5 inches of snow!!

RUN: 10 miles, no time. Time would have been depressing, the focus was on the fact that we were running in fresh untouched snow!! I think it took about 1 hr 45-50 mins?

While the rest of the group was bugging out weds night, a few of us decided we were running anyway. Me EK IT. I had yaktrax and shoe covers, but that did nothing for my ankles--cold snow crust soon filled the shoes and coated me. The temps were mildly cold, the snow reflected a sodium-lamp tinted haze, and the air was a muffled quiet. Just that sckcrunching sound of fresh puffy snow.

So while I sit here hours later, romanticizing this run, let me fill in the rest. My left ankle is stiff and pained. My left shin bone has an ache up by the knee. And one of the toes on my right foot feels like it's burned and raw (maybe a deep tissue blister?). I'm otherwise ok, ignoring that litany of problems. The aches and pains serve as a reminder that I'm ramping up milage fast. Question is, is it too fast? Just how much can I take? I'm fine from a cardiovascular standpoint but where is the structural system? Working it's way up to a stress fracture or just talking to me because of the different footstrike in snow? Just keep it in mind.

Funny conversation today about the picture of chrissie on my desktop. I was asked, is that my idol? I answered yes and explained who it was. He said, "she looks... Uh...". "Hot?" I suggested with a laugh. No, he said, that's not hot. She's sinewy. I look again at the picture. Yes she's very very lean. Veins everywhere, muscles defined, I don't see sinews but I get the idea. Too thin, too defined. I look at the picture and I see focus, form, and FAST!!!! Chrissie is my idol I guess. My version of a celebrity.

I get a lot of comments, but I've never been called sinewy. I guess that's somewhere on the scale I haven't been yet. No pun intended.

Haven't measured the resting HR in a while. 55. Faster than usual, could the short sleep and the long runs.

Weds long run

RUN: 9.3 miles in 1:23, ave pace ~9:13

My new blog title is too long.

Anyway, my to do list is finally clearing. It was backed up to the point of no more space in my calendar to write more in! But today is the beginning of a more normal schedule.

So even though I only got 6hrs of sleep, I still managed to get up early and squeeze this in before work. The run felt great! I captured lap data but don't have it on my now, but I'd like to be able to say that the second half was equal to or faster than the first.

This is a "rest" week in the chubbie training plan--only 32 miles. My ramp up of miles has me at 32 without much resting. Last week was 32.5 miles, this week might get to 32 total, and next week is planned at 35. I'm behind the curve of the training plan but that's OK.

Oh and this is where I should be logging aches and pains! The last few runs my left metatarsels are pained after 8 or so miles. It's the shoes. But this serves as my reminder to buy new shoes!

First training day

It was a bust in the end. I was sitting in front of a computer most of the day trying to catch up on my huge to-do list. Newsletter, website, bulk emails, sponsors, my presentation at work tomorrow, budget stuff. Sigh. I know I signed up for this, and I know that only once in a blue moon will it all fall in the same week. So I'm not worried or upset, just tired. I got a lot done today!! And I just have to get through Weds...then it's all over!

So while I think I've pulled a sit muscle in my butt, I'm still excited to be free and clear of the FBR and back to life. Tomorrow's workout includes a bike ride, so get to bed early so you can get up early!

New Title for the Blog

A little long, maybe I'll change it again.

"There's a part of me that just won't stop
dancing in the flame.
Maybe I just get off on the pain."

Gary Allen song from last year. So many songs inspired me last year, but this one in particular seemed to explain why I was doing what I was doing. And why I'm doing it again this year. Am I a pain addict? I don't think so. But I do love the thrill of a hard workout, a heart rate of a big hill, the tears of a breakdown, and a push through the wall of doubt. All can hurt, but all in a good way. And that's the pain I am addicted to.

And so I chose that for the title. For now.

AAAAHHHHHHH IT'S DONE!

The FBR is Finito Benito! And now back to our regular programming!

I can't remember if I've said this already, but all the signs are pointing to me doing the Ohio Triple T race. All signs except the fact that I havent registered yet. My hubby has the week before and the week after off of work. Extended vacation? And I have no other races on the horizon after TTT until August. A nice recovery period then train like hell for Pigman.

So why havent I signed up yet? And why am I looking at an HIM training schedule only? G-Zus woman this race is 141 miles of SwimBikeRun and you whipped out an HIM? My plan tonight is to start reviewing my HIM and IM plans, compare their goal hours and distances, and go from there.

In other news, my Chubbie racing is moving right along. I've mapped out a mileage ramp that gets me peaked and on course with my Chubbie training schedule. This past week I did 12.7 mile and 9.3 mile back-to-back runs with no problems. And it was damned cold too, so extra kudos to me.

I had trail mix, applesauce, and yogurt for dinner. Not mixed together, separate. Is that a good idea? NO! Is it a good dinner. Yes!...er...I mean NO. What the hell was that?

I still don't have a new name for the blog, but One Year To IMWI 2010 has to go. I have a few ideas to test out.

This week's summary, Sad But True:
SWIM: 12 mins 400m
BIKE: 38.50 miles
RUN: 32 miles

First double long run

WEDS: 10 miles in 1:38
THURS: 6.3 miles in 55 mins

Here's my first real double-up long runs, in preparation for the DC50K. All feels great, I thought I'd be dragging on today's loop but we ended with a strong pace that was exhilarating. My left ankle/achilles area is a little pained. More of a tight pain. Not sure if I'm still stretching things out after the injury or I still have an injury or... time will tell.

What a way to start the year...

BIKE: 1.5 hrs about 26 miles Did 8 min intervals with 2 mins rest.

RUN: 38 mins, 4.1 miles

I was referring not to the workouts in the subject line, but rather what I registered for today:

Double Chubb 50K trail race April 17

Savageman 100.0 triathlon Sept 17-18

I'm going to hold off on the Triple T registration, I don't want to overdo it on the first day of the year!

Yikes.

I'm also signed up for the Pigman Tri in August. Training for that starts Jan 17th--the EN HIM plan from 2008 will be recycled for this. Unless I start training with PS. I'm too busy with the FBR (on Jan 15th!) to think about coaching. And isn't just perfect that the plan starts days after the race?!? A sign!

So the run today was the first "official" training run for the DC race. A whole 4.1 miles.