2/19/2008

Whew. This "power" month is kicking my butt, well actually, kicking my legs, but they are attached to my butt. The workout Saturday sounded doable, but was much harder than I anticipated--the 2 hour ride was fine, but the 6 mile run was very hard for me. I guess being sick and not running for nearly 2 weeks took its toll. I did finish the run, it was not a negative split, unless one includes the 3 minute bathroom break. Which I include, of course, so that I did in fact achieve the negative split. Ha.

ProKaren was funny at swim lesson on Monday am. I am now supposed to do different things with my left and right arms...don't ask questions, just do it. Funny thing is that I am actually able to do what she says. Certainly gives me something to think about, other than breathing, or not breathing, while I swim. I was back in the cold pool, wishing hard for the warm pool. The first couple of laps I could not get my breathing correct, I guess because I was cold. It all worked itself out. Oh, and the 100 meters of kickboard was no freakin fun at all. My right hamstring was twanging, and I know my hamstring should not be involved in kicking. I cannot wait until Masters on Wednesday. You know I am lying.

My brilliant idea of lifting and riding Monday nights is kicking my @ss. Of course, every Monday workout is power repeats, followed by mean Ed and his "fun" little sprint-climbs. At least all I have to do is run today, my legs are tired. Maybe by this afternoon I'll feel like I can run, right now in the morning, not so much.

2/13/2008

Getting back to working out after being sick all last week has been HARD, darnit. I had my little swim lesson on Monday am, and thankfully had to swim in the hot pool because the regular pool was all full. I was in heaven, nice to not be cold when I got in, and since I was still coughing up crap, it was nice and warm....yumminess. Cycling after the new lifting routines was really challenging, Ed remains mean. We were chasing fast people (in our minds), I was just trying not to blow up a lung. I finally ran a bit yesterday, only did 3 miles, but it felt ok, until I stopped, then the coughing started. Still, it was actually nice to run. I do, however, hate the 4 set requirement for some of the lifting routines. I totally did not see that one coming and I'm lollygagging along on my third set, thinking I'd get out of there early, when Ed bursts my bubble with "you know there's four sets" Arrrgghhhh. The fourth set was wicked hard, and now I am sitting at my desk with tired arms and legs. Swimming tonight should be interesting.

2/5/2008

Word for today is "stupid". That's what I was on Saturday, when I, despite feeling poorly, decided to go ahead and ride the 1 1/2 hours and then run 8 miles afterwards. Stupid to do the run for sure, probably stupid to do the ride. Soo, I finished the run, and then felt like I was going to drop, for real. I was so freakin cold, my hands were white. I guess all the blood was going somewhere else. Anyway, now I'm good and sick, and still feel like crap even though I've laid around for the past 3 days, taking Zicam, decongestents, drinking orange juice and water, eating whatever sounds good, sleeping lots, etc. I had to cancel my swim lesson Monday morning, and I am hoping that I'll be up to cycling by tomorrow. So people---if you feel like you are getting sick, STAY HOME AND GET WELL! Don't be stupid like me.

1/28/2008

So, word on the street is that someone tightened up my trainer on Saturday morning, and then I tightened it more because I thought that it looked like I hadn't tighted it correctly. Now I know why the run was so hard, it was like 5 turns tight! Oh well, what don't kill you makes you want to kill....kidding! Turn around or payback, it was all good. Now I know I should have it tighter, so whomever did it, I thank you. No, I really do....I really, really do! So you can step forward and claim responsibility, I won't be mad or get even or anything....

Actually, I really am relieved that it was messed with, given how hard the run was, I was worried I was getting super wimpy too soon.

At swim lesson this morning, ProKaren was all fired up with hard drills, and now I am tired again. Plus she said I had to move from my super-sweet guppy lane to the normal slower lane, arrggghhhhh. I need to be "pushed". Whatever. Its pushing to get me in the pool, doesn't she know that? Of course I am not going to say no way, but I am going to miss this weeks masters! I already told her so it's cool.

My pet peeve of the week (nothing to do with training): Is it just me or are a majority of drivers now swinging out into an adjacent lane to make turns for some stupid reason? I've about been hit by several stupid cars, SUVs and trucks who feel the need to swing their nose into the lane next to them when they make a turn, any turn, not even U-Turns. Where the heck is this crap coming from? I could almost see it if it were only the bigass SUVs, but its all sizes of cars. I wonder if I did hit one of them, if it would be my fault? Hhhhhmmm...

1/24/2008

Gee, I just realized that my titles are boring, everyone else seems to put some theme as their title, but not me! Oh well, my dates will have to suffice. Yesterday I totally did not follow my eating plan, but boy was the food tasty! I had some stupid meeting out of town and after lifting did not have time to eat my usual breakfast before I had to take off, so I stopped at 7-11 and got a coffee and a cheese danish. Yummy for my tummy but also not too good for the nutrient side of things. By the time I got back my office area, I was starving (it was after 2 pm and I don't know about anyone else, I need to eat something every couple of hours) and I still had to go get gas for the state car. So I found myself parking by some food shops on Broad Street near VCU, and somehow I also found myself standing in front of the order counter at 5 Guys...suffice to say, a cheeseburger and french fries is not part of my dieticians plan for me...I did, however, wash it all down with a Fresca (doesn't that make up for the empty but delicious calories?).

I apprehensively weighed myself this morning, but the expected gain from my cheating eating has not yet appeared. Maybe tomorrow. At any rate, it's back down to proper eating....

1/22/2008

I went to cycling and weights yesterday, so all I have to do today is run (probably in the rain, but what's the big deal, right?). Ed was mean. We did 2 sets of 3x3 minutes level 7 hard, with 2 minutes "recovery" and then some more hard 2 minute sets. Oh my legs were cooked, and of course I had just tightened up my trainer. Ouch. Maybe I need to rethink the whole workout on Mondays if Ed is going to be mean....

I did my timed mile on Sunday and much to my surprise, I did it in under 39 minutes. I think last year my timed mile was like 47 or so. I told ProKaren my mile time and she said that I would only get better, but that she meant that in a good way. She cracks me up. It was cold as crap yesterday morning, I was getting my swimsuit on before the crack of dawn, and thought that the thermometer said 19 degrees which is cold, but then realized it said 14 degrees, which seems a whole lot colder than 19. It seemed crazy to me to be getting a swimsuit on when it is that cold outside, so I mentioned that to some ladies in the Tuckahoe locker room. One of them said that it seemed like an extravagent pleasure rather than crazy. I love it when people turn my perspective around like that.

1/17/2008

Yummy! Rainy and cold! That means I got to go run my 1/2 mile repeats at the Y!!!! What could be better than that! I can think of a few things. Actually, given that I HATE running on a treadmill, it wasn't that bad. Of course, being able to walk out of work whenever I damn well please makes it even better, since I was able to beat any lunch rush by getting to the Y at 11:15. One reason I hate running on treadmills is that they are inevitably located with a freakin mirror for one to look into as one runs. Maybe I am alone in this, but the last thing I want to see when I run, is my wiggles, wrinkles, flops and fat as I am struggling to run on the darn treadmill. Of course, like any good train wreck, I could not look away. It was kind of mesmerizing, the jiggles of my thighs, the swing and sway of my uni-boob, the look of pain on my face. I was afraid to not pay attention to my running, for some reason I think I am going to stumble and fly off the treadmill when I run on one. But, for this one time, I was safe!

At Masters Swim last night, I was sent to the super-slow lane yet again....sigh, I am a swimming idiot, at least I am a "catching" idiot because I just don't get the whole "catch" thing or even the pull thing, maybe I just am a land-lubber not fit for the water. But, good news is that I am finally exhausted after swimming, and my arms are tired a doo-doo, so I think that means I am least pushing more water around as I flail about down the lane. I hit hands with one my lane-mates last night, twice. I think it was her fault since Pro-Karen kept telling her she was coming over too wide, but it may have been my fault since at that point, I was flinging my arms over any way they would go. Oh, the joy of swimming....

I was pleased to see that the non-Brazil group doesn't have to show up until 7 am this Saturday. While it is nice to get the workout over with so the remainder of the day can be spent sleeping and lounging around, its much nicer to sleep in just a teeny bit longer on the weekend.