Tuesdays are usually my tempo run day. But this semester I'm teaching a class at 9:30 so I have to run before I get my kids up for school, instead of after. I have to get them up by 7:10, which means I have to hit the road by 6:30, if not earlier. Didn't happen today.
I was up by 5:30 but 1.5 cups of coffee is just enough to make it hard to get out the door without running to the bathroom one more time. My friends all know what I'm talking about.
Then, as I'm racing around the house getting ready, Daisy is getting all excited because she thinks she is going with me. I had not wanted to take her because I want to run nonstop and she likes to stop and/or take off too fast before I'm warmed up.
It is amazing, though, how she knows that I'm going to run without me saying anything. She knows the routine so well! She sees me putting on my jacket, Ipod, shoes, gloves, etc, and she's all over it. Jumping up excitedly and wagging the tail frantically. Its sooo hard to not take her.
So, I took her. But that takes more time to get her harness and leash on. I'm finally out the door at 6:53! OK, decision time. Do I keep running to get the full workout in or abort the run so that I can get my kids up and ready for school on time?
Well, I did what any red-blooded Ironman trainee would do: I did the full workout.
BUT, I took Daisy back after 15 mins and ran inside to wake up the kids so that they could start getting dressed and ready for schoool. They're both 8 and semi-able to get ready by themselves. A quick kiss on the forehead and I'm back out the door, saying "please, PLEASE, kids get up and eat breakfast!"
I attempted on 15-min tempo run but couldn't stop worrying about the time. Decided to run fast for 8 mins and go back, get kids to school, and try again tomorrow. And to change the training plan so that Tuesday mornings are my day off. It's just too stressful. I'd rather be home getting ready for my class in the early AM than stressin' out about getting out the door on time.
So, here's my tentative training plan for now:
Mondays: Master's swim and tempo run
Tuesdays: Lift (after class)
Wednesdays: Master's swim and run
Thursdays: Spinerval tape
Fridays: Lift
Saturdays: Long run
Sundays: Spinerval tape or spin for 45 - 60 mins
I'll see how this goes. I don't want to be too rigid in my training this time of year. When its nice enough to get outside, I'll ditch one of the tapes but will probably continue to do Spinervals at least once a week.
Well, live and learn...or should I say, train and learn!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
It's not nice to should on yourself but that's what I did this morning. I went to Master's swim and swam about half the workout and I shoulda done the whole thing!
It was actually a great workout and I felt pretty good (except for a pulled muscle in my left shoulder). But I made the mistake of sharing a lane with Marsha, who is one of the nicest people I know but who is also one of the fastest swimmers I know. She blew me away.
Normally, I don't let it bother me that I am undoubtedly the slowest swimmer in our Master's swim program. I just use my fins or pull bouy to shorten the gap between me and the rest of the group but today I was so far behind I gave up and just did half the workout.
I wasn't upset and I don't take it personally. I just didn't finish the workout. Instead, I chatted with Marsha during the kick set and then with Sarah while she pool-ran and I hung onto my pull buoy. You would've thought practice was over the way I was acting!
Why I can push myself beyond the point of no return when I run or ride my bike but when it comes to swimming, I bail the first chance I get. Hmmmm....
I shoulda swam harder, I coulda swam longer, I woulda done the whole workout if I were more focused...but its not nice to should on yourself, you know!
It was actually a great workout and I felt pretty good (except for a pulled muscle in my left shoulder). But I made the mistake of sharing a lane with Marsha, who is one of the nicest people I know but who is also one of the fastest swimmers I know. She blew me away.
Normally, I don't let it bother me that I am undoubtedly the slowest swimmer in our Master's swim program. I just use my fins or pull bouy to shorten the gap between me and the rest of the group but today I was so far behind I gave up and just did half the workout.
I wasn't upset and I don't take it personally. I just didn't finish the workout. Instead, I chatted with Marsha during the kick set and then with Sarah while she pool-ran and I hung onto my pull buoy. You would've thought practice was over the way I was acting!
Why I can push myself beyond the point of no return when I run or ride my bike but when it comes to swimming, I bail the first chance I get. Hmmmm....
I shoulda swam harder, I coulda swam longer, I woulda done the whole workout if I were more focused...but its not nice to should on yourself, you know!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Movin' Right Along
Since I get a lot of questions re balancing family life with training, I thought I'd write about that today. Basically, it doesn't work.
Hold on, don't leave so soon! What I mean is that you can never have everything in perfect balance. Work, family, training, cleaning, chillin'....all good stuff but its impossible to balance it all 100% of the time. I gave up trying to do that a long time ago.
Instead, I just prioritize tasks each day and let the rest go. I can't do it all and I don't even want to try.
So, today is a good example. I had to be in church by 9:15 and I wanted to get a good Spinerval workout in. My house needed cleaning and the kids were up and about.
Normally on Sundays, I don't have to be at the church until 10:30 but today there was an adult ed class I really wanted to go to, so I shortened my Spinerval workout and walked right past the dusting and vacuuming that needed to be done and got to church on time. To me, getting a good workout and going to this class were a higher priority than a clean house.
And btw, these Spinerval tapes are great! I did the same one I did last week (see previous posts) but this time, I made it through the 16 sprints (45 seconds on with 15 seconds rest). I felt great afterwards! There was another set of 20 sprints after this one but I didn't have time to do those and that was OK.
Like yesterday, I chose to do less today so that I could fit in other things I want to get done. It feels really good to do that.
I think a lot of women put everyone else ahead of them and then they don't have time to exercise. I understand that and its admirable in a way, but I think they would be setting a better example for the kids if they moved their fitness level a little higher on the priority list. I would go so far as to say this: do your exercise first and then let the chips fall where they may. You'll still get the important stuff done but you won't get EVERYTHING done and that's ok...because it feels soooo good to be fit that its worth it.
Hold on, don't leave so soon! What I mean is that you can never have everything in perfect balance. Work, family, training, cleaning, chillin'....all good stuff but its impossible to balance it all 100% of the time. I gave up trying to do that a long time ago.
Instead, I just prioritize tasks each day and let the rest go. I can't do it all and I don't even want to try.
So, today is a good example. I had to be in church by 9:15 and I wanted to get a good Spinerval workout in. My house needed cleaning and the kids were up and about.
Normally on Sundays, I don't have to be at the church until 10:30 but today there was an adult ed class I really wanted to go to, so I shortened my Spinerval workout and walked right past the dusting and vacuuming that needed to be done and got to church on time. To me, getting a good workout and going to this class were a higher priority than a clean house.
And btw, these Spinerval tapes are great! I did the same one I did last week (see previous posts) but this time, I made it through the 16 sprints (45 seconds on with 15 seconds rest). I felt great afterwards! There was another set of 20 sprints after this one but I didn't have time to do those and that was OK.
Like yesterday, I chose to do less today so that I could fit in other things I want to get done. It feels really good to do that.
I think a lot of women put everyone else ahead of them and then they don't have time to exercise. I understand that and its admirable in a way, but I think they would be setting a better example for the kids if they moved their fitness level a little higher on the priority list. I would go so far as to say this: do your exercise first and then let the chips fall where they may. You'll still get the important stuff done but you won't get EVERYTHING done and that's ok...because it feels soooo good to be fit that its worth it.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Holding Back
Today we had another fun group run. Started at 8:00 AM from WOW and had two newcomers: Cory, a grad student at UNC that I had met a few years ago (training for his 2nd Ironman) and Nancy, a multi-sport phenom who I met on O Street last summer while on a bike ride (that's a funny story - will tell that one later).
So, we had Dan, Brenda, Kevin, Jenny, Marshall, Sarah, Nancy, Cory, and myself. The plan was to run the 12 mile route that goes by the Poudre Learning Center. Sarah only wanted to do 6 and since I wasn't sure I was up for 12, I decided to bring Daisy since she can only go 6 or less.
As it turned out, I felt really good and could've done 12 and Daisy didn't do so great after all. She did her usual all-out sprints in the beginning dragging me along with her, then stopping to sprawl out on the snow to cool off.
But I'm glad I only ran 6. I wanted to run with Sarah so she wouldn't have to run alone (not that she can't run by herself, just thought she'd like the company) and I don't want to do too much too soon. We're still early in the season and I don't want to burn out by June!
Saw Todd in the parking lot when I got back and talked with him for awhile. We have such a great group of running/tri friends - it's like we're one big family.
We found out that Adrenaline Tri Sports in Niwot is going out of business - bummer! That's where I got my bike. Sarah and Brenda went over there yesterday to snag some deals and Marshall is going today (hope he buys a bike!). I was a good girl and didn't go because I really don't need anything right now
Last but not least, my hubby placed 2nd in his age group at the Xterra Winter Triathlon Championships in Soldier Hollar, Utah! I'm proud of him - he's been training for these Xterra events all by himself and doesn't have much time to train. Wish we could've gone with him - next year for sure!
That's it for today! Hope to do a good Spinerval ride tomorrow before church. TTFN.
So, we had Dan, Brenda, Kevin, Jenny, Marshall, Sarah, Nancy, Cory, and myself. The plan was to run the 12 mile route that goes by the Poudre Learning Center. Sarah only wanted to do 6 and since I wasn't sure I was up for 12, I decided to bring Daisy since she can only go 6 or less.
As it turned out, I felt really good and could've done 12 and Daisy didn't do so great after all. She did her usual all-out sprints in the beginning dragging me along with her, then stopping to sprawl out on the snow to cool off.
But I'm glad I only ran 6. I wanted to run with Sarah so she wouldn't have to run alone (not that she can't run by herself, just thought she'd like the company) and I don't want to do too much too soon. We're still early in the season and I don't want to burn out by June!
Saw Todd in the parking lot when I got back and talked with him for awhile. We have such a great group of running/tri friends - it's like we're one big family.
We found out that Adrenaline Tri Sports in Niwot is going out of business - bummer! That's where I got my bike. Sarah and Brenda went over there yesterday to snag some deals and Marshall is going today (hope he buys a bike!). I was a good girl and didn't go because I really don't need anything right now
Last but not least, my hubby placed 2nd in his age group at the Xterra Winter Triathlon Championships in Soldier Hollar, Utah! I'm proud of him - he's been training for these Xterra events all by himself and doesn't have much time to train. Wish we could've gone with him - next year for sure!
That's it for today! Hope to do a good Spinerval ride tomorrow before church. TTFN.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Rest Days are Training Days
Today is an official rest day for me and I normally don't blog on rest days because well, there's nothing to say. I didn't swim, bike, or run today...period. End of story.
Wait, not so fast. I think rest days ARE training days because they help you to run/ride better the following day (if you work it right).
For instance, I ran hard yesterday and tomorrow I'm doing a long run. In order to get the most "bang for my buck", i.e., get the most mileage on my run tomorrow (and that's what a long run is all about: mileage or going as far as you can), I want fresh legs. I want to be chompin' at the bit to get out the door and the best way to do that is to NOT swim, bike, or run today.
This has been my strategy with long runs for years. I believe it really helps build endurance. The fresher you feel at the beginning of a long run, the longer you will run, and the more aerobic capacity you will develop. This is extremely important for marathon or IM training (which includes training for 70.3's).
And, the other important aspect to a rest day is eating intelligently. That means upping the carbs so that you have plenty of glycogen for the next day AND drinking plenty of water. It also means NOT eating the kinds of foods you know will wreak havoc in your large intestine tomorrow AM. For me, that means no gooey desserts or ice cream and I'll probably not have an alcohol either (saving the ice cream and beer for TOMORROW night!).
So, although I'm a total couch potato today, I'm essentially prepping my body (and mind) for tomorrow's long run. I'm writing this for those people who are new to endurance training (who are reading my blog now!).
Just fyi....
Wait, not so fast. I think rest days ARE training days because they help you to run/ride better the following day (if you work it right).
For instance, I ran hard yesterday and tomorrow I'm doing a long run. In order to get the most "bang for my buck", i.e., get the most mileage on my run tomorrow (and that's what a long run is all about: mileage or going as far as you can), I want fresh legs. I want to be chompin' at the bit to get out the door and the best way to do that is to NOT swim, bike, or run today.
This has been my strategy with long runs for years. I believe it really helps build endurance. The fresher you feel at the beginning of a long run, the longer you will run, and the more aerobic capacity you will develop. This is extremely important for marathon or IM training (which includes training for 70.3's).
And, the other important aspect to a rest day is eating intelligently. That means upping the carbs so that you have plenty of glycogen for the next day AND drinking plenty of water. It also means NOT eating the kinds of foods you know will wreak havoc in your large intestine tomorrow AM. For me, that means no gooey desserts or ice cream and I'll probably not have an alcohol either (saving the ice cream and beer for TOMORROW night!).
So, although I'm a total couch potato today, I'm essentially prepping my body (and mind) for tomorrow's long run. I'm writing this for those people who are new to endurance training (who are reading my blog now!).
Just fyi....
Thursday, January 14, 2010
U Go Girl
The best ideas come to me when I'm running. Today, during my tempo run, I was thinking about what I usually think about, and that's how I'd like to help "newby" women start exercising and/or finish their first endurance event (marathon or triathlon).
I've been thinking a lot about it...how to get started, what to call this endeavor, whether to have a Facebook business page, etc. And the fun part has been trying to come up with a catchy name. And today I finally did: You Go Girl Sport and Fitness (not sure about the "sport and fitness" part but for now, its good).
Then I wondered if I should call it You Go Girl or U Go Girl or UGO Girl and when I came home I googled all of these variations. Darn! There's a series of YouTube videos of "U Go Girls" and the girls in these videos are well, not what I had in mind for my business...they're not wearing much and I don't think they could do interval training in those heels....
Anyway, I'm going to mull this over for awhile and see where it leads me...
So what did I do today for a workout? Can I just say it was awesome??? I made it to the pool (thanks to Kurt who was able to stay home with the kids) and swam about 1200 yards. Not a lot but enough to maintain my feeble swimming fitness level. Felt a twinge in my left rotator cuff again (darn it) so that was one reason I cut it short.
One thing that was cool about swimming on a non-Master's day is that I had the pool to myself! It was strange being the only one in the pool and I'm sure the lifeguard was bored to tears but oh well...
Then after the kids left for school, I donned my running clothes, grabbed the leash and Daisy, and off we went. Aaaaahhhhh, now I feel at home! Running over ice and snow in 20-degree weather...what more can you ask for?
Seriously, I felt really good. Warmed up for a good 20 mins, letting Daisy stop now and then to smell the roses (and the fox poop), then picked up the pace for several 2-3 min surges. Felt stronger than usual. Ran up the hills faster than normal. Dropped Daisy off after 40 mins, and went back out for two long tempo surges. On the way back it was slightly uphill and I felt really strong - charged up the hill the whole way home. Cool!
Not a bad week so far...
I've been thinking a lot about it...how to get started, what to call this endeavor, whether to have a Facebook business page, etc. And the fun part has been trying to come up with a catchy name. And today I finally did: You Go Girl Sport and Fitness (not sure about the "sport and fitness" part but for now, its good).
Then I wondered if I should call it You Go Girl or U Go Girl or UGO Girl and when I came home I googled all of these variations. Darn! There's a series of YouTube videos of "U Go Girls" and the girls in these videos are well, not what I had in mind for my business...they're not wearing much and I don't think they could do interval training in those heels....
Anyway, I'm going to mull this over for awhile and see where it leads me...
So what did I do today for a workout? Can I just say it was awesome??? I made it to the pool (thanks to Kurt who was able to stay home with the kids) and swam about 1200 yards. Not a lot but enough to maintain my feeble swimming fitness level. Felt a twinge in my left rotator cuff again (darn it) so that was one reason I cut it short.
One thing that was cool about swimming on a non-Master's day is that I had the pool to myself! It was strange being the only one in the pool and I'm sure the lifeguard was bored to tears but oh well...
Then after the kids left for school, I donned my running clothes, grabbed the leash and Daisy, and off we went. Aaaaahhhhh, now I feel at home! Running over ice and snow in 20-degree weather...what more can you ask for?
Seriously, I felt really good. Warmed up for a good 20 mins, letting Daisy stop now and then to smell the roses (and the fox poop), then picked up the pace for several 2-3 min surges. Felt stronger than usual. Ran up the hills faster than normal. Dropped Daisy off after 40 mins, and went back out for two long tempo surges. On the way back it was slightly uphill and I felt really strong - charged up the hill the whole way home. Cool!
Not a bad week so far...
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Switcheroo Workout
Today is Weds and that means Master's swim practice at 6:15 AM. And where was I??? On my trainer in my basement (at least I was out of bed!).
I had to switch my workouts around for a number of kid-related reasons. And that's what you do when you're a parent training for an IM....or when your alarm clock has mal-functioned for the SECOND TIME (see Monday's post).
So, I did Troy Jacobson's Aerobic Endurance DVD again (the one I mentioned last week). I think it's #28. This time I wasn't as pumped up as I was last week. I wasn't feel bad, just a little groggy. My mind couldn't stay focused on the workout and I kept forgetting which rep we were on (8 x 1 minute reps with 30 seconds rest, then 12 x 45-second reps with 15 seconds rest - too many numbers for my not-quite-awake brain). Its a good thing Troy tells you what to do or I'd probably still be on my bike spinning away.
But that's the beauty of these kind of workouts - they tell you EXACTLY what to do. No need to plan or think or...well, think. Just do it (haven't I heard that somewhere before?).
I like this DVD because the sprints are fairly short (1 minute, then 45 seconds, then 30 seconds). At first you think its too easy but after 12 of them you don't think they're so easy.
I did notice that after the 12th sprint, I was not as tired as I was last week. I could've done more but like last week, I needed to get the kids to school so had to abort the workout after 12 reps. But its nice to know that I could've actually done more (and I was tempted to go run after dropping the kids off but realized that was I should save that energy for tomorrow).
So tomorrow I'll be at the pool, all by my lonely self...
I had to switch my workouts around for a number of kid-related reasons. And that's what you do when you're a parent training for an IM....or when your alarm clock has mal-functioned for the SECOND TIME (see Monday's post).
So, I did Troy Jacobson's Aerobic Endurance DVD again (the one I mentioned last week). I think it's #28. This time I wasn't as pumped up as I was last week. I wasn't feel bad, just a little groggy. My mind couldn't stay focused on the workout and I kept forgetting which rep we were on (8 x 1 minute reps with 30 seconds rest, then 12 x 45-second reps with 15 seconds rest - too many numbers for my not-quite-awake brain). Its a good thing Troy tells you what to do or I'd probably still be on my bike spinning away.
But that's the beauty of these kind of workouts - they tell you EXACTLY what to do. No need to plan or think or...well, think. Just do it (haven't I heard that somewhere before?).
I like this DVD because the sprints are fairly short (1 minute, then 45 seconds, then 30 seconds). At first you think its too easy but after 12 of them you don't think they're so easy.
I did notice that after the 12th sprint, I was not as tired as I was last week. I could've done more but like last week, I needed to get the kids to school so had to abort the workout after 12 reps. But its nice to know that I could've actually done more (and I was tempted to go run after dropping the kids off but realized that was I should save that energy for tomorrow).
So tomorrow I'll be at the pool, all by my lonely self...
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