That's how I feel today...just ho-hum. Ran 42 mins today with Daisy and felt fine. The sunshine and warmer temps felt good (30 degrees vs 10). But since Kurt had run Daisy a few miles earlier this mornng, I didn't want overdo it for her so kept the pace slow. Thus, not the greatest training run but better than nothing, I guess.
I keep feeling like I should be doing more....that I'm not training enough. Then, I remember what my friend, Lynne, told me (who did the Florida IM in November) and that was "don't train hard too soon - you'll just burn out". It's hard to know when to start pushing harder, going longer, etc. I don't have a coach so I need to figure this one out soon!
I'm worried about next fall. I will be teaching two classes at UNC and one of them is a brand new class that I will be creating from scratch. The kids will probably be in soccer and choir, which ties up three weeknights for me. This is when my heaviest training will be. But Marshall works full time and his kids are way busier than mine so I think "if he can do it, I can do it".
But there's also dinner, laundry, grocery shopping, housecleaning - all of which are mostly my job. I have a hard enough time getting it all done without adding a rigorous training schedule. I'm not whining, just thinking realistically!
I may have to get myself off of some committees. Right now I'm Chair of the Colorado Chapter of FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption) and I'm on several ministry committees at church.
OK, one day at a time....one month at a time....
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Baby, it's Cold Outside!
But I ran anyway...and loved it. My thermometer said 3 degrees when I headed out the door this morning but I stayed plenty warm. One thing I'm good at is running in cold weather (despite last Sat's run). I was warm and toasty for the entire run and was so glad to get outside for fresh air. I took Daisy and ran about 5-6 miles. She did great!
The only thing I don't like about running in the winter is how long it takes to get ready. Layering up just takes awhile, usually because the layers that I'm looking for are at the bottom of the laundry basket or stuffed in Kurt's drawer somewhere.
In "usual" winter weather, e.g., temperatures of 20 - 40, it's a piece of cake: tights, t-neck, long-sleeve shirt, vest, and gloves. Not bad.
When it's bitter cold, like today, it's: long underwear, tights, tall socks, long bra (covers the tummy and feels oh so good), silk turtleneck, long-sleeve shirt, jacket, hat, liner gloves, mittens, and neck gator. And of course, sunglasses and Ipod.
Today I actually got hot. The jacket I wore was too thick and I didn't need liner gloves AND mittens. I long for the warm spring days when all I need are shorts and a singlet and I'm out the door.
Daisy ran well today. She trotted along beside me and hardly strayed from the path. I love running with her.
Yesterday, I did the Spinervals 10.0 tape again - whew! That is one of the hardest workouts I've ever done. Plan to do that once a week from now on.
The only thing I don't like about running in the winter is how long it takes to get ready. Layering up just takes awhile, usually because the layers that I'm looking for are at the bottom of the laundry basket or stuffed in Kurt's drawer somewhere.
In "usual" winter weather, e.g., temperatures of 20 - 40, it's a piece of cake: tights, t-neck, long-sleeve shirt, vest, and gloves. Not bad.
When it's bitter cold, like today, it's: long underwear, tights, tall socks, long bra (covers the tummy and feels oh so good), silk turtleneck, long-sleeve shirt, jacket, hat, liner gloves, mittens, and neck gator. And of course, sunglasses and Ipod.
Today I actually got hot. The jacket I wore was too thick and I didn't need liner gloves AND mittens. I long for the warm spring days when all I need are shorts and a singlet and I'm out the door.
Daisy ran well today. She trotted along beside me and hardly strayed from the path. I love running with her.
Yesterday, I did the Spinervals 10.0 tape again - whew! That is one of the hardest workouts I've ever done. Plan to do that once a week from now on.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Body Blues
I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself lately. I wasn't sure if I should say this here or not but I'm just going to blurt it out....tell the world..... it's really true and I'm tired of holding it in: I FEEL FAT!!!
OK, it's finally out. Yes, ME! Size 6 me....feels F-A-T. Oh, and not just fat but fat AND SLOW!!! Because, you know, I am a runner and feeling fat is not enough bad karma, one has to feel slow too, to really squelch the ol' self-esteem.
Marshall and I talked about this last week on a run. We both agreed that one reason (BUT NOT THE ONLY REASON) that we signed up for this Ironman is to have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to get into the best possible shape ever. To lose every ounce of bodyfat possible and be totally buffed (remember what I said in a previous post, that the main reason we all exercise, I think, is to "look good naked" as the guy in American Beauty said). It's all about the ego.
I look in the mirror and marvel at what the heck happened in the last few years. Where is that lean body I use to have? Where is that flat stomach? Those slim hips??? They've all gone south.
I have never, ever, in my entire life had "cellulite". As a sports dietitian, I can tell you that there is no such thing as cellulite. It's all adipose tissue - the same stuff that the 20-somethings laughingly call "muffin tops". It just looks different on the back of thighs and buttocks.
Anyway, I've never had it. Never even thought about it. Never worried about it. Never thought that I, the dietitian, who runs marathons, eats low-fat, and adds flax seed to her oatmeal would have cellulite.
Weeelllllll, those days are over! I look in the mirror and see an aging woman who has flabby thighs and a buddha belly. Can't believe I'm even writing this...but the question is, will the IM make it go away???? Marshall has lost 10 lbs but I can't seem to budge an ounce.....it's not fair!
OK, I've calmed down....Ohmmmmm......I love my body, I love my body, I love my body.....
OK, it's finally out. Yes, ME! Size 6 me....feels F-A-T. Oh, and not just fat but fat AND SLOW!!! Because, you know, I am a runner and feeling fat is not enough bad karma, one has to feel slow too, to really squelch the ol' self-esteem.
Marshall and I talked about this last week on a run. We both agreed that one reason (BUT NOT THE ONLY REASON) that we signed up for this Ironman is to have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to get into the best possible shape ever. To lose every ounce of bodyfat possible and be totally buffed (remember what I said in a previous post, that the main reason we all exercise, I think, is to "look good naked" as the guy in American Beauty said). It's all about the ego.
I look in the mirror and marvel at what the heck happened in the last few years. Where is that lean body I use to have? Where is that flat stomach? Those slim hips??? They've all gone south.
I have never, ever, in my entire life had "cellulite". As a sports dietitian, I can tell you that there is no such thing as cellulite. It's all adipose tissue - the same stuff that the 20-somethings laughingly call "muffin tops". It just looks different on the back of thighs and buttocks.
Anyway, I've never had it. Never even thought about it. Never worried about it. Never thought that I, the dietitian, who runs marathons, eats low-fat, and adds flax seed to her oatmeal would have cellulite.
Weeelllllll, those days are over! I look in the mirror and see an aging woman who has flabby thighs and a buddha belly. Can't believe I'm even writing this...but the question is, will the IM make it go away???? Marshall has lost 10 lbs but I can't seem to budge an ounce.....it's not fair!
OK, I've calmed down....Ohmmmmm......I love my body, I love my body, I love my body.....
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Cold, sore, and tired
That's how I felt after today's run! Ran with Lynne, Marshall, Kennon (sp?), Kevin, and Jenny, from Jenny's house. Jenny had asked if I could go 2 hrs to which I had naively said "sure". Within 2 miles of the run I realized that no, I was not up for 2 hrs.....and how could I be when the longest I had run recently was 8 miles????
But I didn't want to disappoint Jenny AND I thought maybe I could do it. Lynne, Marshall, and Kennon peeled off about halfway to go back sooner. I decided to keep going with Jenny and Kevin.
But it seemed like the temperature dropped 20 degrees (well, not that much but it felt like it!) and my legs felt like lead pipes - heavy, cold, and stiff. I went slower and slower.....and Jenny and Kevin kept right on going....I fell way behind and because I was going so slow, I got really, really, really...did I say really....cold! I had been sweating and every runner knows the bone-chilling cold you get when you sweat and then stay in the same sweaty clothes in cold air - ARRGGHH!
Plus, it was cloudy and dreary out and I just wanted to go home. My legs and butt hurt, my hands were frozen, and I was hungry.
I suppose to make it through an Ironman you have to ignore your body's aches and pains, ignore the pain and discomfort and push through the misery and constant yearnings for a hot shower and comfy couch and keep on truckin'....but it does beg the question: why do we do this????
Now that I'm showered, fed, warm, and rested, I feel fine and glad I went the distance. It was good to run with Jenny and Kevin. And hopefully I'll recover this fast after the IM next November!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Ketchup
Whew, this week has flown by and nary a word I have blogged!
I thought I was off to a great start with the wonderful run I had on Monday but it kinda went downhill from there, in terms of training. Let's see....on Inauguration Day I was glued to the TV and sat on my butt almost the entire day. I did, however, swim at 5:30 while my kids were at swim practice.
So, Tuesday = 30 mins of swimming.
On Wednesday, I ran with Daisy for about 4 miles. Still felt sore from Monday (can you believe it?) and had to push myself out the door. But once I got out there, I had a great run. Daisy did really well too. It was so warm outside that I wore shorts and a short-sleeved shirt! And it's January!
Today is Thursday and I didn't feel like running or biking this morning (uh oh, this isnt' good). Then I found out my daughter's strep test was positive so I needed to go get her out of school. That nixed any hopes for running but I could ride my trainer while she watched TV. But I had so much email to catch up on and things to do for FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption, of which I am Chair of), that I never got it done. Big bummer!
But I did swim today during the kids' swim practice. They are on a swim team that practices every Tues/Thurs from 5:30 - 6:15 PM at the Rec Center. I vowed to myself that I would swim while they practiced and so far, I have done it. But the sad thing is, I am tired after 30 mins of swimming. Ugh.
Today I swam 45 mins but I took longer breaks at the end of laps and threw in quite a few laps of just kicking, which I don't consider swimming. I'm not sure how long this will last because my kids are not liking the swim team. It really is too high of a level for them and the water is very cold. They're used to a more kid-friendly swimming experience and this coach is all-business. So, we'll see.
So, I had a great run early in the week but I need to be more consistent with longer runs; I need more spinning/biking, and I definitely need more strength training to be a better swimmer. I'll get right on that!
I thought I was off to a great start with the wonderful run I had on Monday but it kinda went downhill from there, in terms of training. Let's see....on Inauguration Day I was glued to the TV and sat on my butt almost the entire day. I did, however, swim at 5:30 while my kids were at swim practice.
So, Tuesday = 30 mins of swimming.
On Wednesday, I ran with Daisy for about 4 miles. Still felt sore from Monday (can you believe it?) and had to push myself out the door. But once I got out there, I had a great run. Daisy did really well too. It was so warm outside that I wore shorts and a short-sleeved shirt! And it's January!
Today is Thursday and I didn't feel like running or biking this morning (uh oh, this isnt' good). Then I found out my daughter's strep test was positive so I needed to go get her out of school. That nixed any hopes for running but I could ride my trainer while she watched TV. But I had so much email to catch up on and things to do for FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption, of which I am Chair of), that I never got it done. Big bummer!
But I did swim today during the kids' swim practice. They are on a swim team that practices every Tues/Thurs from 5:30 - 6:15 PM at the Rec Center. I vowed to myself that I would swim while they practiced and so far, I have done it. But the sad thing is, I am tired after 30 mins of swimming. Ugh.
Today I swam 45 mins but I took longer breaks at the end of laps and threw in quite a few laps of just kicking, which I don't consider swimming. I'm not sure how long this will last because my kids are not liking the swim team. It really is too high of a level for them and the water is very cold. They're used to a more kid-friendly swimming experience and this coach is all-business. So, we'll see.
So, I had a great run early in the week but I need to be more consistent with longer runs; I need more spinning/biking, and I definitely need more strength training to be a better swimmer. I'll get right on that!
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK Day
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr, Day! I am happy as a clam today. Why? Several reasons: 1) I had an awesome run this morning (more on that later), 2) my kids are home and since I didn't see them all weekend, I'm having a blast playing with them, and 3) I get to watch the inauguration tomorrow, and 4) I'm loving the fact that I'm not teaching this semester - I have time to do things I haven't done in years!
So, about that run this morning.....I wasn't sure I was going to run and then got "the urge" and ran 5 miles feeling very strong. It made me realize that I had not run that far on a weekday in a very long time. I used to run 5-6 days a week and at least 4 miles a day (usually more).
But in the last 5 years, I've unintentionally reduced the number of runs/week to 3-4 instead of 5-6 AND I run 3-4 miles at at time, instead of 4-7. No wonder I've gotten slower over the years!
It's definitely time to ramp it up. And if I feel like I did today, I'm doing good. Just wish I could feel this good in the pool!
So, about that run this morning.....I wasn't sure I was going to run and then got "the urge" and ran 5 miles feeling very strong. It made me realize that I had not run that far on a weekday in a very long time. I used to run 5-6 days a week and at least 4 miles a day (usually more).
But in the last 5 years, I've unintentionally reduced the number of runs/week to 3-4 instead of 5-6 AND I run 3-4 miles at at time, instead of 4-7. No wonder I've gotten slower over the years!
It's definitely time to ramp it up. And if I feel like I did today, I'm doing good. Just wish I could feel this good in the pool!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Blissful weekend
Silence....that's all I heard this weekend and I couldn't soak it up enough. Kurt took the kids skiing and I had the whole house to myself. But I've learned that a lot of unstructured time does not motivate one to do anything....hence, I didn't run or ride until 4:30 today...just too lazy.
I didn't feel like running so I rode my trainer for 30 mins while watching the pre-inauguration activities on CNN. I had sat on my butt almost the entire afternoon on Saturday doing something that I never get a chance to do: watch HGTV for hours. So this time I actually got in some exercise.
I watched more home makeovers this weekend than I've seen in my entire lifetime. And I just sat there and sat there and sat there...."like a bump on a log" my mother would say. I enjoyed it way more than I should have.
When I rode my trainer today, I put it on a harder gear and worked up a sweat. I threw in a couple of "surges": using the hardest gear for one minute, requiring me to stand. Good practice for the hills I will encounter in Lake to Lake.
Planning to swim tomorrow AM.
I didn't feel like running so I rode my trainer for 30 mins while watching the pre-inauguration activities on CNN. I had sat on my butt almost the entire afternoon on Saturday doing something that I never get a chance to do: watch HGTV for hours. So this time I actually got in some exercise.
I watched more home makeovers this weekend than I've seen in my entire lifetime. And I just sat there and sat there and sat there...."like a bump on a log" my mother would say. I enjoyed it way more than I should have.
When I rode my trainer today, I put it on a harder gear and worked up a sweat. I threw in a couple of "surges": using the hardest gear for one minute, requiring me to stand. Good practice for the hills I will encounter in Lake to Lake.
Planning to swim tomorrow AM.
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