Long cold weekend

RUN: 14 miles about 2hr 10mins, the Frostbike 20K with some extra beforehand. I did not get into this run, I was stiff and forced especially between miles 8-11. It was cold out but I was dressed OK. But for some reason, I just never got into it. Probably because I had enough else to think about that day, as the FBR flyer event was scheduled just after the run. I thought about the FBR quite a bit in the run, so maybe that's where my mind was. No pains, no soreness, no after-effects. Great news for the marathon build! Bad thing is I didn't each or drink much before the race, only 1 gel with some water during, and only a coconut bar afterwards. That definitely may have affected the race for me. See below.

SWIM: sunday at Crestview, only 1008y in 30 mins. Obviously wasn't in a hurry, and obviously not into the swim either! Again, distracted, this time by the fact that I broke DH's computer this morning. I splashed some coffee on it. Also, just as I was getting into the pool I learned something that tells me the FBR is going to hit cap!! That's good, no, great, but at the same time stressful. What happens when we run out of schwag?!? Will we have enough food?!? Every event should have such success!

Friday was a rest day, I spend the morning and the aft/evening working on race errands. I'll be so glad when this is all over (only 5.5 days!) and life can return to normal.

So I've done all this reading on paleo/primal, and now it's time to put it into action. Right now, I'm living 'primal' so to speak. No grains, no processed, but still a lot of carbs. But as my training increases, things get worse. I'm reaching for raisins, cashews, dates, and cheese as snacks. And while those are all healthy grabs, they aren't optimal. Goal for next week is to get the PfA into action, re-read the highlights and get going! More lean meat, good protein, more structure to the pre-, during, post-, and recovery stages.

Oh the weather outside is...

...awesome!! I love snow :-)

RUN: 6.5 miles 70 minutes. abt 19F with strong west winds. I ran the loop in FP, the only tri club nut to show up. There was a fantastic snow overnight and even though the roads were bad and I knew I'd likely be alone, I went anyway. The first 0.1 mile was spent finding the trail from the visitor's center. I missed it by a long-shot. At 0.15 miles, I had cold snow packed into the shoes around my ankles. By 0.2 miles I was second guessing my plan to run the loop.

But then, as I reached about 0.25 miles, I found my inspiration: another runner had already come through. Somebody beat me to it. Somebody had got up earlier than I did and blazed a trail for me. Somebody else found it in them to run the path in the snow and cold, so there was no way I'd turn back now. And all because of that, I kept going. I lost the trail again a few more times, as other runners took different paths than mine or the wind blew the tracks full, but I managed the entire usual route. It was COLD, and I usually do the loop in 55-58 minutes, but what a warm feeling to have that completed!

BIKE: 60 mins easy in small chain ring, about 16 miles or so unmeasured, indoors. The training plan called for only 30 mins, but I felt warm once I got started and didn't want to stop! This was about 40 mins after the run. I had shed the wet clothes from the run but kept some of the dry fleece-lined gear on. What a mix of gear to ride in: my fleecy-PI long tights, bra top, and barefeet in tri shoes. I tried to simulate a few hills, yet tried to keep it easy. The training plan seems to use biking as an alternate for running, we'll see how well this works.

NEXT: Swim on Friday, long run on Saturday 14miles.

Circle swimming

SWIM: 2000y 52 minutes. Pool was very busy, only 2 lap lanes and one of those for lessons. I think at one point there were 5 swimmers in our lane! We circled away and at one point I realized I was the lead swimmer. Luckily I was feeling good and ready to go, so I tried to pull away. I managed to stay ahead for about 15-some laps before I popped up to see if anyone wanted to pass. I got to thinking that I was the rate limiting step. Turns out, everyone liked my pace and wanted me to keep going. But I let them go, I wanted to draft off of them for awhile!

I love it when I learn something about myself in this sport. The feeling is usually crushed by the realization that I'm the last person to figure it out. Today I realized that the possible reason for my rolling too far using the pull buoy might be because my extended arm doesn't "catch" the water to stop the roll. Instead I leave it out in front floating and thus my body keeps rolling. While experimenting today, I found that if that arm "catches" I don't roll too far.

Something else I learned is that if I focus on sweeping the pulling arm all the way past my hips in a strong Whoosh of effort my timing improves. I think it's my timing, anyway. My arms feel like they are grabbing bigger swathes of water when I do that. But I was getting tired, so I didn't get to play with it much.

Tack on a run for yesterday

RUN: 5.51 miles, 50 mins even splits, on flats in FP. 22F plus whatever windchill

I never really did relax for this run, I was tense and in a hurry. The cold was a problem on the way out into the wind, then the warm was a problem on the way home. But I enjoyed it anyway.

ARC ended up being a late night, so I had a late start to today. I signed up for only one shift in February as a way of addressing my time crunch.

Priority Problems

BIKE: 50 mins 15 miles ILT and 15min TT effort
BIKE: 60 mins 17 miles 3x8min 75%

Missed yesterday's swim, I didn't get home until late and the doggie needed a break. I've yet to run today, but I'm going to wait until it warms up!!

Stress! The word of the week, no just yesterday, is STRESS. So much to do and so little time in the world. Returning to work yesterday after an extended break was hard, I'm having a crisis of career. I learned yesterday that my collaborators in Seattle have NOT started my samples, after promising them done by Thanksgiving. Now I have to wonder if the work will ever get done, will my work ever get done, or will I have to leave it unfinished? It's hard to be excited about finding another job when the first one isn't done.

Just behind that stress is the FBR, which only has 11 more days to go. Surprisingly, that is not a direct stressor for me it's just more of a To Do list. And I love To Do's.

As for training, it's taking a back seat to the FBR. While swimming or biking, I'm thinking about the race. While running, I'm trying to experience what the runners will and anticipate their needs.

And I have a Red Cross shift tonight. I'm torn about what to do about this. It's only 2 8hr shifts a month, but those 16hrs are a killer for us. And it's really more than 16 hrs in the end. Rich was going to go out tonight, but now isn't and I worry it's because someone needs to be home for the dog. --I spend Monday night getting ready for Tuesday, I leave work early Tuesday, I get to work late on Wednesday.... If that's true that Rich is changing his plans for me, that's so unfair for him. But what is my 16 hrs worth when balanced against someone losing their home and needing help?? And it's worse when I spend the shift waiting for a house to light up and one never does. I start to feel my time was wasted, even though I spent the time catching up on club duties, emails, etc. Which brings up another point, that I need to take Rich's laptop from him again to work on these duties (I think he wants me to get my own computer) and now some club duties have been pulled from me (because they think I'm already too busy). Ugh. Why am I putting all this here? To remind myself of my Priorities. Which are all mixed to hell right now.

Red Cross needs to change--I can't help everyone else all the time.
FBR will be over soon, just 10 more days.
Training is a personal priority--needs to be balanced against home life.
The house is a dual priority that we need to share--that isn't happening.
Rich and my family are a first priority--
Work--work sux.
Me--I'm my first priority. My time, my goals, and my self are Numero Uno. How selfish is that.

Goal is to keep up!

Falling behind again!

BIKE: 25 miles, 90 minutes while watching a movie. This was just to get some time in on the bike. I did about 15 minutes or so of quality--jumps, standing, big ring, etc.

SWIM: 1680y abt 42 minutes, hard to guess time because we were stopping so much. Something about that pool keeps me from paying attention--haha, wonder what. I meant to swim more, but I was actually in the water over an hour and time ran out.

I really thought I had 3 runs this week--but in fact it was only 2. I had counted last Sunday's run into this weeks! PAY ATTENTION!! It will be easier now that the holidays are over. I stayed up late last night obsessing over this week's schedule. I decided in the end to switch Monday and Wedsnesday.

So last week's numerics are:

SWIM 5179y 2.94 miles
BIKE 25mi
RUN 16mi

I'l probably restart counting totals as IM training total, excluding 2009 numbers.

Once in a blue moon

I'm a sucker for full moons. Went to bed with this moon overhead, and woke up with it setting. Great way to end and start a year!