UUUG - THE FLU!! The plague struck this week and I have been oh so sidelined! For two days the challenge was just standing up out of bed, that was a workout. I swear the halls at the doctor's office were longer than the marathon I ran! The nurse had to stop and wait for me! Once this stage wore off and the flood of mucus started in my head and chest I have now entered into the struggling to breathe phase. What a joy!
For the first time in a very, very long time I have not exercised all week. The dumb thing is I keep stressing that I'm going to loose all my fitness and get way off track on my IM training by taking a few days off. Some of it is that I usually train about 14 hours a week. Without that training I feel blah and a little out of control. So, add the blah and out of control to my general sick feeling and you can imagine that I have been a joy to be around this week!
(Mental note, do something very nice for my husband - soon!)
Here's hoping to get back on my bike this weekend and OUT OF THIS HOUSE!!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Lessons of a Long Trainer Ride
It's amazing what you will learn about yourself when you spend 3 hours on the indoor bike trainer! Here are the lessons I have learned from 2 weeks in a row of 3 hour (50+ miles) on my indoor trainer:
1. I am a much better leader than I am a follower. Last week I followed a Spinnervals video - it was hard & I didn't enjoy it that much. This week Nina, a training client came over to share my pain for most of the ride. I lead our workout instead of using the video. Maybe it was the company, but I enjoyed the ride much more & my avg. speed was 1 mph faster.
2. I want to train to qualify for Kona someday. I used to enjoy the fact that I was training to finish the Ironman & I didn't care about time, never had aspirations to qualify for Kona, just wanted to do it for the sake of doing it. Last week on the trainer I realized that I really, really, really want to push myself to the limits to see if I can do it one day. I have a long way to go & it might be several years before I'm ready to really pursue this one, but someday I want to find myself on the big island pedaling against the wind in the heat w/ the big dogs of the sport. Crap, how come I always have to raise the stakes on myself?
3. Pain is really only temporary. I find that if I can ride out the initial pain in the butt (literally) it subsides. What it really takes is focus to work beyond that pain. This is a skill I am still working on acquiring, but I'm getting better.
If this crappy Sunday weather continues I'm sure I'll have a lot more lessons from the trainer to come!!!
1. I am a much better leader than I am a follower. Last week I followed a Spinnervals video - it was hard & I didn't enjoy it that much. This week Nina, a training client came over to share my pain for most of the ride. I lead our workout instead of using the video. Maybe it was the company, but I enjoyed the ride much more & my avg. speed was 1 mph faster.
2. I want to train to qualify for Kona someday. I used to enjoy the fact that I was training to finish the Ironman & I didn't care about time, never had aspirations to qualify for Kona, just wanted to do it for the sake of doing it. Last week on the trainer I realized that I really, really, really want to push myself to the limits to see if I can do it one day. I have a long way to go & it might be several years before I'm ready to really pursue this one, but someday I want to find myself on the big island pedaling against the wind in the heat w/ the big dogs of the sport. Crap, how come I always have to raise the stakes on myself?
3. Pain is really only temporary. I find that if I can ride out the initial pain in the butt (literally) it subsides. What it really takes is focus to work beyond that pain. This is a skill I am still working on acquiring, but I'm getting better.
If this crappy Sunday weather continues I'm sure I'll have a lot more lessons from the trainer to come!!!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Goals
So I have decided on my goals for the season & beyond:
1) enjoy my training for Louisville & have balance between my training & homelife
2) have an amazingly fast bike split for Louisville, hopefully knock over an hour off my bike split from last year
3) improve my marathon split time by atleast 30 min, preferably around 45 min. to match my time at the abismal Disney marathon
4) place at one of the shorter races -- any race, any top 3 place would be GREAT!!
5) help Anna to have a more successful triathlon this year
6) LONG TERM in the next 5 years, spend a year getting serious about my training & try to qualify for either KONA or Clearwater. --I have about 31/2 to 4 hours to knock off my IM time or around 1 1/2 to knock off my 1/2 IM time to get to this.
A girl has to dream big!!!!
1) enjoy my training for Louisville & have balance between my training & homelife
2) have an amazingly fast bike split for Louisville, hopefully knock over an hour off my bike split from last year
3) improve my marathon split time by atleast 30 min, preferably around 45 min. to match my time at the abismal Disney marathon
4) place at one of the shorter races -- any race, any top 3 place would be GREAT!!
5) help Anna to have a more successful triathlon this year
6) LONG TERM in the next 5 years, spend a year getting serious about my training & try to qualify for either KONA or Clearwater. --I have about 31/2 to 4 hours to knock off my IM time or around 1 1/2 to knock off my 1/2 IM time to get to this.
A girl has to dream big!!!!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Moderation
I have so often heard the comment, "I could have done more" or "I still felt good so I added on ..." etc. There seems to be a perception that we must finish every workout absolutly unable to go on any further. Don't get me wrong, there are workouts than need to be like that. Speedwork is often like that.
I had my first speed run in a long time this past week. Marathon training & running w/ others have taken priority for the last couple of months. It was so nice to get out and work really hard. When I finished I was about done, but I still had enough for some power yoga and an evening swim but it felt good to be tired.
It must be something to do w/ our socieity that makes us all feel like we have to go, go, go every time & completely exhaust ourselves. Why not slow down and make some workouts about working on your endurance, or heaven forbid make some workouts just about enjoying the workout. We are all so focused on the end result sometimes we forget to enjoy the process that gets us there!! So slow down & enjoy the workout!
I had my first speed run in a long time this past week. Marathon training & running w/ others have taken priority for the last couple of months. It was so nice to get out and work really hard. When I finished I was about done, but I still had enough for some power yoga and an evening swim but it felt good to be tired.
It must be something to do w/ our socieity that makes us all feel like we have to go, go, go every time & completely exhaust ourselves. Why not slow down and make some workouts about working on your endurance, or heaven forbid make some workouts just about enjoying the workout. We are all so focused on the end result sometimes we forget to enjoy the process that gets us there!! So slow down & enjoy the workout!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Things We Dread
I am famous for signing up for things, volunteering for things, scheduling things that sound great only to dread them when the event draws near. In addition to social and volunteer activities I do this with workouts too. I'll get myself all excited about an outside ride I have scheduled later in the week only to find myself dreading it and trying to make excuses to get out of it the night before.
I'm great at planning FOR the moment, but I'm not very good at being 'in' the moment. My lenten discipline for this year is Yoga. I am trying to improve my body, mind, spirit connection and better myself at being more present in the, well present moment. So, 40 days of Yoga for me!
Right now I am just doing tapes that I have at home. For now that is enough, but I suspect soon I will need more and will have to seek out a good class. The first couple of times I did my yoga tapes I HATED the meditation at the end. My skin was crawling it was so hard for me. One time I even just shut the tape off and walked away. After reading Eat, Pray, Love (what an AMAZING book) I learned that I needed to embrace this strong emotional response and face it head on.
So, I squirmed through a couple more meditation sessions, not fighting the squirming but not shutting off the tape either. What do you know, after 2 weeks of squirming I am learning to relax and enjoy the meditation. I am learning to dedicate that 15 - 30 min. block to just Yoga and not think, worry, plan for the next 30 min. I've still got a LONG way to go but so far I think I'm doing pretty darn good for a novice!!
I can also feel myself applying the technique to my workouts. Instead of squirming and trying to excuse myself from the difficut times of my workouts I find myself asking why I am so determined to give up, the answer is almost always that I have lost my focus. So now I have learned 2 things from 2 weeks of Yoga, be still & focus.
I'm great at planning FOR the moment, but I'm not very good at being 'in' the moment. My lenten discipline for this year is Yoga. I am trying to improve my body, mind, spirit connection and better myself at being more present in the, well present moment. So, 40 days of Yoga for me!
Right now I am just doing tapes that I have at home. For now that is enough, but I suspect soon I will need more and will have to seek out a good class. The first couple of times I did my yoga tapes I HATED the meditation at the end. My skin was crawling it was so hard for me. One time I even just shut the tape off and walked away. After reading Eat, Pray, Love (what an AMAZING book) I learned that I needed to embrace this strong emotional response and face it head on.
So, I squirmed through a couple more meditation sessions, not fighting the squirming but not shutting off the tape either. What do you know, after 2 weeks of squirming I am learning to relax and enjoy the meditation. I am learning to dedicate that 15 - 30 min. block to just Yoga and not think, worry, plan for the next 30 min. I've still got a LONG way to go but so far I think I'm doing pretty darn good for a novice!!
I can also feel myself applying the technique to my workouts. Instead of squirming and trying to excuse myself from the difficut times of my workouts I find myself asking why I am so determined to give up, the answer is almost always that I have lost my focus. So now I have learned 2 things from 2 weeks of Yoga, be still & focus.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Dating
My how life has changed. At first dating Paul meant going to Comedy Clubs, bars, resteraunts, even romantic ski weekends. After marraige and kids dating meant going out to the movies for special movies (we're very cheap), resteraunts, and special occasions like weddings etc. I think we have the best dates ever now.
Yesterday Paul took a long lunch & we went for a nice 2 hour bike ride. After dinner & getting the kids to bed we did our PM Yoga tape together, then laid in bed & watched House together. Well, as much as I could stay awake for.
We've struck an agreement w/ our babysitter, who is a young adult, not a teenager that is engaged and in need of some personal training & overall health coaching to get herself healthy for her own sake & get herself in shape for her wedding. She is babysiting a few hours every Sunday while Paul and I ride bike in return for training. A date every week, and it's all FREE! Also a weekly outside ride to help reach my 4000 miles in 2008 goal.
I still have anxiety about riding outside but I am looking forward to it much more. Mostly I enjoy being out riding with Paul enjoying some much needed alone time!!
Yesterday Paul took a long lunch & we went for a nice 2 hour bike ride. After dinner & getting the kids to bed we did our PM Yoga tape together, then laid in bed & watched House together. Well, as much as I could stay awake for.
We've struck an agreement w/ our babysitter, who is a young adult, not a teenager that is engaged and in need of some personal training & overall health coaching to get herself healthy for her own sake & get herself in shape for her wedding. She is babysiting a few hours every Sunday while Paul and I ride bike in return for training. A date every week, and it's all FREE! Also a weekly outside ride to help reach my 4000 miles in 2008 goal.
I still have anxiety about riding outside but I am looking forward to it much more. Mostly I enjoy being out riding with Paul enjoying some much needed alone time!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Everybody should be an Ironman
When I tell people that I have done an Ironman (which is as often as possible) most people are pretty impressed. Truth is, (and I hestitate to say this aloud) just about anybody can do an Ironman. It takes months and months of training, and lots of dedication and determination, but aside from physical limitations - I do believe just about anyone can finish an Ironman.
Doing an Ironman opened my eyes to strength and courage I never knew I had. I discovered so many wonderful - and some not so wonderful - things about myself along the 8 months of training! Truth be told, race day was just a graduation. The true test was not the day of 140.6 miles, the test was the day I had to spend 3 1/2 hours on my trainer in the basement. The test was swimming for an hour, then when my back was sore, my arms were tired and I wanted to stop . . . going for another half an hour. I was tested when it was 98 degrees outside and I had to go out for a 10 mile run. Here I discovered my inner strength.
Not everybody has to race 140.6 miles to find that strength in themselves. For some it is starting to run and completing a 5k when they never thought they could run that far. Others it is going it alone as a single parent when all the bricks are stacked against them. Some have to face losses and pain that I can't even imagine surviving - and yet they still get up every day and go on.
See, everyone has an Ironman inside them, it's just a matter of what race you have to run to find that inner Iron strength and courage.
Doing an Ironman opened my eyes to strength and courage I never knew I had. I discovered so many wonderful - and some not so wonderful - things about myself along the 8 months of training! Truth be told, race day was just a graduation. The true test was not the day of 140.6 miles, the test was the day I had to spend 3 1/2 hours on my trainer in the basement. The test was swimming for an hour, then when my back was sore, my arms were tired and I wanted to stop . . . going for another half an hour. I was tested when it was 98 degrees outside and I had to go out for a 10 mile run. Here I discovered my inner strength.
Not everybody has to race 140.6 miles to find that strength in themselves. For some it is starting to run and completing a 5k when they never thought they could run that far. Others it is going it alone as a single parent when all the bricks are stacked against them. Some have to face losses and pain that I can't even imagine surviving - and yet they still get up every day and go on.
See, everyone has an Ironman inside them, it's just a matter of what race you have to run to find that inner Iron strength and courage.
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