I Need A Different Attitude

This morning's 'run' did not go as hoped. And I am getting a little tired of my workouts going into the "well, I didn't quit" category. I am out of time for this!!

I wanted to go 2.5 hours and made it 2 hours and 5 minutes. One hour in, I knew 2.5 wasn't going to happen. 1.5 in I just couldn't run any more. I tried to bribe myself, distract myself, do anything I could, but nothing worked. I tried to focus on forum, dropped down to a 1:1 (from a 4:1, that went to a 3:2, that went to a 2:1), but there because a point where my hamstrings said no. And the razor blades inside my stomach didn't help either. I tried to power walk and walk with a purpose, but that failed me as well. I just hobbled back to the office to start my work day.

Realistically, the plan has always been to walk a large part of the marathon. However, I was hoping my long runs would have been a bit more successful than they have been.

I feel like I am out of time, and out if ideas.
Any suggestions?

70.3 Plus 1 Minus 5

I have to say, Lake Placid is beautiful.

Sandy and I made it up here on Thursday with an uneventful drive. Well, Sandy let out her inner Jersey with a bump it, but that was about it. We headed right dinner and realized that it was not much cooler or less humid up here. Not 119 heat index like DC, but still, 90 in Lake Placid is HOT.

The first thing I did Friday was go the Mirror Lake for a swim. And it was beautiful. The swim course is known for being fast, largely due to a cord under water that you can see while swimming. This way, sighting is not a problem, and it's basically swimming with a lane line. And my swim was FANTASTIC. It almost felt like I had flippers or a sail.
The rest of the afternoon was spent prepping some cookie dough and making a full on carbo loading dinner for 22. Yay Sherpa-ing!

And today was my half. Lake Placid is a 2 loop Ironman. In other words it's a 1.2 mile swim, twice; 56 mile loop, twice; 13.1 mile run, twice. So, I decided to do my own half. With Coach's permission of course.
This morning, at 7 am, I got a ride with Alejandro to the lake and swam my 1.2 miles. And it felt great! 36 minutes and 10 seconds. If that was 'real', it would have PR'ed my 1.2 mile swim (Augusta doesn't count as it was point to point and faster than some of my Oly swim times!).

I walked the mile (the Plus 1) back to the house and quickly changed into my bike stuff and rolled out with Sandy, Laural, and Katie. My goals were to not get frustrated with myself on the hills (mountains), not let the fact that the other ladies were faster, and just spin.
For the most part, I was successful. I did take off early from the refuel stop, knowing the hills that were coming and they would catch me (which they did), but overall, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Whenever I thought about taking a break at the top of a hill, I finished (56 miles) and thought "that wasn't so bad", and kept going.
And the best part, the scenery. It was beautiful. I wish I could have taken a few pictures, but I was either going down the mountain, fighting wind, trying to shield from the sun, or going back up. Not the best time for me to take a picture. But trust me, it was gorgeous.

I made it back to the house, changed, washed my salt filled face and headed out for my run. I was immediately concerned when I went through my water in under 30 minutes. I filled up at a gas station and that hardly lasted either. And the run wasn't feeling good and I started feeling sorry for myself. Then something happened. I told myself "Amanda, SUCK IT UP! You ARE an Ironman, and you will be AGAIN!" And I stared power walking. I was still out of water so I changed my course, and started walking with a purpose. I made it to a corner store, got a Gatorade and water, and had a Gu. 5 minutes later I was on my way with a very slosh-ie stomach. Oops. I know better...
So I did the best I could with power walking, running when there was shade, and keeping my stomach semi-happy. I also decided that 13.1 miles probably wasn't the best and headed back to the house. I am 100% confident that I made the right decision. I was 5 miles short of my goal but super happy I even went out in the first place.

I rewarded myself with a large glass of chocolate milk and a long shower, until the warm shower, until the hot water ran out.

Now tomorrow, I get to sherpa and I am so excited. Karen, Alejandro, Dirk, Bryan, Janie, AJ, Toby, Travis, TJ, Phil, Emily, Sue - and everyone else, have fun. To quote something I saw on a car window today:
Swim like a fish
Bike like a train
Run like a Kenyon

CRUSH IT!

Still Went Early

After another round of massive thunderstorms yesterday afternoon/early evening, the humidity finally broke. A tad. It was only a high of 84 and not much humidity. I knew this, but still chose to do my 40 minute easy run in the morning. I am not becoming a morning person, but my body clock is. Fail.

And I actually had a decent run. I managed to only stop/walk at the stop lights and a minute when I turned around. I was happy to not be looking at my watch to figure out when I could walk again.

Also, I haven't loaded it into Connect dot Garmin, so I can't get disappointed. I am just going to go with the "that wasn't too bad" feeling.

So, what does this mean? I am getting really good at 'running' for 30-45 minutes. Too bad I can't run 26.2 miles after swimming 2.4 and biking 112 in 30-45 minutes. That would be awesome.

Hey, Did You Know...

1. I am less than 2 months away from Ironman Wisconsin.Last time when I was 2 months away, I was starting to taper for my first half. I spent some time reading my old blog and it did help me realize that I am doing just fine. I was still at 5 and 5 and a half hour rides all through July. I already hit 6 hrs, and I am at about the same distance or more. Also, believe it or not, I actually feel better this time around. I don't seem as tired, I have more time to get my laundry done (usually) and I feel I am doing better with time management. Usually.
But still, less than 2 months away is scary. As much as I would love to do the race tomorrow, and will want more time once 7 am on September 11th comes, I actually do think I am in an okay place.

2. The Weather Channel rated DC as the 6th hottest city in America. And I am not talking about the people. That is why I got up this morning at 6 to get my 45 minute run in before work. And I still sweated through my sports bra and shorts. Pretty image, huh?!?! :-) The run was fine, not too exciting. I was able to run the first 20 minutes straight, than switch to the run/walk for the last 25 min.

So that's my update for today. Less than 2 months away and DC is hot. The 9 of you probably knew that already, but I am really good at stating the obvious.

Brick, 4th, Canoe and Fish

That basically sums up the past week.

Sunday, July 3rd, I took myself out on a 90 minute ride and 30 minute run. The ride felt pretty good, until I looked at my average. Not sure what happened, I added a few extra hills on a pretty flat route, but man did that slow me down! My run felt surprisingly good for the 30 minutes, so that was reassuring. But that was 2 rides that were just not up to my expectation.

So, I decided a break was the best thing and the Personal Cook took me to the Rappahannock for a 2 day canoe trip. Is there a better way to celebrate America's birthday? I think not!
The days included about 14 miles down river with a few class 1-2 rapids, a 'rock garden' to make our way through, and the PC even found a civil war bullet! There was fishing (well, he fished, I worked on getting rid of my wet suit tan line), relaxing, and did I mention rapids? In a canoe? Yeah - that part wasn't very relaxing but super exhilarating.
And food? Well, he did not disappoint with steak, potatoes and zucchini. Oh, and no worries Mom and Dad, I brought my pie iron and made cherry pies for dessert and grilled ham and cheese for breakfast.

It was a great few days and really made me miss that type of outdoor activity. I am hoping we can squeeze in one or two more trips after the big day and before it gets too cold. But definitely after. Only once did I fall on a rock and get caught in between the canoe and a rock...

After being nice and 'rested', I thought my 2 hour run would be great on Wednesday. Not.So.Much. It took my body about 20 minutes to realize the run was happening, but then I felt AWESOME! I was the BEST RUNNER EVER! For about 30 minutes. And then I hit the wall and ran out of gas/steam/energy/motivation and the last hour S.U.C.K.E.D. It was ridiculously disappointing.

So, I spent today emailing Coach about the crappy ride/run/canoe/run and he reminded me of how much the heat/humidity takes out of your system, that I am in panic mode with nothing to panic about, and everyone (even him) goes through the "i'm not doing enough" phase. But the plan is to keep moving forward. And move forward I will, with a 6 hour ride on Saturday. And that will have to go well because it's the "world's first Birthday Bike Ride Rest Stop of Awesomeness" or BBRRSoA as we are calling it. No, not my birthday, Karen's. And there will be cupcakes. And Gatorade snow cones. AND BACON!

So, it will be an awesome ride. Be sure to check back on Saturday/Sunday/when I write about BBRRSoA for the awesome details that will make you want to ride 6 hours!

Tuesday, June 14th Post

It started off as a sad sad day because my parents left. I always have such a good time with them and am sad to see them leave. Thanks again mom and dad for a wonderful visit!!

Coach was nice enough to give me Monday off. But the real reason was so I could have fresh legs for my long run on Tuesday. I talked the Personal Cook into going with me after work for a fun filled 75 minutes. And by fun filled I mean him having the watch and being able to pick the route and tell me when to run, walk, slow down, speed up, light feet, lean forward from the hips, pump the arms and the legs will follow - pretty much everything I have mentioned in the past I need to work on. Doesn't that sound like fun?? :-)

But actually, it was. It was a huge help to have him along and kept me freakishly consistent. With the warm up, the total was just a hair under 6 miles and about 4 of those miles the laps (.5) were within 10 seconds of each other. Woot.

Coach and I are slightly worried about the run, but he said "I would rather you in a state of training then in a state of recovery from injury".

True, very true.

Stupid. Really.

This morning was my brick of the week. By know you know I hate getting up early, so when the alarm went off at 5:30, I was super close to going back to bed. But, there was a heat index of 100+ and a code orange day - so I knew it was the morning or never. And never isn't really an option right now - so I got out of bed and headed to Hains Point.

The first lap was pretty good - slow and low HR, but mostly in areo which felt good. Then I remembered that my nickname became Squeaky because something was going on with Blain. I thought it was the pedals again so I gave them some chain lobe - but no luck. Every time I sat up (not in aero), it was so loud. Then I remembered Casey saying "are you sure it's not your saddle?" I blew it off - pretty convinced it was the peddles - Blain didn't squeak when I wasn't peddling so that was my assumption.

During my second lap, I noticed I couldn't see the line for where my saddle was supposed to be. So after lap 2, I stopped and sure enough - the bolt for my saddle was pretty lose. I adjusted it a bit and just figured the line and worn off. But something kept me moving the seat post around and sure enough - I kid you not - I raised my seat 1.5-2 INCHES and there was the line. Over the past year, my saddle had fallen 1.5-2 INCHES!
Then I started to think

• For the race in Columbia, I thought it was strange the sticker didn't fit better on my seat post. I just assumed the sticker was bigger
• When I saw Hillary clip out, I thought - wow, she is really high off the saddle - her legs just dangle. Mine don't do that anymore.
• Often when I would get into aero, I felt cramped, but figured it was just the way it was...
• Recently, I had to stand for some hills and thought I was because I was getting better and sitting through the hills wasn't working

And a whole slue of other thoughts over the past year but NOT ONCE did I check my seat height. Lesson learned.

So, when I got back on Blain for laps 3 and 4, I was instantly 1-1.5 mph faster! Also, I felt it in very different parts of my legs. Almost like I was re-teaching my muscles how to ride. Thank goodness I figured this out now, and not 3 months from now right before IM Moo. Casey - thank you for suggesting the saddle. I honestly don't think I would have ever thought of that on my own.

The rest of the ride was pretty eventful.

• I had to turn early on my 3rd long loop because there were what looked like two Presidential helicopters landed in the park. A man with a large gun gave me the signal to turn around, so I did. Especially because of the large armed cars, Army dudes with large guns, and lots of white guys in suits who looked important standing around - so I turned around and peddled away fast.
  
• On the end of Hains Point I saw 5 plain clothed Army dudes running with face masks (not comforting).
  
• There was a nasty crash and I saw 3 ambulances heading towards them. I did offer to stop and help, but they said they were okay.
• NO MORE SQUEAKING!
• There was something else but it was 14 hours ago and I forgot.

After my ride, I did my 30 minute run with a solid 4:1 and was very happy.

YAY training!

Now I need to go to bed and get up early (again) so I can work on rebuilding the proper bike muscles (again).

Cheese - WIN: Baking - FAIL

Yes, this blog is still primarily about triathlon. Really. It is.

Anyway, cheese class last night was AWESOME (despite the guy in the background of the picture)! There was this super cute cheese monger guy who I totally wanted to be my great uncle. He just had this little accent and I just wanted to pinch his checks and listen to his stories! Yeah, maybe a little weird - that's what my Personal Cook said too. But the process was pretty interesting, but way too time consuming for me to ever repeat. Lots and lots of milk for a small amount of mozzarella. But was a fun way to spend an hour.

Back to triathlon training.
Today's weather was hot and humid. It was gross by 9:30 so it was time for the treadmill. And since it's Thursday, remember when I did speedy Thursday's with Mr. Shorty Shorts? Well he is out of town this week, but I channelled the Shorty Shorts and hit the treadmill for some intervals. And you know what, I'm awesome. My 5K was under 38 minutes. AND that included my 3 minute warm up!!! Fast compared to the rest of the triathlon population? Heck no. Massive improvement for me - HECK YEAH!

And back to non-triathlon training.
Tonight was baking night. I am off to for a training weekend tomorrow, and wanted to bring a surprise treat. On these SWC vacations I am becoming known for my chocolate chip cookies (thanks Mom, everyone LOVES them!!) but I wanted to bring something else too. I figured my second best recipe is my sugar cookie. Okay, it's not mine, but Emily knows what she is talking about, so I can take credit for following her instructions. But I ran out of all purpose flour. I had enough for the dough, but not to use when I rolled out the dough. I did have whole wheat flour, tried that, but it just didn't work. And they don't taste that great either. Oh well... Maybe next time. I NEED to use the M-dot and new swim/bike/run cookie cutters again!! (Thanks Tammy!)

Story Time

It's been awhile since I have had something I found funny happen to me while training. Sadly, I think the last one was me falling over (not funny) and the reenactment of the fall to get a picture (funny).

As most of you are aware, I am a planner. I have a slightly hard time 'living in the moment' because I am thinking of what's next. Sometimes it's good, others not. Well, today was a day I had to plan a lot for. I had to get in a bike, a run, and work my 8 hours all before my How to Make Mozzarella class. So I decided the best thing was to bike in the morning, drive to work, run at lunch. Drive to class.
That meant last night I had to pack my work clothes and my running closes AND had to pack my bike stuff. Oh, and I was finishing up 4 loads of laundry.

So, I figured I had everything packed and was in bed around 11 (way too late, but the couch sucked me in and it was hard to get moving after dinner). Needless to say, when the alarm went off at 5:45 am, it took some MAJOR convincing myself to get moving. But I was packed, didn't have time to make up the bike, so I went.

84 minutes later my ride was done and I was off to work.

Forgotten Item Number 1 - Pants to put over my spandex as I strolled through the halls of the office.
As I went into my building to get stuff to shower, I pretty much ran down the hall so I wouldn't see anyone. Or so anyone wouldn't see me. But, I was not so lucky and saw my Associate Commissioner and a handful of co-workers. Not cool, just not cool. Seeing tri friends in spandex is one thing. Going to get a sandwich after a workout in spandex is one thing. Seeing coworkers dressed nicely while I was walking the halls in spandex - a totally different (and not cool) thing.

Forgotten Item number 2 - Appropriate undergarments.
I finished my shower, started getting dressed, and forgot one thing a woman should not forget. I don't claim to be 'well endowed', however, I do like support. I did have a tank to wear under my top, however it wasn't enough. Plus, I have a few inappropriate co-workers who have staring problems. Luckily, there is a store across the street from my office and when it opened at 10, I was there. And there was a sale!! So, all is well and now supported.
How could I forget such an important piece of clothing you ask? Remember how I said I did 4 loads of laundry? Well, I hang dry such delicates, and at 5:45 in the morning, I am lucky I get out the door with car keys let alone trying to remember such an important detail.

Forgotten Item number 3 - Headphones.
This may shock some of you, but I can be a pretty cranky person. So when 1 cube neighbor continues to bounce his plastic coffee cup on his desk, it's like nails on the chalkboard. And when another cube neighbor's g'friend comes over and giggles a boat load, I want to tear my ears off. Or stuff them with cotton balls. Normally, I would put on the smooth stylings of the best band ever that always make me happy, but no luck today.

So even though I tried to plan to make the most of my 24 hours, it wasn't perfect. But I got in my ride. I got in my lunch run. And now I am off to mozzarella class!

Once Again, I Chose to Sit

It was another unexpectedly busy weekend. But a good busy weekend.

After Thursday’s good swim, I was feeling more positive about the training. It’s just hard when the one thing I am most comfortable with in terms of training, doesn’t go well. Friday was a beautiful day and I convinced my personal cook to do another PW/R with me. He took the watch and off we went. And I felt great! It was 10/20/5/10, and at the end of the first 20, my legs were a bit tired, but overall, not too bad. We then made it up Capitol Hill, AND I kept running. Because when I said I wanted to walk, my PC said “or we could just slow down a bit” and kept going. I was pretty happy with workout, even though I just wanted to lie down in a patch of green grass and take a nap…

Saturday was an easy long ride, 2.5 hours with no computer/Garmin/distance/speed. Only time. It was a bit hard to get used to, but after I just ‘let go’, it wasn’t too bad. About 30 minutes into the ride, I caught a guy who said “Wait, I just saw you”. I was pretty confused until he said “You were just at Pierce mill, parking your car, right?”. Me “yes”. Him “Damn, you are FAST!”. I had to wipe a tear away; as it was the first time anyone I didn’t know called me fast! We leaped frogged a bit the rest of the way and it was nice to chat with someone for awhile. That was the first hour and a half. The next hour was painful. Not in the bad way that something hurt, but I just didn’t want to be on my bike any more. I was tired. My legs were tired. I wanted to go to sleep. So I bribed myself with food. If I made it to a certain turnaround point, I would get a sandwich.

And that sandwich was wonderful.

The rest of the day was spent touring Europe. Or more specifically, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia.

Sunday was a day off. I know, a weekend day off seems CRAZY! But it was really nice, especially because I would help out at my friend’s training triathlon event. I helped out with the swim, and was in water support. Good thing too as I pulled out 3 people… It was also good to see that my wet suit still fits! I would have much rather been with my mom for her day, but she seemed to like my card and flowers.

I fell asleep on the couch around 9 so I thought I would be nice and rested for yesterday’s PW/R. Not so much. My PC and I met after work for a 15/20/5/20 workout. He had the route mapped out, took the watch, and off we went. Within the first 5 minutes of the run, I was tried. We weren’t going too fast, I was just tired. Which lead to frustration (I mean, I had the day before off, AND got plenty of sleep). But I was quickly reminded of the bike ride on Saturday, the sprinting in the open water to help people, and the early mornings for those two activities. And that not every PW/R will be great, even if I want them to be. But we finished, and finished strong, and I was happy. So instead of doing laundry, or cleaning my apartment, or showering, I chose to sit. And it was awesome.

I am constantly reminded that I am surrounded by wonderful, caring people, who often believe in me more than I believe in myself. I have said it before, and I will continue to say it – thank you.

White Caps! WHITE CAPS!!

After Coach sent me this week's schedule, I thought about not taking Tuesday off and riding in the morning. I set my alarm, woke up, went back to sleep. The second alarm went off, I turned it off, and went back to sleep. My legs were tired, so I slept and took the day off.

Yesterday I convinced my Personal Cook to power walk/run with me at lunch. He had the watch and I think it is actually good for me. Instead of thinking "Last week I was at the Art Museum 90 seconds faster - I am too slow, I better speed up" and then die at the end of my 20 minutes running; all I could think about was form. Faster cadence, mountain pose, lean forward from the hips, waiter arms. It was a really nice day too - after it stopped raining, so I was happy with the PW/R.

Because I had a board meeting last night, I couldn't do my ride, but figured a morning HP ride wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't supposed to rain and I convinced Mary Elizabeth to join me for my easy 75 minute ride.

Remember the title of this post? White Caps! WHITE CAPS!! Yes, that 75 minute 'easy ride' turned into 80 minutes of flying down one side of Hains Point, and just trying to make it through on the other side. Seriously, if we would have stopped pedaling, we would have been blown backwards. It was BANANAS! And there really were white caps on the Potomac!

Plus, it was below 50 degrees this morning. Did someone forget to tell Ms. Mother Nature that it is May 5th?!?! I had to dig out my toe covers for my shoes, running tights to go over my shorts, full fingered gloves, AND my super cute bike jacket (okay, that wasn't so bad because I love the jacket. It's warm, comfy, and I wear it even when I'm not biking (after the snot has been washed off of the sleeves)).

So, between the cold and the wind, it definitely wasn't an easy ride. But it was a good ride and I was happy to have the company. And hopefully she didn't mind doing the extra small loop...

Getting Better!

(Saturday's post)

Today was Coach's attempt to get me back on a long run schedule. It was 15/20/5/15 - or 15 minutes of power walking, 20 minute run, 5 minute PW, 15 minute run. Exciting!!

So, after an amazing Guster concert last night, and some much needed sleep, I dragged my personal cook with me for a PW/R. With one hitch... my Garmin died just as we were about to start. Not good when everything I was doing was based on time. Luckily, my PC had a working watch to use. But there was another catch, he kept it and wouldn't tell me the time. NOT FAIR! MY WORKOUT!

But I have to say, I think it helped. I wasn't focused on how much time I had left or how much time had been PW or R'ing. My PC is much faster than I am, but he isn't training for a race and wants to help, and help by more than just cooking (which I will always enjoy!). It was a great PW/R and was actually nice to have someone to do the workout with. Talking is a great distraction, and good heart rate check!

Since my Garmin died, I did a quick map my run, and was very surprised/happy with the results. Oh, and yet again, no knee pain! (Knock on wood).

A Few Days, A Few Workouts

After my cooking storm on Monday, I was set to get started with a good workout on Tuesday. And I did. I was clipped in my 6:20, and passed by the super fast club guys around 6:45 (they started at 6:30). It is always fun to get shout outs by people who have the ability to fly by me as if I were standing still (and I was going like 17 mph!). I did my 2 x 10 minutes hard with 5 minutes easy and that really helps break up the boringness of Hains Point. Oh, and the wind really picked up at the end. Not surprising, but it has been awhile since I biked into a headwind... I was just really happy to see the results on the Garmin when I got home. The only real drops in speed were stop signs, turn arounds, and wind.

At lunch I headed to the gym for my power walk/run (PW/R). I started with 10 minutes of power walking, and when I stared the 15 minute run, I knew I was in trouble. My legs were TIRED! Luckily Scott was on the bike next to me and he distracted me with random stories for the last 10 minutes. It was a good double day, but I was starting to feel it in my legs.

A situation out of my control kept me from my workout yesterday. I will always choose someone who needs help over my workouts. Always.

AND, I think that gave my legs a nice little rest for my PW/R, as I got to jump up 5 more minutes for the run! Woo-HOO! So that's 20/20 now! I decided that once I hit 40 minutes total, I would go back outside. Of course, Mother Nature is wearing her crazy hat and really screwing up training. I didn't care, there was a break in the rain, so outside I went.

I have to say, I felt pretty stupid power walking that first 10 minutes. And it's hard not to run downhill, and across streets when I see the red flashing of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Run, don't run and wait at the corner, try to PW faster.... BAH! It's hard. Okay, not that hard, but still, when you only have 40 minutes, you need to make them count!

In about 10 minutes I was on The Mall, running into the wind. In the humidity. Have I mentioned Mother Nature isn't happy??? But it felt pretty good to be 'running' outside again. I had on my Garmin to help with my consistency for speed. It started to rain, which actually felt nice. When I finished my 20 minute run, I was back on sidewalks heading towards the office and no longer felt stupid with my PW.

After some good stretching (because stretching is important SWC!) I headed back to the office to rest my legs before hill repeats on the tonight with Sandy.

Hello Spring!

(Sunday's post)

You know that feeling that it is spring? Kind of smells like rain? With a smidge of humidity? And growing grass/trees/flowers? And all the pollen EVERYWHERE??? Yes, that was today.

And it was AWESOME!

I got a bit of a late start for my 2.5 hour ride, but was clipped in around 10. It was 77 degrees. Remember last week when I had to wear toe warmers on my shoes, a long sleeved jersey, and a vest? And full fingered gloves? Well today I had to put on my SPF 50.

I headed out on MacArthur and immediately heard my name yelled by someone. Not even 10 minutes later, I heard it again. I was riding solo and have come to terms with the fact that I will be doing a lot of training on my own this year. Hopefully a bunch of us can head to the same locations, ride similar routes, and all meet up for lunch - but my worries and whining about how everyone is faster than me is a story for another post.

Back to my AWESOME ride. I made it up the hill at Old Anglers and felt much better than the previous 2 weeks. I decided instead of doing loops, I would to head down the hilly River Road. And you know what, I saw even more people. It was AWESOME! Even though I was riding on my own, but I wasn't. And I loved it. I am pretty noticeable on Blain with his yellow glory, green bar tape (pic on the left in case you forgot what he looks like), and my knee braces and DC Tri jersey - but still, it's great. Every time I saw someone, I picked up my cadence, checked my form, and put on a smile. Thanks Andrea, Katie, Lindsey, Alejandro, Courtney, Jenny, Joe, AJ, Chris, Josh, and everyone else.

The only scary part to the ride - (Mom and Dad, you may want to skip this part!) was on my way back I was flying downhill and hit a max speed around 38.4 mph. As I was going down, a truck passed me and kicked up a rock that smacked right into my helmet. I was happy I wasn't in aero because even holding onto my breaks, it hit hard enough to knock my balance and make me pretty wobbly. I am also pretty luck it wasn't lower into my sunglasses/face or chest. It was one of those situations that has not happened to me before, I can't control, and that frightens me about biking. But, helmets are AWESOME.

Anyway, towards the end of the ride I saw a few more people, tried to stick with them, and push myself a bit more. I felt good - so I figured why not? By the time Jill and Kevin came by, I was ready to go. Then I looked at my heart rate. WAY to high 2 hours+ into the ride with a one more hill and a 15 minute power walk (or my first real brick of the season) to go. So I slowed down, off they went, and I still felt good.

When I finished the ride, I was at 39.2 miles, so I rode around until I hit 40 miles. WOOT!! I then put on my running shoes and started my power walk.

Now, that was the first time I didn't feel great. What a wakeup call! But it was 88 degrees out, my first time trying to brick, so I have to be happy with 15 minutes - it was a start. I will continue to choose to go minute by minute, mile by mile, even if I must walk 26.2 miles. And today's workout helped me believe that even more.

Stupid

I got my schedule from Coach. It's a so so week, some hard stuff - but lots. I am really working on my time management.

I went for my 60 minute run today. It wasn't great, again. I had that feeling going into it so I took it easy and concentrated on keeping my heart rate down and tried to work on form. Here is the deal - around 40 minutes, I felt something strange. And not in the good way. It kind of went away and I made it back to the office. My first thought was, this isn't happening. This is stupid.

Kristin and Jess convinced me to go for my swim, even though I was tired and something still wasn't right. I headed up to Wilson instead of CUA, because it was free and closer to home. I got there and the pool was empty. Not meaning 1 or 2 people per lane - but no one. Apparently the heater wasn't working so no one was allowed to swim. BOO!! Yet again Wilson pool disappointed me. I am just a sucker for a 50 meter pool. Stupid.

So I came home, made dinner, did some laundry, played my new game obsession on my iPhone, and tried to avoid what I was feeling.

Okay, want to know what I am talking about?>? My knee hurts. I mean, really hurts. And it has been getting worse throughout the day. I have been icing it, trying to stay off it, and just not freak out. Trying not to blame the fact that my diet isn't where it should be and therefore my weight is too high for the level of activity I am doing. Trying not to blame the fact that I waited too long to work on my running. Trying not just feel stupid about the fact my knee hurts. But I am worried and am really hoping it will all be better tomorrow.

Only 1, But A Good One

Yes, after yesterday's tri-fecta of a workout day, today was a simple long run - 60 minutes. And because it was February 16th, that obviously means I was able to run outside. Hehehehe. Being a Wisconsin girl, I LOVE that I could run outside on February 16th in pants and a long sleeve.

Anyway, I was a bit worried about today's run. I woke up sore. I was having these pains that only went away after I ate my second breakfast (seriously. Right under my ribs, above my stomach... it was odd...), so I was worried. Mr. Shorty Shorts and I talked about my expectations. How running a 9:1 for 60 minutes was more important than my speed. Get in the time and off I went.

You know what happened?!?! I had a FANTASTIC run. I couldn't believe it!!! Mr. Shorty Shorts met me on my way back and I spent the entire time telling him how great I felt. How happy I was that I hit my 5K under 39 minutes for the first time in 3 years, AND FELT GREAT!!! I really couldn't believe it. He helped me up the hill, and went to finish his hill workout as I headed back to the office.

My overall average minute per mile was super good for me. AND I was just really happy.

Would you like to know how I celebrated?!?! I left work at 5:10, met Rachna and had multiple dark cherry martinis. When I say multiple, I mean 3, but that's a lot! And they were on happy hour so I was economical too! It was a WIN WIN!

Okay, so I am just super excited. I know I am only on week 2 and will have some down times. A lot of down times. A lot of questioning why I am doing this again. But right now, I want this blog to be about how I am excited. How all the work I did this off season working on my running with Rob, going to 3 hour spin, skipping brunches with friends to get in an early swim. It seems SO worth it right now. And I am lucky to have people around me who understand when I skip other activities. To you all, thank you.

And I just hope when I am having a really rough day/week/workout - one of you 9 readers will remind me of this post. That I felt great, feel the potential, and know it is all worth it.

I'm Lucky

Today had many MANY versions of what this post would be.

It started with how I much I hate today. The build up. The stupid jewelry commercials. BAH!
Throughout the years, regardless of my relationship status - single, dating, married, separated - it's just a reminder of where you are and there is so much pressure for Evil Heart Day. It just sucks. Okay, never been married or separated, but you know what I mean. It's a reminder that you are single or pressure to do something because some card shop says you should. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.

That is what I was going to write about. But then it was about 60 degrees out so I met up with Mr. Shorty Shorts and went for a run. It was beautiful out, but super SUPER windy. I do realized that I ran outside in pants and a t-shirt, on Evil Heart Day, when it was 60 degrees, so I will take the wind.
AND, it was a great run! We started and ended together, but I held my 9:1 AND made it up the hill ALL ON MY OWN!

So that is what I was going to write about, but then I went for my swim. Toby, AJ, Jenny, even JOE made it out. All was going well - but then we got kicked out of our lane so ONE girl could use the diving board - and it cleared out 2 lanes. We then got kicked out of another lane because we were too fast and this a-hole lonely guy got pi$$ed, complained and got us kicked out. But by this point all the other lanes were so full, and the lifeguards weren't moving people around, so the entire swim was just a fail. Toby and Jenny finished the workout because they are fast and could deal. I turned into a whinny b*tch and couldn't find a lane I liked so just went to the hot tub.

This was going to be my post about how WILSON SUCKS. Great pool. HORRIBLE LIFEGUARDS AND SCHEDULING! But then we all went to dinner and had a really good time. And I came home to the most perfect card from my parents this year. Open it up and it says "We Love You". Melts my cold-dead-for-this-Evil-Heart-Day-heart, just a tad.

So that is what I decided to write about. Thanks for the cupcake. The heart shaped peppermint patty. Text messages. Phone call. E-mails. Run. Swim. Dinner laughs. Card. I am pretty luck to be loved, and reminded of this on Evil Heart Day.

First Full Week

My reason for not posting this week is simple. I was actually working out. Go Me!! This is the workout I was supposed to do last week, but because of jury duty and getting sick (and I still have a bit of a cough. boo.) Coach and I decided it was best to not rush into things. I have time.

So, instead of doing a post on each day, here is a rundown of the week's activities.

Monday, Feb 7.
It was a beautiful day and I was basking in the glow of a Super Bowl victory by my Packers. Without even talking about it, Mr. Shorty Shorts and I both brought in our outdoor clothing for a run. He needed a stretching run, I needed and easy 30 minutes. We headed out and Mr. Shorty Shorts, a significantly faster runner than I, stuck with me the entire time. My goal was to see if I could maintain the 9:1 outside as I have been on the treadmill. And you know what; I DID (with the exception of 1 stop light and part of a hill)!! I was super happy with myself, especially because I know I would have walked more on my own. It was good to push a bit and have someone there to help encourage me.
This was followed up by a swim in the evening. And honestly, probably not the best idea. You know that feeling when you go under water and it feels like your ears are going to explode? Yup, that's what it felt like. I managed to get in about 2000 meters before calling it quits. I made it home and cooked a healthy dinner with enough for lunch leftovers.
I was pretty happy with the day's activities.

Tuesday, Feb 8
I think you 9 readers know what day Tuesday is - YOGA STEVE! I had to cut the class a bit short because of a meeting, but I was happy with the 50 minutes I got in. Later in the evening I met up with a Steelers fan and I let her drown her sorrows in beer and tots. Of course I hid my happiness and shared in the tears. And beer. And tots. BUT, I did get home and spent 45 minutes on my trainer! WOOT!
I know; beer, tots, AND a trainer ride - I'm awesome.

Wednesday, Feb 9
Long run day. My plan was to take off of work around 1:15, hop on a treadmill, and get back to my desk by 3 to finish the day. Mr. Shorty Shorts was going to join me half way into my run to do his hill workout. But, 1:25, there were no treadmills to be had. I had to sit on a bike for a good 10 minutes until one opened up! Stupid other people messing up my workouts!
Again, my goal was to slow my pace, but hold a 9:1 for an hour. The first 20 minutes were great. The third 10 minutes were okay. I was super lucky because Mr. Shorty Shorts made it onto a treadmill next to me to start his workout just as mine was going south. My HR was too high, I was getting dehydrated, and even felt a bit nauseous. However, Mr. Shorty Shorts was awesome and kept me motivated to keep going. AND, I made the 9:1 for 60 minutes! Okay, so the last one was a 2 minute walk break to get the HR down a bit more, and I started my cool down after the 60 minutes, but still. It was awesome! I really couldn't tell you the last time I ran that much in a 60 minute time frame. Fast, no, but FANTASTIC for me.
How did I celebrate, with a swim with AJ. I still had water in my ears from Monday, but I decided to try again. And again, probably not the best choice. But, AJ and I motivated each other enough to get in a decent workout, another 2000 meters. Woot!

Thursday, Feb 10
Bike day!
Because I follow the quiet hours in my building (unlike my ridiculously loud upstairs neighbors who do not and also do not have 80% of their floor covered) I can't do my trainer ride in the morning, and I had plans with Jess at night. So, since it was only 35 minutes, I went to the gym and did the stationary bike. It wasn't ideal, but better than nothing, AND I got to read my book. Had this been last week, I would have just ditched the workout all together. So, again, YAY ME!

Finally, today, Friday, Feb 11
REST DAY!

And now catch up on my blog during my lunch day.

My plan is tomorrow do a brick with a 30 minute bike and 30 minute run. Sunday is 3 hour spin. At some point food needs to be purchased, laundry done, and dishes cleaned. This week has taught me that I need to work a bit better on time management, and it will come. I managed to do this all once before, and am excited to get started again.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading this week’s update!!

Jan 31-Feb 4

Okay, now it's time to update you 9 readers why I wasn't blogging last week.

2 words.
Are you ready? Can you guess? I bet you can't.

JURY DUTY!

And you know what, it stinks!!! I thought it might be "fun" to fill my civic duty and learn more about the process. What did I walk away with? A total sense of jaded-ness and some scary truth behind living in our Nation's Capital. Now, because one of you 9 readers is my mother (Hi Mom!!), I will not go into any more details. But I will say thank you Mom and Dad for raising me the way you did, and where you did. I am very VERY luck.

So, that being said, this process didn't leave me much time for working out. I went to work after spending the day in court, followed by a board meeting Monday night, a musical Tuesday night, and drinks on Wednesday night. Oh, AND, I started getting sick on Tuesday. The lawyers, judge and 2 other jurors were sick, so pretty much all of us were sick by Thursday. Talk about 12 angry jurors!

By Thursday, I just wanted to not be sick (but I still am) and not eat out (as I did all week because the jury room didn't have a fridge OR microwave. FAIL!). So instead of going to the DC Tri HH, I went to the store, picked up some veggies and made dinner while I sat on my trainer and spun for a good 45 minutes. And I felt so much better.

I am pretty sure that is why Friday's treadmill run went pretty good too (even though I was on my own - Mr. Shorty Shorts was off to Florida). I did another 9:1 and felt great!

So, that is where I was all last week. The one really great thing outcome of last week was that I ran into Dena in the jury line, as she was also summoned. Dena is also training for IM Moo, so before we were selected for our respective juries, we started our IM Moo 2011 e-mail group. It's a totally awesome group!

Saturday's Post

I am trying to catch up again!!

Saturday was great mainly because I got to sleep in. But of course, I woke up around 7:15 and was wide awake. I managed to linger around and get another hour or so of rest. And because it was 20-something degrees out, running outside just wasn't happening. Then I came up with a brilliant plan to combine some chores and a workout.

I threw in my laundry, hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes, flipped the laundry to the dryer, hopped back on the treadmill for another 25 minutes. It worked out really well! And I couldn't be distracted by other things - it was only me and the treadmill. My goal was to concentrate on keeping my heart rate down. When the hour was done, I felt really good. I could have easily kept going. It was super slow, but I accomplished my goal and was very happy.

And, my laundry is clean!! Yay multi tasking!!