tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36478587846052354412024-02-08T15:35:43.311-05:00Seize the FishDeciding at 45 to become athletic after a lifetime of excuses. Not as impossible as it sounds.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-40555029792201022152010-07-23T20:41:00.003-04:002010-07-23T20:47:28.692-04:00So Freaking Psyched!I just got back from the pre-race meeting and packet pick up. I couldn't feel more ready for this race. I should say that 550 yards looks a heck of a lot longer all laid out end to end, but I can get past that.<br /><br />I met so many nice people who were doing their first race, many more who were experienced. As always, there were people of every age and size, all of us excited for tomorrow. The race organizer really put us at ease as he explained that "A triathlon isn't rocket science" and "If you can swim in a pool, you can swim in a lake". We all laughed nervously at first and warmly as the meeting went on and we realized we had all been sharing the same fears.<br /><br />So, off I go to try and get some sleep and imagine myself crossing that finish line. My big cheesy grin started this evening and I don't think I'll be able to get rid of it all day tomorrow. This really is one of the greatest adventures I've ever been on!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-5799714295716434132010-07-23T11:12:00.002-04:002010-07-23T11:24:08.537-04:00This is it!Tomorrow's the day. The bag is packed. The bike has had a tune up. I've been drinking enough water to float a camel. Tonight is the race meeting and I still feel a little bit like I'm crashing a debutante ball, but I've put in my time and I have just as much right to be there as that spray-tanned blonde-headed daughter of an heiress....<br /><br /><br />In preparation for the race I sent out emergency phone numbers, the names of my accounts and beneficiaries and strict instructions about who is to do what if I don't survive. Morbid, but I live alone so I tend to over plan these kinds of things. Reactions were split, with some friends suggesting that maybe I shouldn't do the race and a stern tongue lashing from my sister who basically told me to shut up and get my ass out on the course.<br /><br />This week has been a "taper" week with very light workouts and it's been weird . Yesterday I actually felt a little depressed, maybe because of a drop in endorphins, maybe because so much energy has gone into this race that I worry I won't be able to sustain the training and challenge level after it's over. Still, I'm already signed up for a half-marathon and am looking at a mud run in the fall. I think a century ride (that's 100 miles) might be the next big challenge. Can't say I've been looking into too many swim events. I made peace with the pool and hope I'll be OK in the lake, but I haven't become a swim convert yet.<br /><br />So, tomorrow morning I'll be seizing my "fish" and doing what was once not even in the scope of what I thought I could accomplish. What's your big "I wish I could..."? And how will you get yourself to do it?Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-522938640150328042010-07-19T08:41:00.002-04:002010-07-19T08:48:35.792-04:006 Days Left - HumilityWith only a handful of days left before the race I am feeling reflective. In the past year I have competed in a 40 mile bike ride, run the 10 mile Broad Street Run, and have been swimming an average of 1500 yards 2 times a week, triple that of what I will need to do on Saturday.<br /><br />Of course I start worrying that I haven't run fast enough during training, that I skipped too many sessions, that I haven't done enough open water practice...all of that is useless to think about now because I will be in the water Saturday morning and won't be stopping until I cross the finish line, if I have to drag myself across on my knees! <br /><br />As is often the case with momentous experiences in our lives, this moment of great pride and accomplishment is being shared with grief as an old friend, the woman who first taught me how to run, is in the hospital fighting stage 4 lung cancer. She never smoked or lived with smokers, they think perhaps she grew up in an area with pollutants in the air. She is young, maybe 40 and has a daughter the same age as my son. Every breath I struggle to pull into my lungs on Saturday I will be taking in her honor and offering it as a silent prayer that she is able to beat this latest battle and earn another lap for her family.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-48209970740825278762010-07-12T10:50:00.002-04:002010-07-12T10:54:48.857-04:0012....This morning was a swim day - 1600 yards. Now that summer's here I can swim in the outdoor community pool. Not only is it bright and sunny and smells better than the gym but it's a 50 yard pool, not 25. This makes a huge difference. The swims seem shorter when I'm not turning around every 25 yards and trying to remember if this is leg 18 or 20.<br /><br />After my swim I hung around and watched the swim team doing their warm-up laps. I needed to see what swimming is supposed to look like. I was glad to see that many of their swimmers also breathe every second stroke and always on the same side. I wish I could see what I look like in the water to compare my strokes. I can't find anyone willing to get up at 5:30 with me and film me in the pool!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-33537129947420716262010-07-11T22:59:00.002-04:002010-07-11T23:08:09.673-04:0013 days remaining - I'm getting psyched.I had to get up this morning at 5:30 to get a run in before the heat settled in. This was probably a mistake. I switched a swim day with a run day because of some scheduling challenges but following up a 50 minute run with another one the next day was pretty hard. And darn my Nike +! It recorded my run just fine but didn't save it so I didn't get to see what my pace was for today's run which was supposed to be run faster.<br /><br />This evening I drove out to the park where the race will be. I didn't actually get to do any part of the race, it would have been nice to either do the run or the bike portion. It might have even been worth it to have done the run in the afternoon heat, just to have done it at the park, but oh well. Really I just wanted to see the lake, to stare it down. There were lots of bouys already placed but it was impossible to tell if they were for our race and if so, the course layout really didn't make sense to me. Maybe there was some other event there this weekend. The lake didn't look too scary though and I'm feeling pretty confident about the swim right now. It's not likely that I'll be able to get a lake swim in before the race so I'll just have to settle for all my visualizations of me swimming calmly and confidently across the water. It's also looking less likely that anyone will be there to watch me. I have to get through that disappointment before the race as well.<br /><br />Truth be told, I'm getting pretty psyched. In two weeks I can call myself a triathlete. That's pretty cool.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-39862284126186652882010-07-10T08:36:00.002-04:002010-07-10T08:48:16.931-04:0014 days to goToday's task: 50 minute run, nice and easy<br /><br />Logistics: This is a "Dad" weekend so the biggest challenge was getting out of bed. <br /><br /><br />I ran the Cooper River route today. Usually I hate this route but yesterday I biked around it three times and I think that must have finally broken my perception that the 3.5 mile loop stretches out to 15 when I run it. <br /><br />During the run I thought back over the past year. Back in March of '09 I had just started training for my first 5K. I was elated the day I ran 15 consecutive minutes. I remember being so concerned about what I would wear that would keep me comfortable but not let people see my bulges and bumps.<br /><br />This morning I did the run in a sports bra and shorts. Men and those women who have never struggled with their weight may not understand how momentous this is. I ran through the neighborhood with my midriff exposed. I even stopped to talk to people and didn't clutch at my middle while chatting.<br /><br />Now I want to be clear, I haven't shed some enormous amount of weight this year. In fact I'm probably only 5 pounds lighter despite tripling the amount of exercise I get. I have toned up in a few areas for sure, but there's still a belly roll. The difference is that I am starting to see my body more as an engine. During a run I am so busy thinking about how to keep my legs moving, dismissing small aches and pains and resisting the urge to stop that I just don't have time to worry about what my butt looks like in these pants. We're in the middle of a heat wave here in the mid-Atlantic and I'd run buck naked if I weren't worried about mosquito bites in places nice girls don't scratch. I've started thinking about food differently too. I look at what will give me the most energy for the least effort and will last the longest (well last night I thought "Hey! There's still pie!"). At the very least I try and choose foods that won't make me need to poop in the middle of my run.<br /><br />So the countdown is on and my mental work becomes staying calm about the race and making sure I enjoy every minute of it. It's been a long time coming!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-75614497081335514912010-07-10T00:10:00.002-04:002010-07-10T00:24:35.059-04:00T(ri) Minus 2Well, it's really almost here. A little more than two weeks away. <br /><br />The last two weeks were tough ones for training. A 40 year old man died in the swim phase of his first sprint tri in Philly in one of the triathlons I had considered entering. This happened about a week after my first attempt at open water swimming during which I had a mild panic attack.<br /><br />This event also converged with a week of summer vacation and the change from the predictable (if hectic) schedule of elementary school to a week of no work, no school and full-time playing with the kid. And we had a terrible heat wave, days up to 105 degrees. Needless to say, my regimen took a small beating.<br /><br />I still managed to work out a few times but this week is the first time I'm back into the full demands of the training plan. So, back to the drowning. I scoured the details of the story as it unfolded, looking for some detail I could point to and say AHA! You see, that can't happen to me. As it was, the gentleman was younger than I am and thinner - which may not have meant more fit. I began to wonder if I should really be doing this as a single mom. I even had one well-meaning friend suggest I drop out. <br /><br /><br />As is typical for us Americans, after a few days I wasn't as concerned. I rationalized that I stood a greater chance of being killed in a car accident on my way TO the event than dying during the swim. And my swim is in a lake, not a moving river (which was, by the way, listed as code red the day before his triathlon). After much more encouragement from friends and family I calmed down and got back into my routine. The other day I swam 2000 yards in the pool (4 times what I'll have to do in the lake) and still felt great. It was the first time I actually started looking forward to the race. I have spent the past few days visualizing myself in each phase of the race, especially exiting the water.<br /><br />I spent an afternoon at a lake just playing in the water. I didn't get out over my head but I just let myself have fun in the murk. Tomorrow I am heading to another lake in the hopes of getting some deep water swimming in. That is proving more difficult in this area than I thought but I think I can make it happen.<br /><br />So here begins the countdown. The workouts are getting less strenuous as I enter the tapering off phase of training. I am not doing any weight training until after the race and I am not letting myself imagine any more tragedies. I've worked too hard for too long for this and I'm ready to face the challenge so I can smugly say on the following Monday: "Oh, my weekend? I did a triathlon. Oh, it was just a sprint distance, nothing much...."Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-70218953034458566802010-06-17T21:42:00.002-04:002010-06-17T21:58:35.445-04:00The octopus in the sweater is back....I heard it but I just didn't believe it. Everything I've read said that open water swimming was totally different from swimming in the pool. But hey, I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay. I swam in Lakes Union and Washington regularly in Seattle. How different could it be?<br /><br />Well those were all some time ago. I headed to Wenonah Lake tonight for an open water swim sponsored by the organization that's running the triathlon. I'm up to 1800 yards in my pool workouts and, while I don't swim fast, I swim strong so I was feeling pretty good about the 1/10 mile loop there would be at the lake.<br /><br />I decided to try out my new wetsuit while I was at it. There's a good chance it won't be allowed the day of the race, if the water is too warm, but just in case I thought I'd give it a try. The suit was comfortable, though I thought I'd feel more bouyant given what I'd been reading. Actually, I felt a little heavier in it and I got tired really quickly.<br /><br />I headed out into the water and made the first turn just fine but about 50 yards into the swim I was suddenly up to my neck in a panic attack. There was no wall, I couldn't touch the bottom and I was surrounded by swimmers. I paddled around for a good several minutes before I calmed myself down and remembered that I know how to swim. That got me through several strokes when I took the first blow to the head. Then a stray foot in my side. I was startled, but not as completely thrown off as I thought I would be. I made it around the loop and touched bottom for a moment. I was tired and I had only done about 300 yards!<br /><br />I knew that if I didn't go right back out there just then, I would be afraid for the rest of the summer and would have real problems on race day. So, back around I went. The second time I was able to get into my rhythm and remain calm. I stayed on course when the first few swimmers went over me. At least when there's a foot in your face you know you're going in the right direction. I did have a little trouble sighting the bouys, as they were on my right and I breathe on my left, but I was going so slowly that I didn't get too far off track. <br /><br />I stopped after two loops, that was just a bit longer than I'll have to do for the tri. It wasn't nearly as long as I was supposed to do for my training swim today but I know I worked twice as hard. It's frustrating how difficult it is to find a lake to swim in here in South Jersey so I'm not sure yet when I'll get to practice again, but I know I sure need to before that race comes up!<br /><br />I will say again, as I have after every group event I've done, you couldn't find a nicer group of people to spend time with. I think if we could get everyone in this country active, not only would we cut down on obesity and weight-related illnesses, but I think people would just be happier and get along better. I may be pushing it, I realize it's probably the endorphins talking, but I felt like I was at one big swimming party and it didn't mind that I bulged out here or there. There were people of every size, shape and age in the water and the thing that tied us all together was that we were all there, seizing our own fish, meeting our own challenges and refusing to sit back and just watch things happen around us. And that was worth every sliver of cedar I'll be pulling out of my nether regions for the next couple of days!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-78322918833691015282010-06-08T23:28:00.002-04:002010-06-08T23:51:45.549-04:00Things learned on a 40 mile bike rideLast Saturday I did my first-ever charity bike ride. It was 40 miles, more than I've ever ridden at one time. The course was all flat (one of the few reasons to prefer New Jersey over Seattle) except for two big bridges over the bay to the finish line at the shore.<br /><br />I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew it wasn't a timed event and that nobody would be left behind, a van would be available to pick up stragglers or people who just decided they had had enough. I knew I had a good bike and was in better shape than ever before so the distance didn't really worry me too much.<br /><br />After the first 10 miles I thought "I could actually rest at the end and then bike the 40 miles back if I needed to". At 22 miles, or "The site of the incident (more in a minute)", I thought "40 miles is just about right for me, but I could have done 65". At mile 39 I thought "Where the HELL is the finish?" but as I pulled in I knew I would have been find with the 65 and look forward to finding a century ride after the triathlon is over.<br /><br />I thought I would be riding in a pack of riders and was pleasantly surprised at how spread out we were. I was alone for nearly the entire morning and had plenty of time to learn a few things along the way.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Look for the signs :</strong> When we checked in we were given "cue sheets" with the route written out in turns and distances. I didn't think I'd need it so I stuffed it in my pack and headed out behind a few riders. That worked great for a while and I learned to <u>follow in the paths of others</u> Then they got away from me for a time or I would get ahead of them and suddenly I learned <u>sometimes following a prescribed plan is not such a bad idea</u>. I got little panicky when I couldn't see any riders and there were not a whole lot of signs up for us. In fact, after the first three intersections where I saw no signs for our ride, I got a little concerned and wondered if I might actually be able to get myself lost. That's when I learned <u>the signs are all around you if you just look in places you hadn't noticed before</u>. At that fourth turn in the route I suddenly realized that there were pink arrows spray painted on the asphalt and I had been seeing them all morning. On closer inspection, what I thought were little fishes were actually arrows with the initials of the race. <br /><br /><strong>There's only one way to finish :</strong> I think this kind of sport, an endurance ride, is ideal for single moms. We know beyond a doubt that the only way to get through a challenge, or a day for that matter, is to just get started and keep going. Setting out on my bike I knew my car was waiting at the finish line and the only way I was going to be able to get home was to start pedaling and the longer and harder I worked the sooner I'd get there. Knowing this helped me to just sit back and enjoy the rewards of my pedaling.<br /><br /><strong>It's OK to let the bike do some of the work</strong> :<strong> </strong>Admittedly this is a lesson I don't ever learn quickly enough. Life isn't supposed to be hard. Everything doesn't need to be so difficult. In the high gears, each pedal gets you a little further and you share the work with the bike. True, the pedaling itself is a little harder, but you have to do less of it to get anywhere. So, as in life, you dig in a little deeper, not so much that it finishes you off, but enough to know you're working, and you cover more ground. That said, at those huge bridges I was perfectly content to drop back into "granny gear" and remember that sometimes it's just a collection of baby steps that will get you to the top of a hill.<br /><br /><strong>Take your feet out of the cage: </strong>Nothing metaphorical here. My latest injury is a 10-color bruise the size of a football on my right knee. On Saturday it was also the shape of a large orange but I'm happy to say the swelling has gone down. We came to the first rest stop about 22 miles into the ride. It was a very humid and hot day so I knew enough from the Broad Street Run that I should stop and rehydrate. I pulled into the stop and I'm sure the message "Take your feet out of the cage and step on the ground" fired from my brain to my feet, but my legs didn't quite know what to do with that information after pumping continuously for so long. I stopped the bike and gravity did it's thing, sending me to the ground and the bike on top of me. Embarrassing for sure but nothing severe. <br /><br />Because of the bruise I was not able to do my run the next day and because of my school work I lost a second day of training which I hope to make up with a double workout this Friday but I'm happy to report I was in the pool this morning for 1500 yards and the knee did just fine. Looking forward to tomorrow's run and getting back to my regular punishments.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-34213832971940841152010-06-04T10:47:00.002-04:002010-06-04T10:56:42.491-04:00The road not takenIt's so funny. I know I've said it before, but a day really can make all the difference in a workout habit. Before I started this routine, if I had a day I didn't want to work out, it quickly became a week, then a month, then the treadmill was storing my laundry.<br /><br />A few days ago I hit that wall and felt like I just had to quit. I figured out a way through it and now, only a handful of days later I'm completely re-energized about my routine and loving my runs and rides and swims again. Another sign that I've really made a life change this time.<br /><br />This morning called for a 45 minute run. I have another new gadget to keep things fun, the Nike + chip. This little sensor goes inside my shoe and communicates with my i-pod. I select a time, distance or calorie goal for my workout, set the shuffle and go. Today, I let the ipod choose music from my entire library and I got to hear songs I haven't heard in a long time. Inspired by the new music, I took off for roads I've never gone down before and found a shady wooded trail along a river that I had never seen before - right in my little town! The ipod lady comes on every five minutes or so to let me know how long I've run and how much farther I need to go. Ordinarily, on a 45 minute run, I find plenty of excuses to stop and walk but this morning I didn't want to be walking when the voice came back to encourage me. I turned myself over to the music, took a long, slow pace and had a wonderful run. <br /><br />Tomorrow is the 40 mile bike ride. They're calling for rain, let's hope this doesn't turn into more of an adventure than it needs to be!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-9615674570224540662010-06-02T10:35:00.003-04:002010-06-02T10:39:25.134-04:00Where did I put that....It is absolutely impossible for me to pack everything I need into a gym bag ever. More than once I've headed to work without some key undergarment, or with tangled hair because I forgot a brush, or sporting that "Fresh Face" look (which really doesn't work on 45 year old women) because all my makeup is still at home.<br /><br />I haven't shaken those reoccurring transition dreams in which I get to the T-area to put on my running shoes only to find a strappy pair of evening shoes or puffy snow boots.<br /><br />For the record, today I am wearing both a bra AND underwear. I'm wearing eyeliner, my hair could stand to see a hairbrush but it's passable, and along with my tailored pants and respectable work top I am wearing lovely gym flip-flops. Fortunately it is a desk day.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-83578673697711322352010-06-02T10:32:00.003-04:002010-06-02T10:35:01.819-04:00Wall scaled and I'm back on trackThat run to Starbucks was the perfect thing. On the way back I even added a little more running because I felt so great. I also found a mulberry bush and had a snack and found a little hidden meditation garden that I must have driven past 100 times. <br /><br />So I learned to listen carefully to what my body is telling me but don't give it so much credence as to totally derail my workout plans. I want to keep pushing myself but it has to stay fun and the routine has to allow for little miracles and discoveries along the way. <br /><br />The swim the next day was great, mostly because I gave myself that break.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-84996752979633264972010-05-30T07:19:00.003-04:002010-05-30T07:32:36.268-04:00The WallI've hit it. Four weeks into my 16 week training program and 10 weeks into my graduate program. I'm pooped. I don't want to train, I don't want to workout, I don't want to swim - I do still want to ride my bike (that's giving me an idea, back to that in a moment(.<br /><br />Yesterday, may carefully planned schedule that would have allowed me to sneak in my 35 minute run after a full day at a street fair, a shift at the yoga studio and before dinner and a show in the city - failed when my son's father was late picking him up for the weekend. There was just not room in my carefully planned itinerary for a mistake like that and I missed the run.<br /><br />And it felt great.<br /><br />This morning calls for a pretty strenuous swim routine and, though I'm sitting at the computer in my suit at this very moment, I really, really don't want to do it. These are the times that I suppose separate the athletes from the rest of us. I used to think athletic people wanted to work out every single day. Now I realize that finding the motivation to go when you really, really don't want to is probably what really marks a shift to an athletic lifestyle.<br /><br />So, back to my problem. I've reviewed this week's training. I can't really swap out for the bike training days because of other scheduling challenges, but I could swap today's swim with tomorrow's run and today I'd rather not deal with all the hassles of getting to the gym and using their pool.<br /><br />So, that's it. Find a solution that still keeps me on track with the plan but feels like I've been able to throw a little tantrum and get my way. Off with the suit and on with the shoes! I think I'll run to Starbucks. It's two miles away and will make the run more tolerable.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-31187608975028725352010-05-23T21:37:00.002-04:002010-05-23T21:41:58.663-04:00Running, running, runningI am so freaking sick of running! <br /><br />Today was supposed to be a swim day but since the babysitting room isn't open at the gym on Sundays I had to swap my Monday training with today's so more running today. I broke up the monotony though by taking the boy with me. I ran on the track and he played in the middle. During my warm-up he ran along-side me and we played catch, that was the best 10 minutes of running other. After that, we both got to chuckle at the name "Fartlek" while I did my speed work. There were some other runners doing their training out there and I didn't really feel all that clunky or old next to them. Later a sprinter showed up and we just sat and watched, she was amazing.<br /><br /><br />Tomorrow it's back in the pool. I suppose I'll have to take my medal off, I'm pretty sure the chlorine will not be good for the "gold".Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-36624923795810158972010-05-22T16:29:00.002-04:002010-05-22T16:37:49.481-04:00It's all about the age groupMy first racing medal!! I finished first in my age group in a local 5K and I've figured out the strategy to being a winner: choose small races that nobody has heard of yet, especially those that include a 1 mile walk.<br /><br />The three others in my age group chose the walk, leaving me not only the FIRST in my age group (hello medal!) but the ONLY in my age group. I ran with a woman younger and a woman older than me and they both beat me, but thanks to the magic of the 5 year spread, I'm the only one that went home with a medal. I think I'll let them each wear it for a few days.<br /><br />I've got to do better on my visualizing. The night before I was clear that this run was a.) going to be shorter than all the training runs I've been doing in the past couple of weeks and shorter than the one my training plan called for for today b.) along a mostly flat course (except for the big hill at the end!)and c.) so lightly attended that I would be able to place without much effort (OK That one worked out for me). But when I started running, I forgot all of that as the pollen took over my lungs and I had to walk twice. It's amazing how quickly I can find a reason to walk, I even get pissy about it -"I am ruining a chance to really enjoy this beautiful park, I should be strolling and instead I'm pounding along on the pavement."<br /><br />I also need to remind myself not to go flying out of the starting pack every time. It feels so good to just take off but within a few short minutes, I'm done and the whole race is still ahead of me.<br /><br />Ah well, earned or not, I do have my first running medal and since it was the first year for this race, I set a course record for my age group that any of you ladies should have no trouble breaking next year. You are welcome.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-66732200629364486172010-05-19T23:15:00.002-04:002010-05-19T23:19:22.605-04:00I have definitely fallen in with the wrong crowdI have a friend at work who is doing her first triathlon soon too. She's doing an Olympic Distance. We've been comparing training plans and strategies, as well as sharing fears and frustrations. Today, she told me she found a mini-tri (shorter than my sprint) that she plans on doing to practice all the transitions and things. And guess who said she'd probably do it with her???<br /><br />I really intended to just do this one sprint and be done with this nonsense, but the course looks pretty easy and it would be nice to get some practice at an event especially geared to first-timers.<br /><br />And for the record, yes, I probably WOULD follow my friends off a bridge....Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-90051969397697678982010-05-18T21:46:00.002-04:002010-05-18T22:00:36.202-04:00That Smarts!Well taking two graduate courses, working full time, parenting solo and training for a triathlon - something had to give. I just wish I hadn't been sitting on it with my feet stuck in the cages when it did. <br /><br />I would love to feel cool with my first real biking scrapes, big gash on the ankle and busted up elbow, and I'd like to feel tough about the warped wheel on my ridiculously expensive but oh, so lovely bike - but I can't since I took this glorious spill out of the stationary trainer.<br /><br />Things have been spinning a bit out of control for the past few weeks. I just finished one of the two grad courses so I'm hoping to get back on track but I've been feeling pulled at both ends and a little frantic at not being able to keep the house in order with all these other things on my plate. <br /><br />I overslept this morning and didn't get to do my bike ride. After work, and home from the kid's karate class, and after making dinner I tucked the boy in to introduce him to Monty Python. I figured we could search for the Holy Grail while I rode the trainer (By the way, 7 is old enough to get the slapstick but most of the jokes went right over his head).<br /><br />Somehow I let the air out of the front tire but figured out how to pump it back up after a few false starts - and it appears I bought the wrong size of CO2 cartridge pumps so this was all by hand with a little tiny pump. Not to be stopped by this minor set back, I popped the bike back in the trainer and pedaled away. <br /><br />When I first started using the trainer I was afraid of falling off of it but all the manuals and videos assured me that I was as stable as could be - or it was at least. So, when on my second acceleration I felt a tipping sensation, I figured it must just be because I was in a high gear and maybe working one leg harder than the other. That is, until I hit my head on the floor of the treadmill.<br /><br />I'm still not sure what happened, I must not have had the bike in the trainer properly, maybe not tightened all the way, I don't know, but over I went and now my back wheel looks like pizza dough when it's flying through the air. I'm going to guess that isn't cheap to fix.<br /><br />And here's the funny part. The old Sarah would have kicked the cat, had a good pout or just watched a bunch of TV for the rest of the night. Instead, I sat down with my calendar, figured out how I could schedule in a trip to the bikeshop before Friday and adjusted the rest of the week's workouts to make up for this lost session.<br /><br />I still plan to just shrug tomorrow if someone asks about my scrapes and say "Oh, just a small bike accident". Please don't tell anyone it happened in my guest room under the watchful eyes of Michael PalinCarpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-47250394320558272402010-05-17T10:40:00.002-04:002010-05-17T10:56:30.041-04:00I've been thinking this week about all the women from my highschool and college years who have had cancer. In my family, it's not a question of "If" I get cancer but "When". My mother, her sister, their mother, my father's mother and any assortment of aunts and cousins have all had one form of cancer or another. Every year, after another clean mammogram and PAP smear I think "Hah! you Bastard, you missed me for another year!"<br /><br />I suppose I think of Cancer in sort of the reverse of how my Christian fundamentalist friends think of Jesus. I remember them telling me that they consider their actions because "If Jesus shows up, I want to be sure he'll be pleased with what I'm doing".<br /><br />Lately, as I've been running or swimming I think "If Cancer shows up today, do I want him to find me walking? Or shoving that big muffin in my face?" I know that if I'm genetically predisposed to have cancer, it's not likely that all the exercise, good eating and good deeds I do are going to keep me from it. But we do know that cancer is linked to unhealthy weight and sedentary lifestyle. And, as my doctor once so breezily said in response to my concerns about cancer "Oh, you're much more likely to die of heart disease at this point in your life" (They teach that bedside manner in schools, I think).<br /><br />If cancer shows up in July, my plan is that he'll look for me in the lake just as I'm getting onto my bike. And when he jumps on his super-fast carbon alloy bike, I'll be racking up mine and taking off the run. And if that Bastard makes it to the finish line I'm sure hoping he'll be moved by my accomplishments and maybe sit that one out.<br /><br />Cancer, if you're listening, this Saturday I'll be running with a bunch of terrific people. Every step I take I'll be picturing you being ground into the sidewalk. Why not just take a vacation for a little bit? you're looking a little tired.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-15006595804032628222010-05-15T19:56:00.003-04:002010-05-15T20:02:58.091-04:00An Alien InvasionW2D6<br /><br /><strong>Task: </strong>40 minute run<br /><br /><strong>Logistics:</strong> Blissfully simple. This was a "Dad" weekend so the hardest part was deciding when and where to run. I even fit in a morning yoga class. I wouldn't trade my life as a mom for the world, but a day with no scheduling and planning is surely a treat.<br /><br /><br />Not much to say about the run. Each "Day 6" the runs are going to get longer. I can do the sprint length run in 32 minutes so I knew that today I'd be running longer than what I would need for the triathlon. Of course I did this run after sitting in a chair, not biking and swimming. I didn't map my run to see how far I actually ran and I didn't set out with a particular route in mind. I just enjoyed the gorgeous day and took streets I'd never been down to admire the houses. Next weekend is a 5k, running with two friends who are doing it for the first time. I'd like to beat my time, really I'd like to finish in under 30 minutes but if I do, I'll still have to run another 15 minutes to meet my training goal! I suppose I could run home from the race - Good God! Aliens have taken over my brain!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-71243902887963948682010-05-14T08:14:00.002-04:002010-05-14T08:22:55.508-04:00OK so it isn't sandbagsW2D4<br /><br /><strong>Off Day - </strong>Which, I've learned, in the training world doesn't mean "Lie around and eat chips and drink beer" day. It means, do some other physical activity. I chose to work out with my trainer on my triceps until I could barely turn the steering wheel to get out of the parking lot. When <u>is</u> Lie Around and Eat Chips Day???<br /><br /><br />W2D5<br /><br /><strong>Task: </strong>This is the day when I do the 45 minute bike ride followed by a 10 minute run again (Note to self: Remove helmet before run!)<br /><br /><strong>Logistics:</strong> Kid to neighbor's house. Bagel with cream cheese this time and practice spelling words on the way over. He can spell "numerator", but "comb" gets him every time.<br /><br />So, last week I said that doing the run after the ride was like tying 20 pound sandbags to your hips. I think that's not quite right. It occurred to me today that it was a lot like taking an epidural. Sorry guys, you're going to have to take my word for it. I could tell I was jogging because things were moving past me on both sides and I was no longer on my bike, but I did not feel my legs at all. <br /><br />For those who have not gone through the thrill of childbirth, after the epidural, the lady who an hour ago was your nice, attentive nurse is now a furious drill sargeant yelling "PUSH" but you can't feel a damned thing below your belly button so you just make what you imagine must be a "pushing face" and hope you can fool her.<br /><br />My labor was really only about a half an hour (I know ladies, you can kill me later) and this run was only 10 minutes. A few more of these training ride/runs and maybe I can undo some of the effects of the other labor of love!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-32447990018047029842010-05-12T15:30:00.002-04:002010-05-12T15:35:31.467-04:00Who invented the swim cap anyway?W2D3<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Task:</span> 1250 yards in the pool, some speed work<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Logistics:</span> Kid to neighbors before school. I tried to book a session with my trainer and the lap swim for the same morning, thinking I could knock them both out in an hour. Thank goodness the trainer didn't show, the swim took me a good 40 minutes!<br /><br />If you've been slacking on a routine and then feel like you can't start up because you'll be far behind, I have good news for you. It really only took two times back in the pool before I was back up to where I left off, in fact, because I'm now adding speed drills to my regular, boring back and forth across the pool, I am actually stronger than where I left off. <br /><br />I still hate the whole process of changing, swimming, showering, changing back. I wonder if I could skinny-dip at the gym?<br /><br />Also, if anyone knows how you're supposed to put on a swim cap without pulling out all of your hair, please let me know. I would like to formally apologize now to all the young men I forced to put on condoms in my youth. Getting that tiny little cap of rubber onto my dry hair is enough to make me insane. And after it's all done, and I look like a little pencil eraser in the water, my hair still gets wet anyway!!!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-41890003651673873232010-05-11T09:59:00.002-04:002010-05-11T10:09:05.265-04:00W2D1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Task: </span>35 minute run: 15 minutes easy, 10 minutes alternating faster minute-long runs, 10 minutes easy<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Logistics: </span>Change into running clothes at work. Debate for 20 minutes over whether to run on treadmill at office fitness room or go home and run outside. Remember that I hate the treadmill and don't have windows in my office so I have no idea how beautiful it is outside. Drive home, park at the house and run the long way to pick up child at daycare.<br /><br />This run was not as successful as Sunday's. I thought it would be a piece of cake as I had had an unpleasant email exchange with the ex-spouse that I was eager to run off. I think kick-boxing would have been a better choice. I did the faster runs with great enthusiasm, but they left me sucking for air and I had to walk in-between them to catch my asthmatic breath. Then, distracted by my wheezing perhaps, I took a wrong turn, adding 3 extra blocks to my run. Not the zen-like moment of letting go I was looking for.<br /><br />W2D2<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Task: </span>45 minute bike ride<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Logistics:</span> This is the morning that a neighbor's child comes to my house before school in exchange for the days I send mine over there. This means that I have to do any workout in the house at 5:30 while my boy sleeps. So I popped the bike back into the trainer (not as easy as they show in the videos but nothing a little cursing can't fix) and settled in with 45 minutes of "Ugly Betty" episodes. I know I should have done a spin routine or something more challenging, but I broke a sweat and got caught up with pop-culture (if a year behind). A side benefit of this approach: The trainer woke the kid up early so he showered, dressed himself and packed a lunch all before 7, leaving us time to sit down to an actual cooked breakfast together before his friend arrived.<br /><br />I may not win the triathlon, but I'm sure winning this whole balanced life game!Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-30933004207533585812010-05-09T23:11:00.002-04:002010-05-09T23:18:21.870-04:00W1D7<br /><strong>Mother's Day</strong><br /><br /><strong>Task: </strong>37 minute run: I don't know why 37 minutes, I just follow the plan. <br /><br /><strong>Logistics:</strong> Deny myself soggy cereal served in bed on Superman tray and send kid to neighbor's to barge in on their Mother's Day breakfast. The food is likely to be better over there so this isn't as cruel as it sounds. Plus, I spent the rest of the day just hanging out with the kid.<br /><br />Today was a great day for a run, it was cool outside and I had gotten some good rest thanks to some muscle relaxents I was given for the jaw (which is still FUBAR, by the way). I ran without tunes and found it easier to keep running without stopping. Maybe because the previous week had been so incredibly crazy that I was just grateful to be thinking of nothing but the pavement. <br /><br />I ran the route for a 5K I'll be running in on the 22nd. There was a giant tree down in the middle of the path so the run took on some trail-run dimension as I had to climb through the downed tree to keep going. It never occurred to me to just turn around and go back the way I came. There's a moral in there somewhere but it's too late to go fishing for it now.<br /><br />Tomorrow's run calls for some speed drills, I think that will be fun. No, really, I do.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-34703990257932896222010-05-09T00:55:00.002-04:002010-05-09T01:03:11.558-04:00w1d6<br /><br /><strong>Injuries to date:</strong> one missing toenail; one sprained jaw (unrelated to training, and don't ask); cramped up right foot<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Task: </strong>1200 yards in the pool - no rolling around, just hard swimming<br /><br /><strong>Logistics:</strong> Take kid to babysitting room at gym. Bribe him with long bike ride after. Buy him full drum kit instead. Consider regretting this decision.<br /><br />The swimming was easier today and encouraging. I don't think it will be long until I'm back to where I was before I started "forgetting" to do my swim workouts. There were some good swimmers in the pool today and it was helpful to just watch their swimming styles for a while. Especially since they were both broad-shouldered, fit, young men.<br /><br />I spent the evening chatting with a friend who is now training for her first triathlon. It was helpful to hear her thoughts on the whole process and fun to hear how much she is enjoying it. I can see how this can all start to feel like drudgery after a while and listening to her talk made me realize that if I hope to keep up with this fitness commitment after the triathlon I'll need to make sure I'm always training for something - always with a goal in mind so I can be clear about my improvement.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647858784605235441.post-34009545460344133332010-05-07T08:07:00.002-04:002010-05-07T08:13:01.137-04:00w1d5<br /><br /><strong>Task:</strong> 45 minute bike ride followed by a 10 minute run<br /><br /><strong>Logistics:</strong> Kid to a neighbor's, with a granola bar in one pocket, an orange in the other and a bagel in his mouth. This is good parenting!<br /><br />The purpose of today's task is to get a sense of what it will be like to have to run after a bike ride. This same sensation could be experienced by tying a 20 pound bag of sand to your hips and running around the block.<br /><br />Actually, I sort of enjoyed the feeling. It didn't feel like actual running at all. My legs felt so disconnected from me that I really just focused on my arms and my breathing and dragged the legs along for the ride. Half way around the block I realized that I had forgotten to take the bike helmet off. Ah well, extra protection if I had fallen and it probably gave the neighbors something to wonder about.Carpe Diemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110884289984243416noreply@blogger.com0