Breaking in NRC - a preliminary app review

I got soaked at the first school drop off this morning but luckily, I was wearing running shoes & shorts rather than my office work clothes. After dropping the round of 5 kids, I decided to just go for my scheduled #NRC #run (since I was dressed for it and already in need of a shower).

I've been skeptical of the new Nike app update...I guess I got really comfortable with Nike+ and it's quirky ways. Let's face it, change is tough.  And we are less tolerant of it when it's unexpected.  Admittedly, I was kind of grump about it at first.  "Where are my trophies?"  "How do I add photos with the mile stamp on the bottom?"  "How can I just push to Insta or Twitter?"  "UGH! Why? Nike, I have no time for this!!"  "and what is this feed?...who is reading this, who are these people?"  With all the chaos in our daily lives, it's nice to have that one thing you know what you can expect from. #thanksforthecurveballNike 😂

Anyway, being my glass half full kinda self, I decided I'd kick the tires on this thing & start a "training" program. I throw the air quotes out there because I'm not really training for an official race (although, I have a marathon friend that I sense will soon be coming around to sell me on running one).  What I AM doing, however, is trying to build my endurance (ahem, speed really) so that #cardio won't be so miserable for me.

I'm smart enough to know that I despise it right now 'cause I suck at it. Ha! The stronger & faster I get, the more I want to run. I've been down this road. 😒  It's a hard road but I know what's on the other side.

So, I started a training program with the Nike Running Club "Coach". It lines out weekly schedules of runs to help achieve those goals . I'm on week 4 and it's pretty slow going. I put in a long timeline so I guess it thinks I'm a total beginner. I'm fine with that.

**Here is the link to their official page that has all the deets:  From the Horse's Mouth ;) **

The schedules include benchmark, tempo, speed, recovery, long runs and rest days. I haven't followed it EXACTLY because most of the runs thus far are too short. They can be great for gym warm ups but as a stand alone workout, not enough.  I generally run minimum of 4, albeit slow, especially in the hot, humid, never ending Houston Summer days.

So today's (hopefully Part 1 of 2 #wod ) was a series of 3 runs. Two catch ups & today's scheduled.  I figured they are all short enough that if I added them together I would get a good workout and still achieve the purpose of each run.

1- 15 minute Benchmark Run -  7 min warmup, 3 min hard/fast (I was at 7.2 pace!) and 5 min cool down 

2- Recovery Run - 1.5 miles easy run

3- Speed Run - 400x4 w rest in between

Total mileage: 4.5

The runs have spoken cues which are a nice guide as to when to speed up & slow down, a cool feature for sure. I'll be able to quickly see progress in my benchmarks week to week. And it I think the program has a way of taking your performance to customize the future runs as far as providing a target pace. I'm excited about that.

As far as the other questions I had above, I figured out how to do all those things but there is still a bit of a learning curve as to when the photo option comes into play.  I think at one point, I ended a run and it didn't let me go back to add a photo.  Baby steps, grasshopper.  

Change is uncomfortable but I sense these updates are the beginning of many more.  I can tell that the coach feature is more robust than it was before.  There are other features that I have even yet to try, I will log on to their website to learn more.  The "Find Your Fast" program looks cool, even has Spotify Playlists for different Tempos.  I may have to jump to that after this program that I am on. :)

Stay tuned to see how this all works out! In the mean time, I will leave you with this that I found on the Nike page that I really liked:

Seven Truths

1- We are all Meant to be Runners.

2- We are not Just Runners.  We are Athletes.

3- Every Run has a Purpose.

4- Respect Every Workout. Fear No Workout.

5- Embrace Your Weaknesses.  Then Erase Them.

6- Measure Success in as Many Ways as You Can.

7- We Believe in You, Even if You Don't.

Cool, huh?  I'm a fan of that. :)

Happy running all!

~Valerie

Woodlands Half Marathon - Check!

This is a long one...more for me than you so...be forewarned. :)

The rollercoaster of feelings within the week of a race is quite astonishing.  Mid last week I went for a run.  It was a gorgeous day.  The weather couldn't have been better and I felt like this last run before the race would secure whatever insecurities I had about accomplishing the task ahead of me.

I was so wrong.  My legs felt like they were attached to someone else's body.  My knees hurt, my IT band was acting up, both shins felt like they were on fire, my feet ached and flopped onto the pavement and reverberated up to my brain.  It was awful.  I stopped several times to shake things out. I upped the volume on my music in hopes that it would drain out the screaming in my legs.

Me, unamused by my most recent run

To say that I was concerned about a half marathon only a few days away would be an understatement.  Doubts, yea, I had them.  I reminded myself that only a few weeks ago I was sidelined by an ankle injury that kept me from taking normal steps.  I decided to not think about it.  I tabled it.

My friend/coach picked my packet up for me and so that eliminated another opportunity to think about it.  On Friday, I picked up some GU to follow the nutrition instructions given to me for race day.  I started hoping.  Hoping that my legs would just show up Saturday morning.  Hoping that I could at least run half of it before things started to fall apart.  Knowing that my heart and mind would be in it and hoping that my legs would come along for the ride.

I was up at 4 am.  I didn't sleep much.  I had coffee, read the packet instructions and gathered all my gear.  I was ready to go at 4:50.  I ate peanut butter on raisin toast in the car.  I had almost an hour drive to talk about everything except MY race.  My friend, my coach, the elite crazy marathon runner was driving and was telling me she woke up with a head cold.  I hurt for her.  Ugh...the idea of running with a headache sounded awful. I was grateful to not have one of those to deal with.  

We arrived and still, I didn't put much thought into my race.  I just wanted to finish.  Follow instructions...GU at mile 3 or 4 and again at 9.  Drink water every 3 miles.  Got it.  I was able to watch the super racers and their pre-race routines.  Two more friends we met there were running the half as well.  They are also crazy fast, hard core.  They applied Glide, Chapstick, drank water and discussed whether or not to wear a layer at the start.  My marathon friend buys "throw away" jackets for times like these.  That's her routine.  Hmm.  I don't have throw away gear.  It was chilly...in the 50s and I was wearing shorts and a tank.  Way too cold for me to not wear another layer so I figured I'd tie it around my waist when I got hot.  Not them.  No throwaway?  Then, no layer.  That's right, they peeled it off and when out there in a sports bra.  You see, tying it around your waist makes you slower.  I am SO not in the phase where aerodynamics play a role in my performance.   Haha.

With some fast chickies

At 6:30, we all split up into our respective corrals.  Hers, the first for a full marathon.  My other friends, the first for the half.  Mine, the last.   It's pretty awesome to be in their company.  They look not only relaxed but like they are about to have fun (except for the headache part).

I walked back there in the dark, alone through the crowd of nervous runners.  I settled myself next to a couple that had been running half marathons together for 20 years.   They had to be well into their 60s -70s?.  I was also a few feet behind the 2:15 pacer guy and his blue balloon.  To my right, a guy wearing brown pantyhose, a deer costume and a full rack on his head (antlers, of course).  I watched all the selfies taking place all around me and the photobombs that went with them.  I looked down at my phone.  It was 6:40.  Another 20 minutes or so of people watching and NOT thinking about what I was about to do. 

I see you blurry photobomber...:)

I then decided to turn on my ear buds, strategize my music selection and visualize.  Before I knew it, I was walking, jogging and running.  I was listening to the Hamilton Soundtrack.  Yes, I know that sounds odd and maybe even nerdy.  But you know what?  I LOVE IT.  It's a story so you get to follow along and the beat...well, the beat is where it's at.  A few songs I repeated because I found myself BOUNCING on the route.  I am not even kidding.  I will make a playlist of what I listened to and mark the songs that did it for me later.

I'm not throwing away my shot!

A 5k later, I slowly worked on my first GU.  Watermelon Salt?!  OMG.  So good!  I was wishing I had two of those!  I got water at the 4 mile stop and walked through.  In my sights still the blue balloon ahead and the deer, front right.  A few miles later, we caught up to a SuperMan.  Deer and SuperMan began talking and discussing costume choices (I guess...I was still jamming out, probably Lafayette in Guns and Ships).

I was clearly having a great run.  It was still cool out and the fog had yet to lift.  The miles were just passing me by and at 8.5, I worked on my 2nd GU Mandarin Orange Vanilla Octane for an extra boost.  Water didn't come around til almost mile 10.  I felt great but my mind started playing with me.  It was reminding me how badly I was feeling at about this time at my last half.  SIX YEARS AGO.  Right.  A lot of life has happened since then.  I didn't let that bother me.  The fact was, I felt pretty darn good.  I was getting a little tired but the legs were a-ok (THANK GOODNESS).

I realized during a run in the neighborhood recently that music could make or break a run for me.  I discovered that listening to Salsa (Tropical Latin) specifically by the likes of Marc Anthony, Oscar D'Leon, El Gran Combo, Willie Colon (old school, baby) could get me really moving.  So much that at times I really just wanted to pull over and dance.  My childhood memories of the music flowing at my grandma's house all the time and her stopping and dancing while cooking or walking through a room like it was yesterday.  Because of this, I had a few gems saved in my library por si las moscas (Cuban for "Just in Case").

When Hamilton started to get gloomy, I let Marc, Enrique, Oscar and even Pochi y Su Cocoband bring me home.  And did they!  I never lost sight of the blue balloon until then.  I don't know where that guy went (or the deer) but I knew the end was near and I was going to bounce my ass across that finish line!  I was so happy to have come that far with no pain and no mental anguish.  The sun was now shining and it was getting warm but it was still pretty fantastic.  And I was pretty sure I was going to be coming in before 2:30+ (the time on my last half) so it was going to be a good day. :)

La Fiesta de Pilito came on at mile 12 talking arroz, gandules, lechon y ron (rice, beans, pork and rum for a Puerto Rican holiday feast) but the final song across the finish line was "Salsa Con Coco"...I laughed because I hadn't heard that since I was in high school!  My mom got a kick out of that when I spoke to her afterwards.

My final time: 2:14:45.  What?!  I was shooting for 2:20ish and I figured the blue balloon was way ahead...turns out, it was behind me!  W H A T ? ?

Yes, so here we are the Monday after and I am ELATED that I 1) finished 2) didn't hurt 3) Got a PR 4) want to do another to see if I can do it again.  Even better news?  My friends ALL placed!  Both half marathoners placed 3rd in each of their age groups and my rock star super amazing friend and coach came in FIRST of her age group, head cold and all!!  She is so bad ass.  My hero. AND she PR'd!! She came in at 3:20 and some change.  AH-Mazing. (Her 43rd marathon)

All smiles!  Finisher!

Inspiration is contagious y'all.  I am looking for my next half.  I think I can shave at least the :45 off if my legs cooperate.  Take that ankle injury! Boom!

Feeling accomplished. :)

~V

Hello? It's me.

I was wondering if after all these months you'd like to read
'bout how I fell off the workout wagon
They say that rest's supposed to be good for ya
But it made me weak

Hello, can you relate
I'm at work dreaming about who I used to be
last Summer when I trained for hours
I've forgotten how strong it felt before the school fell at my feet

There's such a difference between us (me then and now)
And a million swim/bike/run miles 

Anywho.  I'm not going to go on with that...you get the gist.  I unintentionally broke up with my training because life took pole position.  It was crazy there for awhile but then it wasn't.

I had many opportunities to kick it back up in November and December.  However, the Holidays and Travel made a pretty good EXCUSE (that is totally what it is) to push the workouts aside.  Honestly, I just didn't feel like it. There.  I said it.  I was not motivated and I could care 3 Fs about suiting up and working out or making it a priority. I had a million other things on my plate and my mind and body didn't crave it.

I ran exactly ONCE each month since I last posted here.  LITERALLY. One 4 miler in September, one 4 miler in October and one 5 miler in November...I didn't even bother with being consistent in December (although I planned on running in Central Park on our trip, but didn't).

We returned from our NYC Christmas trip on December 30th.  I had mentioned maybe once or twice to the hubby that I felt the time was coming for me to get back up on the saddle.  I really like being healthy, fit and tone.  I like when my clothes fit right...it makes playing dress up on dates nights or GNO that much more enjoyable.  While packing for NYC, I made the realization that some things were fitting a little snugger than I prefer.  Or I just didn't like how I looked in one outfit or another.  Ugh.  Too many indulgent dinners and desserts over the holidays! Damn you NEW YORK CITY for having amazing food!!

I also made it very clear to my husband that although I KNEW these things, I also did not want to DO anything about it. Motivation: zilch.  I may have posted as such on FB at some point and friends came out in droves offering to run with me.  At 5 am.  Uuuuuuuugggghhhh.  Nooooooo.....  No thank you.

But my amazing hubby knew that I could never turn him down.  He knew that if HE offered to go for a run with me, I would never turn him down.  Suddenly, on the COLD, early morning of January 1st, the guy who hates being cold and really thinks running is super boring, dragged me out of my warm bed and took me to Memorial Park for a one loop run (3 miles).

I really wanted to punch him.  Hello?  Who are you?

But I didn't.  We ran.  I was stiff.  I was cold.  I was miserable.  But I was there.

We started off slow and the sad, sad realization that the great pace I had achieved over the Summer was LONG GONE.  Boooohoooo.  I was so slow.  And then, my hubby turned motivational coach and number one cheerleader says...."let's try changing it up....let's run real fast then slow down or walk"  Huh?  Hello?  Who are you again?  So after the boring mundane first mile, we ran a sprint for about a minute and a half.  We jogged for a bit and did it again.  Over and over and before we knew it, we were done!  And, definitely not cold anymore.  It was exhilarating and also exhausting.  I was glad to be done and to go back to my warm home.

The next day, Coach V (as I started calling him), got me to go on another run.  This time in our neighborhood but to the nearby track.  We did the same thing.  Run a  loop and half, jog a loop and half.  It was awesome!

Half a mile from the house, I was looking ahead to some gravel and didn't see the pipe sticking out of the ground when I STEPPED on it.  My ankle completely folded over and down I went hands first into the gravel I was eyeing!  OUCH!

 I got up and hobbled for a bit and finished my run (very achy).  It hurt for a bit but I "walked it off".  The next day Coach V set up a workout at home for us.  Afterwards we went for a short walk and realized it felt better to jog little steps than it did to walk.  The day after that, he had another workout for me and after I went for a short/slow jog with my son (2 miles).

I worked out for a consecutive 7 days.  Hubby got really busy at work again and couldn't coach me daily but he had given me the best gift ever.   My motivation!  He pushed me and got me going again.  I took a day off when I had a crazy carpool, work late at night from home while hubby worked til midnight kind of day. That's pretty much it.  I have been pretty diligent about doing SOMETHING.  Yay me.

Today is January 28th.  I have logged 56.1 miles in the month of January.  WHAT?!  Yes.  That is crazy.

Want to hear crazier?  Yea, on Houston Marathon day, over a week ago, I decided to go out for my longest run, a quarter marathon!  I could do it, I was sure of it.  I had so many friends running the full and half that day and the weather was AWESOME that I felt super inspired to get out there.  And I did just that.  I ran a new route and lost track of my distance from home.  By the time I turned around, I made it home at 8 miles!  OMG.  It wasn't super fast but it was fantastic.  I felt great and could have gone further.

That night, my elite marathon running friend threw a "post-marathon" party.  Unbeknownst to me, in attendance were all her running friends. (Why did she invite me?!)  This group is a hardcore running group.  How hardcore? Houston was my friend's 42nd marathon.  FORTY SECOND.  Because she is 42, she said.  Duh.  Haha.

This year, she will have run Boston, 5 years in a row.  She is running New York in the Fall (which is harder to qualify for than Boston, by the way) and is running the Woodlands Marathon in about 6 weeks.  Why am I telling you all of this?  Well, because I left that party super inspired and motivated and the idea that I actually COULD run a half marathon (Woodlands) in 6 weeks.  I mean, I just ran 8...how hard can another 5 be?  Right?

I signed up.  I ran several times last week plus joined hubby on his P90X quest that he started from Day 1 last week (he's on week 2 and still going strong).  My friend offered to coach me on my endeavor, even offered to run with me on my long run on Sunday.  She is THAT nice.

We met at 7am at Memorial Park.  She had 5 under her belt before we met.  We ran the loop with no issue and left the park.  At mile 5, the ankle decided to hurt.  WHAT?  I felt that turning around would be the best idea.  About a tenth of a mile later, I couldn't run anymore.  Another tenth and I could barely walk.  Putting pressure on my foot was incredibly painful.

It appears that ankle roll from January 2nd had done more damage than I realized.  And all the running I have done probably exasperated the situation. I have iced, taped and rested the thing and I am yet not able to walk normally.  :(

I am waiting another few days before I see a doctor but I know what they'll say.  Stay off of it.  Rest.  I either have a strained ligament or fractured a baby bone in my foot.  Whatever the diagnosis, the treatment will be the same. I am SURE.  But I will confirm it next week.

So where does that put my half marathon? Not sure.  It's 5 weeks away so it's not looking good but I will remain positive and hopeful.  Whatever the case, I am not letting it hamper my motivation.

I rode my bike on a trainer last night for an hour!  My ankle/foot does not hurt at all when I do that!  I'll keep joining hubby with his workouts and modifying as necessary.  I have my fingers crossed that I will be well enough to run it, shoot at this point, I would be happy to WALK it!! I will be sure to come back and post an update on that and to keep coming out here more often.  There are duathlons, triathlons and the dreaded first day back in the pool that I need to still experience and tell you all about.  I bet you can't wait! Haha.

Sorry this post was so long, it's been awhile!  I've missed you! :)

I'm updating my daily workouts and motivations on my new insta account:  @FullHouseofRoyals  (because my friends and family don't want to hear about my workouts! haha)  Come check it out for inspiration, motivation, healthy recipes, smoothie idea and quirky day in the life of pics.  I promise, all positive!! :)

Happy Thursday and I'll leave you with this:

Goodbye.  ;)

V.

#NewYearGetMyAssInGear

Post of Shame

What can I say?  It's Summer's fault?

Meh.

Last I checked, my most recent update on this blog was sometime in June.  Over two months have passed and I swear it happened with a blink of an eye.  I stayed on track most of that time even though I laxed on my updates.  I figured that as long as I continued with my faux-training plan, I was still building my base and coming here every week was okay to skip out on because with limited time, something had to give.  Here's a run down of what did and didn't happen and where I am now.

I started this "super simple 70.3 Ironman training plan" immediately following the 4th of July weekend.  Initially, my thought was that starting at that time would get me ready for Ironman 70.3 Miami late October.  I really liked the swim and run courses on this and the idea that my family could be there along with my hometown family and friends seemed like icing.  My hubby was on board and even considered for a hot minute that maybe he could train with me and DO. IT. TOO.  (gasp...too many more thoughts and words about this...it totally would deserve its own post on what all happened there).  I had browsed through the training weeks in this plan and I thought "hmm, totally doable". Of course, I was only concerned with the physical aspects of "doing" it.  I cringed a little at the later weeks of the plan as there never seems to be a true recovery time and the brick workouts appeared to be very intense but nonetheless, I was pretty confident in my ability to get it done.

What I put in the back drawer of my brain was the schedule.  The changes in the schedule that were fast approaching, specifically.  Week after week, I swam, ran and biked as prescribed.  I bricked early in the morning and squeezed my long rides on Fridays and runs on Sundays.  In the mean time, I looked into the logistics of Miami.  Travel with or without kids?  Bike transport?  The schedule, like an internet pop-up, came into the frame and it reminded me "oh yea, school will be in session.  And soccer.  And golf"  Uh-oh.

I had a Plan B in my back pocket if I did in fact continue on this journey without obstacles...Ironman70.3 Austin.  Closer to home and a week or two later than the first race, Austin was the initial obvious choice for a first 70.3.  The thing is, I read sooo many reviews about the swim and bike that just seemed awful.  Chip and seal sucks and swimming in a plant lake leaves much to be desired in the scenery department.  The topper on this one is that the run is 3 loops.  UGH.  I hate loops!! Clearly, this is not where I wanted my first (and quite possibly last) run at 70.3 to be.

Because of all these excuses reasons, Austin was in pencil.  I wasn't about to pull the trigger on registering until later on in training when I knew I felt strong and ready. (Miami has since sold out)

I managed 6 weeks of training.  Even on a mini vacation getaway, I managed long runs and squeezed bikes and swims before and after travel.  On that sixth week, swims were tough because I just couldn't get to the pool.  And then, we went on another getaway.  There was lap-length pool there but getting up early to swim before the vacationers came in was TOUGH.  I succumbed to vacation mode.  I needed it really and I was guilt free about it.  I managed to even run 9 miles on our time away.  My husband was so impressed.  I ran down the hill from the hotel, under and across the freeway to the nearby trail and back finishing up that treacherous hill to get to my shower, breakfast and pool.  Beast mode!

I was ready to conquer week 7 when I got back home.  Except that back to school, work deadlines and a travelling husband also happened that week.  I wore a cape on week 7, really.  I did it all. Everything you could possibly imagine that needed to get done, I did.  Except swim, bike and run.

School started, new schedules at 3 different schools and a SUPER busy entrepreneur husband that was cooking up big deals and was totally in the "zone" and me...in the busiest time of year for a corporate tax person.

Y'all.  I'm motivated and at times crazy about getting what I need to get done, done.  My priorities are not skewed, however.  My family always comes first.   I thought that missing all my workouts was going to really mess with my head, emotions and body very quickly.  I thought I was going to turn into a raving lunatic craving and needing to "escape" the chaos for a run.  I am happy to say that I was wrong.

I feel pretty freakin' fantastic (and accomplished) to get all the work done at the office (at whatever hour necessary), support my hubby's endeavours all the while being a supermom who treks across town for soccer practices, carpools, cooks, tutors, launders and still has time to play princess, kick a ball and ride tricycles with the littles and doesn't tire of the thousands of "moms" I hear on the daily. My heart is full, I am so very grateful and I am ok with not sleeping much.  So far.

I have not had a workout (the 9 mile run) since August 16th.  Technically and in reality, that is not THAT long.  But with my history, that could snowball into what I am feeling right now "I feel great, I am never getting up at 5 for a workout again!!" and then soon after, I feel awful and starting again is much like dragging my 3 year old to her new PK3 class, lots of tears and whining is involved.  Ahem.

So what's the plan, you say?  How do I stay ahead of this unpreventable situation that is looming given your time constraints, you say?  Well...I'm either hiring a tutor, housekeeper (that cooks) and putting my babysitter on the weekly payroll,  or quitting work.

Bahahahaha.  Dream on, sister.  I don't know is the answer.  Sleep even less?  Honestly, I don't know. I have been creative before but usually much more motivated than I am right now.  Maybe another week will get me itching and motivated.  Maybe a short run on this upcoming free and clear (so far) holiday weekend will spark the motivation.  Because that post run feeling is SO AWESOME.  Again, I don't know.

I hope all of you that still come out here looking for my updates are staying active and keeping with your programs.  My workout buddy has not quit on me (yet)...she still texts and emails in hopes that one day I WILL join her at the pool at 6 or for the 5:30am Define Rev class.  She is still hoping that I agree to do the TowneLake Labor Day Tri with her but I just don't feel like doing it because I know I'd be beating myself up during the entire swim, bike and run about how weak, tired I feel and what a miserable experience it is.  Not being prepared will do that to you.  I want Tri's to be FUN!  The reality is that a 3 week hiatus will make it not fun for me...pretty sure.

In any event, I will keep you all posted when I figure this out because you know what?  If I do, I will most certainly want to SHARE!! Lol!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend everyone and TGIF!!

Valerie :)

Indoor Tri -The Not So Race Report

Another triathlon checked off the list! This one was an indoor Tri "powered by Lifetime Fitness and Ironman".  I started by membership at Lifetime in early January and had seen the posters all around about their push to get people into triathlon with their "Commit to Tri" slogan.  I learned upon joining that my particular gym had just hosted an New Year's indoor tri a week or two prior.  I was bummed that I had not known about it, it would have been a great way to get my feet wet with this whole tri business.

I asked about when the next one would be and it seems that not all clubs do all the events every time. The next one would be in April in the location in Katy or Sugarland.  Both those are pretty equal in distance from me so I just flipped a coin and registered for the one in Katy.

I got my friend to sign up too and sold her on how great it would be for us newbies.  And that it really is. The triathlon is set to be a 10 min swim in a pool where they count your lengths and later assign points based on number of participants.  Then, you have a 10 minute transition window (which is SO generous!) and then you hop on to a spin bike for 30 minutes (tennis shoes in basket clips or bring your clip ins) and then another 5 minute transition to jump on treadmill for 20.  And you're done!

After the initial sign up (and the friend boondoggle), I didn't think much of this again.  In fact, this week I pretty much gifted myself a recovery week because I flat out just felt worn out.  I probably should have swam at least once but I got my hair "did" on Friday and wasn't about to mess with that. For this.  On Saturday, I went down to Galveston to pick up my daughter and 4 of her friends from a sleepover party.  I had already decided that a side trip to Moody Gardens where Ironman 70.3 Texas would be taking place the next day was inspirationally necessary.  This gave me the nervous race energy I was lacking and am still not sure was necessary!

Late Saturday afternoon, I learned that my friend was sick and would not be joining me.  I was a little disappointed because I just didn't feel like going at it alone.  Again.  Nonetheless, I was registered and committed and I wasn't about to skip it.  Hell no.  I packed up my stuff and my daughter (12) asked me what I was doing.  She asked me who I was going with and I explained my solo status to her.  I asked, on a whim, "do you want to come with me?" and before I could brace myself for a "no", she said "sure" and then followed with "but I don't just want to watch, I want to DO it".  Um.  What? What a pleasant surprise!  But then I thought, is she joking?  Is the lack of sleep from her party making her delirious?  I had no idea if that was even an option but I didn't hesitate to call the club to find out.  As expected, no one that would have the answer to that question was there so we'd have to just show up in the morning and see.  Worst case, she'd be my cheerleader.

By morning, I thought maybe she'd have a change of heart.  But her bag was packed and I learned later that my words to her about being "together" with her struck a chord and motivated her to get up and go.  I was scheduled in the 8:40 wave so we left with plenty of time in the case I had to fill out paperwork for her late registration.

It was touch and go for awhile as there was uncertainty about her ability to join the event but after speaking with the club GM, he said that although the event was "closed", if anyone was a no show, she could fill the spot.  Lucky for us, that was exactly the case!  It wasn't until the last minute before start time that she was given the green light to jump in the pool and share a lane with me.  Happy day!

The Swim:

I was so happy to see her giving it her all with no training whatsoever that I barely paid attention to what I was doing.  And then I remembered what I was doing.  Ugh.  Swimming is not the forte for me and especially not without a warm up. It was WAY better than the last tri but I had moments where my breathing was way off and I had to catch my breath or when my legs just burned and I had to backstroke it.  I made the mistake of stopping for a few seconds to ask her how she felt and I'm afraid that ate up on the time for us to have completed another length.  I lost count and didn't do a good job of looking on the counters sheet to see how we did but I think we were both at 14?  I'll find out for sure when they post the results tomorrow.  I know I could have done better but I also know that I didn't swim all week and I was distracted.

T1:

That long transition time surely felt like a luxury.  I noticed some people completely changed out of their swim gear but I just opted to put on my tri shorts.  Maybe it's why I had so much extra time.  I put on my bike shoes and warmed up while we waited for the time to start.

Bike:

This is was all about high cadence.  A 30 minute sprint consisting of your legs spinning as fast as possible.  I initially set a personal goal of 10 miles and was spinning away and decided to ask one of the volunteers what the "average" distance had been thus far.  He said it ranged from 8-10 miles but no one yet had hit 10.  I thought maybe my goal was a too aggressive and had miss calculated how the spin bike worked.  I didn't think of it much after that because I was more concerned about my daughter.  Her bike seemed to be set up too high and she was wearing tennis shoes that kept slipping from the basket.  On numerous occasions, I had to stop spinning and help guide her foot back in.  She hasn't quite learned the "flip" like I have on my mountain bike.  ;)

As the volunteer walked by, I noticed he would casually whisper to some what their "place" was.  When he didn't come to me, it dawned on me that I was NOT in the top three.  WHAT?  So, I stepped it up a notch.   I pedalled my heart out until I had to stop again for the kiddo.  I figured I'd make up for lost time while I could.  At the last 5 minutes, my legs were flying and I knew I was going to hit over 10 miles (the goal I had brushed off earlier).  I think my final was 10.10 but have no clue how the others did.  It will be a big surprise later.

T2:

Again, no stress transition.  I just had to switch shoes and walk over to the treadmill.

Run:

I started off I think at 6.7 mph which is a 9 something pace and cruised there for awhile.  For some reason, I kept hitting the front bar with my hip so I took that as me needing to go faster so I upped the speed.  I kind of played with it a little and kept upping it after the first mile.  I think the treadmill workout I did recently (5 miles in 45 minutes) really helped.  I felt strong and like I could have gone faster but kept worrying that I would run out of steam (or fly off the machine).  I didn't want to do either so I ended with a 2.33 in 20 minutes.  I know I could have gone further if I hadn't waited until that first mile to start increasing the speed.  Oh well.  Now I know.

Overall:

I think the organization of this event was fantastic.  The facilities were clean and neat and the equipment was top notch.  The volunteers were great and they were especially sweet to my daughter. I LOVED having had been able to make this our first mother/daughter event.  She did great and I am so thrilled that she wanted to do it with me.  She rocked it!  I can't wait to do it again!  Hopefully she feels the same!  She wore her tshirt to school this morning so I am thinking she's feeling pretty good about it to.

I am not sure when they will be doing it again but check out their site on the link here for the list of events and locations.

me and my girl with race swag..tshirt and swim cap!

I'll be sure to post the final results when I see them.

Happy Monday all and congrat to all those racing in Galveston yesterday!  I've seen lots of photos and updates and it sounds like the wind was a bear and the heat was brutal on the run.  But the bling...super cool!!  Well deserved!

Valerie

Update!  Results are in.  I came in 10th overall and 4th in my division (Women's Masters).  I guess I should have held off on the chatting in the pool, huh? Haha.

Valerie Villarreal 14.5 17 10.12 26 2.33 29 72 F Masters

It's not too late...

It's still Monday.  Go out and MOVE IT!!

Dale!

;)

Saturday - get it!

You'll be glad you did!

Happy day!

Valerie 

Mid Week Motivation - Don't Quit!

Thoughts of the race and some of the difficulty I experience allowed self doubt to creep in.  I've manage to swing out of it by getting a daily workout in.  This morning's was the toughest.  Getting up early for a pool swim wasn't all that fun of a notion.  I always feel more enthusiastic about my morning workouts the night before...the not so fun notion feeling was dread by morning when my virtual workout buddy texted and the alarm went off soon after.

Ugh.  I procrastinated getting up.  I procrastinated getting ready.  I procrastinated leaving the house.  I even wondered "am I really ever going to get where I envision?" "is this a realistic goal?" "should I just quit the whole thing and go back to bed?"  I knew the answers to all the questions.  I am a positive, strong minded person so of course, I knew that was just the fear of failure creeping in to rattle me a bit and I just had to kick it to the curb.


I procrastinated getting out the car at the gym.  But I did.  I found a lane, set up and got in to that cold water.  I didn't procrastinate to start though.  I had a workout to follow and off I went.  Y'all it was SO good.  So very good that I was sad it was over.  WHAT?  Yes, I was sad it was over.  My breathing was rhythmic the drills were feeling effective and I was imagining swimming in a lake for a long distance and how that would go.  Progress!  I realized that I had procrastinated over a half an hour of my workout away where I could have actually finished all 2300M had I started on time. Shame on me but yay me for showing up and getting some of it done. 1650M!  One mile swim before 6:45am and lots of positive vibes and hope coming out of the pool.  I am looking forward to my next swim!

Sooooo....here it is.  It's hard and it sucks at times but gosh the redemption of success when you follow through is SO worth it!  It's that carrot dangling out there that lets you touch it every once in a while in hopes you can grab it.  Keep reaching, you'll get there!

Go out there and get moving!  Happy hump day!

Valerie :)

Hang on everyone, we're almost there...

That is all.  :)

~V

Is there a badge for that?

I've earned a recovery week apparently. Based on how I felt last night , the sound of that should entail at least confetti, balloons and a whole week off. Nike and Swarm give me badges or stickers yet, this recovery week includes 2 bike rides, 2 swims, strength training session and a run. What?! Sigh.

Since the marching band didn't come by to celebrate for me, I decided to give myself a little Monday inspiration/motivation for recovery week and good 'ol pat on the back for last week. :)

Goals this week: all SIX workouts, yoga and plenty of foam rollin'.  With hubby home, I should be less of a taxi so rest days will be somewhat more restful. :)

Happy Monday!

Valerie

Self Talking back to Yoga at week 37

My 37 week post from yesterday served as the start of getting my self talk in gear.  Self talk.  I do this a lot. In fact, as a child I remember being "caught" talking to myself and grownups assuming I was talking to my imaginary friends during play.  No.  I was talking to myself.  As an adult, sometimes I catch myself just running through my "list" of to do's or walking through a problem and its solution out loud.

When I have a lot on my plate and am on stress overload or worried about lots of things, self talk goes into overdrive.  It's almost like therapy.  I talk it out and it helps me rationalize and many times, I figure things out and get a lot of clarity by just getting "out".  Now, don't imagine me being one of those people that is having a full on conversation with herself in the middle of her commute.  Usually, it's just a mumble while sitting at my desk or while folding laundry or in the shower.

In any event, I was thinking about my post last night while hubby had a "boys night" and the kids all were in bed by 9:15.  ALL. OF. THEM. ASLEEP! I found myself with idle time and for a moment, I was going to follow the same 'ol routine...running a load of wash, turning on the dishwasher, showering and watching tv until I had to move the laundry.  But as I walked back from the kitchen and in front of our full length mirror, I thought....hmm.  I wonder what the yoga challenge has been lately and if I can even attempt a pose?

I remembered that just earlier this week, my husband sent me a pic of me doing a yoga pose...maybe a month ago? I was in handstand position with my feet on the wall in an "L" shape.  At first, I thought it was a cruel joke.  "Mocking my inability to move, are you?"  Hubby: "Ha! No...just giving you something to look forward to...a few more weeks and you'll be back at it. :)" Yes, happy face and all.  I smiled and was grateful for this type of exchange.  Grateful that he is aware that I want to "get back at it" and how it's not like me to not move around.  Grateful that he was thinking of me while waiting for a plane. It was a sweet surprise.  

Why DID I stop the yoga challenge?  Was I that busy? That uncomfortable? Was it intentional or did it just go by the wayside?  I can't even tell you where I left off! How long has it been?  What's the new challenge called anyway?  It seems like years ago that I was attempting headstands, arm balances and "Wheel".  So...I sat in front of the mirror and attempted the Wheel. Admittedly, I was afraid to hold it too long but my arms were strong enough to get me up there and my back felt good and my toes automatically went into tippy mode.  I felt my calves tighten and it felt FANTASTIC!

So...I perused this month's challenge.  Last month's was...what was it?  Geez.  I forgot.  Anyway, this month it is #MoveYourAsana.  Ha!  Isn't that fitting?  I did a couple of downward dogs and I started working through the days.
Day 1 - Downward Dog Split, check.
Day 2 - Runner's Lunge, check.
Day 3 - Revolved Side Angle Pose, check!
Day 4 - Warrior, check!
Day 5 - Triangle, check!
Day 6 - Prasaritapaddotanasana, check!
Day 7 - Tripod headstand, um. I put my head on the carpet, started to kick up and thought...Pass.
Day 8 - Anjeneasana, check!

At this point, I am thinking...I am doing this!  But I was uncomfortable driving home.  I was uncomfortable sitting with a "bowling ball" on my lap at work all day.  I was uncomfortable sitting on the couch going through the mail.  I am NOT uncomfortable doing these things.  Ok, carry on...

Day 9 - Standing split, check (as best as I could)
Day 10 - Half moon sugar cane?, check!
Day 11 - Warrior 3, check baby!
Day 12 - "Grab your big toe and stick your leg out"...meh, not too great but I attempted it. Half check.
Day 13 - Standing Bow Pose, check!

Most of those poses are fairly easy and that I am grateful for that since it makes me feel so accomplished! ;) The best news of all is that I was moving.  I was stretching, reaching and flexing to get into the poses and my bump (which is way bigger now) did not seem to be too big of an obstacle.  There were modifications of course but more than anything, it renewed the preconceived notion in my OWN head that "I just can't do that anymore".  Heck yea, I can!

And what's even better?  I just got word that we've finalized our big project at work.  Deadline met before lunch on a Friday?  That means, the pool will be seeing me very soon!  Woohoo!

So, self talk served as a motivator for me this time.  I don't carry a whole lot of useless worry or stress as I used to which is why I had to get it back "into gear".  I don't find myself self talking as much and I think in part, I attribute a little of that to Yoga and what it stands for but mostly for insisting on living a positive lifestyle.  I don't sweat the small things and I tend to block negative energy or just eliminate it from my life as best I can.

Don't be surprise to see yet a third installment of week 37 - the week where anything could happen.

Happy Friday and get movin'!

~V