So over the course of the past couple days it has hit me hard that I'm not a kiddo anymore. On my way into work, saw my first gray hair. Then when I got my wetsuit and dove into the water for something that I would have never thought twice about, I got a little panicky. I have done open water swims before but it has been a long time. When I got into the choppy water yesterday by myself and couldn't see the bottom, I panicked, didn't last in the water for very long. I never dreamed that the swim was going to be a problem, but mentally, it looks like its going to be a little bit of a challenge. I eased back into it today, got into the nice smooth waters of the lake and still couldn't see the bottom, but made myself relax and breathe and was able to get in a 20 minute swim followed by a 10 mile bike.
Age. With Age comes Wisdom... and Fear. There was a time when I never thought about consequences, I wanted to do something and I did it. A quick open water swim by myself, no problem. Now I get into the open water and think about currents and cramps and anything else that makes open water swimming by yourself a really bad idea. I really think that during the race this won't be an issue, obviously there will be lots of other people there, lifeguards included and then there is always the adrenaline of the race itself to push me through.
In good news, I seem to have picked up the clip less pedals without too much excitement. I have done three rides now with them and clipped in and out over 100 times on each foot, so my neuromuscular memory is being formed, I still think that in a quick instant if I had to kick off the bike I would be in trouble, but in stopping quickly and the regular movement on the bike, I'm doing pretty well. Plus it really has helped my stroke a lot. Its more than a little crazy that it isn't acceptable to rest on the upstroke, but that being said, a little force on the upstroke really does speed things up. Curious to see what my time will be for my 12 mile loop. Maybe I will do that Sunday before work.
All in all things are going well and I think I can definitely finish the race, and I am starting to plot out the rest of the summer and see if I have the time to train for a half iron the first weekend in October. I'm hooked, we're all in trouble now! :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Bike Shoes
So, I have been biking for a couple months now and am still by every definition very amateur and very green. However, I have been getting better and have seen marked improvement, so its about time I set myself back a few pegs, right? Why not bring clip less pedals into the picture? I know that it will improve my bike, that it will decrease my overall energy exerted and make each rotation more effective, I also know that it locks me onto my bike! AHHHHH! :) The game plan for this? Going up to the shop to pick up shoes and pedals, install and then head out to Old Saybrook to cruise the back roads down by the shore- not much traffic and plenty of soft places to land.
I drove down to Bridgeport yesterday and did a brick on the course. Very, very flat, honestly the first time I have engaged the larger gear for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time. It felt good, but very different, no uphills means no downhills, and no coasting along. I tried to be very intentional about hydrating every 7 or 8 minutes which felt good and overall should be a good pace to maintain myself for the rest of the race. I kept the run short, I knew my feet needed a break, not another run, so I backed off and just got the feel of the bike/run transition.
With the course being very flat, I'm going to have to drive and train down by the shore a little bit more given the fact that there is nowhere flat nearby. Wetsuit is scheduled to come today, and I am really looking forward to getting into the water and getting my feet wet in a little open water swim. Soon I am going to need to practice transitions and figure out how this all works. I am so excited for this new challenge, and am looking toward the next and next and next, thinking its possible that I could do a half-iron by the end of the year, and perhaps a whole next year. I know, I am getting so far ahead of myself, one step at a time, but I am hooked, I'm ready to go!
After all that, I work 6p-2a, of course, but I can't resist using my new toys! :) Going to be a long day methinks!
I drove down to Bridgeport yesterday and did a brick on the course. Very, very flat, honestly the first time I have engaged the larger gear for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time. It felt good, but very different, no uphills means no downhills, and no coasting along. I tried to be very intentional about hydrating every 7 or 8 minutes which felt good and overall should be a good pace to maintain myself for the rest of the race. I kept the run short, I knew my feet needed a break, not another run, so I backed off and just got the feel of the bike/run transition.
With the course being very flat, I'm going to have to drive and train down by the shore a little bit more given the fact that there is nowhere flat nearby. Wetsuit is scheduled to come today, and I am really looking forward to getting into the water and getting my feet wet in a little open water swim. Soon I am going to need to practice transitions and figure out how this all works. I am so excited for this new challenge, and am looking toward the next and next and next, thinking its possible that I could do a half-iron by the end of the year, and perhaps a whole next year. I know, I am getting so far ahead of myself, one step at a time, but I am hooked, I'm ready to go!
After all that, I work 6p-2a, of course, but I can't resist using my new toys! :) Going to be a long day methinks!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Not Born to Run?
Well, it has been a good week. Bike on Sunday, Run on Monday and Swim on Tuesday, all good workouts, felt relatively easy, trying to keep my heartrate in the zone. The only hold up? These silly feet. The run went ok, I could feel them complaining a little in the beginning but then after that it was fine. However, the 12 hours of work that followed they screamed the entire time. Yesterday wasn't much better. Now it seems to be split, partially my calves, partially my feet.
Not sure what the answer is, probably one I don't want to hear and one that isn't at all feasible with a job that keeps me on my feet 40 hours per week. I can't help but think, I wasn't born to run. The problem is, I have to figure out how to run with feet that don't want to. I have tried changing stride, increasing cadence, and as of yet, nothing has made too much of a difference. So in the meantime, I will stretch and roll out my feet and calves and hope that persistence and anti-inflammatories do the trick :)
Today I have the day off, and although I slept in I still only got about 7 hours, but I can't imagine not getting going! The weather is not supposed to be perfect, but the rain is holding off, unlike the past several days. So, going to throw my bike in the car, and take a ride down to the site of the race and hopefully do a brick workout, we'll see if my feet agree with the plan. Then its back to the shop for a tune up. Aside from that, a few errands, and marinating the steaks to throw on the grill for dinner!
Off I go, should be a fun day! :)
Not sure what the answer is, probably one I don't want to hear and one that isn't at all feasible with a job that keeps me on my feet 40 hours per week. I can't help but think, I wasn't born to run. The problem is, I have to figure out how to run with feet that don't want to. I have tried changing stride, increasing cadence, and as of yet, nothing has made too much of a difference. So in the meantime, I will stretch and roll out my feet and calves and hope that persistence and anti-inflammatories do the trick :)
Today I have the day off, and although I slept in I still only got about 7 hours, but I can't imagine not getting going! The weather is not supposed to be perfect, but the rain is holding off, unlike the past several days. So, going to throw my bike in the car, and take a ride down to the site of the race and hopefully do a brick workout, we'll see if my feet agree with the plan. Then its back to the shop for a tune up. Aside from that, a few errands, and marinating the steaks to throw on the grill for dinner!
Off I go, should be a fun day! :)
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Three Weeks
Well, three weeks from today is my first race. I don't think I am ready, but I think that I will be. This past week was tough, picked up too many overtime hours which limited the amount of training that I even felt like doing. I don't have any more overtime between now and then and I think its probably for the best.
Went out for a bike today. Thanks to the rain and the late hours it was my first ride off the trainer in a little more than a week. The good news is that the trainer has made me stronger and the bike was easier. I did 12 miles in about the same time, but felt better while doing it. Also, I am pretty certain I won't have any problems doing the bike after the swim, the run, however, has me a bit worried. I am stretching and rolling my feet and calves as much as possible, but I don't know that it will be enough. Going to take it easy, and worse comes to worst, its only three miles, and I'm sure I can tough it out. The good news is that I am getting better at not looking like an idiot when I try to run coming off the bike. I tried explaining this phenomenon to my parents and my dad wasn't buying it until he actually tried it. I talked to him yesterday and he told me the story of nearly falling over trying to jog after biking 6 miles! :)
Considering going down to Bridgeport today to take a look at the course, get a feel for any hills, etc etc. Maybe I'll even go for a bit of a run while I'm down there, depends on how my feet feel. For now, some core work, a shower, breakfast and a softball game. Should be a good Sunday, going to enjoy every minute of it :)
Went out for a bike today. Thanks to the rain and the late hours it was my first ride off the trainer in a little more than a week. The good news is that the trainer has made me stronger and the bike was easier. I did 12 miles in about the same time, but felt better while doing it. Also, I am pretty certain I won't have any problems doing the bike after the swim, the run, however, has me a bit worried. I am stretching and rolling my feet and calves as much as possible, but I don't know that it will be enough. Going to take it easy, and worse comes to worst, its only three miles, and I'm sure I can tough it out. The good news is that I am getting better at not looking like an idiot when I try to run coming off the bike. I tried explaining this phenomenon to my parents and my dad wasn't buying it until he actually tried it. I talked to him yesterday and he told me the story of nearly falling over trying to jog after biking 6 miles! :)
Considering going down to Bridgeport today to take a look at the course, get a feel for any hills, etc etc. Maybe I'll even go for a bit of a run while I'm down there, depends on how my feet feel. For now, some core work, a shower, breakfast and a softball game. Should be a good Sunday, going to enjoy every minute of it :)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Treadmills
I despise treadmills... I really do. They are dangerous, they make me want to go faster than I should, push intervals harder than I need to be doing, and overall... I think I just want to get off the damn thing as fast as I can so I book it! I ran on a treadmill on Friday and now again today and I am resolving not to do it again unless safety requires that I not run outside. Friday was hideous, I got onto a treadmill that unbeknownst to me had an upper time limit of 30 minutes when I realized this, the reasonable pace I had been keeping was not going to allow me to finish my full 3.12 miles within the time limit. I didn't realize this until minute 25 of my workout, so what did I do? You guessed it, picked up the pace far too much and tried (and of course) failed to finish the full 5k in the 30 minutes despite an average speed of 7.5 miles per hour for the last five minute. Stupid me, there is a 5 minute cool down built in to the clock, and I could have easily finished and cooled down within this allotted time.
Today, not as bad, but still, not good. No time limit problems, instead my brain kept watching the pace, and instead of thinking, "Jeeze, my heels and achilles feel really good at this pace, this is right in the zone I should stay." No no no, I thought, "I should really be going faster than this, I used to be able to run faster than this." I finished it, hard and fast and a 5k in 31 minutes, but my heels have been screaming ever since... two steps forward, one step back (maybe one and a half steps back today).
The swims however, have been going well, technique is getting stronger and I can feel myself actually pulling myself beyond my hand and not just pulling the water alongside my body. This is a very vague sounding differentiation, however, it matters significantly. If you are just pulling the water alongside you, chances are you are taking many more strokes per length than you need to be. The next step is the wetsuit, and I need to wait for it to get a little warmer before I embark on that journey... :)
I have been working far more hours than what is conducive to this idea of training, but somehow it is seeming to work. What I need to figure out is how to get myself to train before work. It is really difficult somehow to drag myself out when I am facing a 12-14 hour shift ahead of me, adding a 2.5 hour workout/shower/change is not exactly appealing. But I am getting it figured out, little by little.
The next step is the heart rate and zones. This might actually help me on the treadmill, if I know where my heart rate is supposed to be, I can back it off. So much of these triathlons have to do with aerobic and anaerobic training, which is all dependent on zones. Figuring my way out on this day by day and having a blast along the way.
Today, not as bad, but still, not good. No time limit problems, instead my brain kept watching the pace, and instead of thinking, "Jeeze, my heels and achilles feel really good at this pace, this is right in the zone I should stay." No no no, I thought, "I should really be going faster than this, I used to be able to run faster than this." I finished it, hard and fast and a 5k in 31 minutes, but my heels have been screaming ever since... two steps forward, one step back (maybe one and a half steps back today).
The swims however, have been going well, technique is getting stronger and I can feel myself actually pulling myself beyond my hand and not just pulling the water alongside my body. This is a very vague sounding differentiation, however, it matters significantly. If you are just pulling the water alongside you, chances are you are taking many more strokes per length than you need to be. The next step is the wetsuit, and I need to wait for it to get a little warmer before I embark on that journey... :)
I have been working far more hours than what is conducive to this idea of training, but somehow it is seeming to work. What I need to figure out is how to get myself to train before work. It is really difficult somehow to drag myself out when I am facing a 12-14 hour shift ahead of me, adding a 2.5 hour workout/shower/change is not exactly appealing. But I am getting it figured out, little by little.
The next step is the heart rate and zones. This might actually help me on the treadmill, if I know where my heart rate is supposed to be, I can back it off. So much of these triathlons have to do with aerobic and anaerobic training, which is all dependent on zones. Figuring my way out on this day by day and having a blast along the way.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Hunger
Yesterday was the epitome of how much hunger is a mental game. The body needs fuel, and appropriate fuel, especially with the things I am doing to mine these days. However, a bag of chips, box of pastries or half gallon of ice cream is not that fuel. These are all things that can be succumbed to on a "hunger binge." You know? One of those moments where you say, "I'm so hungry" and off you go to the pantry or the fridge without really deciding if you are indeed hungry. The next thing you know, the entire container of food of your choice is gone because you were so engrossed in the TV. Then the impact of regret hits.
On my days off hunger and I battle. I stay as busy as I can, which helps to force the feeling of "hunger" out of my mind. Now, why am I putting hunger in quotations? Because so often it isn't actually hunger, its boredom. For instance, on a rainy day, having a 300 calorie protein packed breakfast, cleaning up and sitting down to read a book and within the hour thinking, "hmmm, I'm hungry." No, I'm not! Hunger is a mental game, so often it is thirst, or an improperly balanced diet (too many carbs, not enough protein), or many many time, it is simply boredom. It is the fact that when I was growing up, I watched my mother, and father for that matter. They were both going constantly, but when they had down time, no matter how much it was, they grabbed a snack, never healthy, and they ate. This is that nature/nurture idea. This is how I was raised, and they didn't shove a snack in my face, I had that choice, but I saw what they did and learned the behavior. It is very hard to unlearn that!
Yesterday was an incredibly busy day in the office, certainly didn't feel like a Thursday, we ran non-stop the whole day. All in all a good day, but by about 8pm (11 hours after my last meal) my stomach was voraciously growling. I was actually hungry. Thats the thing, I was indeed hungry. I snuck a few bites of my yogurt, and got back to work, not eating a full dinner of chili until I got home around 1 am. Now, was this the right solution? No way, I had two balanced meals in an 18 hour day. Not exactly acceptable or appropriate, but it proved a point to me. When I am taking a chill moment/afternoon/day, I am not always hungry, and I need to do an assessment of that before I get up for the fridge. I think a lot of us struggle with this, and hopefully my rambling thoughts helped someone today :)
On that note, off to the pool, perhaps a run as well?
On my days off hunger and I battle. I stay as busy as I can, which helps to force the feeling of "hunger" out of my mind. Now, why am I putting hunger in quotations? Because so often it isn't actually hunger, its boredom. For instance, on a rainy day, having a 300 calorie protein packed breakfast, cleaning up and sitting down to read a book and within the hour thinking, "hmmm, I'm hungry." No, I'm not! Hunger is a mental game, so often it is thirst, or an improperly balanced diet (too many carbs, not enough protein), or many many time, it is simply boredom. It is the fact that when I was growing up, I watched my mother, and father for that matter. They were both going constantly, but when they had down time, no matter how much it was, they grabbed a snack, never healthy, and they ate. This is that nature/nurture idea. This is how I was raised, and they didn't shove a snack in my face, I had that choice, but I saw what they did and learned the behavior. It is very hard to unlearn that!
Yesterday was an incredibly busy day in the office, certainly didn't feel like a Thursday, we ran non-stop the whole day. All in all a good day, but by about 8pm (11 hours after my last meal) my stomach was voraciously growling. I was actually hungry. Thats the thing, I was indeed hungry. I snuck a few bites of my yogurt, and got back to work, not eating a full dinner of chili until I got home around 1 am. Now, was this the right solution? No way, I had two balanced meals in an 18 hour day. Not exactly acceptable or appropriate, but it proved a point to me. When I am taking a chill moment/afternoon/day, I am not always hungry, and I need to do an assessment of that before I get up for the fridge. I think a lot of us struggle with this, and hopefully my rambling thoughts helped someone today :)
On that note, off to the pool, perhaps a run as well?
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Things that make me happy
Today was a good day. Sometimes I fail to be grateful for all the blessings in my life, instead I focus on what is lacking, or not perfect. I focus on fatigue and frustration, I look at a few extra pounds instead of the fact that I have enough to eat. I want to hang Mack by his toenails when he and his siblings need to pee at 3AM.... again.... instead of looking at the three dogs that love me unconditionally no matter how cranky I am. I agonize over too much work and not enough play instead of being thankful that I have a job when so many do not.
Today was a good day. I got enough sleep, I felt like I had an impact on patients, like maybe I made a difference in at least one case, I enjoyed a great cup of coffee which was made even better by the fact that Tim cares enough to bring it to me after his own long day, I learned something about myself and will try to better myself because of it, and when I got home safe and sound I flipped on a TV show I enjoy and rode 20 miles and sweated to round out my day. I had so many high points that I lost focus on the lows and made an otherwise average gloomy/rainy day, a good day.
I think we all need to have more days like this, days that make us count our blessings, and enjoy the time that we have and how we spend every moment. Maybe its just the adrenaline from the workout, but all in all, I think its been a really good day.
Today was a good day. I got enough sleep, I felt like I had an impact on patients, like maybe I made a difference in at least one case, I enjoyed a great cup of coffee which was made even better by the fact that Tim cares enough to bring it to me after his own long day, I learned something about myself and will try to better myself because of it, and when I got home safe and sound I flipped on a TV show I enjoy and rode 20 miles and sweated to round out my day. I had so many high points that I lost focus on the lows and made an otherwise average gloomy/rainy day, a good day.
I think we all need to have more days like this, days that make us count our blessings, and enjoy the time that we have and how we spend every moment. Maybe its just the adrenaline from the workout, but all in all, I think its been a really good day.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Successful Core Work
So I definitely found some good core moves yesterday. My obliques told me all night long how successful it was :) It was a good thing though, especially given the fact that I splurged on a chicken wrap at work last night- mmmm!
This morning I made it to the gym despite getting out of work late, I pushed myself to go, swam a mile total of warm-up, drills, main set, kick and pull drills and cool down. My arms are sore already and I'm sure will be more so when I wake up from my nap, but it was really good for me to go. I blew off a lot of steam and came out of the pool feeling ten times better than how I went in.
Game plan for today? I have no clue! The weather is not supposed to be great unfortunately. I need to get a few hours of sleep, but not too much so that I can sleep tonight. So maybe a rainy day with a good book? Maybe grocery shopping? Maybe a day at the spa? Yes... there are that many possibilities and that much variety! What a great day ahead of me! :)
This morning I made it to the gym despite getting out of work late, I pushed myself to go, swam a mile total of warm-up, drills, main set, kick and pull drills and cool down. My arms are sore already and I'm sure will be more so when I wake up from my nap, but it was really good for me to go. I blew off a lot of steam and came out of the pool feeling ten times better than how I went in.
Game plan for today? I have no clue! The weather is not supposed to be great unfortunately. I need to get a few hours of sleep, but not too much so that I can sleep tonight. So maybe a rainy day with a good book? Maybe grocery shopping? Maybe a day at the spa? Yes... there are that many possibilities and that much variety! What a great day ahead of me! :)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate
Lessons I have learned: water helps everything. The water was always therapeutic for me, something was wrong, in I would jump and lap after lap the problem became smaller and the solution became clearer and I always felt better, no matter the problem. This is still the case to a certain extent. I am no longer the nice smooth, efficient swimmer I once was, but a swim still has the same effect. In a similar fashion, drinking water has an ability to make all problems seem smaller- maybe not financial, familial or relationship problems, but hunger, fatigue, lack of sleep, during a workout, a shift, and just in day to day life, if I well hydrate, these problems seem a whole lot less daunting.
Second night on is always easier, but I made a point of keeping myself well hydrated last night and it made all the difference. My stomach was less upset, and I left this morning tired but with enough energy to go to breakfast with a really good friend I haven't seen in quite a while. This, of course, meant that I skipped the workout because the eggs and toast (mmmmm!) were settling into my stomach and I was too busy enjoying this little bit of a treat. :) BUT, I did redeem myself, went home and got a few hours of sleep and then got on the bike.
I flipped on OnDemand and watched the latest episode of my new guilty pleasure (Revenge) and did sprint intervals on the trainer, focusing on cadence, something I can't seem to do while I am on the road. It was a good ride, broken up by some core work, and all in all, very happy with it. Now I am rehydrating and winding down, considering showering and heading back to bed for a few hours- back to work tonight.
I have to get to the pool in the morning, so I need to really commit to that, I haven't been in quite a while and I really need to get back in the water and work out some kinks, mental and physical.
For now, banana and water in the sunshine... who cares what comes next? :)
Second night on is always easier, but I made a point of keeping myself well hydrated last night and it made all the difference. My stomach was less upset, and I left this morning tired but with enough energy to go to breakfast with a really good friend I haven't seen in quite a while. This, of course, meant that I skipped the workout because the eggs and toast (mmmmm!) were settling into my stomach and I was too busy enjoying this little bit of a treat. :) BUT, I did redeem myself, went home and got a few hours of sleep and then got on the bike.
I flipped on OnDemand and watched the latest episode of my new guilty pleasure (Revenge) and did sprint intervals on the trainer, focusing on cadence, something I can't seem to do while I am on the road. It was a good ride, broken up by some core work, and all in all, very happy with it. Now I am rehydrating and winding down, considering showering and heading back to bed for a few hours- back to work tonight.
I have to get to the pool in the morning, so I need to really commit to that, I haven't been in quite a while and I really need to get back in the water and work out some kinks, mental and physical.
For now, banana and water in the sunshine... who cares what comes next? :)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
My Body Hates Nights
Well, it has happened, it only took three months, but my body is one hundred percent converted... it hates night shift! :) Mentally I did just fine, but from 2am until 5 I was sick to my stomach. Trying to sleep today and my poor body wants to be awake and doing something in the nice weather! Two more nights and then back to a normal schedule. I'm going to be busy the next couple months, probably should do the math and take a look at my total hours, my guess is I'm probably overdoing it again. Oh well. Have to pick up the extra shifts to fund this new addiction. I am finding that training is a very tech-heavy thing. Certainly, I could do an open water swim in 60 degree water and a swim suit, however.... probably not the smartest thing to do, hence a wetsuit is on the docket. Also, the more reading I do, the more I realize that this is going to be a highly aerobic and only partially anaerobic event.... because of that, I need to keep an eye on my heart rate during training and try and keep it within certain zones to minimize "hitting the wall" and "running out of gas", so a heart monitor is another little "optional" item. Aside from that you have all the bike computers, the shoes and pedals, the shorts and shirts, the in race nutrition... I could keep going and going and going. For now I am trying to keep the purchases to the bare minimum, so a couple extra shifts are called for.
On that note, I picked up a bike trainer on my way into work last night. Thinking I am going to set it up today, perhaps give it a spin a little later. Not feeling up to a full workout, and I would hate to get too far from the house and realize that I had nothing left thanks to fatigue left over from trying to sleep during the day.
I was hoping for a swim workout this morning and even made it to the pool, but the Y didn't open until 8 and I was too tired to sit in a parked car for a half an hour and wait. So I came home and crawled into bed, where I have been in and out of today.
So I guess today is a little bit of a rest day, hopefully tomorrow will be better. In the next few days I would like to sit down and look at my schedule and be honest with my body and try to figure out what workouts I can do and before/after which shifts :) I guess we'll see how it goes!
On that note, I picked up a bike trainer on my way into work last night. Thinking I am going to set it up today, perhaps give it a spin a little later. Not feeling up to a full workout, and I would hate to get too far from the house and realize that I had nothing left thanks to fatigue left over from trying to sleep during the day.
I was hoping for a swim workout this morning and even made it to the pool, but the Y didn't open until 8 and I was too tired to sit in a parked car for a half an hour and wait. So I came home and crawled into bed, where I have been in and out of today.
So I guess today is a little bit of a rest day, hopefully tomorrow will be better. In the next few days I would like to sit down and look at my schedule and be honest with my body and try to figure out what workouts I can do and before/after which shifts :) I guess we'll see how it goes!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Happy Feet!
So the reviews were true, after two nights in the sock and even one very long day on my feet on concrete floors, my heel is much improved! I jumped on the bike and rode for a half hour and then did a mile long T-run. I took it at an easy pace and paid close attention to my stride, and I was COMPLETELY pain free! :) I am going to keep wearing it, I think a week on the right (my really bad side) and then a week on the left (painful only every once in a while). I think maybe I will keep alternating until I am pain free for 6 weeks.
In other news, we are moving in the right direction for tri season 2012. I registered for three races, one in June, July and August. Unfortunately I missed the cut for Block this year, perhaps next year. The races are all local and an easy commute, shouldn't have to worry about hotels, etc. The only one I haven't registered for is Belle Isle. This is a race in my home state in a beautiful state park just outside of Detroit. I am looking to go an Olympic distance in that race, but I want to get at least one if not 2 sprints under my belt before I decide for certain to go for that distance. I am pretty sure I can do it, but I am going to have to lock into training a little bit more than what I have been.
This week I had great ideas for what I thought I was going to do, unfortunately my morning motivation was absent. I need to come up with a new game plan, likely involving an alarm clock, instead of going for my more recent method... waking up whenever I get tired of being in bed, or at least 35 minutes prior to running out the door for work. :)
All in all, I am happier than I have been in a long time, I love the idea of a challenge, and I am so ready for June 10! :)
Thursday, May 3, 2012
"Rest" Day
Well, today was not meant to be a rest day, I had every intention of actually getting two workouts in on my day off from work. However, everything started off well and as planned until I got distracted by the project of the fish tank. The fish tank project turned into the living room project, which turned into cleaning the house of all dog hair tumbleweeds, laundry, dishes, and cleaning up the mess, and next thing I knew it was dinner time. Will jam in a swim in the morning, and perhaps try to do a little strength work before work, I would also like to try and get my bike in for a tune up. Guess we'll see just how much I can get done before a 12 hour shift at 11.
On the upside, the living room looks much better and we may have put a bandaid on the floors so that we can put off the repairs until at least the winter. Also, we were able to swing by EMS tonight and got my SOCK! :) Have it on as I type, I have high hopes for this and am very optimistic about a quick healing process!
Tomorrow morning I need to register for Bridgeport, Ocean Beach and Block Island. Going to save Belle Isle for another month or so to see how everything is coming :)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Feet Before Miles
So yesterday definitely took its toll on my feet, going to have to come up with a better solution for the plantar fasciitis than basically ignoring it (imagine that that didn't work, HA!) Truth by told, I have been resting, stretching, and rolling my feet, I focused on stride and landing midfoot instead of heel, but I truly don't think that that is where my problem lies. I think I stood too long and for too many days in very cute, but very non-supportive shoes (we're talking more than 100 12 hour shifts... nice work kid). So, only supportive shoes from now on. Also, in the morning I plan to find a store that carries Strassburg socks and we're going to give that a go. Research has been most consistent in support of this method. The sock is knee high and basically has a strap that runs from the toes to the anterior tibial plateau and can be tightened to put the foot in different degrees of dorsiflexion and puts the fascia on stretch while you sleep/rest, etc etc. People have had the most comfort with this, and the quickest results, so the hunt begins tomorrow.
In the meantime, no workout today, woke up feeling crappy, so I slept in instead. Long and busy 12 hours at work, but good all in all. Off tomorrow, game plan? Not sure yet. Need to standardize my training a little bit, instead of just doing a workout here and a workout there. I'm getting in good distances and times when I do it, but its all very haphazard, imagine :) Tomorrow part of the game plan is sitting down with my schedule book and building my workouts into my calendar, certainly may make it easier to wake up in the morning when an extra 1.5 hours of sleep sound a whole lot better than a 77 degree pool. Bike need a tune up, perhaps I'll head to the gym, swim/lift and then bike shop with an afternoon bike ride. We'll see how it all plays out I suppose. For now, core work, rolling my feet, and bed.... sounds wonderful :)
In the meantime, no workout today, woke up feeling crappy, so I slept in instead. Long and busy 12 hours at work, but good all in all. Off tomorrow, game plan? Not sure yet. Need to standardize my training a little bit, instead of just doing a workout here and a workout there. I'm getting in good distances and times when I do it, but its all very haphazard, imagine :) Tomorrow part of the game plan is sitting down with my schedule book and building my workouts into my calendar, certainly may make it easier to wake up in the morning when an extra 1.5 hours of sleep sound a whole lot better than a 77 degree pool. Bike need a tune up, perhaps I'll head to the gym, swim/lift and then bike shop with an afternoon bike ride. We'll see how it all plays out I suppose. For now, core work, rolling my feet, and bed.... sounds wonderful :)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Run from pain
Well the hugs for my legs are not miracle workers, but they do help. Muscles felt better today than they have in a while, still very tight though, going to have to be diligent about stretching routines.
Today I ran for the first time in more than a week. I hit the field while it was still raining and it reminded me of why I started running in the first place. It was a flashback to track practices, going for a warm-up run, doing drills and intervals, a core set and cool down. Well maybe not exactly that, but I did warm up, focusing on foot placement and take off, did a half an hour worth of drills, a couple short fartleks, again, focusing on foot placement, and then cooled down and did some core work. All in all, about 60 minutes of run work, it felt really good, and my feet are a little sore, and my achilles is a little tight, but I think that if I do the same thing 3 times a week, it will be enough to give my training a kick-start and get me over the hump of this injury without pushing it too hard.
It felt good to run, felt good to challenge myself. Soon it will be time for a wetsuit and tri clothes and then the races begin. Less than 6 weeks now until the first one. Its getting close, and I'm so incredibly on board for this new adventure!
Today I ran for the first time in more than a week. I hit the field while it was still raining and it reminded me of why I started running in the first place. It was a flashback to track practices, going for a warm-up run, doing drills and intervals, a core set and cool down. Well maybe not exactly that, but I did warm up, focusing on foot placement and take off, did a half an hour worth of drills, a couple short fartleks, again, focusing on foot placement, and then cooled down and did some core work. All in all, about 60 minutes of run work, it felt really good, and my feet are a little sore, and my achilles is a little tight, but I think that if I do the same thing 3 times a week, it will be enough to give my training a kick-start and get me over the hump of this injury without pushing it too hard.
It felt good to run, felt good to challenge myself. Soon it will be time for a wetsuit and tri clothes and then the races begin. Less than 6 weeks now until the first one. Its getting close, and I'm so incredibly on board for this new adventure!
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