Today's workout:
Swim-90 minutes
I'm so glad I'm keeping a blog. If I weren't keeping a blog, I'd have to start tonight, just to share my experience of tonight's swim. Oh boy, where to start.
I'll start with the funniest thing I've heard throughout this entire training. I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't swim. Let me set the stage.
I was doing the drills, trying not to drink too much of the pool water. I was going about my usual snail pace. Nothing special. Same old same old. Well, I stopped for a drink after about 15-20 laps. There was a gentleman in the lane next to me who was taking a break. Here was the conversation from the beginning:
Him-"Oh, so you're not a machine!"
Me-"What do you mean?"
Him-"I keep having to stop to catch my breath, but you just keep going and going and going. You haven't stopped the whole time I've been here."
Me-"You must be kidding me-I'm a horrible swimmer! I'm just training for a ridiculously long race and I guess my breathing is pretty good."
Him-"Well, it looks like you know what you're doing-I'm trying to get some tips for technique from you. I'm going to take my scuba diver instructor lesson next month and there's a swimming section."
Me-(I could barely stop from laughing out loud right in his face.) "Oh, these drills? It's something that my friend put together for me. It's supposed to help isolate your arms and legs to make them stronger."
Him-Well, it seems like they're working-you're doing really good."
Me-(Biting my lip so I don't laugh out loud again) Oh, well, thanks.
And then I had to swim away. I was laughing so hard under the water-I couldn't breathe correctly because I was focused on not laughing out loud! What a joke! Imagine, somebody getting swimming tips from me!!! It was hysterical!!!! Mary the Snail Swim Coach!!!!! Hahahahahahahaha!!!
It was an interesting swim also, because I was sharing my lane with one of the characters from last week's blog. The young gentleman who was there with his mom. Well it appears that the young man has some spectrum of autism. He was certainly enjoying his time in the pool, doing handstands, jumping up and down in the shallow end causing all kinds of waves, splashing the water out of the pool and then drawing in it with his finger, doing some kind of yoga under the water half-way down the lane, and trying out all kinds of swim strokes. He had tons of energy. He was in there with me for the entire first hour of my swim! I was trying to do my best to avoid him, but he still ended up kicking me pretty hard in the side at one point. I'm ok though. I had to adjust my laps because he would occasionally be at one end dancing and jumping around. So I would just cut the lap short and turn around without pushing off the wall. It was good practice for the craziness that I can expect in the swim portion of the Ironman race!
The pool was packed tonight. There was a constant line for a lane. I wasn't about to get out. Especially when there were two more characters in the lane next to me. There was one guy and one girl. I don't think they knew each other.
The guy would swim a lap and then stop at the end for a break. He'd prop his elbows on the side of the pool with his hands hanging at his chest level. And then, he'd play with his nipples. Yup, play with his nipples. Oh yea, he would twirl them around, flick them, pinch them....I don't even think he realized he was doing it. Then he'd swim another lap and then play with his nipples again. Another lap, more nipple play. It was so disturbing. I'm telling ya, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
Then there was the girl that was in the lane with Nipple Man. She'd swim a couple laps, before she'd stop at the same end as Nipple Man, and start playing with her earlobe. A couple laps, more earlobe action. I'm not kidding here, but on more than one occasion I came up for a breath of air and they were both standing at the end of the pool playing with their respective body parts.
It was like a train wreck, I just couldn't look away.
So other than the drama, the swim itself was pretty good. I slept well last night so I felt ok today. But I realized that I'm not going to be able to take a "sick day" this week. Too much stuff at work. Only two more weeks until Spring Break and maybe I can squeeze a sick day in there next week if I'm lucky.
And the biggest and best news of the day.....Cheyenne made her magazine debut today!!!! Yeeeehawwww! She's not the cover girl on the magazine, but she's the cover girl in our hearts! You can check out the website to see one photo of her and read her write-up. Hopefully they'll have a couple other photos of her in the magazine, I'd love to see one where she's looking at the camera-she has such a beautiful sweet face! Check her out!
http://www.austinfitmagazine.com/Fitness/Features/2011/March/2011-fittest-dogs.html
What a day!
M :)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
I am sick of training.
Today's workout:
Bike-almost did a bike ride, but not quite.
Run-5.75 miles-52 minutes
Weights-2 x 15
I am officially sick of training. It's a back week, and I am more exhausted than I've been in weeks. Granted, it has been a very busy week with non-stop action. But Wayne and Kristi are really exhausted too, so it's not just me. Maybe it's just that we've hit the HALF-WAY MARK of training! Yup, that's right, today marks the exact half-way point. I can't believe we've been doing this for three months already. Good god, this training really is crazy. At least I'm hoping the coldest days are behind us now. Just the heat, humidity and wind to look forward to instead. So here are the things I've noticed over the past three months:
1. Cheyenne is becoming quite a good little runner.
2. My pants seem to fit a little better.
3. I actually did 40 pounds on the leg press for the first time today! (That's starting from 10 lbs three months ago!)
4. Aero bars on my bike, chia in my powerbar.
5. There is a whole lot of house stuff that just isn't going to get done in the next three months.
6. I can still do a Thursday night workout even though I'm really tired.
7. Chris really is my biggest fan and supporter.
8. Double chocolate chip muffins don't do it for me anymore.
9. I can swim 2.4 miles and not drown.
10. I need a whole lot of sleep.
Let me return to today's workout before I get into the whole training tirade. This morning we met at 9am, pumped the tires, put on our helmets, shoes, and gloves, and decided not to go for a ride. We are all just beat. And the training manual says, "If you're overworked, forget this one. Ride the couch instead." It actually said that for last week, but we rode last week, so we cashed in on the couch ride for this week instead. We changed into our running clothes and opted for a really short run, a quarter mile shorter than the shortest recommended distance. The highlight of the run was when I squirted water in my mouth to drink and when I tilted my head back to the normal position, the water came out my nose! I've never had that happen before! It was misting and humid and gross out this morning. The dogs got completely muddy and soaked. So I gave them baths after the run before we went to do weights. And here's where it gets embarrassing. While I was washing the pups, Kristi offered to pick up the dog poop that was all over our yard. I haven't even cleaned my own bathroom, never mind the dog's bathroom. Ugh. So horrible. Living in filth...but before I go there....Then we went to do weights. I am moving up in weights in most of the exercises. It's pretty cool to see the difference in our strength since the beginning. And we're still weighing in each week, tracking the muscle increase vs. the fat decrease. It's pretty cool.
Ok, now it's time for me to gripe. This training is kicking my butt. Sure, I'm enjoying most of it, but I'm ready to get back to a normal life, where I can clean the house once a week, pick up the dog poop every day, do yard work, (our yard is a big huge mess), fold laundry the same day it comes out of the dryer, grocery shop at a normal time of day....you know things are bad when I clean the shower tub while taking a shower, by picking up the shampoo and conditioner bottle and using my foot to wipe away the scum. Then I put the bottles back in place. There, the shower is clean. I have no time for anything. Oh boy, it's getting bad around here.
Thank goodness for the short workout today. I was able to get some things checked off my to-do list. Here's what I did today, in addition to the workout.
1. Grocery shop at 6:30am.
2. Put away my winter clothes
3. Took out my spring clothes
4. Packed four bags for goodwill
5. Dusted the living room
6. Cleaned the kitchen
7. Dropped Chris off and picked him up from a sxsw meeting
8. Went to Dicks to find some shorts and tanks. No luck.
9. Got my car washed
10. Filled my car with gas
11. Took a shower
12. Did tons of laundry and folded it too
13. Picked out tomorrow's outfit
14. Packed my lunch
15. Packed gym bag for tomorrow's swim
16. Washed the pups
17. Found the Spring bed sheets and washed them. They're gonna have to wait until next week for their debut though-I already made the bed fresh today with flannel sheets because I couldn't find the Spring ones earlier.
Phew. I think that's about it. And all I've eaten is two pieces of toast, a smoothie, half a thundercloud sandwich, some sun chips, and some girl scout cookies. I'm hungry, but nothing sounds good. I'm gonna have left over chinese for dinner. Hopefully that'll taste good.
I'm on the hunt for a couple pairs of shorts that don't ride up when I run. The skorts don't work because the shorts under the skirt ride up. Regular running shorts ride up too, and when I sweat, they just get all soaked and stick to my skin. Lovely. So that leaves me with tri-shorts, or a similar style without the bike cushion. But that leaves me with my big butt sticking out in public. Ugh. There's no winning this one. I'm gonna have to go for comfort over style. And I need a few more tanks because last year's tanks smell gross. Yes, I wash them. All the time. Even with the special "Sports" Tide wash, but the smell stays. Pretty nasty. I guess I'll see what Target has, they usually have some good tanks for cheap, but I don't know about the ugly shorts.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the "Ironman-Specific Base" portion of the training. If were about to enter the "Ironman-Specific" portion of the training, what do you call what we've been doing so far!?!?!?! I think I'm going to get my butt kicked by this training over the next few weeks. Here is a quote from the training manual,
"This is the third six-week program and the time is drawing near for the "real" training to begin. If you haven't done it already, it's time to warn your family, friends, and co-workers that you're about to enter the final nine weeks of preparation in the middle of this training phase."
Here's my personal re-write of the same paragraph.
"This is the third six-week program and the time is drawing near for the "real" insanity to begin. If you haven't done it already, it's time to warn your family, friends, and co-workers that you're about to enter the third stage of hell."
It's really something to look at the training that lies ahead. I remember doing that back in November, before the training began, and thinking, "Can I really do that?" and not truly believing that I could until I was in the midst of doing it. This training is absolutely crazy. Thank god for the benefit of "sick days". I feel a number of "mental health" days coming in the near future! Ha!
Ok, time to try the Chinese before hitting the flannel sack at 8 pm again tonight.
M :)
Bike-almost did a bike ride, but not quite.
Run-5.75 miles-52 minutes
Weights-2 x 15
I am officially sick of training. It's a back week, and I am more exhausted than I've been in weeks. Granted, it has been a very busy week with non-stop action. But Wayne and Kristi are really exhausted too, so it's not just me. Maybe it's just that we've hit the HALF-WAY MARK of training! Yup, that's right, today marks the exact half-way point. I can't believe we've been doing this for three months already. Good god, this training really is crazy. At least I'm hoping the coldest days are behind us now. Just the heat, humidity and wind to look forward to instead. So here are the things I've noticed over the past three months:
1. Cheyenne is becoming quite a good little runner.
2. My pants seem to fit a little better.
3. I actually did 40 pounds on the leg press for the first time today! (That's starting from 10 lbs three months ago!)
4. Aero bars on my bike, chia in my powerbar.
5. There is a whole lot of house stuff that just isn't going to get done in the next three months.
6. I can still do a Thursday night workout even though I'm really tired.
7. Chris really is my biggest fan and supporter.
8. Double chocolate chip muffins don't do it for me anymore.
9. I can swim 2.4 miles and not drown.
10. I need a whole lot of sleep.
Let me return to today's workout before I get into the whole training tirade. This morning we met at 9am, pumped the tires, put on our helmets, shoes, and gloves, and decided not to go for a ride. We are all just beat. And the training manual says, "If you're overworked, forget this one. Ride the couch instead." It actually said that for last week, but we rode last week, so we cashed in on the couch ride for this week instead. We changed into our running clothes and opted for a really short run, a quarter mile shorter than the shortest recommended distance. The highlight of the run was when I squirted water in my mouth to drink and when I tilted my head back to the normal position, the water came out my nose! I've never had that happen before! It was misting and humid and gross out this morning. The dogs got completely muddy and soaked. So I gave them baths after the run before we went to do weights. And here's where it gets embarrassing. While I was washing the pups, Kristi offered to pick up the dog poop that was all over our yard. I haven't even cleaned my own bathroom, never mind the dog's bathroom. Ugh. So horrible. Living in filth...but before I go there....Then we went to do weights. I am moving up in weights in most of the exercises. It's pretty cool to see the difference in our strength since the beginning. And we're still weighing in each week, tracking the muscle increase vs. the fat decrease. It's pretty cool.
Ok, now it's time for me to gripe. This training is kicking my butt. Sure, I'm enjoying most of it, but I'm ready to get back to a normal life, where I can clean the house once a week, pick up the dog poop every day, do yard work, (our yard is a big huge mess), fold laundry the same day it comes out of the dryer, grocery shop at a normal time of day....you know things are bad when I clean the shower tub while taking a shower, by picking up the shampoo and conditioner bottle and using my foot to wipe away the scum. Then I put the bottles back in place. There, the shower is clean. I have no time for anything. Oh boy, it's getting bad around here.
Thank goodness for the short workout today. I was able to get some things checked off my to-do list. Here's what I did today, in addition to the workout.
1. Grocery shop at 6:30am.
2. Put away my winter clothes
3. Took out my spring clothes
4. Packed four bags for goodwill
5. Dusted the living room
6. Cleaned the kitchen
7. Dropped Chris off and picked him up from a sxsw meeting
8. Went to Dicks to find some shorts and tanks. No luck.
9. Got my car washed
10. Filled my car with gas
11. Took a shower
12. Did tons of laundry and folded it too
13. Picked out tomorrow's outfit
14. Packed my lunch
15. Packed gym bag for tomorrow's swim
16. Washed the pups
17. Found the Spring bed sheets and washed them. They're gonna have to wait until next week for their debut though-I already made the bed fresh today with flannel sheets because I couldn't find the Spring ones earlier.
Phew. I think that's about it. And all I've eaten is two pieces of toast, a smoothie, half a thundercloud sandwich, some sun chips, and some girl scout cookies. I'm hungry, but nothing sounds good. I'm gonna have left over chinese for dinner. Hopefully that'll taste good.
I'm on the hunt for a couple pairs of shorts that don't ride up when I run. The skorts don't work because the shorts under the skirt ride up. Regular running shorts ride up too, and when I sweat, they just get all soaked and stick to my skin. Lovely. So that leaves me with tri-shorts, or a similar style without the bike cushion. But that leaves me with my big butt sticking out in public. Ugh. There's no winning this one. I'm gonna have to go for comfort over style. And I need a few more tanks because last year's tanks smell gross. Yes, I wash them. All the time. Even with the special "Sports" Tide wash, but the smell stays. Pretty nasty. I guess I'll see what Target has, they usually have some good tanks for cheap, but I don't know about the ugly shorts.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the "Ironman-Specific Base" portion of the training. If were about to enter the "Ironman-Specific" portion of the training, what do you call what we've been doing so far!?!?!?! I think I'm going to get my butt kicked by this training over the next few weeks. Here is a quote from the training manual,
"This is the third six-week program and the time is drawing near for the "real" training to begin. If you haven't done it already, it's time to warn your family, friends, and co-workers that you're about to enter the final nine weeks of preparation in the middle of this training phase."
Here's my personal re-write of the same paragraph.
"This is the third six-week program and the time is drawing near for the "real" insanity to begin. If you haven't done it already, it's time to warn your family, friends, and co-workers that you're about to enter the third stage of hell."
It's really something to look at the training that lies ahead. I remember doing that back in November, before the training began, and thinking, "Can I really do that?" and not truly believing that I could until I was in the midst of doing it. This training is absolutely crazy. Thank god for the benefit of "sick days". I feel a number of "mental health" days coming in the near future! Ha!
Ok, time to try the Chinese before hitting the flannel sack at 8 pm again tonight.
M :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
If I did my job as well as a Texas weatherman, I'd get fired.
Today's workout
Ride-127 minutes (31 miles)
Run-1.8 miles
We opted out of the swim today because of the Million Dollar Home Tour today. More on the tour in a minute, but first, the ride.
Two days ago the weatherman forecast 80 and sunny for today. We were psyched! We wake up this morning and they changed the 80 degrees to 75 degrees and overcast with sun breaking through in the afternoon. Ok, we can still handle that-nice enough for a February ride.
We started riding and it was in the high 50s and really cloudy. Cold enough for two layers up top and long tights and two pairs of socks. We did the first 10-15 miles and it was about the same. No warm up. No sun peeking through. Then around mile 20 it started misting. And then it started misting even more. Then it got even colder. What the heck? We thought surely it would clear up. After all, the weatherman had said it would. I wonder if weathermen get written up when they mess up the forecast so badly.
More mist, less sun. Unpleasantness. Yuck. We were able to do the full distance despite the rain. We just were extra careful.
Well, most of us were extra careful. Way before the mist started, Evil Knievel showed up on our ride. He was riding a sweet little red and black tri bike with red and black handlebar tape, and he had matching red and black biking shoes. He had some blond hair sticking out of his helmet. We were heading down Cesar Chavez having turned left off of South 1st, making our way towards the LAB. We had a LAB entry just up the way. But Evil, decided to off-road it and cut across some grass. Well, Evil didn't see the gravel until she, I mean he, was on top of it, with the tires slipping out from under the bike. Thank goodness Evil has years of practice in taking risks and pulling off incredible stunts that she, I mean he, was able to make it safely across and onto the LAB. Phew. I was having flashbacks to railroad crossings and multi-bike pile-ups. Never a dull moment, I tell ya.
Here's the route.
The run was uneventful, a couple loops around the hood-it was still misting and the pups wanted to come along. We could have just as well done the Central Market loop, because they both ended up so filthy dirty anyway that they needed baths.
Then it was time for the Million Dollar Home Property Tour, courtesy of the Chris Beer Real Estate Group. Kristi dressed up real pretty for the tour and even carried a sign around with her in case anyone decided to have a cigarette. She really hates smoking. Here's her photo.
It was a fun afternoon, we saw five properties all together. Here's the view from a house on Mt. Bonnell. It was everyone's favorite home.
If you look at the left side of the photo, about half-way down, you can see the end of the lap lane pool. It has an overhang and glass walls, so when you're underneath swimming, you can see the lake view. It was pretty amazing! I think we all might play the lottery tonight.
I have to say that even though it was a short workout today, I'm totally exhausted. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's that the Chinese hasn't arrived yet and I'm hungry, maybe it's that it was a long day, or maybe I'm just tired. I still have to go grocery shopping tonight. I hope I sleep well tonight.
Later gators!
M :)
Ride-127 minutes (31 miles)
Run-1.8 miles
We opted out of the swim today because of the Million Dollar Home Tour today. More on the tour in a minute, but first, the ride.
Two days ago the weatherman forecast 80 and sunny for today. We were psyched! We wake up this morning and they changed the 80 degrees to 75 degrees and overcast with sun breaking through in the afternoon. Ok, we can still handle that-nice enough for a February ride.
We started riding and it was in the high 50s and really cloudy. Cold enough for two layers up top and long tights and two pairs of socks. We did the first 10-15 miles and it was about the same. No warm up. No sun peeking through. Then around mile 20 it started misting. And then it started misting even more. Then it got even colder. What the heck? We thought surely it would clear up. After all, the weatherman had said it would. I wonder if weathermen get written up when they mess up the forecast so badly.
More mist, less sun. Unpleasantness. Yuck. We were able to do the full distance despite the rain. We just were extra careful.
Well, most of us were extra careful. Way before the mist started, Evil Knievel showed up on our ride. He was riding a sweet little red and black tri bike with red and black handlebar tape, and he had matching red and black biking shoes. He had some blond hair sticking out of his helmet. We were heading down Cesar Chavez having turned left off of South 1st, making our way towards the LAB. We had a LAB entry just up the way. But Evil, decided to off-road it and cut across some grass. Well, Evil didn't see the gravel until she, I mean he, was on top of it, with the tires slipping out from under the bike. Thank goodness Evil has years of practice in taking risks and pulling off incredible stunts that she, I mean he, was able to make it safely across and onto the LAB. Phew. I was having flashbacks to railroad crossings and multi-bike pile-ups. Never a dull moment, I tell ya.
Here's the route.
The run was uneventful, a couple loops around the hood-it was still misting and the pups wanted to come along. We could have just as well done the Central Market loop, because they both ended up so filthy dirty anyway that they needed baths.
Then it was time for the Million Dollar Home Property Tour, courtesy of the Chris Beer Real Estate Group. Kristi dressed up real pretty for the tour and even carried a sign around with her in case anyone decided to have a cigarette. She really hates smoking. Here's her photo.
It was a fun afternoon, we saw five properties all together. Here's the view from a house on Mt. Bonnell. It was everyone's favorite home.
If you look at the left side of the photo, about half-way down, you can see the end of the lap lane pool. It has an overhang and glass walls, so when you're underneath swimming, you can see the lake view. It was pretty amazing! I think we all might play the lottery tonight.
I have to say that even though it was a short workout today, I'm totally exhausted. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's that the Chinese hasn't arrived yet and I'm hungry, maybe it's that it was a long day, or maybe I'm just tired. I still have to go grocery shopping tonight. I hope I sleep well tonight.
Later gators!
M :)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunbathing Season Opener
Today's workout:
Off
Yoga
Walk
Sit-ups
It was a beautiful sunny day today. Perfect for a first sun tanning day! Break out the bathing suits! Yeehaww! A nice little nap in the sun in the middle of the afternoon is a wonderful thing.
Nothing else to report. Time to do a pedicure and get my toes pretty for sunbathing season!
Ok, so I add to come back to the blog and add a little video of my pedicure. Caution-this video contains extremely graphic runner toenail grossness. Don't say you weren't warned if you choose to watch it.
So basically the toenail is completely dead. If I had the guts to do it, I could push the nail file under the nail at the top and it would pop out of the bottom where the first thing is going in. I don't want the nail to fall off completely and I don't want to cause any skin damage under the nail by messing with it too much. It's pretty darn disgusting. Ah, the glory of long-distance running.
Sorry for the short blog again tonight Kristi!
M :)
Off
Yoga
Walk
Sit-ups
It was a beautiful sunny day today. Perfect for a first sun tanning day! Break out the bathing suits! Yeehaww! A nice little nap in the sun in the middle of the afternoon is a wonderful thing.
Nothing else to report. Time to do a pedicure and get my toes pretty for sunbathing season!
Ok, so I add to come back to the blog and add a little video of my pedicure. Caution-this video contains extremely graphic runner toenail grossness. Don't say you weren't warned if you choose to watch it.
So basically the toenail is completely dead. If I had the guts to do it, I could push the nail file under the nail at the top and it would pop out of the bottom where the first thing is going in. I don't want the nail to fall off completely and I don't want to cause any skin damage under the nail by messing with it too much. It's pretty darn disgusting. Ah, the glory of long-distance running.
Sorry for the short blog again tonight Kristi!
M :)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
New and Improved Chicken Wings
Today's workout:
Run-5 miles, 43 minutes
Weights-2 x 15
What a great day! In the 80s! It's a back week, so the workout was nice and short and sweet. We ran the five (which is more like 4.7 I think) mile loop with one minute pick-ups and three minute rests between each one. We were around a seven minute mile pace for the pick-ups and our last pick-up was a 6:54 pace! Wow! I almost didn't believe Kristi's watch! And Wayne rocked it out with 7:30 pick-ups! Wow! The training must really be working! Then we did a bunch of drills and 14 accelerations.
Today was the tank top season debut. Usually when we do weights we're wearing long sleeves or at least short sleeves. But today, the chicken wings were in all their glory. I noticed in the mirror on one of the exercises that my arms were looking more muscular than I've ever noticed before. Then a few minutes later Kristi said she could tell my arms are getting muscular. Then a few minutes later Wayne commented that all we do is talk about our muscular arms when we lift free weights. I told him that it's all very exciting, having never had these muscles before! Hahahaha! Then, when I got home, I was telling Chris about my day and using my hands and arms to explain something (I think I talk a lot with gestures) and he also commented on my arms! Hahahaha! He did say that the shadow from the kitchen light was making them look more defined, but that's ok...I'll take all the help I can get! Now if I could just get my legs to look more defined like my arms.....
Last night I slept horribly. I was asleep by 9:30. That was good. Then Chris came home from open mic around midnight and I woke up. Couldn't go back to sleep until around 1am. Then at 1:30ish, Chris startles awake and says, "What's that? Do you hear that noise?" It was something from outside. So I was awake again. Chris on the other hand was snoring within three minutes of his grandpa hop to the window to see what was the matter. Asleep again around three I guess. Then up at 3:45 or so for a trip to the restroom, with my nighttime companion Caribia by my side. Then awake for a while more, then asleep again until the alarm went off at 6am.
I have a date with the Sandman tonight, I'm hoping he's on time.
A shout out to IiT Wayne, who swam the full race distance yesterday for the first time! Yippie! I told him he should have reported in to the Blog yesterday with his news, since yesterday's blog needed some help. But since I just found out today, it goes in today's blog! Congrats!
I had a really good idea tonight. I did some research and found out that at Emma Long Park, there is about a half-mile roped off lap lane in the lake. A perfect spot to practice our open water swimming. Wayne asked what else I knew about the place and I told him there are some good trails there and that it'd be a great place to take the dogs.
I just realized that my toenails are crazy long. I may have to register them, they could hurt somebody. Pedicure tomorrow night for sure. Along with an ice bath. Didn't do one tonight-already 10pm! Crazy late for me!
Hope I didn't forget anything.....another great workout day!
M :)
Run-5 miles, 43 minutes
Weights-2 x 15
What a great day! In the 80s! It's a back week, so the workout was nice and short and sweet. We ran the five (which is more like 4.7 I think) mile loop with one minute pick-ups and three minute rests between each one. We were around a seven minute mile pace for the pick-ups and our last pick-up was a 6:54 pace! Wow! I almost didn't believe Kristi's watch! And Wayne rocked it out with 7:30 pick-ups! Wow! The training must really be working! Then we did a bunch of drills and 14 accelerations.
Today was the tank top season debut. Usually when we do weights we're wearing long sleeves or at least short sleeves. But today, the chicken wings were in all their glory. I noticed in the mirror on one of the exercises that my arms were looking more muscular than I've ever noticed before. Then a few minutes later Kristi said she could tell my arms are getting muscular. Then a few minutes later Wayne commented that all we do is talk about our muscular arms when we lift free weights. I told him that it's all very exciting, having never had these muscles before! Hahahaha! Then, when I got home, I was telling Chris about my day and using my hands and arms to explain something (I think I talk a lot with gestures) and he also commented on my arms! Hahahaha! He did say that the shadow from the kitchen light was making them look more defined, but that's ok...I'll take all the help I can get! Now if I could just get my legs to look more defined like my arms.....
Last night I slept horribly. I was asleep by 9:30. That was good. Then Chris came home from open mic around midnight and I woke up. Couldn't go back to sleep until around 1am. Then at 1:30ish, Chris startles awake and says, "What's that? Do you hear that noise?" It was something from outside. So I was awake again. Chris on the other hand was snoring within three minutes of his grandpa hop to the window to see what was the matter. Asleep again around three I guess. Then up at 3:45 or so for a trip to the restroom, with my nighttime companion Caribia by my side. Then awake for a while more, then asleep again until the alarm went off at 6am.
I have a date with the Sandman tonight, I'm hoping he's on time.
A shout out to IiT Wayne, who swam the full race distance yesterday for the first time! Yippie! I told him he should have reported in to the Blog yesterday with his news, since yesterday's blog needed some help. But since I just found out today, it goes in today's blog! Congrats!
I had a really good idea tonight. I did some research and found out that at Emma Long Park, there is about a half-mile roped off lap lane in the lake. A perfect spot to practice our open water swimming. Wayne asked what else I knew about the place and I told him there are some good trails there and that it'd be a great place to take the dogs.
I just realized that my toenails are crazy long. I may have to register them, they could hurt somebody. Pedicure tomorrow night for sure. Along with an ice bath. Didn't do one tonight-already 10pm! Crazy late for me!
Hope I didn't forget anything.....another great workout day!
M :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Short blog today
Today's workout:
Swim-90 minutes
Sit-ups
Walk with pups
Since it's a back week we didn't ride tonight. This week is so chill. I really love the training schedule. It helps to prevent burn-out that's for sure!
The swim was good. I did the distance again! Yeehaww! My leg feels much better today, but still hurts to massage/touch. I'm gonna ice bath tomorrow night and hopefully that'll help.
Nice walk with the pups tonight. It's in the high 70s again. My favorite weather!
Workouts are pretty boring and lonely without my partners in crime. Not much to write about.
Ok, that's it for tonight.
G'night!
M :)
Swim-90 minutes
Sit-ups
Walk with pups
Since it's a back week we didn't ride tonight. This week is so chill. I really love the training schedule. It helps to prevent burn-out that's for sure!
The swim was good. I did the distance again! Yeehaww! My leg feels much better today, but still hurts to massage/touch. I'm gonna ice bath tomorrow night and hopefully that'll help.
Nice walk with the pups tonight. It's in the high 70s again. My favorite weather!
Workouts are pretty boring and lonely without my partners in crime. Not much to write about.
Ok, that's it for tonight.
G'night!
M :)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Roller Coaster
Today's workout:
Bike-65 minutes on the trainer
Run-16 minutes
Gotta love the back weeks! It's amazing how easy an 81 minute workout feels. We were sweating it up big time on the trainer. It was about 69 degrees. It's only going to get hotter! Bonnie says she has a stand-up fan we can use. We'll certainly need that when actual Spring comes to town. The bike workout tonight was called the Roller Coaster Workout. Fittingly, my day was also a roller coaster.
I woke up this morning laughing at a funny clip from a Family Feud show. Then I laughed again at the Kate Middleton Hometown Tour that is being offered in Bucklebury, England. It was being highlighted on the Today Show. Then I went to work and got grumpy about some work related stuff. Then I got happy again thinking that there's only a couple more days until Cheyenne's magazine comes out on the stands.
Then I got grumpy again because I had to do a home visit and it was cold and overcast. It was about 63 and grey and I was grumpy. I was shivering. (I know that sounds funny to people up north! But I enjoyed the 77 degrees at 7 pm last night and now it was low 60s in the middle of the day.) So I decided to go the El Chilito for a veggie taco to cheer me up.
Then I noticed that the lady at El Chilito had told the cooks that I wanted corn tortillas. When I corrected her she got all snotty and told me that I had ordered corn. I told her, "Look, don't mess with me. I'm not having a good day. Just give me the flour tortillas and I won't have to open a can of whoop butt on you." Ok, I didn't really say that outloud, but I sure said it in my head! Instead I said, "Oh. Well, can I please have flour instead?" She huffed and puffed and asked the chefs to correct it. So I decided to order a mexican hot chocolate to warm and cheer me up.
The hot cocoa tasted good and helped me feel better, until about my third sip, which I forgot to blow on first, and burnt my tongue. Grumpy again. The taco tasted ok though.
Then I got an upset tummy from the hot cocoa and taco. I didn't have any tums, so the nurse offered me some baking soda mixed with water. It was even more disgusting than the penicillin/vomit drink I drank on last Saturday's ride. But then I thought about Bug's magazine debut and felt better again.
Then my leg started to really hurt. It had been hurting throughout the day, just as I was walking around, so I was grumpy again, thinking worst cast scenario. I got some ice from the nurse and iced it while doing some computer work. Then I thought that maybe I could see the regular sports doctor today and he could x-ray my leg to make sure it wasn't a bone thing. (My regular Arosti physical therapist is out of town this week. I have an appointment with him next week.) So I called the doc and the receptionist asked if I could get there in 15 minutes. Happy again!
Met with the doc-nervous....it's not localized pain, which is a good thing. That means that it's a soft tissue injury and not a bone injury. Phew. And he x-rayed it just to be sure. He said I can keep running without any problems and that I should just follow-up with the Arosti doc. Happy again!
Then on to the workout. My leg didn't hurt the entire time-not on the bike or on the run. Yea! Happy again! And of course the endorphins kicked in so I felt great. Chris and the pups came with us for the run. Chris is getting really fast! He told me tonight that he might consider running a half-marathon this fall! I'm so excited!!! Maybe a half-marathon in Alaska in 2012???? He'd kick my butt, that's for sure! He's really fast. And I'm really happy!
Getting tired. I didn't sleep too well last. Not happy. But I get to sleep with Buggy on my pillow. Happy! I hope tomorrow isn't a roller coaster ride again!
G'night!
M :)
Bike-65 minutes on the trainer
Run-16 minutes
Gotta love the back weeks! It's amazing how easy an 81 minute workout feels. We were sweating it up big time on the trainer. It was about 69 degrees. It's only going to get hotter! Bonnie says she has a stand-up fan we can use. We'll certainly need that when actual Spring comes to town. The bike workout tonight was called the Roller Coaster Workout. Fittingly, my day was also a roller coaster.
I woke up this morning laughing at a funny clip from a Family Feud show. Then I laughed again at the Kate Middleton Hometown Tour that is being offered in Bucklebury, England. It was being highlighted on the Today Show. Then I went to work and got grumpy about some work related stuff. Then I got happy again thinking that there's only a couple more days until Cheyenne's magazine comes out on the stands.
Then I got grumpy again because I had to do a home visit and it was cold and overcast. It was about 63 and grey and I was grumpy. I was shivering. (I know that sounds funny to people up north! But I enjoyed the 77 degrees at 7 pm last night and now it was low 60s in the middle of the day.) So I decided to go the El Chilito for a veggie taco to cheer me up.
Then I noticed that the lady at El Chilito had told the cooks that I wanted corn tortillas. When I corrected her she got all snotty and told me that I had ordered corn. I told her, "Look, don't mess with me. I'm not having a good day. Just give me the flour tortillas and I won't have to open a can of whoop butt on you." Ok, I didn't really say that outloud, but I sure said it in my head! Instead I said, "Oh. Well, can I please have flour instead?" She huffed and puffed and asked the chefs to correct it. So I decided to order a mexican hot chocolate to warm and cheer me up.
The hot cocoa tasted good and helped me feel better, until about my third sip, which I forgot to blow on first, and burnt my tongue. Grumpy again. The taco tasted ok though.
Then I got an upset tummy from the hot cocoa and taco. I didn't have any tums, so the nurse offered me some baking soda mixed with water. It was even more disgusting than the penicillin/vomit drink I drank on last Saturday's ride. But then I thought about Bug's magazine debut and felt better again.
Then my leg started to really hurt. It had been hurting throughout the day, just as I was walking around, so I was grumpy again, thinking worst cast scenario. I got some ice from the nurse and iced it while doing some computer work. Then I thought that maybe I could see the regular sports doctor today and he could x-ray my leg to make sure it wasn't a bone thing. (My regular Arosti physical therapist is out of town this week. I have an appointment with him next week.) So I called the doc and the receptionist asked if I could get there in 15 minutes. Happy again!
Met with the doc-nervous....it's not localized pain, which is a good thing. That means that it's a soft tissue injury and not a bone injury. Phew. And he x-rayed it just to be sure. He said I can keep running without any problems and that I should just follow-up with the Arosti doc. Happy again!
Then on to the workout. My leg didn't hurt the entire time-not on the bike or on the run. Yea! Happy again! And of course the endorphins kicked in so I felt great. Chris and the pups came with us for the run. Chris is getting really fast! He told me tonight that he might consider running a half-marathon this fall! I'm so excited!!! Maybe a half-marathon in Alaska in 2012???? He'd kick my butt, that's for sure! He's really fast. And I'm really happy!
Getting tired. I didn't sleep too well last. Not happy. But I get to sleep with Buggy on my pillow. Happy! I hope tomorrow isn't a roller coaster ride again!
G'night!
M :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sitting on the back deck writing my blog
Today's workout:
Swim-90 minutes
Walk
Sit-ups
Brrrr! I am soooo cold! It is freezing outside! I can't stand this winter any longer! The thermometer says it's -1 degrees outside right now. And we're expecting more snow.
Oh wait, that's my parent's current weather conditions. Poor things.
Let me try this again...Blog, Take Two....
So here I am, 7 pm, on the back deck in a tank and comfy light sweatpants. Chillin' on a comfy reclining lounge chair. It's 77 degrees and it's February 21st. I love Austin. I only hope this isn't a harbinger of a super hot summer. (Peanut-there's another scrabble word for you!)
This morning I was watching the Today Show with the doors and windows open while I made breakfast. The hosts of the Today Show were outside bundled up in winter clothes and it was snowing on them. The people in the audience all had hats and gloves and scarves. I forgot it is technically still winter and I thought they were showing a re-run for some reason!
The crickets are chirping and I can see the UT tower lit up from where I'm sitting. The pups are out here with me, they are enjoying the last of the pecans. I hear Kona bird chirping in the background. We just had a pleasant stroll up to Central Market so Chris could get a gelato. All is right in the world tonight.
The swim was good tonight. It seemed to fly by. I think I'm getting a little faster, like maybe a snail on a windsurfing board instead of just a snail trying to stay afloat. There sure were a cast of characters at the pool tonight. One woman was walking around in her bra. Not a sports bra, but her regular under-work clothes bra. She had what appeared to be her older son with her-he kept jumping in and out of the pool and sauna, and then he'd take a kick board or a noodle and jump in the pool and "swim" to all the different lanes and then try to "surf" on the kickboard or noodle.
At one point he took an old lady's goggles without asking. She got them back from him and then she came to tell me about it. (She's a regular there with me on Monday evenings.) She said that they are her prescription goggles and she couldn't believe he would just take them.
And then there were the "oglers" who inhabit the hot tub for hours on end during the evening hours,
trying not to be too obvious as they stare at all the women swimmers. A tad uncomfortable, but whatever.
And of course, what swimming blog would be complete without a commentary review of the men's choices of swimsuits, all offering different levels of support. Varying lengths, sizes, and colors. (the swimsuits, that is....)
Let's see, what else.
I have to give a shout out to Kristi and Chris for coming to my work today so I could practice my presentation! It's not related to the Ironman training at all, but I know Chris loves to see his name in the blog and I really loved having them both there today! So helpful!
I'm going to blog about a new pain in my right leg. It's above my ankle, kind of along the bone, on the outside of my leg, maybe like a shin splint or something. I'm only blogging about it so I can track how long it lasts. I'm extra sensitive and precautious about pain in my lower leg after last winter's stress fracture. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'm just going to keep an eye on it.
I think that's about it for now. What a great day.
G'night!
M :)
Swim-90 minutes
Walk
Sit-ups
Brrrr! I am soooo cold! It is freezing outside! I can't stand this winter any longer! The thermometer says it's -1 degrees outside right now. And we're expecting more snow.
Oh wait, that's my parent's current weather conditions. Poor things.
Let me try this again...Blog, Take Two....
So here I am, 7 pm, on the back deck in a tank and comfy light sweatpants. Chillin' on a comfy reclining lounge chair. It's 77 degrees and it's February 21st. I love Austin. I only hope this isn't a harbinger of a super hot summer. (Peanut-there's another scrabble word for you!)
This morning I was watching the Today Show with the doors and windows open while I made breakfast. The hosts of the Today Show were outside bundled up in winter clothes and it was snowing on them. The people in the audience all had hats and gloves and scarves. I forgot it is technically still winter and I thought they were showing a re-run for some reason!
The crickets are chirping and I can see the UT tower lit up from where I'm sitting. The pups are out here with me, they are enjoying the last of the pecans. I hear Kona bird chirping in the background. We just had a pleasant stroll up to Central Market so Chris could get a gelato. All is right in the world tonight.
The swim was good tonight. It seemed to fly by. I think I'm getting a little faster, like maybe a snail on a windsurfing board instead of just a snail trying to stay afloat. There sure were a cast of characters at the pool tonight. One woman was walking around in her bra. Not a sports bra, but her regular under-work clothes bra. She had what appeared to be her older son with her-he kept jumping in and out of the pool and sauna, and then he'd take a kick board or a noodle and jump in the pool and "swim" to all the different lanes and then try to "surf" on the kickboard or noodle.
At one point he took an old lady's goggles without asking. She got them back from him and then she came to tell me about it. (She's a regular there with me on Monday evenings.) She said that they are her prescription goggles and she couldn't believe he would just take them.
And then there were the "oglers" who inhabit the hot tub for hours on end during the evening hours,
trying not to be too obvious as they stare at all the women swimmers. A tad uncomfortable, but whatever.
And of course, what swimming blog would be complete without a commentary review of the men's choices of swimsuits, all offering different levels of support. Varying lengths, sizes, and colors. (the swimsuits, that is....)
Let's see, what else.
I have to give a shout out to Kristi and Chris for coming to my work today so I could practice my presentation! It's not related to the Ironman training at all, but I know Chris loves to see his name in the blog and I really loved having them both there today! So helpful!
I'm going to blog about a new pain in my right leg. It's above my ankle, kind of along the bone, on the outside of my leg, maybe like a shin splint or something. I'm only blogging about it so I can track how long it lasts. I'm extra sensitive and precautious about pain in my lower leg after last winter's stress fracture. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'm just going to keep an eye on it.
I think that's about it for now. What a great day.
G'night!
M :)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Cheyenne's longest run ever!
Today's workout:
Bike-58 minutes (about 13 miles)
Run-12.75 miles (a long time)
Weights-2 x 15
Injury update:
Kristi and Brad reported in. They are both sore today, but feeling ok. Thank goodness.
This morning was Marathon Maddness in Austin! Todd ran the half marathon in 1:31 and Bonnie cheered him on with Murphy, so they didn't workout with us today. Bonnie also had a softball tournament today so she couldn't make the workout after Todd's race. She won both games and had a good time.
The rest of the city was pretty much blocked off because the marathon route makes a complete circle with our house in the larger circle and Kristi and Wayne's house in the smaller circle. But luckily Lamar was open so K and W could get up to my house for the ride. I made a route up that avoided the marathon route for the most part, and went along the course for a little bit, just so we could get pumped up. I knew one person running and I happened to see her! It was her first marathon so it was especially fun to cheer her on. Kristi cheered on every person for about two miles. We were riding slowly alongside and she was yelling out names and costumes. I think she almost lost her voice. You could totally tell that the runners appreciated her enthusiasm and cheers!
We ran from the house today, same route as last week, down Lamar to the water, then we did the seven mile loop. A total of 12.75. Not sure exactly how long it took us to run it. We were running about 8:30-9:15 minute miles, but we stopped a lot for Cheyenne. (And for Grannie Mary.) It was 75 degrees and the sun was peeking through so it was pretty warm for her. She's such a great running companion. I love when she looks up at me with her pretty eyes and sweet smile. She's always running right beside me, keeping me company. We had to jump over a snake today! It was a gardner snake, about a foot or so long. I think it was napping in the sun on the sidewalk near Pease Park. When I jumped over it, Kristi said it stuck it's head up at me! Ha! Only in Texas do you have to hurdle snakes on a run! Then on our way back up, we decided to walk up a hill to give Buggy a little break. We got to the top, only to find a really long train crossing right in front of us so we had to detour back down the hill a little and onto the sidewalk that went under the tracks.
It was super windy today. My hat almost flew off at one point on the run. It wasn't too bad on the ride since we stayed mostly near trees-no real open areas. When we crossed the bridges over the lake on the run it really blew us around! Glad it wasn't a long ride day.
It was such a beautiful day I wore shorts and a sleeveless running shirt. I got some color on my shoulders! Gotta love it-tan in February! It was 70 degrees warmer here yesterday than in North Dakota. My parent's high was 7 degrees. No way jose.
Cheyenne is plum exhausted from the run today. We went for a walk with Jenni a little bit ago and she could barely keep up. You could tell it was taking every ounce of energy for her just to put one paw in front of the other. Here are some tired Buggy pics. The first one is from her nap after we got home. The second one is from her nap in a nest of papa's clean clothes.
Sweet little Buglet. She sure earned her title of Austin's Fittest Dog today!
Chris had a friend over to play guitar this afternoon. They just jam and play whatever music they want. Chris will sometimes ad lib a song about Kona Bird, or the pups. But today I got a song! Here's the refrain:
"I gotta gotta check...did I get a text....I gotta gotta check....did I get a text....from Teeexxxti."
The song went on to talk about how Kristi and I text each other all day long. It was pretty funny! I videoed it on my phone, but you can't understand the words because of the quality of the phone recorder. Oh well. It was a good song.
Ok, time to go pick up a Rounders Pie and then enjoy dinner with the family in front of the tv. The perfect ending to a fun weekend of workouts!
Ciao!
M :)
Bike-58 minutes (about 13 miles)
Run-12.75 miles (a long time)
Weights-2 x 15
Injury update:
Kristi and Brad reported in. They are both sore today, but feeling ok. Thank goodness.
This morning was Marathon Maddness in Austin! Todd ran the half marathon in 1:31 and Bonnie cheered him on with Murphy, so they didn't workout with us today. Bonnie also had a softball tournament today so she couldn't make the workout after Todd's race. She won both games and had a good time.
The rest of the city was pretty much blocked off because the marathon route makes a complete circle with our house in the larger circle and Kristi and Wayne's house in the smaller circle. But luckily Lamar was open so K and W could get up to my house for the ride. I made a route up that avoided the marathon route for the most part, and went along the course for a little bit, just so we could get pumped up. I knew one person running and I happened to see her! It was her first marathon so it was especially fun to cheer her on. Kristi cheered on every person for about two miles. We were riding slowly alongside and she was yelling out names and costumes. I think she almost lost her voice. You could totally tell that the runners appreciated her enthusiasm and cheers!
We ran from the house today, same route as last week, down Lamar to the water, then we did the seven mile loop. A total of 12.75. Not sure exactly how long it took us to run it. We were running about 8:30-9:15 minute miles, but we stopped a lot for Cheyenne. (And for Grannie Mary.) It was 75 degrees and the sun was peeking through so it was pretty warm for her. She's such a great running companion. I love when she looks up at me with her pretty eyes and sweet smile. She's always running right beside me, keeping me company. We had to jump over a snake today! It was a gardner snake, about a foot or so long. I think it was napping in the sun on the sidewalk near Pease Park. When I jumped over it, Kristi said it stuck it's head up at me! Ha! Only in Texas do you have to hurdle snakes on a run! Then on our way back up, we decided to walk up a hill to give Buggy a little break. We got to the top, only to find a really long train crossing right in front of us so we had to detour back down the hill a little and onto the sidewalk that went under the tracks.
It was super windy today. My hat almost flew off at one point on the run. It wasn't too bad on the ride since we stayed mostly near trees-no real open areas. When we crossed the bridges over the lake on the run it really blew us around! Glad it wasn't a long ride day.
It was such a beautiful day I wore shorts and a sleeveless running shirt. I got some color on my shoulders! Gotta love it-tan in February! It was 70 degrees warmer here yesterday than in North Dakota. My parent's high was 7 degrees. No way jose.
Cheyenne is plum exhausted from the run today. We went for a walk with Jenni a little bit ago and she could barely keep up. You could tell it was taking every ounce of energy for her just to put one paw in front of the other. Here are some tired Buggy pics. The first one is from her nap after we got home. The second one is from her nap in a nest of papa's clean clothes.
Sweet little Buglet. She sure earned her title of Austin's Fittest Dog today!
Chris had a friend over to play guitar this afternoon. They just jam and play whatever music they want. Chris will sometimes ad lib a song about Kona Bird, or the pups. But today I got a song! Here's the refrain:
"I gotta gotta check...did I get a text....I gotta gotta check....did I get a text....from Teeexxxti."
The song went on to talk about how Kristi and I text each other all day long. It was pretty funny! I videoed it on my phone, but you can't understand the words because of the quality of the phone recorder. Oh well. It was a good song.
Ok, time to go pick up a Rounders Pie and then enjoy dinner with the family in front of the tv. The perfect ending to a fun weekend of workouts!
Ciao!
M :)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
What is it with Saturdays?
Today's workout:
Bike-210 minutes (50 miles)
Run-30 minutes (3 miles)
Swim-30 minutes
Sit-ups
Walk with pups
Ice bath
Wow. What the heck is going on with our Saturday workouts? I told Brad to bring his sense of adventure, but he decided to bring along his sense of danger too! Let me start with the carnage and then explain it.
I was behind both of them to witness it. It was like having a front row seat to an accident in the Tour de France.
So here's the story. It started out dry this morning. Light mist forecast. Of course none of us even batted an eye at a forecast like that. It was in the 60s at 9am, with promises of the 70s by early afternoon, with clearing skies. So we headed off for an exciting 80 miler down to San Marcos. The mist picked up. So much that we had to install little windshield wipers on our glasses. No, not really. We just took them off because our eyelashes were doing a better job of keeping the water out of our eyes than the glasses were doing. We were taking it really slowly, avoiding all the painted stripes on the road, to avoid wipe-outs like you see in the Tour de France on rainy days. We were doing pretty good.
But the mist wasn't getting any better and the ground was soaked. Wayne had trouble starting at one point because his tire spun out.
And then came the train tracks on Vinson St. These train tracks take down riders in even the best, driest conditions. They are at an angle across the street, at the top of a little incline, have really deep divots for the train wheels, and have a plastic platform on either side of the tracks, with a crazy lip on either side. We all said to each other, be super careful on the tracks. We were approaching the tracks. Bonnie, Todd, and Wayne had made it safely across. I saw a car approaching us and I knew we had two cars behind us. I moved into the street a little bit to force the cars behind us to slow down. (They were only going about 15 mph as it was). Then I slowed down and backed off-I saw the car approaching again and was thinking about getting off to push my bike across the tracks.
Next thing I know, Brad's tires just slip out from under him and he starts sliding down the street, under his bike, towards the approaching car. Kristi braked when she saw Brad go down, but she was already on the tracks and her tires slipped out from under her too. I pulled off the road, all the cars stopped immediately and the guy in the approaching car jumped out of his car afraid he had hit Brad. I have to say it was one of the closest calls I've ever seen. Kristi didn't slide after her fall, so she wasn't near the car. I got Brad and Kristi's bikes off the road and thank god, they were both able to walk to the side of the road. It was all very dramatic and scary.
Having seen the whole thing and how close it all could have been to disaster, I replayed it in my head. Brad fell with such grace and determination...it was if he knew what he was doing. Turns out he did know what he was doing. He later explained that when you fall, you should try and cushion the fall with meat-ier parts of your body, and essentially roll into a ball. He did look like a stuntman. And thank god again for his ability to fall so safely. We were all a little shaken, but safe.
We road back into town extra slowly and dropped Brad off at his apartment. And wouldn't you know it, the misty rain stopped at that same time. So the rest of us decided to try and get in some more of the 80 mile ride. We ended up doing a total of 50 miles on completely dry roads.
Phew. I'm just so glad that everyone is safe and sound.
So now on to some of the highlights of the ride. I have to say that my aerobars were definitely a highlight today. Here they are close up.
I was nervous at first and didn't use them at all until after the mist stopped and the roads dried. I wasn't about to mess around with them for the first time in slippery conditions. But once I tried them, I couldn't get off them! I love them! We went up to Parmer and then back down Jollyville. Both great roads to try the aerobars. I realized that I can use them to pull on, to get a stronger turnover in my legs. I was going faster, but staying in the same heart rate. And they're fun too! I could feel that I was using different back muscles, the muscles in between my shoulder blades in particular. I know they'll be sore tomorrow because they're sore already. I may have to get re-fit on my bike to account for the new bars.
And of course I have a photo of my new melon protector.
I really like the way it fits and I think it looks pretty stylish too, in the world of helmets anyway....but my fashion director said that it makes my head look exceptionally massive. She said, "Jeez! What size did you get? Like an extra extra large?" I told her what my mom always told me to say when people make fun of my big head, "I need a bigger head to accommodate my bigger brains." Yup, with a big noggin and the maiden name "Broadhead", I've been standing up for large craniums the world over all my life. I'm just glad they actually make a helmet big enough for me! Hahaha!
And the other highlight of the day was The Pink Ladies. Pretty In Pink. The Three Amigas Roasado.
The ride director sent a text to all of us last asking us all to wear our pink England jerseys so we could be all matchy and cute! We were bright enough to be seen by cars and we even got a shout out from a stranger, "I like your shirts!".
At our favorite rest stop we texted Brad to check in and he reported that he was resting comfortably. Then we checked on Kristi who was grinning and bearing it with her injuries. Doctor Beer wanted to check her range of mobility. Kristi had no problem with the first check-"Please move your thumb up and down from the top knuckle." (Picture Doctor Beer looking at the thumb peering over the top of her reading glasses.) Then, "Please make a circular motion with your thumb from the lower joint, the one that connects the thumb to the hand." Doc Beer gave an example, holding her hand in place while she rotated her thumb from the base. Kristi said, "I can do that," and proceeded to move her entire hand and arm, from the shoulder down, around in a circular motion. She couldn't isolate her thumb from the base. Doctor Beer prescribed some Sharkies with a Gatorade chaser. And we were good to go!
Since I made up the route in my head after we left Brad, we didn't do the full distance. I missed an opportunity to add on some more mileage because I was in my aerobars and rode right past where we could have turned up Far West. Oh well, I was ok with 50. We can always tack on some more in two weeks. Kristi wanted to get on the trainers for the last ten miles, but Bonnie didn't want to put her tri-bike on the trainer and I didn't want to put my butt on the bike seat for any longer than necessary, so we didn't do the trainers. We decided to do the long end of the run today which was 20-30 minutes.
We ran 30 minutes-just over 3 miles. The pups and Chris came along as always. I love that part of the long Saturday workouts. It's fun to have a family break in there! And Chris is kicking butt when he joins us for the runs. I think it's all the Superman Muscle Building drinks he's been consuming.
He says he added half a container to three cups of water and drank it before our run. What a muscle man!
(JK-This was just a fun HEB shot from yesterday morning.)
After the run it was over to the gym for a swim. The swim was good-uneventful. Nice and relaxed with water breaks every five laps. I was thirsty today, but I didn't really get too hungry at all. I tried a new Hammer Bar (gross, gave it to Wayne), a new Protein Drink (waaaay too sugary-couldn't drink it at all, I'll add more water next time) and a new gel/goo "Electrolyte Replacement System" thing. The last one tasted like penicillin mixed with vomit and strawberry flavoring. It made my tongue numb and my stomach nauseous. Big time NO to that one. I'm glad we're trying everything early and not saving it for race day!
So I ended up sticking with the old stand-bys. Honey Stingers, a recovery bar, and a powerbar with chia seeds rolled up in it. (AKA "Pooperbar") And I was good with those three items. I didn't get hungry during the run or the swim at all. I wasn't hungry after the swim either, but I knew I had to eat so I went to Jason's Deli which is right next to the gym. I ordered half a Spinach Veggie Wrap (my fave) with a side of fruit and some chips. As soon as I ate the first chip, the floodgates of hunger were open and I couldn't eat fast enough! It was delicious. And wouldn't you know it, unlike all the Dairy Queens and McDonalds in this great state of Texas, Jason's Deli has soft serve chocolate cones! Yeeeehawww! The perfect ending to a workout! (Well, that and a piece of chocolate cake when I got home. I baked it last night and couldn't let it go to waste.)
Phew. What a day. I'll just add the map of the bike route to end, then time to rest up and do it all over again tomorrow! (Hopefully a little safer tomorrow!)
G'night!
M :)
Bike-210 minutes (50 miles)
Run-30 minutes (3 miles)
Swim-30 minutes
Sit-ups
Walk with pups
Ice bath
Wow. What the heck is going on with our Saturday workouts? I told Brad to bring his sense of adventure, but he decided to bring along his sense of danger too! Let me start with the carnage and then explain it.
And here's Kristi's carnage...
I was behind both of them to witness it. It was like having a front row seat to an accident in the Tour de France.
So here's the story. It started out dry this morning. Light mist forecast. Of course none of us even batted an eye at a forecast like that. It was in the 60s at 9am, with promises of the 70s by early afternoon, with clearing skies. So we headed off for an exciting 80 miler down to San Marcos. The mist picked up. So much that we had to install little windshield wipers on our glasses. No, not really. We just took them off because our eyelashes were doing a better job of keeping the water out of our eyes than the glasses were doing. We were taking it really slowly, avoiding all the painted stripes on the road, to avoid wipe-outs like you see in the Tour de France on rainy days. We were doing pretty good.
But the mist wasn't getting any better and the ground was soaked. Wayne had trouble starting at one point because his tire spun out.
And then came the train tracks on Vinson St. These train tracks take down riders in even the best, driest conditions. They are at an angle across the street, at the top of a little incline, have really deep divots for the train wheels, and have a plastic platform on either side of the tracks, with a crazy lip on either side. We all said to each other, be super careful on the tracks. We were approaching the tracks. Bonnie, Todd, and Wayne had made it safely across. I saw a car approaching us and I knew we had two cars behind us. I moved into the street a little bit to force the cars behind us to slow down. (They were only going about 15 mph as it was). Then I slowed down and backed off-I saw the car approaching again and was thinking about getting off to push my bike across the tracks.
Next thing I know, Brad's tires just slip out from under him and he starts sliding down the street, under his bike, towards the approaching car. Kristi braked when she saw Brad go down, but she was already on the tracks and her tires slipped out from under her too. I pulled off the road, all the cars stopped immediately and the guy in the approaching car jumped out of his car afraid he had hit Brad. I have to say it was one of the closest calls I've ever seen. Kristi didn't slide after her fall, so she wasn't near the car. I got Brad and Kristi's bikes off the road and thank god, they were both able to walk to the side of the road. It was all very dramatic and scary.
Having seen the whole thing and how close it all could have been to disaster, I replayed it in my head. Brad fell with such grace and determination...it was if he knew what he was doing. Turns out he did know what he was doing. He later explained that when you fall, you should try and cushion the fall with meat-ier parts of your body, and essentially roll into a ball. He did look like a stuntman. And thank god again for his ability to fall so safely. We were all a little shaken, but safe.
We road back into town extra slowly and dropped Brad off at his apartment. And wouldn't you know it, the misty rain stopped at that same time. So the rest of us decided to try and get in some more of the 80 mile ride. We ended up doing a total of 50 miles on completely dry roads.
Phew. I'm just so glad that everyone is safe and sound.
So now on to some of the highlights of the ride. I have to say that my aerobars were definitely a highlight today. Here they are close up.
I was nervous at first and didn't use them at all until after the mist stopped and the roads dried. I wasn't about to mess around with them for the first time in slippery conditions. But once I tried them, I couldn't get off them! I love them! We went up to Parmer and then back down Jollyville. Both great roads to try the aerobars. I realized that I can use them to pull on, to get a stronger turnover in my legs. I was going faster, but staying in the same heart rate. And they're fun too! I could feel that I was using different back muscles, the muscles in between my shoulder blades in particular. I know they'll be sore tomorrow because they're sore already. I may have to get re-fit on my bike to account for the new bars.
And of course I have a photo of my new melon protector.
I really like the way it fits and I think it looks pretty stylish too, in the world of helmets anyway....but my fashion director said that it makes my head look exceptionally massive. She said, "Jeez! What size did you get? Like an extra extra large?" I told her what my mom always told me to say when people make fun of my big head, "I need a bigger head to accommodate my bigger brains." Yup, with a big noggin and the maiden name "Broadhead", I've been standing up for large craniums the world over all my life. I'm just glad they actually make a helmet big enough for me! Hahaha!
And the other highlight of the day was The Pink Ladies. Pretty In Pink. The Three Amigas Roasado.
The ride director sent a text to all of us last asking us all to wear our pink England jerseys so we could be all matchy and cute! We were bright enough to be seen by cars and we even got a shout out from a stranger, "I like your shirts!".
At our favorite rest stop we texted Brad to check in and he reported that he was resting comfortably. Then we checked on Kristi who was grinning and bearing it with her injuries. Doctor Beer wanted to check her range of mobility. Kristi had no problem with the first check-"Please move your thumb up and down from the top knuckle." (Picture Doctor Beer looking at the thumb peering over the top of her reading glasses.) Then, "Please make a circular motion with your thumb from the lower joint, the one that connects the thumb to the hand." Doc Beer gave an example, holding her hand in place while she rotated her thumb from the base. Kristi said, "I can do that," and proceeded to move her entire hand and arm, from the shoulder down, around in a circular motion. She couldn't isolate her thumb from the base. Doctor Beer prescribed some Sharkies with a Gatorade chaser. And we were good to go!
Since I made up the route in my head after we left Brad, we didn't do the full distance. I missed an opportunity to add on some more mileage because I was in my aerobars and rode right past where we could have turned up Far West. Oh well, I was ok with 50. We can always tack on some more in two weeks. Kristi wanted to get on the trainers for the last ten miles, but Bonnie didn't want to put her tri-bike on the trainer and I didn't want to put my butt on the bike seat for any longer than necessary, so we didn't do the trainers. We decided to do the long end of the run today which was 20-30 minutes.
We ran 30 minutes-just over 3 miles. The pups and Chris came along as always. I love that part of the long Saturday workouts. It's fun to have a family break in there! And Chris is kicking butt when he joins us for the runs. I think it's all the Superman Muscle Building drinks he's been consuming.
He says he added half a container to three cups of water and drank it before our run. What a muscle man!
(JK-This was just a fun HEB shot from yesterday morning.)
After the run it was over to the gym for a swim. The swim was good-uneventful. Nice and relaxed with water breaks every five laps. I was thirsty today, but I didn't really get too hungry at all. I tried a new Hammer Bar (gross, gave it to Wayne), a new Protein Drink (waaaay too sugary-couldn't drink it at all, I'll add more water next time) and a new gel/goo "Electrolyte Replacement System" thing. The last one tasted like penicillin mixed with vomit and strawberry flavoring. It made my tongue numb and my stomach nauseous. Big time NO to that one. I'm glad we're trying everything early and not saving it for race day!
So I ended up sticking with the old stand-bys. Honey Stingers, a recovery bar, and a powerbar with chia seeds rolled up in it. (AKA "Pooperbar") And I was good with those three items. I didn't get hungry during the run or the swim at all. I wasn't hungry after the swim either, but I knew I had to eat so I went to Jason's Deli which is right next to the gym. I ordered half a Spinach Veggie Wrap (my fave) with a side of fruit and some chips. As soon as I ate the first chip, the floodgates of hunger were open and I couldn't eat fast enough! It was delicious. And wouldn't you know it, unlike all the Dairy Queens and McDonalds in this great state of Texas, Jason's Deli has soft serve chocolate cones! Yeeeehawww! The perfect ending to a workout! (Well, that and a piece of chocolate cake when I got home. I baked it last night and couldn't let it go to waste.)
Phew. What a day. I'll just add the map of the bike route to end, then time to rest up and do it all over again tomorrow! (Hopefully a little safer tomorrow!)
G'night!
M :)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Summer?
Today's workout:
Off
Sit-ups
Yoga
Walk with the pups
What a beautiful day! It started out overcast and drizzly, but still warm. After doing some work for school, I went to Bicycle Sports Shop and got a new helmet. Much more comfortable than my old one. When I told the person who was helping me that my helmet wasn't comfy he asked what brand. I told him Specialized. Apparently Specialized fits high on the head. So for those of us who are blessed with a large noggin and broad forehead, the fit can be uncomfortable. He said that he has the same problem with Specialized helmets. I tried on two other brands that he said would fit better and one of them was perfect! What a difference! I guess I'll know for sure tomorrow just how comfy it really is.
I also got aero bars. I've been wanting to get them for a while, to relieve pressure on my back during the long rides and to give my hands, arms, shoulders, and back a few more positions to get into during a long ride. The guy was able to put them on while I waited and then he did a fitting to make sure they were in the best position. I think I'm really going to like them!
I also got a few new food items to try on the ride. I got a couple drink supplements, a couple goos, a couple bars, and some salt tabs. I certainly won't go hungry tomorrow!
This afternoon the sun came out. It was in the 80s on the back deck so I took the opportunity to relax on the deck chair for a while. It felt like summer! Not Texas summer, but like New England summer. Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect.
The 10-lb slim down yoga that I've been doing has been taken off the Exercise On Demand channel so I did a different yoga. It was only 12 minutes. A nice little stretch. I took an ice bath this morning. Because the corner store was out of ice last night, I didn't take one. This morning I could totally tell that I didn't have an ice bath last night. I was sore in my old joints and just felt really tight. I got some ice while grocery shopping and took an early morning ice bath. I felt better immediately. I don't know how I could do this training without the ice baths. Those, more than anything else, have been the most helpful in my recovery. I've barely taken any aleve during the past three months of training. I can't believe I didn't discover ice baths during my marathon trainings. But then I wasn't as old as I am now! Hahahaha!
I still think I'm doing pretty good and hanging in there pretty well for knocking on 40s door!
The pups and I took a wonderful walk this evening. Everyone was out and about, which means that Caribia had lots of opportunities to practice her trail etiquette. Or to not practice it. Depending on the dogs that passed by. She's now resting on the couch. It was a little warm for her. Cheyenne, on the other hand, is still hyper and is playing catch with me while I type. She also joined me for yoga tonight. She did a downward dog underneath me when I was in cat position! It was pretty cute actually!
Brad is biking with us tomorrow. Here's a copy of our texts tonight.
Brad: 9 am? Really far?
Me: Yup and yup!
Brad: Ok, then. Sounds like fun.
Me: Should be a good time. Bring your sense of adventure.
Brad: Hmmm, my sense of adventure doesn't involve getting arrested. Try to behave this week. :)
Me: Tell that to Kristi, she's the trouble maker.
Brad: I believe it. I'll remind her in the morning.
Hahahahaha! I really do love our Saturday bike rides. I'm psyched for tomorrow to try the aero bars and new food items.
Time for a shower and bed!
M :)
Off
Sit-ups
Yoga
Walk with the pups
What a beautiful day! It started out overcast and drizzly, but still warm. After doing some work for school, I went to Bicycle Sports Shop and got a new helmet. Much more comfortable than my old one. When I told the person who was helping me that my helmet wasn't comfy he asked what brand. I told him Specialized. Apparently Specialized fits high on the head. So for those of us who are blessed with a large noggin and broad forehead, the fit can be uncomfortable. He said that he has the same problem with Specialized helmets. I tried on two other brands that he said would fit better and one of them was perfect! What a difference! I guess I'll know for sure tomorrow just how comfy it really is.
I also got aero bars. I've been wanting to get them for a while, to relieve pressure on my back during the long rides and to give my hands, arms, shoulders, and back a few more positions to get into during a long ride. The guy was able to put them on while I waited and then he did a fitting to make sure they were in the best position. I think I'm really going to like them!
I also got a few new food items to try on the ride. I got a couple drink supplements, a couple goos, a couple bars, and some salt tabs. I certainly won't go hungry tomorrow!
This afternoon the sun came out. It was in the 80s on the back deck so I took the opportunity to relax on the deck chair for a while. It felt like summer! Not Texas summer, but like New England summer. Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect.
The 10-lb slim down yoga that I've been doing has been taken off the Exercise On Demand channel so I did a different yoga. It was only 12 minutes. A nice little stretch. I took an ice bath this morning. Because the corner store was out of ice last night, I didn't take one. This morning I could totally tell that I didn't have an ice bath last night. I was sore in my old joints and just felt really tight. I got some ice while grocery shopping and took an early morning ice bath. I felt better immediately. I don't know how I could do this training without the ice baths. Those, more than anything else, have been the most helpful in my recovery. I've barely taken any aleve during the past three months of training. I can't believe I didn't discover ice baths during my marathon trainings. But then I wasn't as old as I am now! Hahahaha!
I still think I'm doing pretty good and hanging in there pretty well for knocking on 40s door!
The pups and I took a wonderful walk this evening. Everyone was out and about, which means that Caribia had lots of opportunities to practice her trail etiquette. Or to not practice it. Depending on the dogs that passed by. She's now resting on the couch. It was a little warm for her. Cheyenne, on the other hand, is still hyper and is playing catch with me while I type. She also joined me for yoga tonight. She did a downward dog underneath me when I was in cat position! It was pretty cute actually!
Brad is biking with us tomorrow. Here's a copy of our texts tonight.
Brad: 9 am? Really far?
Me: Yup and yup!
Brad: Ok, then. Sounds like fun.
Me: Should be a good time. Bring your sense of adventure.
Brad: Hmmm, my sense of adventure doesn't involve getting arrested. Try to behave this week. :)
Me: Tell that to Kristi, she's the trouble maker.
Brad: I believe it. I'll remind her in the morning.
Hahahahaha! I really do love our Saturday bike rides. I'm psyched for tomorrow to try the aero bars and new food items.
Time for a shower and bed!
M :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
What do cucumbers, sprouts, and ice have in common?
Today's workout:
Run-90 minutes
Weights-2 x 15
Spring has officially sprung in Austin! 70s and humid for our run tonight. It was so nice! I bared my pale chicken legs for the first time, rocking a skort.
The run workout was a warm-up, accelerations, and then three miles at heart rate three. It was pretty tough! But it felt good, Then a cool down, more accelerations, and then drills. Thursday nights are long workouts because after all that we do weights. Chris joined us tonight, but got bored waiting around so if he comes again he'll drive separately so he can drive back early and prepare dinner for his beautiful wife. Heehee! I do love when he works out with us though. It's awesome to have him around when I'm doing a tough workout-it's so nice to see him at the end.
Weights were good, I zipped through them quickly tonight because Chris was waiting. He was kind enough to do my sit-ups and push-ups for me. I've been doing 175 sit-ups most mornings anyway, so no loss there!
After the workout we went to Thundercloud for dinner. The Veggie Delite, my favorite, was on sale today. So by the time we got there at 8pm, they had run out of sprouts and cucumbers! And then Chris went next door to the corner store to get a bag of ice for my ice bath and they were out of ice! I guess I'll have to ice bath manana. The sandwich wasn't as good as normal, but it still filled me up.
I was reading the Texas Ironman discussion board today and I saw that the swim is going to be pretty muddy and gross. And that it gets shallow to five feet depth when we go through the canals. I'm so excited for a walk break! Heehee!
Time to roll out my legs since I wasn't able to ice them.
Later gators!
M :)
Run-90 minutes
Weights-2 x 15
Spring has officially sprung in Austin! 70s and humid for our run tonight. It was so nice! I bared my pale chicken legs for the first time, rocking a skort.
The run workout was a warm-up, accelerations, and then three miles at heart rate three. It was pretty tough! But it felt good, Then a cool down, more accelerations, and then drills. Thursday nights are long workouts because after all that we do weights. Chris joined us tonight, but got bored waiting around so if he comes again he'll drive separately so he can drive back early and prepare dinner for his beautiful wife. Heehee! I do love when he works out with us though. It's awesome to have him around when I'm doing a tough workout-it's so nice to see him at the end.
Weights were good, I zipped through them quickly tonight because Chris was waiting. He was kind enough to do my sit-ups and push-ups for me. I've been doing 175 sit-ups most mornings anyway, so no loss there!
After the workout we went to Thundercloud for dinner. The Veggie Delite, my favorite, was on sale today. So by the time we got there at 8pm, they had run out of sprouts and cucumbers! And then Chris went next door to the corner store to get a bag of ice for my ice bath and they were out of ice! I guess I'll have to ice bath manana. The sandwich wasn't as good as normal, but it still filled me up.
I was reading the Texas Ironman discussion board today and I saw that the swim is going to be pretty muddy and gross. And that it gets shallow to five feet depth when we go through the canals. I'm so excited for a walk break! Heehee!
Time to roll out my legs since I wasn't able to ice them.
Later gators!
M :)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
I knew I was forgetting something!
Today's workout:
Swim-90 minutes
Bike-75 minutes
Do you ever have the feeling that you've forgotten something? Well, I had that feeling all evening. I even double checked everything:
Eat dinner-check
Let the dogs out-check
Let the dogs in-check
Pack running stuff for tomorrow-check
Fold laundry-check
Recheck running stuff for tomorrow-check
Wash towels and swimsuit from this morning-check
Do dishes-check
Recheck to make sure I packed everything for running tomorrow-check
Check email and facebook-check
Watch Criminal Minds and Law and Order-check
One more check for tomorrow's running stuff bag-check
Shower-check
Pack lunch for tomorrow-check.
Yup, I thought everything was done. Until I was going to plug my phone in and go to bed. Checked my texts and there was a reminder...."Are you going to blog tonight?"
Ooops! I totally forgot to blog! That's the first time ever! I don't know how I forgot!
Well, my original blog title for tonight was, "I Swam The Distance!". This morning I actually swam the entire 2.4 mile distance for the first time! I was so happy-my lap counter ring is awesome. I started out swimming regularly, with a "sprint" (fast turtle) lap every five minutes.
That was all fine and dandy until a lady got in to share my lane. She had a snorkel, a mask, flippers, and the lap lane etiquette of a hippopotamus. She was doing some kind of modified breast stroke with her arms and legs and flippers flapping all over the lane. She must have been using the line on the bottom of the lane, which is in the middle of the lane, as her guide since she didn't need to come up for air because of the snorkel.
When I'd see that we were going to pass each other, I virtually swam under the lane line into the next lane to avoid getting hit. She nailed me at least three times. I thought, "This is good practice for the ironman since I know I'm going to be run over by swimmers during the race." But it did prevent me from doing the fast turtle laps, so I just tried to settle into a "comfortably hard" pace that I could maintain. It turned out to be a good idea. I was able to do the whole distance and still feel pretty strong at the end of the 90 minutes. I had to double check the number of laps as soon as I got out and when Kristi told me 77 was the distance I couldn't stop smiling because I'd done 78! I had trouble putting on my make-up because my eyes were all smooshed up with my huge grin!
I had some chia with my cereal this morning. I really feel like it's helping. Kristi and I are keeping the Calorie Counter this week. It's time to check our protein versus carb intake. And where most of our calories are coming from. Nutrition is so important at this point in the training. I asked my friend Andi who has completed two IM races what her best nutrition advice is, and she said to just experiment with the different bars and goos to find something that your stomach can handle. She also had a good idea, to find out what's going to be offered along the course on race day, to practice with those items too, so your body gets used to that stuff in case you forget or run out of your planned food. She also said to monitor fluid intake versus food intake on the bike portion to make sure it's balanced. Sounds like we're doing everything correctly so far!
I like that I can do the swim at 6:30 in the morning and still have plenty of energy to work a full day and the ride at night. I can definitely tell a difference in my overall endurance. Wayne and I were talking on the bike tonight and we both agree that the training is designed perfectly for us. It seems to be working very well so far!
The ride was awesome-it was in the 70s. Bonnie was able to ride tonight, after she had to miss last night's workout because of work. The four of us had a nice chill ride on a beautiful February evening.
Blog-check!
G'night!
M :)
Swim-90 minutes
Bike-75 minutes
Do you ever have the feeling that you've forgotten something? Well, I had that feeling all evening. I even double checked everything:
Eat dinner-check
Let the dogs out-check
Let the dogs in-check
Pack running stuff for tomorrow-check
Fold laundry-check
Recheck running stuff for tomorrow-check
Wash towels and swimsuit from this morning-check
Do dishes-check
Recheck to make sure I packed everything for running tomorrow-check
Check email and facebook-check
Watch Criminal Minds and Law and Order-check
One more check for tomorrow's running stuff bag-check
Shower-check
Pack lunch for tomorrow-check.
Yup, I thought everything was done. Until I was going to plug my phone in and go to bed. Checked my texts and there was a reminder...."Are you going to blog tonight?"
Ooops! I totally forgot to blog! That's the first time ever! I don't know how I forgot!
Well, my original blog title for tonight was, "I Swam The Distance!". This morning I actually swam the entire 2.4 mile distance for the first time! I was so happy-my lap counter ring is awesome. I started out swimming regularly, with a "sprint" (fast turtle) lap every five minutes.
That was all fine and dandy until a lady got in to share my lane. She had a snorkel, a mask, flippers, and the lap lane etiquette of a hippopotamus. She was doing some kind of modified breast stroke with her arms and legs and flippers flapping all over the lane. She must have been using the line on the bottom of the lane, which is in the middle of the lane, as her guide since she didn't need to come up for air because of the snorkel.
When I'd see that we were going to pass each other, I virtually swam under the lane line into the next lane to avoid getting hit. She nailed me at least three times. I thought, "This is good practice for the ironman since I know I'm going to be run over by swimmers during the race." But it did prevent me from doing the fast turtle laps, so I just tried to settle into a "comfortably hard" pace that I could maintain. It turned out to be a good idea. I was able to do the whole distance and still feel pretty strong at the end of the 90 minutes. I had to double check the number of laps as soon as I got out and when Kristi told me 77 was the distance I couldn't stop smiling because I'd done 78! I had trouble putting on my make-up because my eyes were all smooshed up with my huge grin!
I had some chia with my cereal this morning. I really feel like it's helping. Kristi and I are keeping the Calorie Counter this week. It's time to check our protein versus carb intake. And where most of our calories are coming from. Nutrition is so important at this point in the training. I asked my friend Andi who has completed two IM races what her best nutrition advice is, and she said to just experiment with the different bars and goos to find something that your stomach can handle. She also had a good idea, to find out what's going to be offered along the course on race day, to practice with those items too, so your body gets used to that stuff in case you forget or run out of your planned food. She also said to monitor fluid intake versus food intake on the bike portion to make sure it's balanced. Sounds like we're doing everything correctly so far!
I like that I can do the swim at 6:30 in the morning and still have plenty of energy to work a full day and the ride at night. I can definitely tell a difference in my overall endurance. Wayne and I were talking on the bike tonight and we both agree that the training is designed perfectly for us. It seems to be working very well so far!
The ride was awesome-it was in the 70s. Bonnie was able to ride tonight, after she had to miss last night's workout because of work. The four of us had a nice chill ride on a beautiful February evening.
Blog-check!
G'night!
M :)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Climb-O-Rama in 70-plus degrees!
Today's workout:
Bike-78 minutes on the trainer
Run-21 minutes
What a great workout! The workout tonight was called "Climb-o-rama" in the book. Sounds intimidating, but we pulled it off! It was tough-we were sweating up a storm and really, really "breathy"! We were in the heart rate three for sure. It was challenging, but exciting because we did it! I was tired when we started because I was awake from 12:30-4:00 am last night for some reason. But once we started pedaling I woke up pretty quickly. It was primarily a big gear workout. I like those better than the easy gear fast spinning workouts.
Kristi and Wayne switched trainers without noticing until it was too late-Kristi ended up doing a much harder resistance than she normally would have for the first couple drills, but she still cranked it out! Then Wayne switched the trainer resistance so they were both back to normal.
The run was awesome tonight too. Two loops around Central Market with the pups and the papa. I stayed in heart rate 1-easy 2 and we were running about 8:30-8:40s. I had crazy endorphins after the workout tonight. I was in such a good mood! I still am actually. We just had delicious sandwiches from The Spicy Pickle, and now I'm starting to get tired.
I'm still eating chia-a few tablespoons a couple times a day. I'd like to believe that they're making a difference, but it's hard to say. I definitely feel like I have more sustainable energy, and I feel like I'm in a good mood most of the time. I felt pretty good on the Saturday ride too, maybe because of the chia and maybe because of the protein bars. And maybe a combination of both. It's fun to experiment with nutrition during the training to see what works the best. We're getting into the longer workouts now, so it's much more important.
Kristi and I are going to do the calorie counter for a few days to make sure we're getting enough protein and carbs. The calorie counter is a pain in the butt because you have to remember to enter everything, but it's a good way to get a snapshot of how our nutrition for the training is going.
Oh yea, and the most exciting news today....the weather! Spring has sprung in Austin! 60s for a low this morning and 70s for the ride and run! I love to sweat in the heat. We drank a lot more water tonight! This is probably my favorite weather to workout in. Hopefully we're done with the 30s nonsense.
Ok, time for beddy-by!
G'night!
M:)
Bike-78 minutes on the trainer
Run-21 minutes
What a great workout! The workout tonight was called "Climb-o-rama" in the book. Sounds intimidating, but we pulled it off! It was tough-we were sweating up a storm and really, really "breathy"! We were in the heart rate three for sure. It was challenging, but exciting because we did it! I was tired when we started because I was awake from 12:30-4:00 am last night for some reason. But once we started pedaling I woke up pretty quickly. It was primarily a big gear workout. I like those better than the easy gear fast spinning workouts.
Kristi and Wayne switched trainers without noticing until it was too late-Kristi ended up doing a much harder resistance than she normally would have for the first couple drills, but she still cranked it out! Then Wayne switched the trainer resistance so they were both back to normal.
The run was awesome tonight too. Two loops around Central Market with the pups and the papa. I stayed in heart rate 1-easy 2 and we were running about 8:30-8:40s. I had crazy endorphins after the workout tonight. I was in such a good mood! I still am actually. We just had delicious sandwiches from The Spicy Pickle, and now I'm starting to get tired.
I'm still eating chia-a few tablespoons a couple times a day. I'd like to believe that they're making a difference, but it's hard to say. I definitely feel like I have more sustainable energy, and I feel like I'm in a good mood most of the time. I felt pretty good on the Saturday ride too, maybe because of the chia and maybe because of the protein bars. And maybe a combination of both. It's fun to experiment with nutrition during the training to see what works the best. We're getting into the longer workouts now, so it's much more important.
Kristi and I are going to do the calorie counter for a few days to make sure we're getting enough protein and carbs. The calorie counter is a pain in the butt because you have to remember to enter everything, but it's a good way to get a snapshot of how our nutrition for the training is going.
Oh yea, and the most exciting news today....the weather! Spring has sprung in Austin! 60s for a low this morning and 70s for the ride and run! I love to sweat in the heat. We drank a lot more water tonight! This is probably my favorite weather to workout in. Hopefully we're done with the 30s nonsense.
Ok, time for beddy-by!
G'night!
M:)
Monday, February 14, 2011
I have the best Valentine ever.
Today's workout:
Swim-90 minutes
I am in the middle of Mary's Recovery Valentine Evening. I was welcomed home after my swim to a beautiful Valentines flowering plant and an ice bath. I had picked up a bag of ice, and so had my Valentine, so I had a double bag ice bath. It was the coldest one yet. I was told to snap my fingers and say "snap snap" when I need anything tonight. What a treat! Now I'm at the "recharging station" where my laptop, my "Texti" (that's what Chris calls my cell phone), and my kindle have all been laid out for me. I have just been served a hot cup of tea and some mint milanos. I hear lots of scurrying around in the kitchen, and I'm not allowed in the guest bedroom, so I'm sure he has something up his sleeve. I wonder what my Valentine Chef has planned for dinner!
Ok, time to enjoy my kindle before the next station is ready in my Recovery Valentine Evening.
Happy Valentines everyone!
M :)
Swim-90 minutes
I am in the middle of Mary's Recovery Valentine Evening. I was welcomed home after my swim to a beautiful Valentines flowering plant and an ice bath. I had picked up a bag of ice, and so had my Valentine, so I had a double bag ice bath. It was the coldest one yet. I was told to snap my fingers and say "snap snap" when I need anything tonight. What a treat! Now I'm at the "recharging station" where my laptop, my "Texti" (that's what Chris calls my cell phone), and my kindle have all been laid out for me. I have just been served a hot cup of tea and some mint milanos. I hear lots of scurrying around in the kitchen, and I'm not allowed in the guest bedroom, so I'm sure he has something up his sleeve. I wonder what my Valentine Chef has planned for dinner!
Ok, time to enjoy my kindle before the next station is ready in my Recovery Valentine Evening.
Happy Valentines everyone!
M :)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Close call
Today's workout:
Ride- 60 minutes (14 miles)
Run-135 minutes (10 miles)
Weights-2 x 15
Today we decided to do our regular Sunday morning ride backwards. Not riding backwards on the bike, but riding the route in the opposite direction than we normally do. Just to switch things up. Kristi told us to tell her where to turn because she didn't know the route backwards. We started biking and Wayne said, "It feels so good to finally be back on the bike after that long break we had." And then we started reminiscing about yesterday's ride. We were riding with Kristi in the front on the left, me in the front on the right, Bonnie was behind Kristi, and Wayne was behind me.
We were about a quarter mile into the ride, just down at the end of the street. I assumed that everyone knew that we were going to turn left instead of the usual right, since we were going backwards today. Kristi assumed that I would call out every turn, including the first one.
Then normal time stopped and slow-motion began. She turned right, I turned left. BAM! Right into each other! Since we were in slow-motion I had time to think to myself, "Uh oh, we're going down, I'm going to fall to the right and Kristi is going to land right on top of me. This isn't going to be pretty. At least there aren't any cars out here in the middle of the street where we are...and at least Wayne and Bonnie are here to come to our aid." Yup, I thought all that, in a split second. Luckily, my Spiderman-like reflexes instinctively kicked in at that exact moment. I was able to unclip my right foot and put it on the ground, preventing me from going over. When I got my balance back, I saw that Kristi too had avoided going down! For as much as she complains about her poor sense of balance, she still falls into the category of bike riders who have yet to fall. Pretty incredible, especially with today's close call. They don't get much closer than that!
After the incident, Bonnie says, "Yup, never a dull moment with the Jiggly Middles!" Hahahaha! We did the regular Sunday route, but Wayne forgot to send me the map today, so there won't be a map inserted
here where it normally would be.
The rest of the ride was thankfully uneventful. Pretty windy today, but lots of sun and it wasn't too cold. It was in the 60s for the run. We ran from the house, down to the lake, around the lake for five miles and then back home. We took it nice and slow today. Bugly came with us. She's such a great running partner. I can't wait for the magazine to come out in a couple weeks!
After running we headed to Club Macca for weights. Kristi decided to take the day off from weights. She sent the Incredible Hulk in her place.
It's a good thing Kristi missed the weight workout today. The Hulk was really stinking it up in there. And boy, can he burp.
I was pretty tired by the end of the weights. But I had other stuff to do this afternoon, including getting Chris's car washed because I parked under the Alfred Hitchcock tree at the gym yesterday while I swam. So I went to the car wash and waited in line for my turn. I had the top down and the seat reclined. I was facing the sun, so I just closed my eyes. A few minutes later I heard a honk. Ooops! I'd taken a quick little cat nap and hadn't realized it!
After the errands I came home and Chris and I walked up to Central Market for some fresh fruit and gelato. It was a beautiful evening to sit outside and enjoy the sunset.
And now, I'm done. Exhausted. Can barely keep my eyes open. Gonna try to scrape something up for dinner and then hit the hay.
G'night!
M :)
Ride- 60 minutes (14 miles)
Run-135 minutes (10 miles)
Weights-2 x 15
Today we decided to do our regular Sunday morning ride backwards. Not riding backwards on the bike, but riding the route in the opposite direction than we normally do. Just to switch things up. Kristi told us to tell her where to turn because she didn't know the route backwards. We started biking and Wayne said, "It feels so good to finally be back on the bike after that long break we had." And then we started reminiscing about yesterday's ride. We were riding with Kristi in the front on the left, me in the front on the right, Bonnie was behind Kristi, and Wayne was behind me.
We were about a quarter mile into the ride, just down at the end of the street. I assumed that everyone knew that we were going to turn left instead of the usual right, since we were going backwards today. Kristi assumed that I would call out every turn, including the first one.
Then normal time stopped and slow-motion began. She turned right, I turned left. BAM! Right into each other! Since we were in slow-motion I had time to think to myself, "Uh oh, we're going down, I'm going to fall to the right and Kristi is going to land right on top of me. This isn't going to be pretty. At least there aren't any cars out here in the middle of the street where we are...and at least Wayne and Bonnie are here to come to our aid." Yup, I thought all that, in a split second. Luckily, my Spiderman-like reflexes instinctively kicked in at that exact moment. I was able to unclip my right foot and put it on the ground, preventing me from going over. When I got my balance back, I saw that Kristi too had avoided going down! For as much as she complains about her poor sense of balance, she still falls into the category of bike riders who have yet to fall. Pretty incredible, especially with today's close call. They don't get much closer than that!
After the incident, Bonnie says, "Yup, never a dull moment with the Jiggly Middles!" Hahahaha! We did the regular Sunday route, but Wayne forgot to send me the map today, so there won't be a map inserted
here where it normally would be.
The rest of the ride was thankfully uneventful. Pretty windy today, but lots of sun and it wasn't too cold. It was in the 60s for the run. We ran from the house, down to the lake, around the lake for five miles and then back home. We took it nice and slow today. Bugly came with us. She's such a great running partner. I can't wait for the magazine to come out in a couple weeks!
After running we headed to Club Macca for weights. Kristi decided to take the day off from weights. She sent the Incredible Hulk in her place.
It's a good thing Kristi missed the weight workout today. The Hulk was really stinking it up in there. And boy, can he burp.
I was pretty tired by the end of the weights. But I had other stuff to do this afternoon, including getting Chris's car washed because I parked under the Alfred Hitchcock tree at the gym yesterday while I swam. So I went to the car wash and waited in line for my turn. I had the top down and the seat reclined. I was facing the sun, so I just closed my eyes. A few minutes later I heard a honk. Ooops! I'd taken a quick little cat nap and hadn't realized it!
After the errands I came home and Chris and I walked up to Central Market for some fresh fruit and gelato. It was a beautiful evening to sit outside and enjoy the sunset.
And now, I'm done. Exhausted. Can barely keep my eyes open. Gonna try to scrape something up for dinner and then hit the hay.
G'night!
M :)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
I don't even know where to start.
Today's workout:
Bike: 281 minutes (74 miles)
Run: 21 minutes (2.4 miles)
Swim: 30 minutes
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so let me start with a photo from today's workout.
I guess I'll just start at the beginning and work my way up to the story behind this photo.
Brad texted first thing to say that he wasn't feeling well today so he wasn't going to join us. Probably a really good decision, based on the day we had. I wouldn't have wanted his first Dam Loop experience to have been today. Here's the Dam Loop plus the Leander add-on that we did today.
Kristi, Wayne, and Bonnie arrived around nine and we set up our bikes with food, air in the tires, and drinks. Bonnie realized she forgot her running shoes for the run after the ride. Luckily she and I have the same size shoe so she could still run.
We headed out for what promised to be a beautiful ride. The forecast was for sunny skies and highs in the 60s. It was a little chilly when we started. Wayne borrowed some arm warmers and had the best description for them. "It's like a wetsuit, lined with fleece." (Except he said it in Australian.)
The hills on this ride start around mile 4 and continue straight through until mile 35. On the very first hill Bonnie's chain fell off. We stopped and she was able to put it back on. The same thing happened about a quarter mile later. This time she was having trouble shifting the gears. Clearly something was wrong with her derailer. So she called Todd (who didn't ride today because of an injury) and asked if he could meet us with her other bike. He said he could just as soon as the cable guy left. Bonnie said that she could make it a few more miles so we plowed ahead.
We stopped around mile nine at a rest stop so she could call him again to see if Todd was on his way. Nope, cable guy still there. We decided to take a break to see if he was able to leave sometime soon, instead of trying to do the next set of hills without Bonnie's bike shifting correctly. After about 20-30 minutes, we decided to keep moving. So we saddled up and started to leave the parking lot. "Oh wait," Bonnie said. "I have a flat!" So we turned around and parked our bikes again.
Now we just had to wait. We found a nice patch of sun to wait in. After about ten minutes I asked if I could practice my bike maintenance skills by changing her tire. I hadn't realized that neither Kristi, Wayne, nor Bonnie knew how to change a flat. So I opened up Mechanic Mary's Roadside Bike Service Shop right there at the gas station. Using a combination of training techniques from The Office and from "Friends", I was able to show them how to change a tire. I had no idea what the correct names of any of the parts or tools were, and I used a lot of sounds to describe what I was doing. There were also a lot of "That's what she saids" going on as I described where to put certain parts of the tube and tire. It was quite a scene.
We managed to get the tire fixed, pumped up and back on the bike. Todd still hadn't left yet, so we decided to head out again. We made it to about mile 18 and Bonnie's personal roadside sag wagon assistant arrived. Just like in the Tour de France, Bonnie switched out her bike. Except the switch took a little longer than it does in the Tour. So finally we were back out on our way. Just in time for the big hills.
So ordinarily, this would have been quite an adventure. It took us about two and a half hours to do the first 20 miles of our 74 miler. And ordinarily, I'd be wrapping up here saying that the rest of the ride was great, we had an uneventful run, a good swim, and then ice baths.
But oh no. This was only the mere beginning of one of the craziest and most memorable rides to date. In the interest of time, I've decided just to make a list of the rest of the adventures as we encountered them.
1. Shortly after switching bikes, Bonnie's front brake started rubbing on the wheel. So we stopped and fixed that.
2. Kristi told me today I'm getting funnier-looking.
3. There's something strangely invigorating about traffic zipping by you at 60 mph, about three feet from you. I guess it hyperactivates your survival skills. It helps to keep me awake, that's for sure.
4. It did turn out to be a beautiful day-lots of sun.
5. I drank so much water thanks to the chia seeds that we had to stop a few times to refill my water bottles. Apparently Cedar Park has Walgreens every two blocks, but convenience stores only every six miles. Nothing convenient about that if you ask me.
6. Mile 45. Kristi can't shift her gears from the big ring to the small ring. That means she's riding in the hardest gears, non-stop. We decide to stop and see if we can fix it.
7. Kristi calls Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop to see if they can tell us how to fix it. She had just had her bike serviced there yesterday. She had her chain replaced, along with a bunch of other maintenance items.
8. I kept asking Kristi to let me talk to them. She didn't give me the phone. I think she knew that I was going to give them a piece of my mind.
9. Kristi said to the MJ person, on speaker phone, "Ok, well thanks anyway". Someone who was standing near the phone may have added, "For nothing".
10. A police officer stops to ask if we are ok. We ask if he has pliers. He doesn't.
11. The police officer puts out a call on the radio to see if any other officer has a pair of pliers. We tell him, "No, no, it's really ok." Apparently it was a slow day for crime in Leander.
12. While waiting for the plier cop to arrive, two bike cops pull up. We think they are the plier cops.
13. The bike cops look in their bike bags and tell us they don't have pliers. What is going on here?
14. The bike cops say that they heard the call for pliers over the cop radio and thought they'd swing by to see what was going on. Must have been an extremely slow day for crime in Leander.
15. The cops had a nice sense of humor, or they were just that bored, but the let us set up the "arrest" photo that was at the top of today's blog.
16. The actual cop who was bringing the pliers arrives.
17. The bike cops take a look at Kristi's bike and have no idea how to fix it. They say that when their bikes break down, the cop with the good bike rides back to the station to pick up a car to get the cop with the broken bike. Not too helpful of an idea considering we're 35 miles from home.
18. So now we have four cops all standing around watching as Wayne and I pretend we know what were doing. Meanwhile Bonnie is just in the midst of everything busting a gut trying not to laugh out loud. It was a pretty funny scene.
24. As the bike mechanic/70.3 dude was leaving, would you believe that he held his hand in the sign language letter "m", and his other hand in a circle, and did an upward subtle nod of the head and said, "Seeya". Wow! A little twist on our "sup", but still, he knew the secret greeting! All the way up in Leander! How exciting!
25. On our way again. Out to Parmer Lane. Right into the wind. But it wasn't too bad.
26. One last rest stop at McNeil.
27. Kristi gets a bloody nose.
28. Kristi breaks a nail.
29. Finally arrived at home seven and a half hours after leaving, to find Chris ready for a run!
30. Seven of us went on a fun run around Central Market. Four bikers, plus Chris, plus two furry friends.
31. A quick bowl of cereal and off to the pool.
32. Will this day never end? It's already 6pm!
33. A nice slow relaxing swim with lots of stretching breaks.
34. My new lap counter ring arrived so I tried it today. It's really comfy and easy to use. It's perfect! Here's what it looks like.
I think the screen is special for the water, so it wouldn't show up when I took a picture of it.
So that's the day in a nutshell. You can see why I decided to list all the events of the day. I could type about it all night if I wanted too. But instead I have to go to sleep so we can do it all over again tomorrow.
After the swim I went to Jason's Deli for supper. By this point in the day, I was starting to feel a little woozy and tired. I just needed food. Luckily there was no line. Just a very chipper, overly eager order-taker. I ordered the half sandwich and fruit cup special. The counter guy said, "Well, you get fruit with the full sandwich and its cheaper, do you want to do that?" I started to tell him I didn't want the full sandwich, when he cuts me off and says, "Or you could get the managers special that would save you money if you ordered this instead, or you could..." I cut him off this time and I said, just as kindly as my grumpy tired self could say, "How about we do this, I tell you what I want, and you just figure out how to ring it up." He said, "Ok, that works." Thank god. Man I was starving.
And now I'm tired.
G'night!
M :)
Bike: 281 minutes (74 miles)
Run: 21 minutes (2.4 miles)
Swim: 30 minutes
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so let me start with a photo from today's workout.
I guess I'll just start at the beginning and work my way up to the story behind this photo.
Brad texted first thing to say that he wasn't feeling well today so he wasn't going to join us. Probably a really good decision, based on the day we had. I wouldn't have wanted his first Dam Loop experience to have been today. Here's the Dam Loop plus the Leander add-on that we did today.
Kristi, Wayne, and Bonnie arrived around nine and we set up our bikes with food, air in the tires, and drinks. Bonnie realized she forgot her running shoes for the run after the ride. Luckily she and I have the same size shoe so she could still run.
We headed out for what promised to be a beautiful ride. The forecast was for sunny skies and highs in the 60s. It was a little chilly when we started. Wayne borrowed some arm warmers and had the best description for them. "It's like a wetsuit, lined with fleece." (Except he said it in Australian.)
The hills on this ride start around mile 4 and continue straight through until mile 35. On the very first hill Bonnie's chain fell off. We stopped and she was able to put it back on. The same thing happened about a quarter mile later. This time she was having trouble shifting the gears. Clearly something was wrong with her derailer. So she called Todd (who didn't ride today because of an injury) and asked if he could meet us with her other bike. He said he could just as soon as the cable guy left. Bonnie said that she could make it a few more miles so we plowed ahead.
We stopped around mile nine at a rest stop so she could call him again to see if Todd was on his way. Nope, cable guy still there. We decided to take a break to see if he was able to leave sometime soon, instead of trying to do the next set of hills without Bonnie's bike shifting correctly. After about 20-30 minutes, we decided to keep moving. So we saddled up and started to leave the parking lot. "Oh wait," Bonnie said. "I have a flat!" So we turned around and parked our bikes again.
Now we just had to wait. We found a nice patch of sun to wait in. After about ten minutes I asked if I could practice my bike maintenance skills by changing her tire. I hadn't realized that neither Kristi, Wayne, nor Bonnie knew how to change a flat. So I opened up Mechanic Mary's Roadside Bike Service Shop right there at the gas station. Using a combination of training techniques from The Office and from "Friends", I was able to show them how to change a tire. I had no idea what the correct names of any of the parts or tools were, and I used a lot of sounds to describe what I was doing. There were also a lot of "That's what she saids" going on as I described where to put certain parts of the tube and tire. It was quite a scene.
We managed to get the tire fixed, pumped up and back on the bike. Todd still hadn't left yet, so we decided to head out again. We made it to about mile 18 and Bonnie's personal roadside sag wagon assistant arrived. Just like in the Tour de France, Bonnie switched out her bike. Except the switch took a little longer than it does in the Tour. So finally we were back out on our way. Just in time for the big hills.
So ordinarily, this would have been quite an adventure. It took us about two and a half hours to do the first 20 miles of our 74 miler. And ordinarily, I'd be wrapping up here saying that the rest of the ride was great, we had an uneventful run, a good swim, and then ice baths.
But oh no. This was only the mere beginning of one of the craziest and most memorable rides to date. In the interest of time, I've decided just to make a list of the rest of the adventures as we encountered them.
1. Shortly after switching bikes, Bonnie's front brake started rubbing on the wheel. So we stopped and fixed that.
2. Kristi told me today I'm getting funnier-looking.
3. There's something strangely invigorating about traffic zipping by you at 60 mph, about three feet from you. I guess it hyperactivates your survival skills. It helps to keep me awake, that's for sure.
4. It did turn out to be a beautiful day-lots of sun.
5. I drank so much water thanks to the chia seeds that we had to stop a few times to refill my water bottles. Apparently Cedar Park has Walgreens every two blocks, but convenience stores only every six miles. Nothing convenient about that if you ask me.
6. Mile 45. Kristi can't shift her gears from the big ring to the small ring. That means she's riding in the hardest gears, non-stop. We decide to stop and see if we can fix it.
7. Kristi calls Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop to see if they can tell us how to fix it. She had just had her bike serviced there yesterday. She had her chain replaced, along with a bunch of other maintenance items.
8. I kept asking Kristi to let me talk to them. She didn't give me the phone. I think she knew that I was going to give them a piece of my mind.
9. Kristi said to the MJ person, on speaker phone, "Ok, well thanks anyway". Someone who was standing near the phone may have added, "For nothing".
10. A police officer stops to ask if we are ok. We ask if he has pliers. He doesn't.
11. The police officer puts out a call on the radio to see if any other officer has a pair of pliers. We tell him, "No, no, it's really ok." Apparently it was a slow day for crime in Leander.
12. While waiting for the plier cop to arrive, two bike cops pull up. We think they are the plier cops.
13. The bike cops look in their bike bags and tell us they don't have pliers. What is going on here?
14. The bike cops say that they heard the call for pliers over the cop radio and thought they'd swing by to see what was going on. Must have been an extremely slow day for crime in Leander.
15. The cops had a nice sense of humor, or they were just that bored, but the let us set up the "arrest" photo that was at the top of today's blog.
16. The actual cop who was bringing the pliers arrives.
17. The bike cops take a look at Kristi's bike and have no idea how to fix it. They say that when their bikes break down, the cop with the good bike rides back to the station to pick up a car to get the cop with the broken bike. Not too helpful of an idea considering we're 35 miles from home.
18. So now we have four cops all standing around watching as Wayne and I pretend we know what were doing. Meanwhile Bonnie is just in the midst of everything busting a gut trying not to laugh out loud. It was a pretty funny scene.
The cops were saying that they bet no one would run the intersection where we were with two cop cars and two cop bikes. I said I'd like to see them all in action if someone did run it!
19. After about 30 minutes of trying to fix it without any luck, wouldn't you know it, a truck stops at the intersection and asks if we're having bike trouble. One of the cops mumbled under his breath, "No, we're playing checkers."
20. Turns out the dude in the truck used to be a bike mechanic! So he pulls over and parks. Now we have three cars, six bikes, and nine people all in the intersection trying to fix Kristi's bike. Must have been a really boring day in Leander.
21. I was waiting for the news vans to arrive. I bet we could have made the nine o'clock news with as much attention as we were getting.
22. The bike mechanic dude tried his best to fix it, but didn't have the correct tools. He said that the front derailer is one of the most difficult things to fix on a bike.
23. The bike mechanic dude had an m-dot 70.3 tatoo on his calf. He said he's completed a few half-ironman races. See photo.
I didn't feel like zooming in on it, but it's there.
25. On our way again. Out to Parmer Lane. Right into the wind. But it wasn't too bad.
26. One last rest stop at McNeil.
27. Kristi gets a bloody nose.
28. Kristi breaks a nail.
29. Finally arrived at home seven and a half hours after leaving, to find Chris ready for a run!
30. Seven of us went on a fun run around Central Market. Four bikers, plus Chris, plus two furry friends.
31. A quick bowl of cereal and off to the pool.
32. Will this day never end? It's already 6pm!
33. A nice slow relaxing swim with lots of stretching breaks.
34. My new lap counter ring arrived so I tried it today. It's really comfy and easy to use. It's perfect! Here's what it looks like.
And here's how it fits on my finger. It looks bulky, but I was pleasantly surprised at the fit.
I think the screen is special for the water, so it wouldn't show up when I took a picture of it.
So that's the day in a nutshell. You can see why I decided to list all the events of the day. I could type about it all night if I wanted too. But instead I have to go to sleep so we can do it all over again tomorrow.
After the swim I went to Jason's Deli for supper. By this point in the day, I was starting to feel a little woozy and tired. I just needed food. Luckily there was no line. Just a very chipper, overly eager order-taker. I ordered the half sandwich and fruit cup special. The counter guy said, "Well, you get fruit with the full sandwich and its cheaper, do you want to do that?" I started to tell him I didn't want the full sandwich, when he cuts me off and says, "Or you could get the managers special that would save you money if you ordered this instead, or you could..." I cut him off this time and I said, just as kindly as my grumpy tired self could say, "How about we do this, I tell you what I want, and you just figure out how to ring it up." He said, "Ok, that works." Thank god. Man I was starving.
And now I'm tired.
G'night!
M :)
Friday, February 11, 2011
Mystery solved
Today's workout:
Off
Walk-an hour or so with the pups and their cousin Bella and Aunt Kristi
Sit-ups-same as always
Yesterday Chris texted me to say that one of the pups got into the chia seeds. We assumed we knew who it was, given Caribia's ability to get onto counters twice her height. But the seeds were all over, so we weren't sure if they both had enjoyed the chia or not. Here's the photo he sent me of the scene of the crime.
Caribia was on and of the bed all night long. She kept getting water. She seemed a lot more thirsty than normal. I figured she must be the perpetrator of the crime. Then this morning Chris sent me another email. He said that he knew for sure who had eaten the Chia.
Hahahahahahaha!!!!! I woke up laughing soooo hard! What a great way to wake up!
That was definitely the highlight of my day. I do love to laugh.
Well, it's a pretty short blog tonight. I'm pretty exhausted from a pretty yucky day. But we have a great workout planned for tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.
So until manana,
Ciao.
M :)
Off
Walk-an hour or so with the pups and their cousin Bella and Aunt Kristi
Sit-ups-same as always
Caribia was on and of the bed all night long. She kept getting water. She seemed a lot more thirsty than normal. I figured she must be the perpetrator of the crime. Then this morning Chris sent me another email. He said that he knew for sure who had eaten the Chia.
That was definitely the highlight of my day. I do love to laugh.
Well, it's a pretty short blog tonight. I'm pretty exhausted from a pretty yucky day. But we have a great workout planned for tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.
So until manana,
Ciao.
M :)
Thursday, February 10, 2011
'Sup m-dot?
Today's workout:
Run-track workout with a bunch of hill accelerations plus drills
Weights 2 x 15
The workout was great tonight. Felt good the whole time. Except for the frostbite. Any exposed skin was frozen the second the sun went down. I can deal with this today because I have been promised 70s and 80s within the next few days.
So Wayne and Kristi came up with a "secret" Ironman-in-Training greeting. It's kinda dorky, but they're my friends, so I decided to go along with it. Here's how it works. Whenever we see someone wearing Ironman gear, say, a hat, or a shirt, or a swim cap, we look at them and say "'sup" and do a hand signal. Sort of a "I'm gonna be an ironman too one day thing." A symbol of brotherhood if you will. Kristi and Wayne thought it would be a good idea for me to blog about the secret greeting. That way if one of us were to get arrested for making obscene gestures at a complete stranger, we could have indisputable proof that we're just part of a secret club, and that we're not really trying to be lewd. (I have to say here though, that Kristi and I vetoed one of Wayne's ideas for a longer version of the greeting that definitely would have been outlawed in 49 states.)
The secret greeting can be broken down into two parts. One part is the hand symbol. The hand symbol is the sign language letter "m" and then a dot on top of it. To resemble the "m-dot" character from the ironman races. It looks like this:
The other part of the greeting is a subtle quick upward nod of the head, with an accompanied verbal acknowledgment "sup" (short for , "what's up?"). You've probably all seen this "sup" move before in movies where people are trying to be really cool. So here are the photos for the m-dot hand sign.
Run-track workout with a bunch of hill accelerations plus drills
Weights 2 x 15
The workout was great tonight. Felt good the whole time. Except for the frostbite. Any exposed skin was frozen the second the sun went down. I can deal with this today because I have been promised 70s and 80s within the next few days.
So Wayne and Kristi came up with a "secret" Ironman-in-Training greeting. It's kinda dorky, but they're my friends, so I decided to go along with it. Here's how it works. Whenever we see someone wearing Ironman gear, say, a hat, or a shirt, or a swim cap, we look at them and say "'sup" and do a hand signal. Sort of a "I'm gonna be an ironman too one day thing." A symbol of brotherhood if you will. Kristi and Wayne thought it would be a good idea for me to blog about the secret greeting. That way if one of us were to get arrested for making obscene gestures at a complete stranger, we could have indisputable proof that we're just part of a secret club, and that we're not really trying to be lewd. (I have to say here though, that Kristi and I vetoed one of Wayne's ideas for a longer version of the greeting that definitely would have been outlawed in 49 states.)
The secret greeting can be broken down into two parts. One part is the hand symbol. The hand symbol is the sign language letter "m" and then a dot on top of it. To resemble the "m-dot" character from the ironman races. It looks like this:
This is Kristi's m-dot.
This is Wayne's m-dot.
And this is the space alien's m-dot.
Now here's where it gets interesting and we are seeking blog reader feedback. Who do you think has the best looking "sup" head nod?
Wayne says this is a "sup" face in Australia.
Representing the Eastside, and glowing space aliens everywhere, here's my "sup" head nod.
And here's Kristi's...well....I guess it's a head nod of some sort...Wayne wanted to vote her out of the "sup club" saying that her "sup" could be easily misconstrued for something a little more friendly than intended. I voted to keep her in the club, because we're an equal opportunity "sup club". Plus she still has a few months to perfect the greeting.
So who do you think has the best secret m-dot greeting?
After the workout I stopped to eat at T-cloud. I was starving. Then I picked up a bag of ice and headed home. Even though I was already freezing I decided to do an ice bath. They've just been so helpful in making my legs feel fresh that I had to do it. I've added another technique to make ice baths even more enjoyable. In addition to the bathing suit bottoms, the wooly hat, the warm winter gloves, putting my pjs in the dryer to get nice and toasty, I did something new today. I used an extension cord to plug in the hair dryer and held onto it while I was taking the ice bath. It really helped to keep me warm.
Just kidding. Here's what I really did. The sweatshirt I wear in the tub is really big. So I put the neck of the sweatshirt up over my nose and breathed into the "tent" that was formed. It was like having a mini furnace for my upper body! It definitely helped keep me warmer. My toes still haven't come back around yet. Hopefully they'll still be there when I wake up.
Mr. Sandman is knocking on my door.
G'night!
M :)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I moved to Texas to get away from the winter.....
Today's workout:
Swim-90 minutes
Bike-60 minutes on trainer
When I went to the gym this morning at 6:15 it was in the 40s. When I left the gym at 8:15, it was in the 20s and my car door was frozen shut. I had to give it a good little tug to get it open. And my remote control locker/unlocker stopped working. My car forgot how to function in the cold. My car prefers the summer. So do I. My swim was fine, nothing spectacular or blog-worthy. The blog-worthy stuff today comes courtesy of Wayne and Kristi.
Wayne went swimming this morning before work. He was doing some pretty fast sprint laps. He decided to see how fast he could go at his very very fastest. He went all out and did a lap in 41 seconds. Pretty darn good! Unless of course you compare it to our favorite eight-year old's best lap time. In that case, Wayne falls two seconds behind! Abby has set the bar, and Wayne tried to beat it! I shouldn't laugh, he's 15 seconds faster than my fastest lap!
And Kristi's swim today...she cranked it out as usual, but that's not the special thing today. The special thing today is that it was Naked Little Old Lady Day at the gym. What is it about little old ladies that makes them sit around and walk around completely naked in gym locker rooms? I noticed the same phenomenon at the northside gym. Kristi had us cracking up as she described trying to turn away from one group of ladies siting naked on the benches, only to turn to look at another little old lady applying lotion. Now I love little old ladies, all grandma-like and cute....but I prefer their company when they're wearing little old lady shirts tucked into the elastic waists of their little old lady pants, with little old lady sensible black slip-proof shoes, all topped off with a little old lady thick cardigan sweater. I can't wait until I'm a little old lady so I can sit around the gym naked freaking out all the young Ironmen-In-Training kids!
Driving home today the radio announcer said that it was 29 degrees. At 4:45 in the afternoon. What the heck? This is Texas! Well, just in case you too have trouble believing we got this cold, here's some proof.
It took my toes almost an hour to get back to their normal temperature after our ride. That's as long as it takes them to warm up after an ice bath! We decided to ride on the trainers under the carport since it was 29 degrees with wind gusts up to 30 mph! Boring ride, but at least we got it done.
I'm pretty tired tonight. It helps swimming at 6:30 instead of 5:30, but it's still early. Hope I can stay awake for the new Law & Order SVU tonight.
M :)
Swim-90 minutes
Bike-60 minutes on trainer
When I went to the gym this morning at 6:15 it was in the 40s. When I left the gym at 8:15, it was in the 20s and my car door was frozen shut. I had to give it a good little tug to get it open. And my remote control locker/unlocker stopped working. My car forgot how to function in the cold. My car prefers the summer. So do I. My swim was fine, nothing spectacular or blog-worthy. The blog-worthy stuff today comes courtesy of Wayne and Kristi.
Wayne went swimming this morning before work. He was doing some pretty fast sprint laps. He decided to see how fast he could go at his very very fastest. He went all out and did a lap in 41 seconds. Pretty darn good! Unless of course you compare it to our favorite eight-year old's best lap time. In that case, Wayne falls two seconds behind! Abby has set the bar, and Wayne tried to beat it! I shouldn't laugh, he's 15 seconds faster than my fastest lap!
And Kristi's swim today...she cranked it out as usual, but that's not the special thing today. The special thing today is that it was Naked Little Old Lady Day at the gym. What is it about little old ladies that makes them sit around and walk around completely naked in gym locker rooms? I noticed the same phenomenon at the northside gym. Kristi had us cracking up as she described trying to turn away from one group of ladies siting naked on the benches, only to turn to look at another little old lady applying lotion. Now I love little old ladies, all grandma-like and cute....but I prefer their company when they're wearing little old lady shirts tucked into the elastic waists of their little old lady pants, with little old lady sensible black slip-proof shoes, all topped off with a little old lady thick cardigan sweater. I can't wait until I'm a little old lady so I can sit around the gym naked freaking out all the young Ironmen-In-Training kids!
Driving home today the radio announcer said that it was 29 degrees. At 4:45 in the afternoon. What the heck? This is Texas! Well, just in case you too have trouble believing we got this cold, here's some proof.
An icicle! Under our carport!!!! Not something you see every day in Austin.
Mary being goofy making a funny face? Now that's something that you see daily in Austin.
It took my toes almost an hour to get back to their normal temperature after our ride. That's as long as it takes them to warm up after an ice bath! We decided to ride on the trainers under the carport since it was 29 degrees with wind gusts up to 30 mph! Boring ride, but at least we got it done.
I'm pretty tired tonight. It helps swimming at 6:30 instead of 5:30, but it's still early. Hope I can stay awake for the new Law & Order SVU tonight.
M :)
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