Trainers!

So, I made plans with my dear friend Mary to do a trainer ride early this morning.  And even though I hurt my back again somehow last night, I didn't want to cancel on her, so I sucked it up and rode.  She did two full hours of some intense intervals; I just rode pretty casually for an hour.  But at least I did something!  And even though my back still hurt, it felt really good to be back on my bike.  I've missed him. :-)

Masquerading

Well, I was lazy today and didn't work out, and then I hurt my back again while out running errands. :-(  I've got a trainer date early in the a.m., so hopefully I'll be able to ride...  We shall see.

Eating primally is still going well, although I had a realization today: the best dishes are the new things I'm trying, not the recipes that masquerade as foods I used to enjoy.  The stuffed cabbage with turnips instead of rice just wasn't the same, though the fried cauliflower "rice" was a decent substitution.  Still, the halibut with butter sauce was just amazing, and I'm excited to try lamb meatballs and a chicken with artichoke hearts dish later this week.

Other new things I've tried since going primal include using a food processor and a mandoline.  Loving both!  Sure, they take a little time to clean, but they save much more in chopping time!

PRIMAL!

Well, I honestly can't remember what happened or what I did the rest of that week, or the rest of December for that matter!  But I'm sure it looked very little like the schedule Derek and I had made up.  I'll blame the holidays.

Then New Year's came, which is always a great time to start fresh and make big plans.  But then I got sick again, and then Derek got sick...  So, yeah.  It's been a slow start.

BUT...  Last week, we started this new diet/lifestyle thing called the Primal Blueprint (PB).  It's basically low-carb: no grains or sugar or really any processed foods.  And all your fruits and veggies should be local (whenever possible) and organic, your eggs local and free-range, and your meats grass-fed and whatnot.  I don't necessarily buy into all of the reasons WHY our bodies work the way they do (i.e. evolution), but I do believe THAT they work a certain way, and that eating like this makes sense and is good for us.  The PB also talks about how to exercise and sleep and everything, which all makes sense, too, though those changes are actually a lot harder for me to implement...  Oh, well.  We're doing this 21-day transformation thing, so hopefully that'll get easier as we continue.

So far, the food's good, I haven't been hungry, and I feel REALLY good about the way we're eating.  Especially after watching Food, Inc., the documentary about the food industry in the U.S.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  But just know that you'll be disgusted, and expect to make some major changes in the way you shop and eat.  Jus' sayin'.

Oh, and the really cool part is that I lost 7.5 pounds in the first week.  A lot more to go, but that's a stellar start!  I'll take it!

Anyway, I finally made it back to the gym today for a spin class.  Felt great!  I also inquired about personal training while I was there, because I'd love to learn some more functional integrated exercises that are especially beneficial for triathletes, but PT is EXPENSIVE!  I doubt we'll be able to find room in the budget for THAT, so I guess I'll just have to research some exercises online or something...  We shall see.

Day 2 - Woo-hoo!

After waking up so early yesterday, getting an hour-and-a-half of cardio in, and then working for 11 hours, I was, understandably, exhausted.  So I did a little work in the kitchen, but then went to bed before 9:00.  I read till 9:30, but that was it.  After all, I had to get up early again this morning!

Got up at 5:00 a.m. again, and made it to the gym a little after 6:00.  I lifted upper body first, then ran on the treadmill.  I did a 3/1 run/walk at 5.6/3.6 mph pace, 3.28 miles in 40 minutes (with a cool-down).  Felt as good as running ever does!  Mostly, though, I was just proud of myself for actually going, even when Derek decided to stay in bed (which he probably needed, but still).

Unfortunately, BOTH my feet hurt now.  I'm sure sitting at my desk for another 11 hours today didn't help, but seriously.  I'm sick of this plantar fasciitis already!  I know I realized before that treadmill running hurt a lot more than running outside, so I'll give it one more go on Saturday.  But if it still hurts like this after running outside, I think I'm going to have to quit running till I lose some weight.  I'll just focus on cycling and swimming and strength training, and of course eating right.  (Which has also been going well so far this week, by the way.)  Will keep you posted!

Relaxing now with a cheesy Lifetime Movie Network Christmas movie, but then to bed for another early wake-up call!  Spinning again tomorrow.

Fresh Start!

And...  My priorities went out the window after Wednesday of last week.  Didn't even work out on Saturday!

But Derek and I made up an ambitious and detailed workout schedule yesterday, so I started this week with renewed motivation and dedication.  Got up at 5:00 a.m. for my 5:45 spinning class.  And THEN I went down to the pool for a little swim.  Just did a mile since I had to get home for work, but it felt great!  Good to be back at it, and with a PLAN!

Priorities

So, even though I didn't go to spin this morning, I made it a priority to do it tonight after work.  Even though I should have been cleaning tonight for company coming tomorrow.  So now I'll have to try to do that while I'm working tomorrow...

Anyway, I did spin, and it was good.  And then I lifted upper body, which was only o.k.  The gym was so crowded at that time that I could find a bench and half the free weights were missing from the racks (I HATE it when people take them off somewhere, by the way!).  I still got it all done, but it was yet another reminder of why I should really do this in the morning...

Confirmation

Well...  Up WAY too late last night, so I didn't get up for the gym this morning.  Derek and I agreed to meet there for a swim after his exam (and I was going to go earlier, too, to lift and swim before he got there), but of course that didn't happen.  So, yeah.  But this is good actually!  Because it's just confirmation that I NEED to work out in the morning, but stuff ALWAYS comes up to make it more challenging or even impossible to get it done at night.

But even though I KNOW this already, I still haven't been able to do anything about it...  And I blame sleep!  Seriously, I would get more and better workouts in AND eat better if I weren't up so late and so tired all the time!  Now, how do I fix it...?

Plan A!

My alarm went off at 5 a.m.  I had NOT gone to bed at 9:00 last night like I'd wanted to, and I did NOT want to get out of bed when I heard the alarm.  I started trying to figure out other workout options for today, but I came up empty.  I had already decided I was going to work late, so an evening spin class was out.  Plus, I thought, my gym clothes are sitting right over there waiting for me.  And I know I won't have to scrape frost off my car since I made sure to park in the garage last night.  So, fine.  I'll go.

Made it there in plenty of time, and I realized just how much time I save working out in the morning because I don't have to fight the evening rush hour traffic!  Nice.  Good workout, hills today.  Good to catch up with my co-cycle-club-ride-leader-friend.  REALLY good to be done with my workout early and know that I didn't have to go out after work tonight!  Woo-hoo!

But I have been tired all day...

My original plan for tomorrow was to go lift in the morning, and maybe even swim while I'm there (I don't like the idea of driving to the gym twice in one day).  But tomorrow is Hubby's last stressful class, and he was thinking he might like to meet me for a swim and/or workout afterward.  If we do that, I'll probably just go a little earlier to get my workout done so that I can just focus on helping him in the pool when he arrives.

But that would mean giving up my "I really want to get back into a morning workout schedule again" plan for the week...  Hmm.  Guess I'll see what time I actually get to bed, then decide.

Lazy Busy Week

Well, after a pretty good week last week, I was excited to keep up the momentum.  However...  I let Christmas tasks consume me, and even on days when I had good intentions, I didn't make working out a priority, and, as a result, I often ran out of time or energy before I could get there.

Finally, on Friday, I made it to the gym for the 9:30 a.m. spinning class, then lifted upper body afterward.  I was NOT looking forward to a late work shift at the end of a long week, but I was determined to make good use of my morning off.  Felt good!

On Saturday, I slept in.  Till like 10:30.  Yeah, that's right, I slept almost ten-and-a-half hours Friday night.  And let me tell you: THAT felt good, too!  Then I made yummy pumpkin spice pancakes.  Mmm...  In the afternoon, I also made it back to the gym to lift lower body and swim, but everything was happening a lot later than I'd planned/hoped.  Which pushed other tasks off till today.  Which didn't all happen.  But at least I got two good workouts in; better than nothing.  And after a three-hour nap today, I'm feeling pretty rested.  Gotta be in bed in ten minutes so I can get six hours of sleep and still be able to get up for the EARLY spin class tomorrow.  I really need to get my workouts done in the mornings this week so that I can stay late and get a little overtime.

Anyway, when I swam yesterday, I only did a mile; I didn't want to push myself TOO hard my first time back in the water in a month.  Here's what I did:

Warm-up
4 x 200  Swim/pull/kick/drill x 200

Main set
1 x 200  Free - pace
2 x 100  Free - pace
4 x 50    Free - pace

Cool-down
1 x 200  Easy

Big plans for the coming week - spinning three times, lifting three times, running once or twice, swimming once or twice.  Let's see how much of that I can actually make happen!

Unheard Of!

Today, I wanted to lift lower body and swim while I was out running errands.  But when I looked at the weather forecast for tomorrow, I saw that it will probably be raining all day, so I decided to run today instead and try to swim tomorrow.

I was thinking I'd do two laps today, but very soon after I left the house I realized that I'd forgotten my water.  So, I thought, maybe just one lap again.  I did a 2-and-1 run/walk instead of the 3-and-1 I'd done on Wednesday (since I'd been planning on going twice as far), and it felt great.  The weather was perfect, a little chilly but bright, and I had my tunes to push me on.  When I finished the first lap, I didn't really feel like quitting, which is unheard of for me, so I thought maybe I'd do another partial lap to get 45 minutes of running in.  But then I thought, I could go out 3 intervals and turn around for 6 extra intervals, or I could just do the 10 it would take for a whole second lap.  So I just kept going!  And without water ever...  I know!

I was slower, but I just took my time and enjoyed it.  30:31ish for the first lap, a minute slower for the second.  But it felt great!

Now, however, after running a bunch of errands after the run, both my feet are in a bit of pain and I'm kinda stiff and sore all over.  I'm really hoping I feel better in the morning, and I'm REALLY hoping that this plantar fasciitis crap quits once I start losing some weight!

Day Off

Since I didn't lift or swim yesterday, I was hoping to make it tonight after a baby shower I attended.  But...  I didn't get out of there at 9 like I thought I would, and 10:30 seemed a bit late to go to the gym.  So Derek and I missed our swim lesson, and I missed a workout.  But it was the first day I missed this week, and I still have the weekend to catch up!

Somethin'!

Well, I DID get off work early, but instead of going to work out right away, I worked on the Christmas present I'm making for my mom.  I did go run, but not till 3 something, and by the time I was done with that, I didn't feel like going to the gym, too, to lift and swim.  Instead, I got the Christmas tree up and decorated. :-)

Anyway, regarding the run...  I only did one lap around the lake at Sharon Woods, which took me 29:29 for the 2.6 miles.  With my warm up and cool down, it was about 3.5 miles in 45 minutes.  Nice day for my first post-IM run!

Another Plan B

SO sore today!  Feels great. :-)

And... again I didn't get up early enough to spin before work, so I went this evening.  No problem, got it done.  Ran a couple errands on my way home, too, so I haven't been able to do the tree yet.  Fortunately, if my calculations are correct - PLEASE let my calculations be correct! - we'll be finishing work early tomorrow so I can decorate then  Yay!

Strength Training 101

Well, no surprise, but I didn't make it to the gym this morning.  I wasn't worried, though, since I had the evening to make up for it.  Unfortunately, it was raining when I was getting ready to head to Fleet Feet, so I bagged that plan.  I cleaned up around the house a little to get ready for the Christmas decorations, then went to the gym.  At some point, the rain had turned to snow, though, and everything was white when I stepped outside!  So pretty!

The gym was pretty empty and quiet, and it felt good to get back to lifting again.  I know it'll be good for me, I just need to stick with it!  I followed the Body for Life plan, starting with my upper body.  Then I did my abs, too, since I was still waiting for Derek to get to the gym.  I saw him come into the building just as I was finishing up, which was perfect, except that I didn't have any time in the pool alone before we started our "lesson."  But that's o.k.  Helping him was my priority tonight, and I still feel really good about the workout I did get.

Back At It

So, last Monday, I ate great, worked out, and set a goal of losing one pound by today, even with Thanksgiving.  Well...  let's just say... epic fail.  I didn't work out any more last week (unless you count walking around for six hours during all the Black Friday sales), and I pretty much ate whatever I wanted.  And I gained a half pound.  But now I'm more motivated than ever.  I've got to get going on this!

Today I ate great again, and I made it back to spin class tonight.  Derek and I were supposed to go for our second swim lesson as well, but neither of us felt like it.  So we came up with a new plan, which I think I like even better: we're going to go to bed early.  Like, soon.  And we're going to get up early and go lift in the a.m.  Then we're going to meet at the gym for a swim tomorrow night after his classes.  He may try to get some other cardio in first, in which case I'll do some laps of my own before he joins me in the pool, and I may also go run with Fleet Feet before that, if this incessant rain finally quits.  But I won't hold my breath on that one...

Anyway, I'm hoping that by getting up early tomorrow, I'll be able to continue the rest of the week.  And if I can spin Wednesday morning, then I'll have all evening to decorate for Christmas!  High hopes for this week. :-)

It Begins Again...

As I mentioned, I really enjoyed my day in Florida.  When Derek asked me, just minutes after I finished, if I was going to do it again, I think I said, "Yeah... probably!"  Originally, I thought I'd only do one, but I enjoyed it so much, I didn't want that to be it!

But we had also talked about trying to start making babies next year, so I thought I'd at least take some time off.  Till two days after IMFL, on the way home, when Derek started talking about how HE wanted to try one.  And then I got excited to start another Ironman journey, especially if I could do it WITH him this time.

Unfortunately, we were a day too late to sign up for Florida, so we started brainstorming other options.  We knew Ironman Arizona was just two weeks away and that we could sign up the day after for next year's event.  So that became our plan.  Of course, these things sell out FAST, so we knew there was no guarantee we'd get in.  But it was still Plan A.  (Plan B was to pay extra for Ironman Foundation entries into next year's IMFL.)

Well, today was the day.  At noon mountain time, online registration would open for general entry.  Of course, hundred of athletes had already registered at the event this weekend, so who knows how many spots were even left when registration opened?  But we were poised and ready.

AND WE BOTH GOT IN!!!

It worked for me last year for Florida, and we both got in this time, too.  But there were plenty of people complaining on Facebook because they couldn't get in.  And ironman.com announced that it was sold out in less than 10 minutes.  So I guess we were pretty lucky!

I've already booked a room at the host hotel, too, since they expected to be booked within a day or two.  I'll keep looking for other options, though, since the host hotel is expensive and the rooms don't even have kitchenettes or anything.  We'll see!  But we're committed to the race anyway.

And so, training begins again!  I've taken the last two weeks off completely, though not necessarily by choice; I've had a cold almost since IMFL was over.  But tonight I went to the gym for a spin class, and we're getting ready to go back for Derek's first swim lesson.  That will be his biggest challenge.  Our other big priority right now is to lose some of this extra weight.  We probably both have 30-40 pounds to drop, which won't be easy.  But we're going to do this together, every step of the way!

Home!

Actually, I wish I were still at the beach...  Today is all about unpacking, doing laundry, going grocery shopping, etc.  But I'm so tired, I just want to sleep!  Still feeling a little under the weather, too, but I'm hopeful it won't become a full-fledged cold.  I'll just try to rest as much as possible and give my body a break for a few more days, though really I feel like I could go for a nice jog or ride any time.

I'm also going through a bit of Ironman withdrawal, which I hear is pretty normal after a big event like this, but talk of next year keeps my spirits lifted. :-)

Planning Ahead

So, we ended up spending most of the drive today talking about future races.  Because Derek wants to be an Ironman too, now. :-)  Since you have to sign up a year in advance in most cases, our only option for next year would be Arizona, if we can get in the day after this year's race in a couple weeks.  That would be a REALLY long drive!  But it would be an awesome adventure, and it would be nice to travel somewhere new and try a different course.  So I think that's our plan at this point, though we want to pray about it before diving in because it would mean putting off making babies and the possibility of going on a short-term mission trip next summer...  And it would have to be instead of the vacation we were hoping to take next year.  Wow!  But I'd be SO excited to train together for it!!!

Anyway, we made it to Tennessee today, and we should have about five hours to get home tomorrow.  Just in time to vote and get Derek off to class!  Unfortunately, my throat hurts pretty bad and I'm afraid I might be getting a cold... :-(

Feeling Surprisingly Good!

I didn't sleep great, up every hour to pee and drink more water.  But I felt pretty good this morning!  I was surprised (and thrilled) to find that after sleeping with my funny sock thing on last night, my foot didn't hurt any worse today than if I'd just run a couple miles yesterday.  Woo-hoo!  I have some chaffing from the wetsuit and some pretty painful saddle sores, but most of me escaped unscathed.  My body is tired, but I can walk, and I actually feel pretty good!  I'm more stiff than anything, so I'm trying to keep moving.  I should be back to normal in no time! :-)

First on the agenda today was IHOP.  Which actually turned into Bob Evans.  Regardless, YUMMY.  I was so hungry!  And it was cool to see so many Ironmen at the restaurant.  No wonder the wait was so long!

Next up on the agenda: tattoo!  Megan met us at the shop at noon, and we were out of there by one.  The actual tattooing part only took 15 or 20 minutes.  It didn't hurt too bad at first but got a little worse as she made her way back onto my achilles.  Still, not too bad.

And it looks pretty cool!

Not EXACTLY as I'd designed it, so I might want to have it touched up once it heals, but we'll see.  It still looks pretty awesome!!!

After that, we swung by the Ironman store to check out the finishers' gear.  I'd seen a bunch of people walking around with a certain jacket, and I thought I just might have to get one.  They were sold out of that jacket (pretty popular, I guess!), but they were taking orders.  But I got lucky: since it was almost closing time, they said I could just have the sample jacket in my size rather than having to order one and pay an additional $15 for shipping.  Sweet!

Back to the condo for a nap, then out for the most delicious pasta dinner at Sweet Basil's.  Seriously!  Why couldn't we have discovered this place days ago?!?

Well, better get to bed soon, 'cause we're supposed to leave first thing in the morning.  It's going to be a long couple of days home to Cincinnati!

RACE DAY!!!

I got up at 5:00 and headed over to transition at 5:30.  Dropped off my special needs bags, got body-marked, then went in to pump up my tires and put my water bottles on my bike.

Next step: find a bathroom.  Check.  Put on wetsuit.  Check.  Forgot to lube up at the condo, so...  Hmm.  Well, too late now.  My Bodyglide and Aquaphor all packed up in my transition bags.  I thought about asking a stranger to borrow some, but...  Nah.

Time to head out to the beach.  Yikes!  The pros will start in about five minutes, and the rest of us will follow ten minutes later.  Only time for one quick pic, a prayer and a kiss from the Hubby, and that's about it!

 

The gun goes off, but I hang back a bit.  No need to get in the middle of the madness!
 

I was actually surprised to find that the swim wasn't too congested, since I'd heard horror stories about the huge mass starts of Ironman swims.  Perhaps it was because I waited a little to get going, perhaps it was because we were all so spread out, or perhaps it was because it was easier to see in the clear water and easier, then, to avoid running into each other.  Regardless, I was thankful.

As I got farther out into deeper water, though, I started seeing jellyfish.  Lots of them.  Big ones.  Most were well below me, but every now and then I would look ahead and see one just in front of me.  I'd swerve quickly to the left or right, but it was crazy scary!  I think that's why I had more chaffing higher up on the back of my neck than I expected: because I was constantly looking left and right and ahead to avoid running into one of these "pink meanies."

Finally, I was heading back toward shore, back to shallower waters and fewer sea creatures.  Swimming in seemed harder than going out, though!  Finally, I made it to the sand.  But then I had to go back out to do the loop again!  Not thrilled with the two-lap swim course, but I was glad to get some fresh water in me after gulping several large mouthfuls of saltwater...

After the second lap, with my wetsuit down to my waist, the volunteers instructed me to sit on my butt, and they pulled it off the rest of the way.  They helped me up and handed me the wetsuit, then I rinsed off quickly in the showers before making my way to transition.  One volunteer shouted out my number as I came through, and another found and handed me my bag.

Into the building I went, where another slew of volunteers were waiting to assist.  I sat down, dried off, lubed up, changed shorts, put on my socks and shoes and jersey and helmet and gloves and watch and sunglasses...  And I was off!  (I make it sound quick, but I was actually in there for 20 minutes.  The way I figured, I'd rather take a few extra minutes now to be more comfortable for the next 6+ hours!) After a quick stop in the portapot, I got my bike from another volunteer and exited transition.

I felt good as I began my 112-mile bike ride.  (This is my favorite part, because it's the only time in the race when I actually get to pass other people. :-)  The course was as flat as everyone said: not even many rollers except one bridge we had to go up and over.  The headwinds were pretty strong at times, though, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to maintain the average speed I needed to get finished in six hours...  Oh, well, I thought.  All I can do is my best, and what will be will be!

I drank Gatorade from my bar-mounted bottle, adding more super-concentrated Gatorade from my down tube bottle and water from the aid stations as needed.  Once again, the volunteers were amazing!  I rode right through the aid stations every 10 miles or so, and didn't stop till the midway point for my special needs bag.  I took some more ibuprofen and grabbed my baggie of Oreos, and on I went.  My bum wasn't feeling great, but I pressed on.  Out to the last check-point and back, over the bridge again at mile 100, and back to Front Beach Road with a nice strong headwind.  Lovely.  But I was almost there!  So close I could taste it!

Back at transition, I handed off my bike, grabbed my next transition bag, and went back in to change.  Same story: lube up, change clothes, stop at the portapot...  Out onto the run course.  And there's Derek!  O.k., I'll stop and talk a bit.  No need to run just yet. :-)  It was so good to see him and tell him about my race so far.  He tried to film me, but it was hard to hold the camera steady as we walked and talked.  Oh, well.  O.k., guess I should start running.  Bye, love!

I started with my usual longer-course triathlon 2-and-1 run/walk pattern, but my feet were kind of hurting by mile four, so I decided to switch to a 1-and-1.  That felt much better, so I stuck with that.  I even had no qualms about skipping a run here or there if I needed to eat something or stop off in the john again.  I figured I should be able to maintain at least a 15-minute-per-mile pace that way and still make my 15-hour goal.  I was feeling good!

It was starting to get dark as I completed my first lap and got my special needs bag at the midway point.  I tied my jacket around my waist because I didn't need it yet, but it was new and expensive, and there was no way I was going to leave it in the bag!  Deja vu as I headed back out on the course.  Didn't we just do this?  I don't really feel like doing it all again, but...  I've got to to get to the finish line.  And there's really no reason why I can't.  I feel o.k.  Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be fine.  One minute at a time, one mile at a time, one hour at a time.  I still have three more hours of this?!?  Sure, but in the grand scheme of things, you're almost there, you're 80% done!  Yeah, o.k.

And on I went.  I talked to more people on the second lap.  One guy was trying to earn the tattoo he'd already gotten, not realizing you were actually supposed to COMPLETE the 140.6 before getting the M-dot.  D'oh!  And I kept looking for Carla, the girl I'd swum and ridden with on Thursday, but I never found her...

As I was on my way back toward transition, I kept seeing people still making their way out toward the park.  At some point, I thought, I'll stop seeing people coming toward me, because they'll be out of time.  But even with only two or three miles to go, the latecomers were still heading out on their second lap.  I tried to calculate when they might finish, and I almost started to cry thinking that some of the folks I was passing wouldn't make the midnight cut-off...  But I was definitely on target to make my goal, so I tried to think about that instead.

When I made my last turn, I heard Derek call my name!  He was there, encouraging me, cheering me on, running me home.  I'd made it!  I was done!  I accomplished everything I'd been working all year to achieve!

I tripped as I crossed the finish line, so I didn't really hear my name. :-(  (I was too busy worrying whether they'd gotten a good picture of me...)  But I felt fine, and I was thrilled with my 14:38:01 time!  I got some water, my medal, a t-shirt, and a finisher's hat, then had my picture taken one last time.  I got some pizza, and Derek and I started walking back to the condo.  (He'd already taken my bike and gear bags back, so we had nothing else to do when I finished!)

<Sigh.>

I just wanted to sit and rest a bit before getting cleaned up and hitting the sack.  Halfway through the run, I thought I'd like to go back out to cheer for the last finisher's at 11:00 or 11:30 on, but now that I'm home, no, not gonna happen.  I'm exhausted.  Can't imagine why!  And my plantar fasciitis foot hurts pretty bad.  I think I'll need Derek to help me move from the living room to the bathroom and bedroom...  But I'm also overjoyed!  What a day!!!