27 January 2006

A couple of quick things.

I'm running really, really late this morning so I'm gonna make this quick then get my butt to work.

First, I finally listened to the Big Kahuna and Iron Wil's podcast - excellent!! I really enjoyed it. If you haven't heard it yet I highly recommend it. I think it was an hour and the time just flew by. I listen to a few different podcasts and this one will definitely be at the top of my list every week.


Next is my running. I'm working on running in my aerobic Zone and I've been struggling. To keep my heartrate that low I been doing a lot of walking and I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. Last night I think I got it. I don't warm up enough. I'm not a huge fan of warming up, I generally want to get to it. Actually I will start the activity I'm doing slowly and then build up and call it a warm up. Well last night I could not run without my HR spiking so I decided to walk. Even then my HR was all over the place and I thought maybe I'm tired, overtraining, blah, blah, blah. Then, about 15 minutes in, my HR settled down and would not increase. I noticed this and kept trying to make it move. Finally I started running real slow and sure enough, it increased slightly but still stayed within my aerobic zone. So I think I've solved this puzzle, I just need to warm up lots more than I think. I recover really, really fast so I tend to think I must warm up that fast. Uhhh, nooo!!!!


Then there is the swimming. Friday is technically my day off but I do swim in the mornings. I take it slow and just do some easy drills. I work more on building endurance than trying to get "better," it's my version of a long slow run. Anyway, I'm doing my laps and daydreaming and talking in my head (okay really, is there anything more boring then doing laps in a pool??) when suddenly I realized something had changed. While I had not been paying attention my body seemed to dig up a swimming form from high school (I was on the swim team). I noticed that my 50m times were better by 10 seconds and I was not working any harder at all. I started paying attention to my form and realized my stroke had altered slightly (mostly in the reach), I was gliding more, and my kick had lengthened (not sure how to explain this except my legs felt longer). Wow. I was so excited. I think I need to not pay attention more. I know there is muscle memory, but 30 years later??? I can't remember, how can my muscles???

Finally, there is the dreaded flip turn. Kahuna challenged folks to do this and I've been kind of avoiding it. As I said, I was on the swim team in high school (I wasn't fast even then. They never let me swim a race myself, I was always on a relay and I was in the middle. How sad is that??) but the flip turn was never my strong suit. But after my revelation during my swim this morning I decided today was the day. After my laps I stopped in the shallow end and practiced my turns. At first there was much water up the nose and lots of missing the wall (I was afraid to get too close), but after a few trys it started to come. I then swam to the deep end and tried it there. Uh, yeah, not so good in the deep end. I decided to quit but then said, no, I can do this. So I just kept swimming and kept turning. Eventually it started to come and by the time I finished I was doing consistently okay. From today forward I will use only flip turns when I swim. Not that these will help at all in triathlon since there are no walls, but it will help with my breathing control. (no sneaking extra breaths as I turn :).

Oh yeah, there's also my appetite. I have been eating really clean for the last 2 weeks. The worst I've had is a piece of dark chocolate after dinner. Yesterday and today I am starving!! I just can't seem to eat enough. After swimming I had to stop at Starbuck's and get coffee and a pastry and I'm still not full. Guess I'm going to have to increase my eating (of good food of course).

Okay, that's it for now. This took way longer than I thought it would. I have got to get to work or I'll never get out of here tonight. Have a great Friday.

25 January 2006

OH MY GOD!!!!


I was just updating my template when I realized my metric century ride is this Sunday. Hello!!! Am I ready??? I don't know!!! Oh well, it's not a race just a ride and I can always turn around at the 50km mark.... Edit: Fat bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round...

It's funny how things happen.

On my way to the pool this morning I was really down. It would take a long time to explain and I'm not even sure I could. Suffice it to say I have bouts where I just get tired of being responsible. Although I can handle responsibility well, I hate it. I get tired of having to make grown up decisions and planning for the future. My secret dream, the deep down one that you secretly harbor although you know it will probably never come true, is to just run away. Leave everything that I know and love and just go. Not disappear you understand, just leave. Not be responsible anymore to anyone but me. If I could I would do that tomorrow and not look back. I won't do it in the foreseeable future because my hubby is the complete opposite. He likes having a home and being stable and staying in one place. Before I met my husband I never held a job or lived in one place longer than 2 years. I have had my current job 5 years and lived in my house for 12 - UUUUGGGHHHH!!! Shoot me now!!!! So until I can talk him into running away, I'm stuck here.

So that's where my head was when I got to the pool. I'm doing my drills and thinking about this and thinking, well at least I can use racing as an excuse to travel to different places. Then, the lifeguard taps my head and asks me if I'm interested in a water safety class. I immediately start thinking, "Great, he thinks I suck at swimming. Maybe I'll just run away." Then the other lifeguard starts to tell me about this water safety instructor class that starts next week. You learn 9 different strokes in great detail and at the end you get certified to teach water safety. She says, " We are always looking for good swimmers like you." I of course, immediately look behind sure she's talking to someone else. ME???? A good swimmer???? ME????? She told me I was a strong swimmer even though I was slow (fast does not always equal good). She said speed would come with time but my stroke was pretty good and it held up even though I got tired. So that really boosted me up and made me feel not so down about staying in one place. I think I'll take the class. She said after this class is the lifeguard class and if I become a lifeguard the Y is always looking for them and then I could use the pool even more. Hmmmm, something to think about.

23 January 2006

I had to beat her into submission.

Yesterday was a rainy, dreary day in Hawaii. My original plan was to go for a long bike ride,veg on the couch and watch some movies, do some cooking for the coming week, and do laundry (god, I HATE laundry). I got the bike trainer out cuz of the rain and was going to watch Madagascar while I rode (I was shooting for a 2 hour ride). About an hour into the ride I started having a major sugar reaction. Apparently something I ate Saturday night had too much sugar and my workout brought on a pretty severe reaction. I had to stop riding, get something to eat, and lay on the couch for like 1/2 an hour till it passed. After it was over I felt like do-do. I got cleaned up, had some breakfast, and layed back down because I still felt like do-do. I ended up staying there for a couple of hours watching my movies and trying to feel normal again. Around 3:00 p.m., feeling much better, I got up and on with the rest of my day.

I signed on for Commodore's No Limits Training till the end of February but I think I have to start it today. Yesterday was a write off due to my hypoglycemia. I'm going to focus on core strengthening and stretching as these are my weakest areas. I am also planning my down time, because everyone needs down time, and so it doesn't get out of hand.

This morning was swimming. The alarm went off and I generally let my hubby get up first so we don't get in each others way. Well, he was taking a long time getting up (3 snoozes). When he finally got up I rolled over and said I'd get up as soon as he was in the shower. Then my inner whiner piped up, "it's late, just stay in bed, you can swim tomorrow, you could do something easy today, it's nice and warm here and the dogs are all snuggling with you....." Wow, did I get out of bed like I'd been fired from a cannon. I proceeded to beat her into submission, stuff a sock in her mouth and throw her into a corner. I got moving and was at the pool by 6:15a.m. Did 900 m and am really getting better at moving continously. So overall, an incredibly successful morning......

22 January 2006

This week in review

Not a bad week as weeks go, in fact it was pretty darn good.

Weekly Totals:

Swim: 2000 m
Run: 8 miles
Bike: 22 miles

Not bad at all considering I didn't have a real plan and was winging it most of the week. For next week I have developed a plan and it is posted on the sidebar. I'm also going to try and shoot for some totals, though I may not post them cause I don't know if I want the added pressure.
In a Past Life...

You Were: A Genius Sailor.

Where You Lived: Alaska.

How You Died: Typhoid fever.

Conversation with Hubby

 So yesterday morning I presented my idea of working out at home to the Hubby. Once I presented it to him, he said he was in. I told him I h...