Two weeks, 44 miles

That's what's happened since my last update.  Yikes.  I guess I am healing pretty well, huh?

This is how it all went down.

The chance meeting with my friend basically telling me I was going to run (post here) was what I needed to get me off my break and get out there to see how the foot would feel.  I was a bit terrified of going for 6 as she suggested demanded but luckily, my kid's birthday party kept me so preoccupied that I completely forgot to connect with her and set it up.  (Dodged bullet, haha)  Even luckier for me was that she forgot too.  Phew!

A couple of days later, I went for that first run.  My ankle was a bit twitchy, I admit and I was very nervous that I would be over doing it too soon.  After about a mile and half, all was well and I finished 4.  I did that two more times during the week and each time, it felt pretty much the same.

I reached out to my coach, gave her an update and we scheduled a long run.  "Let's shoot for 9" she said.  NINE.  UGH.  Really?  NINE?  I haven't run that many miles in....6 months?  And...I only did it once!  Yikes.

I put my big girl pants on, didn't whine and especially didn't let her see the fear in me.  We did a loop around the park and then ventured off to a secret iced down water fountain near the Polo fields.  It was humid and tough but I realized that talking while running sure makes for faster miles albeit out of breath ones.  By the time we made it back to the park, I was at 8!  I was in shock.  I even told her to check her watch because I just couldn't believe my Nike app.  We hit the 9 and I was elated that I could do it!  Yay!  My ankle didn't fail me!

The beautiful area and amazing tucked away iced water fountain!

Obviously, I am STILL running this Half Marathon.  I had written it off (sorta) when I got injured but my friend saw that I could do 9 so guess what?  I am DOING it.  Come hell or high water, this mama is going to show up.  I just needed (from this particular day) to make it through a few more runs, one long run and the race.  Easy peasy, right?

Sure.  So last week I decided to up the miles during the week but just run twice.  I ran a little over 6 on Tuesday and on my birthday went to pick up my new shoes (Wednesday).  I broke those babies in on Thursday with another 6.25 and then I waited for the text to set up the long run. Duhn, duhn duhhhhhhnnnnnn!  And like clockwork, on Friday, "10-12, pick you up Sun at 7" came through.  

My new kicks: Asics Kinsei 5 (last year's model=discount!)

I had my protein powder, new shoes and the confidence that I had just done 9 without any major issues.  What I didn't take into account was that my schedule on Saturday was packed tight and that I would have a brain fart about my nutrition and my access to food.  Yikes.  A protein rich green smoothie is great but it's not good enough for the ENTIRE day.  Golf lesson, class and a tournament across town did not give me much of a chance to stop to eat and like a DUMMY I forgot to pack snacks.

All of that to say that Sunday's run was not so great.  My lack of nutrition and water the day before was affecting me BIG TIME.  It was brutal and I got in trouble for it.  Lesson learned. :)
In any event, I ran.  She said 10 but in my mind, I had said 11 so I pushed a little to get to the next loop.  And when I accidentally paused my app at 10.17 and she said we were at 10.47 I could've punched myself because I knew that we weren't going to stop when she hit 11, rather when I did.  So...effectively, I ran 11+ because I wanted that round number on my device. (yep, that's me).

Proof that I finished with both legs still attached. 

My ankle felt great.  However, the knee on the OTHER leg started acting up.  UGH! By the end of the run, my left quad was super tight (I know it was protecting the knee).  I knew this meant I'd have to roll it out and take a break or my half marathon was going to be a big mess.

I am supposed to run 2-3 times this week.  She said 5,4,3 or 4,4 or even 4,3.  I foam rolled Sunday night and I ran out of time last night so I jumped on my bike for almost an hour.  Does that count?  I can't run tonight or tomorrow night so I am creatively thinking how I will get it done.

We'll see...I am also supposed to get a massage in no later than tomorrow.  As fantastic as that sounds, I don't think that's going to happen.

Stay tuned.  I am actually amazed that I've done so much in so little time.  I've got my fingers crossed that my ankle and knee both just chill out for at least a week. My son got a a Hover Board thing and I told him I was holding back from even attempting to get on until after the race.  Because...me. (Avoiding a clutz-o move at all costs.)

I'll post as soon as I can but in the mean time, get more frequent updates on my public instagram account at: @FullHouseofRoyals

Happy Super Tuesday y'all!

~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 :)

Springs Back Sprint Tri Race Recap

First and foremost:  I DIDN'T DROWN!!!

That right there is cause for celebration!  And the fact that I can write about it...yay!

I mentioned my trepidation about open water swimming so I won't beat that dead horse any further. Bottom line, I was way out of my comfort zone.  But I was sucking it up and faking strength for my friend...who was scared shitless.  She almost didn't come to the race having battled a sinus infection for what seems years.  Poor thing...she hadn't even been in the pool in over a month and yet she was going to come out.  Her plan was to check it out and make a game time call...worst case, she would be my spectator.  Of course, she's much like me...once your foot is in the water, what the hell, race the whole dang thing.  Right?

So...when she told me she was terrified, I wasn't about to tell her that "oh, shit, me too!"  Rather, I tried to pass along the tidbid of good advice that I had received in the prior week or so.  The whole flip on your back and breathe bit, that the breast stroke and even the doggie paddle were options and that there were people everywhere on kayaks and boats to save us if necessary, I told her.  And also, good news is that there was only ONE alligator in the lake, so odds are it was a pet, fed and caged for such an event.  (wink, wink)

Oh goody, just one!

Honestly, we are swimming in a lake with an ALLIGATOR?!  I have lived near and travelled often to the Everglades...seeing those suckers in a body of water is best from an airboat.  Just sayin'.

Having been thrilled that I had company to this event really helped my jitters and all kidding aside, my friend has a very calming effect on me.  She's positive and reassuring (even when she's terrified). We talked about imagining the beach, swimming in the ocean with the sun beating on us.  And after a collective "yeah, right", we decided to just watch all the waves heading out before us and try to determine how in the heck the buoys were set up and how far we needed to go.

All the olympic distance waves went out first.  This was great for two reasons...1- the alligator had plenty to choose for breakfast before we got in the water. 2- it got warmer AND lighter out and we can see where exactly the "turn" for the sprint wave was (since us old fogies were one of the last waves).

SWIM

We agreed that we would remain calm.  Backstroke if necessary the whole way but calm nonetheless.  And then the fog horn goes off.  What it in the hell?  Everyone of us (22 female over 40) jumped out our skins and took off!  So much for that zen moment!

The temperature of the water was at 77 (perfect) and the sun was out to make it warm but nonetheless, those conditions did not make the visibility any better.  Also, I was wearing a brand new pair of goggles so that I would ensure that the anti-fog coating was spot on.  I wished I had tested them first...fear of leaks was also in the back of my mind.  :\

Hard as I tried to just "swim", regular freestyle, not being able to see has a way of making things very claustrophobic.   I really didn't think of all things, that that would be the issue.  But it was.  I probably swam a decent 25M before I start thinking that I needed to flip.  The more I thought of it, the more irregular my breath would get.  And uuuugggghhh...here we go.  A quick flip to regain composure, right?  Uh, no.  I backstroked until I ran over a body (indicating that I was at least moving in the forward direction to exit the lake!)  I am sure "I" was the one to piss plenty of people off by bumping them...sorry ladies! :/  I tried the side arm swim, a little doggie paddle and then a few "regular" strokes.  It wasn't awful but it was shortlived and when I came back up, I was way off course.  Ahh!  More strokes to get back to where I was.  I had plenty of time later to think about just how fast I was "regular" swimming to get off course in just a few strokes.  If only I could kick my own ass to get it together and GO I'd be out of the damn lake so much faster!

Clearly, there is LOTS of room for improvement and we can all agree that swimming my forte, is not. Out of 10 in my age group, my swim came in 8th.  Meh.  Not surprised but ok with it just the same.
Final time was right about the same as it was in the pool with my "mock" race.  11 minutes...at least I can say I know how to simulate like a mofo.  Lol.  ...and the goggles were PERFECT! No leaking, no discomfort or fog!

On to transition but first, uh...rocks at the exit of the lake.  Not little rocks...like BOULDERS. OUCH! More on this later. :/

T1

A quick goofy "I made it" grin to the photographer (OMG, most hilarious picture ever)  and running to T1.  Why again did we rack in the LAST possible rack?  Good grief, it felt like a half hour in there but luckily that wasn't the case.  Still...I was tied 6/7 place in transition but better than 3+ minutes at the last tri!

BIKE

Oh, the bike.  Yay, the bike!  I heart the bike!

I quickly settled in and started scrolling through all my dad's advice in my head.  First, fuel.  I PRE-opened my Hammer Gel and had already mixed some Hammer Heed into one of my water bottles. (I have never tried either but my dad has done some extensive research...he is an all around guru and when he researches and endorses, you listen!)  I ate my gel and quickly discovered that like bike grease on my calf, getting sticky fingers (and handlebars) is inevitable for a clutzo like me.  However, this is better than the alternative of trying to open the package while riding.  I have attempted this and have given up (see clutzo comment above) in fear that I'd topple and eat it (the pavement, not the gel).

It was a fairly flat course with slight hills back in the more rural areas.  It was quite scenic and enjoyable.  However, it was windy!  It cried Mary as my dad would say.  I didn't realize how windy it was until afterwards when I heard others speaking of it AND seeing some of the bike speed results.  I was expecting low 20s, high teens for the uber fast in the age group but I was surprised to see it top off at 17.8...my average mph was 16.7 so I'm glad to have held my own.

Again, I charged up my old Garmin (secured to the charger with packing tape to get a true charge) and hoped it would work for my bike and run segments of the race.  They sorta did.  The bike didn't show me what I needed (speed, cadence) only total "lap" time.  I really had no idea what my mph was at the time other than each mile was 3:40, 3:22, 3:07 etc.  It took me a few miles to see a pattern and after that I just tried to "beat" the last mile.  That, coupled with trying to pass people kept me trucking along.

No road kill this time or bugs in my mouth (thank goodness)...just country smells that seem extra potent first thing in the morning...manure, bacon, fresh cut grass, jasmine.   No complaints but am glad I took an allergy pill before heading out first thing!

T2

It was clearly faster than the last transition but it's a blur.  I just remember seeing the girl who we racked our bikes by heading out for her run (I caught up!).

RUN

This is so tough.  It's so not like "just" going for a run.  Everything feels so different and some things, numb even.  My legs were on autopilot and I took that time to sort out my technology issues.  I didn't exactly nail the Garmin button pushing from to T2 to Run but I noticed from the get go that it was not on "MultiSport" (which I had double checked the night before...ugh!) so my running pace was again, not helping.  In the mean time, my much bigger phone was sitting in my race belt and began thumping against me at every step.  I had to take it out and while there, decided to run Nike+ for the sake of pacing.

After the initial distraction, I was back to realizing my legs felt awful but still better than the last time.  I also felt tired!  A 5k seemed like a long way at that moment.  But then I turned on the mind game.  I looked around and the scenery was so quiet and peaceful out in the 'burbs!  The route went out of the subdivision into a trail that backs up around it and was all paved.  There were quite a few bridges and elevations so it did not seem as flat a course as I thought.

I wanted to stop so bad.  So many times.  But I gave myself some random point to achieve before allowing myself to think of it again (the bench, bridge, end of the pond) and when I got there, I moved the target further.  Seems silly, but it worked.  The further I went, the hotter I got. When I arrived at the fork in the road where the Olympic and Sprint courses divided,  I realized I was happy to be racing Sprint and wondered how I could possibly EVER do the other.  I was pooped!

I saw a young boy on the course walking and I tried hard to motivate him to go, he smiled at me but was not budging...and the words just stuck to ME and kept me moving forward.  I started visualizing different muscles in my legs doing their job and I think my quads must have been sleeping.  I felt like once I engaged them, I was able to move faster and with more determination to finish.  I caught up to someone in my age group (that had passed me on the bike) and felt a little victory and then later, caught up to and passed the girl we racked by (that I saw in transition).  These two things were my final motivators to not stop and push to finish strong.

I couldn't help but fist pump through the finish (with giant phone in hand)! Garmin had very little use to me and Nike, which I started late in the game, came in with a 3.3 distance.  It's no wonder when I asked the volunteer jokingly on the course "are we there yet?!", I was surprised he said "just over a mile" when I would be done in about a 1/4 mile by my calculation.  Yikes!

FINISH!

After sending a text home about my survival and scoping out the after race scene, I headed back to the finish line and right then, my friend was coming through!  SOOOOOO excited to watch her cross!!  We did it!! Yay!!!  She was sick and undertrained and she kicked some serious booty.  I am so proud!  We grabbed our breakfast tacos (the true reward at the end of the race!), bananas and KIND bars and took a second to sit and chat.  I remembered I had left my flip flops by the dock and ran over there to get them.  It felt so far!  Haha! But when I got back, my shoes suddenly felt tight.  I kicked them off and noticed a huge gash on the inside of my right foot!!  OMG.  That rock on the lake exit got me good.  I'm so glad I didn't know of it until after the race!  It is right under on the flip flop strap so I hobbled all the way to the car.  Ouch! I've got my first official triathlon war wound! Haha.

I'm not signed up for another race until the Oktoberfest Sprint that I learned is the exact same course as this.  I am tempted to switch that to an Olympic but I still have a few bigger decisions to make by the end of the month regarding HIM.  I have a race in July, August and September to sign up for too but again, the distances will hinge on 70.3.

Stay tuned!!

Valerie


My Last Race Report: No Label Sprint Tri
My Swimming Trepidation: Here and Here

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

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

Vacation and Workout schedules, an ugly but drinkable cocktail.

Ha! (random caption)

If you were here for my last update, you may or may have not been betting on whether I'd be getting my workouts in on Spring Break travel south of the border.

Just as suspected, it was not easy to peel myself away from the pool or sand (or my pina colada, for that matter) to get a workout in. I "planned" every night by setting out my workout clothes but those early sunrises and waking babies made it hard to "escape" for a workout.  I hate to leave hubby with the chaos when he'd much rather snooze.  I figured each day I'd just get away while babies napped but lo and behold, they never napped at the same time.  So without further ado, here's how it turned out:

M 1hr bike - do I get credit that the Sunday workout on the bike ended on Monday?  Eh, I didn't think so.  Travel day so working out was furthest on my priority list.
T 1:10 run - Yea...that didn't happen today either.  More rest.  :)
W Xtrain - Was going on a full day excursion so decided to head out for yesterday's run.  I couldn't get very good service so the MapMyFitness routes I was going to use was unavailable.  This meant I was just going to wing it.

Start of the run, leaving the resort.  Breath taking!

I ran through downtown and while looking around for my next turn, I stepped into a hole in the sidewalk and twisted my left ankle. Ouch! Then a few steps later, trying to run the pain out, twisted the right (which I had hurt on the TM last week) ugh!!  I put the pain aside and ran all the way to the highway and back then decided to go uphill to explore the neighborhood (cause I'm a glutton for punishment?).  I ran back down towards the resort and still had some time and distance to cover so continued around the marina and on to the end of a pier.  The pain was just now a dull ache and everything else felt so good, I honestly wanted to keep going but the bus was coming for me soon!

from atop a hill in the neighborhood

Cabo Marina

from the fishing pier

Ran 6.4 miles and little did I realize that the day's workout was JUST beginning!  We went on a zip-line adventure tour with Cabo Adventures that was absolutely jam packed with exhilarating fun.  We hiked to the top of a mountain and proceeded to zip line, some single, some upside down, some tandem and an amazing Superman at the end.  We also rockclimbed, rappelled, walked across the river on a tight rope, climbed a rope ladder up the mountain (41 deep squats!) and finished with a heart pumping ATV race through the mountain base.  I'll have to post those pics later, they were amazing and the GoPro video is pretty hilarious too!  All in all I think this qualified as the Xtrain workout for the week.  My arms and calves were toast the next day (oh and the throbbing ankle...yea, that was a little uncomfortable).
The fresh quesadillas they gave us at the end were devoured within seconds!

TH Rest - Hubby and I took the babies for a stroll through the marina after breakfast and later me and the ladies did a fun Water Aerobics class while the guys played beach volleyball.  We finished first so I decided to take what ended up being a loooooong walk on the inclined soft sand beach to the rocks and back while holding my 18 month old and towels.  If yesterday didn't qualify for Xtrain, today topped it off!! What was I thinking? I mapped it out and it was about a  mile and half (that kid's about 30lbs!)  No wonder I was pooped! I love the ocean and the sound of the waves so really, I was in my happy place.  I even got some great photos to last me a lifetime thanks to my oldest daughter.  :)

F 1hr run - travel day followed by unpacking and laundry. Fun! :/
S 1 - 1 1/2hr bike Oh, Houston.  We were welcomed with gloomy, rainy weather ALL. DAY. LONG.  Booohoooo!!!  We took the babies to a birthday party early in the day and the girls to see Cinderella at the movies later in the day.  That's all I could muster.  I felt a sinus infection (thanks Houston allergies) coming on so thought better of jumping on the bike.
S Rest  Making breakfast, cleaning, laundry and housework should be considered a workout.  Ugh. Happy homemaker I am not but it must be done.   Also, I casually looked at my calendar and like a smack upside the head, came the realization that I have my first sprint tri NEXT WEEKEND!? Wha? How did that slip my mind?  Good grief!  So, in a panic, I'm thinking I MUST get a workout in today!!  I had to get back before the Real Madrid/Barcelona game so hubby could watch uninterrupted but who knew I'd get to the park and have to untangle my chain and put it back on my bike?!  Ugh...just call me a grease monkey.  On wheels.  I got it fixed and jumped on for a 20 mile ride and 20 minutes late.  Oops!

I was so grateful the weather cleared up because riding indoors seemed like punishment.  Houston apologetically gifted me with the first sign of Spring on this beautiful day...bluebonnets!!

Warm Texas homecoming...bluebonnet sighting!

I think I was short a run and a bike but all the other activities got me pretty close.  And I really doubled up on the "Rest".  Haha.

So this week entailed about 11 hours of training but since I have the sprint on Saturday, I am just going to try to keep myself in check so I'm not at burnout by race day.  I'll flip the weeks and train more next week.  I'll plan on doing some light workouts in each of the disciplines and work on getting the gear ready and my nerves in check.  My friend told me to just look at it as another workout and forget the "race" aspect of it.  This helps because the distances themselves are totally doable.  300/14/3  so what's my problem anyway?

Stay tuned as I post on my first "official" sprint tri experience (and why I'm not counting the other I did as official).

Happy back to work Monday! 

Valerie

You Have 7 Days, Make Them Count

So did I?

I've mentioned before how I love to write it down as a to-do and cross it off or make notations (iphone calendar & notes just don't cut it for me). Well, I have a sweet new calendar that I unwrapped and am trying really hard to not make it look messy with all the switcheroos.  I think though that seeing this pack of pages over the course of time with all my doodles, scratch-outs and notes will be quite telling of my training journey.

Thank you Corey!! :)

Let's take a look at week 4 (days 22-28) of what I'm going to call: off season/base training (sounds official, doesn't it?)

3/2 Mon 1:15 bike seated hills - I forgot what the workout was...just remembered required time. I got on late at night after all the kids were in bed and gave it a go.  I did some climbs, seated and standing, sprints and 1 leg drills...I figured it was all-encompassing.  Went 1:17 and only 11 miles?  Turns out the speed sensor was not properly aligned for the first half hour.  Sigh.  Garmin is still dead so no HRM.  I decided on a whim to also casually join in yet another yoga challenge: #JourneytoHandstand because, who doesn't want to master a handstand?  I've gotten to the point where I could and then let it all go.  It's all core so I thought if I tried this, I would be working muscles I need anyway.  I did 3 days worth of the challenge and the last, hand standing for a minute, though supported by the wall, was tough!  My shoulders were screaming!  Extra time in for the photo ops too. :)

#JourneytoHandstand

3/3 Tues 1150M swim /45 min + strength training -  Hubby is out and I had to get son to & from soccer practice and pick up babies at daycare (and work a full day!) today.  Swim workouts are the only ones I can't alternate with something I can do at home.  Going to the gym was going to be a stretch so I was going to switch the days around and play it by ear.  I managed to taxi my son to 5 o'clock practice, race to the gym, swim (change twice!), pick up the babies and pick up my son at exactly 6:30 sharp!  I was so proud!   I knew there was a 1200 swim this week & I assumed it was today.  Swam 1200M in about 36 minutes and in the last 600 came across a breakthrough in form!! More on that later, but I am looking forward to "testing" this on the next swim.

After dinner, baths, cleanup and getting everyone to bed, I pull out some small weights and did a series of arm exercises followed by tabata burpees, the yoga challenge and even foam rolled by achy glutes and hammies.  Yay!

Not so yay...I was done with all this by midnight which is precisely the time the baby decided to wake up.  Cranky.  He fell quickly back asleep but I should have known it was a preface to what was to come...he was up at 4am ready to rumble.  I brought him to bed in hopes he'd cuddle and fall back asleep but instead, he treated me and my bed like a trampoline and was WIDE AWAKE and wanting to play until about 5:30.  When the alarm went off. :/ That's two nights of interrupted rest in a row.  Sleep deprived? Uh yea.  Let's see how this affects the rest of the week shall we?

3/4 Wed 1st Brick 1:10 bike Z3 Aero/30m run - Hubby's back! Thankfully that means no cooking or working out at near midnight.  Got a good 15 miles in on the allotted time and 3 miles on the run.  Not fast but I spent the first mile fidgeting with apps and music, good negative split though. He brought home dinner. :)

3/5 Thurs 1200M swim (sets of 100) - Well, made it to pool about 5:45am, Masters class had started (I forgot TH was class day).  Rather than interrupt to join a lane when I knew I'd be leaving quickly, I jumped in the other pool.  I had been told that it was 25Y and I *thought* (ugh) the wko was 900M.  I was thinking I'd swim 1300Y and it should cover me.  I wanted to make the 6:30a Hot Yoga class (since hubby is back and I'm so tight and sore everywhere) so rushed through it and asked the instructor on the way out what the length of pool I was swimming in was just to be sure.  It is 17 meters, long...or short.  Ahhh!!! No wonder it seemed easy. Ugh.  So, after doing my math homework
I learned that my 52 lengths were worth only 884M.  BOO, so I'm 266M short for the week but got a great yoga class in that included some fun inversions and arm balances!  Got to check off the yoga challenge to boot. Whoohoo!

UPDATE!! - The instructor was wrong!  Signs are now posted...the "short pool" is 20M!  So, I swam 1040M so I went OVER 140M...haha!! (Yes, I am updating this almost 2 months later...feeling redeemed!) :)

3/6 Fri Rest - I really could use it but I rather "rest" on family days (weekends).  I have another brick Sunday so running while everyone is in school/work is optimal.  But, having the kids in school on a sorta half day of work means me and the hubs can get some one on one time if he doesn't have any meetings or anything pressing at work.  I packed my workout bag and brought it to work because THE SUN IS OUT ALL DAY TODAY (albeit bringing 30 degree colder weather with it)!  If I can meet all my deadlines at work, get a quick loop at the park on the way home, I'll still get to hang with my babe with time to spare.  The sun is "forecasted" to hide tomorrow for the rest of the weekend so...the day must be seized!

Finding my sporty Revo shades in hubby's car made up for losing my earbuds on the walk to the car from my office. It was a gorgeous day, no music necessary and got date time in too. Win win win! :)

3/7 Sat Fast 5k - "Rest" day

3/8 Sun 2nd Brick Swim 45m (250wu 5x100 30' 150cd) Bike 45m (Z2-3 85-100rpm). - big fat workout fail today. Wet, dreary day filled with awful food and adjusting to daylight savings on a sleep deprived week was not the best formula to getting it done today. Never got a chance to leave for the pool, though I didn't try too hard. Had a fun day running around with the family so it's still a win. No regrets. :)

So, I almost made it. I was short 260ish  OVER 140 meters but short an hour and a half brick workout, though I added a good hour of hot yoga and handstand work throughout the week. 

Next week, make up the missed workouts plus the "plan" and a hot yoga class all while hubby travels. AGAIN. 

Happy Monday all! Make your days count!

Valerie

P.S. - I was all packed up for the gym this (Monday) morning hoping get A) 8ish miles on TM B) 1200M Swim C) 8ish miles + 1200M Swim.  Alas, rainy morning & daylight savings got me again (and hubby binge watching House of Cards into the wee hours didn't help).  Monday morning workout scrapped but all packed up to hit the gym at some point! 

1st Recovery week round up

I guess recovery week means lesser effort rather than fewer workouts.  I straddled the line between the two this week tweaking away as is the norm.  No travel for hubby this week but yucky cold and wet weather coupled with evening commitments made for another week of switcharoos.  I won't bore you with the details but here's the round up depicting the prescribed plan in bold and what actually went down following.

Monday - Day 15 -   Rest - 1 hour, PowerOne Cycling class (indoor bike on trainer)

Tuesday - Day 16 - 1:30 Bike easy - Rest since I did hard class yesterday (and have birthday brownie/ice cream dessert) :)

Wednesday - Day 17 - Rest or swim 900M - 1000M swim (10min time trial w/o warmup: 300M, 100k, 100p, 10min time trial warmed up: 400M, 100k)

Thursday - Day 18 - 1:15 Bike easy - thought I'd wake up early and knock this out but sleep felt too good.  A little regretful since fitting in for the rest of the week will be tough. Birthday happy hour will make early Friday workout a little more difficult too.

Friday - Day 19 - Rest - Um, yea...I swear they put everclear in those margaritas. Rest it is.

Saturday - Day 20  30 min Swim, 850M  - Feeling guilty for all the rest days, pulled the trainer in and did Thursday's workout. About 14 miles...I started with easy effort and then pulled out all the stops in the last half hour because...me.

Sunday - Day 21 1:30 Run Z1-3 -  I was hoping to leave the house early and get the "or swim" from Wednesday in before the long run.  I forgot how toddlers wake up at the crack of dawn full of energy.  Hubby got my distress signal late morning (he's so awesome) and took the whole crew out so that mom can have a "free" day.  No nails, shopping or massage but rather a solid 2 hours of putting my house back in order from 2 littles (I'm looking at you, Mateo aka Monster-teo) transporting random household items to all the places they don't belong.  A good solid 20 minutes were spent looking for remotes, not even joking.  Is it in the trash? (dig through trash)  Did he put it in the snack drawer? (dig through drawer and reorganize the mess) What about the shoe basket?  Oh, no...is it in the washing machine?  High cardio, super fast hide and seek and put stuff back before I lose time to run counts for a workout right?

All this, followed by the prescribed hour and a half run.  A little over 9 miles that I couldn't keep below Z4 because that would be walking?  How is that possible?  Anyway, it was a non issue because Garmin went dead before I made 3 miles.  Pace was fairly slow so I know I didn't over do it and given it was the longest run since my injury, I'm feeling pretty good.  Success!!

So how'd I measure up?  Well, I didn't do the extra swim and never made it around to Yoga and the foam roll effort really was pathetic.  But all the other stuff was done!

Coming up this week are brick workouts (8 total workouts +- 6-7 hours), crappy weather (cold, wet and dreary) and a travelling hubby.  Great recipe for getting it done dontcha think?

Here we go!

Happy Monday all!

Valerie

I know it's rest day but...

Minion said best:

Feel like that but will refrain from:

Because I know:

And the good news is:

So we'll make light of the situation:

And have cake.

:)

Enjoy your rest days!!

Valerie

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

Switch it In, Switch it Out

...to the tune of "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift.  Can you hear it?

Anyway, I don't know how to juggle balls.  I've tried over the years to throw them up and attempt this maneuver that seems simple enough but end up smacking myself in the face or throwing a ball across the room.  Perhaps it's my lack of coordination.  I tend to trip and hit sharp edges and corners on tight turns too.  Luckily for me, lack of coordination does not equate to lack of flexibility...both literally and metaphorically.

You see, my life is in a state where "balls" are always in the air.  I work best under a structured, and somewhat routine based environment, however, curve balls cometh on the daily.  As a result, I have learned to be flexible.  I have become quite comfortable with winging things and in the last couple of years have REALLY just turned into a fly-by-the-seat kinda gal.  

There is always uncertainty when doing things this way. But with that uncertainty comes the excitement and satisfaction that you still got everything accomplished as anyone one else would have had to anyway, without losing your marbles because you're off some sort of track or schedule.  It's not for the faint of heart, admittedly but it's working for us.

Most "normal" people that exercise regularly have a routine.  A set time, day that they go to the gym or head out for a run.  I have friends that are 6 am bootcampers, 5 am crossfitters, 4am long distance runners, midmorning yogis, afterwork gymrats, afternoon cycling machines or weekend warriors.  I can't seem to fit in, or be able to commit to any of those with any kind of consistency.  

A good friend and exercise buddy and I have the hardest times getting our workouts to "gel".  There is always something prohibiting us from getting into any kind of routine together, even if for a once a week workout.   We don't quit trying though.  Our text messages go something like this: Her: "Cycle Monday?" Me:"I think so, let me check" Her, the night before class:"did you sign up?" Me:"oh, shoot I'll do it now, yes I can do it"  Her:"they just cancelled the class" Me:"UGH!"  or...Me: "run tomorrow?" Her"Yes, I'm in" Me at 4:45am:"Baby is sick, can't" Her:"That's ok, kiddo is sick here too." If this were two people trying to go on a date, it'd be doomed.  

So when unexpected "openings" in our schedules occur, we literally jump for joy.  President's Day was that kind of gift to us.  Gift to workout...at 5am? Ya, for real.  It's a gift.  Our cycle class cancelled and we scrambled to find an alternative because OH EM GEE, we don't have to worry about getting the kids off to school in the morning!  We can't be wasteful of that opportunity!  So, off to Rev class we went.  Perky front row, that's us! (well, not the perky part)  And what do you do at the end of a date that you just don't want to end?  You have a nightcap!  Right?  For us, that meant a 4 mile run immediately after a full body workout/high intensity spin class.  I'll call it a proactive training baby brick! (two back to back workouts swim/run swim/bike bike/run)   

Well whatever, you gotta get it in when you can.  So we pulled a double! And, we got to catch up too!  Win, win, win.  

On our run, we discussed the very nature of our schedules and how difficult 'fitting' a workout in can be.  I equate it as feeling like an old school switchboard operator.  I start the week with a list of workouts that HAVE to be done (you know, for that self imposed plan) and I slot them in to my calendar where I find a hole.  I may have to send hubby a text here and there to confirm kiddo coverage or get a feel that my absence would not be a nuisance or burden and also make weather adjustments but I start the week with a penciled plan.  Then, the inevitable switching occurs.

I had full on operator duties this week with hubby travelling.  This is what it (and I) looked like:

Me, every. single day.

Monday DAY 8 - as planned: 1000M swim

Monday switch - Oh hey, holiday!  Scrap swim & pull double duty w Rox (Rev & 4mi run), swim tomorrow.

Tuesday DAY 9 - as planned: 1 hour Bike Trainer

Tuesday switch 1 - Aha! Bike trainer day was checked off with spin yesterday so swim in the morning to cover Monday's workout.

Tuesday switch 2 - my alarm went off and hubby turned it off and did NOT wake me. Ah! Swim between soccer practice dropoff and baby pickup.

Tuesday switch 3 - I must be an adrenaline junkie. Soccer practice to gym, 20 min TRAFFIC heavy trip. Had exactly 30 minutes to get 1000M in (and change into dry clothes) before racing to daycare & soccer pickup. Ahh!  Only got 900M & was light headed & winded running to the car!

Wednesday DAY 10 - as planned: 4 mile run 

Wednesday switch 1 - Run was covered on Monday (yay!) -  Run anyway after baby dropoff or Hot Yoga at lunch

Wednesday switch 2 - no run, stay home and wait for appliance repair man - maybe Hot Yoga at lunch or strength training at house while waiting. 

Wednesday switch 3 - no lunchtime workout...late to work from 2 hour repair aaaand gotta leave work early to p/u son who's staying late at school for project.  Will be home early and weather is gorgeous, so maybe run Sunday's track workout?

Wednesday - sigh.  Rest day today. Traffic, tween discipline & study, grocery, dinner & toddler melt down...#hardlyrestful ;)

Thursday DAY 11 - as planned: Rest

Thursday - all caught up, no need to switch Rest day, hooray! but still need Hot Yoga that I missed yesterday, whole body feels tight.  Shooting for a lunchtime class. *Update - son forgot lunch and I have to leave early for soccer drop off. #yogamaynothappen **Update - his so called lunch was pathetic! Made him buy lunch, went to Yoga and it was A W E S O M E.  Sore all over and it feels so good...and tonight, he will pack a REAL lunch and get up on time to not forget it. ;)

Friday DAY 12 - as planned: 900M drill swim

Friday - half-ish day of work, ride outdoors (for Sat workout) after swim, rain in forecast, may have to get on trainer or join noon spin class

Friday switch - stalked weather all morning and decided to skip swim and go for the ride despite high gusting winds and dropping temps because the weekend rainy forecast looked less promising for a ride.  On my way out got an unexpected invite by hubby for a little date time. Cut my ride short but rode hard with a killer headwind. Not quite an hour but 12 hard miles rather than the prescribed easy hour. I'll take it. :)

Saturday DAY 13 - as planned: 1HR easy Bike

Saturday switch - rode yesterday - get a swim in after soccer. 

Saturday switch 2 - family day - no swim, gotta pull a double tomorrow. 

Sunday DAY 14 - as planned: Track Run 4x800 @5k pace, 400 recovery in between, 2mi at 10k pace (~5mi total)

Sunday switch - track run & 1000m swim I missed & foam roll all the sore muscles.

Yay! Rain threatened all weekend but even got a bike ride trip to the park with babies! Track workout was great but HOT! Sun blaring, balmy and humid...felt like summer! I changed and raced to the gym, my quads were toast and was plain tired but still wanted a good workout so I made my own:

Sure enough, I left the gym in flip flops, shorts and wet hair only to get hit with the windy cold front. Yay, Houston weather! Brrrr.  Did some foam rolling during Oscars. I wore my daughter's Sleeping Beauty tiara so I'd fit in. Ha! (Kidding, but I did wear it earlier in the day & forgot about it only to be reminded by a passing jogger while I was loading the kids into the bike trailer "nice tiara"...um. Heehee)

So...did you get all that?  I'm not sure if I did but I do know that somehow, it all got checked off.  It wasn't pretty but every workout is accounted for and this makes week 2 a success! Check, check and checkity check!  I'm wondering if the challenge of getting it all done is my driver. Something to ponder...also, just as a behind the curtain tidbit:  I wrote this post on Sunday night (2/15) and have edited the "switches" daily so it's ready to post on Monday (2/23).  There would be no other way for me to remember the details of this craziness! 

So tell me, do you follow a routine or are you more on the wing-it regimen like me?  What drives you to get 'er done?  Tell me in the comments below, I'd love to hear from ya!

Valerie

P.S - I think I hit most of my goals for the week I posted here.  I've got my HR zones ready for the next training run/ride that requires it, signed up for a small tri (and am contemplating a couple others), got all my workouts in plus yoga and a foam roll.  I am short a foam roll session but after this week, I plan on 10-15 minutes per night!