I bailed on my triathlon this past Sunday. For one, I didn't go to bed until nearly 1am, having set my alarm for 5am. I stayed up to watch the UFC fights. Jon Jones is really the only fighter I would stay up that late for when I had something else going on the next day. He is from my husband's hometown, and he's just a nice guy. I was happy to see him win in what was probably the most brutal fight I've ever seen. Both fighters beat the shit out of one another, he just did slightly more I guess, because the judges ruled in Jones' favor. I was glad I watched it, as it was easily the best UFC fight of the year. My husband has totally gotten me hooked on UFC after watching a couple seasons of The Ultimate Fighter with him.
Anyway, so I never really "slept"- like the good, hard kind of sleep you need before a triathlon. I think I didn't sleep well because my throat was hurting, so I subsequently stressed all night about that. I woke up hot as hell, throat throbbing, head pounding, and just feeling generally awful. So, I decided not to go. Call it nerves. Call it lack of sleep. Call it being unprepared and irresponsible. Maybe mixed in there a little bit was a set of nerves. The final deciding factor was that I didn't actually pay for this race entry. I earned it by volunteering at packet pickup for the last race. So, since I wasn't out $75, I just decided to stay home and sleep in.
Of course I instantly regretted it. It felt like that guilty feeling you have when you skip school that almost makes it not even worth it. In hindsight, I could have done it. I should have done it. And then practically everyone I trained with had a PR, so I may have had one too. Crap.
Oh well, time to move on. I worked out hard on Monday, which was may day off. Probably a little of it was punishment for skipping the triathlon. I did an intense bout of weights/strength training from which I am REALLY sore from here two days out, plus 45 minutes of running on the treadmill, from which my hip flexor is still mad at me for. A little side note: why the EFF is my gym so freaking crowded at 10am on a Monday morning?!? Does no one work? The last time I went on a Monday morning, it was Labor Day, and I just thought everyone else had the same idea as me. This past Monday, I felt like I was in a sea of stay at home moms who have the luxury of going to a class, loitering in the weights area, then dining al fresco with a little Smoothie King action on the outdoor patio. Seriously, who are these people? I saw like 15 women in little cliques in the parking lot just talking, talking, talking, with seemingly nowhere to go and nothing to do. Must. Be. Nice.
I am incredibly lucky to have the work schedule that I have. I work four days a week from 7-5, from home, and then I get one day off. The day is usually a Friday or a Monday, and when I'm lucky, they are back-to-back for a nice 4-day weekend, but either way, it's really freaking nice. I started this schedule maybe a year ago, and I have been pretty awful about spending my entire day off shopping and wasting lots of cash. Especially if my day off is on a Friday. Anyway, in recent weeks I've been more focused on spending lots of time in the gym instead, and it makes me feel a lot better. Plus, my wallet loves me more. It's nice to be one of "those" women, even if it is just for one day a week.
In scale-related news, I was down two pounds this past weekend, which means I'm now 7 pounds away from my wedding day weight. That will be a good feeling when I get there.
You don't have to get crazy, you just have to Agree To Tri!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Feeling Gross
I've been in a very blah mood over the last couple days. Aunt Flow is in town and I had leftover Chinese for breakfast this morning, if that is any indication of how things are going. We decided upon ordering Chinese last night after the realization that neither myself or my husband have really had any for over a year. We've had Chinese-ish food, like Pei Wei, but not your standard, in the Chinese takeout box kind. So we did that last night and um, yeah. I feel like the Pillsbury dough boy today and am I drinking any water to flush it out? Psssssh! Nah, I'm having some ice cream.
The difference between the me today who stands before you openly admitting that I had Chinese for breakfast and ice cream for lunch and the me for, well, pretty much my whole life is that I'm totally open and paying attention to just how gross eating like this makes me feel. I don't want any more Chinese or ice cream. For a long time. This is quite different from my previous behavior. In the past I would tell myself, "Screw it, you've already messed up, so you might as well have a burger and fries tonight for dinner, followed by candy, and then all the other 'naughty' things on the list of forbidden foods." I'm really trying to live a life where nothing is off limits, but everything I put into my body is somehow noted. It's amazing how much junk I've eliminated just by slowing down, paying attention and deciding, "Oh, this is kind of gross."
I've been using the MyFitnessPal app to track calorie intake and I'd say I'm about 80% compliant with that, and that is a good pace for me. Anything else feels too diet-like and restrictive, and then the guilt sets in. I've still encountered a few times where I knew I was going to be over in calories for the day so I've opted not to finish filling in my food diary for that day, or "forgetting" to write down some things. That would be the old me rearing it's ugly head. I really just want to use MyFitnessPal to make sure I'm getting enough (not usually ever a problem) when training, and to make sure there aren't like 20 days out of the month that I've eaten 4000 calories. Otherwise, I really try not to obsess over it too much, and on days when it feels like a burden, I don't do it.
My eating habits have evolved over the last year or so in that I RARELY snack after dinner, which used to be a huge area that needed work, so, I'm proud of that. I guess my problem now probably lies in the fact that sometimes I do eat out of boredome or dissatisfaction from whatever lackluster thing I've cooked up at home, since I work from home- I never eat out for breakfast and rarely run out at lunch time for food, so I just get bored. If my lunch sucks, I find myself grazing a lot throughout the day. I still don't think my snacking habits are as bad as they used to be when I snacked mid-morning, mid-afternoon and at night. Now it's usually the occasional snack in the morning and just a pre-gym snack in the afternoon. Not too shabby, I'd just like to get a little more creative so what goes into my body at home is not only healthy, but interesting and satisfying. Oooh, I should make a big batch of pumpkin pancakes and freeze them for breakfasts!
Lunch is seriously what I struggle with the most. I have a total love/hate with deli meats. Either I'm all about them, or I'm really grossed out by them, so sandwiches just fall into the "ugh" category most of the time. I don't really do frozen meals anymore save for the occasional Amy's meal, since they don't have preservatives. In colder months, I do a lot of soups, but that gets kind of old. Basically I don't want to put very much effort in to lunches, but I want them to be awesome. Who out there makes awesome, easy lunches? Save me!
Workouts this week have been on the lighter side. I did do a 45 minute slow run with minimal walking on Wednesday and my hip flexor was absolutely screaming yesterday. Today it's just barely tender, but I hope Sunday's triathlon doesn't make it flare up again. I think I might have over-foam-rolled it. I did a new technique, and I think it irritated it. Anyway, I am probably going to swim after work since D is working on the north side of town and will likely be stuck in traffic for a bit this evening. I love the pool on Friday evenings. It's usually not crowded, which means I can get a lane to myself, which is the only way I swim on my back, since I am such a horrible weaver. Cannot swim in a straight line on my back to save my life! I don't think I'll do my normal 1500 meters, or if I do it will be slower. I just want to get in and do something light so I can say I worked out. Maybe all the water I'm retaining will be removed when I go sit in the steam room afterwards.
The difference between the me today who stands before you openly admitting that I had Chinese for breakfast and ice cream for lunch and the me for, well, pretty much my whole life is that I'm totally open and paying attention to just how gross eating like this makes me feel. I don't want any more Chinese or ice cream. For a long time. This is quite different from my previous behavior. In the past I would tell myself, "Screw it, you've already messed up, so you might as well have a burger and fries tonight for dinner, followed by candy, and then all the other 'naughty' things on the list of forbidden foods." I'm really trying to live a life where nothing is off limits, but everything I put into my body is somehow noted. It's amazing how much junk I've eliminated just by slowing down, paying attention and deciding, "Oh, this is kind of gross."
I've been using the MyFitnessPal app to track calorie intake and I'd say I'm about 80% compliant with that, and that is a good pace for me. Anything else feels too diet-like and restrictive, and then the guilt sets in. I've still encountered a few times where I knew I was going to be over in calories for the day so I've opted not to finish filling in my food diary for that day, or "forgetting" to write down some things. That would be the old me rearing it's ugly head. I really just want to use MyFitnessPal to make sure I'm getting enough (not usually ever a problem) when training, and to make sure there aren't like 20 days out of the month that I've eaten 4000 calories. Otherwise, I really try not to obsess over it too much, and on days when it feels like a burden, I don't do it.
My eating habits have evolved over the last year or so in that I RARELY snack after dinner, which used to be a huge area that needed work, so, I'm proud of that. I guess my problem now probably lies in the fact that sometimes I do eat out of boredome or dissatisfaction from whatever lackluster thing I've cooked up at home, since I work from home- I never eat out for breakfast and rarely run out at lunch time for food, so I just get bored. If my lunch sucks, I find myself grazing a lot throughout the day. I still don't think my snacking habits are as bad as they used to be when I snacked mid-morning, mid-afternoon and at night. Now it's usually the occasional snack in the morning and just a pre-gym snack in the afternoon. Not too shabby, I'd just like to get a little more creative so what goes into my body at home is not only healthy, but interesting and satisfying. Oooh, I should make a big batch of pumpkin pancakes and freeze them for breakfasts!
Lunch is seriously what I struggle with the most. I have a total love/hate with deli meats. Either I'm all about them, or I'm really grossed out by them, so sandwiches just fall into the "ugh" category most of the time. I don't really do frozen meals anymore save for the occasional Amy's meal, since they don't have preservatives. In colder months, I do a lot of soups, but that gets kind of old. Basically I don't want to put very much effort in to lunches, but I want them to be awesome. Who out there makes awesome, easy lunches? Save me!
Workouts this week have been on the lighter side. I did do a 45 minute slow run with minimal walking on Wednesday and my hip flexor was absolutely screaming yesterday. Today it's just barely tender, but I hope Sunday's triathlon doesn't make it flare up again. I think I might have over-foam-rolled it. I did a new technique, and I think it irritated it. Anyway, I am probably going to swim after work since D is working on the north side of town and will likely be stuck in traffic for a bit this evening. I love the pool on Friday evenings. It's usually not crowded, which means I can get a lane to myself, which is the only way I swim on my back, since I am such a horrible weaver. Cannot swim in a straight line on my back to save my life! I don't think I'll do my normal 1500 meters, or if I do it will be slower. I just want to get in and do something light so I can say I worked out. Maybe all the water I'm retaining will be removed when I go sit in the steam room afterwards.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Maybe I'm not the best at blogging about triathlons
I just realized I never recapped my last triathlon, which I PR'ed compared to last year. Oh, and I've done two long bike rides that I could have blogged about, and I didn't take a single picture. I guess I can do the Reader's Digest version of those things, and then just move on to greener pastures. I still want to blog, but as triathlon season comes to an end, and my focus shifts, I'd like to make this blog more of a daily diary style blog. I know some people aren't into that, and that's okay. I also want to start working on a blog that is more of a lifestyle blog, which I'm currently brainstorming on. So, let's review some highlights of this season.
Ramblin' Rose Rock Hill Sprint Triathlon
This was the scene of my very first triathlon, so in a way it feels like "home". I've done that bike route and run probably 10-15 times, and I like the pool at the aquatics center. The day started out great. I was well-prepared, and I had what might be my new pre-race breakfast, consisting of a Sugar Free Monster Energy Drink, and a boiled egg on a bagel thin or sandwich thin with a 2% cheese slice and a smear of light olive oil mayo. A lot of things mess with my stomach. I can't do coffee on race days because (TMI warning), it makes me poop. I usually have a pre-race nervous poop, but I don't like to add things to the mix that make more poop happen. Enough on poop. I can't do fruits or other very acidic things because I get heartburn/reflux. Learned this the hard way after burping banana for my very first 5K. I like the protein/carb ratio of the egg on bread with cheese, and none of that combo seems to "hang around" to irritate me while racing. The Monster drink was just kind of an experiment. I need caffeine every morning- EVERY MORNING, race day included. But since coffee is out, that doesn't leave a lot of open doors. I've tried Diet Mountain Dew, but something about it REALLY makes me have to pee. At least Monster has some vitamin element to it, even though I *fully* realize it's not that awesome for you. But I PR'ed after my Monster experiment, so it's my new favorite thing.
On race day, I got there in plenty of time. So much so, that I was able to travel around the transition area and help some of the new athletes from Tri It For Life get set up and get their jitters out. That might have been the most rewarding thing I did all season. When the race started, my friend Clare and I decided to move up into the next fastest swim group and hang to the back, and I actually passed someone. I didn't do any of the weird hyperventilating I tend to do in swim practices (for some reason I don't do this much in races, although it almost always happens when I train). My swim time for the 250 meter swim was 6:15, which was better than last year's 6:49. I was happy with this time and want to work to get under 6 minutes. I didn't feel as dizzy/disoriented at the end of the swim either.
The bike course was pretty good for me, with my time being 33:58, compared to last year on my mom's hybrid when my time was 33:25. Not sure what slowed me down, as I felt like I nailed the hills and went pretty fast. The only thing that I can think is that it was raining, and that probably slowed me down a bit out of caution. Those raindrops HURT, too. I couldn't wear my sunglasses due to the obvious rain, and I felt like I had my eyes closed for parts because the rain hitting my face stung so bad. Either way, the bike ride was more enjoyable this year on my road bike and with my clip-in pedals. I guess I'm pretty proud that I know I can lug a 50 pound hybrid just as fast as might light road bike, although I'd love to see myself get quicker since I love biking so much.
The run course is a flat out-and-back route, and it's kind of boring. It's on sidewalk for most of it, and then part of like a greenway system. I really talked myself up for the run portion and tried not to walk too terribly much or for too long. I didn't burn my legs up too much this time around on the bike, which helped my run since my legs didn't feel like they were wading through quicksand and made of jello. I did the run in 25:42. Since my normal "on a day I'm not swimming and biking" run pace is about a 12 minute mile, this time was great for me. Last year, it took me 28:47.
My transition times continue to be longer than I want them to be and that unfortunately affects my overall time. I find myself talking to my husband while I'm changing shoes, or fumbling around, or in the case of this race, taking all my shit out of plastic bags due to the rain. I really want to speed these up, because taking one minute to change shoes/clothes versus taking three minutes can shave two minutes off my total time. Duh- seems obvious here that I would try to rush through the transitions, but I also like to make sure I'm comfortable, because who wants to run uncomfortable? Not me. Anyway, hopefully I can make some progress in this arena during this weekend's race. Eyes on the prize. Anway, my total race time for this year was 1:12:06, and was 1:14:00 last year. See, if I had cut down my transitions this year, I might have gotten to 1:10:00. Grrrrrrrr!
Tour de Turns 25 Mile Bike Ride
This was my first "long" bike ride. As much as I LOVE riding my bike, I think the most I'd ridden at once prior to this day was 15 miles or so. I decided to do this ride at the last minute and MAN, was it tough! It's called Tour de Turns because it winds through several neighborhoods making mostly right turns. Good for safety and low traffic, bad for building up speed. Oh, and it was HILLY. The race page said it had "17 challenging hills", but I"m pretty sure I did 17 hills in the first five miles, and then there were plenty more. I had a hard time differentiating which ones were "challenging" and which ones weren't. I started the ride with a few triathlon friends, but due to several reasons, we got split up and well, I think I did about 20 miles kind of more or less by myself. And probably 10 of those miles were like for real out in the world riding by myself, wondering if I was the last person on the road (for the record, I wasn't). That made the ride kind of boring for me, and at no point was I really pushing myself because I wasn't trying to keep up with anyone. The upside was that the course went through some pretty great Charlotte neighborhoods, and it was fun to admire all the beautiful houses. The neighborhoods did a pretty good job participating in cheering us on too. The highlight was giving a little girl a high five as I rode by her on my bike and hearing her squeal with glee. There was also a gaggle of very young, elementary school age cheerleaders screaming, "GO BIKERS GO! GO BIKERS GO! GO BIKERS GO!" It was maybe the cutest thing ever. I felt really accomplished when I finished that 25 miles. This would be the last ride on my factory seat for my bike, as my crotch took about a week to recover. I was very tired that day and my legs were crazy sore. I also got a slight headache which was I suspect from dehydration. Total time was about 2 hours and 20 minutes for 25 miles. Average speed was 10.3 MPH, which is SLOW for me. It was definitely a "tour" instead of a "race".
Pedal For Pediatric Cancer 30 Mile Bike Ride
Now this was a bike ride! It was my first in Waxhaw, NC, which is a suburb of Charlotte, but is very country. But fancy country. Think giant houses on acres and acres of lands with horse pastures as front yards. Absolutely beautiful scenery. A few challenging hills and a lot of rolling hills, plus some pretty great flats to ramp up the speed. I stuck with a group of 3 other friends, which made for a spectacular ride. It went much faster and was a lot more enjoyable. The support stops were great. There were children who are cancer survivors handing out waters and snacks and they could not have been more excited to help us. It was so adorable. The weather was great minus a little bit of headwind that made for some harder riding, but the sun was shining and it was a crisp fall morning. There were loose dogs (friendly, thankfully), very little traffic, sharing of part of the course with a triathlon, and lots of animals to look at including cows, horses, sheep, goats, swans, geese, and a dead bunny. Poor bunny. My favorite was passing the pasture where a fat old yellow lab was just chillin', laying about five feet away from a goat. I think I want to move to Waxhaw and get some animals! I got a nice farmer's tan, and the only iffy part of the ride was the last mile or so when we were getting back into "town" and there was traffic from the triathlon people leaving and there were some impatient people passing us unsafely in their cars. Assholes. Fortunately, that was near the very end and it was honestly one of those moments where I looked up and said, "we're back???" Total time was 2:16:06 with an average speed of 13.1 MPH (I forgot to pause my GPS for one 5 minute or so stop). Oh, and my new bike seat is totally crotch-approved! I was barely sore at all after this ride, and my legs felt pretty good too.
Upcoming
This Sunday will be my last triathlon of the season in Huntersville, NC. Sadly, the Chapel Hill triathlon sold out of regular spots before I registered with my friend who was supposed to do it with me, and the charity slots are $150! That's just too much considering we'd also have to pay for gas, food and hotel. No thanks. Anyway, I feel like my swim time will be about the same, assuming good conditions. With my new bike seat and two big rides under my belt recently, I think I'll be more than ready to tackle the bike ride. It's a mile longer than the last course, but I hear it's very scenic and pretty. The run is just mostly getting my mind past how bad my legs feel. I read a tip that said to stand on your bike for the last little bit to start getting your legs adjusted, so, if I can remember to do it, I am going to see how that works for me. I don't stand up a lot on my bike while clipped in, so hopefully I don't fall off my bike. I hear there is at least one hill on the run and maybe I'll have to walk that, we'll see. Either way, this is the first race I will be doing where I haven't done any of the course prior to the race, so it will be an experience. I just hope it doesn't throw me off my game.
I'd really wanted to go for all six Ramblin' Rose triathlons this year, but it just didn't work out that way, and honestly, I'm kind of glad. Turns out, I still get bored with only swim/bike/run all season. I know that's a lot of variety, but sometimes you just want to do something else, you know? And I did that this past couple months and I don't feel like going to kickboxing class, spin class, weight lifting and going to Quick Fit (like bootcamp) hindered my progress at all, and gave me back my sanity. I will be earning a cool Brooks running jacket as a reward for completing three Ramblin' Rose Triathlons, so that's pretty awesome. Next up, I'm considering getting a trainer for a while. The lady who teaches my favorite kickboxing classes is also a personal trainer at the YMCA that I go to, and she is so fit. I think my next goal is to focus more on sculpting some muscles along with continuing to work on my running. I haven't fully committed to it, but I'm pretty sure I'm signing up for the Winter Galloway run training group to train for a half marathon. The half marathon that I want to do as my first is pretty challenging in terms of hillyness, but fortunately running all over Charlotte should help with hills. I want to do the inaugural Rock-n-Roll Raleigh half marathon next April. Raleigh was where I went to college, and my first love as a city away from home. I lived there for a combined total of about ten years, and I still love it so much. I can't think of a better city for my first half, so now I just have to wrap my mind around it....
Now that I've done a huge recap, stay tuned for more. I want to take this blog to a more daily recap of my progress style blog, which I know might be boring for some, but I will still try to highlight it with other fun stuff, but I think for the accountability aspect, this is the way to get the most benefit. I'm loosely tracking my nutrition using MyFitnessPal, and happy to say that I'm the least stressed/pressured about weight loss that I have ever been in my life. Actually WANTING to eat healthy and in smaller volumes feels natural and normal for me at this stage in the game, and I'm not obsessing over how fast or slow I'm losing weight. For the record, it's going slow, but it's going down. Since training for my first triathlon, I am a solid 15 pounds lighter, and there is no diet talk/self-shaming/desperation talk going on in my head, which feels SO nice. I'm in a good place.
Ramblin' Rose Rock Hill Sprint Triathlon
This was the scene of my very first triathlon, so in a way it feels like "home". I've done that bike route and run probably 10-15 times, and I like the pool at the aquatics center. The day started out great. I was well-prepared, and I had what might be my new pre-race breakfast, consisting of a Sugar Free Monster Energy Drink, and a boiled egg on a bagel thin or sandwich thin with a 2% cheese slice and a smear of light olive oil mayo. A lot of things mess with my stomach. I can't do coffee on race days because (TMI warning), it makes me poop. I usually have a pre-race nervous poop, but I don't like to add things to the mix that make more poop happen. Enough on poop. I can't do fruits or other very acidic things because I get heartburn/reflux. Learned this the hard way after burping banana for my very first 5K. I like the protein/carb ratio of the egg on bread with cheese, and none of that combo seems to "hang around" to irritate me while racing. The Monster drink was just kind of an experiment. I need caffeine every morning- EVERY MORNING, race day included. But since coffee is out, that doesn't leave a lot of open doors. I've tried Diet Mountain Dew, but something about it REALLY makes me have to pee. At least Monster has some vitamin element to it, even though I *fully* realize it's not that awesome for you. But I PR'ed after my Monster experiment, so it's my new favorite thing.
On race day, I got there in plenty of time. So much so, that I was able to travel around the transition area and help some of the new athletes from Tri It For Life get set up and get their jitters out. That might have been the most rewarding thing I did all season. When the race started, my friend Clare and I decided to move up into the next fastest swim group and hang to the back, and I actually passed someone. I didn't do any of the weird hyperventilating I tend to do in swim practices (for some reason I don't do this much in races, although it almost always happens when I train). My swim time for the 250 meter swim was 6:15, which was better than last year's 6:49. I was happy with this time and want to work to get under 6 minutes. I didn't feel as dizzy/disoriented at the end of the swim either.
The bike course was pretty good for me, with my time being 33:58, compared to last year on my mom's hybrid when my time was 33:25. Not sure what slowed me down, as I felt like I nailed the hills and went pretty fast. The only thing that I can think is that it was raining, and that probably slowed me down a bit out of caution. Those raindrops HURT, too. I couldn't wear my sunglasses due to the obvious rain, and I felt like I had my eyes closed for parts because the rain hitting my face stung so bad. Either way, the bike ride was more enjoyable this year on my road bike and with my clip-in pedals. I guess I'm pretty proud that I know I can lug a 50 pound hybrid just as fast as might light road bike, although I'd love to see myself get quicker since I love biking so much.
The run course is a flat out-and-back route, and it's kind of boring. It's on sidewalk for most of it, and then part of like a greenway system. I really talked myself up for the run portion and tried not to walk too terribly much or for too long. I didn't burn my legs up too much this time around on the bike, which helped my run since my legs didn't feel like they were wading through quicksand and made of jello. I did the run in 25:42. Since my normal "on a day I'm not swimming and biking" run pace is about a 12 minute mile, this time was great for me. Last year, it took me 28:47.
My transition times continue to be longer than I want them to be and that unfortunately affects my overall time. I find myself talking to my husband while I'm changing shoes, or fumbling around, or in the case of this race, taking all my shit out of plastic bags due to the rain. I really want to speed these up, because taking one minute to change shoes/clothes versus taking three minutes can shave two minutes off my total time. Duh- seems obvious here that I would try to rush through the transitions, but I also like to make sure I'm comfortable, because who wants to run uncomfortable? Not me. Anyway, hopefully I can make some progress in this arena during this weekend's race. Eyes on the prize. Anway, my total race time for this year was 1:12:06, and was 1:14:00 last year. See, if I had cut down my transitions this year, I might have gotten to 1:10:00. Grrrrrrrr!
Tour de Turns 25 Mile Bike Ride
This was my first "long" bike ride. As much as I LOVE riding my bike, I think the most I'd ridden at once prior to this day was 15 miles or so. I decided to do this ride at the last minute and MAN, was it tough! It's called Tour de Turns because it winds through several neighborhoods making mostly right turns. Good for safety and low traffic, bad for building up speed. Oh, and it was HILLY. The race page said it had "17 challenging hills", but I"m pretty sure I did 17 hills in the first five miles, and then there were plenty more. I had a hard time differentiating which ones were "challenging" and which ones weren't. I started the ride with a few triathlon friends, but due to several reasons, we got split up and well, I think I did about 20 miles kind of more or less by myself. And probably 10 of those miles were like for real out in the world riding by myself, wondering if I was the last person on the road (for the record, I wasn't). That made the ride kind of boring for me, and at no point was I really pushing myself because I wasn't trying to keep up with anyone. The upside was that the course went through some pretty great Charlotte neighborhoods, and it was fun to admire all the beautiful houses. The neighborhoods did a pretty good job participating in cheering us on too. The highlight was giving a little girl a high five as I rode by her on my bike and hearing her squeal with glee. There was also a gaggle of very young, elementary school age cheerleaders screaming, "GO BIKERS GO! GO BIKERS GO! GO BIKERS GO!" It was maybe the cutest thing ever. I felt really accomplished when I finished that 25 miles. This would be the last ride on my factory seat for my bike, as my crotch took about a week to recover. I was very tired that day and my legs were crazy sore. I also got a slight headache which was I suspect from dehydration. Total time was about 2 hours and 20 minutes for 25 miles. Average speed was 10.3 MPH, which is SLOW for me. It was definitely a "tour" instead of a "race".
Pedal For Pediatric Cancer 30 Mile Bike Ride
Now this was a bike ride! It was my first in Waxhaw, NC, which is a suburb of Charlotte, but is very country. But fancy country. Think giant houses on acres and acres of lands with horse pastures as front yards. Absolutely beautiful scenery. A few challenging hills and a lot of rolling hills, plus some pretty great flats to ramp up the speed. I stuck with a group of 3 other friends, which made for a spectacular ride. It went much faster and was a lot more enjoyable. The support stops were great. There were children who are cancer survivors handing out waters and snacks and they could not have been more excited to help us. It was so adorable. The weather was great minus a little bit of headwind that made for some harder riding, but the sun was shining and it was a crisp fall morning. There were loose dogs (friendly, thankfully), very little traffic, sharing of part of the course with a triathlon, and lots of animals to look at including cows, horses, sheep, goats, swans, geese, and a dead bunny. Poor bunny. My favorite was passing the pasture where a fat old yellow lab was just chillin', laying about five feet away from a goat. I think I want to move to Waxhaw and get some animals! I got a nice farmer's tan, and the only iffy part of the ride was the last mile or so when we were getting back into "town" and there was traffic from the triathlon people leaving and there were some impatient people passing us unsafely in their cars. Assholes. Fortunately, that was near the very end and it was honestly one of those moments where I looked up and said, "we're back???" Total time was 2:16:06 with an average speed of 13.1 MPH (I forgot to pause my GPS for one 5 minute or so stop). Oh, and my new bike seat is totally crotch-approved! I was barely sore at all after this ride, and my legs felt pretty good too.
Upcoming
This Sunday will be my last triathlon of the season in Huntersville, NC. Sadly, the Chapel Hill triathlon sold out of regular spots before I registered with my friend who was supposed to do it with me, and the charity slots are $150! That's just too much considering we'd also have to pay for gas, food and hotel. No thanks. Anyway, I feel like my swim time will be about the same, assuming good conditions. With my new bike seat and two big rides under my belt recently, I think I'll be more than ready to tackle the bike ride. It's a mile longer than the last course, but I hear it's very scenic and pretty. The run is just mostly getting my mind past how bad my legs feel. I read a tip that said to stand on your bike for the last little bit to start getting your legs adjusted, so, if I can remember to do it, I am going to see how that works for me. I don't stand up a lot on my bike while clipped in, so hopefully I don't fall off my bike. I hear there is at least one hill on the run and maybe I'll have to walk that, we'll see. Either way, this is the first race I will be doing where I haven't done any of the course prior to the race, so it will be an experience. I just hope it doesn't throw me off my game.
I'd really wanted to go for all six Ramblin' Rose triathlons this year, but it just didn't work out that way, and honestly, I'm kind of glad. Turns out, I still get bored with only swim/bike/run all season. I know that's a lot of variety, but sometimes you just want to do something else, you know? And I did that this past couple months and I don't feel like going to kickboxing class, spin class, weight lifting and going to Quick Fit (like bootcamp) hindered my progress at all, and gave me back my sanity. I will be earning a cool Brooks running jacket as a reward for completing three Ramblin' Rose Triathlons, so that's pretty awesome. Next up, I'm considering getting a trainer for a while. The lady who teaches my favorite kickboxing classes is also a personal trainer at the YMCA that I go to, and she is so fit. I think my next goal is to focus more on sculpting some muscles along with continuing to work on my running. I haven't fully committed to it, but I'm pretty sure I'm signing up for the Winter Galloway run training group to train for a half marathon. The half marathon that I want to do as my first is pretty challenging in terms of hillyness, but fortunately running all over Charlotte should help with hills. I want to do the inaugural Rock-n-Roll Raleigh half marathon next April. Raleigh was where I went to college, and my first love as a city away from home. I lived there for a combined total of about ten years, and I still love it so much. I can't think of a better city for my first half, so now I just have to wrap my mind around it....
Now that I've done a huge recap, stay tuned for more. I want to take this blog to a more daily recap of my progress style blog, which I know might be boring for some, but I will still try to highlight it with other fun stuff, but I think for the accountability aspect, this is the way to get the most benefit. I'm loosely tracking my nutrition using MyFitnessPal, and happy to say that I'm the least stressed/pressured about weight loss that I have ever been in my life. Actually WANTING to eat healthy and in smaller volumes feels natural and normal for me at this stage in the game, and I'm not obsessing over how fast or slow I'm losing weight. For the record, it's going slow, but it's going down. Since training for my first triathlon, I am a solid 15 pounds lighter, and there is no diet talk/self-shaming/desperation talk going on in my head, which feels SO nice. I'm in a good place.
Friday, July 12, 2013
One Year Ago Today
Man, how time flies. One year ago today, at this time, I was working, and trying not to think about the fact that I was going to do a triathlon in 2 days. One year ago today was the celebration dinner to applaud the commitment to training that my friends and I had completed, and to share in the excitement of it all coming to fruition the following Sunday.
This week, I've seen a lot of Facebook posts about pre-triathlon jitters/nerves/worries/weather concerns, etc. from the amazing group of ladies that I helped mentor this year. It really brought me back, so I thought I'd share my own recollection of concerns on that week that I had last year, that is oh so similar to what many of these great ladies are feeling right now. Hopefully it will help quell fears, drown worries and get them pumped for this coming Sunday, when they will become triathletes. No matter what these ladies accomplish in their lives from that moment forward, they will always have the right to call themselves triathletes.
Here is a little summary of the days leading up to my very first triathlon in July 2012. Two weeks prior to the race, we'd gone on vacation to New York, to celebrate the anniversary of my in-laws. While I was fretting over missing that week's training, and so close to the actual triathlon, I did get in a very successful run session, in the wide open country, with beautiful, inspiring scenery, and I got in LOADS of swim time. I had my husband's entire family cheering for me in the pool, as I practiced drills and swimming 250 meters almost daily, with my husband timing me and throwing back yard celebrations whenever I would beat my previous time by seconds.
Cut to just a couple days before leaving to head back to North Carolina. I had neglected to faithfully use my swimmer's ear drops while on vacation, and suddenly I was faced with severe pain in my left ear. I went to an urgent care in New York, where I was given antibiotics that essentially did nothing. I was so miserable that taper week, for me, became "writhe on the couch in pain and force back tears week". I was bummed. I missed the taper week social activities for my group, and, ultimately made a last-minute decision to visit yet another urgent care, this time in Charlotte, to see if swimming would even possible for my upcoming race. Fortunately, I went just in time. After getting what can only be described as a tiny tampon viciously jammed inside my ear canal in order to open the passage to allow for antibiotics in the form of ear drops to enter, and the suggestion of using an earplug for that ear during the triathlon, I was sent on my way.
During our celebration dinner, I couldn't hear what anyone to my left at our dinner table was saying. I said, "huh", more times than I could count, and I just felt...off. I was sad. All my training partners were celebrating wonderful, progressive, last-minute training success stories, and I was too embarrassed to admit that I had done absolutely nothing physicial that entire "taper" week. Unless you count visiting the grocery store for comfort food. I did lots of that.
I worried that I would get a flat tire on my bike and that I would be too nervous to remember the things I learned during the tire change clinic. I fretted over forgetting essential items for my transition area. I worried that it would be too hot, or too rainy, too muggy or just overall uncomfortable. I worried about how lacking the sense of hearing to some degree might mess with my body. I worried that my nutrition was crap. I worried that I would get sunburned. I stressed about where my husband would park when he arrived to the race to cheer me on, and what my mom would do to occupy time since she planned to ride to the race site with me and would have a couple hours to kill. I worried about how I looked in my tri suit and about the inevitable barrage of photos I'd be tagged in on Facebook, where I was wearing tight spandex. I thought about my knee troubles I'd had during training, and wondered what to do if it hurt on race day. I tried to estimate the number of ounces of water I would swallow during the swim, and wondered if chlorine was a diuretic, or if I could consider pool water to be legitimate hydration. Where would I keep my cell phone? Where was my transition area going to be, and would it be near people that I knew? The list was absolutely ENDLESS.
But on race day, on glorious race day- I was calm. The swim felt like a dream sequence. Hard to explain, but I never once hyperventilated, like I tended to do during nearly every swim practice. My breathing was calm and controlled. When I was tired, mentors were there to cheer me on. When I was done with the swim, it felt so surreal. So much easier than I had imagined, planned for. Oh yes, a calm, peaceful swim, cut short only by the realization that my earplug had fallen out mid-swim, was stuck in my hair and the side of my swim cap, and aforementioned tiny ear tampon had become filled with water and was inching it's way out my (still deaf) ear.
The bike went well too. I made it up the dreaded hill both loops without issue, proud of the fact that due to my awesome training, I was NOT one of the many who jumped off their bikes on that hill and walked. No sir, I was PREPARED. I did have a little issue with my gears at the end of the course, but nothing earth shattering. The bike was probably my favorite part. I even reached down and grabbed my water bottle to drink, without stopping. Something I couldn't do nearly all 12 weeks of training.
The run wasn't phenomenal, but I didn't (and still don't) consider running my strongest part of the race. The run is where I started to feel the heat. I was sweaty. The running tank I'd thrown on over my tri suit kept riding up. My sunglasses got foggy. My legs felt like the heaviest lead known to man. Somehow all my bricks combined didn't feel as bad as that run did, yet still, I finished it. Sandy, one of my most favorite mentors saw my struggle near the end of the run and came out (after finishing her own race, mind you) and ran the last leg with me, cheering me on, pepping me up, and lighting a fire under me. She ran right alongside of me just up until the finish line was approaching and she vanished, letting me have all the glory of finishing my very first triathlon.
The next few minutes were a blur. I remember someone handing me a water bottle, the cold metal of the finisher's necklace around my neck, my husband taking pictures and hugging me, my mom beaming proudly, friends chattering about their estimated finish time. It was all so surreal. Then it hit me- I really had to PEE. I think I had to pee around the time the race actually started for me, so nearly an hour and a half later, I had to bolt to the restroom.
And there I sat. Alone on the john with my thoughts:
"I just finished a triathlon."
"I am a triathlete."
"I just swam, biked and ran, and now I'm done. I'm a triathlete."
"I don't know what this means for future fitness endeavors, but right now, as I sit on the toilet and take the most rewarding pee of my life, I can honestly say- and no one can take it away from me- that I am a triathlete. Something I never even fathomed."
I was a mother 'effin triathlete. And after Sunday, they will be too.
This week, I've seen a lot of Facebook posts about pre-triathlon jitters/nerves/worries/weather concerns, etc. from the amazing group of ladies that I helped mentor this year. It really brought me back, so I thought I'd share my own recollection of concerns on that week that I had last year, that is oh so similar to what many of these great ladies are feeling right now. Hopefully it will help quell fears, drown worries and get them pumped for this coming Sunday, when they will become triathletes. No matter what these ladies accomplish in their lives from that moment forward, they will always have the right to call themselves triathletes.
Here is a little summary of the days leading up to my very first triathlon in July 2012. Two weeks prior to the race, we'd gone on vacation to New York, to celebrate the anniversary of my in-laws. While I was fretting over missing that week's training, and so close to the actual triathlon, I did get in a very successful run session, in the wide open country, with beautiful, inspiring scenery, and I got in LOADS of swim time. I had my husband's entire family cheering for me in the pool, as I practiced drills and swimming 250 meters almost daily, with my husband timing me and throwing back yard celebrations whenever I would beat my previous time by seconds.
Cut to just a couple days before leaving to head back to North Carolina. I had neglected to faithfully use my swimmer's ear drops while on vacation, and suddenly I was faced with severe pain in my left ear. I went to an urgent care in New York, where I was given antibiotics that essentially did nothing. I was so miserable that taper week, for me, became "writhe on the couch in pain and force back tears week". I was bummed. I missed the taper week social activities for my group, and, ultimately made a last-minute decision to visit yet another urgent care, this time in Charlotte, to see if swimming would even possible for my upcoming race. Fortunately, I went just in time. After getting what can only be described as a tiny tampon viciously jammed inside my ear canal in order to open the passage to allow for antibiotics in the form of ear drops to enter, and the suggestion of using an earplug for that ear during the triathlon, I was sent on my way.
During our celebration dinner, I couldn't hear what anyone to my left at our dinner table was saying. I said, "huh", more times than I could count, and I just felt...off. I was sad. All my training partners were celebrating wonderful, progressive, last-minute training success stories, and I was too embarrassed to admit that I had done absolutely nothing physicial that entire "taper" week. Unless you count visiting the grocery store for comfort food. I did lots of that.
I worried that I would get a flat tire on my bike and that I would be too nervous to remember the things I learned during the tire change clinic. I fretted over forgetting essential items for my transition area. I worried that it would be too hot, or too rainy, too muggy or just overall uncomfortable. I worried about how lacking the sense of hearing to some degree might mess with my body. I worried that my nutrition was crap. I worried that I would get sunburned. I stressed about where my husband would park when he arrived to the race to cheer me on, and what my mom would do to occupy time since she planned to ride to the race site with me and would have a couple hours to kill. I worried about how I looked in my tri suit and about the inevitable barrage of photos I'd be tagged in on Facebook, where I was wearing tight spandex. I thought about my knee troubles I'd had during training, and wondered what to do if it hurt on race day. I tried to estimate the number of ounces of water I would swallow during the swim, and wondered if chlorine was a diuretic, or if I could consider pool water to be legitimate hydration. Where would I keep my cell phone? Where was my transition area going to be, and would it be near people that I knew? The list was absolutely ENDLESS.
But on race day, on glorious race day- I was calm. The swim felt like a dream sequence. Hard to explain, but I never once hyperventilated, like I tended to do during nearly every swim practice. My breathing was calm and controlled. When I was tired, mentors were there to cheer me on. When I was done with the swim, it felt so surreal. So much easier than I had imagined, planned for. Oh yes, a calm, peaceful swim, cut short only by the realization that my earplug had fallen out mid-swim, was stuck in my hair and the side of my swim cap, and aforementioned tiny ear tampon had become filled with water and was inching it's way out my (still deaf) ear.
The bike went well too. I made it up the dreaded hill both loops without issue, proud of the fact that due to my awesome training, I was NOT one of the many who jumped off their bikes on that hill and walked. No sir, I was PREPARED. I did have a little issue with my gears at the end of the course, but nothing earth shattering. The bike was probably my favorite part. I even reached down and grabbed my water bottle to drink, without stopping. Something I couldn't do nearly all 12 weeks of training.
The run wasn't phenomenal, but I didn't (and still don't) consider running my strongest part of the race. The run is where I started to feel the heat. I was sweaty. The running tank I'd thrown on over my tri suit kept riding up. My sunglasses got foggy. My legs felt like the heaviest lead known to man. Somehow all my bricks combined didn't feel as bad as that run did, yet still, I finished it. Sandy, one of my most favorite mentors saw my struggle near the end of the run and came out (after finishing her own race, mind you) and ran the last leg with me, cheering me on, pepping me up, and lighting a fire under me. She ran right alongside of me just up until the finish line was approaching and she vanished, letting me have all the glory of finishing my very first triathlon.
The next few minutes were a blur. I remember someone handing me a water bottle, the cold metal of the finisher's necklace around my neck, my husband taking pictures and hugging me, my mom beaming proudly, friends chattering about their estimated finish time. It was all so surreal. Then it hit me- I really had to PEE. I think I had to pee around the time the race actually started for me, so nearly an hour and a half later, I had to bolt to the restroom.
And there I sat. Alone on the john with my thoughts:
"I just finished a triathlon."
"I am a triathlete."
"I just swam, biked and ran, and now I'm done. I'm a triathlete."
"I don't know what this means for future fitness endeavors, but right now, as I sit on the toilet and take the most rewarding pee of my life, I can honestly say- and no one can take it away from me- that I am a triathlete. Something I never even fathomed."
I was a mother 'effin triathlete. And after Sunday, they will be too.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
New Start Coming- Take 3!
Warning: I am about to sound like a broken record. Let's go ahead and get that out of the way, okay?
I have sucked at training for triathlon #2 of the season. I really haven't pushed myself. I think I was a little burnt out from triathlon #1. My eating has been all over the place- some good, some bad, lot's of the really bad are just habits I need to break (diet soda, going nuts on the weekends, over-consumption of sugar and carbs, etc.). Some of this is due to a bit of a struggle I've been having with menstrual migraines for the last 3-4 months. My doctor and I have pretty much narrowed it down to my birth control pill being the cause, and switching pills has at least decreased the number of weeks per month that I get headaches down from 3 to 1, but they are not completely gone. This week in particular has really thrown me for a loop, as I suspected that the headaches were now just occurring on the week of my period, but I started a new pack of pills without waiting around for my period this month, and I STILL got a migraine on what would have been my period week had a I not started a new pack of pills. It's so frustrating, and when I have them, I don't really give a #$%6 about healthy eating or exercise, I just want to burrow under the covers in the dark and eat junk to try to make myself feel better.
Now onto the good stuff. Triathlon #2 is THIS Sunday, and it's going to be great for a number of reasons, but mainly it's going to be great because I get to watch all the athletes who I got to mentor this year become triathletes. To me, that is more exciting than whatever happens as far as my own race, and, well, that's probably good due to aforementioned lackluster training. This was my first year as a mentor and while it was harder than I thought it would be in terms of not always feeling like I was of any help to people and maybe feeling like I wasn't always as patient as I could have been, now I know what to expect as a mentor next year, and hearing other people's stories on what brought them to Tri It For Life has been really fun. I've really enjoyed getting to know approximately 40-50 new people this year, all thanks to this group. I learned that one of my friends from last year has a husband who is not naturally skinny like when I first saw him and assumed. He's actually lost a ton of weight over the last several years. I met a girl who was over 350 pounds, but you would never know it. It's neat how triathlon training is the beginning of a journey for everyone, but a lot of times it's in the middle of some bigger journey. Very inspiring group of ladies!
As for me this Sunday, I do think the bike portion will go well, and if I am having a good swim day, I think I can at least not be WORSE than last year. The run will just depend on my legs, and, I'm not going to sweat it. I'd LOVE for my total time to be less than 1:14, but if I can't do it this time, I have another chance to give it a go at the end of September.
I have a huge to-do list this week prior to the race. Tonight I am going to yoga with the tri training girls, as it is taper week. I'm not tapering as much this time since I've technically been in training since February. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go run a half marathon on Saturday, but I'd like to get 3-4 workouts in this week along with the triathlon. Last year I did absolutely NOTHING the week before the tri because of what was the worst case of swimmer's ear I believe I have ever had, and that was a bit of a setback, although I was MORE than ready to do a triathlon after sitting on my rump and wallowing in pain the entire week before.
Tomorrow after work, I'd like to catch a spin class, as I haven't been to one in like 12 weeks since I've been biking outside, but I also need to work on adjusting the cleats on my road bike shoes because I've had a hard time getting clipped in since I changed them out myself a couple weeks ago and I don't want that annoyance on Sunday if I can help it. I think I just need to move them forward a bit on the shoes. Thursday I plan on a short run/walk interval set on the treadmill and some weights, then I plan to take Friday off due to having to rush across town after work for our celebration dinner for the new athletes. I have to help set up, then take blood pressures and weights prior to the dinner (our group gets grant money by tracking weight and blood pressures before training starts and after we are finished). Saturday, I am helping with packet pickup for the race on Sunday, which earned me a free entry into the September race, which I am pretty pumped for. Sunday is the race, and Monday I plan on getting a pedicure and celebrating. If my body says I'm up for kickboxing on Monday evening, great. If not, I will call it a rest day. I just don't want to get into the habit that I've gotten myself into after the last two races where I just don't do any form of exercise for several weeks.
There is still a chance that I may do the triathlon in August, but as a relay with two other people where I will only be doing the bike portion, so I'm not really sweating it either way. I would love to do a relay though for the experience, but if it doesn't work out, it's okay, because that race would involve me carting my bike up to my parents' house two hours away, then getting up at like 4am to get to the race site which is an hour from their house. No amount of coffee makes that sound fun.
I am really, really aiming to do more meal preps as well in order to be more on top of my eating, and I've found a decent food/diet combination that I think can work for ME- kind of a hybrid of Weight Watchers and clean eating, but with the clean eating rules bent just a little so as not to feel deprived or like meal prep/shopping is so much work. Basically I'll eliminate MOST processed foods, try to shop more local fruits and veggies, but keep it convenient. I have a bad habit of over-complicating meal planning, and I think that is why I don't stick with it so well. If anyone has tips for easy meals to cook for two (dinner only- the hubs doesn't eat breakfast and eats 99.999% of his lunches on the road), that would be great. I'll track "points" with an app on my phone Sun-Fri and take a cheat day on Saturday, but try to keep it sane. I really would love to get about 20 pounds off before the next race, and I KNOW I can do it if I stick to it.
I can't wait to write a race report next week and compare this year to last year!
I have sucked at training for triathlon #2 of the season. I really haven't pushed myself. I think I was a little burnt out from triathlon #1. My eating has been all over the place- some good, some bad, lot's of the really bad are just habits I need to break (diet soda, going nuts on the weekends, over-consumption of sugar and carbs, etc.). Some of this is due to a bit of a struggle I've been having with menstrual migraines for the last 3-4 months. My doctor and I have pretty much narrowed it down to my birth control pill being the cause, and switching pills has at least decreased the number of weeks per month that I get headaches down from 3 to 1, but they are not completely gone. This week in particular has really thrown me for a loop, as I suspected that the headaches were now just occurring on the week of my period, but I started a new pack of pills without waiting around for my period this month, and I STILL got a migraine on what would have been my period week had a I not started a new pack of pills. It's so frustrating, and when I have them, I don't really give a #$%6 about healthy eating or exercise, I just want to burrow under the covers in the dark and eat junk to try to make myself feel better.
Now onto the good stuff. Triathlon #2 is THIS Sunday, and it's going to be great for a number of reasons, but mainly it's going to be great because I get to watch all the athletes who I got to mentor this year become triathletes. To me, that is more exciting than whatever happens as far as my own race, and, well, that's probably good due to aforementioned lackluster training. This was my first year as a mentor and while it was harder than I thought it would be in terms of not always feeling like I was of any help to people and maybe feeling like I wasn't always as patient as I could have been, now I know what to expect as a mentor next year, and hearing other people's stories on what brought them to Tri It For Life has been really fun. I've really enjoyed getting to know approximately 40-50 new people this year, all thanks to this group. I learned that one of my friends from last year has a husband who is not naturally skinny like when I first saw him and assumed. He's actually lost a ton of weight over the last several years. I met a girl who was over 350 pounds, but you would never know it. It's neat how triathlon training is the beginning of a journey for everyone, but a lot of times it's in the middle of some bigger journey. Very inspiring group of ladies!
As for me this Sunday, I do think the bike portion will go well, and if I am having a good swim day, I think I can at least not be WORSE than last year. The run will just depend on my legs, and, I'm not going to sweat it. I'd LOVE for my total time to be less than 1:14, but if I can't do it this time, I have another chance to give it a go at the end of September.
I have a huge to-do list this week prior to the race. Tonight I am going to yoga with the tri training girls, as it is taper week. I'm not tapering as much this time since I've technically been in training since February. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go run a half marathon on Saturday, but I'd like to get 3-4 workouts in this week along with the triathlon. Last year I did absolutely NOTHING the week before the tri because of what was the worst case of swimmer's ear I believe I have ever had, and that was a bit of a setback, although I was MORE than ready to do a triathlon after sitting on my rump and wallowing in pain the entire week before.
Tomorrow after work, I'd like to catch a spin class, as I haven't been to one in like 12 weeks since I've been biking outside, but I also need to work on adjusting the cleats on my road bike shoes because I've had a hard time getting clipped in since I changed them out myself a couple weeks ago and I don't want that annoyance on Sunday if I can help it. I think I just need to move them forward a bit on the shoes. Thursday I plan on a short run/walk interval set on the treadmill and some weights, then I plan to take Friday off due to having to rush across town after work for our celebration dinner for the new athletes. I have to help set up, then take blood pressures and weights prior to the dinner (our group gets grant money by tracking weight and blood pressures before training starts and after we are finished). Saturday, I am helping with packet pickup for the race on Sunday, which earned me a free entry into the September race, which I am pretty pumped for. Sunday is the race, and Monday I plan on getting a pedicure and celebrating. If my body says I'm up for kickboxing on Monday evening, great. If not, I will call it a rest day. I just don't want to get into the habit that I've gotten myself into after the last two races where I just don't do any form of exercise for several weeks.
There is still a chance that I may do the triathlon in August, but as a relay with two other people where I will only be doing the bike portion, so I'm not really sweating it either way. I would love to do a relay though for the experience, but if it doesn't work out, it's okay, because that race would involve me carting my bike up to my parents' house two hours away, then getting up at like 4am to get to the race site which is an hour from their house. No amount of coffee makes that sound fun.
I am really, really aiming to do more meal preps as well in order to be more on top of my eating, and I've found a decent food/diet combination that I think can work for ME- kind of a hybrid of Weight Watchers and clean eating, but with the clean eating rules bent just a little so as not to feel deprived or like meal prep/shopping is so much work. Basically I'll eliminate MOST processed foods, try to shop more local fruits and veggies, but keep it convenient. I have a bad habit of over-complicating meal planning, and I think that is why I don't stick with it so well. If anyone has tips for easy meals to cook for two (dinner only- the hubs doesn't eat breakfast and eats 99.999% of his lunches on the road), that would be great. I'll track "points" with an app on my phone Sun-Fri and take a cheat day on Saturday, but try to keep it sane. I really would love to get about 20 pounds off before the next race, and I KNOW I can do it if I stick to it.
I can't wait to write a race report next week and compare this year to last year!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
What a Difference a Day Makes!
So last night, after the dog walk, I realized my back was for real on the mend. I hit up the grocery store last night for some sandwich items and some snacks, and then came home and took a hot bath, all the while forgetting to take any more Advil before bed. When I realize what I'd done this morning, I worried for a minute that I might not be able to sit upright. To my surprise, I felt 97% back to normal. It still feels a tad tight when I stretch, but no longer painful- even with sitting at a desk for 10 hours. Wahoo!
My nutrition today has been spot on, I got plenty of water, and I went on the group bike ride. I got new cleats for my bike shoes, and I must have put the right one a little too far up, because I had a heck of a time getting in and out of my clip on that side, but otherwise it was a WONDERFUL ride. Storms were going kind of around us, but it cooled the temps off nicely and the cloudyness helped make it a more comfortable ride as well. We went 8 miles exactly in just under 40 minutes. I wanted to take off and ride a few more miles with a few of the folks who were sticking around, but alas, I thought it wise to take it easy and then some lightening showed up, so I hightailed it home. No storms at home, so I am stuck yet again watering the trees. The hubs is out of town this week for work, so I'm sure it's quite comical to see me weaving in and out of them trying to move them around to the different trees. Yeah, definitely have to visit Lowe's this weekend for a different sprinkler setup.
I grilled some shrimp in some ginger lime glaze, alongside a small red potato. I'm about to have my second serving of watermelon for the day and hit the bath to soak away just a tiny bit of stiffness and dive deeper into the sequel book to The Devil Wears Prada (called Revenge Wears Prada). It's starting a little slower than TDWP, but it's still good. Aside from the shrimp, I think my food choices for tomorrow will be very close to the same things I ate today, as they were delicious and filling, and I am REALLY trying to keep things simple. I think I get too over the top with food stuff during the week (planning to make difficult recipes on the same nights I'm out training until 8pm, trying to mix it up too much every day, etc.). I just can't even put into words how much better I feel, both in terms of general energy level and desire to work out/train when I am eating things that are good for me. It's SO stupid that I don't do things this way every single day. How do I get so lost sometimes??
My nutrition today has been spot on, I got plenty of water, and I went on the group bike ride. I got new cleats for my bike shoes, and I must have put the right one a little too far up, because I had a heck of a time getting in and out of my clip on that side, but otherwise it was a WONDERFUL ride. Storms were going kind of around us, but it cooled the temps off nicely and the cloudyness helped make it a more comfortable ride as well. We went 8 miles exactly in just under 40 minutes. I wanted to take off and ride a few more miles with a few of the folks who were sticking around, but alas, I thought it wise to take it easy and then some lightening showed up, so I hightailed it home. No storms at home, so I am stuck yet again watering the trees. The hubs is out of town this week for work, so I'm sure it's quite comical to see me weaving in and out of them trying to move them around to the different trees. Yeah, definitely have to visit Lowe's this weekend for a different sprinkler setup.
I grilled some shrimp in some ginger lime glaze, alongside a small red potato. I'm about to have my second serving of watermelon for the day and hit the bath to soak away just a tiny bit of stiffness and dive deeper into the sequel book to The Devil Wears Prada (called Revenge Wears Prada). It's starting a little slower than TDWP, but it's still good. Aside from the shrimp, I think my food choices for tomorrow will be very close to the same things I ate today, as they were delicious and filling, and I am REALLY trying to keep things simple. I think I get too over the top with food stuff during the week (planning to make difficult recipes on the same nights I'm out training until 8pm, trying to mix it up too much every day, etc.). I just can't even put into words how much better I feel, both in terms of general energy level and desire to work out/train when I am eating things that are good for me. It's SO stupid that I don't do things this way every single day. How do I get so lost sometimes??
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Get it DONE
So on Saturday, I declared that this week was going to be my, "go hard and strong all week at the gym, catch up on slack triathlon training, and feel ready for my July 14th race" week. Then I hurt my back from what I assume was poor body mechanics while planting trees in our back yard as part of Project-I'm-Tired-Of-Seeing-The-Back-of-My-Neighbors-House. Don't get me wrong- they are nice, but if there's one thing I hate about new construction and building a home, it's the lack of trees. Unless of course you are fortunate enough to get a wooded lot. We chose a corner lot across from where the neigborhood pool will be once it is built, so it's not ALL doom and gloom, I just would merely like to sit on my back porch and have a beer without broadcasting what I'm doing to 3-4 other houses. And consequently, I don't really like for other people to feel like I'm sitting on my back porch watching them.
Anyway, I have NEVER had a back injury before. Well, aside from the strained right side of my lower back that I've been dealing with for about the last 6-8 months, but it is 98% better, and I don't really classify it as a back injury because I could still exercise while that was going on. This back injury? Totally different. It felt like sore muscles in my lower back on Saturday directly after we were finished planting the trees. Sunday was near impossible to sit or stand upright, and if I had to bend over, you could pretty much forget it, but the 1-2 times I managed to do it out of necessity, I felt a weird pinching in my lower spine- one that kind of takes your breath away while at the same time making you gasp and have ugly face.
It feels lots better with Advil (which I have been consuming like they are Skittles), but I'm still really feeling it when I'm having to sit in my desk chair for work and when I first wake up in the morning. I do think I just strained it, and I am feeling much, much better three days out, but still very nervous to go work out. I'm giving myself another night off aside from maybe walking the dog since it's not too hot out. I think I may be able to tackle something at the gym tomorrow. I hesitate to go on the group bike ride out on the road just because I'm afraid I will start to have a don of pain and won't be able to stop. At least if I try and catch a spin class, getting off the bike and going home will be an option if there is still pain there.
Bottom line? Hurting your back sucks. I should have known better. I am a nurse, and I spent several years practicing very good body mechanics when lifting and moving heavy/immobile people and never got hurt. I am just mad at myself for being an idiot, basically. And man, I have SUCKED at training for this 2nd triathlon. And annoyed that my times were less than stellar for the last triathlon. And worried that it's too late for me to train enough to really progress and have a better time than last year. And upset with myself that I continue to flounder when it comes to nutrition and a STEADY exercise plan.
I guess complaining about it is not really going to get me anywhere, and neither is continuing on this pattern I've been on. I may not be able to exercise the way that I want right now, but I CAN still manage to eat healthy/clean and do what my body allows me to. I can come here and post more often for accountability. I can do a better job at planning healthy meals and snacks. All this is within my capability- so I just need to GET IT DONE.
Plan for the next 24 hours:
Dog walk tonight.
Prep breakfast/snacks for tomorrow.
Go out tomorrow to the grocery store at lunch and get some healthy lunch foods.
Defrost some shrimp for dinner tomorrow.
Hope and pray that I can get out of this house for a real exercise session by tomorrow!
Anyway, I have NEVER had a back injury before. Well, aside from the strained right side of my lower back that I've been dealing with for about the last 6-8 months, but it is 98% better, and I don't really classify it as a back injury because I could still exercise while that was going on. This back injury? Totally different. It felt like sore muscles in my lower back on Saturday directly after we were finished planting the trees. Sunday was near impossible to sit or stand upright, and if I had to bend over, you could pretty much forget it, but the 1-2 times I managed to do it out of necessity, I felt a weird pinching in my lower spine- one that kind of takes your breath away while at the same time making you gasp and have ugly face.
It feels lots better with Advil (which I have been consuming like they are Skittles), but I'm still really feeling it when I'm having to sit in my desk chair for work and when I first wake up in the morning. I do think I just strained it, and I am feeling much, much better three days out, but still very nervous to go work out. I'm giving myself another night off aside from maybe walking the dog since it's not too hot out. I think I may be able to tackle something at the gym tomorrow. I hesitate to go on the group bike ride out on the road just because I'm afraid I will start to have a don of pain and won't be able to stop. At least if I try and catch a spin class, getting off the bike and going home will be an option if there is still pain there.
Bottom line? Hurting your back sucks. I should have known better. I am a nurse, and I spent several years practicing very good body mechanics when lifting and moving heavy/immobile people and never got hurt. I am just mad at myself for being an idiot, basically. And man, I have SUCKED at training for this 2nd triathlon. And annoyed that my times were less than stellar for the last triathlon. And worried that it's too late for me to train enough to really progress and have a better time than last year. And upset with myself that I continue to flounder when it comes to nutrition and a STEADY exercise plan.
I guess complaining about it is not really going to get me anywhere, and neither is continuing on this pattern I've been on. I may not be able to exercise the way that I want right now, but I CAN still manage to eat healthy/clean and do what my body allows me to. I can come here and post more often for accountability. I can do a better job at planning healthy meals and snacks. All this is within my capability- so I just need to GET IT DONE.
Plan for the next 24 hours:
Dog walk tonight.
Prep breakfast/snacks for tomorrow.
Go out tomorrow to the grocery store at lunch and get some healthy lunch foods.
Defrost some shrimp for dinner tomorrow.
Hope and pray that I can get out of this house for a real exercise session by tomorrow!
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