Ran 30 mins with Daisy this AM. Felt great - had to force myself to stop early so that I would have enough energy for swimming. That was hard! Triathlon-training is tricky; you have to know which sport to emphasize each day and one sport usually suffers. It's a lot like real juggling - keeping three balls in the air at the same time.
After we got the kids to school, Kurt and I went to the pool (he had the day off). Swam 1000 yards, which is good for me. If I can swim 3 days/week and bike at least two days/week, then I think I'm doing good.
I could probably benefit from having a coach. But Kurt wants to keep expenses down so I'm going to just follow Gail Bernhardt's plan like Marshall. It should be good enough. But it would be nice to have someone customize my training plan to my schedule and give me support/feedback along the way.
Have a busy day tomorrow - will probably just spin for 30 - 45 mins.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Ketchup
OK, so I got behind in keeping this blog...will do a quick recap now. I debate everyday whether to continue this blog but I keep coming back. It's more than just a training log...I like to record my thoughts along the way too. Who knows, maybe my kids will read it someday and understand why I'm so cranky all the time.
Last week I got a taste of what having an injury feels like. Strained a muscle in my bum! It happened while doing a quick run with Daisy. I dropped kids off for soccer practice and having only 30 mins, I let Daisy yank me off to a fast start. I should've held her back but nooo....I had to try to keep up. Not good! After the run (and the next day) I could hardly walk.
So, I swam on Thursday and biked on Friday. I was afraid to run thinking it would get worse. But after a few rounds of Celebrex and hey, I'm good to go! Hobbled out for a run on Saturday with Brenda and felt fine. We did 9.something with the dogs - great run!
Sunday was a blow-out. The forecast called for near-60 degrees so I planned to bike in the afternoon. Long story short, I was nowhere near a bike that afternoon....I was sitting in a theatre watching Monsters vs. Aliens with my two 8 yr old kids and one 15 yr old exchange student. Great movie but I really wanted to be on my bike!
I'm saving the best for last. Today I totally redeemed myself from yesterday. It was very windy outside so I decided to ride my trainer. Got out the ol' Spinerval tape but decided to do the full workout this time, which includes a bike/run option. I did that for the first time and I was wiped out! But it was so much fun, I really enjoyed it. It's three 15-min cycles of riding with increasing intensity (to the point of exhaustion, almost) and after each cycle, you jump off the bike and onto the treadmill. I felt amazingly good. In fact, the run felt so good that I had to force myself off the treadmill. I was dripping with sweat at the end. Way, way cool!!!
Getting anxious to start "the plan" and see some results. Tomorrow I'm swimming and running. (Just gotta watch those quick starts and keep the Celebrex handy!)
Last week I got a taste of what having an injury feels like. Strained a muscle in my bum! It happened while doing a quick run with Daisy. I dropped kids off for soccer practice and having only 30 mins, I let Daisy yank me off to a fast start. I should've held her back but nooo....I had to try to keep up. Not good! After the run (and the next day) I could hardly walk.
So, I swam on Thursday and biked on Friday. I was afraid to run thinking it would get worse. But after a few rounds of Celebrex and hey, I'm good to go! Hobbled out for a run on Saturday with Brenda and felt fine. We did 9.something with the dogs - great run!
Sunday was a blow-out. The forecast called for near-60 degrees so I planned to bike in the afternoon. Long story short, I was nowhere near a bike that afternoon....I was sitting in a theatre watching Monsters vs. Aliens with my two 8 yr old kids and one 15 yr old exchange student. Great movie but I really wanted to be on my bike!
I'm saving the best for last. Today I totally redeemed myself from yesterday. It was very windy outside so I decided to ride my trainer. Got out the ol' Spinerval tape but decided to do the full workout this time, which includes a bike/run option. I did that for the first time and I was wiped out! But it was so much fun, I really enjoyed it. It's three 15-min cycles of riding with increasing intensity (to the point of exhaustion, almost) and after each cycle, you jump off the bike and onto the treadmill. I felt amazingly good. In fact, the run felt so good that I had to force myself off the treadmill. I was dripping with sweat at the end. Way, way cool!!!
Getting anxious to start "the plan" and see some results. Tomorrow I'm swimming and running. (Just gotta watch those quick starts and keep the Celebrex handy!)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Slow Ride
Rode with my hubby yesterday. Slow, relaxed ride out to Kodak and back. Fabulous weather! Sunny and 70. Probably back on the trainer this week as the temps have dropped (and hopefully we'll get some rain).
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Shorter, faster
Slept a little too long this morning (thanks to my cat, Thomas, who woke me up several times during the night)....and didn't have quite enough time for a long, slow run. Decided to make it a shorter, faster run.
Ran about an hour and pushed the pace. Legs were tired but I had energy. Good run overall. Hope to bike tomorrow.
Ran about an hour and pushed the pace. Legs were tired but I had energy. Good run overall. Hope to bike tomorrow.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Catch As, Catch Can
Had a good run today. Jenny needed to do a long run today (Friday) because she won't have time tomorrow so she asked if I could run with her. I had to take the kids to school and could go at 8:30 after I dropped them off. So I took Daisy with me and left from Monfort. Ran down 47th Avenue until I ran into Jenny.
We ran out to Joesphine's Jone's park, around there, back by WOW to Monfort. Jenny had had a rough morning so she needed to vent. It's so nice to have friends that run because we can share all of our frustrations while we run (and kill two birds with one stone!).
I needed to get home so cut the run a little shorter than planned but at least I got a run in. She ran 3 hrs and plans to run another hour tomorrow....wow, I feel like a wimp! Will run tomorrow too but not too long since we have a soccer game at 10:30 (need to get there by 10:00. Plan to bike on Sunday.
We ran out to Joesphine's Jone's park, around there, back by WOW to Monfort. Jenny had had a rough morning so she needed to vent. It's so nice to have friends that run because we can share all of our frustrations while we run (and kill two birds with one stone!).
I needed to get home so cut the run a little shorter than planned but at least I got a run in. She ran 3 hrs and plans to run another hour tomorrow....wow, I feel like a wimp! Will run tomorrow too but not too long since we have a soccer game at 10:30 (need to get there by 10:00. Plan to bike on Sunday.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Plenty of Time
Had a great ride with Lynne yesterday. We left her house around 1:30 thinking we had plenty of time and rode to Windsor and back. I had to be back by 3:30 to pick up my kids. We took off at a good pace with a tailwind pushing us along.
I felt really good. Maybe it was the shot of caffeine I had before we left or maybe it was the thrill of getting out on my bike on a beautifuly day. Either way, I felt great and it seemed like we were flying.
We took O street out to Kodak and then Lynne suggested we climb the steep hill out south of Windsor that is part of the Pelican Lakes Triathlon. No problem, we have plenty of time....
We crossed 257 and rode through south Windsor, by Water Valley. Everytime I'm out there I think of all the times I walked my dogs in that area back when it used to be an open field. Now it's full of high-end homes.
We turned south and went up "that hill". Same hill Kurt and I used to run up years ago when we lived in Windsor. Back then it was a narrow little dirt road that no one knew about. Now it's a wide paved road leading to million dollar homes.
I tried to stay with Lynne as we charged up the hill but couldn't quite do it. I decided then and there that I need to ride hills every week from now on...
We turned around at the top and flew back down. Still thinking we had plenty of time to get back to Greeley.
We rode through Kodak and back out to O street. I look at my watch and it says 2:43....I need to be back to Lynn's by 3:15 so I can get my bike in the car and get to Monfort by 3:30...uh oh. No problem, says Lynne.
I don't know what it is about riding back to Greeley on O street - whether it's a slight uphill or whether there is a mysterious headwind that automatically appears whenever there's a cyclist in a hurry. Either way, it always seems to take longer to get back than it does to go out there! (Lynne said she swears the wind "swirls" out there, changing directions constantly).
Anyway, we kept a steady fast pace all the way back. At the intersection of 59th Ave and 4th Street, it was 3:15....then we hit a red light....I'm starting to panic. As soon as it turned green, we took off. Uh oh...another light...it's green - yay - lets go!
We made it back by 3:25. But this is the funny part. Lynne was having work done on her driveway so here are all these guys working out front and we come flying around the corner. I jump off my bike and run to her house in my bike cleats, jumping over the flower bed to get to her front porch. She runs in to get my keys and ten back out to the car...I run out next, still in my bike cleats, racing to the car....Lynne has quickly put my bike in the back of the van. She tosses me my keys as I jump in the driver seat and take off. I bet they thought we were nuts!
All in all a good ride, but a very fast one even though we had "plenty of time".
I felt really good. Maybe it was the shot of caffeine I had before we left or maybe it was the thrill of getting out on my bike on a beautifuly day. Either way, I felt great and it seemed like we were flying.
We took O street out to Kodak and then Lynne suggested we climb the steep hill out south of Windsor that is part of the Pelican Lakes Triathlon. No problem, we have plenty of time....
We crossed 257 and rode through south Windsor, by Water Valley. Everytime I'm out there I think of all the times I walked my dogs in that area back when it used to be an open field. Now it's full of high-end homes.
We turned south and went up "that hill". Same hill Kurt and I used to run up years ago when we lived in Windsor. Back then it was a narrow little dirt road that no one knew about. Now it's a wide paved road leading to million dollar homes.
I tried to stay with Lynne as we charged up the hill but couldn't quite do it. I decided then and there that I need to ride hills every week from now on...
We turned around at the top and flew back down. Still thinking we had plenty of time to get back to Greeley.
We rode through Kodak and back out to O street. I look at my watch and it says 2:43....I need to be back to Lynn's by 3:15 so I can get my bike in the car and get to Monfort by 3:30...uh oh. No problem, says Lynne.
I don't know what it is about riding back to Greeley on O street - whether it's a slight uphill or whether there is a mysterious headwind that automatically appears whenever there's a cyclist in a hurry. Either way, it always seems to take longer to get back than it does to go out there! (Lynne said she swears the wind "swirls" out there, changing directions constantly).
Anyway, we kept a steady fast pace all the way back. At the intersection of 59th Ave and 4th Street, it was 3:15....then we hit a red light....I'm starting to panic. As soon as it turned green, we took off. Uh oh...another light...it's green - yay - lets go!
We made it back by 3:25. But this is the funny part. Lynne was having work done on her driveway so here are all these guys working out front and we come flying around the corner. I jump off my bike and run to her house in my bike cleats, jumping over the flower bed to get to her front porch. She runs in to get my keys and ten back out to the car...I run out next, still in my bike cleats, racing to the car....Lynne has quickly put my bike in the back of the van. She tosses me my keys as I jump in the driver seat and take off. I bet they thought we were nuts!
All in all a good ride, but a very fast one even though we had "plenty of time".
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Bunny Hill Run
I'm getting behind in recording my workouts and finding it too easy to shrug it off....this blog really does help me stay accountable! Some days I wonder why I'm doing this and have thought several times about deleting it but for some reason, I keep plugging away. And after reading Dan's hilarious comment from yesterday's post, I have reason to continue....
Anyway, got a great run in yesterday. Took the kids to school and parked at my mom's house near WOW. Ran the same loop that I biked the other day - 20th to the turnoff for the Fun Plex (not sure what that road is called), north by the Fun Plex and then east up "Bunny Hill" to 59th Avenue and back. I love that loop! I ran it twice and despite feeling under the weather I felt great.
Say what??? How can you feel great when you are feeling "under the weather"??? Most runners know what I mean. You can still run when you're not feeling well (except when you have a fever). I had been battling some kind of GI bug for a few days and was even feeling light-headed yesterday but still had a great run.
Listened to Slumdog soundtrack again - great music to run to!
Today I'm riding with Lynne. Still feeling under the weather so it will probably be a slow ride but right now, a slow ride is better than no ride (uh 0h, I'm starting to sound like a triathlete - someone help me please!)
Anyway, got a great run in yesterday. Took the kids to school and parked at my mom's house near WOW. Ran the same loop that I biked the other day - 20th to the turnoff for the Fun Plex (not sure what that road is called), north by the Fun Plex and then east up "Bunny Hill" to 59th Avenue and back. I love that loop! I ran it twice and despite feeling under the weather I felt great.
Say what??? How can you feel great when you are feeling "under the weather"??? Most runners know what I mean. You can still run when you're not feeling well (except when you have a fever). I had been battling some kind of GI bug for a few days and was even feeling light-headed yesterday but still had a great run.
Listened to Slumdog soundtrack again - great music to run to!
Today I'm riding with Lynne. Still feeling under the weather so it will probably be a slow ride but right now, a slow ride is better than no ride (uh 0h, I'm starting to sound like a triathlete - someone help me please!)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Quickie Ride
Who doesn't like a quickie? That's what it's all about when you have kids, a job, endless church committee meetings, a house to clean, etc. You take it when you can get it.
Of course, I'm referring to cycling. Or training in general. It's hard to fit into a busy schedule. And while I would never give up running, sometimes I let other commitments take precedence over swimming and biking.
Anyway, on Sunday I put aside all the housework and organizing I'm trying to do (which never seems to stop!), the projects I'm working on, and even my kid's requests to play with them (and for once I didn't feel guilty), and I went for a bike ride.
I only had 60 - 90 minutes so I decided to try something new. Instead of riding out in the country, which takes too long, I made several short loops in town. I rode out to the corner of 20th and 59th Avenue (by WOW) and first did a short loop: turning north off of 20th by the ball fields and going past the Fun Plex and up the hill to 59th Ave and back to the start. But that was too short. That's actually a loop I run from time to time.
So I decided to make it bigger but still making only right-hand turns. I rode from the same starting point to 71st Avenue. Then I turned right (north) and went to 10th street.....right again and up the hill to 59th Avenue. Turning right onto 59th Avenue means going up a steep hill, after slowing way down to watch for traffic, which made it even harder but it felt great. I like this loop!
I rode this loop twice and then went back home. It was perfect. It took me an hour and 15 minutes and because I climbed a hill several times, I think I got a good workout. I wouldn't want to do this all the time, but when time is short, it was a nice "no-brainer" ride. And that's good enough for me!
Of course, I'm referring to cycling. Or training in general. It's hard to fit into a busy schedule. And while I would never give up running, sometimes I let other commitments take precedence over swimming and biking.
Anyway, on Sunday I put aside all the housework and organizing I'm trying to do (which never seems to stop!), the projects I'm working on, and even my kid's requests to play with them (and for once I didn't feel guilty), and I went for a bike ride.
I only had 60 - 90 minutes so I decided to try something new. Instead of riding out in the country, which takes too long, I made several short loops in town. I rode out to the corner of 20th and 59th Avenue (by WOW) and first did a short loop: turning north off of 20th by the ball fields and going past the Fun Plex and up the hill to 59th Ave and back to the start. But that was too short. That's actually a loop I run from time to time.
So I decided to make it bigger but still making only right-hand turns. I rode from the same starting point to 71st Avenue. Then I turned right (north) and went to 10th street.....right again and up the hill to 59th Avenue. Turning right onto 59th Avenue means going up a steep hill, after slowing way down to watch for traffic, which made it even harder but it felt great. I like this loop!
I rode this loop twice and then went back home. It was perfect. It took me an hour and 15 minutes and because I climbed a hill several times, I think I got a good workout. I wouldn't want to do this all the time, but when time is short, it was a nice "no-brainer" ride. And that's good enough for me!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Comical Run
OK, so this will go down as one of the funniest/strangest runs I've ever done.
It started off normally: a group of us met at Jenny's house for our usual Saturday long run. There was Lynne, Marshall, Kevin, and Brenda. It was my birthday and one thing I wanted was a long run with my friends.
It started off normally: a group of us met at Jenny's house for our usual Saturday long run. There was Lynne, Marshall, Kevin, and Brenda. It was my birthday and one thing I wanted was a long run with my friends.
And of course, we brought our canine companions: Daisy, Kylee, Zoey, and Maggy.
We started down the usual road and everything was fine until we ran past a farm house sitting close to the road. A smaller brown dog came flying out of the yard and went running after us. We tried to get it to turn back but it wouldn't. Marshall tried to get the dog to stay there but it kept following us.
The owner came out and tried to catch "Lulu" but couldn't. He was an older man and he wasn't moving too quickly. In the chaos, I realized that Lulu was not just "a dog" but a pit bull. Yikes! I happen to have a major fear of pitt bulls. Long story short, we finally had to walk around to their backyard to get Lulu to follow us. It worked - yay - we can actually finish our run!
Then, we decided to stop for a picture. Marshall agreed to take it and we all lined up facing the camera....well, all of us except Daisy, who is either being stubborn or is a little camera shy (see picture).
We started down the usual road and everything was fine until we ran past a farm house sitting close to the road. A smaller brown dog came flying out of the yard and went running after us. We tried to get it to turn back but it wouldn't. Marshall tried to get the dog to stay there but it kept following us.
The owner came out and tried to catch "Lulu" but couldn't. He was an older man and he wasn't moving too quickly. In the chaos, I realized that Lulu was not just "a dog" but a pit bull. Yikes! I happen to have a major fear of pitt bulls. Long story short, we finally had to walk around to their backyard to get Lulu to follow us. It worked - yay - we can actually finish our run!
Then, we decided to stop for a picture. Marshall agreed to take it and we all lined up facing the camera....well, all of us except Daisy, who is either being stubborn or is a little camera shy (see picture).
On the way back, we decided to take a rest on a nice black couch that someone must have accidentally left out there....on a country road (see photo). Boy, I wish there were couches strategically placed on ALL of my long runs! Again, Marshall graciously agreed to take a picture and somehow accidentally turned the camera to video and well, take a look for yourself.
All in all, a very comical run!
All in all, a very comical run!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Oh yeah, I need to swim...
Swam today for the first time in over a week. Not good! I should be swimming 2-3 times/week. Yikes! Marshall is swimming 3 times a week and lifting weights and biking....yikes, yikes, yikes.
But I did have a good swim. Kurt and I went to the pool around 10:15. He had the day off and had a dental appt at 8:00 so by the time he got home, it was 10:00. The only problem with swimming that late is that I got really hungry toward the end of the swim.
There was good and bad to the swim. The good is that I can now breath on both sides, which is a huge change for me. Four months ago I couldn't do that but now I can. That should help prevent a shoulder injury.
The bad part is that I got incredibly bored. I just don't get any kind of joy out of swimming. I feel good for the first 15 mins and then I'm ready to leave. Maybe its because I'm usually the only one there when I go swim and it's a little lonely. They don't even play any music anymore. Poor me!
And I'm starting to have a wee bit of knee pain (I don't even want to write those words!) so I need to be careful. But I think I'll ride tomorrow and run on Saturday. And then maybe swim on Sunday...
But I did have a good swim. Kurt and I went to the pool around 10:15. He had the day off and had a dental appt at 8:00 so by the time he got home, it was 10:00. The only problem with swimming that late is that I got really hungry toward the end of the swim.
There was good and bad to the swim. The good is that I can now breath on both sides, which is a huge change for me. Four months ago I couldn't do that but now I can. That should help prevent a shoulder injury.
The bad part is that I got incredibly bored. I just don't get any kind of joy out of swimming. I feel good for the first 15 mins and then I'm ready to leave. Maybe its because I'm usually the only one there when I go swim and it's a little lonely. They don't even play any music anymore. Poor me!
And I'm starting to have a wee bit of knee pain (I don't even want to write those words!) so I need to be careful. But I think I'll ride tomorrow and run on Saturday. And then maybe swim on Sunday...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ketchup
Got back from Utah last night and catching up with things. Came home to find both our home computers not working....each with different problems. Our computer - the one Kurt and I use - started up fine but I could not open my profile. It's corrupted, according to an error message. Couldn't access Outlook or anything on my side of the computer.
Called up our favorite "computer guy", Michael Jenichen, owner of Computer Guy Technologies, LLC, who is THE most knowledgeable computer guy in the world (and one of the nicest). He's working on things now.
In the meantime, I can use my old trusty laptop.
So, Kurt finished the Xterra Winter Quadrathlon on Sunday but it wasn't pretty. He collapsed at the finish line and was slightly incoherent for awhile. He is the most undramatic person I know so to him lying on the ground like that was a little scary. He eventually got up but could hardly walk.
The race was brutal, he said. 6.2 miles of mountain biking on snow-packed trails (akin to riding your bike on a sandy beach, he said, causing him to get off and run his bike for half of it), 3 miles of snow-shoeing up and down steep hills, 3 miles of running up and down steep hills, and then skate-skiing to the finish line (can't remember how far that part was) but this was the worst part, he said, because you had to ski UP a black ski slope THREE times! He said it was so steep that most people were sliding back down the hill.
It took him over 4 hrs to comlete and he said he went all out the whole way. Wow! He's one tired machismo.
I ran 4 miles on Sunday, which is pretty good for me considering I ran 9 on Saturday. I usually don't run on Sunday if I do a long run on Sat but since we were going to be driving back to CO on Monday (leaving early in the AM), I decided to run on Sun AM. Felt pretty good. Should do that more often.
The drive home took 7 hrs and by the time we got here, I was in dire need of excercise. I had a meeting at the church at 7:00 so decided to hop on my trainer. Rode semi-hard for 30 mins and then lifted.
Today I did the Spinervals 10.0 tape and felt great. I only did part of it but it's such a hard workout that part of it is OK with me.
Feeling a bit portly lately so anxious to rev up the training. Still planning to start Gale Bernhardt's plan in April.
TTFN
Called up our favorite "computer guy", Michael Jenichen, owner of Computer Guy Technologies, LLC, who is THE most knowledgeable computer guy in the world (and one of the nicest). He's working on things now.
In the meantime, I can use my old trusty laptop.
So, Kurt finished the Xterra Winter Quadrathlon on Sunday but it wasn't pretty. He collapsed at the finish line and was slightly incoherent for awhile. He is the most undramatic person I know so to him lying on the ground like that was a little scary. He eventually got up but could hardly walk.
The race was brutal, he said. 6.2 miles of mountain biking on snow-packed trails (akin to riding your bike on a sandy beach, he said, causing him to get off and run his bike for half of it), 3 miles of snow-shoeing up and down steep hills, 3 miles of running up and down steep hills, and then skate-skiing to the finish line (can't remember how far that part was) but this was the worst part, he said, because you had to ski UP a black ski slope THREE times! He said it was so steep that most people were sliding back down the hill.
It took him over 4 hrs to comlete and he said he went all out the whole way. Wow! He's one tired machismo.
I ran 4 miles on Sunday, which is pretty good for me considering I ran 9 on Saturday. I usually don't run on Sunday if I do a long run on Sat but since we were going to be driving back to CO on Monday (leaving early in the AM), I decided to run on Sun AM. Felt pretty good. Should do that more often.
The drive home took 7 hrs and by the time we got here, I was in dire need of excercise. I had a meeting at the church at 7:00 so decided to hop on my trainer. Rode semi-hard for 30 mins and then lifted.
Today I did the Spinervals 10.0 tape and felt great. I only did part of it but it's such a hard workout that part of it is OK with me.
Feeling a bit portly lately so anxious to rev up the training. Still planning to start Gale Bernhardt's plan in April.
TTFN
Saturday, March 7, 2009
I'm in love with Ogden!
Yep, it's true. I'm here with Kurt and the kids to watch Kurt do one of the craziest races out there: the Xterra Winter Quadrathlon in Ogden, Utah. One of my best friends, Julie H., lives here so we are staying with her for the weekend (and her family).
Julie is a dietitian and runner like me. We've known each other for years and talk on the phone at least once a week. She is one of the coolest people I know.
So, we drove from Greeley on Friday (7 hrs) and the race is on Sunday. I went for a long run today by myself and fell in love with Ogden. It's a great town! And it's not Mormon! Hee hee hee....anyway, the mountains are so close and so high....covered with snow right now. Love it.
Julie just had surgery so she couldn't run with me. She gave me directions for a great running route, her Garmen, some Gatorade, and off I went. It was clear, sunny, and about 20 degrees (perfect for me).
The route took me along a winding road that eventually went straight down, or at least it seemed that way. It was a very steep downhill. And if you go down on the way out, that means you have to go up on the way back. Note to self: don't take this route next time!
Actually it was a fabulous running route. I felt like I was flying the whole way. New music on my Ipod and hey, I'm set. But oh-my-gawd, that hill was really hard on the way back!
According to the Garmen, I "only" ran 9 miles but it was ok. I really enjoyed this run. I need to run tomorrow too since I can't run on Monday (leaving early to drive back to Greeley) so I'm glad I cut it shorter this week.
Kurt took the kids skiing, which is only 30 mins from here! Another reason to like this town. Had a wonderful lunch at a Mexican cafe and a quiet afternoon without the kids......aaahhhhh my kind of vacation!
Julie is a dietitian and runner like me. We've known each other for years and talk on the phone at least once a week. She is one of the coolest people I know.
So, we drove from Greeley on Friday (7 hrs) and the race is on Sunday. I went for a long run today by myself and fell in love with Ogden. It's a great town! And it's not Mormon! Hee hee hee....anyway, the mountains are so close and so high....covered with snow right now. Love it.
Julie just had surgery so she couldn't run with me. She gave me directions for a great running route, her Garmen, some Gatorade, and off I went. It was clear, sunny, and about 20 degrees (perfect for me).
The route took me along a winding road that eventually went straight down, or at least it seemed that way. It was a very steep downhill. And if you go down on the way out, that means you have to go up on the way back. Note to self: don't take this route next time!
Actually it was a fabulous running route. I felt like I was flying the whole way. New music on my Ipod and hey, I'm set. But oh-my-gawd, that hill was really hard on the way back!
According to the Garmen, I "only" ran 9 miles but it was ok. I really enjoyed this run. I need to run tomorrow too since I can't run on Monday (leaving early to drive back to Greeley) so I'm glad I cut it shorter this week.
Kurt took the kids skiing, which is only 30 mins from here! Another reason to like this town. Had a wonderful lunch at a Mexican cafe and a quiet afternoon without the kids......aaahhhhh my kind of vacation!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Quickie
Not much time today for exercise so I defaulted to what I do best: run. I should've swam but it was quicker to get out the door for a run so I did....ran with Daisy for 3 miles and then a fast mile without her. Lifted weights and that was it.
Since I'm trying to record my training here, I'll mention that yesterday I did nothing...NADA....and it was ok. Just kind of a low-energy kind of day which happens once in awhile. Even debated whether to keep this blog or not but I do find that it keeps me accountable, whether anyone reads it or not.
Headed out the door tomorrow for Ogden, Utah, to watch my husband compete in the Xterra Winter Quadrathlon on Sunday. Hoping to get a long run in on Saturday by myself. The weather there looks pretty crappy but hey, a cold/wet run is better than no run!
Since I'm trying to record my training here, I'll mention that yesterday I did nothing...NADA....and it was ok. Just kind of a low-energy kind of day which happens once in awhile. Even debated whether to keep this blog or not but I do find that it keeps me accountable, whether anyone reads it or not.
Headed out the door tomorrow for Ogden, Utah, to watch my husband compete in the Xterra Winter Quadrathlon on Sunday. Hoping to get a long run in on Saturday by myself. The weather there looks pretty crappy but hey, a cold/wet run is better than no run!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Aaaahhhh.....warm weather running
I wore shorts and a short-sleeved shirt on my run this AM and could've easily worn a singlet. It's so warm outside! It feels great but of course, I'm thinking "is this global warming?" in the back of my mind. At the very least, it aint good for the grass and trees.
But the first warm run of the year always feels good to me. Even though my favorite running temp is 35 degrees (if its sunny with no wind), I still relish the first warm run of the year. The kind of run where you don't have to wait to warm up....it's just warm (and not hot) from the very beginning. That's how it was today.
My legs were tired from biking yesterday but it still felt good to run. In fact, I should start running on tired legs now. I had new music on my Ipod too, which always makes my runs more interesting. I downloaded Slumdog Millionaire's soundtrack and love it! Great running music.
Music really makes running more enjoyable. I know some people think you shouldn't listen to music while you run, that it's not safe (my husband is one of those people) but I don't care. I do it anyway. I am very careful to watch traffic and to listen for sirens or approaching bicyclists from behind (who shouldn't be on the sidewalk anyway!) so I think I'm good.
I have a wide range of music on my Ipod. Everything from Elvis Presley to Cold Play, from Queen to U2, from Martina McBride to Joan Jett. I generally don't like slow songs for running but occasionally a mellow tune finds it's way into my ears. Latika's Theme from Slumdog is very nice.
But today was not a good day for Daisy. I wanted to run 6-7 miles and thought she could make it but the warm temp really slowed her down. I got about 2 miles into the run (feeling great, btw) and she just stopped and layed down. She was panting very hard. I felt really bad!
I decided to drag her to my mom's house so that she could get some water and rest in the shade. But that meant I had to run home, making my run to be 8 miles. The other choice was to go back home, leave her there and then go back out. But I really don't like doing that. So I headed for my mom's house.
When I got there and gave her some water, she literally laid down and drank the water. She is just not meant for warm weather running. I ran home but faded about mid-way home. It took me exactly 36 minutes to run the 4 miles so I kept a 9 min pace, which wasn't too bad actually. And I'm really glad I got 8 miles in!
Hoping to bike again tomorrow, if I can do it. We'll see.
But the first warm run of the year always feels good to me. Even though my favorite running temp is 35 degrees (if its sunny with no wind), I still relish the first warm run of the year. The kind of run where you don't have to wait to warm up....it's just warm (and not hot) from the very beginning. That's how it was today.
My legs were tired from biking yesterday but it still felt good to run. In fact, I should start running on tired legs now. I had new music on my Ipod too, which always makes my runs more interesting. I downloaded Slumdog Millionaire's soundtrack and love it! Great running music.
Music really makes running more enjoyable. I know some people think you shouldn't listen to music while you run, that it's not safe (my husband is one of those people) but I don't care. I do it anyway. I am very careful to watch traffic and to listen for sirens or approaching bicyclists from behind (who shouldn't be on the sidewalk anyway!) so I think I'm good.
I have a wide range of music on my Ipod. Everything from Elvis Presley to Cold Play, from Queen to U2, from Martina McBride to Joan Jett. I generally don't like slow songs for running but occasionally a mellow tune finds it's way into my ears. Latika's Theme from Slumdog is very nice.
But today was not a good day for Daisy. I wanted to run 6-7 miles and thought she could make it but the warm temp really slowed her down. I got about 2 miles into the run (feeling great, btw) and she just stopped and layed down. She was panting very hard. I felt really bad!
I decided to drag her to my mom's house so that she could get some water and rest in the shade. But that meant I had to run home, making my run to be 8 miles. The other choice was to go back home, leave her there and then go back out. But I really don't like doing that. So I headed for my mom's house.
When I got there and gave her some water, she literally laid down and drank the water. She is just not meant for warm weather running. I ran home but faded about mid-way home. It took me exactly 36 minutes to run the 4 miles so I kept a 9 min pace, which wasn't too bad actually. And I'm really glad I got 8 miles in!
Hoping to bike again tomorrow, if I can do it. We'll see.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Just Do It
OK, so I'm really trying to get serious about training. I decided that I HAVE to bike at least twice a week until the weather is good enough to bike 3 times/week. The forecast called for 70 degrees today (can ya believe it?) so I got my butt out there for 90 mins today. But it wasn't easy.
First, I had to ignore the urge to run, which I feel almost every morning. I've been running at this time for almost 25 years now (wow, is that right?) and I think I could do it in my sleep....my body just wants to propel itself out the door and down the road...
But today I told myself that I need to bike and because it's still cool in the morning, I had to wait until afternoon to ride.....worked on the computer for 2-3 hours (taking breaks to clean the house) and got out the door by 2:00. It felt strange to be exercising in the afternoon.
I'm also not comfortable riding in traffic. The cars whizzing by so close I can almost feel them make me nervous, esp out in the country. But I kept saying to myself "just do it" (thanks, Nike).
I rode out to 83rd Avenue and headed north, with the intention of going to Windsor. I hate crossing 35th Avenue from the side street I have to take....I literally have to ride across two lanes to get into the left turn lane on 35th at 20th street. This time the coast was clear so I zoomed over quickly.
Anyway, there was construction on 83rd Ave, near 10th street. I could've rode through the construction but I chickened out and turned around. Took 83rd south to Twin Rivers Parkway and headed south for awhile. I didn't realize that is the same road we run on from Jenny's house....except we come from the other direction. Funny how things seem different on a bike!
I headed south for awhile and then turned around (I have kids, you know). Turned east on 37th street and took that all the way to 23rd Avenue, which wasn't the greatest place to ride - too much traffic! Too many people passed me without giving me an inch and one driver yelled at me. I was tempted to flip them off but resisted....
So, I got in 90 mins of cycling but it wasn't very relaxing. I need to find different routes or ride at a different time of day. But I am glad I did it because I came close to baggin' it. Oh well, come November I'll be glad I got the biking in, even if some rides aren't too exciting.
First, I had to ignore the urge to run, which I feel almost every morning. I've been running at this time for almost 25 years now (wow, is that right?) and I think I could do it in my sleep....my body just wants to propel itself out the door and down the road...
But today I told myself that I need to bike and because it's still cool in the morning, I had to wait until afternoon to ride.....worked on the computer for 2-3 hours (taking breaks to clean the house) and got out the door by 2:00. It felt strange to be exercising in the afternoon.
I'm also not comfortable riding in traffic. The cars whizzing by so close I can almost feel them make me nervous, esp out in the country. But I kept saying to myself "just do it" (thanks, Nike).
I rode out to 83rd Avenue and headed north, with the intention of going to Windsor. I hate crossing 35th Avenue from the side street I have to take....I literally have to ride across two lanes to get into the left turn lane on 35th at 20th street. This time the coast was clear so I zoomed over quickly.
Anyway, there was construction on 83rd Ave, near 10th street. I could've rode through the construction but I chickened out and turned around. Took 83rd south to Twin Rivers Parkway and headed south for awhile. I didn't realize that is the same road we run on from Jenny's house....except we come from the other direction. Funny how things seem different on a bike!
I headed south for awhile and then turned around (I have kids, you know). Turned east on 37th street and took that all the way to 23rd Avenue, which wasn't the greatest place to ride - too much traffic! Too many people passed me without giving me an inch and one driver yelled at me. I was tempted to flip them off but resisted....
So, I got in 90 mins of cycling but it wasn't very relaxing. I need to find different routes or ride at a different time of day. But I am glad I did it because I came close to baggin' it. Oh well, come November I'll be glad I got the biking in, even if some rides aren't too exciting.
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