BIKE 62 mins and 18 miles indoors, with 30 min TT: 9.5 miles
RUN 3.2 miles in about 30 mins, after work
The bike was the easy part. Get up early and do it. But then when I get done I'm wet and cold, so I think maybe I should change clothes first. Then I think it'll we warmer after the sun has been up a few hours.
Then work meeting goes 1 hr long, then mouse work goes 1 hr long. And now I'm sitting around at 3:30pm wondering how my 35 minute goal run is going to go. Should I leave work early for it? Is that fair? Maybe I could head out at 4:30 (which ain't all that early), drop the bags at the truck, and run from the truck. Or I could leave at 4:30, go home and get the dog, and we do the 3 mile loop at TGP. But my then it's dark.
And it's cold.
Oi, it's day 2 of MiTi season and already the excuse demons are rolling out. This isn't The Blerch talking, is it?
I did the run!! Excuses kept popping up as I packed stuff and walked to the truck out of work -- too late, too cold, too dark -- but g*d dammit it's JUST 30 MINUTES. I knew I'd be happy if I did it, I knew it would feel good once I started, and it did! Screw You Blerch.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
A Reason, or an Excuse?
STRENGTH: 50 mins, with pushup/chest P90X, AbsX, plank, and some HIIT
SWIM 0.00 yards!
Variety pack morning for Opening Day! At least the strength part, the swim part was a loss.
This morning was my first 2 minute plank. Thank you Siri for counting, and thank you sudoku for distracting.
The swim. I kinda figured I wouldn't get to it. I just don't love swimming enough. But today (and all the mental teasing, worrying, and etc that went with this) showed that I'm good at making Excuses into Reasons Why Not.
It's cold out, it will be warmer in the afternoon. DH's car needs to be picked up and if he can't do it, I will. My work computer was down, so it took longer to prepare lab meeting. And I wanted to be around when the guy came to fix it, so that's why I didn't swim over lunch. I was tired and hungry and cold by the time I got home, so that's why I didn't swim after work.
Excuses. All of them.
I'm serious about this, but apparently not serious enough to swim!
SWIM 0.00 yards!
Variety pack morning for Opening Day! At least the strength part, the swim part was a loss.
This morning was my first 2 minute plank. Thank you Siri for counting, and thank you sudoku for distracting.
The swim. I kinda figured I wouldn't get to it. I just don't love swimming enough. But today (and all the mental teasing, worrying, and etc that went with this) showed that I'm good at making Excuses into Reasons Why Not.
It's cold out, it will be warmer in the afternoon. DH's car needs to be picked up and if he can't do it, I will. My work computer was down, so it took longer to prepare lab meeting. And I wanted to be around when the guy came to fix it, so that's why I didn't swim over lunch. I was tired and hungry and cold by the time I got home, so that's why I didn't swim after work.
Excuses. All of them.
I'm serious about this, but apparently not serious enough to swim!
Dec 16 2013 full moon
Here it is!! The Opening Day Full Moon! How cool that my season starts with this looking back at me :)
Sunday, December 15, 2013
The 2013 Songlist
Keeping the tradition of an annual soundtrack, here's the 2013 Songlist.
It Just Comes Natural by George Strait "What I was born to do; Don't have to think it through". Maybe an odd one considering the tone and speed (and that I have Flo Rida and Gaga coming up later!), but this one just says it all and I had it in my head all summer.
Keep Pushing by REO Speedwagon "Keep pushing, even if you think your strength is gone". The song of the Potawatomi Race, heard it in the pre-race music.
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO "Everyday I'm shuffling". Everyday I'm RUNNING! I was shocked when I read the lyrics of this song, never really listened to it for lyrics!
Just Dance by Lady Gaga "I can't remember but it's alright, I'm alright. Just dance." This one ended up on the list after I heard it on the way to a run at Castlewood, then again on the way home. Says it all, just run. With all the hypoglycemic thoughts and cardio-brained moments I have, this song fits right in.
Cruise by Florida Georgia Line "Baby you're a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down, and cruise". Ah, finally getting some good riding in. This was Frea's song for 2013.
Sweet Child Of Mine by Guns N Roses "She's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain". Overhead from the headphones of another runner on a Chubb run with TV, got stuck in my head, and I probably became an annoying trail partner by singing it outloud and by trying to guess which Alvin & The Chipmunks song he had in his.
Have A Nice Day by Bon Jovi "Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice; Standing on the edge I'll show the wind how to fly". The Song of the the MT50! I had wanted to get red compression socks that I could mark with the smirk, but I'm cheap so I didn't.
Good Feeling by Flo Rida "Got adrenaline, never giving in; Giving up's not an option, gotta get it in". I heard this on the way home from the MT50. At first I though it was Have A Nice Day, but to my surprise it was a song that foretold my 100 miler!?!?! "Stronger than ever, can't hold me down; A hundred miles gunnin' from the pitcher's mound".
Royals by Lorde "We're bigger than we ever dreamed, and I'm in love with being Queen". Suggested by LC and JF as a theme song for me :)
Monster by Eminem "Seize the moment and don't squander it; 'Cause you never know when it all could be over tomorrow". Many many lines from this song, pretty much all of them hit on the OCD tendencies we have! But I hit a low in my 5 weeks of recovery, became even better friends with some monsters before kicking them out for good.
It's My Life by Bon Jovi "Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down". In response to someone asking me, "Is what you're doing healthy?". I won't get all negative on this voice, except to tell them to STFU and live their own life. (A lesson I could learn from too).
It Just Comes Natural by George Strait "What I was born to do; Don't have to think it through". Maybe an odd one considering the tone and speed (and that I have Flo Rida and Gaga coming up later!), but this one just says it all and I had it in my head all summer.
Keep Pushing by REO Speedwagon "Keep pushing, even if you think your strength is gone". The song of the Potawatomi Race, heard it in the pre-race music.
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO "Everyday I'm shuffling". Everyday I'm RUNNING! I was shocked when I read the lyrics of this song, never really listened to it for lyrics!
Just Dance by Lady Gaga "I can't remember but it's alright, I'm alright. Just dance." This one ended up on the list after I heard it on the way to a run at Castlewood, then again on the way home. Says it all, just run. With all the hypoglycemic thoughts and cardio-brained moments I have, this song fits right in.
Cruise by Florida Georgia Line "Baby you're a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down, and cruise". Ah, finally getting some good riding in. This was Frea's song for 2013.
Sweet Child Of Mine by Guns N Roses "She's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain". Overhead from the headphones of another runner on a Chubb run with TV, got stuck in my head, and I probably became an annoying trail partner by singing it outloud and by trying to guess which Alvin & The Chipmunks song he had in his.
Have A Nice Day by Bon Jovi "Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice; Standing on the edge I'll show the wind how to fly". The Song of the the MT50! I had wanted to get red compression socks that I could mark with the smirk, but I'm cheap so I didn't.
Good Feeling by Flo Rida "Got adrenaline, never giving in; Giving up's not an option, gotta get it in". I heard this on the way home from the MT50. At first I though it was Have A Nice Day, but to my surprise it was a song that foretold my 100 miler!?!?! "Stronger than ever, can't hold me down; A hundred miles gunnin' from the pitcher's mound".
Royals by Lorde "We're bigger than we ever dreamed, and I'm in love with being Queen". Suggested by LC and JF as a theme song for me :)
Monster by Eminem "Seize the moment and don't squander it; 'Cause you never know when it all could be over tomorrow". Many many lines from this song, pretty much all of them hit on the OCD tendencies we have! But I hit a low in my 5 weeks of recovery, became even better friends with some monsters before kicking them out for good.
It's My Life by Bon Jovi "Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down". In response to someone asking me, "Is what you're doing healthy?". I won't get all negative on this voice, except to tell them to STFU and live their own life. (A lesson I could learn from too).
Last weekend in the "fun season"
Saturday: 30 miles and 100 minutes on the trainer
And that was about it. I wanted to run or something, but another part of me (probably The Blerch, more on that later) won the argument by insisting there were too many errands that needed to get done this weekend. And it snowed, and the snow turned to ice, and footprint-pocked ice is hard to run on.
And we did have a large number of errands to run this weekend, since the goal was to have xmas shopping DONE by Sunday night. It almost is, so it was worth the push.
There's still a niggle of a thought that I need more rest. Is that The Blerch? Maybe he's inspired by the fact that I now have a The Blerch t-shirt! It arrived in the mail over the weekend. I'm wearing it Monday on opening day.
I had a great rest, really took time off from logging, blogging, emailing, planning, thinking, and the like. So while I'm happy to be lazy for a while, it's time to get back to what we do best around here.
And that was about it. I wanted to run or something, but another part of me (probably The Blerch, more on that later) won the argument by insisting there were too many errands that needed to get done this weekend. And it snowed, and the snow turned to ice, and footprint-pocked ice is hard to run on.
And we did have a large number of errands to run this weekend, since the goal was to have xmas shopping DONE by Sunday night. It almost is, so it was worth the push.
There's still a niggle of a thought that I need more rest. Is that The Blerch? Maybe he's inspired by the fact that I now have a The Blerch t-shirt! It arrived in the mail over the weekend. I'm wearing it Monday on opening day.
I had a great rest, really took time off from logging, blogging, emailing, planning, thinking, and the like. So while I'm happy to be lazy for a while, it's time to get back to what we do best around here.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Run faster...it's COLD!
RUN 6.6 miles under 55 mins
As per the fun season rules, no Garmin. And as per a new denial rule, no lookin' at the temperatures. Let's just say it was about 10F!
IT, EK, DT joined for this run. It wasn't bad once we got moving. Heck even after we stopped it still wasn't bad. But we did a fast loop! My knee and hip tendons were starting to hurt - was it the cold, or the lack of running lately? Hard to say.
This is it, the last week "off". I've been doing some strength training 3 times a week, some riding, some running, and of course no swimming. My first trip to the pool will be a remarkable event in that I finally made it to the pool.
Sometimes I remember posts that I started and never finished, like my 8 Rules post. They're in my head, I just never get to them. Time to wrap things up!
As per the fun season rules, no Garmin. And as per a new denial rule, no lookin' at the temperatures. Let's just say it was about 10F!
IT, EK, DT joined for this run. It wasn't bad once we got moving. Heck even after we stopped it still wasn't bad. But we did a fast loop! My knee and hip tendons were starting to hurt - was it the cold, or the lack of running lately? Hard to say.
This is it, the last week "off". I've been doing some strength training 3 times a week, some riding, some running, and of course no swimming. My first trip to the pool will be a remarkable event in that I finally made it to the pool.
Sometimes I remember posts that I started and never finished, like my 8 Rules post. They're in my head, I just never get to them. Time to wrap things up!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
2013 wrap up, looking back and looking ahead to 2014
Well I guess it's time to close out 2013 and get the year wrapped up. My Opening Day for the 2014 season starts next Monday, only 6 more days!
2014 is shaping up nicely. Just yesterday I found a spring marathon. About a week ago I found a gravel grinder. I'm already registered for two full iron triathlons, and I'm looking for a spring/summer prep half distance.
2013 was a new experience for me -- I went from 12 hr triathlons to 12 hr running events. The year started off with me and TH running LBL as a prep race, then Potawatomi as our first 50 miler. This was a huge accomplishment, and I think I can say that for both of us. I had doubts on top of doubts about whether I could finish a race like this. But if I knew I could do it, there'd be much less thrill. Apparently, not knowing is what keeps be going.
Once finished with the 50M, I shifted into a somewhat neutral, unmotivated state. (Originally 2013 was going to be a fun off year for me. That didn't happen! Well I was off triathlons and doing something new, so I guess maybe it did happen!). So imagine my surprise when I realized I wanted to try 50M again later that year at the Mark Twain.
TH sat this one out and focused on tri's and resting. So my new training partner became TV. It took some adjusting, his pace was faster and his approach more inter-competitive. He was out to win many of his races. TH and I had a more intra-competitive in that we only competed against ourselves, not others. (And that's not to say we competed or compared against each other.) So suddenly I'm not only going faster than I'm used to, I'm also talking strategies and higher goal setting. At first I didn't know if I liked it since I've been participating in these events mostly done this for fun and personal challenge. How would the experience change if suddenly I set goals of fortune and glory? Would finishing 2nd be a "loss" for me? Will I still feel embarrassed by admitting a goal of "I Wanna Win"? Could I be happy with an otherwise great race if I didn't podium?
I've been doing this since 2006, so this was my 8th year of racing. Sure, I've been podium-hunting at some events. But it wasn't my major overall goal. So maybe it's time I start setting bigger goals, start looking beyond the MOP finish, and start pushing myself much harder.
July's Rt 66 half iron came and went, leaving me with a 2nd AG finish and a 13.1M PR. This was my first taste of that fortune and glory -- I set my sights on a woman ahead of me in the last mile of the best half-mary I've ever run and went after her. No shame. And no dice, she beat me. But I enjoyed the thrill, congratulated her, and noted the lesson learned: I'm not only stronger than I think I am (learned in Redman 2009), I'm also faster than I think I am. (Though I'm still not terribly fast, if you take my meaning).
Next up is the Mark Twain 50M. I spend a majority of the race wondering about my position in the women's field, but don't find out until days later that I won 3rd! Although ultra running doesn't grant 3rd place podiums (it's First or Finish), I'm pretty damned proud of this.
But every time someone asked, how was your race?, I minimized my accomplishment by saying "I had a 2 hour PR and finished third, expect there's no 3rd in ultras". I just couldn't help myself, that's what I'd say. Was I still feeling ashamed about shooting for a podium? Why do I feel that way? Was I thinking I'd failed myself somehow? I've had years of thinking "it's not where you place or your time, but rather how well you executed your race plan" and I was happy with whatever place I finished in. Now I'm thinking "execute the race plan in order to podium". Is it really so different? No!
So one more race -- the McNotAgain 30M. I was doing this for "fun", I said. But deep down I wanted a redemption for the mess of a race I'd had at Potawatomi. (If I measure the success of a race by execution, that was a win/lose. I had a poor nutrition execution, but a winner of a fix for it in that I made myself walk it out). Prior to the race, I was scoping the other registered females online, looking at race times, ages, and experience to measure against my own. Things were looking good for a front finish, assuming my execution was as planned. And it was! I won first overall female and capped off my best year running ever.
But afterwards, I still felt awkward saying I'd won the race! My biggest win to date and I'm still hedging it.
Where does this leave me for 2014? I'm setting big goals. I'm thinking that spring marathon might be a good opportunity to really push for a marathon PR. And I Wanna Win at MiTi. Oh yes, there, I've said it. Not the first time I've said it, but now it's 'on paper' so to speak and I'm gonna dial it up for next year. It's leaving me somewhat apprehensive and nervous about starting the training.
But if I knew without a doubt that I could do it, then where's the thrill?
2014 is shaping up nicely. Just yesterday I found a spring marathon. About a week ago I found a gravel grinder. I'm already registered for two full iron triathlons, and I'm looking for a spring/summer prep half distance.
2013 was a new experience for me -- I went from 12 hr triathlons to 12 hr running events. The year started off with me and TH running LBL as a prep race, then Potawatomi as our first 50 miler. This was a huge accomplishment, and I think I can say that for both of us. I had doubts on top of doubts about whether I could finish a race like this. But if I knew I could do it, there'd be much less thrill. Apparently, not knowing is what keeps be going.
Once finished with the 50M, I shifted into a somewhat neutral, unmotivated state. (Originally 2013 was going to be a fun off year for me. That didn't happen! Well I was off triathlons and doing something new, so I guess maybe it did happen!). So imagine my surprise when I realized I wanted to try 50M again later that year at the Mark Twain.
TH sat this one out and focused on tri's and resting. So my new training partner became TV. It took some adjusting, his pace was faster and his approach more inter-competitive. He was out to win many of his races. TH and I had a more intra-competitive in that we only competed against ourselves, not others. (And that's not to say we competed or compared against each other.) So suddenly I'm not only going faster than I'm used to, I'm also talking strategies and higher goal setting. At first I didn't know if I liked it since I've been participating in these events mostly done this for fun and personal challenge. How would the experience change if suddenly I set goals of fortune and glory? Would finishing 2nd be a "loss" for me? Will I still feel embarrassed by admitting a goal of "I Wanna Win"? Could I be happy with an otherwise great race if I didn't podium?
I've been doing this since 2006, so this was my 8th year of racing. Sure, I've been podium-hunting at some events. But it wasn't my major overall goal. So maybe it's time I start setting bigger goals, start looking beyond the MOP finish, and start pushing myself much harder.
July's Rt 66 half iron came and went, leaving me with a 2nd AG finish and a 13.1M PR. This was my first taste of that fortune and glory -- I set my sights on a woman ahead of me in the last mile of the best half-mary I've ever run and went after her. No shame. And no dice, she beat me. But I enjoyed the thrill, congratulated her, and noted the lesson learned: I'm not only stronger than I think I am (learned in Redman 2009), I'm also faster than I think I am. (Though I'm still not terribly fast, if you take my meaning).
Next up is the Mark Twain 50M. I spend a majority of the race wondering about my position in the women's field, but don't find out until days later that I won 3rd! Although ultra running doesn't grant 3rd place podiums (it's First or Finish), I'm pretty damned proud of this.
But every time someone asked, how was your race?, I minimized my accomplishment by saying "I had a 2 hour PR and finished third, expect there's no 3rd in ultras". I just couldn't help myself, that's what I'd say. Was I still feeling ashamed about shooting for a podium? Why do I feel that way? Was I thinking I'd failed myself somehow? I've had years of thinking "it's not where you place or your time, but rather how well you executed your race plan" and I was happy with whatever place I finished in. Now I'm thinking "execute the race plan in order to podium". Is it really so different? No!
So one more race -- the McNotAgain 30M. I was doing this for "fun", I said. But deep down I wanted a redemption for the mess of a race I'd had at Potawatomi. (If I measure the success of a race by execution, that was a win/lose. I had a poor nutrition execution, but a winner of a fix for it in that I made myself walk it out). Prior to the race, I was scoping the other registered females online, looking at race times, ages, and experience to measure against my own. Things were looking good for a front finish, assuming my execution was as planned. And it was! I won first overall female and capped off my best year running ever.
But afterwards, I still felt awkward saying I'd won the race! My biggest win to date and I'm still hedging it.
Where does this leave me for 2014? I'm setting big goals. I'm thinking that spring marathon might be a good opportunity to really push for a marathon PR. And I Wanna Win at MiTi. Oh yes, there, I've said it. Not the first time I've said it, but now it's 'on paper' so to speak and I'm gonna dial it up for next year. It's leaving me somewhat apprehensive and nervous about starting the training.
But if I knew without a doubt that I could do it, then where's the thrill?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)