoma, where he lives.
I'd love to take a little credit for this sudden interest in racing, but Bill's always been more active than me. He's been a non-competitive runner and cyclist for years. He plays softball and in college we tore up the Frolf course. Holla! (Don't play raquetball with him though; he cheats.) Maybe I nudged him a bit in the race department. It would be kind of neat if big brother followed lil sis for a change.
Here's a pic I snitched from my sis-in-law's blog. Permission granting in process.
Side note: I used bahaus for the font on the pic. He used to love that crazy font.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
I should be in the pool.
Tonight was a swim workout night. I should be doing laps working on my stroke technique and burning some calories. But I'm not. I'm sitting here posting on my blog because my kids plans didn't work out tonight and I didn't get to drop him off at the movies for 30 minutes after he thought he was supposed to be there and the pool closed at 8. Now I'm cranky. Exploring that cranky, I assumed at first that it's just because I've had a long day. Up at 6, getting ready for Kiddo's graduation, and also maniacally filling out a last minute application (which actually is quite a blessing) to the high school that he wants to attend. (WOOOT Gail Taylor!), then lunch with friends and relatives, more work on application and succumbing to the pleading of my child to see his friend probably for the LAST TIME EVER MOM!
But that's not it at all. I'm cranky because I missed my workout. I love to swim. I love how I feel after being in the water. I feel all warm and loose. My skin and hair smells like chlorine and I am pleasantly tired. I sleep like a baby on swim nights. It makes me happy. And, like after all my other workouts, it is very satisfying knowing that I am one day closer to the race and the choices I made that day made me a little faster or a little stronger. So right now I just have to shake off the bad attitude and start fresh tomorrow. No beating myself up about it. Ahftah awl. Tomarah is anotha day!
Good night everyone! I feel better now. Thanks for listening.
Pfit Update
We're two weeks into Pfit and I'm down 2.5 lbs. Yay!
It's not as much as I would like; I love the thrill of a big number dump on the scale. I love making the top 10 list. I want to see my name in pixels! But it IS definitely going in the right direction AND, while I'm lifting weights too, not just ripping through cardio workouts. Sing it with me..."muscle weighs more than fat". How is that fair? Anyhoo, clothing is still growing on me and every week I'm finding more and more items in my closet that just won't fit anymore no matter how many binder clips I use. It's time to stop trying to convince myself that the baggy-hip-hop-business-casual look is attractive.
Things I need to tweak?
The mindset that I can eat more recklessly because I'm working out like a madwoman. You know, they should put that on the treadmill scrolly sign...Ooooh girl...another half mile and you can snarf down one of those Godiva truffles that you hid from the kid. go GO GO!!!
Other than that...onward and downward!!!
Week 3 Training Plan
This week's going to be nutty! It's the last week of school, so lots going on. Kiddo's graduation is tomorrow. We had a band audition last night, so I worked through lunch, hit the gym early and got Monday's strength training out. It was ok, but I rushed through the rest period between sets and also, I apparently was there at the same time as all the high school kids, so I had to wait several times for dumbells that I needed. Amie thinks that they need 2 sets upstairs and I heartily agree.
I was very surprised at the difference in the amount of weight I used on different muscle sets. My shoulder muscles are alot weaker than I thought that they would be and I had to back way down off of my planned weight. The only set that I thought I got to a "10" on the effort scale was my triceps work. I was really shaking at the end of those sets.
After that, I took my kiddo to his high school band audition where I found out that I would be shelling out around $300 and I would need to be something called "involved". Wha? Don't they know I'm in training? sigh. I don't mind to be involved, I just always feel like I come up short in that department. I would really really like to be a good band mom for my kid, I just don't know how that's going to work. It's just me to get him around town. I mean I can't be the only working parent here, right? So why on earth does it seem that all the summer programs for kids are scheduled for 9am dropoffs and 3 pm pickups? His dad lives 2hrs away so just by factor of distance alone he's of pretty much no help with these kind of things. Not whining. Just fact.
Anyway, this week is packed!
Monday - Upper Body Strength
Tuesday - Run (Strides)
Wed - Graduation/Swim
Thurs - Run/Strength Upper Body
Fri - Bike/Swim
Sat - Bike/Swim
Sun - Run (distance)/Lower Body Strength/Softball?/Visit my mother
How's your training going?