Because this week's long run was considered "only" 14 miles, we spiced it up a bit with the challenge of running the middle 10 miles at a 7:30 pace! Before I give the splits, let me just say that it wasn't my idea or Amy's idea to do it this way. We would've been perfectly content with running a nice slow 14 mile run on the trail. It was Thon's idea to start at Stacy Pool and run the Dallas White Rock Simulator. Our first 2 miles towards the trail would be our warmup. As soon as we hit the 0 Mile Marker on the trail, we would begin working our way to a 7:30 pace, knowing that our lungs and our legs just don't like going from a 10min pace to a 7:30 pace immediately. We'd hold that for the next 10 miles and then cool down for 2 miles back to our cars and the refreshing waters of Stacy Pool.
The main thing I noticed about Friday's run was how sore my legs were from a week of pretty intense speed work on the bike and on the track. My hamstrings were tight, My IT Band was sore and my lower back felt weak. As we discussed, I truly have no one to blame but myself for these aches and pains as I have been horrible about stretching. There's just no excuse for not stretching after every workout and I was feeling it.
Even though I was sore at first, it's amazing how your body just sort of "settles in" and says, "OK...If this is how it's gonna be, then let's go."
Here are our splits every two miles (Sorry--it's how Thon keeps track)
1st 2+ Miles: 23:31
Miles 3 and 4: 16:15
Miles 5 and 6: 15:16
Miles 7 and 8: 15:06
Miles 9 and 10: 15:06
Miles 11 and 12: 15:06
Last 2+ Miles: 22:33
39:07 1st 5 miles (of pace portion)
37:43 2nd 5 miles (of pace portion)
So, while we weren't dead on, we were amazingly close and I received this email from the Thonster:
"The last article I read suggested that you should be 2 minutes over for
your pace run no matter how far it is and that almost all of it should
be in the first 4-6 miles. We were 1:50 over and most of it - 1:31 -
was in the first 4 miles. Nice."
I'll take it...Now, if only I would stretch these aching muscles a bit more!!
About Me
- TRI TO BE FUNNY
- Austin, Texas, United States
- I'll make you laugh, or break my neck trying. This is usually accomplished with daily bouts of swimming, biking and running. A former "chub-a-holic," I got fit and healthy the good old fashioned way and went from a mid-pack athlete to top age group runner and triathlete. I'm a Writer and USAT Level 1 Certified Triathlon Coach. I guess that makes me part Tina Fey and part Jillian Michaels. Visit my coaching site at www.fomotraining.com
Friday, September 29, 2006
Week 8: Swim Class
Thursday:
Nothing really new to report on the Swim front. Still no real "breakthroughs" on times or training even though I continue to tweak my form to what I think is correct. My next strategy is to actually attend a workout where I'm observing from the pool deck and watching swimmers from above. I think it will help me visualize the good and the bad. I can also listen to the coach's instructions for other swimmers.
I attended practice on Thursday morning where our speed set was pretty nutty!
2 x 50, 3 x 50, 4 x 50 (at 85%), 5 x 50 (at 90%), 6 x 50 (95%). We had recovery laps and drills in between each speed set so we could gather our breath and regain form. My main problem is that when I start to speed up, I flatten my body and don't rotate in the water. Therefore, I ended up losing my catch. Plus, I definitely end up flatlining after the 90% effort and my 95% effort becomes my recovery.
85% avg 1:15 per 50
90% avg 1:07 per 50
95% avg 1:10 per 50---oops!
Nothing really new to report on the Swim front. Still no real "breakthroughs" on times or training even though I continue to tweak my form to what I think is correct. My next strategy is to actually attend a workout where I'm observing from the pool deck and watching swimmers from above. I think it will help me visualize the good and the bad. I can also listen to the coach's instructions for other swimmers.
I attended practice on Thursday morning where our speed set was pretty nutty!
2 x 50, 3 x 50, 4 x 50 (at 85%), 5 x 50 (at 90%), 6 x 50 (95%). We had recovery laps and drills in between each speed set so we could gather our breath and regain form. My main problem is that when I start to speed up, I flatten my body and don't rotate in the water. Therefore, I ended up losing my catch. Plus, I definitely end up flatlining after the 90% effort and my 95% effort becomes my recovery.
85% avg 1:15 per 50
90% avg 1:07 per 50
95% avg 1:10 per 50---oops!
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Week 8: 800s on Track
Wednesday brought a return to Gazelles and a return to the track for 8 x 800m repeats with a 2 minute rest in between. While I was definitely pushing it through the repeats, I was able to fully recover during each 2-minute break which is a sign of a good fitness level. I ran in a pack with Jennifer, Dennis, Cindy and Mike. Frank and Marcy joined us for the last few as they are gearing up for Chicago in just a couple of weeks! They are both running so strong right now, but you can tell they are itching to get it done. I know the feeling--I can't wait until my taper in a few weeks!!
#1 3:25
#2 3:20
#3 3:20
#4 3:22
#5 3:17
#6 3:16
#7 3:17
#8 3:12
#1 3:25
#2 3:20
#3 3:20
#4 3:22
#5 3:17
#6 3:16
#7 3:17
#8 3:12
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Week 8: Cycling Speed/Catching Up on Chaos
I received a fortune tonight with my Firebowl meal that only confirmed what I was going to write about tonight. The fortune read, “Allow disruptions to deepen your concentration.” Well, who says fortunes don’t come true! I’ve been wallowing in a world of disruptions lately, which I’m convinced will only serve to make me stronger, happier and more content with things to come.
Our new house has been in that proverbial “two weeks left” period for over a month now, which means I’ve continued to virtually live out of a couple of clothing boxes. Fortunately, the bulk of my daily outfits consist of running clothes and jeans so it’s really no huge deal. If nothing else, it truly reveals the clothes that I can and can’t live without. Suffice to say, that there are plenty of clothes I could donate and never think about again. My mail is still being delivered to my old condo so I’ve made arrangements with the new owner to pick it up every now and then until I have a permanent address. Thank God for the patience of others.
To make the situation even more humorous, we have to be out of our current living situation by October 5th. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be closed by then. Therefore, we may be moving to yet ANOTHER temporary residence until we close. But that’s not the funny part…This past weekend, Shawn’s parents rented a moving truck and drove up to Austin to haul a bunch of our furniture away that they are going to use. At the same time, the person who is taking over the apartment lease rented movers to move all of her stuff into our apartment. So, in less than two hours, our crap was replaced with someone else’s crap and we’re currently living amongst strange couches, armoires, bookshelves, boxes and plants that are not set up in any organized fashion. About the only thing we have left that’s “ours” is a bed. The bed has also been our kitchen table and desk for the last couple of nights.
I’m looking on the bright side through all of this chaos and disruption. Some people don’t have any place to live and we have multiple choices. We all should be so lucky. I just wish I knew where my underwear and mail were on a daily basis!!
Several other “disruptions” in my world continue to take place right now as well. Fortunately my injury (see past posts about “Barney”) has subsided and I’m back on the bike with slight discomfort, but nothing severe. My Ironman 70.3 World Championship training appears to be right on track. Flights and hotel are booked! I did a speed cycling workout with T3 tonight on South Mopac and did really well. I was the first female to finish behind two guys. We did 3x 4 mile loops, plus a warmup and cooldown for 17.5 miles.
Loop 1 : 14:48 (19.9 mph)
Loop 2: 14:11 (20.1mph)
Loop 3: 14: 18 (20 mph)
My training for Dallas White Rock Marathon continues to proceed as well.Hotel is officially booked as of today. My only fear is burning out before the actual race. We have run two to three 18 milers and three 20 milers ALREADY and we still have several weeks to go. While I’ve been injury-free up to this point, I’ve definitely been feeling some muscle tightness. It’s completely my fault because I haven’t been diligent with stretching or massage.
As I’ve mentioned before, the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot is my Annual disruption this time of year. Before and after work, I’m usually filling out forms and emailing requests to city officials for street closures and parking, and neighborhood associations who are never happy that a race is taking place in their ‘hood. While I bitch and moan about the amount of work it involves, I’m also grateful for the connections and networking that comes with being a Race Director for one of Austin’s largest events. Plus, it does get a little easier every year as things become more and more routine. AND I have so many friends who volunteer their time to help me!! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!
So, there you go…As my fortune says, I’m allowing disruptions to deepen my concentration. I’m invigorated to do my best at all of the above. Typically, the only person I disappoint is myself when I realize that I just can’t do it all!
Up next?? Planning my wedding!!!!! Fortunately, my fiancé and I are in agreement to wait until we’re in the new house before we switch gears to the nuptials. Right now, we’re focusing on things like toilet seat height. The last thing I want to do is switch from toilet seats to wedding cakes in the same conversation. We are signed up for Marriage Prep classes in October so that weekend will put us in the starting block for our next Marathon Training Session. This Marathon will last a lifetime (almost like this blog entry).
Our new house has been in that proverbial “two weeks left” period for over a month now, which means I’ve continued to virtually live out of a couple of clothing boxes. Fortunately, the bulk of my daily outfits consist of running clothes and jeans so it’s really no huge deal. If nothing else, it truly reveals the clothes that I can and can’t live without. Suffice to say, that there are plenty of clothes I could donate and never think about again. My mail is still being delivered to my old condo so I’ve made arrangements with the new owner to pick it up every now and then until I have a permanent address. Thank God for the patience of others.
To make the situation even more humorous, we have to be out of our current living situation by October 5th. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be closed by then. Therefore, we may be moving to yet ANOTHER temporary residence until we close. But that’s not the funny part…This past weekend, Shawn’s parents rented a moving truck and drove up to Austin to haul a bunch of our furniture away that they are going to use. At the same time, the person who is taking over the apartment lease rented movers to move all of her stuff into our apartment. So, in less than two hours, our crap was replaced with someone else’s crap and we’re currently living amongst strange couches, armoires, bookshelves, boxes and plants that are not set up in any organized fashion. About the only thing we have left that’s “ours” is a bed. The bed has also been our kitchen table and desk for the last couple of nights.
I’m looking on the bright side through all of this chaos and disruption. Some people don’t have any place to live and we have multiple choices. We all should be so lucky. I just wish I knew where my underwear and mail were on a daily basis!!
Several other “disruptions” in my world continue to take place right now as well. Fortunately my injury (see past posts about “Barney”) has subsided and I’m back on the bike with slight discomfort, but nothing severe. My Ironman 70.3 World Championship training appears to be right on track. Flights and hotel are booked! I did a speed cycling workout with T3 tonight on South Mopac and did really well. I was the first female to finish behind two guys. We did 3x 4 mile loops, plus a warmup and cooldown for 17.5 miles.
Loop 1 : 14:48 (19.9 mph)
Loop 2: 14:11 (20.1mph)
Loop 3: 14: 18 (20 mph)
My training for Dallas White Rock Marathon continues to proceed as well.Hotel is officially booked as of today. My only fear is burning out before the actual race. We have run two to three 18 milers and three 20 milers ALREADY and we still have several weeks to go. While I’ve been injury-free up to this point, I’ve definitely been feeling some muscle tightness. It’s completely my fault because I haven’t been diligent with stretching or massage.
As I’ve mentioned before, the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot is my Annual disruption this time of year. Before and after work, I’m usually filling out forms and emailing requests to city officials for street closures and parking, and neighborhood associations who are never happy that a race is taking place in their ‘hood. While I bitch and moan about the amount of work it involves, I’m also grateful for the connections and networking that comes with being a Race Director for one of Austin’s largest events. Plus, it does get a little easier every year as things become more and more routine. AND I have so many friends who volunteer their time to help me!! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!
So, there you go…As my fortune says, I’m allowing disruptions to deepen my concentration. I’m invigorated to do my best at all of the above. Typically, the only person I disappoint is myself when I realize that I just can’t do it all!
Up next?? Planning my wedding!!!!! Fortunately, my fiancé and I are in agreement to wait until we’re in the new house before we switch gears to the nuptials. Right now, we’re focusing on things like toilet seat height. The last thing I want to do is switch from toilet seats to wedding cakes in the same conversation. We are signed up for Marriage Prep classes in October so that weekend will put us in the starting block for our next Marathon Training Session. This Marathon will last a lifetime (almost like this blog entry).
Monday, September 25, 2006
Week 8: 5 laps at Barton Springs A.M./ 4.5 Mile Run P.M.
Barton Springs Swim
It was slow and it wasn't pretty, but I completed 5 laps at Barton Springs this morning for 1.4 miles. I felt relaxed and strong until the last lap when I started feeling fatigued. Every lap was right around 10 minutes, which is a good 15-20 sec slower than normal. I really can't attribute it to anything except for the fact that I'm SLOW!!
4.5 Mile Recovery Run
After meeting at the new house to check on the progress (or lack thereof), Shawn and I went for a 4.5 mile recovery run on Town Lake. The first mile was a good reminder of the fact that my legs were still sore, but I settled in after that. It was one of the most beautiful evenings I've ever witnessed. The sun was beginning to set over the lake and so man people were taking advantage of the weather.
Will hopefully get back to normal posts soon!! My chaotic existence is catching up with me!
It was slow and it wasn't pretty, but I completed 5 laps at Barton Springs this morning for 1.4 miles. I felt relaxed and strong until the last lap when I started feeling fatigued. Every lap was right around 10 minutes, which is a good 15-20 sec slower than normal. I really can't attribute it to anything except for the fact that I'm SLOW!!
4.5 Mile Recovery Run
After meeting at the new house to check on the progress (or lack thereof), Shawn and I went for a 4.5 mile recovery run on Town Lake. The first mile was a good reminder of the fact that my legs were still sore, but I settled in after that. It was one of the most beautiful evenings I've ever witnessed. The sun was beginning to set over the lake and so man people were taking advantage of the weather.
Will hopefully get back to normal posts soon!! My chaotic existence is catching up with me!
Week 7: Recap 20 Mile Run/Swim Class/37 Mile Bike
This one is brief because I'm so behind!!
Let me start off this blog with an apology to my friend Erine, who's training motives I questioned on Saturday night. You see, we were out with a few Gazelles eating Mexican food, drinking margaritas and following that up with Gelato (can you say gluttony??) and he was asking our opinion on whether or not we thought it was a good training tactic to run 6-7 miles the night before a long run. My initial reaction was "Are you crazy??" Isn't the goal of a long run to feel rested and energized, much like you want to feel on race day?? Why would you stress your body the night before a 22 mile run with a 7 mile run?
The bottom line: there is no right or wrong for anyone. What works for him may not work for me. That's why hundreds of authors get rich for offering different advice on the same topics! So, Erine, run like the wind baby!!!!!!!! How dare I question a strategy that is paying huge dividends in your results.
Besides, as it was pointed out to me, my strategies are just as taxing. I never thought of it that way because of the "cross-training" aspect, but I definitely felt it this weekend!!
Saturday--20 Mile RUN
The only acceptable reason for running 20 miles on Saturday was because "we needed the mileage." Even though I LOVE running, that couldn't be the sole purpose for getting out of bed on Saturday. Even people who love to run would've stayed in bed. Not only did I have to be at Barton Springs by 5:10am for the commute up north, only to run BACK to Barton Springs, but at 4:30am, it was 82 degrees with over 80% humidity. The conditions were horrid, which is just a colossal slap in the face since we had just come off three mornings of cool running weather. This was also the Chicago Marathoners last long-run day before they begin their taper. While I was doing 20 miles, they were doing 23 miles. ughhh...The course was essentially the bulk of last year's Marathon course. We started at 183 and Spicewood Springs and we've our way down Jollyville to Braker to 183 to the Shoal Creek hoods to Hyde Park to Campus to Downtown and back to Barton Springs.
While I had a really good run, it was very tough for several who were getting dehydrated and sick. Unfortunately, the first couple of water stops were 4 miles apart. Normally, this would work fine, but I think people were feeling the effects of the early lack of hydration and it was hard to catch up as the run progressed. I ran the bulk of today's run in the dark with Thon, Amy and a new Gazelle named Kelly. Amy, Kelly and I were feeling strong and clocked a decent 2:54 for 20 miles for an average pace of 8:35 or so.
Sunday Morning
T3 Swim Class--2550 yards
Sunday Afternoon
Shawn and I headed to Johnson City for a 37-Mile bike ride in the Hill Country. My legs were pretty fried from the 20 mile run, but we did it and finished strong. The headwinds were pretty rough at the beginning, but the 2nd Half was much more kind to us. Unfortunately, it also irritated "Barney." Luckily, we were finished in 2 hrs 31 Min.
Let me start off this blog with an apology to my friend Erine, who's training motives I questioned on Saturday night. You see, we were out with a few Gazelles eating Mexican food, drinking margaritas and following that up with Gelato (can you say gluttony??) and he was asking our opinion on whether or not we thought it was a good training tactic to run 6-7 miles the night before a long run. My initial reaction was "Are you crazy??" Isn't the goal of a long run to feel rested and energized, much like you want to feel on race day?? Why would you stress your body the night before a 22 mile run with a 7 mile run?
The bottom line: there is no right or wrong for anyone. What works for him may not work for me. That's why hundreds of authors get rich for offering different advice on the same topics! So, Erine, run like the wind baby!!!!!!!! How dare I question a strategy that is paying huge dividends in your results.
Besides, as it was pointed out to me, my strategies are just as taxing. I never thought of it that way because of the "cross-training" aspect, but I definitely felt it this weekend!!
Saturday--20 Mile RUN
The only acceptable reason for running 20 miles on Saturday was because "we needed the mileage." Even though I LOVE running, that couldn't be the sole purpose for getting out of bed on Saturday. Even people who love to run would've stayed in bed. Not only did I have to be at Barton Springs by 5:10am for the commute up north, only to run BACK to Barton Springs, but at 4:30am, it was 82 degrees with over 80% humidity. The conditions were horrid, which is just a colossal slap in the face since we had just come off three mornings of cool running weather. This was also the Chicago Marathoners last long-run day before they begin their taper. While I was doing 20 miles, they were doing 23 miles. ughhh...The course was essentially the bulk of last year's Marathon course. We started at 183 and Spicewood Springs and we've our way down Jollyville to Braker to 183 to the Shoal Creek hoods to Hyde Park to Campus to Downtown and back to Barton Springs.
While I had a really good run, it was very tough for several who were getting dehydrated and sick. Unfortunately, the first couple of water stops were 4 miles apart. Normally, this would work fine, but I think people were feeling the effects of the early lack of hydration and it was hard to catch up as the run progressed. I ran the bulk of today's run in the dark with Thon, Amy and a new Gazelle named Kelly. Amy, Kelly and I were feeling strong and clocked a decent 2:54 for 20 miles for an average pace of 8:35 or so.
Sunday Morning
T3 Swim Class--2550 yards
Sunday Afternoon
Shawn and I headed to Johnson City for a 37-Mile bike ride in the Hill Country. My legs were pretty fried from the 20 mile run, but we did it and finished strong. The headwinds were pretty rough at the beginning, but the 2nd Half was much more kind to us. Unfortunately, it also irritated "Barney." Luckily, we were finished in 2 hrs 31 Min.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Week 7: 10 Mile Run/30 min Swim
We just didn't want to do the 4 mile tempo run this week. I was actually a little sore after Tuesday's 10-Mile Pace Run and didn't want to push it. I don't know if "sore" is the right word, but I definitely wasn't recovered. I was happy to hear that both Thon and Amy were feeling the same way. We constantly remind ourselves that our Marathon is still a very long 2 1/2 months away at this point so we have permission to back it off a bit. After the Chicago Marathon people run their race in a few weeks, it's time for us to pick it up. Actually, I'm going to Columbus the weekend of the Columbus Marathon and I'm thinking of running the Half to give myself a good gauge of where I'm at. We'll see...My brother is running the full marathon so I also want to be there to cheer him to the finish!
Thon, Amy and her friend Marissa joined me yesterday for a run. We weren't really sure what our goal was. Of course, we saw Gilbert and he wanted us to do the Pace Run, but we talked him out of it. "Next time Gilbert." I was up for 7-10 miles and Amy only wanted to do 7. Soooo, Thon gave in and decided to run the 10 miles with me. Our first 4-5 miles were in the 9min per mile range and our last five were basically 8:20s-8:40s giving our overall pave around an 8:35 for the morning. It wasn't technically a recovery run and it definitely wasn't a pace run. We'll call it a steady distance run with slight revovery.
Since I had some time after the run, I decided to head over to Stacy Pool for a 30-min pool workout. Every little bit helps, right? I did about 300-400 warmup, pull/buoy for about 300-400 and fins for about 300-400. Nothing spectacular, but it was something and a good way to cool off from the run.
I also witnessed one of the funniest things I've seen in a long while. My God, it brought back memories. While I was swimming at Stacy, there was also an elementary school gym class taking place with swim lessons. Well, at about the time I was wrapping up my workout and heading to the shower, the class was also finishing and the girls were coming to my locker room as the boys headed to theirs. The kids were probably 10-11 years old. Of course, you could hear the boys hooping and hollering in their locker room and flicking each other with towels. A couple of the girls started talking, "God. Can you believe how immature the boys are?"
"I bet they never grow up," said the other one.
"Well, as long as I have you girls, I'll be fine, " said the first.
I wanted so badly to shout out, "AMEN Sister," but I didn't want to scare them for the rest of their lives!
Another girl was talking about one of the boys named Alex. Her friend asked, "Do you like him?" To which the girl replied, "NO! I've got the Alex Shield up. I'm only trying to help him learn how to swim, but that is it!" You could tell her friend could see right through that one. I could to! Her crush on Mr. Alex was so obvious and cute.
I, too, could witness the incsecurities of women. Some girls went into the stalls to change their clothes because they felt uncomfortable. Some couldn't give a damn who saw them. Actually, one said, "We're all girls. Who cares??" You could watch them maneuver their shirts over their towels so that no one could see. Hell, I was doing the same thing because I didn't want this old bag to freak them out. Their insecurities made me go right back to my insecurities. Finally, once all the girls walked out, one final student walked in and she was pretty overweight. I don't know if she had just gotten out of the pool or if she waited intentionally until no one else was left, but she quietly and covertly changed into her school clothes by herself, making sure her back was turned away from me. My heart went out to this girl and I just wanted to give her a pep talk and a hug. I had a feeling she doesn't get a lot of positive affirmation from friends or family.
I left with a smile of nostalgia because I remembered vividly what it was like to be in all of those situations...insecure, in a crush with a boy and scared to let anyone see me. I also quickly realized that not much really changes as we become adults.
Boys will still flick each other with towels.
Thon, Amy and her friend Marissa joined me yesterday for a run. We weren't really sure what our goal was. Of course, we saw Gilbert and he wanted us to do the Pace Run, but we talked him out of it. "Next time Gilbert." I was up for 7-10 miles and Amy only wanted to do 7. Soooo, Thon gave in and decided to run the 10 miles with me. Our first 4-5 miles were in the 9min per mile range and our last five were basically 8:20s-8:40s giving our overall pave around an 8:35 for the morning. It wasn't technically a recovery run and it definitely wasn't a pace run. We'll call it a steady distance run with slight revovery.
Since I had some time after the run, I decided to head over to Stacy Pool for a 30-min pool workout. Every little bit helps, right? I did about 300-400 warmup, pull/buoy for about 300-400 and fins for about 300-400. Nothing spectacular, but it was something and a good way to cool off from the run.
I also witnessed one of the funniest things I've seen in a long while. My God, it brought back memories. While I was swimming at Stacy, there was also an elementary school gym class taking place with swim lessons. Well, at about the time I was wrapping up my workout and heading to the shower, the class was also finishing and the girls were coming to my locker room as the boys headed to theirs. The kids were probably 10-11 years old. Of course, you could hear the boys hooping and hollering in their locker room and flicking each other with towels. A couple of the girls started talking, "God. Can you believe how immature the boys are?"
"I bet they never grow up," said the other one.
"Well, as long as I have you girls, I'll be fine, " said the first.
I wanted so badly to shout out, "AMEN Sister," but I didn't want to scare them for the rest of their lives!
Another girl was talking about one of the boys named Alex. Her friend asked, "Do you like him?" To which the girl replied, "NO! I've got the Alex Shield up. I'm only trying to help him learn how to swim, but that is it!" You could tell her friend could see right through that one. I could to! Her crush on Mr. Alex was so obvious and cute.
I, too, could witness the incsecurities of women. Some girls went into the stalls to change their clothes because they felt uncomfortable. Some couldn't give a damn who saw them. Actually, one said, "We're all girls. Who cares??" You could watch them maneuver their shirts over their towels so that no one could see. Hell, I was doing the same thing because I didn't want this old bag to freak them out. Their insecurities made me go right back to my insecurities. Finally, once all the girls walked out, one final student walked in and she was pretty overweight. I don't know if she had just gotten out of the pool or if she waited intentionally until no one else was left, but she quietly and covertly changed into her school clothes by herself, making sure her back was turned away from me. My heart went out to this girl and I just wanted to give her a pep talk and a hug. I had a feeling she doesn't get a lot of positive affirmation from friends or family.
I left with a smile of nostalgia because I remembered vividly what it was like to be in all of those situations...insecure, in a crush with a boy and scared to let anyone see me. I also quickly realized that not much really changes as we become adults.
Boys will still flick each other with towels.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Week 7: 1 Mile Swim at Barton Springs
I looked for one all day. Hell, in the morning and at lunch on Wednesday, I had real-life adult legitimate excuses for not getting my swim in for the day. God would've forgiven me, my body would've been happy, the training schedule wouldn't suffer that much, right?? ha ha ha ha ha ha I've learned two big things since I started being a "contender" :
1.) Your body is capable of so much more than you would ever imagine
2.) Your mind is far less forgiving then your body.
So, rather than suffer the mental guilt of doing nothing, I headed to Barton Springs Pool after 7pm and swam my mile. (4 x 400s) I took a quick breather in between each interval and left on the 10:00 mark for each lap.
9:40
9:44
9:41
9:48
The water was murky and definitely in need of a good cleaning (which happens on Thursdays), but it was so peaceful being out there when virtually no one else was in the pool. Seriously, at one point, I think there were only about 3-4 people in the entire Springs. I felt like I owned this treasure for a moment.
I got out feeling refreshed and relieved...Not to mention the fact that my mind was at peace for the day.
1.) Your body is capable of so much more than you would ever imagine
2.) Your mind is far less forgiving then your body.
So, rather than suffer the mental guilt of doing nothing, I headed to Barton Springs Pool after 7pm and swam my mile. (4 x 400s) I took a quick breather in between each interval and left on the 10:00 mark for each lap.
9:40
9:44
9:41
9:48
The water was murky and definitely in need of a good cleaning (which happens on Thursdays), but it was so peaceful being out there when virtually no one else was in the pool. Seriously, at one point, I think there were only about 3-4 people in the entire Springs. I felt like I owned this treasure for a moment.
I got out feeling refreshed and relieved...Not to mention the fact that my mind was at peace for the day.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Week 7: Tues 10 Mile Pace Run/Bike Ride
I haven't lost my mojo! I haven't lost my mojo!!
I was beginning to worry a bit about my running. I feel like my injury set me back a bit and I hadn't really tested my speed workouts in a while. The last few long runs have been fairly slow and laborious. It's hard to tell wheather it's a case of overtraining or undertraining at this point. I just new I hadn't been performing with any pizazz lately. Tuesday morning was a redemption day.
Because we skipped Monday's Gazelle workout, Thon and I decided to meet on Tuesday morning for our 10-Mile Pace Run. We tried to recruit others, but were turned down!! We met a little after 6:00am and formulated our plan. Run the first two miles slow and the last 8 with progressive pace pickups. Thanks to his expertise, we did just that. It was dark as HELL for the first two miles, which is one reason why we were so slow. The other reason is that I was still waking up from a deep sleep. Damn, the alarm clock is early!!
19:31 2 mile warm up
7:58
7:40
7:28
7:21
7:18
7:11
7:06
7:04
--
1:18:42
42:39 1st 5 miles
36:03 2nd 5 miles
It turned out to be a beautiful day so I couldn't just go home and do nothing! I went for a 1 hour bike ride instead around the streets of Tarrytown. It wasn't much of a strategic workout, but it was time in the saddle, which I'm happy to get these days!
I was beginning to worry a bit about my running. I feel like my injury set me back a bit and I hadn't really tested my speed workouts in a while. The last few long runs have been fairly slow and laborious. It's hard to tell wheather it's a case of overtraining or undertraining at this point. I just new I hadn't been performing with any pizazz lately. Tuesday morning was a redemption day.
Because we skipped Monday's Gazelle workout, Thon and I decided to meet on Tuesday morning for our 10-Mile Pace Run. We tried to recruit others, but were turned down!! We met a little after 6:00am and formulated our plan. Run the first two miles slow and the last 8 with progressive pace pickups. Thanks to his expertise, we did just that. It was dark as HELL for the first two miles, which is one reason why we were so slow. The other reason is that I was still waking up from a deep sleep. Damn, the alarm clock is early!!
19:31 2 mile warm up
7:58
7:40
7:28
7:21
7:18
7:11
7:06
7:04
--
1:18:42
42:39 1st 5 miles
36:03 2nd 5 miles
It turned out to be a beautiful day so I couldn't just go home and do nothing! I went for a 1 hour bike ride instead around the streets of Tarrytown. It wasn't much of a strategic workout, but it was time in the saddle, which I'm happy to get these days!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Turkey Trot Registration Open
The 16th Annual Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot Race Registration is officially open with a new and improved (at least I think so) website.
Go to www.thundercloud.com and click on the Race Link!
I'll also be solicting volunteers along the way, so let me know if you're interested in helping out with some pre-race and race day fun!
Also, check out www.chompcookies.com . These are the best!!! I'm working on some Public Relations for this local Austin company and hope to get as much exposure for them as I can. I just came back from their bakery and sampled the cookie dough and fresh baked cookies. So good! They are available in some area stores as well as on-line in their new Chomp Shop. Perfect for holiday gifts :-)
More on my fabulous 10-mile Pace Run later!
Go to www.thundercloud.com and click on the Race Link!
I'll also be solicting volunteers along the way, so let me know if you're interested in helping out with some pre-race and race day fun!
Also, check out www.chompcookies.com . These are the best!!! I'm working on some Public Relations for this local Austin company and hope to get as much exposure for them as I can. I just came back from their bakery and sampled the cookie dough and fresh baked cookies. So good! They are available in some area stores as well as on-line in their new Chomp Shop. Perfect for holiday gifts :-)
More on my fabulous 10-mile Pace Run later!
Week 7: Mon. Spin/Brick Workout
So, it was raining on Monday morning and I just couldn’t muster the energy to run in the rain today. Turns out that I made a good decision. I thought we were supposed to do a circuit workout, but apparently it was a 10-mile pace run. For the few that did show up, he apparently cancelled the “pace” portion of the run because the trail was in such bad shape due to the storms and told those to just do the best they could.
In lieu of tramping through the mud, I went to Spin Class with Shawn and then hopped on the treadmill for about 30 minutes. It’s good practice since I haven’t actually been doing many bricks during this training period. I do enjoy spin class (if that’s the right word to use), but much prefer the real outdoors. I do hope this is the week I can return to the saddle in a good way…
My diet has been a little off as well. Not overly poor, but I haven’t been as conscious as usual. Went to dinner last night with some friends and tried to be well-balanced. Well, at least until dessert showed up.
Also starting to feel the waves of Turkey Trot Pressure building. More than anything, I'm trying to get over my procrastination of some of the work involved in directing this event. I also need a Volunteer Coordinator so if anyone is interested, let me know!
In lieu of tramping through the mud, I went to Spin Class with Shawn and then hopped on the treadmill for about 30 minutes. It’s good practice since I haven’t actually been doing many bricks during this training period. I do enjoy spin class (if that’s the right word to use), but much prefer the real outdoors. I do hope this is the week I can return to the saddle in a good way…
My diet has been a little off as well. Not overly poor, but I haven’t been as conscious as usual. Went to dinner last night with some friends and tried to be well-balanced. Well, at least until dessert showed up.
Also starting to feel the waves of Turkey Trot Pressure building. More than anything, I'm trying to get over my procrastination of some of the work involved in directing this event. I also need a Volunteer Coordinator so if anyone is interested, let me know!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Week 6: Sat/Sun Recap
Most people in Texas want their “Wide Open Spaces.” Not me. I absolutely love my low maintenance lifestyle. I’m so happy that I don’t live in a big house with a large yard. Nope—give me a garden home or a condo any day. It allows me the time to do anything and everything that I need to do without having to worry about watering the yard and cutting the grass. This weekend was a great example.
Saturday: 9 Mile Run/20 min Swim
I debated about what to do on Saturday morning. T3 was doing a ride to San Marcos and I really debated doing that ride. However, Shawn was interested in riding on Sunday so I decided to wait a day. Instead, I met Thon at Stacy Pool on Saturday morning for a 9-mile run. I can’t tell you how great it felt to actually sleep in a little bit on a Saturday morning. By “sleeping in,” I mean to say that I was still up at 6am in time to run at 6:30am. We met at Stacy Pool with the intention of swimming immediately afterward. Well, I was going to swim and everyone else would just soak. Unfortunately, we learned that Stacy doesn’t open until Noon on the weekends and Barton Springs is blocked off this weekend because of the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival. So, I headed over to Deep Eddy Pool and swam for 20 minutes…Two days, two runs, two swims…nice.
Now, here’s what I love about my low maintenance lifestyle. After swimming, the “gang” reconvened for our usual Saturday morning breakfast taco feast at Mi Madres. Shawn and I then left breakfast and headed Sam’s Boat to watch the Ohio State football game with the Austin Chapter of the Ohio State Alumni Association. While neither of us are actual alum of OSU, it’s still great to be in the company of others from home! The game wasn’t necessarily the blow out that we thought it would be so we stayed the entire time.
So, we knew it was a long shot on a Saturday afternoon, but we wanted to drive by our new house to see if it was open so that we could lay down paper and measure the space for our living room furniture, bed and dining room table. By a stroke of luck, the house was open and we were able to take care of the measurements, saving a ton of time and stress later in the week.
The evening ended with a fabulous dinner at Chinatown/Musachino for some sushi with friends Matt and Maria. I wanted to be in bed early for Sunday morning swim class and the bike ride that I postponed.
Sunday: Swim Class and No Bike
Oh well..it just wasn’t meant to be this weekend. Perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of letting my injury heal for just one more day.
I did get up and go to swim class at 8:00am this morning. I still really don’t think I’m getting faster, but I am consistent. It was a tough workout and my lane partner actually bailed out early. I may be slow, but I always finish my workouts. We did 50 repeats and I averaged between 1:14-1:17 on all of them. I’d really love to get that down to a consistent 1:05-1:10. Maybe someday…
After swim class I met Shawn at Starbucks for a morning cup of coffee and a little newspaper reading. Our next stop was Best Buy and Crate and Barrel to look at TVs, couches and beds.
As soon as we got home, the skies opened up and it started raining pretty hard for about an hour. We were also interested in going to the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival at some point this afternoon, but it meant making a choice—bike ride or concert. While I knew I’d feel guilty, I also couldn’t resist going down there to see the likes of Matisyahu, Sun Volt, The Greencards, Ben Harper and others. Fortunately, it had stopped raining and the venue was in great shape. Shawn put things in perspective by reminding me that we can ride anytime. The Festival was a once-a- year treat. Plus, I still have about 6 weeks to go and I’ll be fine!
So, while we didn’t get to ride this weekend, we still got a ton of personal stuff completed including ordering furniture, donating more items, meals with friends, exercise, live music and shopping! (not to mention a nice snap this afternoon while it was raining)
We couldn’t have done this if we had to weed and cut grass all weekend!!
Saturday: 9 Mile Run/20 min Swim
I debated about what to do on Saturday morning. T3 was doing a ride to San Marcos and I really debated doing that ride. However, Shawn was interested in riding on Sunday so I decided to wait a day. Instead, I met Thon at Stacy Pool on Saturday morning for a 9-mile run. I can’t tell you how great it felt to actually sleep in a little bit on a Saturday morning. By “sleeping in,” I mean to say that I was still up at 6am in time to run at 6:30am. We met at Stacy Pool with the intention of swimming immediately afterward. Well, I was going to swim and everyone else would just soak. Unfortunately, we learned that Stacy doesn’t open until Noon on the weekends and Barton Springs is blocked off this weekend because of the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival. So, I headed over to Deep Eddy Pool and swam for 20 minutes…Two days, two runs, two swims…nice.
Now, here’s what I love about my low maintenance lifestyle. After swimming, the “gang” reconvened for our usual Saturday morning breakfast taco feast at Mi Madres. Shawn and I then left breakfast and headed Sam’s Boat to watch the Ohio State football game with the Austin Chapter of the Ohio State Alumni Association. While neither of us are actual alum of OSU, it’s still great to be in the company of others from home! The game wasn’t necessarily the blow out that we thought it would be so we stayed the entire time.
So, we knew it was a long shot on a Saturday afternoon, but we wanted to drive by our new house to see if it was open so that we could lay down paper and measure the space for our living room furniture, bed and dining room table. By a stroke of luck, the house was open and we were able to take care of the measurements, saving a ton of time and stress later in the week.
The evening ended with a fabulous dinner at Chinatown/Musachino for some sushi with friends Matt and Maria. I wanted to be in bed early for Sunday morning swim class and the bike ride that I postponed.
Sunday: Swim Class and No Bike
Oh well..it just wasn’t meant to be this weekend. Perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of letting my injury heal for just one more day.
I did get up and go to swim class at 8:00am this morning. I still really don’t think I’m getting faster, but I am consistent. It was a tough workout and my lane partner actually bailed out early. I may be slow, but I always finish my workouts. We did 50 repeats and I averaged between 1:14-1:17 on all of them. I’d really love to get that down to a consistent 1:05-1:10. Maybe someday…
After swim class I met Shawn at Starbucks for a morning cup of coffee and a little newspaper reading. Our next stop was Best Buy and Crate and Barrel to look at TVs, couches and beds.
As soon as we got home, the skies opened up and it started raining pretty hard for about an hour. We were also interested in going to the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival at some point this afternoon, but it meant making a choice—bike ride or concert. While I knew I’d feel guilty, I also couldn’t resist going down there to see the likes of Matisyahu, Sun Volt, The Greencards, Ben Harper and others. Fortunately, it had stopped raining and the venue was in great shape. Shawn put things in perspective by reminding me that we can ride anytime. The Festival was a once-a- year treat. Plus, I still have about 6 weeks to go and I’ll be fine!
So, while we didn’t get to ride this weekend, we still got a ton of personal stuff completed including ordering furniture, donating more items, meals with friends, exercise, live music and shopping! (not to mention a nice snap this afternoon while it was raining)
We couldn’t have done this if we had to weed and cut grass all weekend!!
Week 6: Sat/Sun Recap
Most people in Texas want their “Wide Open Spaces.” Not me. I absolutely love my low maintenance lifestyle. I’m so happy that I don’t live in a big house with a large yard. Nope—give me a garden home or a condo any day. It allows me the time to do anything and everything that I need to do without having to worry about watering the yard and cutting the grass. This weekend was a great example.
Saturday: 9 Mile Run/20 min Swim
I debated about what to do on Saturday morning. T3 was doing a ride to San Marcos and I really debated doing that ride. However, Shawn was interested in riding on Sunday so I decided to wait a day. Instead, I met Thon at Stacy Pool on Saturday morning for a 9-mile run. I can’t tell you how great it felt to actually sleep in a little bit on a Saturday morning. By “sleeping in,” I mean to say that I was still up at 6am in time to run at 6:30am. We met at Stacy Pool with the intention of swimming immediately afterward. Well, I was going to swim and everyone else would just soak. Unfortunately, we learned that Stacy doesn’t open until Noon on the weekends and Barton Springs is blocked off this weekend because of the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival. So, I headed over to Deep Eddy Pool and swam for 20 minutes…Two days, two runs, two swims…nice.
Now, here’s what I love about my low maintenance lifestyle. After swimming, the “gang” reconvened for our usual Saturday morning breakfast taco feast at Mi Madres. Shawn and I then left breakfast and headed Sam’s Boat to watch the Ohio State football game with the Austin Chapter of the Ohio State Alumni Association. While neither of us are actual alum of OSU, it’s still great to be in the company of others from home! The game wasn’t necessarily the blow out that we thought it would be so we stayed the entire time.
So, we knew it was a long shot on a Saturday afternoon, but we wanted to drive by our new house to see if it was open so that we could lay down paper and measure the space for our living room furniture, bed and dining room table. By a stroke of luck, the house was open and we were able to take care of the measurements, saving a ton of time and stress later in the week.
The evening ended with a fabulous dinner at Chinatown/Musachino for some sushi with friends Matt and Maria. I wanted to be in bed early for Sunday morning swim class and the bike ride that I postponed.
Sunday: Swim Class and No Bike
Oh well..it just wasn’t meant to be this weekend. Perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of letting my injury heal for just one more day.
I did get up and go to swim class at 8:00am this morning. I still really don’t think I’m getting faster, but I am consistent. It was a tough workout and my lane partner actually bailed out early. I may be slow, but I always finish my workouts. We did 50 repeats and I averaged between 1:14-1:17 on all of them. I’d really love to get that down to a consistent 1:05-1:10. Maybe someday…
After swim class I met Shawn at Starbucks for a morning cup of coffee and a little newspaper reading. Our next stop was Best Buy and Crate and Barrel to look at TVs, couches and beds.
As soon as we got home, the skies opened up and it started raining pretty hard for about an hour. We were also interested in going to the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival at some point this afternoon, but it meant making a choice—bike ride or concert. While I knew I’d feel guilty, I also couldn’t resist going down there to see the likes of Matisyahu, Sun Volt, The Greencards, Ben Harper and others. Fortunately, it had stopped raining and the venue was in great shape. Shawn put things in perspective by reminding me that we can ride anytime. The Festival was a once-a- year treat. Plus, I still have about 6 weeks to go and I’ll be fine!
So, while we didn’t get to ride this weekend, we still got a ton of personal stuff completed including ordering furniture, donating more items, meals with friends, exercise, live music and shopping! (not to mention a nice snap this afternoon while it was raining)
We couldn’t have done this if we had to weed and cut grass all weekend!!
Saturday: 9 Mile Run/20 min Swim
I debated about what to do on Saturday morning. T3 was doing a ride to San Marcos and I really debated doing that ride. However, Shawn was interested in riding on Sunday so I decided to wait a day. Instead, I met Thon at Stacy Pool on Saturday morning for a 9-mile run. I can’t tell you how great it felt to actually sleep in a little bit on a Saturday morning. By “sleeping in,” I mean to say that I was still up at 6am in time to run at 6:30am. We met at Stacy Pool with the intention of swimming immediately afterward. Well, I was going to swim and everyone else would just soak. Unfortunately, we learned that Stacy doesn’t open until Noon on the weekends and Barton Springs is blocked off this weekend because of the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival. So, I headed over to Deep Eddy Pool and swam for 20 minutes…Two days, two runs, two swims…nice.
Now, here’s what I love about my low maintenance lifestyle. After swimming, the “gang” reconvened for our usual Saturday morning breakfast taco feast at Mi Madres. Shawn and I then left breakfast and headed Sam’s Boat to watch the Ohio State football game with the Austin Chapter of the Ohio State Alumni Association. While neither of us are actual alum of OSU, it’s still great to be in the company of others from home! The game wasn’t necessarily the blow out that we thought it would be so we stayed the entire time.
So, we knew it was a long shot on a Saturday afternoon, but we wanted to drive by our new house to see if it was open so that we could lay down paper and measure the space for our living room furniture, bed and dining room table. By a stroke of luck, the house was open and we were able to take care of the measurements, saving a ton of time and stress later in the week.
The evening ended with a fabulous dinner at Chinatown/Musachino for some sushi with friends Matt and Maria. I wanted to be in bed early for Sunday morning swim class and the bike ride that I postponed.
Sunday: Swim Class and No Bike
Oh well..it just wasn’t meant to be this weekend. Perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of letting my injury heal for just one more day.
I did get up and go to swim class at 8:00am this morning. I still really don’t think I’m getting faster, but I am consistent. It was a tough workout and my lane partner actually bailed out early. I may be slow, but I always finish my workouts. We did 50 repeats and I averaged between 1:14-1:17 on all of them. I’d really love to get that down to a consistent 1:05-1:10. Maybe someday…
After swim class I met Shawn at Starbucks for a morning cup of coffee and a little newspaper reading. Our next stop was Best Buy and Crate and Barrel to look at TVs, couches and beds.
As soon as we got home, the skies opened up and it started raining pretty hard for about an hour. We were also interested in going to the “Austin City Limits” Music Festival at some point this afternoon, but it meant making a choice—bike ride or concert. While I knew I’d feel guilty, I also couldn’t resist going down there to see the likes of Matisyahu, Sun Volt, The Greencards, Ben Harper and others. Fortunately, it had stopped raining and the venue was in great shape. Shawn put things in perspective by reminding me that we can ride anytime. The Festival was a once-a- year treat. Plus, I still have about 6 weeks to go and I’ll be fine!
So, while we didn’t get to ride this weekend, we still got a ton of personal stuff completed including ordering furniture, donating more items, meals with friends, exercise, live music and shopping! (not to mention a nice snap this afternoon while it was raining)
We couldn’t have done this if we had to weed and cut grass all weekend!!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Week 6: Fri Recap Long Run and Swim
It's just another amazing week in Austin, Texas. However, just when you think that the Fall season is breaking, Mother Nature knocks one out of the park again.While the temperatures during the day have hit a pleasant low-to-mid 90s, the mornings have been interesting this week. I actually got up to go to swim class on Thursday morning. I had eaten my peanut butter snack at 5:20am, put on my suit, grabbed my bag and walked outside to my car. As soon as I walked outside, I said, "Holy crap. It's actually chilly this morning." The last thing I wanted to do was jump in a cold outdoor pool. I walked right back upstais and crawled right back into bed until 7:30am. I chalked Thursday up to a Rest Day.
Friday:
Running Partner Amy asked if we could do our long run for the week (14 miles up Mt. Bonnell) on Friday morning. I debated about it, but ultimately decided that she has never turned me down for a Friday long run so I wasn't going to disappoint her. We ended up meeting Thon and Mike as well on Friday (who was leaving for his honeymoon the next day!) at 5:30am for our 14 mile Run. The Garmin measured 13.75 miles at 2:02:31. I'm not sure how I feel about this run. Honestly, I felt like we were running a little faster than this. Or, at least my effort level felt faster and harder than usual. My knees were also feeling a little sore. That's usually an indication that I need new shoes, but I'm still a month or so away from new shoes. I do have to keep in mind that it was my long run and I'm supposed to run it slower. Plus, we did the 14 miles in Reverse, which meant that we hit the Exposition Hills early and headed right up Mt. Bonnell. The Manager of the 35th Street Dry Cleaner was outside when we stopped to use their water hoses. It was nice to get a chance to thank her in person for letting us use their hoses. She mentioned something about needing to get some new ones and I think the runners of Austin should chip in some cash and get some new hoses. Lord knows we take advantage of their water every day!!
Mile 1 9:57
Mile 2 9:15
Mile 3 9:29
Mile 4 9:14
Mile 5 9:05
Mile 6 9:09
Mile 7: 9:11
Mile 8: 8:58
Mile 9: 9:04
Mile 10: 8:16
Mile 11: 8:56
Mile 12: 8:50
Mile 13: 8:00
Mile 14: 5:00 (not a full Mile)
At least we had a nice negative split at the end, but I was definitely ready for it to be finsihed. Plus, the chill of the day before was completely gone and taken over by a blanket of humidity. I regrettfully had worn a shirt with sleeves thinking it would be chilly again. No such luck. I topped my Friday morning run off with breakfast at MiMadres. I'm the only person in town that orders the "Low Carb" Plate, but has to announce that I wan corn tortillas to add the carbs!!
I went straight to work from breakfast and literally worked for about 3 hours in my sweaty, smelly running clothes until I went to Stacy Pool at lunch for a quick 20 minute swim. I'm working on my new and (I hope) improved stroke. It felt weird, but much better. Now, it's time to work on some speed.
I was happy to put breakfast as a larger priority that morning than showering!! It's just another reason why I love my casual job. I'm able to walk around in my running clothes and my 4 co-workers think nothing of it. I certainly couldn't do that in the corporate world!!!
Later on Friday, I left work early to take advantage of the three-day Austin City Limits Music Festival in town. (as if I needed another reason to love this town). While I didn't stay more than 3 hours, I was able to catch mini-concerts of Nickel Creek, Gnarls Barkley, Cat Powers, Gomez and Thievary Corporation. Most of these are bands I would never see by themselves, but when you're in a park with 8 different stages, you can't help but walk around and soak in the music and atmosphere of a festival.
I left that around 7pm (skipping music by John Mayer and Van Morrison) to go furniture shopping for the new house. We found a couple of beds and couches that we love! We're getting so much of that accomplished now. I just wish our builders would hurry the hell up!!!!
Saturday recap coming tomorrow...
Friday:
Running Partner Amy asked if we could do our long run for the week (14 miles up Mt. Bonnell) on Friday morning. I debated about it, but ultimately decided that she has never turned me down for a Friday long run so I wasn't going to disappoint her. We ended up meeting Thon and Mike as well on Friday (who was leaving for his honeymoon the next day!) at 5:30am for our 14 mile Run. The Garmin measured 13.75 miles at 2:02:31. I'm not sure how I feel about this run. Honestly, I felt like we were running a little faster than this. Or, at least my effort level felt faster and harder than usual. My knees were also feeling a little sore. That's usually an indication that I need new shoes, but I'm still a month or so away from new shoes. I do have to keep in mind that it was my long run and I'm supposed to run it slower. Plus, we did the 14 miles in Reverse, which meant that we hit the Exposition Hills early and headed right up Mt. Bonnell. The Manager of the 35th Street Dry Cleaner was outside when we stopped to use their water hoses. It was nice to get a chance to thank her in person for letting us use their hoses. She mentioned something about needing to get some new ones and I think the runners of Austin should chip in some cash and get some new hoses. Lord knows we take advantage of their water every day!!
Mile 1 9:57
Mile 2 9:15
Mile 3 9:29
Mile 4 9:14
Mile 5 9:05
Mile 6 9:09
Mile 7: 9:11
Mile 8: 8:58
Mile 9: 9:04
Mile 10: 8:16
Mile 11: 8:56
Mile 12: 8:50
Mile 13: 8:00
Mile 14: 5:00 (not a full Mile)
At least we had a nice negative split at the end, but I was definitely ready for it to be finsihed. Plus, the chill of the day before was completely gone and taken over by a blanket of humidity. I regrettfully had worn a shirt with sleeves thinking it would be chilly again. No such luck. I topped my Friday morning run off with breakfast at MiMadres. I'm the only person in town that orders the "Low Carb" Plate, but has to announce that I wan corn tortillas to add the carbs!!
I went straight to work from breakfast and literally worked for about 3 hours in my sweaty, smelly running clothes until I went to Stacy Pool at lunch for a quick 20 minute swim. I'm working on my new and (I hope) improved stroke. It felt weird, but much better. Now, it's time to work on some speed.
I was happy to put breakfast as a larger priority that morning than showering!! It's just another reason why I love my casual job. I'm able to walk around in my running clothes and my 4 co-workers think nothing of it. I certainly couldn't do that in the corporate world!!!
Later on Friday, I left work early to take advantage of the three-day Austin City Limits Music Festival in town. (as if I needed another reason to love this town). While I didn't stay more than 3 hours, I was able to catch mini-concerts of Nickel Creek, Gnarls Barkley, Cat Powers, Gomez and Thievary Corporation. Most of these are bands I would never see by themselves, but when you're in a park with 8 different stages, you can't help but walk around and soak in the music and atmosphere of a festival.
I left that around 7pm (skipping music by John Mayer and Van Morrison) to go furniture shopping for the new house. We found a couple of beds and couches that we love! We're getting so much of that accomplished now. I just wish our builders would hurry the hell up!!!!
Saturday recap coming tomorrow...
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Week 6: 1000's A.M./Bike P.M.
Today's Gazelle workout was 1000s on the track. I left home a little late and didn't hear Gilbert's pep talk before he sent us on the 1.5 mile warm up to Austin High Track. Feeling sluggish and heavy, I lined up with Jennifer, Jonathan, Cindy and Dennis. We ended up doing 6 1000 repeats. My times were pretty consistent from our last go-round at this workout, which was a month ago. I was having trouble keeping up and finished 2-3 behind the group on a couple of repeats. I'm chalking it up to my lack of speedwork lately, Mother Nature and my recent "injury."
#1 4:30 (too slow)
#2 4:14
#3 4:17
#4 4:08
#5 4:05
#6 4:05
I did 80 situps and then Cindy and I ran back to Runtex the long way.
Total Mileage 7.5 miles
I got home tonight around 6:30 and quickly changed into my riding gear, pumped up the tires and hopped on 360 for what I hoped would be a pain-free 1 hour ride. Unfortunately, it wasn't totally pain free thanks to my recent procedures. It was tough finding a comfy spot on the saddle, but I stuck with it. I rode South and hit some of the more difficult climbs...the Riverbend Church hill, 2222 and Bee Caves. While I should've been grimacing in pain, I was more fixated on the cloudless sunset I was witnessing over West Austin. Absolutely breathtaking. (and it had nothing to do with the hills). I quickly realized I was running out of daylight and turned around at the Bee Caves light and headed back north. Again, it was slightly uncomfortable, but I was feeling strong. I also didn't take any chances on this ride, especially since I was hitting dusk. I'm sick of people getting hit and killed because of carelessness. I rode with extreme caution.
Total Time: 1 Hour 16mph (pretty good for the hills and the first ride in over 2 weeks)
#1 4:30 (too slow)
#2 4:14
#3 4:17
#4 4:08
#5 4:05
#6 4:05
I did 80 situps and then Cindy and I ran back to Runtex the long way.
Total Mileage 7.5 miles
I got home tonight around 6:30 and quickly changed into my riding gear, pumped up the tires and hopped on 360 for what I hoped would be a pain-free 1 hour ride. Unfortunately, it wasn't totally pain free thanks to my recent procedures. It was tough finding a comfy spot on the saddle, but I stuck with it. I rode South and hit some of the more difficult climbs...the Riverbend Church hill, 2222 and Bee Caves. While I should've been grimacing in pain, I was more fixated on the cloudless sunset I was witnessing over West Austin. Absolutely breathtaking. (and it had nothing to do with the hills). I quickly realized I was running out of daylight and turned around at the Bee Caves light and headed back north. Again, it was slightly uncomfortable, but I was feeling strong. I also didn't take any chances on this ride, especially since I was hitting dusk. I'm sick of people getting hit and killed because of carelessness. I rode with extreme caution.
Total Time: 1 Hour 16mph (pretty good for the hills and the first ride in over 2 weeks)
Week 6: Swim A.M./Run P.M.
I think we finally discovered something about my swim stroke. According to my coach, my stroke is very wide, which means I'm not getting a lot of pull and distance with each stroke. Perhaps that explains why I'm so freaking slow!! What's odd is that I really don't feel like it's that wide. I've even worked on trying to bring it closer. In any event he asked me to try something different and IT WORKED. He noticed a difference immediately. I, on the other hand, felt weird and awkward because it was something new, but he was adamant that it looked tons better. Of course, we made the discovery at the end of class so I'll get to try it out Thursday morning in the pool.
In an ironic and humorous turn of events yesterday afternoon, I had actually packed running clothes to try to catch a quick 4-5 miler after work. I was going to text Shawn to see if he wanted to join me, but opted not to because I don't want him to think I'm crazy or obsessed with getting multiple workouts in one day (I admit to the aforementioned faults). Well, about half way through the day I got a text from him that said, "Run after work?" WOO HOO! Damn, I love this man! We met at the Rock at 6:30pm and ran the Congress loop for about 4.5 miles. As customary in Austin, we ran into several people that we both know and exchanged greetings and sweaty hugs. A welcomed rain was also coming in, but it actually felt refreshing to have something other than sweat dripping from my clothes. (mind out of the gutter) We both had a pleasant recovery run.
In an ironic and humorous turn of events yesterday afternoon, I had actually packed running clothes to try to catch a quick 4-5 miler after work. I was going to text Shawn to see if he wanted to join me, but opted not to because I don't want him to think I'm crazy or obsessed with getting multiple workouts in one day (I admit to the aforementioned faults). Well, about half way through the day I got a text from him that said, "Run after work?" WOO HOO! Damn, I love this man! We met at the Rock at 6:30pm and ran the Congress loop for about 4.5 miles. As customary in Austin, we ran into several people that we both know and exchanged greetings and sweaty hugs. A welcomed rain was also coming in, but it actually felt refreshing to have something other than sweat dripping from my clothes. (mind out of the gutter) We both had a pleasant recovery run.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Random Photos from the Weekend
My brother and I celebrate after the victory
Me along with my Brother and my Aunt before the game. Both made the trip to Austin from Columbus! Notice the sea of burnt orange behind us!
Shawn and I after the Game!HORNS DOWN!!
Now, I can get back to being a Longhorns fan since this series is officially behind me!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Week 6: Run Circuit/ Extra Thoughts
So much to say…As I type this, I’m listening to CNN coverage from 9/11/01 as it happened. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I guess I just wanted to remember this day as it really was—horrifying, tragic, sad and disgusting. Yet, as I watch and listen to the events as they unfolded, I’m also reminded about how much we came together as a society, country and world. While I would never wish a moment like this on anyone again, I do hope that we strive for the unity that we had not long ago. On this same topic, the Austin American Statesman ran an article today about how the events of 9/11/01 affected the lives of everyday people. My friend and fellow gazelle, Erine Gray, was one of the featured profiles. He transformed his life after those events and became a Marathoner. I didn’t know him then, but based on what he said, I’m utterly amazed at the transformation he’s gone through in such a short time. This guy is gracious, supportive and so very fast! Interesting piece indeed…Way to go, Erine. You make us proud!
Completely switching gears—I had a FANTASTIC weekend as I celebrated the Buckeyes victory over the Longhorns! What made it so spectacular was getting to see friends and family who also made the trip to Austin. I got to hang with my brother, Aunt and Uncle, cousins and future in-laws. At the 11th Hour, we also scored 6 tickets together in the Ohio State section—SCORE! We’re eternally grateful to Shawn’s Uncle for the generosity. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much after the game on Saturday night and, therefore, didn’t do squat in the way of training on Sunday. As I mentioned, I was giving myself permission this past weekend to get a little nutty! (and considering a Buckeye is a nut, I definitely took it to the extreme!)
I also began to notice that “Barney the Barnacle” (as I’ve named my pet cyst) had started to make a reoccurrence. I know it’s disgusting, but this little bastard has done a number on me and my training. Fortunately, I had a follow-up doctor appointment scheduled for this morning anyways. Well, wouldn’t you know it, I had to go through another round of shots and drainage in the “region.” Again, I’m so very sorry for the visual, but it’s my blog, damn it! It’s not nearly as bad as it was the first time, but it probably means another week without the bike. We’ll see…I know I’ll try my best! Hell, I’ll wear two pairs of bike shorts if I have to!
In spite of the reoccurrence, I did go to my Gazelle Circuit workout today as I try to resume some normalcy to the training log. We did the longer 2.5 mile warmup to Austin High and then proceeded to do another mile on the track alternating fast/slow every 50 yards. Afterwards, we did two rounds of circuit with pushups, abs, squats, lunges, jumps, step ups, etc. We finished with more balancing drills and Sommer and I took the short 1.6 mile direction back to Runtex. I’m hoping to hit the pool tomorrow as it’s definitely been a while!!
Finally, I just want to give some kudos to those who did some races this past weekend including Ironman Wisconsin. I’ve had the pleasure of following some people’s training through the visual, audio and written posts of their blogs and podcasts. These are people I’ve never met in person and, yet, feel a unique connection to as a determined competitor to always push beyond the comfort limits and strive for the seemingly impossible. Well, some finished the race and some didn’t. Either way, I’m still inspired by your words and actions. Congratulations to all for making it to the start line.
Completely switching gears—I had a FANTASTIC weekend as I celebrated the Buckeyes victory over the Longhorns! What made it so spectacular was getting to see friends and family who also made the trip to Austin. I got to hang with my brother, Aunt and Uncle, cousins and future in-laws. At the 11th Hour, we also scored 6 tickets together in the Ohio State section—SCORE! We’re eternally grateful to Shawn’s Uncle for the generosity. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much after the game on Saturday night and, therefore, didn’t do squat in the way of training on Sunday. As I mentioned, I was giving myself permission this past weekend to get a little nutty! (and considering a Buckeye is a nut, I definitely took it to the extreme!)
I also began to notice that “Barney the Barnacle” (as I’ve named my pet cyst) had started to make a reoccurrence. I know it’s disgusting, but this little bastard has done a number on me and my training. Fortunately, I had a follow-up doctor appointment scheduled for this morning anyways. Well, wouldn’t you know it, I had to go through another round of shots and drainage in the “region.” Again, I’m so very sorry for the visual, but it’s my blog, damn it! It’s not nearly as bad as it was the first time, but it probably means another week without the bike. We’ll see…I know I’ll try my best! Hell, I’ll wear two pairs of bike shorts if I have to!
In spite of the reoccurrence, I did go to my Gazelle Circuit workout today as I try to resume some normalcy to the training log. We did the longer 2.5 mile warmup to Austin High and then proceeded to do another mile on the track alternating fast/slow every 50 yards. Afterwards, we did two rounds of circuit with pushups, abs, squats, lunges, jumps, step ups, etc. We finished with more balancing drills and Sommer and I took the short 1.6 mile direction back to Runtex. I’m hoping to hit the pool tomorrow as it’s definitely been a while!!
Finally, I just want to give some kudos to those who did some races this past weekend including Ironman Wisconsin. I’ve had the pleasure of following some people’s training through the visual, audio and written posts of their blogs and podcasts. These are people I’ve never met in person and, yet, feel a unique connection to as a determined competitor to always push beyond the comfort limits and strive for the seemingly impossible. Well, some finished the race and some didn’t. Either way, I’m still inspired by your words and actions. Congratulations to all for making it to the start line.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Week 5: 21 Mile Run/Celebration
I didn't mean to run 21 miles on Saturday morning. It certainly wasn' the plan. I was hoping to do 12-15 tops. Damn, the peer pressure. I met the Gazelles at 5:30am on Saturday morning and headed off with Thon and Amy. He sent the Chicago people off on a faster, flatter 22-miler. Thon, Amy and I decided to run the lonelier, hillier and what will be the new Austin Marathon course for 2007 (holy bejesus it's a toughy. Scenic, but hard). So, it's just a few miles into the run and the three of us are chatting about how unsafe it is for a woman to run in the dark by herself...how we should not let our guard down no matter how safe we feel. Amy relayed a story about a couple of other girlfriends of hers who were just chased last week. We hit the point in the run where Amy and Thon were going to continue and I was going to go a different way. Well, shit, after that conversation, I wasn't going anywhere! It was 21 miles or bust. Luckily, I was somewhat prepared with 2 clif shots and we weren't running that fast. We proceeded on and had a really pleasant run, the three of us. We finally converged with the Chicago peeps at about Mile 17 as we headed towards campus. Of course, the town was all fired up for the Ohio State vs. Texas game. Just running through campus and seeing the tailgates beginning at 8am was enough to get the adrenaline pumping with just a few miles to go. I asked my partners to indulge me for a second as I ran by a couple of Buckeye fans and shouted the familiar "O-H" to which they responded with their hangover tones "I-O."
We hit Congress Avenue and saw that there was a small 5k taking place. Seriously, as soon as we got to the starting pack, the airhorn sounded, the race began and we could hear "Chariots of Fire" blaring on the speakers. We jumped in with the pack and started running alongside of the 5kers. It was hilarious and pretty surreal at the same time! What made it surreal was that we were 18 miles in to our run and still passing most of the 5kers.
Finally, we hit the trail, got some much need hydration and headed towards Barton Springs. Unfortuantely, I was negligent in my stretching and left pretty much right away. Why?? I had to get ready for the big football game!
We hit Congress Avenue and saw that there was a small 5k taking place. Seriously, as soon as we got to the starting pack, the airhorn sounded, the race began and we could hear "Chariots of Fire" blaring on the speakers. We jumped in with the pack and started running alongside of the 5kers. It was hilarious and pretty surreal at the same time! What made it surreal was that we were 18 miles in to our run and still passing most of the 5kers.
Finally, we hit the trail, got some much need hydration and headed towards Barton Springs. Unfortuantely, I was negligent in my stretching and left pretty much right away. Why?? I had to get ready for the big football game!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Week 5: 7.5 Mile Run/Hitching to the Wagon
It's amazing how sluggish one can feel after just one week off the normal routine. I hadn't run in just over a week until this morning. I met Thon at 6am at Barton Springs for a 7-8 mile recovery run. While it certainly wasn't fast and we certainly weren't breaking any pace records, I was still shocked at how heavy I felt. Heavy as in "slow," "weary," "fat..." I couldn't have picked it up a notch if I tried! All that said, it was certainly pleasant being back at it. It's funny. I act as if I've been on a year-long hiatus!! It's been one lousy week! We ran by a full moon until the sun peaked over the Austin skyline around 7:00am. By that time, we were almost finished. In lieu of dipping in Barton Springs, I hit the showers at work and got an early start on some work and Turkey Trot projects. If all goes well, we'll launch the on-line registration of the race this weekend at www.thundercloud.com .
I'm also looking for a Volunteer Coordinator for this event as well. Ughh...It will be my 4th in as many years. Unfortunately, my friend Jill who was Coordinator last year has a new boss who probably won't be as flexible with her schedule. It certainly involves a lot of time responding to emails and corresponding with potential volunteers. It's just not a project I can do on top of making sure the event runs smooth on Race Day.
Nutritionally, as I mentioned in the subject line, I'm trying to stay hitched on the wagon even though it's hard hanging on this week. Family is in town, big football game, late nights, dinners at restaurants and I'm behind in my Zone reading materials. I've given myself permission this week to take it easy. I will pat myself on the back for a couple of small victories today. While the rest of my office hit the vending machine for a 3 o'clock Snickers and Hershey Bar, I nibbled on my little Zone Bar. Then, tonight I was at a party where dessert was a cake decorated with a Texas Longhorn and Ohio State logo. While I responded initially at first glance with a Pavlovian Saliva-fest, I decided to leave the party before the cake was cut to avoid the potential pitfall. It's not much, but every little bit helps!!
It just makes me wish I participated in Sports that didn't require so much spandex!!!
I'm also looking for a Volunteer Coordinator for this event as well. Ughh...It will be my 4th in as many years. Unfortunately, my friend Jill who was Coordinator last year has a new boss who probably won't be as flexible with her schedule. It certainly involves a lot of time responding to emails and corresponding with potential volunteers. It's just not a project I can do on top of making sure the event runs smooth on Race Day.
Nutritionally, as I mentioned in the subject line, I'm trying to stay hitched on the wagon even though it's hard hanging on this week. Family is in town, big football game, late nights, dinners at restaurants and I'm behind in my Zone reading materials. I've given myself permission this week to take it easy. I will pat myself on the back for a couple of small victories today. While the rest of my office hit the vending machine for a 3 o'clock Snickers and Hershey Bar, I nibbled on my little Zone Bar. Then, tonight I was at a party where dessert was a cake decorated with a Texas Longhorn and Ohio State logo. While I responded initially at first glance with a Pavlovian Saliva-fest, I decided to leave the party before the cake was cut to avoid the potential pitfall. It's not much, but every little bit helps!!
It just makes me wish I participated in Sports that didn't require so much spandex!!!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Week 5: Back in the Saddle
After a 3 Mile Hike on Sunday and an 11 Mile Hike on Monday in Colorado, I had to descend from the heavens (or roughly 11,500 feet) and come back down to earth.
This morning, I braved my first attempt at getting back on the bike saddle by going to spin class with Shawn. While the class was great, I really tried to stay keenly aware of my injury and nurse it a tad. After the 45 minute spin class complete with speed work and hill climbs, I hopped on the treadmill and did a 3 mile recovery jog. By recovery, I'm talking 9:15 pace. It didn't take long to feel some irritation, damn it! I'm trying to take it slow, but the downtime is killing me mentally and physically! I see how easily it is to slip right back into "lazy" mode. Believe me, it's much more relaxing sleeping in than it is getting up a 5:00am to push yourself to the limits.
This week will be another "off" training week as I'm picking up my brother today who is in town for the Ohio State vs. Texas game. I adore living in Longhorn country, but I gotta say with all of my midwestern loyalties in tact, "GO BUCKEYES!" My future brother and sis-in-law are coming in, as well as other extended family and friends. God, I love college football, especially when my team is currently ranked #1!
Next week will bring a return to training normalcy, I hope! It's definitely peak training time for the November Half-Ironman and I hate to miss out on all the fun and long hours.
This morning, I braved my first attempt at getting back on the bike saddle by going to spin class with Shawn. While the class was great, I really tried to stay keenly aware of my injury and nurse it a tad. After the 45 minute spin class complete with speed work and hill climbs, I hopped on the treadmill and did a 3 mile recovery jog. By recovery, I'm talking 9:15 pace. It didn't take long to feel some irritation, damn it! I'm trying to take it slow, but the downtime is killing me mentally and physically! I see how easily it is to slip right back into "lazy" mode. Believe me, it's much more relaxing sleeping in than it is getting up a 5:00am to push yourself to the limits.
This week will be another "off" training week as I'm picking up my brother today who is in town for the Ohio State vs. Texas game. I adore living in Longhorn country, but I gotta say with all of my midwestern loyalties in tact, "GO BUCKEYES!" My future brother and sis-in-law are coming in, as well as other extended family and friends. God, I love college football, especially when my team is currently ranked #1!
Next week will bring a return to training normalcy, I hope! It's definitely peak training time for the November Half-Ironman and I hate to miss out on all the fun and long hours.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Week 4: Play Me Some Mountain Music
I'm heading off to one of the places that I consider to be HEAVEN ON EARTH--Crested Butte, Colorado. It's my semi annual "girls trip" full of relaxation, conversation and self-indulgence. Unfortunately, I probably won't be doing much physical activity as I finish recovering, but the short time away will be fantastic nonethless, even if I spend all day looking out the window at this view!!
I'm anxious to get back into the swing of a normal workout routine. It's amazing how easily I slip into over-indulgence mode. I'll be back in the Zone next week as well!
Until then, it's time to catch up on trashy novels and girl talk.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend.
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