I love Woot. I've only purchased one thing off this website, but the stories they create daily to sell their items are super entertaining. Well, today, the story really hit home.
They are selling "The Perfect Pushup" thing. Whatever. It's lame. I'm not buying it. But dear lord, if the following weight loss theory were possible, I would be skinny as a rail.
From Woot on 11/11/09:
Hey all you fat, pathetic sacks of apathy and sloth! Do you have the energy and vitality that you wish you had? Are you happy with your physiques? Well, of course you aren’t! I mean, look at you. You’re disgusting. How in the world do you get your socks on?
No, it doesn’t matter. I was just wondering out loud. The point is: My name’s Amy and I’m here to help you unlock the secret to a new, fit, fabulous body!
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking inside that massive, neckless head of yours: You’re thinking that I’m going to give you a complicated set of rules for what you can eat, and the difficult exercises you’ll have to do, and you’ll be so overwhelmed that you’ll have no hope of ever following through with my program, and you’ll fail, and you’ll collapse in a blubbering, blubbery heap on your poor, overburdened sofa with a bucket of Ben & Jerry’s, and curse the day you ever met me. WRONG!
My patent-pending weight-loss technique is simple. It’s just two easy steps.
First: You travel backward in time. The beauty of this part is that you don’t have to do it right away—you can get to it whenever it’s convenient for you. Next: You prevent the discovery (or invention, however you want to put it) of cheese.
That second part’s going to be a little harder, I admit. But at least you’ll have the advantage of being received as a god by the ancients, probably. What are the chances a bunch of Sumerian goatherds ever even imagined a man could achieve your girth? Or the ancient Picts, or the early Harappans, or whoever it was that came up with cheese? I don’t know where cheese originated. What do I look like, an anthropologist? DO THESE LOOK LIKE ANTHROPOLOGIST ABS TO YOU? NUH-UNH.
So you’ll maybe have to do some hunting around to find the dawn of the Cheese Age. But once you do, and you prevent it from ever being developed, and you return to your own time, just think how easy it’s going to be to avoid temptation! Imagine! No, I mean right now, imagine. Close your eyes and picture it. Are they closed? I can’t tell, the way they’re kind of squinty all the time from your face-fat anyway.
Think of it! There’ll be no more macaroni and cheese—just macaroni! Which is actually pretty good for you. And you won’t even know what you’re missing. No one will. It never existed.
What’s that? Far-fetched, you say? Implausible, you say? Riddled with paradoxes, you say?
OK, fine, be that way. You can trim down and tone up the old-fashioned way, with diet and exercise. It works, no doubt about it. It’s proven. But I’m warning you: That way involves pull-ups.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Silly.
My dog is the silliest funniest dog ever. This video is terrible, but if you skip about 20 seconds into it, you get to the funny stuff.
And then this one is just hysterical and I almost peed my pants watching it. For the 1,000th time.
And then this one is just hysterical and I almost peed my pants watching it. For the 1,000th time.
Monday, November 09, 2009
PR!
It was definitely a weekend of good workouts, which I may or may not have mentioned before...
But the best part happened just now, when I realized that not only did I PR the 25K race, but also, for the first time, when viewing my results, you do not have to scroll down at all. I finished close enough to the top of my age group to fit on the same page as them. Yeah. That's a first. GO ME!
2005 HSMA Classical 25K - 2:50:29, average pace of 10:58
2006 HSMA Classical 25K - 2:32:39, average pace of 9:49
2009 HMSA Classical 25K - 2:26:12, average pace of 9:24
Getting faster!! I think a 4:30 marathon is in the air this year kids!
But the best part happened just now, when I realized that not only did I PR the 25K race, but also, for the first time, when viewing my results, you do not have to scroll down at all. I finished close enough to the top of my age group to fit on the same page as them. Yeah. That's a first. GO ME!
2005 HSMA Classical 25K - 2:50:29, average pace of 10:58
2006 HSMA Classical 25K - 2:32:39, average pace of 9:49
2009 HMSA Classical 25K - 2:26:12, average pace of 9:24
Getting faster!! I think a 4:30 marathon is in the air this year kids!
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Quitting Isn't an Option
My little sister is signed up for her debut marathon and I paid for her entry fee with the guideline that she would toe the starting line regardless. I don't care if the freaking world implodes...she is running that dam marathon.
Well, the thing is in a month and she has been sick and missed a few weeks and they were supposed to do their 20 mile run this Saturday. She freaked out...because hey, 20 miles would make anyone shit a brick, eh? Seriously.
I had been having a very rough week myself. My training HAD been going AMAZING, butthe last few weeks have been eh, and I was afraid I had peaked too soon. So when Cathy sends me the email that she is about to bail, I lose my cool and write her a nasty email back.
But then I deleted it and wrote a "motivational" email in hopes that that would actually get my message across. What I didn't realize was how badly I needed to write that email for myself. I needed to hear all those things. I KNEW them, I had just forgotten them. I benefitted as much from that email as I think she did (she ended up running 20 with her group the next day!!).
Here is what I sent her:
You are doing it. And it's gonna suck. But the good news is that it will still be your fastest marathon...the first race is always a PR (personal record)! And Tommy and I will be there to help. You aren't doing it alone. You have a great support network of experienced marathoners (me and Tommy and all our friends!) and your training group. It's hard when you are the only one of your friends doing it, but dude, you are way more badarse than them.
You're doing the marathon.
The marathon is like (or what I hear people say about) giving birth. During it, you want to kill people for making you do this...yet it is strangely and morbidly awesome. And then afterwards, all you remember is the joy of being done and the love you have for that bundle in your arms (in giving birth it's a baby and in a race it's a medal and t-shirt...they are about the same). You forget the pain and sign up for another.
The pain is what makes it worth it. The pain is what makes it so awesome. Because you got off the couch and worked to acheive something that not everyone can. You ran a marathon. And crossing that finish line, in whatever crippled state you cross it in, is worth it. It's worth every minute of pain you endured to get there.
It's gonna suck. At mile 21, it's really gonna suck. It sucks for the winners and they don't even have jobs...all they do is train all day long (and they finish in 2 hours - assholes). The beauty of the marathon is that there is plenty of time to really enjoy it and plenty of time to have some really dark moments...but the thrill of the spectators and the 10,000 other people running will pull you out of it. But dude, you just ran 26.2 miles...my first marathon was easily one of the most awesome 4 hours and 53 minutes of my life. And I promise you, no matter how fast or slow you try to run it, there ain't no way in hell that you will be first, and there ain't no way in hell that you will be last. Trust me.
A wise man once told me, "In marathons, the only difference between the walkers and the runners is that walkers know when they are going to walk." Everyone walks during a marathon. A lot of people walk the whole darn thing. Just take a conservative approach and try run/walking...run for 5 minutes and walk for 1. I promise you that you can do this. It's gonna hurt like hell, but everyone needs a few battle wounds, right?
So, in my closing arguments, I have attached a couple of things. One is a video entitled "Why do you run?" My favorite part is about 2:20 in where the two lead women in the Ironman collapse and crawl across the finish. And also, I have attached a document that my friend wrote - it is his personal recap of the New York City Marathon from last weekend.
So, HTFU. You're running a marathon on December 13. Better start running.
Well, the thing is in a month and she has been sick and missed a few weeks and they were supposed to do their 20 mile run this Saturday. She freaked out...because hey, 20 miles would make anyone shit a brick, eh? Seriously.
I had been having a very rough week myself. My training HAD been going AMAZING, butthe last few weeks have been eh, and I was afraid I had peaked too soon. So when Cathy sends me the email that she is about to bail, I lose my cool and write her a nasty email back.
But then I deleted it and wrote a "motivational" email in hopes that that would actually get my message across. What I didn't realize was how badly I needed to write that email for myself. I needed to hear all those things. I KNEW them, I had just forgotten them. I benefitted as much from that email as I think she did (she ended up running 20 with her group the next day!!).
Here is what I sent her:
You are doing it. And it's gonna suck. But the good news is that it will still be your fastest marathon...the first race is always a PR (personal record)! And Tommy and I will be there to help. You aren't doing it alone. You have a great support network of experienced marathoners (me and Tommy and all our friends!) and your training group. It's hard when you are the only one of your friends doing it, but dude, you are way more badarse than them.
You're doing the marathon.
The marathon is like (or what I hear people say about) giving birth. During it, you want to kill people for making you do this...yet it is strangely and morbidly awesome. And then afterwards, all you remember is the joy of being done and the love you have for that bundle in your arms (in giving birth it's a baby and in a race it's a medal and t-shirt...they are about the same). You forget the pain and sign up for another.
The pain is what makes it worth it. The pain is what makes it so awesome. Because you got off the couch and worked to acheive something that not everyone can. You ran a marathon. And crossing that finish line, in whatever crippled state you cross it in, is worth it. It's worth every minute of pain you endured to get there.
It's gonna suck. At mile 21, it's really gonna suck. It sucks for the winners and they don't even have jobs...all they do is train all day long (and they finish in 2 hours - assholes). The beauty of the marathon is that there is plenty of time to really enjoy it and plenty of time to have some really dark moments...but the thrill of the spectators and the 10,000 other people running will pull you out of it. But dude, you just ran 26.2 miles...my first marathon was easily one of the most awesome 4 hours and 53 minutes of my life. And I promise you, no matter how fast or slow you try to run it, there ain't no way in hell that you will be first, and there ain't no way in hell that you will be last. Trust me.
A wise man once told me, "In marathons, the only difference between the walkers and the runners is that walkers know when they are going to walk." Everyone walks during a marathon. A lot of people walk the whole darn thing. Just take a conservative approach and try run/walking...run for 5 minutes and walk for 1. I promise you that you can do this. It's gonna hurt like hell, but everyone needs a few battle wounds, right?
So, in my closing arguments, I have attached a couple of things. One is a video entitled "Why do you run?" My favorite part is about 2:20 in where the two lead women in the Ironman collapse and crawl across the finish. And also, I have attached a document that my friend wrote - it is his personal recap of the New York City Marathon from last weekend.
So, HTFU. You're running a marathon on December 13. Better start running.
Week 21 - 149 Miles
In the water: 1.37 miles - 43 minutes.
On Rocky: 120 miles - 6 hours 15 minutes.
In my Asics: 28 miles - 4 hours 18 minutes
On the bosu ball: 1 hour
Total Mileage - 149.38 miles - 11 hours and 14 minutes
OMG. I had the best training weekend EVER. I was starting to lose faith that I could actually bike 112 miles and then run a marathon because my last few weekends had gone so poorly, but finally, FINALLY this past weekend I had an amazing ride and an amazing run.
I kind of took it easy all week - my swim on Tuesday just sucked, I was violently ill on Wednesday so I took the day off, Thursday biking was okay and I took Friday off because I always take Fridays off...so I was primed and rested for the weekend.
My little sister, Cathy, had tried to bail on her marathon debut on Friday afternoon, and I wrote (what I would consider) an inspirational email to her...which was actually a selfish act because I needed to write that email more than she needed to read it. This is all hard...and that's why we do it. I needed that pumped into my brain.
Anyways, I NEEDED Saturday's ride to go well...and it did. We rocked it. I led the entire way with Tommy well behind me (not because he couldnt keep up but because he didn't want to draft)...and we averaged 18.8 mph for 90 miles. That ain't bad my friends. The way out was absolutely no wind, averaging about 20mph and the way back was totally into the wind and we averaged about 17.5mph. It was a fabulous ride. It was just what I needed. My confidence in my biking is back. Thank goodness!
And then I thought my run today would suck because the ride went so well yesterday...well, a 25K in 2 hours and 26 minutes ain't bad my friends! I felt like a million bucks.
I'm ready.
I'm ready for the Ironman. 3 weeks of taper and it's here. I can't believe it. FINALLY. My time is almost here.
Congrats to all the Florida finishers! You guys all did great - Cassie, Kathleen, Johnny, Ingrid, Chad, Kim - hooray! I'm GREEN with envy. Sooooo jealous.
On Rocky: 120 miles - 6 hours 15 minutes.
In my Asics: 28 miles - 4 hours 18 minutes
On the bosu ball: 1 hour
Total Mileage - 149.38 miles - 11 hours and 14 minutes
OMG. I had the best training weekend EVER. I was starting to lose faith that I could actually bike 112 miles and then run a marathon because my last few weekends had gone so poorly, but finally, FINALLY this past weekend I had an amazing ride and an amazing run.
I kind of took it easy all week - my swim on Tuesday just sucked, I was violently ill on Wednesday so I took the day off, Thursday biking was okay and I took Friday off because I always take Fridays off...so I was primed and rested for the weekend.
My little sister, Cathy, had tried to bail on her marathon debut on Friday afternoon, and I wrote (what I would consider) an inspirational email to her...which was actually a selfish act because I needed to write that email more than she needed to read it. This is all hard...and that's why we do it. I needed that pumped into my brain.
Anyways, I NEEDED Saturday's ride to go well...and it did. We rocked it. I led the entire way with Tommy well behind me (not because he couldnt keep up but because he didn't want to draft)...and we averaged 18.8 mph for 90 miles. That ain't bad my friends. The way out was absolutely no wind, averaging about 20mph and the way back was totally into the wind and we averaged about 17.5mph. It was a fabulous ride. It was just what I needed. My confidence in my biking is back. Thank goodness!
And then I thought my run today would suck because the ride went so well yesterday...well, a 25K in 2 hours and 26 minutes ain't bad my friends! I felt like a million bucks.
I'm ready.
I'm ready for the Ironman. 3 weeks of taper and it's here. I can't believe it. FINALLY. My time is almost here.
Congrats to all the Florida finishers! You guys all did great - Cassie, Kathleen, Johnny, Ingrid, Chad, Kim - hooray! I'm GREEN with envy. Sooooo jealous.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Engineers.
Can’t live with ‘em…don’t want to live without ‘em! Because, let’s be honest, life would suck without a SkyMall magazine and without engineers, who else could possibly come up with a design for an Ultrasonic Dog Deterrent or this (that I totally already own - thanks D&G)? Yeah. No one. That’s right. Life would suck without engineers. And the SkyMall magazine.
But alas, I am no longer an engineer…so I’m pretty much disposable at this point. I got this great new career, although I have no idea what to put on forms when they ask for my occupation. Regardless, I still come from an engineering mindset and upbringing. I am great at math, I like to do logic puzzles and I am type A all the way.
Type A personalities are a problem in a lot of situations…mostly social situations, as Type A’s aren’t known for their sense of humor and ability to have more than 1 nanosecond of fun, but also in situations where, for example, one might decide one wants a tattoo.
Yeah, that’s right. I’m considering a tattoo. Well, for the record, I am 95% sure I am getting a tattoo…now it’s just design and location, location, location.
And when and engineer decides they want a tattoo, the big guns come out…and I don’t mean biceps. I have done my research.
I intend to complete an Ironman triathlon in approximately (exactly) 24 days and after that time, I intend to get the Ironman tattoo. Yes, I know it’s a brand name, and yes, I know it’s free advertising, and yes, I don’t give a flying flip. If Pizza Hut comes out with a bad ass race, I’ll get a slice of cheese on my butt cheek. Until then, just the Mdot please and thanks. I’m thinking of thin black outline of the Mdot, about the size of a nickel.
I have a couple of criteria in selecting my tattoo location.
• It needs to be in a place that will not get stretch marks should I ever become large and in charge.
• It needs to be at least moderately concealed for work and if/when I decide to get dressed up.
• It needs to be visible most other times (what’s the point of a tattoo that no one ever sees?).
This has led me to 3 possible options, with one front runner:
1. The inside of my wrist (probably the right wrist as my left is usually covered by a watch)
2. Behind my ear – I wear my hair down 98% of the time
3. On the top of my foot
My wrist is the front runner and in true engineer fashion, I am doing my research. I have fake tattoos of various sizes that I am wearing to help me decide if I really do want this thing.
Because that’s what happens when engineers decide to get tattoos.
So far today, I have gotten several incredulous stares…
What are your thoughts?? To tat or not to tat?
But alas, I am no longer an engineer…so I’m pretty much disposable at this point. I got this great new career, although I have no idea what to put on forms when they ask for my occupation. Regardless, I still come from an engineering mindset and upbringing. I am great at math, I like to do logic puzzles and I am type A all the way.
Type A personalities are a problem in a lot of situations…mostly social situations, as Type A’s aren’t known for their sense of humor and ability to have more than 1 nanosecond of fun, but also in situations where, for example, one might decide one wants a tattoo.
Yeah, that’s right. I’m considering a tattoo. Well, for the record, I am 95% sure I am getting a tattoo…now it’s just design and location, location, location.
And when and engineer decides they want a tattoo, the big guns come out…and I don’t mean biceps. I have done my research.
I intend to complete an Ironman triathlon in approximately (exactly) 24 days and after that time, I intend to get the Ironman tattoo. Yes, I know it’s a brand name, and yes, I know it’s free advertising, and yes, I don’t give a flying flip. If Pizza Hut comes out with a bad ass race, I’ll get a slice of cheese on my butt cheek. Until then, just the Mdot please and thanks. I’m thinking of thin black outline of the Mdot, about the size of a nickel.
I have a couple of criteria in selecting my tattoo location.
• It needs to be in a place that will not get stretch marks should I ever become large and in charge.
• It needs to be at least moderately concealed for work and if/when I decide to get dressed up.
• It needs to be visible most other times (what’s the point of a tattoo that no one ever sees?).
This has led me to 3 possible options, with one front runner:
1. The inside of my wrist (probably the right wrist as my left is usually covered by a watch)
2. Behind my ear – I wear my hair down 98% of the time
3. On the top of my foot
My wrist is the front runner and in true engineer fashion, I am doing my research. I have fake tattoos of various sizes that I am wearing to help me decide if I really do want this thing.
Because that’s what happens when engineers decide to get tattoos.
So far today, I have gotten several incredulous stares…
What are your thoughts?? To tat or not to tat?
Monday, November 02, 2009
Week 20 - 155 Miles
In the water: 0. Oops. Maybe THAT's why my legs are wasted.
On Rocky: 130 miles - 6 hours 50 minutes.
In my Asics: 25.1 miles - 4 hours 18 minutes
On the bosu ball: 2 hour
Total Mileage - 155.1 miles - 11 hours and 8 minutes
Well, it's finally the month of the race...I WAS feeling super ready and super strong and super prepared. And now, well, not I kind of feel like crap. My legs feel like lead, my shoulder hurts from my wreck, my bike fit feels funky all of the sudden...basically, I think I peaked too soon. Not sure how that will play into my final week of training, but oh well. I think I'm gonna push this week like normal, relax this weekend (do the distance, but do it slow) and then give myself a break next week.
Although, however much my workouts this weekend sucked, I FINALLY got caught up on some sleep. Thursday night, we went to bed early and slept in (till 6:30 - wowzas!!), Friday night we karaoked late, but slept in till like 10am (holy crap, where did that come from?!?) and Sunday we went to bed a reasonable hour, missed our alarm and slept till 7am. Seriously, who ARE these people?? All in all, I feel semi-rested for the first time in at least a year which is nice. and to top it off, I had an amazing weekend with friends...karaoke in a tutu, a gorgeous mid morning run, followed by delicious mexican on the porch of Cafe Adobe with my BFF's, a wonderful evening at home with Tommy, a gorgeous bike ride topped off with beers at Onion Creek with Jenn. My weekend couldn't have been any better!!
More on the karaoke and my tutu later...
On Rocky: 130 miles - 6 hours 50 minutes.
In my Asics: 25.1 miles - 4 hours 18 minutes
On the bosu ball: 2 hour
Total Mileage - 155.1 miles - 11 hours and 8 minutes
Well, it's finally the month of the race...I WAS feeling super ready and super strong and super prepared. And now, well, not I kind of feel like crap. My legs feel like lead, my shoulder hurts from my wreck, my bike fit feels funky all of the sudden...basically, I think I peaked too soon. Not sure how that will play into my final week of training, but oh well. I think I'm gonna push this week like normal, relax this weekend (do the distance, but do it slow) and then give myself a break next week.
Although, however much my workouts this weekend sucked, I FINALLY got caught up on some sleep. Thursday night, we went to bed early and slept in (till 6:30 - wowzas!!), Friday night we karaoked late, but slept in till like 10am (holy crap, where did that come from?!?) and Sunday we went to bed a reasonable hour, missed our alarm and slept till 7am. Seriously, who ARE these people?? All in all, I feel semi-rested for the first time in at least a year which is nice. and to top it off, I had an amazing weekend with friends...karaoke in a tutu, a gorgeous mid morning run, followed by delicious mexican on the porch of Cafe Adobe with my BFF's, a wonderful evening at home with Tommy, a gorgeous bike ride topped off with beers at Onion Creek with Jenn. My weekend couldn't have been any better!!
More on the karaoke and my tutu later...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
ONE MONTH.
Holy crap. I can't believe the Ironman is only a month away.
I am going through the full range of emotions. I am everything from exhilarated to exhausted.
Tommy and I signed up for this race over a year ago, right after we did our first half Ironman distance at Longhorn. Longhorn was a race that we not even close to being prepared for...we hadn't trained and we didn't really know anyone else who was doing tri's, so we didn't have anyone to talk to about it. But we went out there with blind excitement and had the time of our lives (not the best race of our lives, but an incredible time). Afterwards, I was hooked...and the only race left to sign up for Cozumel (darn!). So Cozumel it was.
So for one year, I have been training for this race. After Longhorn, we focused on the marathon in January and then after the marathon we took two weeks off (not off off, but like, not as MUCH exercising...do athletes ever actually take time off off?) and the training began at the beginning of February. Then the REAL training began in June. But for 9 months, we have been pushing ourselves to the limit. Waking up at 4am most days of the week and working out before work. Sleeping in is snoozing till 7AM. I have my arm band from Longhorn on my dashboard as a reminder to keep with it. It WILL all be worth it.
We are at a level of fitness that I would have never actually thought possible. I ran 20 miles before work last week and was fine. I mean, my knees hurt a little, but my legs were fine. I wasn't any more tired than normal and I wasn't sore. Not even a little sore. That's not normal.
I haven't actually lost any weight (not a single pound) or gone down a pants size (nope, still a 10, mother effers) and all my clothes fit exactly the same...but I promise you that beneath this layer of fat, I can totally kick your ass. Ha. Just trust me. But my biggest fear on the weight thing is that if I can only MAINTAIN my weight with this level of activity, I'm going to blow up like a blimp when I stop working out (as much)...and then of course, if I have more energy, I'm more likely to go out to dinner sometimes, which means more calories...it's a downward spiral and it does not bode well for me.
I am so ready for this race to be here. Most of our friends are done (or almost done) with their racing seasons...and we still have a month left. There are days when I feel ready and I feel excited and I feel like I know what the last year has been about. But ultimately, I know I am ready for it to be here...even if I am not physically ready to race. I need this. This is what it's about...the ultimate race in a gorgeous locale surrounded by all the people we love and mounds and mounds of Meixcan cheese. I couldn't ask for a better support team. (although, I'm pretty sure they are coming for the crystal clear water and not so much to see me, but that's okay!)
Mostly I'm tired of the pile of laundry that I can't keep up with, the dust collecting on all my furniture, the half completed chores, the lack of social time, the lack of sleep, the lack of Mexican food...mostly, I'm ready to have my life back. I just buy more sports bras when I run out. Not surprisingly, I run out of sports bras before I run out of underwear (most of my workout shorts have panties in them). I hate missing birthdays and Sunday Fundays...or Tuesday Fundays.
2 more hard weeks left, and then it's the easy stuff...only 10 mile runs and 60 mile bikes on the weekends...and then it's home free!!
I
Fires - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6692152.html
I am going through the full range of emotions. I am everything from exhilarated to exhausted.
Tommy and I signed up for this race over a year ago, right after we did our first half Ironman distance at Longhorn. Longhorn was a race that we not even close to being prepared for...we hadn't trained and we didn't really know anyone else who was doing tri's, so we didn't have anyone to talk to about it. But we went out there with blind excitement and had the time of our lives (not the best race of our lives, but an incredible time). Afterwards, I was hooked...and the only race left to sign up for Cozumel (darn!). So Cozumel it was.
So for one year, I have been training for this race. After Longhorn, we focused on the marathon in January and then after the marathon we took two weeks off (not off off, but like, not as MUCH exercising...do athletes ever actually take time off off?) and the training began at the beginning of February. Then the REAL training began in June. But for 9 months, we have been pushing ourselves to the limit. Waking up at 4am most days of the week and working out before work. Sleeping in is snoozing till 7AM. I have my arm band from Longhorn on my dashboard as a reminder to keep with it. It WILL all be worth it.
We are at a level of fitness that I would have never actually thought possible. I ran 20 miles before work last week and was fine. I mean, my knees hurt a little, but my legs were fine. I wasn't any more tired than normal and I wasn't sore. Not even a little sore. That's not normal.
I haven't actually lost any weight (not a single pound) or gone down a pants size (nope, still a 10, mother effers) and all my clothes fit exactly the same...but I promise you that beneath this layer of fat, I can totally kick your ass. Ha. Just trust me. But my biggest fear on the weight thing is that if I can only MAINTAIN my weight with this level of activity, I'm going to blow up like a blimp when I stop working out (as much)...and then of course, if I have more energy, I'm more likely to go out to dinner sometimes, which means more calories...it's a downward spiral and it does not bode well for me.
I am so ready for this race to be here. Most of our friends are done (or almost done) with their racing seasons...and we still have a month left. There are days when I feel ready and I feel excited and I feel like I know what the last year has been about. But ultimately, I know I am ready for it to be here...even if I am not physically ready to race. I need this. This is what it's about...the ultimate race in a gorgeous locale surrounded by all the people we love and mounds and mounds of Meixcan cheese. I couldn't ask for a better support team. (although, I'm pretty sure they are coming for the crystal clear water and not so much to see me, but that's okay!)
Mostly I'm tired of the pile of laundry that I can't keep up with, the dust collecting on all my furniture, the half completed chores, the lack of social time, the lack of sleep, the lack of Mexican food...mostly, I'm ready to have my life back. I just buy more sports bras when I run out. Not surprisingly, I run out of sports bras before I run out of underwear (most of my workout shorts have panties in them). I hate missing birthdays and Sunday Fundays...or Tuesday Fundays.
2 more hard weeks left, and then it's the easy stuff...only 10 mile runs and 60 mile bikes on the weekends...and then it's home free!!
I
Fires - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6692152.html
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
HTFU.
I went to the foot doctor today, whom I really liked BTW, and he told me quote, un-quote, "to HTFU". That's when I knew he was the doctor for me.
HTFU, for you non-triathletes, stands for Harden the F Up. And my doctor said it to me. Niiiice.
Anyways, basically, he did xrays and checked out my foot (duh). There were no visible signs of a fracture, but yet again, there is still a chance of a fracture in the future. Mostly he thinks that my big toe bone is inflammed because it overlaps the second toe bone. He said there is probably no way it will get better without rest, but that he didn't figure I would actually rest, so I better HTFU. And when it starts to hurt at mile 6 of the marathon, I better HTFU. So, it looks like I'll be HTFUing for the next few weeks.
If it still hurts after the race, he said he would recommend an MRI to check for fracture again, but there isn't much point in doing that right now since I'm not gonna stop running anyway.
So HTFU it is. I'll be laying off the speedwork and the extreme mileage, but otherwise, I'll be training as normal.
Viva la HTFU.
HTFU, for you non-triathletes, stands for Harden the F Up. And my doctor said it to me. Niiiice.
Anyways, basically, he did xrays and checked out my foot (duh). There were no visible signs of a fracture, but yet again, there is still a chance of a fracture in the future. Mostly he thinks that my big toe bone is inflammed because it overlaps the second toe bone. He said there is probably no way it will get better without rest, but that he didn't figure I would actually rest, so I better HTFU. And when it starts to hurt at mile 6 of the marathon, I better HTFU. So, it looks like I'll be HTFUing for the next few weeks.
If it still hurts after the race, he said he would recommend an MRI to check for fracture again, but there isn't much point in doing that right now since I'm not gonna stop running anyway.
So HTFU it is. I'll be laying off the speedwork and the extreme mileage, but otherwise, I'll be training as normal.
Viva la HTFU.
Week 19 - 133 Miles
In the water: 4.3 miles - 2 hours 35 minutes.
On Rocky: 110 miles - 6 hours 45 minutes
In my Asics: 19 miles - 3 hours 23 minutes
On the bosu ball: 1 hour
Total Mileage - 133.3 miles - 12 hours and 43 minutes
Well, this week definitely did not go the way it was supposed to, but all in all it wasn't a terrible week. I feel guilty about its lack of mileage, but there wasn't anything that could have been done about it, due to the Springtown Suck, so oh well. And I got some pretty amazing swims in, so I really can't complain!
I think we were just pooped from the last 4 weeks of hard...so we are going to take it semi-easy this week and then pick it up for one last ditch effort next week. THEN the taper will finally begin. Finally.
Hopefully Tommy can heal properly and quickly and all well be well with the world. Fingers crossed!
On Rocky: 110 miles - 6 hours 45 minutes
In my Asics: 19 miles - 3 hours 23 minutes
On the bosu ball: 1 hour
Total Mileage - 133.3 miles - 12 hours and 43 minutes
Well, this week definitely did not go the way it was supposed to, but all in all it wasn't a terrible week. I feel guilty about its lack of mileage, but there wasn't anything that could have been done about it, due to the Springtown Suck, so oh well. And I got some pretty amazing swims in, so I really can't complain!
I think we were just pooped from the last 4 weeks of hard...so we are going to take it semi-easy this week and then pick it up for one last ditch effort next week. THEN the taper will finally begin. Finally.
Hopefully Tommy can heal properly and quickly and all well be well with the world. Fingers crossed!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Springtown Suck, er, I mean, Spin.
My thoughts from our ride on Saturday were. “Well, the wind is a nice touch”, and that was just about the only “nice” thing I can say about the ride.
Tommy and I went to the Greater DFW area for the weekend to go to a friends wedding in Wichita Falls. We went to my parent’s house on Friday night to drop off the dog, see them for a bit and then hit up an organized Century Ride that I will affectionately call the Springtown Suck.
The Springtown Suck was intended to be our last century before the big dance, but since it sucked so bad, we didn’t finish and now we still have another long ride to complete. But in good news, I did get to take my first ride in the sag wagon. YAYY.
First of all, the roads in the Fort Worth metroplex suck. They suck a lot. I have never ridden on roads that suck as much as these roads sucked. I must be some spoiled brat about my roads, but seriously, we just don’t ride on roads that bad…ever. There are potholes, chip seal, no shoulders, awful drviers, fish tailing 18 wheelers, gravel, roadkill, you name, these roads have it…the one thing they DON’T have however is someone to actually design roads that don’t suck.
Secondly, the course was hilly. Really hilly. And we all know I suck at hills. And I wasn’t in the mood for hills. And I had run 19 miles the day before. And I was tired. And the roads sucked. And mostly, crappy roads just zap the energy right out of you…between that, the hills and the lovely headwind (that I swear we biked directly into the entire time), I was done. D.O.N.E. Done.
Of course, the roads, the hills and the wind are not the ride organizers fault…so this ride was not dubbed the Springtown Suck for reasons beyond their control. (Although, as a cyclist, I would take an activist approach to get those roads repaired, but that’s just me!).
The Springtown Spin was dubbed the Springtown Suck because it was the most terribly organized ride I have EVER been on.
We stopped at the 23 mile mark to pee, grab a snack, and refill water bottles. And thank goodness we stopped there, because the next aid station wasn’t until mile 53. And then at that aid station, they were out of water, Gatorade and snacks. They didn’t have enough snacks for the people on the 100 mile route. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
I brought about 90 ounces of water with me on the ride, I would have brought more, but that’s all I can fit on my bike. But after about 50 miles, I was out. Completely out of water. I brought enough snacks to get me through the day, but I usually like to eat the cookies and tasty treats provided at an organized ride, because “Hey, I paid for cookies, I wanna eat cookies”. But there weren’t any snacks at all. Sooo, I’m still not certain what my entry fee paid for. Because it couldn’t have been for the police officers “directing traffic…because those guys barely got out of their car, nevermind actually stopping traffic for us.
After the wonderful aid station at mile 53ish, we got back on our bikes, pissed off at this crappy ride…fully expecting to have to stop at a gas station to buy our own Gatorade and snacks. But we didn’t find an gas stations. Finally, we got to an aid station at about Mile 65. They had water refills, but no snacks…because when you ride 100 miles, all you really need is water. Electrolyte replacement is a myth.
And then things got really good.
I passed the station without stopping, but Tommy stopped. I passed him, but slowed down into an asphalt parking lot…or I thought it was asphalt. Turns out it was 3 inches of gravel. I wiped out. Awesome. Luckily, I wasn’t going very fast. I hurt my shoulder and got some road rash on my leg (ugh!), but all in all, I am totally fine. I won’t be swimming any time soon, but I’m okay. However, after the first 65 miles of terrible riding, I was done. I was tired, I was semi-hurt and I just didn’t want to ride anymore. So I just sat there.
I guess Tommy thought I was really hurt because he rode over to me really fast, hit the gravel and flew over his handle bars. It’s a good thing he has a head though because his face was there to break his fall. He landed face first into the gravel, scratched up his face, messed up his shoulder and forearm really bad, and road rash all over his knee. He looked like he lost a really long fight.
The best part about the Springtown Suck though, is that none of the volunteers at the aid station bothered to get up to see if we were okay. And then when I asked if we could get sagged, she laughed at me and asked what I would do with my bike. Are you freaking kidding me? He just flew over his handlebars. Use your brain.
We still had a little bit of water left and we were able to at least get most of the dirt out of our wounds on our own, and then convince the girls to call someone to pick us up. Well, the finally did call someone, but they told them to go to the wrong place…so we waited for about 45 minutes before anyone came looking for us.
The medic finally showed up with his kit of bandaids, which was helpful since you know we were scratched for head to toe. We convinced him to give us a ride back to the start (he didn’t really want to) and that was that.
Worst ride ever.
I will never ride in the DFW metroplex ever again. If I ever move to Dallas, I will give up cycling. I have now biked 140ish miles and all 140 sucked.
Springtown Spin can suck it.
Tommy and I went to the Greater DFW area for the weekend to go to a friends wedding in Wichita Falls. We went to my parent’s house on Friday night to drop off the dog, see them for a bit and then hit up an organized Century Ride that I will affectionately call the Springtown Suck.
The Springtown Suck was intended to be our last century before the big dance, but since it sucked so bad, we didn’t finish and now we still have another long ride to complete. But in good news, I did get to take my first ride in the sag wagon. YAYY.
First of all, the roads in the Fort Worth metroplex suck. They suck a lot. I have never ridden on roads that suck as much as these roads sucked. I must be some spoiled brat about my roads, but seriously, we just don’t ride on roads that bad…ever. There are potholes, chip seal, no shoulders, awful drviers, fish tailing 18 wheelers, gravel, roadkill, you name, these roads have it…the one thing they DON’T have however is someone to actually design roads that don’t suck.
Secondly, the course was hilly. Really hilly. And we all know I suck at hills. And I wasn’t in the mood for hills. And I had run 19 miles the day before. And I was tired. And the roads sucked. And mostly, crappy roads just zap the energy right out of you…between that, the hills and the lovely headwind (that I swear we biked directly into the entire time), I was done. D.O.N.E. Done.
Of course, the roads, the hills and the wind are not the ride organizers fault…so this ride was not dubbed the Springtown Suck for reasons beyond their control. (Although, as a cyclist, I would take an activist approach to get those roads repaired, but that’s just me!).
The Springtown Spin was dubbed the Springtown Suck because it was the most terribly organized ride I have EVER been on.
We stopped at the 23 mile mark to pee, grab a snack, and refill water bottles. And thank goodness we stopped there, because the next aid station wasn’t until mile 53. And then at that aid station, they were out of water, Gatorade and snacks. They didn’t have enough snacks for the people on the 100 mile route. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
I brought about 90 ounces of water with me on the ride, I would have brought more, but that’s all I can fit on my bike. But after about 50 miles, I was out. Completely out of water. I brought enough snacks to get me through the day, but I usually like to eat the cookies and tasty treats provided at an organized ride, because “Hey, I paid for cookies, I wanna eat cookies”. But there weren’t any snacks at all. Sooo, I’m still not certain what my entry fee paid for. Because it couldn’t have been for the police officers “directing traffic…because those guys barely got out of their car, nevermind actually stopping traffic for us.
After the wonderful aid station at mile 53ish, we got back on our bikes, pissed off at this crappy ride…fully expecting to have to stop at a gas station to buy our own Gatorade and snacks. But we didn’t find an gas stations. Finally, we got to an aid station at about Mile 65. They had water refills, but no snacks…because when you ride 100 miles, all you really need is water. Electrolyte replacement is a myth.
And then things got really good.
I passed the station without stopping, but Tommy stopped. I passed him, but slowed down into an asphalt parking lot…or I thought it was asphalt. Turns out it was 3 inches of gravel. I wiped out. Awesome. Luckily, I wasn’t going very fast. I hurt my shoulder and got some road rash on my leg (ugh!), but all in all, I am totally fine. I won’t be swimming any time soon, but I’m okay. However, after the first 65 miles of terrible riding, I was done. I was tired, I was semi-hurt and I just didn’t want to ride anymore. So I just sat there.
I guess Tommy thought I was really hurt because he rode over to me really fast, hit the gravel and flew over his handle bars. It’s a good thing he has a head though because his face was there to break his fall. He landed face first into the gravel, scratched up his face, messed up his shoulder and forearm really bad, and road rash all over his knee. He looked like he lost a really long fight.
The best part about the Springtown Suck though, is that none of the volunteers at the aid station bothered to get up to see if we were okay. And then when I asked if we could get sagged, she laughed at me and asked what I would do with my bike. Are you freaking kidding me? He just flew over his handlebars. Use your brain.
We still had a little bit of water left and we were able to at least get most of the dirt out of our wounds on our own, and then convince the girls to call someone to pick us up. Well, the finally did call someone, but they told them to go to the wrong place…so we waited for about 45 minutes before anyone came looking for us.
The medic finally showed up with his kit of bandaids, which was helpful since you know we were scratched for head to toe. We convinced him to give us a ride back to the start (he didn’t really want to) and that was that.
Worst ride ever.
I will never ride in the DFW metroplex ever again. If I ever move to Dallas, I will give up cycling. I have now biked 140ish miles and all 140 sucked.
Springtown Spin can suck it.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Drowned Rat.
The good news is that my longest run of the season is done. The bad news is that my foot is killing me now.
Ugh.
Our training schedule says we should never run more than 2.5 hours, but since that would mean that I would never run more than about 15 miles (because I am slower than molasses), I threw that crap out that window. So, we have done mostly 10-12 miles every weekend, a few 15 milers, and then we planned to 19 this weekend. Ideally, we would do 19-20 a couple of times, but life and injuries have prevented that. Oh well.
And then Vince decided that this weekend was the best weekend in world to get married. Sweet.
Ugh.
So that meant we could either go the wedding, not drink (much), come home early and run 20 miles the morning after...and then drive home to Houston. OR we could do our run during the week, ride on Saturday before the wedding and be able to play a little bit that night...and of course, still plan on running on Sunday, just not 20 miles.
We opted to scheduled a 20 mile run for Thursday before work so we could play. Big surprise. Ouch.
Of the Mother Nature has it out to get me and planned a wonderful slew of storms for yesterday morning. Thanks biatch.
Our alarm went off at 3:30 (because that's how early I have to wake up to run 20 miles and still get to work by 9ish) and it was pouring. We checked the radar and there was a big red blob over our house (I could have told you that by looking out the window, but I digress)...we decided to wait it out thirty minutes, and see if the red section had passed. It did, and we headed out to the park.
We were ready to run at 4:30AM, alone at the park...seriously, it was a ghost town. We saw one chick (we saw her twice, she ran far), but that was it...for those non-Houstonians out there, the park is packed 24/7. There are always always always people there. It was creepy to see it so barren.
I wore a trash bag for the first loop, but quickly realized that was a pointless effort. We dodged puddles for about 0.25 miles and then realized that was pointless too. It was just going to be wet. Really really really wet. We ran one loop at the park, then headed out towards the Heights trail. Heights was a mud pit, so we ran up our old street (where we discovered our house had been demolished...siiigh) to 20th and a water stop.
Oh, and I peed my pants. Ha. It was much easier than peeing on the bike and the rain helped me feel clean again. I mean, I was soaked to the bone. What difference does a little pee make? Not much I discovered.
I actually peed my pants 3 times during this run. I'm so gross. I wouldn't be friends with me if you paid me. Totally awesome though. Watch our Cozumel! If peeing your pants is cool, then consider me Senor Miles Davis!
From 20th, we headed towards the White Oak Bayou trail and that's when the lightening started. Ugh. I'm totally down with running in the rain (I'm lying, I would never run in the rain if I hadn't carbo loaded like a champ and didn't want to waste the calories), but lightening is just unsafe. And of course, at this point, we are at the furthest point in our run and have no choice but the continue running in the rain back to the park. TC Jester was a mud pit, but there was no avoiding it, so we slogged through it...slowly and painfully. Those 2 miles really hurt our splits!
We finally got back to the park, without being struck by lightening, and planned to do two more loops. I started getting grouchy, so we only did about 1.5 loops before Tommy threatened to divorce me and I quit, but that was 19 miles, so eh...that's good enough for me.
The rain stopped long enough for us to each foam roller and stretch a little.
My shoes were STILL wet this morning. I am chaffed in places I didn't know I could chafe (mostly places I didn't put Body Glide/Chois Butter because I didn't know I could chafe there...duh), but I didn't get a single blister (what? I was surprised too.). My quads are a little sore today, but nothing outrageous...I definitely wished I had a one story house, but it wasn't that bad. Mostly my foot is hurting a lot.
So, 100 mile ride tomorrow, then another hard week next week and we are D.O.N.E. Finally!!
Ugh.
Our training schedule says we should never run more than 2.5 hours, but since that would mean that I would never run more than about 15 miles (because I am slower than molasses), I threw that crap out that window. So, we have done mostly 10-12 miles every weekend, a few 15 milers, and then we planned to 19 this weekend. Ideally, we would do 19-20 a couple of times, but life and injuries have prevented that. Oh well.
And then Vince decided that this weekend was the best weekend in world to get married. Sweet.
Ugh.
So that meant we could either go the wedding, not drink (much), come home early and run 20 miles the morning after...and then drive home to Houston. OR we could do our run during the week, ride on Saturday before the wedding and be able to play a little bit that night...and of course, still plan on running on Sunday, just not 20 miles.
We opted to scheduled a 20 mile run for Thursday before work so we could play. Big surprise. Ouch.
Of the Mother Nature has it out to get me and planned a wonderful slew of storms for yesterday morning. Thanks biatch.
Our alarm went off at 3:30 (because that's how early I have to wake up to run 20 miles and still get to work by 9ish) and it was pouring. We checked the radar and there was a big red blob over our house (I could have told you that by looking out the window, but I digress)...we decided to wait it out thirty minutes, and see if the red section had passed. It did, and we headed out to the park.
We were ready to run at 4:30AM, alone at the park...seriously, it was a ghost town. We saw one chick (we saw her twice, she ran far), but that was it...for those non-Houstonians out there, the park is packed 24/7. There are always always always people there. It was creepy to see it so barren.
I wore a trash bag for the first loop, but quickly realized that was a pointless effort. We dodged puddles for about 0.25 miles and then realized that was pointless too. It was just going to be wet. Really really really wet. We ran one loop at the park, then headed out towards the Heights trail. Heights was a mud pit, so we ran up our old street (where we discovered our house had been demolished...siiigh) to 20th and a water stop.
Oh, and I peed my pants. Ha. It was much easier than peeing on the bike and the rain helped me feel clean again. I mean, I was soaked to the bone. What difference does a little pee make? Not much I discovered.
I actually peed my pants 3 times during this run. I'm so gross. I wouldn't be friends with me if you paid me. Totally awesome though. Watch our Cozumel! If peeing your pants is cool, then consider me Senor Miles Davis!
From 20th, we headed towards the White Oak Bayou trail and that's when the lightening started. Ugh. I'm totally down with running in the rain (I'm lying, I would never run in the rain if I hadn't carbo loaded like a champ and didn't want to waste the calories), but lightening is just unsafe. And of course, at this point, we are at the furthest point in our run and have no choice but the continue running in the rain back to the park. TC Jester was a mud pit, but there was no avoiding it, so we slogged through it...slowly and painfully. Those 2 miles really hurt our splits!
We finally got back to the park, without being struck by lightening, and planned to do two more loops. I started getting grouchy, so we only did about 1.5 loops before Tommy threatened to divorce me and I quit, but that was 19 miles, so eh...that's good enough for me.
The rain stopped long enough for us to each foam roller and stretch a little.
My shoes were STILL wet this morning. I am chaffed in places I didn't know I could chafe (mostly places I didn't put Body Glide/Chois Butter because I didn't know I could chafe there...duh), but I didn't get a single blister (what? I was surprised too.). My quads are a little sore today, but nothing outrageous...I definitely wished I had a one story house, but it wasn't that bad. Mostly my foot is hurting a lot.
So, 100 mile ride tomorrow, then another hard week next week and we are D.O.N.E. Finally!!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cursed.
Three and a half years ago, I met the love of my life...he is my BFF and he looks dam good without a shirt on, so I married him. It was pretty much that simple. That's the key to a good marriage kids, find a hot one and make him buy you jewelry. Done and done.
However, someone upstairs must be having a hay day because everyplace that has been important to our relationship is gone.
We met at Little Woodrows on West Alabama. Demolished.
We fell in love while I lived in this crappy white house with Natalie. Un-liveable and for sale (foreclosure!).
We got engaged at Brennan's. Burned down.
We got married at the Majestic Metro. Burned. (still standing, but burned).
And today on our run, we discovered that the first house we lived in together was demolished.
I wouldn't be friends with us if I were you.
However, someone upstairs must be having a hay day because everyplace that has been important to our relationship is gone.
We met at Little Woodrows on West Alabama. Demolished.
We fell in love while I lived in this crappy white house with Natalie. Un-liveable and for sale (foreclosure!).
We got engaged at Brennan's. Burned down.
We got married at the Majestic Metro. Burned. (still standing, but burned).
And today on our run, we discovered that the first house we lived in together was demolished.
I wouldn't be friends with us if I were you.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Holy Smokes.
The fires in my neighborhood are starting to get out of control...and they are moving closer which I am not really a fan of. Inner city livin' is cool, but seriously, I have the worst luck. This latest fire is approximately 1 block from my house...I saw the firetrucks heading there on my way to the gym. Sveeet. Hopefully his next target will be the crack house down the street.
Am I the only one who thinks that chewing gum while going to the bathroom is gross?
How do we feel about singing in the shower? In public places? There is a lady who sings in the shower at the YMCA and it drives me up the wall. UP THE WALL. This is not your house lady. Save the Jesus songs for another day. (Why does it make me so crazy? I have no idea.)
Today I swam next to an old dude who did Kona. He told me I was a good swimmer but that I would be a lot faster if I could flip turn. I flippin' hate flip turns. But yeah, I would be faster. Ugh. I still have water in my ears. 4000m = DONE. That guy swam Kona is 1:22...I think I found my swim goal! 1:22, here I come!
A picture from my high school reunion. Mums are awesome. And do NOT look like cow bells.
I can't decide what to be for Halloween. Ugh. What do we think the odds of me being able to fit into my old tutu's are? Zilch? Probably. Gonna try anyway. That'll be depressing.
I'm planning on running 21 miles before work tomorrow. Shoot me. Hello 3am!
And the Don. He be cool. His leg is still hurting him so he is very pitiful lately.
Francis should be Jon Gosselin for Halloween. Seriously. Haha. OMG.
My new job is hard. There are lots of things to memorize and I can't take notes fast enough. Brain is hurting. I hear that it gets easier. Waiting for that day...
Am I the only one who thinks that chewing gum while going to the bathroom is gross?
How do we feel about singing in the shower? In public places? There is a lady who sings in the shower at the YMCA and it drives me up the wall. UP THE WALL. This is not your house lady. Save the Jesus songs for another day. (Why does it make me so crazy? I have no idea.)
Today I swam next to an old dude who did Kona. He told me I was a good swimmer but that I would be a lot faster if I could flip turn. I flippin' hate flip turns. But yeah, I would be faster. Ugh. I still have water in my ears. 4000m = DONE. That guy swam Kona is 1:22...I think I found my swim goal! 1:22, here I come!
A picture from my high school reunion. Mums are awesome. And do NOT look like cow bells.
I can't decide what to be for Halloween. Ugh. What do we think the odds of me being able to fit into my old tutu's are? Zilch? Probably. Gonna try anyway. That'll be depressing.
I'm planning on running 21 miles before work tomorrow. Shoot me. Hello 3am!
And the Don. He be cool. His leg is still hurting him so he is very pitiful lately.
Francis should be Jon Gosselin for Halloween. Seriously. Haha. OMG.
My new job is hard. There are lots of things to memorize and I can't take notes fast enough. Brain is hurting. I hear that it gets easier. Waiting for that day...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Week 18 - 172 Miles
In the water: 3.2 miles - 1 hour 46 minutes.
On Rocky: 147 miles - 9 hours 0 minutes
In my Asics: 22 miles - 3 hours 40 minutes
On the bosu ball: 2 hours
Total Mileage - 172.2 miles - 14 hours and 26 minutes
Despite the significant decrease in overall mileage this week, this was probably the hardest week I've had yet. My workouts were just hard, not because they were intense, but because my body was rejecting me everytime I put one foot in front of the other. It was screaming for me to stop. I was emotionally and physically drained. And I may or may not have tried to do a little too much in the evenings, which I'm sure didn't help. I got free tickets to U2 - what am I gonna do? Say no? Pa-sha!
But I learned my lesson! I will not be having any outings during the week for the next two weeks..sorry pals!
By Thursday evening, I was able to turn my mood and body around - I squeezed in a wonderful 4 mile run that I desperately needed and it turned my frown upside down! Saturday I did a nice easy 12 miler with my friend, grabbed a delicious breakfast at The Breakfast Klub with LauraB, and hit up Lake 288 for a freezing hour and half swim. I almost pussed out during the swim, but knew that Tommy would make fun of me, so I HTFUed and finished it up. It was rough. FYI - egg sandwiches and swimming = not so much.
Sunday we met a pretty large group at the Bronco Burrito in Pearland for a 115 mile ride. Surprisingly, I was able to keep up with the lead pack fo rthe first 80 miles...now this may be because they were waiting for me, but regardless, I felt pretty awesome to be the only chick in a group of guys. And there was never a line for the bathroom! HOORAY! At mile 80, the wheels started to fall off though...but I got some delcious cookies (remind me to put cookies in special needs bag, they get me through pain everytime) and we were able to finish relatively strong. The wind was brutal, but we averaged about 18.5mph while riding (not including stopped time).
But the best part was heading to Kemah for a tasty seafood lunch on the boardwalk...it was a gorgeous day and even though we were smelly, it reminded me, once again, how grateful I am that Tommy and I can train together. It was the perfect day.
Only two more hard weeks left and then it's home free. We are planning on running 21 miles before work on Thursday...hopefully my foot can hold out!! And then a century ride in Springtown...then the wedding of Vince and Ruthie - hello open bar after burning 3000 calories! Danger danger! Mental note, find a designated driver...
On Rocky: 147 miles - 9 hours 0 minutes
In my Asics: 22 miles - 3 hours 40 minutes
On the bosu ball: 2 hours
Total Mileage - 172.2 miles - 14 hours and 26 minutes
Despite the significant decrease in overall mileage this week, this was probably the hardest week I've had yet. My workouts were just hard, not because they were intense, but because my body was rejecting me everytime I put one foot in front of the other. It was screaming for me to stop. I was emotionally and physically drained. And I may or may not have tried to do a little too much in the evenings, which I'm sure didn't help. I got free tickets to U2 - what am I gonna do? Say no? Pa-sha!
But I learned my lesson! I will not be having any outings during the week for the next two weeks..sorry pals!
By Thursday evening, I was able to turn my mood and body around - I squeezed in a wonderful 4 mile run that I desperately needed and it turned my frown upside down! Saturday I did a nice easy 12 miler with my friend, grabbed a delicious breakfast at The Breakfast Klub with LauraB, and hit up Lake 288 for a freezing hour and half swim. I almost pussed out during the swim, but knew that Tommy would make fun of me, so I HTFUed and finished it up. It was rough. FYI - egg sandwiches and swimming = not so much.
Sunday we met a pretty large group at the Bronco Burrito in Pearland for a 115 mile ride. Surprisingly, I was able to keep up with the lead pack fo rthe first 80 miles...now this may be because they were waiting for me, but regardless, I felt pretty awesome to be the only chick in a group of guys. And there was never a line for the bathroom! HOORAY! At mile 80, the wheels started to fall off though...but I got some delcious cookies (remind me to put cookies in special needs bag, they get me through pain everytime) and we were able to finish relatively strong. The wind was brutal, but we averaged about 18.5mph while riding (not including stopped time).
But the best part was heading to Kemah for a tasty seafood lunch on the boardwalk...it was a gorgeous day and even though we were smelly, it reminded me, once again, how grateful I am that Tommy and I can train together. It was the perfect day.
Only two more hard weeks left and then it's home free. We are planning on running 21 miles before work on Thursday...hopefully my foot can hold out!! And then a century ride in Springtown...then the wedding of Vince and Ruthie - hello open bar after burning 3000 calories! Danger danger! Mental note, find a designated driver...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Dreaming.
I still can't believe the Ironman is so close.
I am at a point in my training where I am exhausted, drained, tired, missing friends, missing sleeping in, and trying to decide if all the sacrifice is worth it. There are days when I can say without a doubt that this is all worth it - the times when Tommy and I meet our friends for workouts or when we are alone and just enjoy the quality time together. And then there are times that I think, "Why the hell am I up at 4AM to ride my bike before work when I could have gone to dinner with friends and slept until a normal hour?" - and it's on those days that it's helpful for me to read things like this.
It puts it all in perspective. We do this because it's hard. We do this because it pushes ourselves to the limit - both in training and on race day. We do this because ultimately we love being out there, in the elements, doing what we love with people who love it too...and may the best man win. You never know what the day may bring...no matter what you do, how hard you train, how fast you go...you may not finish. The joy in finishing is knowing that anything could have happened.
I still maintain that I WILL NOT be signing up for next year, but I know that if I can cross that finish line still standing, it will be one of the hardest things I have ever had to pass up.
47 days until I become an Ironman. 3 more hard weeks and then the taper begins...
I am at a point in my training where I am exhausted, drained, tired, missing friends, missing sleeping in, and trying to decide if all the sacrifice is worth it. There are days when I can say without a doubt that this is all worth it - the times when Tommy and I meet our friends for workouts or when we are alone and just enjoy the quality time together. And then there are times that I think, "Why the hell am I up at 4AM to ride my bike before work when I could have gone to dinner with friends and slept until a normal hour?" - and it's on those days that it's helpful for me to read things like this.
It puts it all in perspective. We do this because it's hard. We do this because it pushes ourselves to the limit - both in training and on race day. We do this because ultimately we love being out there, in the elements, doing what we love with people who love it too...and may the best man win. You never know what the day may bring...no matter what you do, how hard you train, how fast you go...you may not finish. The joy in finishing is knowing that anything could have happened.
I still maintain that I WILL NOT be signing up for next year, but I know that if I can cross that finish line still standing, it will be one of the hardest things I have ever had to pass up.
47 days until I become an Ironman. 3 more hard weeks and then the taper begins...
Monday, October 12, 2009
My peoples.
I got a new follower today!! Let's all say "hi" to Nukem!!
Hi Nukem!
I am now up to a solid 6 followers. I think I am well on my way to quitting my day job, eh?
I've been blogging for 4 years and I have 6 followers. Pretty awesome by anyone's standards.
Hip hip hooray for Nukem. Thanks for joining this exclusive club. Please send your yearly club dues to me. You know where I live.
Hi Nukem!
I am now up to a solid 6 followers. I think I am well on my way to quitting my day job, eh?
I've been blogging for 4 years and I have 6 followers. Pretty awesome by anyone's standards.
Hip hip hooray for Nukem. Thanks for joining this exclusive club. Please send your yearly club dues to me. You know where I live.
Week 17 - 257 Miles
In the water: 2.17 miles - 1 hour 12 minutes.
On Rocky: 243 miles - 12 hours 46 minutes
In my Asics: 11.5 miles - 1 hours 55 minutes
On the bosu ball: 2 hours
Total Mileage - 256.67 miles - 15 hours and 53 minutes
7 weeks of training left...only 3 more hard weeks and then we are home free!!
I took it easy on my foot this week and didn't do much running. I did a lot of ellipticalling (which I counted at running), some aqua jogging (which counted as running) and then I did a little actual running...I determined that I love running and I couldn't kick the habit entirely.
My mileage was HUGE this week due to the lack of running and the massive amount of biking. Ooops. My quads hurt a little. Okay, they hurt a lot.
Bike Around the Bay was awesome. We were not the fastest group (they were sooo fast), but we were the second fastest group...and therefore we had our own police escorts. I've never felt like such a stud. Seriously. That is probably the closest I will ever come to knowing what it's like to win a race. It was incredible. OMG. IT WAS AWESOME! I will definitely be doing this ride again in the future - I will be hoping for much ebtter weather though! The wind, cold and rain were brutal!!
After Day 1, our new friend Mandy went for a 20 mile run...we felt like slackers because we only did 6. And THAT my friends is how much training for an Ironman can skew your reality.
I also got in the pool and swam 2 miles - I've still got it! I knew I could still do it, but because it had been so long, I was starting to doubt myself...but nope, I can still swim forever. Thank goodness. I do not want to have to start swimming regularly.
Looking forward to this week! Tonight is the Beerathlon!! I am going to start easing running back into my schedule and see how it goes...I figure a beer drinking relay is just the ticket!!
On Rocky: 243 miles - 12 hours 46 minutes
In my Asics: 11.5 miles - 1 hours 55 minutes
On the bosu ball: 2 hours
Total Mileage - 256.67 miles - 15 hours and 53 minutes
7 weeks of training left...only 3 more hard weeks and then we are home free!!
I took it easy on my foot this week and didn't do much running. I did a lot of ellipticalling (which I counted at running), some aqua jogging (which counted as running) and then I did a little actual running...I determined that I love running and I couldn't kick the habit entirely.
My mileage was HUGE this week due to the lack of running and the massive amount of biking. Ooops. My quads hurt a little. Okay, they hurt a lot.
Bike Around the Bay was awesome. We were not the fastest group (they were sooo fast), but we were the second fastest group...and therefore we had our own police escorts. I've never felt like such a stud. Seriously. That is probably the closest I will ever come to knowing what it's like to win a race. It was incredible. OMG. IT WAS AWESOME! I will definitely be doing this ride again in the future - I will be hoping for much ebtter weather though! The wind, cold and rain were brutal!!
After Day 1, our new friend Mandy went for a 20 mile run...we felt like slackers because we only did 6. And THAT my friends is how much training for an Ironman can skew your reality.
I also got in the pool and swam 2 miles - I've still got it! I knew I could still do it, but because it had been so long, I was starting to doubt myself...but nope, I can still swim forever. Thank goodness. I do not want to have to start swimming regularly.
Looking forward to this week! Tonight is the Beerathlon!! I am going to start easing running back into my schedule and see how it goes...I figure a beer drinking relay is just the ticket!!
Friday, October 09, 2009
Leaping Lizards.
Every year in elementary school, Ms. Raiden, the evil PE teacher extraordinaire, started a jump rope team. I, big surprise, never made the team. This failure still haunts me. I loved loved loved jumping rope. Nowadays, I can barely make it 2 minutes before I am on the ground gasping my last breath, but back then, it was easy.
These girls, however, ALL made the jump rope team and pretty much rock my world. I promise you that this 8 minute video is worth every single second.
If I ever see Ms. Raiden on the street, I'm pretty sure I would take her down. I'd probably take down Ms. Pain the art teacher too. She was a big pain in the you know what (yeah, we said that joke a lot back then).
Seriously. 8 minutes of video. Worth it.
(On another note, Kona is tomorrow! Can't wait to watch some race coverage!)
These girls, however, ALL made the jump rope team and pretty much rock my world. I promise you that this 8 minute video is worth every single second.
If I ever see Ms. Raiden on the street, I'm pretty sure I would take her down. I'd probably take down Ms. Pain the art teacher too. She was a big pain in the you know what (yeah, we said that joke a lot back then).
Seriously. 8 minutes of video. Worth it.
(On another note, Kona is tomorrow! Can't wait to watch some race coverage!)
Monday, October 05, 2009
Week 16 - 153 Miles
In the water: 0.75 miles - 33 minutes.
On Rocky: 135 miles - 6 hours 45 minutes
In my Asics: 18 miles - 3 hours 3 minutes
On the bosu ball: 3 hours
Total Mileage - 153.75 miles - 10 hours and 21 minutes
I took it easy on my foot and didn't do any running on Saturday...what's interesting is that I still hit 18 miles for the week. I did a lot of walking (and counted that as running), but I still can't believe the number of miles. Oh well!
This week I am taking off running entirely and doing Bike Around the Bay this weekend. I may attempt a short run after Day 1 (70ish miles) and see how it goes, but I won't be pushing it at all. I'm afraid of losing my speed, but I'm more afraid of breaking my foot...sooooo, we will see.
We are officially 55 days until showtime. I can't believe it. I can't believe how close it is. My friends are making shirts. They look amazing. I'm working on my farmers tan and my invisible 6 pack.
I CAN'T WAIT!!
On Rocky: 135 miles - 6 hours 45 minutes
In my Asics: 18 miles - 3 hours 3 minutes
On the bosu ball: 3 hours
Total Mileage - 153.75 miles - 10 hours and 21 minutes
I took it easy on my foot and didn't do any running on Saturday...what's interesting is that I still hit 18 miles for the week. I did a lot of walking (and counted that as running), but I still can't believe the number of miles. Oh well!
This week I am taking off running entirely and doing Bike Around the Bay this weekend. I may attempt a short run after Day 1 (70ish miles) and see how it goes, but I won't be pushing it at all. I'm afraid of losing my speed, but I'm more afraid of breaking my foot...sooooo, we will see.
We are officially 55 days until showtime. I can't believe it. I can't believe how close it is. My friends are making shirts. They look amazing. I'm working on my farmers tan and my invisible 6 pack.
I CAN'T WAIT!!
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