Bike MS this Fall!

Quick update!

I will be riding in the MS150 Ride to the River this Fall. It will be a journey from San Antonio to New Braunfels and back on October 6-7. I have done the Houston to Austin ride twice before with a corporate team.  I mainly did it for physical challenge and to support a great cause but I didn't really know anyone that was affected by MS.  It was quite emotional, however, to go along the route and read the signs from those who are affected.  It is inspirational and motivating to keep pedaling no matter how hard the wind is pushing back or hot your quads are burning, knowing that you CAN do it and are doing it for those who no longer can.

This time, I am riding because the sister of a dear friend was diagnosed.  She is young and full of life and I have seen how quickly her lifestyle has been impacted by this disease.

I am riding for her and for the hopes that the monies raised can help fund progress in research and ensure that people like her, affected by MS can live their best lives.

Please consider helping me reach my fundraising goal and/or joining my awesome team FLITE!

Bike MS - Valerie's fundraising page

You can follow my training journey on instagram @fullhouseofroyals

Thank you!

Valerie

25 days to go...

I haven’t said much about my #halfmarathontraining lately because quite honestly, I was feeling a bit of in a slump.  My body was feeling tired and close to breaking and because of it, even the thought of running was unappealing.  Perhaps I was nearing a burnout.  Perhaps I just needed a good break.  Perhaps the neurotic weather jacking with the concept of seasons in this town finally got me.  Or maybe it was the fact that I was religiously taking the joint and amino acid supplements my chiro prescribed and completely forgot to keep taking them after my return from Costa Rica.  

Whatever the case, I was pretty much doing everything on my training plan but I was struggling to hit the fast paces for long periods of time.  I was also having a really tough time recovering from long runs.  I felt like I got hit by a bus and before I started feeling a little ok, I was up for another long one. Of course, all that physical stuff starts to creep into the mental space.  Doubt about my abilities, my strengths, yadda yadda.

Anyway, I knew something had to give.  I just needed to get back on schedule, FIRST.  I had been shuffling the runs around to accommodate the my schedule and honestly, the sloppiness of my plan was starting to get on my nerves (why I hadn’t sent them to you lately, coach). 

So this week, I am back on track.  Sunday long run (although technical difficulties and a new route threw my pace off) was done.  Monday was an off day (though I worked my a$$ off on in the garage project) and yesterday I was set for “easy 3-6”.  Except, I went back to work.  I had a long work day with no lunch break so by the time I got home, I was beat.  I almost ditched it.  Can you imagine, to come this far on a clean slate and ditch it? Hell. To. The. No.

It was late, but I laced up and took off into the night.  Because it was so dark and late, I decided on just the 3, but it was also cold so my "easy" turned into a "fast".  I was quite pleased with how I felt the whole time.  I felt like I got my bounce back in my step and although I had another 7 miles to do in the morning, I was excited about them rather than apprehensive.   I negotiated with myself that since I had run 3 fast, I could go easy on my 7, haha.  

This morning, my plan was: "1 easy, 5 @ 8:30, 1 easy".  Hitting an 8:30 for that many miles is hard for me.  In fact, I have yet to do it.  I have come close though.  This morning, it was 45 degrees.  It was windy, but absolutely gorgeous out.  All my technology was charged and ready to go.  I had some fuel (almond butter on raisin bread) and coffee (duh).  I wasn't trying new routes where I'd have to resort to my map often.  No excuse to not hit the pace.  

I didn't dress in enough layers but I figured after the first mile or two, I'd be fine.  And I was.  I felt fantastic!  I waited eagerly for the voice on my app to tell me at the end of each mile how I was doing.  I guess I should be wearing my Garmin but I just rather not.

Again, my average speed kept dropping but my split speed didn't quite hit the elusive 8:30.  Ugh!   

New life.

But then something happened.  I changed my frame of reference.  Rather than chasing it,  I started thinking that I wanted to test my ability and gauge my race pace.  So I started to do some math.  My dad would be SO proud.  I figured I would have to do a quarter marathon in an hour and an eighth in half an hour.  So then, my goal was not to hit the mile pace at 8:30 but rather, hit 3.275 miles under 30 minutes.  I did.  By quite a bit.  Then, I needed to hit 6.55 miles in an hour.  I was so excited that I did that with room to spare.  And guess what?  I was almost done! By the time I got to that point, I should have been running easy but I figured I finish strong all the way home.   Ultimately, I hit 2 miles under 8:30, 2 pretty close and 2 more under 8:45.  That's 6 fast miles instead of 5 AND I had hit 2 miles close or under 8:30 the night before.  Goal, check!

If I continued this thinking for another 3.275 or another 6.55 miles, I would have crushed my goal. This running thing is such a mental game.  Granted, I have been taking my supplements again for the last 4 days without fail, I am drinking protein shakes immediately after workouts and in addition, I have added slow release Casein protein before bed.  Here is the link on why.  This could be a factor, the weather too, of course.  But there is also will.  My will to push when I think I can't.  

My body is back in, my head is back in and now the countdown is ON.  Follow along, I'll try not go MIA again.  Although, that is where I will end up.  Ha!  #seewhatIdidthere 

Oh, the photo of the plant up there...yea, that is a lemon tree that was literally next to the trash bin a few weeks ago.  I thought it was dead and I was urged to just get rid of it.  But my heart told me that there was still life in it.  Somehow.  And then, after not actually taking it out with the trash for a couple of weeks, I saw one little green leaf appear on the bottom.  I rescued it, took it back and trimmed the dead trunk.  The photo above was this morning.  New life!  Much like the the gratitude in my rescue dog Harley's tail, this tree has hope.  And for whatever corny reason, I included it here because I do to.

Happy New Year all!  Here is to a wonderful 2017!

Valerie

Woodlands Half Marathon - Check!

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

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

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

Me, unamused by my most recent run

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

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

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

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

With some fast chickies

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

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

I see you blurry photobomber...:)

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

I'm not throwing away my shot!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All smiles!  Finisher!

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

Feeling accomplished. :)

~V

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

I'm back, I guess.

Remember when I rolled my ankle?  And how I blew it off and continued running until I couldn't walk?  Well, here's a reminder if you missed it --> here

I've been a really good girl and stayed off of it.  Mainly, because I literally couldn't walk on it.  Haha. This week, I have finally felt very close to normal.  Heels have been my remedy, I think.  

Truth!

No, really.  I wore flats and realized that in heels, I walked normally.  I must have been taking the pressure off of whatever the heck I injured in my foot/ankle and I had my natural (and much missed) high heel stride.  No limping!  I figured I would be jogging sometime this week to test out the mechanics but haven't had time yet since I'm flying solo this week.

The other night I ran into my friend aka elite marathon trainer at a restaurant party/event/bday thingy. She looked down, asked me about my ankle and before I could finish my sentence about it being better, she said "good, see you Sunday bright and early...we'll start with 6"  If I could insert a big eye emoji here, I would.    

I'll work on abs and my legs on the bike until then.  Wish me luck!  

Update Monday! 

Valerie

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 :)

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

Week 16 recap

Week 16 was an odd one.  I loosely followed a training plan that has Mondays as rest days. Obviously, I started the week doing nothing.  This did not fare well with me.  I felt by Monday night that I was already behind in the week.  I am glad this was not an "official" start to training because I would have already failed miserably.  However, knowing my feelings about Monday, I know that I should alter the plan to better suit me.

There was a whole lot of stuff that happened and we are still in a place of uncertainty (mine, anyway) with regard to race registration, so the big "reveal" will come in a couple of weeks.  We want to be SURE that the route we are attempting to navigate is feasible before I start posting it all over the internets.

So the week's workouts ended like this:

Monday - rest day
Tuesday - 30/30 bike/run brick at lunch.  Two things:  1- mute texts & calls while running post drama filled morning. 2- Texas Summer IS HERE!  Riding my bike on the trainer in the backyard & running at lunchtime felt like I was doing so inside an oven.
Wednesday - Hot Yoga at lunchtime plus a quick 2 miles after work because I was feeling like that Rest Day on Monday was shorting me for some reason.
Thursday - School is officially out and with not having to get up early, well...I didn't.  By the time I did, I only had 30 minutes at the gym...so I swam 1000M and darted off.  On the positive, I swam in the outdoor pool...it felt like a mini vacation. :)
Friday - So not only is school out, the daycare was closed today too.  Hubby and I were going to either split the day to watch kids or...let the older kids babysit? Um.  All day?  No.  I decided to get my run in before work, shooting for a long run...maybe 8?  But then, a text that implied my presence was necessary for the other parent to leave the home base for work came through.  A quick sprint to finish at only 4.4 miles.  Sigh.  Half day of work and honestly, the rest is a blur.  I think there was some physical labor later in the day but I can't remember right now.
Saturday - BIKE RIDE OUTDOORS!! YAY!!!  Can you tell it's my favorite? I was really excited about a 'ladies' ride that was organized for Saturday morning weeks ago...one that I didn't think I would make because I was supposed to be in Austin for work for the week.  Lo and behold, things change and I did make it and it was fantastic.  28 miles, thanks to my friend's devices not crapping out mid way like mine, which by the way, I am so done with my Garmin 305.  I gave it yet another chance and it died mid ride.  In addition, I somehow got the arm of my cadence sensor moved while riding and at roughly 23 mph (Garmin was alive then), it clipped a spoke and went flying.  The sound it made beforehand however, scared the begeezus out of me thinking I had burst both of my tires. Luckily, that was not the case but it was definitely was cause for a pause.  

Boo hoo, wahoo. :/

While waiting for the group to reassemble (some were leaving, some adding on) I decided to Periscope the dam where water was being released post flood.  The funniest thing happend...a group of folks that seem to be part of some photography class asked if they could take my pictures.  As soon as I said yes, a dozen cameras went up and started clicking away.  It was a little weird and everyone that rode past probably wondered who the heck I was.  Haha.

My very own paparazzi.  Lol.  (screenshot from periscope)

My dad joined in towards the second half of the ride and added the power oomph to the workout. Calling him coach Joe would be appropriate as he had us do hill sprints at the park and ride ramp. Ouchy.

Heading back down the ramp to do it again.

That's a racing stripe on his jersey...hard to catch up to him.

 Sunday - I did a little swimming during "adult swim" at the pool.  And when I say a little, I mean almost not at all.  Of the 15 minute window, I spent a good 8 trying to explain to a 3 year old why she had to get out of the pool.  This obviously was not working out well so I let dad handle it and I literally, jumped in the pool and started swimming laps.  A measly 250M as I got caught up with a tri friend in the other lane and got to chatting.  Whoops.  I did learn that swimming in a salt water pool is much more enjoyable that chlorinated. I'll have to revisit that.
Later, while hubby was out riding with my dad (more on that later!), I decided to also get a run in to make up for the one cut short earlier in the week when he returned.  I was shooting for the 8 again but I lost light and it was getting late so I cut it to 6.  Too bad too because I felt like I could go forever. Oh well.  C'est la vie.

This was somewhat of a recovery week and because it was so confusing anyway, I didn't fret with how many hours or workouts I did.  I think I ended up with a decent week nonetheless.

Bike - 2 (28 miles  out + 30min trainer)
Swim - 1ish (1250M all outside)
Run - 4 (15.4 miles total)
Other - Hot Yoga + mountain bike with kids around the 'hood

Approx 7+ hours

Time to work on how week 17 is going to look.

Hope everyone has a great week!!

Valerie

It's a mixed bag.

So, this post was supposed to be the pivotal earth shattering (not really) decision announcing one about whether I'd be registering for a big race or not AND which one if so. Right?

Well, hubby threw an amazing (but utterly confusing) curve ball last night. So much so, that I'm still wrapping my head around it and I'll have to postpone the announcement for the BIGGER announcement?! Uh. Yea. 

So hang tight y'all. I'm so sure you've been on pins and needles. Lol. (At least I entertain myself!) 

In the mean time, keep on moving and talk at ya soon! 

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. :)

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

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

Indulgence overload - a weekly roundup

I knew I had a short week to work with since I'd be traveling so it wouldn't be a full training week. Knowing this, I started off with a bang pulling a double on Monday and a long swim Tuesday morning. Two early workouts back to back too! And then a girls trip to the big apple. Uh...the end.

Here's a round up for consistency's sake. 

Mon - PowerOne Cycling am & 5mile run after work. 

Tues - Early morning 2450M Woohoo!
Wed - Couldn't wake up and pushed to evening...but then, I had to pack & tidy things before an early flight.  Wua-wuaaaa.
Thurs - Travel day plus a million walking miles
Fri - A gazillion more miles of walking (attempt at Peloton class, Fail)
Sat - Peloton class?  Um, no.  Fail....more walking.
Sun - 4.5 mile run in Central Park - hallelujah!! (the 5 Boro Bike tour was happening and I got to watch the cyclists go by...would love to do this one year! 40 miles, 5 Borroughs, 1 Day 0 cars)

 
So, skipping Wednesday was a mistake (see below) because I should have known better than planning TWO workouts on an indulgent weekend was going to be tough.  And when I say indulgent, I mean incredible meals once, twice and sometimes even 3 times a day!  Yikes!  At least I got the run in while everyone else was packing up and sleeping in.

Here's a visual of my week in Misfit language:

Reverse hump day on Wednesday, huh? Ha!  

And now we fast forward to race week.  THIS IS IT!  My sleep deprivation has caught up to me. And I just can't muster the energy to move.  At all.  I wasn't even considering a workout yesterday but the swim I planned this morning?  Uh...yea.  That didn't happen either.

It's early yet so I will find the will and way to get 'er done.  I'm hoping my "everything but the kitchen sink" smoothie will help!

Surprisingly delicious considering everything I threw in there!

Happy Tuesday all!!

Valerie

Hump Day Realization

I was thinking of what I should do tonight since hubby is back from travelling and decided to flip through memory lane.  I started this "path" in mid February of this year.  Over 2 months have passed and a quick back of the envelope tally shows that:

I ran 85 miles.
I biked 21 hours.
I swam 26,000 meters.
I Yoga'd about 4 hours.
I strength trained about 5 hours.

And that last time I had a "recovery week" was over Spring Break.

So, I am taking a rest day yall,

Yaassssss!! (as my tween says)

Happy Wednesday all!

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. :)