Fitness and Me - A relationship history

If you follow me on IG @fullhouseofroyals - you'd think I was a fitness fanatic and always have been.

However, if you have followed me over the years here or on other social media or if you know me IRL, you'd know that I am either highly committed to the point of annoying or completely disconnected, uninterested and not giving of two shits with regard to exercise, fit and healthy living and all that jazz.

I have had the benefit of genetics on my side for the majority of my life where when I heard "it's not fair, you're so skinny" it was really a true statement.  It wasn't fair.  I ate anything and everything whenever I wanted to.  I did not workout and still fit in size 4-6 on the regular.  That shit is just not right.  Right?

Well, skinny was ok then because I was young and lazy (and clueless).  Then I had kid #1 & #2...and I was all "what the f happen to my hips?!"  So like a woman with a mission, I worked my tail (pun intended) to get in shape.  It worked, of course.  I put in the time and commitment to exercise every day, even if for a little bit until I was back to my fighting self.  (at least my clothes fit again)

With 2 babies, I was on and off the workout wagon.  I'd go a few months and then off.  Again, no consistency.  As they got older and I had a better handle of my schedule, I tried to make more of an effort.  We had a home gym with the bench all the weights on it and a recumbent bike (which was my post baby savior) and that is all.  I tried to go down there a few times a week for a little while but still not enough to be impactful.

Then, my life turned upside down for awhile.  I started riding my mountain bike on trails outdoors by myself.  It was very therapeutic.  You have a lot of time to think and reflect when you are on a long bike ride and you get to appreciate things that you normally would take for granted.  Like the bunnies crossing the path or the beautiful vibrant colors in the birds or the crazy sounds of the water in the bayou or the cicadas in the trees.

Finding solace on a bike was great but also very time consuming.  Loading it up and getting all the gear up to the trail and back was a pretty big commitment out of any given day.  Then one Summer in 2009 actually, I was sitting on the couch watching the IRONMAN championships in Hawaii on TV. You know how they cut away and do those inspirational stories about people overcoming huge obstacles and committing to doing something so massive for themselves, for a cause on behalf of someone else or just to prove that anyone CAN do whatever they set their minds to do?  Yea, well...I was watching that and I can't remember what or who the story was but it inspired me.  It motivated me.  It MOVED me.  Literally.

I jumped off the couch, laced up my shoes and took off running.  There may have been an f bomb thrown in the mix  to the tune of "f this, I have to do something".  I am not a runner.  The only time I ever ran was in high school gym when we had to run around the track. Or if someone was chasing me, duh.  (Actually, I take that back.  I ran before that.  When my sister in law was getting wedding ready and we lived in the same apartment complex, she started training for a half marathon.  I trained with her on the treadmill until I hurt myself.  I didn't really "train"...I didn't even own running shoes...just tennis shoes...you know the ones.  I didn't know anything about heartrates, pace, nutrition, stretching...NOTHING.  (it was pre-internet so ignorance was easy)  I can't even remember how far I ever ran...4 miles?  6?) Sorry, tangent much? Heehee

So I ran...I ran hard and fast and turned around and ran all the way in to my living room with fists in the air and a "HELL YEA!".  It was Summer in Houston so probably also about 100 degrees outside. In the middle of the day.  It was the worst time ever to try to take up running.  But I did.  Shoot, I didn't even know how far I went!  Come to find out, I drove to my turning point and learned that I ran 2 miles roundtrip.  WHAT?!  Oh joy!

What followed was trials and tribulations of doing something to my body that my body was just not used to.  I learned a lot about shoes, pace, heart rate, gadgets, body mechanics, plantar fasciitis, IT bands, stress fractures, going out too fast, too hard, too slow too much too soon.  All that.  I did 5ks, 10ks and eventually my first ever half marathon.  With all the injuries and still being green to it all, it was an overall 'Meh' experience.  I found that my knees were weak, my hips tight and my heart not very efficient.  But I also found that there was a sweet spot to this running thing.  The first mile or two were pure crap.  Everything cracked and your head goes through an inventory of all the things that hurt.  I was looking forward to the next light post or tree to be my stopping point and I always pushed just a little further.  But then, when you finally find a groove and you are already on your way back home you realize, hey...I can totally keep going.  I'm going around the block again!  No, I'm going around the neighborhood again!  And 5 miles turns into 8 or 9.  Runners high.  It's a real thing.

Prior to this run epiphany, we as a couple, had run through one round of P90X.  I believe if I had continued with that while running, I would have eliminated a lot of my injuries.  But that is nor here or there now.  Just hind site talk.  I learned through that experience that I CAN do pushups!  A lot of them!  My muscle tone was probably in peak form for my life at that time.

After the half marathon was done, I decided I needed to put my love for the bike to better use. My dad, an avid lifelong cyclist, has been telling me for YEARS that that is what I needed to put my efforts in.  But of course, do we ever listen to our parents?  Uh, yea. Exactly.   He was also the one that told me I should run track in high school and I thought he was nuts.  I shoulda listened.  Sorry dad.  :/

My dad had done many bike races and rides over the years including the MS150 a good 12-15 times. My hubby was nice enough to buy an official road bike and I started training as soon as the half was done.  I experienced some brutal training rides in freezing winter and in the hills but no injuries other than IT band flare up here and there.  I did the MS150 two years and to this day, love getting out on the bike.  I try to do a minimum of 20 miles (much to my hubby's dismay...haha) and will sometimes try to ride with my dad and not get my ass handed to me.  (He is tough to keep up with...his "casual" rides are hardcore workout rides for me!)

Fast forward to having two more babies.  Nothing is more motivating than knowing the outcome of things from previous experience and knowing what to do to change results.  So last two babies, I worked out AFTER as a remedy to get "back" to my old me.  This time, I was going into the pregnancy being the best, fittest me so that getting back is not quite such a difficult journey.

My pregnancy fitness was on point.  It was my first REAL training.  I learned how to swim (I think I documented some of that here on this blog!), I started doing yoga regularly and also added spin classes and aerial fabric and conditioning classes too.  Baby #3 came and went and my body snapped back like a rubberband.  It was fantastic!  And then...I got busy being a working mom of 3 and I slipped again.  Until I found out I was pregnant with #4.  New goal!  I got back on the same type routines and again, boom, that kid popped out and was back to my old self in no time flat.

I ran with them, pulled them on the bike and did some spot workouts at home here and there but again...nothing to keep me committed.

Last year, I figured my goal oriented nature was the only way to keep me on track.  Sign up for things, commit to train, show up and do it.  I've documented my whole trial "half ironman training" experience on this blog too.  Feel free to peruse at your leisure. ;)

I worked my butt off for a good chunk of the year.  I ran, swam and biked.  I hot yoga'd here and there and I lost my ass.  Literally.  All the cardio makes all the curves disappear on me. I did several sprint tris and then school happened.  My schedule blew up and getting the workouts in was getting harder and harder.  So, I stopped trying.  Rather than miss a few here and there, I chunked the whole program because I didn't want to "half ass" it.  Makes sense.  No.

So my  hubby got me going again Jan 1, 2016.  Motivated me to get my ass in gear...I even had a hashtag for it.  #newyeargetmyassingear  (look it up, it's true!) I committed to doing SOMETHING every day.  Not for a race day.  Not for a due date.  Not for a milestone birthday. Not for a weight number.  Not for a size.  Not even for a trip.  Although having one as a reward is totally ok. :)

The new goal was to do something for ME.  To set an example for my kids.  To be healthy for my family.  To motivate myself and others that could be in the same predicament.  To prove that everyone has the same number of hours in the day and no matter how tight, you CAN make SOMETHING happen each day to make you feel better.  Because every workout makes you feel better.

So now I am in month 7 of this #newyeargetyourassingear movement.  SEVEN.  Longer than pregnancy fitness time.  Longer than post pregnancy fitness time.  Longer than training for a full freaking ironman if you think on that.  And I can say proudly that I have done SOMETHING 95% of those 7 months.  Check my insta...haha.  I keep myself accountable there.

Here's the thing I did this year that I hadn't done in the past (for very long anyway) - I started lifting weights.  Consistently and often and actually increasing the weight too!  I've had gym stints in the past but not like this.

I decided to use all the machines in the office gym and learn all the things that they can do.  I'm stronger for it.  Not skinny.  My ass is semi gone but the part that has stayed is hard. Lol.  You'll be able to bounce a quarter off that baby soon! Ha!

I am slowly becoming less timid about going to the big gym and trying a machine there.  It can be really intimidating sometimes...especially if they don't have a little picture by them explaining how they work.  Lol! I'm all about instructions, man.

I am now officially addicted.  I look forward to going to the gym and have a hard time leaving because I want to try "one more" exercise.  Times 3 rounds of 15 reps.  Haha.  I still run but my lack of steady training and heat/humidity of the summer has affected my pace which in turn affects my ego.  Just keeping it real.  I like to go fast.  And when I can't, it pisses me off.  So I go further instead. Slow and steady, I guess.

Here's a revelation: 7 months of weight training, some yoga, cycling and running and no injuries. Hmm.  Maybe there is something to that whole moderation is king thing.  (Remember the half marathon earlier this year?  How I was all gun ho and then hurt myself?  Well here's the refresher link and also here)

So now what?  Staying on the steady train my friends. I am seeing big results in the way my body looks and I love the way I feel and I am not following some crazy training schedule or diet plan to do it (moderation and smart choices).  My friend wants me to do a tri with her in a few weeks but I haven't been in the pool in a long while.  I think I may have forgotten how to swim!  I may give it a go, we'll see.  I also have some pilates classes lined up, more bike ride dates with the hubby (yay) and I think I may get back to doing the aerial yoga classes again too.  My other friend wants to do a destination race in Utah early next year and the triathlon in Cuba is also very tempting.  I just don't know if I want the training schedules.  Haha.  Now that my muscles are stronger, running longer and harder may be easier and will keep me injury free.  I will take that all into consideration soon.

In the mean time, we are going to be converting a double garage to a home gym later this year that I am really excited about planning and designing!  It will be great to have a nice space to go to without leaving the house (or tripping over cars and My Little Ponies - haha)

So although fitness and I go way back and our relationship has been through ups and downs, it is finally this year that we've gotten to better understand one another and bond.  I look forward to building this relationship and sharing it with my family and friends (including you!).

Come check out my daily updates @fullhouseofroyals on Instagram or on Snapchat : valofthevilla for motivation, inspiration, reviews, funny commentary, music, recipes or plain ol foodie pics.  :)

Hope you're all having a fab summer!

Val

 



 

Two Updates in One!

It's like a BOGO sale...only not.  Haha.

Summer was supposed to be great for training since I have extra time in the mornings and evenings. Apparently, Summeritis is contagious.  Those early morning alarms are easier to dismiss and going to the pool is more about hanging out and socializing than it is getting laps in. I completely forgot to update last week so I am way behind but I tracked it nonetheless.

Week 18 looked like this:
 (Another rainy week complete with flood closures and a sick baby to boot)
M - Work from home with sick baby - rest
T - Work from home again with healthy babies, daycare closed due to flooding.  Big kids babysat and I managed a 7 mile run at lunchtime.  They say running in the humid heat builds endurance so...yea I've got that going for me. :/
W - I have no idea what happened but I know no workouts made it to the log.
Th - ditto Wednesday.
F - Was feeling pretty low about how unaccomplished the week was until hubby (who got a new road bike) asked if he could ride with me. Yay!!  Our first Friday afternoon ride date!! 20 miles in and excited that this could be our new thing. :)
S - a blur.
S - An early start and a Father's Day gift for my dad...a double date ride!  34 miles and a stop for burgers on the way back.  Sweet!!

Not an active training week but 60+ miles is nothing to frown upon!

Week 19

M - getting the hang of resting on Mondays.  Sorta.
T - Sunset swim with hubby.  Coached him some and got 1700 in.
W - 5.2 run at lunch...the hardest time of day during a Houston Summer too.  (building endurance, right?)  :p
Th - Managed to get up early to meet Rox (it's been so long!)...2000Y swim (the shorter pool is much warmer and tolerable for this wimp)
F - Date ride!!  24 miles!
S - I could only muster a little over 4 miles...I felt beat and still had a weekend of swim meet heat exhaustion coming.
S - The intention to early swim or hit the Hot Yoga class at the gym was just that.  Intention.  By evening, my energy had returned but going outside for a trainer ride or run seemed painful so I somehow convinced hubby to do day 1 of P90X3 Synergistics with me.  "It's just 30 minutes!"  I had the pleasure of peeling the plastic off the package...it's been sitting in the console drawer for...I dunno.  I lost track.  I am not sure if we'll venture to do the whole 90 day program but I am certainly curious as to what the workouts look like.  Synergistics was fun and hard and covered some things that I am familiar with (yoga poses - chair squats, flying warrior, crescent lunges) and also some things that I despise that I really need for strength (varied push ups/pull ups).

Overall,  I got 5700Y of swimming, almost 10 miles of running and 24 miles on the bike and a strength workout too.

I am juggling as usual and hoping to get a few races in over the summer to prep me for 70.3! Officially training starts next week so...stay tuned to see my progress!  Fingers crossed that I can fight the urge to SLEEP and lounge around like the kids.

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer!  Happy Monday!

Valerie

Holiday-Flood-Teen-Birthday Week Round Up

To say this was a soggy week is an understatement.  Much of our beloved State of Texas was under water from unprecedented rainfall that began over the Memorial Day holiday weekend and into the next weekend.   In addition, our baby turned teen and her request for celebration was an overnight slumber party at the beach.   Flooding and beach weekend don't really go together so I waited literally, until the last minute to throw it all together.

Here's how the workouts faired considering all of that (oh and hubby traveled for half the week too)!


Monday - Memorial Day holiday...double up with a 1650M swim & 5k run w Rox (pre-rain)

Tuesday - is there such a thing as a negative workout? If so, today qualified as just that. Schools and the office was closed due to severe flooding in the city. I decided to be a complete & utter couch potato binging on hours of House of Cards with the hubby with intermittent child play. There was a moment when we considered "doing" something. I suggested a bike ride to get the babies to the park in the afternoon when things seemed to be drying out. Hubby took the baby outside to kick the ball and came back inside decidedly that he'd rather binge some more rather than bike ride (muggy and mosquitos were out like crazy!).  Later, I felt guilty and set up my bike on the trainer. However, after a few loads of laundry & building an enormous fort, I was good with letting the day pass without a workout. 

Wednesday- back to routine...1800m am swim (cut short when the flood alerts starting screaming out from my phone on the side of the pool!) + 3.5run before baby pickup (had to make up for Tuesday)

Thurs - hubby still out / hot yoga lunch

Fri - Half day but LOTS of Bday prep, squeezed in 2100M in the outdoor pool...the sun was OUT!! Yay! Had to skip out on run to get to niece's graduation party.

Sat - Galveston Bday weekend with 8 girls...that's enough of a workout! We lucked out with missing the rain...a storm threatened in the evening but never came. :) 

Sun - 5 mile run in am while teens slept, pool all day & 15.5 miles on the bike trainer in pm back home (in laws visited while I was on bike...probably thought I was nuts. I jumped off to walk them to their car towards the end & MIL said while looking at my legs "at least you're getting muscles" ha! At least I've got that. I'll take it! :)

Bike-1:15

Run - 11.7m

Swim - 5550M

Hot Yoga

Total time= ~ 8 hours 

Not too shabby all things considered.  Next week, decision time!!  Tune in to see if I pulled the trigger on turning this base building workout thing into something more official.

Have a great week all!

Valerie

Week 15 roundup

Busy, productive week but also very calming.  Odd combination but I found myself maneuvering through the crazy week in total zen mode.  I guess I set my sights on expecting the unexpected since hubby would be travelling.  I braced myself for difficult or challenging and it was anything but.  Practices magically got cancelled across the board on days that were overbooked and potentially tense moments came through fairly breezy.

Don't tell hubby it went so well though...I don't want to jinx next week when he leaves again. :)

So this is how the workouts played out...mostly on the fly.

Monday - No PowerOne because I can't leave the house but interestingly, classes have been cancelled all week.  I planned to jump on the trainer when everyone was in bed...and I did just that.  A little over an hour and I discovered that my apps don't sync with my cadence sensors if I am streaming video.  Oh well, too bad because I just had to catch up on Scandal!  Sooo good.

Tuesday - Took my talents to the street at lunch time and ran a little over 4 because the weather was just perfect and I needed to leave office a little early for kiddo activity (soccer practice cancelled, swim practice cancelled on middle school award night...a gift!) I could've run forever but duty calls and I had work to do at home late into the evening to prepare for Wed.

Wednesday - Finished working at home while waiting for cable company in the morning at home...made it to Hot Yoga at the gym with perfect timing for my afternoon call back at the office. 

Thursday - Hubby is back! 5:30 Barbell class was a fail because I completely forgot to set my alarm. Ah! I opted to go for a 5 mi run after drop off and to kick it into overdrive when I got to the office. More scheduling gifts in the evening with overbookings getting rescheduled. (This never happens!)

Friday - Hitting all the targets at work...left early for a short 16 mile bike ride followed by a 1700M swim (cut short  to cover for hubby's late meeting to get babies).

Saturday - managed to run 7.5 when I set out for 3, no 4, maybe 5, what the heck 6 and oh shoot it's gonna be over 7. Catching up to (and currently leading) a little friendly competition with Nike+ friends was the real push. Haha. 

Sunday - gotta get a second swim for the week...but I opted to lead the family into an impromptu road trip down to the beach instead. It was so relaxing and enjoyable...definitely the right choice. :)

Week 14 Recap

Last week in a nutshell:

Monday - Power one was canceled (we're assuming because our instructor was going away for Mother's Day weekend)  I was able to convince Rox to meet me and be my guest at lifetime for spin even though I'd never done it before.  It was fun and the workout, although not as intense as we're used to, did the job.  Interesting characters in class too...the guy next to me stretching his leg OVER the handlebars while wearing half a bottle of cologne was particularly amusing.

Tuesday  - I really didn't want to get up and hubby told me he was going to kick me out of bed.  I managed to negotiate cuddle time in lieu of workout IF I could get my swim in later. :) I swam 2500M. The first 400 were as if it were a race just to kind of see if I can break the jitters. Then a second 400. Followed by 100 kick & 100 pull. I decided to up my sets to 500 and use the MP3 player I had bought a while back to get me in the zone.  It seemed to work...I took it easy to just get comfortable going long...1st 500 14, 2nd 12:44, 3rd 12:43.  Next time, I'll try to add speed drills to improve power but for now just getting in the distance is enough.

Wednesday I had planned to run when I took my son to soccer tryouts across town. I figured I had a good hour to get it done but with the weather change (storms), venue and time changes, one thing led to another and I ended up in running clothes but not running. 

Thursday I knew I'd be chaperoning the seventh-grade trip to the beach so I decided I was going to go to the early barbell class which I had missed for the last few weeks. I felt pretty energized and decided to get a 5K in afterwards as well to make up for the missing run the night before.

Friday I decide to stay at work a little later than usual...I'm heading a big project and I'm feeling pretty good about hitting all my targets so I wasn't really rushing out for a workout.  I was shooting for a swim but I just didn't feel like packing up for the gym and dealing with traffic and parking so I jumped on the trainer for a good solid hour workout outside while the rain fell.

Saturday - no workout

Sunday - Lots going on around the house and it almost didn't happen but managed to get to the gym for another 2500M swim.  This time: 400 (incl 100 backstroke) 10:46, 400 (200p, 200k), 600 w music 15:33, 600 15:28, 500 12:46. Ran up to the treadmill for a quick 5k and got to watch end of the 3rd qtr of the Rockets Clippers game (up by 20 when I left....glad to know they closed it for the WIN!)

Weekly Totals:

Bike - 2 hours
Run - 6.2 miles
Swim - 5000M
Other - Strength Class
Approx time: 6-7 hours


Next week goals...getting something done everyday while hubby is out of town.

Have a great week all!!

Valerie

This week.

Some weeks you want to get the workouts in SO bad but you just can't find a slot of time to make it all work.  Some weeks, the time pans out so opportunity is laid out for a perfect workout week and you just don't feel up to it.  Other weeks, the struggle to juggle it all is demotivating and quitting seems so much easier.  And then there are weeks like this one.

The kind of week where the things planned didn't go as such but the alternative was better and when there were so many things crammed into a day yet the energy level was so high, you could still cram a double workout in and feel fantastic all day.  The kind of week where even if it was gloomy and rainy outside all week, you didn't even notice because...well, I don't know why.

I can't explain this week.  It's been pretty fantastic and I'm so grateful.

TGIF all!

Valerie

Short n sweet week recap

Sandwiched between a girls trip to NYC and a triathlon on the weekend, was a whole lot of nothing.
Exhibit A:

Monday - could not even THINK about 5:30 PowerOne...X
Tuesday - 1600M Swim that went like this.
Wednesday - a little over an hour on the bike trainer.
Thursday - Skipped the run for a walk to the park with hubby and the babies. X
Friday -  Skipped my final hoorah swim for date time with hubby. X
Saturday - SpringsBack Sprint Tri - Race Recap Here
Sunday - Mother's Day - no workout planned

Told ya it was short and sweet.

Hasta la next week! ;)

Valerie

Finisher!!

Happy to report that I survived my first ever open water swim! Hip, hip hooray!

This sign didn't intimidate me one bit. Maybe it was the lack of "s" on Alligator! #justonehuh?

Race report coming soon! 

Happy Mother's Day weekend all!!

Valerie

Breathe, Keep Calm & Swim On

That's the mantra on repeat in my head. 

After a week off from swimming, getting in the pool last night was absolutely necessary but also terrifying. I decided to try simulating open water swim conditions. 400M, nonstop without warmup (other than dynamic arm stretches), no walls and sighting drills throughout. Ugh. It was like swimming for the first time. Again. I've said this before, swimming is not like riding a bike at all. 

My breathing pattern was off. No, it was nonexistent. I guess my imagination took the best of me as I was visualizing race day conditions...

1- can't see the bottom, my goggles got foggy and I didn't allow myself a break to fix them...

2- getting to the length end & awkwardly turning sans touching the wall and starting again was draining. I worried about fatiguing in the lake. Which led to eradic breathing and caused me to flip on my back to catch my breath. 

3- The start & stop also broke any kind of rhythm I was even close to attaining which I figured would be much like getting smacked in the head. 

A fantastic training swim, don't cha think? :/

It was the longest 11 minutes ever. And then, I took a break and did it again! It wasn't easier because now I was tired. Swimming for your life has away of sucking the energy out of you, I suppose. It took an extra minute too. 

I really just wanted OUT of the pool by then but I had to get past this craziness. I did another 400 of drills (100k, 150p, 150fs DPS).  Good grief, so much better. And then, I did another 400 straight, with wall and was AMAZED at how fluid my breathing was. WTF? I could have swam forever. Ugh. So frustrating!

In any event, I realize that practice is the only thing that will help me, plus the actual experience of DOING IT. 

I've been repeating this mantra to myself all morning every time the race pops into my head. And then, I get an email from a buddy who just finished Ironman St George, Utah last weekend. He sent some inspirational finisher videos and had this to say about my OWS qualms:

"HI Val!  I hope you will watch the “recap video” below!  It’s soo inspiring and you can see the amazing scenery at Ironman St. George.  It was totally amazing!!!  Maybe you’ll be inspired too and I’ll see ya there next year!  Ha! Man, I LOVED that course!  Soo beautiful.  I found myself just looking around soo much during the race!  Wow.  I'll be back for more next year. 

OMG!  Open water swimming is a different world.  EVERYONE feels just like you do the 1st couple times! EVERYONE!  If you have to float on your back for a bit fine!  If you have to do breast stroke for a while fine.  Who cares!  Just get there early and do a practice swim to calm yourself.  And if someone pisses you off in the swim (likes kicks you in the face!)  just pull their feet REALLY hard. Ha!

I'm Sooo excited for your VAL!!!  You goo!  I can't wait to hear about it!!!"

That coupled with all the articles I've read on the subject since my swim makes me 

feel slightly better. But not sure I'll be joining him so soon. Baby steps. :)

Stay tuned!!

Valerie

Open Water Mystery

In less than two weeks, I will be swimming in an open water triathlon.  For. The. First. Time...EVER. Sure, I've swam in the ocean but in those cases, there was a snorkel involved and I had tons of personal space and likely, visibility too.

My mindset about this has been to just find my inner peace.  Breathe and draw on those meditative moments from yoga.  Focus on getting in, around and done.  Stay on the outside, towards the back...don't panic.  Go slow, don't be afraid to flip onto my back for breath.  It'll be over in less than 15 minutes.  I can do this.  That's it. End of thought.

I left it at that.  I had really put this race in a drawer in my brain to deal with next week because I just haven't the time to think of it now.  Until, they posted the current lake temperature on the race facebook page, that is.  Now, my mind is racing.  Should I have practiced this?  Do I need a wetsuit? Can I just rent one?  But won't my arms feel heavy?  My noodle arms are not strong enough! But wait, what about a sleeveless one?  Where do I go? But I don't have time. Ahhh!!

So.  I'm gathering the wheels that momentarily fell off the bus.  Reading a few articles from both experienced open water swimmers (that still feel the same as the first time) and newbie reports of their first time learnings.  Lots of tips and guess what?  Panic over.  It'll be fine.  I also found that I can pick up a rental next week and worst case, practice in the pool with it the day before.  That's all I got.  I'm going back to my initial zen strategy.  The tips I picked up are pretty much aligned with my game plan so I am sticking to it.

The whole OWS (open water swim) concept seems to be the one piece of the triathlon puzzle that gets most people every time.  Luckily, it's the shortest part of the deal!

As with everything else, practice and going out there and DOING it are the only things that will remove the veil of mystery.  So...stay tuned, I'm sure I'll have lots to say when it's all said and done.

Happy hump day!

Valerie

Recovery week wrap up

I cried "uncle" this week. Lack of sleep must have caught up to me because I just felt under motivated and tired. I listened to the signs and called it a recovery week mid week. It seems to have worked because I feel way better!

Here goes:

Monday - Power One Cycling - killer hill interval workout (early morning after a long swim night before). 

Tuesday - Skipped early wake up to swim so made it up with a quick 5k late afternoon. 

Wednesday - another skipped morning so I called it a rest day. 

Thursday - Hot Yoga at lunch (because again, I couldn't get up in the morning)

Friday - 30+ miles w dad aka cycling phenom. I'm not ashamed to say that I have a hard time keeping up after hearing the dreaded 4 words: "Stay on my wheel".  He just puts on the turbo boosters and he's gone.  It's truly a struggle to stay on the wheel to draft.  He's an inspiration and I loved our bonding time together doing what he loves best.  I always come away with great tips be it on form, power, nutrition or on ways to improve efficiency while in the saddle.  I'm hoping we can make this a regular outing. 

Me and my bro...I mean, er...my dad! :)

Saturday - rest 

Sunday - Indoor tri - see recap here

Next week,  a concentrated & condensed workout week due to travel. Next Tri coming up May 9th! Open water! Ahh!

Have a great week!

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

T-minus 12

12ish hours til the next triathlon experience. As per usual, unexpected turns in the game "plan".

We'll see how this all plays out.

I had a glimpse of inspiration checking out the setup today for the Texas Half Ironman tomorrow in Galveston. It was motivating but also made me nervous too  as if I were racing with them!

Anyway...very cool. 

Hopefully a recap late tomorrow of my little itty bitty indoor Tri. :)

Valerie

Bloggin' from the where?

I'm multi-tasking!! :)

As I sit in the salon chair, I was thinking of my swim tomorrow and how ummmm...that's NOT happenin'! My hair is absolutely fried and in much need of TLC. Ugh. Granted, I'm not a very high maintenance hair gal (i.e. Lose track of time since my last hair appt) and I just learned I was here last NOVEMBER. That's just crazy talk, y'all. 

I know all the time in the pool hasn't helped either. I've searched high and low for something to put on my head to save my locks from frizzdom every time I go for a swim but nothin'. I may just to invent such a thing. Necessity is the mother you know. 

In the mean time, I've learned I should wet my hair with fresh water and put in leave in conditioner before I swim. This is supposed to lock the hair follicles and prevent the chlorinated water from getting in there. I will try it but that is extra steps to a workout that I already am iffy about. Meh. 

Any tips, tricks or products you care to share, I'm all ears! 

Tabling the pool 'till the mini indoor tri this Sunday. I gotta preserve the new do! Priorities! :)

Hope to hear from you! (And thanks for coming by again and again) ;)

Valerie

Morning Psychology

What goes through a person's brain when the alarm goes off at 4:30am is quite remarkable.  Actually, it's pretty annoying.

~You've heard it all before so you can leave now if you don't want to be a part of my personal vent (beat up) session with myself.~

You've had fair warning.

I followed *most of the tips to help the process of getting up for an early workout today.  However, I had to push my alarm back FURTHER.  Hubby is leaving town so I had to be back before he headed out for an early flight.  Plus, I had a REALLY long swim workout in store which required more than 45 min to an hour.  Plus...did I mention SWIM?  Ugh.  The thought of getting in the cold pool while my body is in a warm, soft bed is enough to end this post because you'd know what I'm talking about.
I even had my new swim gear ready to go.  That was extra motivation right there!  Right?  I even text with my virtual buddy to make sure she was up for her swim.  And then my brain started doing this nonsense...this nonsense about "why are you doing this?" "you are not cut out for this" "this is like chasing rabbits" "why bother"  I can go on but you get the gist.

On the heels of being so super inspired and motivated by the Boston Marathoners yesterday, I was ready to find out what my friend's "40th" marathon was going to be so that I can train and do the same one.  Wherever in the world it would be.  What the heck...I was inspired!!

And then this morning I want to throw in the towel because I just can't get up?  Ugh!

Boo, me! :(

My friend did swim.  I am so happy that she got out there and did it despite her obstacles.  And the best part, she came back and gave me a pep talk.  Told me all the things I really needed to hear (although I didn't believe her right then).  I got a little teary eyed but brushed it aside because I had bottles to pack, clothes for two to pick out, a kid to drop off and breakfast to make for a STAAR test taking middle schooler.  Mama ain't got time for that! Haha.

By the time the kids all made it to their separate destinations, I had already thought about what I needed to do.  I felt better already and honestly was kinda pissed at me for being so hard on myself. It didn't occur to me that maybe, just maybe, I NEEDED sleep?  Last I checked my sleep patterns on my Misfit Shine device, I am getting 3-4 hours of restful sleep.  I am particularly worn out when I back a night workout with an early morning one (Sunday night/Monday morning) so good grief, Val...give yourself a break!

I decided that this open ended, pseudo, base building training program I'm on is quickly approaching the proverbial fork in the road.  I'm putting in a decent amount of work and time into my workouts.  I don't feel particularly overwhelmed however at times, it can be taxing and yet, I am STILL not getting in as much as I would need for a REAL training program.

So, I'm giving myself until the end of May to the pull the trigger on signing up for a 70.3.  I'm looking at two options...November in Austin or Galveston next April.  I think having a defined program with a start and finish will give me the structure (and satisfaction) that I am currently lacking.

This is me about judging me.  I'm my worst critic.

I do feel that my swim has improved dramatically since I started this thing a couple of months ago and I see improvement in my run times and my bike cadence has increased turnover as well.  But going on like this indefinitely brings concerns of burnout. Which then leads to quitting altogether.  Ugh.  I can't.

Because if I am not training for "something"  would I normally workout out 7 times a week? Um, no. I'd probably be content with 3-5 a week and have no guilt if I skipped a day and certainly not feel like making anything up would be necessary.  I'd gladly take the extra time to work on my house and a gazillion other projects I have my sights set on.

It's afternoon now and I'm feeling pretty darn good. The funk has been eradicated and considering I am a night owl, it's all upside from here.  Ha!

Now, how to make up the swim I missed?!

Hope your Tuesday is less conflicted than mine has been and that you make it to the other side too! If you're still here, thanks for sticking around.  As motivating and positive as I normally am, I have my down days too.  This space has me committed to keepin' it real.

Valerie

Oh, that 40th Marathon my friend is running is in LESS than a month...in Colorado.  Um...yea.  We're gonna go ahead and scrap that idea.  I have already asked her when #42 (or 45) will be.  Maybe I'll join her for one of those.  :)

Update:  Late afternoon...worked through my lunch run (and meal) but holding out that I can get something in between kiddo pickup or at home later (not my fave).  Still feeling great (in case you were concerned...haha) and weather looks amazing...hoping I can lace up for a quick run!

Another week bites the dust

My goals this week were fairly general as they were last but I decided on a whim to add a tad of structure.  It may be a little ambitious but I am going to try to stick with it.

I regularly read the TriSwimCoach Facebook updates and usually, they are pretty spot on to what I am feeling or thinking about in the swimming department at any given moment (fears of open water, getting faster, new drills, conquering boredom on long swims, etc.)  I decided to download their app (2.99) because they have training plans on there that I think could WILL be helpful to ramp up my "pseudo" training.

I chose the 70.3 plan because I really wanted to test the waters (pun intended) on whether I can "handle" it.  It ramps up pretty quick so I hope that I can hang on.  The time commitment to longer workouts can be less than feasible most of the time so I'll just have to play it by ear.

The Goals:

Run - 10 miles
Bike - 2:15 (time)
Swim - 5000M (before taking the training plan plunge)
Strength - at least 1 class
Yoga - 1 class
Brick - 1

The accomplishments:

Monday - Cancelled PowerOne class so I had to improvise.  15 min Ab workout & 15 min Dynamic Yoga workout on the Nike Training Club app + 30 min on the trainer.
Tuesday - 5 mile TM run
Wednesday - Day 1 of 70.3 training plan - 1700M
Thursday - Barbell Strength (3 weeks in a row coming to this one...it's tough but a great full body workout!)
Friday - The power went out in the whole building at work and they sent us all home...FREE DAY!!
Side note:  What would you do with your day off knowing that the weather will be sketchy the whole incoming weekend?  Sure I could have gone shopping (which I really need to do), run errands, get my nails done (Oh, yea, I shoulda done that) or just napped (aaahh...sounds good now) So is it nuts that I get excited at the possibility of cramming in all my workouts left in one day instead?! Hmm.

Ok, sorry.

Friday - 30 mile bike OUTSIDE!!, 5k run (OUTSIDE) BRICK!!+ a break for a sandwich and then 1250M swim.  I followed day 2 of the plan but had to cut it short...my daughter was hounding me to get to the school auction so I can bid on something for her! :/  I figured I'd done enough in the day that missing half a workout would be fine.

Saturday - Rest day

Sunday - 2 miles on the Mountain Bike pulling babies to the park and a late swim post more family fun.  Day 3 of plan with 2650M in!!  That's the longest I've ever swam!  Also, the plan calls for yards so I feel like a total overachiever! ;)  I also wanted to finish off my mileage goal and jumped on the treadmill afterwards for my last 2 miles (brick!).  I also wanted to check on my left ankle that I twisted while teaching my 3 year old how to play hopscotch.  Seriously, why did I even attempt it with my LEFT leg?  Ugh.  First jump and it folded like an accordion.  I keep forgetting how old I am and how ratchety my joints are.  :(

I forgot how many hours I spent doing this as a kid.

Good news is the ankle if fine and more so, I hit 95% of my goals!!

Run - 10 miles ---> 10.2! Yay! CHECK!
Bike - 2:15 (time) --->3:15 CHECK! OVER
Swim - 5000M ---> 5600M! CHECK! (OVER - good thing I cut that one one workout short! Ha!)
Strength - at least 1 class ---> barbell strength CHECK!
Yoga - 1 class ---> 15 min UNDER about 45 minutes
Brick - 1 ---> 2! CHECK! OVER
Extra:  Sunburn and awesome cycling tan lines.

But look at all the Overs!  I think I've over compensated for the yoga I missed out on so I am A-OK with that.   Plus, did I mention that I rode tricycles, played with bubbles, waterguns and almost to a fault, hopscotch too?!

It's been a great week, now to plan for the next and up the ante (and remember the sunscreen).

Have a great one and Happy Monday!

Valerie :)

Oh!  And congrats to all the awesome runners in Boston today with some serious "wicked" weather especially my awesome friend, Doan.  Her 39th marathon and 4th consecutive Boston...and she only started running a few years ago!  My inspiration and hero!  Way to go all...you guys rock!

P.S. - Thanks to the fine folks at Triathlete Blogger Network for picking up this little space of mine and mentioning it there. So super cool!  Welcome all!  Go check them out at their site and follow them @ChiTriBloggers.  Lots of great information for fellow newbie triathletes and experienced hardcore veterans too. :)

Let Me Be Your Case Study

You know those people who come to you for advice and after you've given it, they do something completely different?  Yea, that was me.  To my own advice!

Ha! Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Lol!

I decided to ignore the "conversioning" tips I was so kind to provide on my prior post on lessening the pain of getting that early morning workout in.  It wasn't really on purpose or for the sake of this post but since it turned out the way that it did, I decided to make me an example of what NOT to do.  You're welcome.

I didn't let Monday be a rest day because I kept hearing "Never Skip Mondays" in my head.  Despite that of course, that only means if you didn't do a dang thing for the last 7 week days, but nonetheless, I did something.  I pulled a couple of workouts from the Nike Training Club app and then jumped on my trainer for a heart pumping, sweatfest half hour.

I got in bed knowing that I REALLY needed to get a swim in early in the week.  But also knowing that I REALLY didn't wanna (anti-psyching myself out, rule one broken).  I also got in bed not knowing where in the heck my swimsuit was (hamper?, workout drawer?, dryer? swimsuit drawer?). Meaning, I have already broke the first two rules of morning get yo butt up readiness! No clue where your gear is?  C'mon, lady! I told hubby, "meh, I'll figure it out in the morning" and he teased "I'll get up and run with you" (knowing this will get me off the swimming hook) and within 30 seconds I went from happiness to oh, crap he's totally pulling my leg.  :/

I woke up with the alarm and did text my buddy to make sure SHE was getting up for HER swim. Ahem. I had zero motivation to get up and snoozed away.  Apparently, she felt the same way because she didn't respond for another hour!  Ha!  So, the buddy system too, failed.

The whole morning was set in motion in cuckoo mode.  Because now, along with all the other morning rush must do's, I have to play catch up and be prepared for the opportunity of a Tuesday workout.  Pack a breakfast, lunch and a workout bag (putting together all the gear!) cause...you never know!

Kidding!

So, all this to say:  "Do as I say, not as I do!"  The tips work, y'all!

Tomorrow:  SWIM!! For real.

Have a good one!

Valerie

Finish Strong

Almost forgot to update the prior week!

I started the week in a bit of a daze.  I signed up for my Monday morning class on Sunday night and had no other goals for the week until late Monday when I just decided to jot something down:

5100M Swim
2:10 Bike
10M Run
1 Strength Session
1 Yoga Session
1 brick Session

I knew the swim would force me to get into the pool at least 3 times which is what I really needed to do.  The mileage was very conservative since I had injury concern (more on that later) and everything else was more of a wish list (and cheating some knowing that the Cycling class already covered half my goal for the week)

This is how it played out:

Monday - PowerOne Cycling
Tuesday - Early morning swim in the "short" pool.  I didn't want to intrude on the Masters class already in session.  After a little math coversion in the office, I came out to a 1770M swim.
Left work a bit early to take son to practice and realized that I had a small window....OPPORTUNITY!!  I ran 4 miles!
Wednesday - I was planning an early spin class but snoozed one too many times.  Took advantage of the inadvertent switch up and went to Hot Yoga at lunch.  I felt redeemed!
Thursday - Last week was so good, I had to go back...early morning Barbell Strength at the gym!
Friday - Make it or break it day...if I didn't get it in early, it wasn't going to happen on this super busy day.  I managed 1600M swim followed by 15 minutes on the spin bike...baby brick!
Saturday - This was going to be a rest day but I realized I still had too many things on the goal list not checked off.  So while babies napped, I jumped on the trainer for an hour then quickly laced up and went for a quick 2 mile run.  (they were awake by then but hubby was home) Another baby brick!
Sunday - Ugh...rest day?  NO.  Rearrange and organize your entire house day? YES.  How did we accumulate so many toys and J U N K??  Ahhh!!  I sorted through EVERY bin, box, cubby and basket.  Put all like things together, collected outgrown "baby" toys and threw a bunch of odds and end crap away.  I visited with in-laws who came over for awhile and my first outing of the day was to pick up my daughter at Cotillion at 8pm.  PM!  When I set my mind to work on something...I. DON'T. STOP.  Hubby made us all super yummy shrimp pasta dinner and after the company was gone and the kitchen was clean, I decided...I still have time to reach my goal!!

I tried to convince my buddy to join me for a late swim but she couldn't get away.  So I packed anything I could possible need and headed out.  1800M followed by a super fast 5k on the treadmill! Brick!! I was walking out of the gym at 10:45PM but felt accomplished!

This is how turned out:

5100M Swim - 5170M check!
2:10 Bike - 2:15 bike check!
10M Run - 9.3 miles - almost there...whawhaaa
1 Strength Session - 1 - check!
1 Yoga Session - 1 - check!
1 brick session - 3 - check, check, check!!

I came close to the meeting the mileage goal but with the slight overages everywhere else, I'm gonna call it square.  And of note, NO rest days!  I'd say I finished the week strong!

So, since my Power class was cancelled this morning (I was relieved actually) I just may not do anything tonight. (But I probably won't)

Time to set this week's goals!

Talk at ya later!

Valerie

Creating a Virtual Workout Buddy System

The way last week started, it could have easily turned into a rest WEEK.  After the Tri on Saturday, I rested on Sunday and really had not set any gameplan on how the rest of the week would go.

Thankfully, my buddy Rox reached out late Sunday to ask about signing up for our indoor cycling class at PowerOne.  She and I always have a hard time syncing our schedules to workout together but we don't stop trying!  Our latest thing is to be each other's "virtual" workout buddy. We give each other a rough outlook of the workouts in the week ahead and then we keep tabs on each other daily to stay accountable and on track.  So if she tells me she's got bootcamp at 5, I'm getting a text at 4:30am telling me that she is on her way and waking me up for my barbell strength class.  I'll text in her return when I'm done with my class.  We never want to keep anyone hanging so getting a "text of shame" asking if you actually DID make it is a no-no.  ;)  It's been a week and so far, it's been working!  This Monday morning cycle class is the only one we seem to both be able to make and very unlikely for either of us to miss.  It is AWESOME.  I'll have to write up on that soon.

Monday's morning class and our induction of the buddy system was the catalyst needed to put the week on track.  This is how it played out:

Monday - PowerOne Cycling

Tuesday - Tested the "text of shame" theory (we both did)...missed my morning swim but made up for it with a late 4 mile run.

Wednesday - Procrastinated as I discussed on a different post but swam 1650M and regretted the hesitation.

Thursday - 5:30am Barbell Strength class at the gym (this was my first time and would prove to keep me sore for...um, well...still a little sore.)  :)

Friday - Planned to swim early but skipped the alarm since I was off from work and could get it in later in the day.  Hubby decided last minute to head to office.  My plan was toast.  Called it a reluctant rest day. 

Saturday - Morning swim...this time to finish the entire workout I had intended on Wed.  This particular workout looked appealing to me specifically because there were drills included that I had not tried before.  The link, from Triathlete Europe magazine, includes three different workouts.  I did the shortest which I have attached here, which by the way, is the longest ever swim for me! Descriptions of the drills are included and I found them incredibly helpful.  That No Walls drill was challenging and probably looked silly to get to the wall and suddenly stop, tread water and go again but I could tell it was working the endurance.  Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Thanks to  Tri Swim Coach for providing link to this on FB.

Sunday -  I was hoping to meet up with Rox sometime in the evening for a run after Easter plans but as it turned out, hubby offered to run with me!  I hadn't heard from her and it was getting late so we decided to just go.  I am happy to report that he 1) didn't leave me in his dust (cause he's fast and gifted to be so without TRYING :\  ) and/or 2) didn't slack and slow me down either haha.  Also happy to learn that the big kids not only babysat the littles while were out but ALSO bathed them AND cleaned and picked up the common areas too!! WHAT?!

The weather was perfect and the company even better...a solid 5 miles to finish the fly-by-the-seat week! :)

It wasn't exactly a "training" plan but it was a get your butt moving and blood pumping plan that worked.  Off to start a new week and set a game plan for this week (to share with Rox) with my breakfast in tow: Cucumber pineapple smoothie, yum!

Cucumber, Pineapple, Banana, Coconut Water, a lil honey & ice.

Happy Monday, all!!

Valerie

Gearing Up.

I'll admit to having been a gearhead in the past.  I'd do all the research and get the latest and greatest of gadgets or gear that I HAD TO HAVE.  My first BIG investment was into my Garmin 305 way back when.

Garmin Forerunner 305

I was new to running and thought it was going to help.  It didn't.  I liked seeing it "work" while I did but I didn't do any analysis on heartrate or pace after the fact other than trying to get a little faster here and there and learning that my MHR (maximum heart rate) does not fit into the generic formula that lives out there (mine is way higher than the norm).  Nonetheless, I used it on every run and found a mount for my bike for the times I did that.  Later on, I used it more on the bike while training for the MS150 in 2010 & 2011 (gosh that seems like an eternity ago).  It was great until it stopped charging.  It became a nuisance going for a run or ride and having it die midway.  I found an awesome, innovative product through a kickstarter campaign and was pretty stoked to be part of this company's vision.  I bought a Bia through the program but while waiting for it to go through testing and finally get delivered, I found other options.

I found the Nike+ App for my iPhone (when travelling without my Garmin and wanting to go for a run) and fell in love with its format and layout and haven't looked back since.  Initially, I also used the MapMyRun and MapMyRide apps but as their platform has grown, just kept using the Mapmyfitness app. to sync and consolidate all workouts in one place. When I started using my bike indoors, I got a cadence/speed sensor that works with both MapmyFitness and Wahoo. Now, my phone has pretty much taken place of Garmin.

Misfit Shine

I don't mind carrying it really.  I have a mount on my bike for it as well (actually I did...I need a new mount for the 6).  Then the age of fitness tracker came into play.  Everyone had a fitbit or a jawbone that was on their person 24/7.  My friends were starting step challenges and talked about getting their 10,000 steps in a day and I almost did it.  I almost pulled the trigger but then I did the research and decided I didn't want to do it.  And then I found the Misfit Shine.

I saw it on an Apple commercial being used by a swimmer (I'm so gullible). That's it.  That would complete the tracking circle, I thought.  I could track my swim and push it to MapMyFitness and I'm set.  Well...not exactly.  It is super cool looking so I don't mind wearing it all the time.  I don't have to deal with charging it at all (watch battery that lasts for what seems like forever) and it tracks my sleep patterns (or lack thereof), my steps, distance, calories burned and allows me to "tag" my activity whether it's swim, bike or whatever and set goals.

Whenever it's near my phone it will sync to the app and update so no cables or hassle.  I really like it but the data is not specific enough for me.  I want to SEE my laps, my pace, my distance by activity not just one summed up number.  And now with triathlon training, I know I need something more robust so Misfit may be handed down to my hubby.  Although I doubt he'll use it.

All this background to say that I'm in the market.  To backtrack, I eventually got my Bia and it was great for the time I used it but there was still a lot of beta testing going on with the product and I didn't train or workout consistently enough to really get used to using it.  Now that I started training, I pulled it out to find out that it was completely dead.  I reached out to the company and they were SO awesome.  They immediately sent me a new Bia.  I got it, charged it an set it up only to see a Facebook update by their founder that the company would sadly not make it and that Bia tracking would cease to work after a certain date (can't remember).  Darn.  It's so hard for a little fish to make it in the big pond.  Total bummer.  I dug out my Garmin and finagled with it and got it to charge. Hooray, I thought!  I used it a few times and learned that the apps had upgrade a dozen times over since I used it and it would be perfect to use (and save some moola).  Until my Scotch tape trick wasn't enough.  That old thing is too unpredictable now. Bleh.

Garmin VivoActive

So again, I'm in the market.  I LOVE the new Apple iWatch that is coming out later this month but geez, I can't justify the $350 on the Sport version if I can't swim with it.  And if I go for a run, my phone has to come too?  Well, what's the point?  I already do THAT.  After all my reading and comparing, I think I am going to go with the new Garmin VivoActive.  It's sleek, waterproof, syncs to iConnect (which then pushes data to MapMyFitness), and has other smart watch capabilities like notifications, music, etc.  It also pairs with a heart rate monitor (that I already have) and the sensors on my bike too.  Their version of the app store could certainly use some work but it's new so I'll give them that. It's still not a "multisport" watch which would be great on race days but I think I can live without that. It's retails for $250 and it also tells time! Hey!  Haha...I just wished it looked like the Apple watch (sooooo pretty) but it's an improvement on the bulky look they've been known for especially with the cool touch screen.  Oh well, maybe the iWatch 4 or 8 will be waterproof and by then I'll be ready for it! Lol.

Stay tuned!

Share your favorite gear and gadget with me, won't ya?  Any similar experiences?  I'd love to hear from you.

Valerie

P.S. - I know that for "true" Ironman training, I shouldn't screw around with apps and trackers.  I know what I want (the Garmin 920XT) but thanks to a wonderful suggestion from a reader, I will treat myself (or let hubby treat me) with that upon IRONMAN sign up.  Sort of a gift in advance for the pain to come. Lol!