Wow, I can't believe that it is half way through 2010! Where did the last 6 months go?
Since it is half way through the year, I want to take a quick look back at my New Year's Resolution - eat less refined sugar. Compared to last year, I have succeeded. I have made a good effort (not great, but good) toward choosing naturally sweetened foods if my sweet tooth is in need of some satisfaction. What has really helped this is my lack of baking this year. I can't remember the last time I baked something!
I hope to continue to get better at watching any kind of sugar intake throughout the rest of the year, but especially around summer time it is the hardest with all the awesome fruit that is available. Yes, it is fruit and fruit is good for you, but it is still sugar. And in the amounts of fruit I eat, it is not good. Hi, my name is Megan, and I'm a fruitaholic.
As for monthly goals - June goals went a-ok. I drank more water for the most part, could drink a little more each day. My alcohol intake was reduced, but still existed. I just love the idea of "getting a beer with a friend" too much to eliminate it all together. AND, I pumped iron more and did some new moves...seeing a little difference in my legs. Success!
As I continue to be active and train, train, train, it would be radical if it showed more in my body, i.e. loose some lbs. Obviously I'm working out enough, but working out is only 15% of the equation. Both surprisingly and not surprisingly, nutrition weighs (pun intended) heavily on your ability to loose weight - 80% to be exact. So if I can just tweak/get control of my diet, I could see some results. I'm only talking about 5 lbs. nothing major...I kinda like my lady lumps.
So this takes me to July's one and only goal: get a handle on the AMOUNT of food I put in my body. I already eat very healthy, I just consume too much. For the first week, I'm going to really watch my bites, licks and tastes (BLT's as Janeetha would call them). Those are all the bites here, a handful of crackers there, a taste of a muffin there, etc. I'm a good BLTer, so I'm sure I could drop some cals in that department. That is my first baby step (think What About Bob).
In work-related news, today was my 2 year anniversary at my job. I've survived another year!
You probably don't care too much, but here are my stats for the month of June:
Swim: 13,877 yards
Bike: 203 miles
Run: 48.8 miles
Did the past 6 months fly by for you too? I wonder if the next 6 will go just as quickly...
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
In preparation for 4th of July...
4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday. I love fireworks, BBQ's, cold beer and (hopefully) sunny weather. I also like that it is a day that people really show their American pride with flags and patriotic stuff. Just a couple thoughts on America's birthday:
Since the race on Saturday I have been feeling so eager and motivated to train! Before the race I was in a little rut and couldn't find motivation for the life of me. I like how motivating a race can be - I know I can do a triathlon, now I want to get faster! Do you feel more motivated after a race?
- The Pioneer Woman is doing an "America" photo contest on her blog right now and it is really cool to see what "America" is to different people. Check out the photos here. And if you've never checked out Pioneer Woman's site, you should anyway.
- On the radio this morning (KAFE 104.1) there was a discussion about American flags and aparently a guy bought a flag at the dollar store and it looked wrong to him, so he counted the stars and it had 61 stars! What?! The radio host said, "its not like the standards of the American flag are guidelines..." and I thought that was SO funny. But it makes me think...the majority of American flags are not made in America, therefore the people that are making them don't know what the stripes and the stars symbolize.
- I have yet to put my plans for the holiday weekend in stone, but it looks like I'll be heading south for the weekend.
Since the race on Saturday I have been feeling so eager and motivated to train! Before the race I was in a little rut and couldn't find motivation for the life of me. I like how motivating a race can be - I know I can do a triathlon, now I want to get faster! Do you feel more motivated after a race?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Should you ask before you draft?
The morning after my race, I felt great! Only a little tightness in my legs, but nothing that couldn't be shaken off. I decided to dive right in to my training for my next tri in 2 weeks, so I went for a 4 mile run.
It had been some time since I'd ran 4 miles, but it felt good overall. I ran it in 37:24 which I was very happy about. I always laugh at the routes I choose to run, or choose while I run. I know the general vicinity of the city I want to run in, but never ever have an exact route planned. I just run and when I feel like turning, I do. If a street looks nice to run down, I run down it. As long as I have my Garmin, it doesn't matter what kind of crazy route I go on because I'll cover the mileage I need to. It would be pretty funny to map out some of my runs...
Believe it or not, I was more sore from this run that I was from the race. Maybe the race endorphins allowed my muscles to stay in shock until after I ran this 4 miler, then all the soreness set in. A good sore, I might add.
Today, I got on my bike and rode a little under 16 miles in 55 minutes. It was nice to ride my bike not on the Lake Padden course. For the past couple weeks, I felt obligated to ride the Padden Tri course to practice it and it was getting a little mundane. Unlike running, I plan my bike ride routes. Today I took a staple route that was mostly flat with a few gradual hills. It was just lovely.
When I was about 2 miles away from home this dude appeared out of nowhere and started drafting off me. I pulled him for 2 miles and I was PUSHING it, keeping an average of 20mph. Is it wrong of me to say I was bothered by this guy hopping behind me for a free pull? (that might sound dirty...) I feel like this is something you ask before you do. Especially for a guy drafting off a girl... when you're that close, there is really only one thing to look at...I wanted to yell "get of my ass!" but I refrained, because that's not classy and I, well, I'm classy. I took my turn for home and he says "thanks for the pull" and I say "ask next time." Am I rude?
ANYWAY, I got home, put on my Brooks and went for a run. I ran 3.6 miles in 33 minutes on another very random route and then pumped some iron at the Y. Good workout, I'll say! Hope I burned off all the Thai food I shoveled down at lunch today... opps... gotta get my nutrition under control! No. Self. Control.
Hope you managed to make it through Monday in one piece. Just think, next Monday we have a day off!
It had been some time since I'd ran 4 miles, but it felt good overall. I ran it in 37:24 which I was very happy about. I always laugh at the routes I choose to run, or choose while I run. I know the general vicinity of the city I want to run in, but never ever have an exact route planned. I just run and when I feel like turning, I do. If a street looks nice to run down, I run down it. As long as I have my Garmin, it doesn't matter what kind of crazy route I go on because I'll cover the mileage I need to. It would be pretty funny to map out some of my runs...
Believe it or not, I was more sore from this run that I was from the race. Maybe the race endorphins allowed my muscles to stay in shock until after I ran this 4 miler, then all the soreness set in. A good sore, I might add.
Today, I got on my bike and rode a little under 16 miles in 55 minutes. It was nice to ride my bike not on the Lake Padden course. For the past couple weeks, I felt obligated to ride the Padden Tri course to practice it and it was getting a little mundane. Unlike running, I plan my bike ride routes. Today I took a staple route that was mostly flat with a few gradual hills. It was just lovely.
When I was about 2 miles away from home this dude appeared out of nowhere and started drafting off me. I pulled him for 2 miles and I was PUSHING it, keeping an average of 20mph. Is it wrong of me to say I was bothered by this guy hopping behind me for a free pull? (that might sound dirty...) I feel like this is something you ask before you do. Especially for a guy drafting off a girl... when you're that close, there is really only one thing to look at...I wanted to yell "get of my ass!" but I refrained, because that's not classy and I, well, I'm classy. I took my turn for home and he says "thanks for the pull" and I say "ask next time." Am I rude?
ANYWAY, I got home, put on my Brooks and went for a run. I ran 3.6 miles in 33 minutes on another very random route and then pumped some iron at the Y. Good workout, I'll say! Hope I burned off all the Thai food I shoveled down at lunch today... opps... gotta get my nutrition under control! No. Self. Control.
Hope you managed to make it through Monday in one piece. Just think, next Monday we have a day off!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Lake Padden Triathlon Recap
I did it! I finished my 1st triathlon! I'm so happy of my accomplishment, just so happy. :)
The day started early because I wanted to get all my stuff situated and go watch the competitive race in the morning. So I woke up at 5:30am, took my sweet time to get all my gear together, eat breakfast and make my way to the lake.
Watching the competitive division calmed my nerves a lot. Seeing how the race went before I had to do it helped. For the swim, they did waves of 50 people and really, that isn't a lot, I just imagined it was.
I was very impressed with the athletes that competed in the AM race - way to go! The winner of that race finished around 1:40ish minutes! Crazy fast! I hope to do the competitive division next year.
My race was at 1pm, so at noon I got my stuff, changed, set up transition and went for a warm up run. Just a 7 minute run to get my leggies warm. It helped a lot, but also made me realize I need to make a good warmup routine that I do before any race, so I have a plan...I didn't really have a plan today, I just knew I needed to warmup.
Then it was time to start. I chose to be in the 2nd wave of swimmers. The swim was 400 meters and it went great. Didn't get kicked or pulled or anything! There was one point where I needed to do a couple strokes with my head out of the water just to get my breathing under control, but nothing major.
T1 went smoothly. Not much to say here...My watch said 9:30 at this point, so that's swim and T1 combined - good time!
The bike leg was 10 miles and in training, I would do it in about 41 minutes. Well, subtract 3 minutes from that for today! I KILLED the bike. YES, a 38 minute bike leg! Felt so so SO good. I had minor problems when shifting from little ring to big ring, but finally got it to work - thank goodness! I even felt pretty good on the monster hill, that never happens!
Came into T2 feeling good, feeling great actually. Threw on my running shoes and I was off in a heartbeat.
I knew going into the run that I was ahead of my 1:18 goal, so I wanted to see just how fast I could finish the run. I felt good the entire run and was able to pick the pace up quite a bit the last mile.
Coming to the finish line was AMAZING! So many people cheering! My friends and family yelling my name - what a great feeling! Thank you everyone who came out to support me, it means A LOT to me. :)
My watch said 1:11 when I finished and results were posted shortly after that had me at 1:11:35. Radical! Those results, which I think are not confirmed, had me placed at 27th overall out of 350 people and if I read it right, I placed 3rd in my age group! Yahoo!
Final results are to be posted tonight and I'm excited to see what my swim and run times were. Like I said above, I am so happy right now. I still can't believe I have completed my first tri! I have been waiting for this for a long time and am proud of myself for how I performed today.
I have 2 weeks until my next race which is slightly longer, so I'm just relaxing today and will be back at training tomorrow.
Just got final times:
Swim 400 meters: 7:22
T1: 1:32
Bike 10 miles: 37:29
T2: 1:28 (I need to run without socks)
Run 2.6 miles: 23:46
Total: 1:11:35
Finished 7th female overall, 4th in my age group and 29th overall.
The day started early because I wanted to get all my stuff situated and go watch the competitive race in the morning. So I woke up at 5:30am, took my sweet time to get all my gear together, eat breakfast and make my way to the lake.
Laying out all my stuff so I don't forget anything
Just getting to the lake. Competitive setting up transition
Watching the competitive division calmed my nerves a lot. Seeing how the race went before I had to do it helped. For the swim, they did waves of 50 people and really, that isn't a lot, I just imagined it was.
I was very impressed with the athletes that competed in the AM race - way to go! The winner of that race finished around 1:40ish minutes! Crazy fast! I hope to do the competitive division next year.
My race was at 1pm, so at noon I got my stuff, changed, set up transition and went for a warm up run. Just a 7 minute run to get my leggies warm. It helped a lot, but also made me realize I need to make a good warmup routine that I do before any race, so I have a plan...I didn't really have a plan today, I just knew I needed to warmup.
Everyone gathering before the race
Padden Tri!
Ready to go!
Then it was time to start. I chose to be in the 2nd wave of swimmers. The swim was 400 meters and it went great. Didn't get kicked or pulled or anything! There was one point where I needed to do a couple strokes with my head out of the water just to get my breathing under control, but nothing major.
Coming out the water
Coming out of T1
The bike leg was 10 miles and in training, I would do it in about 41 minutes. Well, subtract 3 minutes from that for today! I KILLED the bike. YES, a 38 minute bike leg! Felt so so SO good. I had minor problems when shifting from little ring to big ring, but finally got it to work - thank goodness! I even felt pretty good on the monster hill, that never happens!
Finishing up the bike
Can barely see me, but I'm running out of T2
I knew going into the run that I was ahead of my 1:18 goal, so I wanted to see just how fast I could finish the run. I felt good the entire run and was able to pick the pace up quite a bit the last mile.
Coming to the finish line was AMAZING! So many people cheering! My friends and family yelling my name - what a great feeling! Thank you everyone who came out to support me, it means A LOT to me. :)
Finishing strong!
My watch said 1:11 when I finished and results were posted shortly after that had me at 1:11:35. Radical! Those results, which I think are not confirmed, had me placed at 27th overall out of 350 people and if I read it right, I placed 3rd in my age group! Yahoo!
I am strong! : )
Final results are to be posted tonight and I'm excited to see what my swim and run times were. Like I said above, I am so happy right now. I still can't believe I have completed my first tri! I have been waiting for this for a long time and am proud of myself for how I performed today.
Had to celebrate with a Boundary Bay IPA!
I have 2 weeks until my next race which is slightly longer, so I'm just relaxing today and will be back at training tomorrow.
Just got final times:
Swim 400 meters: 7:22
T1: 1:32
Bike 10 miles: 37:29
T2: 1:28 (I need to run without socks)
Run 2.6 miles: 23:46
Total: 1:11:35
Finished 7th female overall, 4th in my age group and 29th overall.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Toy Story 3
I saw Toy Story 3 last night in 3D. I can't believe 3D movies are $13.50! Good thing I brought my own snacks to save some dolla dolla bills. I don't know if it was worth it to see in 3D...Yes, it made the picture look a little better on screen, but there weren't any parts where I was like "Whoa! 3D!"
I absolutely LOVED the movie. I don't want to give away anything for those of you who haven't seen it, but it really was an outstanding movie. Funny, sad and everywhere in between. I really liked the introduction of Barbie and Ken to the toys - so funny! Can't wait to buy it for my nephew when it comes out on DVD. : )
In other news, my heart rate has been accelerated all day. All I can think about is tomorrow's race. I am nervous, not gonna lie. I shouldn't be nervous, I've trained plenty and really, it's only a hour and 20 minute workout, which is cake. But who doesn't get pre-race jitters?
To calm my nerves I've made a list of stuff I need to do tonight to prepare for tomorrow - layout gear, clean bike, lube chain, shave my legs, you know, all the necessary stuff. : )
Hope you're having a super day!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
3 Things Thursday
ONE: I like this article on Active.com about munchies. I am the queen of munchies, so this was very informative. The most interesting thing for me is that the study showed that binge eating/munching is caused by starvation, or being really hungry. It is important to keep your body fueled so you don't get SO hungry that you're ravenous and turn into a cookie monster. Check it out>>
TWO: A year ago this weekend lauched my love for running. I ran my 1st half marathon, the Seattle Rock 'n Roll. It was a great race. Good luck to everyone who is running it on Saturday!
THREE: It is really funny to look at my old blog posts and see how my blog has changes. I used to blog about scones and cake for goodness sake! : ) If you have a spare moment...check 'em out over on the right.
TWO: A year ago this weekend lauched my love for running. I ran my 1st half marathon, the Seattle Rock 'n Roll. It was a great race. Good luck to everyone who is running it on Saturday!
THREE: It is really funny to look at my old blog posts and see how my blog has changes. I used to blog about scones and cake for goodness sake! : ) If you have a spare moment...check 'em out over on the right.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Taper & Race Goals...kinda
Started my taper today. I had planned on running today and then doing nothing tomorrow and Friday, but decided to do some light weight training (mostly upper body) and a long walk in the sun. I'll probably do a quick 2 mile run tomorrow, but THAT'S IT! Need to be so rested up and I'm just itchin' to get moving come Saturday and go nuts during the race.
I can't believe the race is THREE days away. I've been working toward this race, albeit a short one, since January and I'm ready to see what 6 months of pretty dedicated training can do for me in a race atmosphere.
My original goal for the race was to finish with a smile on my face, no goal times. But as I've done each leg of the race a number of times, I know the times I've been averaging, so I have some lenient times I'd like to reach:
Swim: 400 meters in 8 minutes
T1: 2 minutes
Bike: 10ish miles 41 minutes
T2: less than 2 minutes
Run: 2.6 miles 25 minutes
Total: 1:18
So if I finish around there I will be very happy. I'm curious to see where I'll place within my age group (25-29)...we'll see!
What kind of goals do you set for races? Only time?
I can't believe the race is THREE days away. I've been working toward this race, albeit a short one, since January and I'm ready to see what 6 months of pretty dedicated training can do for me in a race atmosphere.
My original goal for the race was to finish with a smile on my face, no goal times. But as I've done each leg of the race a number of times, I know the times I've been averaging, so I have some lenient times I'd like to reach:
Swim: 400 meters in 8 minutes
T1: 2 minutes
Bike: 10ish miles 41 minutes
T2: less than 2 minutes
Run: 2.6 miles 25 minutes
Total: 1:18
So if I finish around there I will be very happy. I'm curious to see where I'll place within my age group (25-29)...we'll see!
What kind of goals do you set for races? Only time?
Monday, June 21, 2010
A little bit faster
Today turned into a really nice day. I'm looking outside right now to mostly clear skies which are still SO light for 9pm. Happy Solstice! Weather like this lifts my mood so well. Maybe that in combination of my vitamin D supplement will make this summer extra happy. : )
After work today I hit the pool and did a 25 minute swim. I had planned longer, but I felt done after 25 minutes, so I stopped. I'm not sure how far I swam though, kinda lost count. I then made my merry way up to Lake Padden for a run. Why did I not swim at Padden? I'm not sure. I don't think my head was quite clear after work.
Anyway, I ran the 2.6 mile loop around the lake in 24:15. That is 1 minute faster than I did it yesterday. I'm not sure where this speed came from, but that is the fastest I've ran Padden in a LONG time. I kept glancing down at my Garmin and seeing a sub 9 minute pace (which rarely happens) and I just kept going. I was VERY happy when I finished - getting that faster time did take some work. I was sweatin' fo sho! I kinda wish I kept running for another .5 miles so I could have seen what my 5K pace was...oh well...next time.
I've scheduled Thursday AND Friday as total rest days and I'm going to take them seriously. In fact, Thursday night I'm going to see Toy Story 3 because I'll have the night FREE and the Toy Story movies are my favorite Pixar films - can't wait!
Seen any good movies lately? I'm up for suggestions of what to watch after I finish 24...tear...I love you Jack Bauer....
After work today I hit the pool and did a 25 minute swim. I had planned longer, but I felt done after 25 minutes, so I stopped. I'm not sure how far I swam though, kinda lost count. I then made my merry way up to Lake Padden for a run. Why did I not swim at Padden? I'm not sure. I don't think my head was quite clear after work.
Anyway, I ran the 2.6 mile loop around the lake in 24:15. That is 1 minute faster than I did it yesterday. I'm not sure where this speed came from, but that is the fastest I've ran Padden in a LONG time. I kept glancing down at my Garmin and seeing a sub 9 minute pace (which rarely happens) and I just kept going. I was VERY happy when I finished - getting that faster time did take some work. I was sweatin' fo sho! I kinda wish I kept running for another .5 miles so I could have seen what my 5K pace was...oh well...next time.
I've scheduled Thursday AND Friday as total rest days and I'm going to take them seriously. In fact, Thursday night I'm going to see Toy Story 3 because I'll have the night FREE and the Toy Story movies are my favorite Pixar films - can't wait!
Seen any good movies lately? I'm up for suggestions of what to watch after I finish 24...tear...I love you Jack Bauer....
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Decline in training
I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but looking at my stats on Beginner Triathlete, my training hours have been progressively dropping since the week of May 23rd. I have been doing more race specific workouts that are shorter than my usual workouts. For example, if I swim in the pool, I can easily knock out 1500 yards, but if I swim at the lake, I swim the tri course which is 400 meters.
I feel like I am not training enough, but really I am. I'm not training for a long race, so there is no need to get crazy and do long ass workouts (except for STP). I am so focused on quantity of workouts when I should be focused on quality. If I push hard during shorter workouts, I can reap the same benefits of a mediocre longer workout.
Throughout the summer though, my races get slightly longer than the last, so my workouts will naturally get longer, but I'll still need to focus on quality over quantity. I think going the quantity route burnt me out. For a couple days last week I did not want to do anything related to training, which is very unlike me. Today, I did a short, but challenging 1 hour and 5 minute workout and pushed it and I feel spent. Now I need to rest, so I can push even harder the next time.
I actually did the bike and run course for Saturday's tri and I beat my normal times in both! I did a sub 41 minute bike (10.11 miles) and ran the 2.6 mile course in 25:12. Yahoo! Since the race is this Saturday, this week I'll be taking it easy and probably won't do anything Thursday and Friday so I can have fresh legs for the race. I am so crazy excited for this!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
I feel like I am not training enough, but really I am. I'm not training for a long race, so there is no need to get crazy and do long ass workouts (except for STP). I am so focused on quantity of workouts when I should be focused on quality. If I push hard during shorter workouts, I can reap the same benefits of a mediocre longer workout.
Throughout the summer though, my races get slightly longer than the last, so my workouts will naturally get longer, but I'll still need to focus on quality over quantity. I think going the quantity route burnt me out. For a couple days last week I did not want to do anything related to training, which is very unlike me. Today, I did a short, but challenging 1 hour and 5 minute workout and pushed it and I feel spent. Now I need to rest, so I can push even harder the next time.
I actually did the bike and run course for Saturday's tri and I beat my normal times in both! I did a sub 41 minute bike (10.11 miles) and ran the 2.6 mile course in 25:12. Yahoo! Since the race is this Saturday, this week I'll be taking it easy and probably won't do anything Thursday and Friday so I can have fresh legs for the race. I am so crazy excited for this!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Advancements in technology!
Hi! I'm blogging right now from a new computer! Yay! I've been looking for the right laptop for awhile now, and had narrowed it down to 2. Well one of them went on sale, so I went for it!
My desktop PC was purchased in 2003 when I graduated from high school. It got me through college and then some just fine, but over the past year it has hit a wall and started to poop out on me. Uploading pictures was almost comical on how slow it would take and don't even think about running two applications at once. It was time to put my Dell at rest. Don't worry, I'll recycle it responsibly.
I purchased an Asus laptop with Windows 7, Intel Core i3 processor, 500 MB hard drive (my Dell only had 48GB!) and 4GB RAM. It is speedy, speedy! I also purchased Office 2010 that just came out. I hope it is awesome...I'll review it after I have a change to play around.
I see buying a laptop an investment. I can now easily upload my photos which will make me want to take pictures more and use my DLSR more. I hope with having this laptop, it will help my blog grow - I can take it anywhere and blog all the time! Oh, AND I can watch movies while in bed - extra bonus!
Yes, plastic protective wrapper is still on... I have a thing about leaving those on as long as possible..
I purchased an Asus laptop with Windows 7, Intel Core i3 processor, 500 MB hard drive (my Dell only had 48GB!) and 4GB RAM. It is speedy, speedy! I also purchased Office 2010 that just came out. I hope it is awesome...I'll review it after I have a change to play around.
I see buying a laptop an investment. I can now easily upload my photos which will make me want to take pictures more and use my DLSR more. I hope with having this laptop, it will help my blog grow - I can take it anywhere and blog all the time! Oh, AND I can watch movies while in bed - extra bonus!
It has a mouse pad with similar functions of a Mac, which I like. I like the double finger scroll the most.
This is probably one of my favorite features - an SD card slot. No cord needed to upload photos!
Yes, screen cover still on...
Now, I'm going to dork it out and play on my computer and drink an americano.
I did get my bike tire fixed; it was the wheel liner that goes on top of the spoke holes. The manufacturer of my bike put in this plastic one that moved and cause it to get a sharp enough ridge in it to pop my tube. Thanks to a really nice guy at Kulshan Cycles, I now have a soft liner that has adhesive (kind of like medical tape) so it stays in place.
Planning on a brick workout on the Padden Tri course as soon as I'm done geeking out. Triathlon in 6 days!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
I'm over my bike
In the past 11 days I have gone through 6 tubes and 1 tire on my bike. 5 of which were just on my back tire. I finally had the bike shop fix the back tire and it looks like it's holding, thank goodness.
My front tire went flat after my short ride on Wednesday. I wanted to go out for a quick 20-25 mile ride tonight, so I changed the tube, got ready and the minute I touched my bike, the tire went instantly flat. WTF. At this point I wanted to pick my bike up and throw it in the street and walk away. I found the reason it went flat, so I should be able to fix it, but still! I am so over this! Tubes are $6.50 each and I am not rich!
You know what put the cherry on the top of the cake? While dealing with my tires, I noticed that a bird crapped on my back brakes while my car was parked at the Y. Just fantastic. Sometimes I let stuff get to me too much (like flat tires) and sometimes I feel like saying, "screw this" and quitting.
I'm never going to quit really. Just at that moment in time when my emotions are high and I'm pissed off, that seems like the only thing that would make my problem go away. Of course this isn't the mature way to handle my problem - throw a temper trantrum, throw my bike and quit...hahaha. I love biking, swimming and running but yes, there are days when I hate all of them, but there are bad days in everything. To deal with those bad days, I take a deep breath, and move on. If I linger on those bad days, all days will be bad.
So off to the bike shop to get some help on my tire so I can ride tomorrow. I know you have crappy days while training too, how do you handle them?
My front tire went flat after my short ride on Wednesday. I wanted to go out for a quick 20-25 mile ride tonight, so I changed the tube, got ready and the minute I touched my bike, the tire went instantly flat. WTF. At this point I wanted to pick my bike up and throw it in the street and walk away. I found the reason it went flat, so I should be able to fix it, but still! I am so over this! Tubes are $6.50 each and I am not rich!
You know what put the cherry on the top of the cake? While dealing with my tires, I noticed that a bird crapped on my back brakes while my car was parked at the Y. Just fantastic. Sometimes I let stuff get to me too much (like flat tires) and sometimes I feel like saying, "screw this" and quitting.
I'm never going to quit really. Just at that moment in time when my emotions are high and I'm pissed off, that seems like the only thing that would make my problem go away. Of course this isn't the mature way to handle my problem - throw a temper trantrum, throw my bike and quit...hahaha. I love biking, swimming and running but yes, there are days when I hate all of them, but there are bad days in everything. To deal with those bad days, I take a deep breath, and move on. If I linger on those bad days, all days will be bad.
So off to the bike shop to get some help on my tire so I can ride tomorrow. I know you have crappy days while training too, how do you handle them?
Friday, June 18, 2010
The weekend is in sight!
SO thankful it is FRIDAY! It has been a fairly okay day - got to watch a little of the US world cup game at work, went on a coffee date with the ladies at work, checked off some stuff on my to-do list and had a delicious lunch.
I am back on a saladless salad kick. Basically, salad toppings minus any leafy greens. Today, it consisted of:
- chopped up veggie burger
- corn
- black beans
- avocado
- shreaded carrots
- grape tomatoes
- slightly steamed broccoli
- cucumber
I LOVE them! I also drizzle a little sesame salad dressing on it for a tad more flava, but not all the time.
I wasn't planning on doing much today in terms of working out, maybe a run, but thanks to Kyle motivating me, I'm swimming at the lake after work. I may bring my shoes and run around the lake too, but we'll see. My calf is feeling on the verge of being strained and God knows I can't have that happen a week before the race! Need to take it a tad easy and work at it with The Stick tonight.
Hope your Friday is going just fantastic! Got any plans after work?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
3 Things Thursday
I've seen "3 Things Thursday" on two blogs: Tall Mom on the Run and Dare to Tri and I like it. It is simply three things. Doesn't matter what they are about, if they're related to my blog or not, just three things. I love the randomness of it. So I'm introducing 3 Things Thursday on The Daily Sweat! Here goes...
ONE: Confession. I have not kept to my one-drink-per-week rule. Shame on me. : ) I love wine too much to limit myself. Its not like I get wasted every night, just a glass every few days. I did discover my love for mead last night at the Honeymoon in Bellingham. It tasted like honey juice...dangerous.
TWO:One and a half months until I'm going on vacation for an entire week! Like every summer, I'm going to Minnesota! I've only been counting down since April...
THREE: It is harder than I thought to think of 3 random things...
ONE: Confession. I have not kept to my one-drink-per-week rule. Shame on me. : ) I love wine too much to limit myself. Its not like I get wasted every night, just a glass every few days. I did discover my love for mead last night at the Honeymoon in Bellingham. It tasted like honey juice...dangerous.
TWO:One and a half months until I'm going on vacation for an entire week! Like every summer, I'm going to Minnesota! I've only been counting down since April...
THREE: It is harder than I thought to think of 3 random things...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
My progession in swimming
I was at the pool last night, swimming lap after lap thinking, "this is nice. I have my breathing under control and I feel very comfortable in the water, I love swimming." Looking back to January when I started to swim, I have improved SO much. When I started, going 20 yards was hard, I couldn't catch my breath and I needed to rest at the end of each lap. It is amazing how swiming 2-3 times a week as gotten me to where I am today. Yes, that is 6 months of swimming, but I am so happy that I can swim 600 yards without stopping. I finally feel like I'm a swimmer. : )
As I swim at the lake more, I have realized that I love open water swimming WAY more than the pool. One, I can wear my sweet wetsuit that makes me buoyant and two, there are no stupid walls to turn around at. Tonight, I swam 5 minutes out and 5 minutes back at Lake Padden, which is way longer than the tri course, and felt awesome! I love the feeling of swimming without stopping, the rhythm is great. Stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe, repeat. There were a couple times tonight during my swim that I had to remind myself to calm down. When my heart rate escalates, it is harder for me to breathe, so I have to chill out and tell myself, "You are fine, get in your grove and swim."
After the swim, I transitioned similar to what I plan to do for the race and did a really quick ride up the first hill (a little over 2 miles) and then a quick 5 minute run to get my legs used the feeling of running off the bike. I finished the entire workout in a little over 30 minutes. I then went to the Y and ran 3.05 miles in 30 minutes.
Good workout! I am having a hell of a time with my bike tires/tubes. Last Tuesday I got a flat in my back tire, I changed it and it was flat again on Friday. I bought a new tire, changed it, rode Flying Wheels and it was flat again. I took the tire to REI and had them change it for my ride today and it was fine. When I got home tonight my front tire was flat. UGH! So frustrating! I've been spending so much money in tire and tubes, I can't afford to get more flats! I'm gonna change out my front tube and ride 30ish miles tomorrow and hope that it holds. Maybe I just suck at changing tubes...
Ok, nighty night, 2 more workdays till the weekend!
As I swim at the lake more, I have realized that I love open water swimming WAY more than the pool. One, I can wear my sweet wetsuit that makes me buoyant and two, there are no stupid walls to turn around at. Tonight, I swam 5 minutes out and 5 minutes back at Lake Padden, which is way longer than the tri course, and felt awesome! I love the feeling of swimming without stopping, the rhythm is great. Stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe, repeat. There were a couple times tonight during my swim that I had to remind myself to calm down. When my heart rate escalates, it is harder for me to breathe, so I have to chill out and tell myself, "You are fine, get in your grove and swim."
After the swim, I transitioned similar to what I plan to do for the race and did a really quick ride up the first hill (a little over 2 miles) and then a quick 5 minute run to get my legs used the feeling of running off the bike. I finished the entire workout in a little over 30 minutes. I then went to the Y and ran 3.05 miles in 30 minutes.
Good workout! I am having a hell of a time with my bike tires/tubes. Last Tuesday I got a flat in my back tire, I changed it and it was flat again on Friday. I bought a new tire, changed it, rode Flying Wheels and it was flat again. I took the tire to REI and had them change it for my ride today and it was fine. When I got home tonight my front tire was flat. UGH! So frustrating! I've been spending so much money in tire and tubes, I can't afford to get more flats! I'm gonna change out my front tube and ride 30ish miles tomorrow and hope that it holds. Maybe I just suck at changing tubes...
Ok, nighty night, 2 more workdays till the weekend!
A faster 5K
Yesterday, I decided to join Caitlin at HealthyTippingPoint in her challenge to improve her 5K time. I have to run a 5K in the Danskin Triathlon in August and want to run it faster than I do right now, so this'll be a fun challenge.
Currently, I average a 32:00 5K and ideally I'd like that to be sub-30. Yesterday, I tested myself and ran a 30:28. I know I can knock 28 seconds off my time, so I need a better goal. Sub-29 is now my goal. My plan to reach sub-29 is to start adding fartleks in my runs. Fartleks don't have anything to do with what their name may imply, they are when you increase your speed for a short amount of time during your run then return to your normal pace. I usually do 15-20 second fartleks. Adding speedwork like fartleks help you become faster because your legs and lungs get used to working harder, so eventually running faster will be easier.
Are in for the faster 5K challenge?
Last night I also swam at the pool. I wanted to get in a longer swim instead of a short swim at the lake. I swam 1,300 yards in 40 minutes and then got an awesome cramp in my foot. Within these 1,300 yards was my longest set to date: I swam for 600 yards straight!
I think the hardest part of swimming longer is getting past 200 yards. Once I get there, I can swim for a long time, but those first 200 yards can get so boring!
This past weekend was my Dad's birthday and I have a few photos to share, enjoy!
Currently, I average a 32:00 5K and ideally I'd like that to be sub-30. Yesterday, I tested myself and ran a 30:28. I know I can knock 28 seconds off my time, so I need a better goal. Sub-29 is now my goal. My plan to reach sub-29 is to start adding fartleks in my runs. Fartleks don't have anything to do with what their name may imply, they are when you increase your speed for a short amount of time during your run then return to your normal pace. I usually do 15-20 second fartleks. Adding speedwork like fartleks help you become faster because your legs and lungs get used to working harder, so eventually running faster will be easier.
Are in for the faster 5K challenge?
Last night I also swam at the pool. I wanted to get in a longer swim instead of a short swim at the lake. I swam 1,300 yards in 40 minutes and then got an awesome cramp in my foot. Within these 1,300 yards was my longest set to date: I swam for 600 yards straight!
I think the hardest part of swimming longer is getting past 200 yards. Once I get there, I can swim for a long time, but those first 200 yards can get so boring!
This past weekend was my Dad's birthday and I have a few photos to share, enjoy!
Mom and Dad at the Tacoma Rainier's game
Me and Dad
Tacoma Rainier's games are fun and only $10!
During the 7th inning stretch
My super cute nephew at dinner
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Flying Wheels Summer Century
That's what they call it, a "Summer Century," but I did not ride the century, so lets call it "A Summer 65-er." The Flying Wheels event put on by the Cascade Bike Club was a success! It was a be-a-utiful day and the course was fun yet challenging.
We got to Marymoor park to start the ride around 7:30. Since we were only doing the 65 miler, we were supposed to start at 9 to let the 100 milers get ahead, but we had a time crunch and Rebecca had to be done with the ride at 1pm, so we cheated and started the ride at 8:20. Shhh!
Everyone getting ready to ride!
Rebecca
Me
bathroom, check. water, check. lets go!
This ride was fun because of all the people! I had never ridden with so many people on the road. I really had to be aware of my surroundings and make sure to check my blind spot before I passed or say "left" when I overtook another rider.
First rest stop. Ate 1/2 Larabar and we were off again.
2nd stop. Ate 2nd half of Larabar. Look at those blue skies!
3rd stop. SO many people! This is where the 100 milers split from the 65 milers.
The course was challenging because of the hills. There are two hills that were hard enough that I remember them. The first one was less than 5 miles into the ride. It was steep, but nothing I couldn't grind out. I'm starting to hate hills less because of the feeling of accomplishment I get when I conquer them. The other hill that stuck in my mind was at the end and it was one of those hills that looked like it was going to end, but it would just take a turn and keep going up, and up, and up.
Everything between those two hills were pleasant. There was even one downhill that I reached 36 mph just by coasting, so fun! Overall, I had an awesome time riding the new terrain. I am already looking forward to doing it next year. This ride also was a good prep of getting used to riding with so many people because in about a month, Rebecca and I plus 9,998 others will be riding the STP. Talk about crowded!
Yay! All done. Fun ride!
Beer garden
Finished the 65 miles in 4:29
Wasn't sore after the ride, knees just ached a tad. I also wore my new Pearl Izumi shorts on this ride and they were AWESOME! Highly recommend Pearl Izumi shorts/pants - they will make your ride so comfortable.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Bloggie Makeover
I'm trying to spice up the blog a little more and Blogger just added *new* templates, so I'm experimenting. How do you like this one? I think it may be a tad busy.
I am tapering a little this week in preparation for tomorrow's long bike ride, Flying Wheels! I'm still undecided on what distance I'll be riding, but I hope to at least complete 70 miles. I'm a little anxious because there is going to be A LOT of people doing this ride. Since is it just outside of Seattle, it'll draw hundreds more people than the little Skagit Spring Classic I rode in May. But that will also be the fun of it - riding with tons of other people that love cycling just as much as I do. I'll be sure to take some photos so I can share the fun!
So for tapering, I have just toned down my usual workouts. I took Thursday off of biking and swam (1,400 yards in 40 minutes) instead because it is less strenuous on my legs. Today, if I do anything I might go on a 5K run, but nothing more. I want my legs to feel FRESH for tomorrow and be able to attack the hills!
I'm really looking forward to this weekend (when do I not though?). Besides the bike ride, I'm hanging out with my family and celebrating my Dad's birthday. And BONUS that the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny. Have a happy Friday, hope your weekend comes quickly!
I am tapering a little this week in preparation for tomorrow's long bike ride, Flying Wheels! I'm still undecided on what distance I'll be riding, but I hope to at least complete 70 miles. I'm a little anxious because there is going to be A LOT of people doing this ride. Since is it just outside of Seattle, it'll draw hundreds more people than the little Skagit Spring Classic I rode in May. But that will also be the fun of it - riding with tons of other people that love cycling just as much as I do. I'll be sure to take some photos so I can share the fun!
So for tapering, I have just toned down my usual workouts. I took Thursday off of biking and swam (1,400 yards in 40 minutes) instead because it is less strenuous on my legs. Today, if I do anything I might go on a 5K run, but nothing more. I want my legs to feel FRESH for tomorrow and be able to attack the hills!
I'm really looking forward to this weekend (when do I not though?). Besides the bike ride, I'm hanging out with my family and celebrating my Dad's birthday. And BONUS that the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny. Have a happy Friday, hope your weekend comes quickly!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Almost the full race
Howdy! How was your hump day? Mine was alright except for the hours of 6:30am and 3:30pm. I bet you can guess what I was doing. :)
After work I made a quick trip to Costco and got some yummy staples: BLUEBERRIES, strawberries, broc, veggie burgers, salsa, spinach, tortillas and mini bell peppers! Pretty much food awesomeness, especially the mini bell peppers, have you had those?! Amazing!
I then I did a triatlon! Well, a really short one. I did the full swim (400 meters), 6.3 mile bike and a 2 mile run. Whew! I had yet to put all the pieces together on the actual course until today.
It wasn't easy, but it definitely wasn't horrible. There is a gradual climb first thing on the bike, which I thought was the worst part. My favorite part? Swimming in the lake! It's so refreshing and there aren't stupid pool walls to run into!
I want to do that at least 3 more time before the race. I have 2 weeks and 2 days! So close!
Did you sweat today? What did you do?
After work I made a quick trip to Costco and got some yummy staples: BLUEBERRIES, strawberries, broc, veggie burgers, salsa, spinach, tortillas and mini bell peppers! Pretty much food awesomeness, especially the mini bell peppers, have you had those?! Amazing!
I then I did a triatlon! Well, a really short one. I did the full swim (400 meters), 6.3 mile bike and a 2 mile run. Whew! I had yet to put all the pieces together on the actual course until today.
It wasn't easy, but it definitely wasn't horrible. There is a gradual climb first thing on the bike, which I thought was the worst part. My favorite part? Swimming in the lake! It's so refreshing and there aren't stupid pool walls to run into!
I want to do that at least 3 more time before the race. I have 2 weeks and 2 days! So close!
Did you sweat today? What did you do?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
1,000 miles and a flat
Hi! Are you enjoying the new name of my blog? I am!
Just got back from a bike ride and a run and yes, I got sweatty. : ) Rebecca and I did the Lake Samish loop which is a 26ish mile loop from my front door. Riding time was just under 2 hours, but we took longer because I got a flat. Boo. I'm actually glad I got it, because it made me practice changing a flat on the side of the road instead of in the comfort of my own home. I'm now very comfortable changing flats, I just can't change them very fast. All in time!
Another exciting happening on this ride was that my odometer on my Cateye turned 1,000 miles! I got the Cateye 3 months after I got my bike, so I don't know exactly how many miles I've put on my bike since last August, but I'm estimating 1,600. How many miles does a recreational cyclist usually ride in one year?
After the ride I went on a 2.15 mile run in 20:45. My legs felt semi-sluggish, but not horrible. My ankles however, felt tight and weak.
Rebecca and I are riding the Flying Wheels bike ride in Redmond, WA this Saturday, so we're not doing our Thursday ride. Gonna rest the legs so we can tackle the hilly course. We still haven't decided what distance we're going to do - 45, 70 or 100 miles. Most likely we'll do the 70 miler.
Just got back from a bike ride and a run and yes, I got sweatty. : ) Rebecca and I did the Lake Samish loop which is a 26ish mile loop from my front door. Riding time was just under 2 hours, but we took longer because I got a flat. Boo. I'm actually glad I got it, because it made me practice changing a flat on the side of the road instead of in the comfort of my own home. I'm now very comfortable changing flats, I just can't change them very fast. All in time!
Another exciting happening on this ride was that my odometer on my Cateye turned 1,000 miles! I got the Cateye 3 months after I got my bike, so I don't know exactly how many miles I've put on my bike since last August, but I'm estimating 1,600. How many miles does a recreational cyclist usually ride in one year?
After the ride I went on a 2.15 mile run in 20:45. My legs felt semi-sluggish, but not horrible. My ankles however, felt tight and weak.
Rebecca and I are riding the Flying Wheels bike ride in Redmond, WA this Saturday, so we're not doing our Thursday ride. Gonna rest the legs so we can tackle the hilly course. We still haven't decided what distance we're going to do - 45, 70 or 100 miles. Most likely we'll do the 70 miler.
New Blog Name!
I did a lot of brainstorming of titles and this one came to me in a weird way. When I'm at work and I come back from a break or lunch, I always say "Back to the grind!" Which got me thinking, "The Daily Grind," but that is associated with coffee, so I landed on "The Daily Sweat."
I like it! What do you think? I sweat a lot when I workout, so its fitting. : ) I'll be posting as I usually do, just wanted a title new visitors could understand what my bloggy is about. My goal over the summer is to grow my blog and this is the first step.
With this name change, I also changed my Twitter to @dailysweat. Follow me here.
I like it! What do you think? I sweat a lot when I workout, so its fitting. : ) I'll be posting as I usually do, just wanted a title new visitors could understand what my bloggy is about. My goal over the summer is to grow my blog and this is the first step.
With this name change, I also changed my Twitter to @dailysweat. Follow me here.
I want a new blog name
I've been wanting to change the name of my blog, but am stumped on what I should call it. "Mego Blog" doesn't give a good description of what my blog is about and I'd like a name that does. I've been thinking of some words I'd like to play with to make a title: health, active, triathlon, swim, bike, run, train... Any creative ideas?
I took Sunday completely off and it was wonderful. Monday though, I was ready to go! I swam 1,600 yards in 45 minutes. I'm doing longer swim sets and less resting. I need to build my endurance for the Danskin Tri in August - it's a .5 mile swim!
I then went outside for a run in the sun. Ran about 4 miles, but I didn't have my Garmin, so I just estimated that I was running a 10 min. mile and I went for 40 minutes.
The SUN is out today and the only thing I have on my mind is my bike ride after work! yahoo!
I took Sunday completely off and it was wonderful. Monday though, I was ready to go! I swam 1,600 yards in 45 minutes. I'm doing longer swim sets and less resting. I need to build my endurance for the Danskin Tri in August - it's a .5 mile swim!
I then went outside for a run in the sun. Ran about 4 miles, but I didn't have my Garmin, so I just estimated that I was running a 10 min. mile and I went for 40 minutes.
The SUN is out today and the only thing I have on my mind is my bike ride after work! yahoo!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Wish I joined Team in Training
Where did the sun go?! It was BEAUTIFUL yesterday here in Western Washington, but today has gone to crap. I started out the sunny day yesterday with what was supposed to be a bike ride with my tri group. Well, our group leader never showed up (glad I paid $65 to join this group..) so me and the other 2 gals that showed up decided to do the whole bike course followed by the whole run course.
I was able to shave a few seconds off my bike time from last Tuesday. I rode the 10.11 miles in 42:05. I took some advice from my friend Kyle and tried to power up the hills more and use the downhills for recovery instead of trying to pedal fast downhill. I tucked as well as I could on the downhills and just let gravity do its thing. I think my legs liked the rest, because I felt better on the hills when I hit them.
We then transitioned to the run, which I was kind of dreading, but it was nice to be running with someone rather than by myself. We completed the 2.6 mile loop in 27 minutes. I was happy with that time, as my legs felt like lead and I didn't think I was running very fast.
There was a Team-In-Training tri group at the lake too and I was really jealous that I didn't join their group instead. They had a lot more people and their trainers/group leaders seemed to pump everyone up and motivate them. Everyone looked as if they were getting so much more out of their training than I was. Instead, my leader doesn't really have anything planned when we meet, I haven't learned anything new since I joined the group, and she didn't even show up yesterday. Do you think it'd be appropriate to ask for a refund?
After the brick workout, I felt like I still had some energy left, so I went to the Y for a swim. I swam the tri distance without stopping for the first time and it was easy! I just had to get past about 200 meters, then my body just got in the rhythm and kept on chuggin along. Here is what my workout looked like:
80 warm up
3 x 100 with 20 backstroke in between
1 x 200
1 x 440
200 kick
1 x 440
Total 1,720
I know I've said it before, but I love swimming! : )
I need to get used to swimming longer distances because my aunt just convinced me to do the Danskin Triathlon with her on August 14th. The swim is 1/2 mile. I know by then I'll be fine, but right now 1/2 mile is a little intimidating!
Off to hang out with my family and some friends! Enjoy your Sunday!
I was able to shave a few seconds off my bike time from last Tuesday. I rode the 10.11 miles in 42:05. I took some advice from my friend Kyle and tried to power up the hills more and use the downhills for recovery instead of trying to pedal fast downhill. I tucked as well as I could on the downhills and just let gravity do its thing. I think my legs liked the rest, because I felt better on the hills when I hit them.
We then transitioned to the run, which I was kind of dreading, but it was nice to be running with someone rather than by myself. We completed the 2.6 mile loop in 27 minutes. I was happy with that time, as my legs felt like lead and I didn't think I was running very fast.
There was a Team-In-Training tri group at the lake too and I was really jealous that I didn't join their group instead. They had a lot more people and their trainers/group leaders seemed to pump everyone up and motivate them. Everyone looked as if they were getting so much more out of their training than I was. Instead, my leader doesn't really have anything planned when we meet, I haven't learned anything new since I joined the group, and she didn't even show up yesterday. Do you think it'd be appropriate to ask for a refund?
After the brick workout, I felt like I still had some energy left, so I went to the Y for a swim. I swam the tri distance without stopping for the first time and it was easy! I just had to get past about 200 meters, then my body just got in the rhythm and kept on chuggin along. Here is what my workout looked like:
80 warm up
3 x 100 with 20 backstroke in between
1 x 200
1 x 440
200 kick
1 x 440
Total 1,720
I know I've said it before, but I love swimming! : )
I need to get used to swimming longer distances because my aunt just convinced me to do the Danskin Triathlon with her on August 14th. The swim is 1/2 mile. I know by then I'll be fine, but right now 1/2 mile is a little intimidating!
Off to hang out with my family and some friends! Enjoy your Sunday!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Longer Mid-Week Ride
It's FRIDAY! Yay! I don't even mind that it is raining today because it is Friday. : )
Yesterday, Rebecca and I went on a longer mid-week bike ride. We haven't been doing many mid-week rides lately, so it was nice to get out there. Plus, it was partly sunny, so we had to take advantage of it.
We did 40 awesome miles in 2:45. I am SORE today though and dehydrated. I didn't drink enough on the ride, so I'm rehydrating today. I've been pretty good over the past few days to get in my 64oz. of water per day. I should probably be drinking more than that when I have intense, sweaty workouts.
Planning a 3-4 mile run this evening and a solid iron pumping session! I found some new exercises in the latest issue of Oxygen Magazine and I can tell they'll get me out of my weight lifting rut because they're making me nice and sore!
Got any plans this weekend?
Yesterday, Rebecca and I went on a longer mid-week bike ride. We haven't been doing many mid-week rides lately, so it was nice to get out there. Plus, it was partly sunny, so we had to take advantage of it.
We did 40 awesome miles in 2:45. I am SORE today though and dehydrated. I didn't drink enough on the ride, so I'm rehydrating today. I've been pretty good over the past few days to get in my 64oz. of water per day. I should probably be drinking more than that when I have intense, sweaty workouts.
Planning a 3-4 mile run this evening and a solid iron pumping session! I found some new exercises in the latest issue of Oxygen Magazine and I can tell they'll get me out of my weight lifting rut because they're making me nice and sore!
Got any plans this weekend?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
National Running Day
Hi! Happy belated national running day! I didn't even know it existed until yesterday!
Of course, I went for a run, it only seemed fitting. I pushed myself on a 5K run and finished in 32 minutes. I'm starting to incorporate more fartleks into my runs, which will hopefully make me a little faster in the long run. I need to get my legs and body used to pushing and working harder so it'll come easier one day and I'll natually start to run at a faster pace.
Active.com posted on their Facebook yesterday, "Why do you run?" I answered, "I run because I have legs and they are meant to run!" I feel since I am fortunate to have strong, capable legs, why let them do what they're built to do - move! Running has never come easy to me - it is always challenging. But that is another reason why I run - to see the limits I can push my body to. I've only been really running as a part of my exercise since 2009, but the more I do it, the more I love it!
Why do you run?
I also had a killer swim yesterday. This time I wrote my swim workout down and put it in a zip lock baggie so I could bring it to the pool and it wouldn't get wet - genius! I did yet another longest swim to date, but in the same amount of time as my other workouts - yay to less resting!
5 x 40 warmup
6 x 120 freestyle
200 kick
2 x 200 freestyle
200 pull
3 x 40 FAST!
1,900 yards total in an hour!
Well, off to another day at work!
Of course, I went for a run, it only seemed fitting. I pushed myself on a 5K run and finished in 32 minutes. I'm starting to incorporate more fartleks into my runs, which will hopefully make me a little faster in the long run. I need to get my legs and body used to pushing and working harder so it'll come easier one day and I'll natually start to run at a faster pace.
Active.com posted on their Facebook yesterday, "Why do you run?" I answered, "I run because I have legs and they are meant to run!" I feel since I am fortunate to have strong, capable legs, why let them do what they're built to do - move! Running has never come easy to me - it is always challenging. But that is another reason why I run - to see the limits I can push my body to. I've only been really running as a part of my exercise since 2009, but the more I do it, the more I love it!
Why do you run?
I also had a killer swim yesterday. This time I wrote my swim workout down and put it in a zip lock baggie so I could bring it to the pool and it wouldn't get wet - genius! I did yet another longest swim to date, but in the same amount of time as my other workouts - yay to less resting!
5 x 40 warmup
6 x 120 freestyle
200 kick
2 x 200 freestyle
200 pull
3 x 40 FAST!
1,900 yards total in an hour!
Well, off to another day at work!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
May Recap & June Goals
Good morning! Although the weekend is over, at least we're starting it off on Tuesday rather than Monday. Cheers to a 4 day work week!
It felt like May was a really long month. The things I did at the beginning of the month feel like they happened ages ago. I did accomplish a lot physically compared to months past, check out April's recap here.
May Totals
Bike: 372 miles
Run: 48.05miles
Swim: 15,440 yards
I'm very happy with these numbers, although I still didn't meet my 15 miles per week running goal. I am okay with that. I felt fine the amount I was running.
Here are the goals I set at the beginning of May:
It felt like May was a really long month. The things I did at the beginning of the month feel like they happened ages ago. I did accomplish a lot physically compared to months past, check out April's recap here.
May Totals
Bike: 372 miles
Run: 48.05miles
Swim: 15,440 yards
I'm very happy with these numbers, although I still didn't meet my 15 miles per week running goal. I am okay with that. I felt fine the amount I was running.
Here are the goals I set at the beginning of May:
- Eat vegetarian: I did it! A month with no meat! It was actually very easy and I didn't miss meat. I'm going to continue this because I don't feel like my body needs meat.
- Run a 5K race: Fail! I ran a lot of 5Ks, but not in a race.
- Run 15 miles per week: another fail! Like I said above, I'm okay with this.
- Blog with more pictures: I did increase pictures in my posts, but I'd like to have pictures in ALL of my posts, not just some.
- Drink at least 64oz. of water per day. I drink water throughout the day, but not nearly 64oz.
- Limit alcohol to one drink per week. Since I have my first triathlon on the 26th, I want to feel the best and alcohol doesn't make me feel the best.
- Get out of my iron pumping rut. I only lift 2-3 days a week, but since I'm in such a rut, I don't think I'm getting anything out of my lifting sessions. Need to find me some new moves!
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