Dropping Out

So, its been a while since my last update, mostly because not too long after that brick, I decided that I really wasn't ready for this whole Triathlon thing. I was feeling burned out, wasn't looking forward to my workouts, and in general just didn't feel ready. I'm not positive I could do all three sports separately, let alone back to back to back.

But, no worries my loyal readers (all 5 of you....) Now that Joe and I are back from vacation and his shoulder is mostly healed, we're going to start running again, training for a 5K at the end of October. And, I plan on picking up regular yoga classes again. We're also going to get gym passes (its 25 admissions to be used within a year, so I think we can handle that better than paying month to month) That way I can keep up with my swimming but not be forced into a class twice a week.

Stay tuned!

First Brick

Sorry for the delay in this post. The past week has been crazy at work and at home and being out of town for a few days.

Last weekend I did my first brick. I rode 6 miles on my bike (to change my swimming class to Tuesdays and Thursdays) and then came home and immediately ran 3 miles. I ate a Cliff Goo-thingy in between (wow, that was disgusting. but I'm trying to remain open minded)

Anyway, it was HARD! I couldn't run the entire time and had to walk some of it. I was exhausted afterwords (though, I guess that is the point)

I started a new swimming class this week, taught by an older guy named Forest who is the most beautiful breast-stroker I've ever seen. He basically gives me a work-out and then supervises the rest of the class, but comes over every so often to critique my form. Its been going OK except for my legs cramping!

Running has fallen off a bit. I did go on Tuesday but haven't been since. I'm working on getting a good schedule together this week which will hopefully help.

I'm a month and a half out from the race and feeling tired, run down, and not all that excited. Joe is going to help me take a look at things and make sure that I'm doing the best that I can. I think most of the problem is not eating well and not getting enough sleep, and not staying hydrated.

27 is a great age!

I woke up this morning to go running. Its been a while since I've done a morning run, and I can't remember ever running 30 minutes straight in the AM.

I didn't quite make it. I was surprised at how icky I felt this morning. I woke up feeling super hungry so I had a piece of (whole wheat) bread with some (natural, no salt or sugar added) peanut butter. It sat like a lump at the top of my stomach. I did 2.75 miles instead, in about 35 minutes. I ran threw a spider's web (eww!). But, I saw a deer and wished that I had my camera with me. I felt OK about the workout though, and when I got home I did the first day of the 100 push-up challenge!

Last night, I went out with my friend, Heather, to celebrate her birthday which is on Sunday. That said:

Dedicated to Heather

I met Heather working at my last job. She's one of the nicest, coolest gals I know. She actually got me to start running. I don't know exactly how it happened though I have a feeling I wanted to have something in common with her because she is SO COOL and I wanted to be cool, too. The first 5k I ever ran I did with her back in October 2007 (she totally beat me but she was there - Joe caught a great picture of her!). She was doing really well with the whole running thing, but then injured her knee. Instead of giving up, she just picked up a new sport instead (cycling) and is training for a century ride in October. She has this great balance of life: working full time, going to school part time, making time for exercise, and making time for her friends. I've very lucky to have her in my life: She's got this amazing positive personality and anyone who's ever met her can tell you that. So when I'm feeling a little run down by this whole race thing, I can think of Heather and the smile on her beautiful face and be inspired by her perseverance. Happy Birthday, Girl!

This post brought to you by the letter Dave

I had a great run today. It normally takes me around 40 minutes to do my 5k. (5 minutes walking, 30 minutes jogging, 5 minutes walking) Today it took me 35 (just the 5 minute walk and the 30 minute run... don't worry, I still cooled down)

It think it had a lot to do with a few things.
1. My massage on Saturday. When she said she opened up a lot, she wasn't joking. My muscles didn't hurt like they normally do, my knee has been feeling way better, even my shoulders felt better when I was running.
2. I've been eating really well lately. I did a modified detox this weekend, ate lots of veggies and whole grains and not a lot of dairy or sugar. I feel like I'm back on track even if I'm not perfect.
3. Dave left me another quote on my Facebook: “Sure I am this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.” - Winston Churchill
4. I was thinking about a lot of people. People who either inspire me or cheer me on, or I'm out to prove wrong. I decided I should make a post, or a series of posts, dedicated to these people. I think the first one is obvious.

Dedicated to Dave

So, I keep mentioning Dave. When I first met him I was sure he hated me. OK, maybe hate is a strong word. But he certainly didn't seem to automatically love me like the rest of Joe's friends. He's got this wicked sense of humor that, unless you know him well or don't take things personally, can be kind of... painful. And, as someone who didn't know him well and did take things personally... you can imagine. I like to think of Dave as the last test I had to pass before I was allowed to marry Joe, because since the wedding (its about to get sappy) I feel like he's a real brother-in-law. There is some saying that friends are the family that you choose. Joe has chosen amazing friends and I just love them. When it comes to this triathlon, I know that Dave says he just wants Joe to lose (see the to-do list he edited for us), but I believe that honestly, he wants to see me succeed- not just to beat Joe, but to really succeed- even if he'd never come right out and say it. I posted on Facebook today "not feeling very motivated" and he responded with the above quote. No "just relax" quote for Joe today, just one encouraging quote for me. And that's why this post is dedicated to Dave. Love you, bro.

Always carry quarters!

So, since my last post I have:

-Completed four 30 minute runs. This week I'm planning on running Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.

- Went to two swimming classes on the 6th and 8th, and skipped two swimming classes on the 13th and 15th... Monday I just had a case of the Monday's, and Wednesday I got stuck at work late. This week I am going today but need to skip Wednesday because Joe's dad is in town and taking us out for dinner. I probably should go to the pool on Friday to make up for it.

-Rode my bike 9.5 miles to work on Sunday. Work is really only a little over 7 miles away, depending on which roads I take, but I had to turn around and go back home about a half mile in because I forgot my key, and then I got lost trying to find the back entrance through the woods (as opposed to the super traffic-y normal entrance) But it was a nice, do-able ride so this weekend I'm planning on hitting the WO&D and trying for 12-14 miles on Saturday. In total it took me one hour and 18 minutes to go 9.5 miles at a leisurely pace. This included a stop at a lemonade stand. 10 cents for a cup of lemonade? Heck Yeah! Actually, I gave them 25 cents and told them to keep the change: 4 little kids, it was really cute. And, you just can't pass them, ya know? So, that is why I need to make sure to always have some change on me.

-Got an awesome 90 minute Deep Tissue massage from Ingrid at Sesen Spa on the 18th. Joe's parents got me a gift certificate to use after the musical I costumed and I finally used it. Ingrid is awesome. I've seen her a couple of times. She asked how pilates was going so I filled her in that I stopped for a while to train for the triathlon. She was impressed! I wanted her to work on my legs and she asked how much pain I wanted (hahaha) And I asked her to go kind of middle of the road. I actually fell asleep when she was working on my glutes and calves, but when she got to the quads... man, that was sore. But, good sore. And she always does a great job loosening up my shoulders (I gather my stress between my shoulder blades... the bad posture doesn't help.) Afterwords she complemented me on my strong legs.


This weeks schedule looks like this:

Monday: Bike 3 miles (if the weather cooperates) and swimming class
Tuesday: Run 3 miles, 100 push up challenge (I'm going to start it again), biking in the afternoon if I run in the morning.
Wednesday: Off, dinner with Joe's dad.
Thursday: dinner with Heather for her birthday, 100 push up challenge
Friday: Run 3 miles (hopefully in the morning) Bike 3 miles and Swimming make-up
Saturday: Bike 12-14 miles
Sunday: Run 3 miles, 100 push up challenge

Also, walking 30 minutes outside at lunch on any days that aren't raining.

Actual Update

So, Friday, I ended up running in the morning, and did Couch to 5K week 9, Day 1, which was a straight 30 minute run. I tried to pace myself and it didn't go too bad. My abs were still hurting from that pilates video! I took the rest of the weekend off, though.

Today, I made it to my first ever Monday swimming class!! I didn't swim as far as last time, only 1300 meters. But I'm feeling off today anyway. Thats still .81 miles so I feel OK about it. And I feel like I'm learning a lot which is important. I forgot my water bottle again... it made it into the gym but I locked it in my locker. So next time, I'll remember it!

Dave posted new quotes for Joe and I....

Mine: "Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." - Tom Landry

Joe's: "By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning." - Lao Tzu

And, a relatively new friend of ours complimented me and told me that I am "striking" which was a much needed boost to my ego. :-D

Tomorrow, I go running. One of the running magazines I get mentioned that athletes who sleep 10 hours a night perform better than those who get less. I'm not that hard core, but I really need to start getting 8, which would put me in bed at 10:30 if I'm waking up to run, and 11:00 if I'm not. So, I should go get ready for bed!!

I woke up this morning feeling in love with the world, and as the day went on I lost more and more energy. I got home from work and was laying on the couch, and basically had to drag myself to swimming class. I drove instead of riding my bike... but I feel much better having gone. I did get out for a walk on my lunch break which helped a little bit mid day.

Yoga decision, Feet, and tennis balls

So, I'm pretty sure I've decided not to take the class, to work on getting Yoga Today to work or just come up with my own practice. Then in the fall I can sign up through the county again if I want (since, I don't know if I'll stick with swimming after the triathlon, and if I do I'd likely drop to once a week anyway, which would free up some time in the week.

So, I have issues with my feet. One of them is that my feet are really big for a woman (I wear a size 12, which is a 10.5 mens) so finding shoes has always been an issue. Sneakers aren't so bad, i could always just wear men's sneakers if I had to but when buying running sneakers I haven't had any problems getting those. Really, its the cute, girly, can wear to work or out on a date shoes that I've struggled with. This lead me to many years of wearing cheap Old Navy men's flip flops or shoes from Payless which were sometimes cute but never really comfortable, or shoving my feet into shoes that were too small. When I moved to VA I was introduced to Nordstrom Rack by a shoe-ista friend of mine. Nice, cute shoes (heels even!!) up to a size 13. HEAVEN!

Now, I also have relatively high arches. Again, sneakers usually take care of this problem but casual shoes, even in the right size, still aren't all that supportive. And, I like to walk around bare footed. There is some research that walking around barefoot is the best for your feet, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason my foot problems only started developing now that I'm older is that as a kid I spent most of the summer not wearing shoes. But, I digress. I had seen a doctor about my feet cramping when I was in Rochester, and she told me I had Plantar Fasciitis so I knew about that anyway.

Last summer, we took our annual trip to Atlantic City. I'm not a gambler, so I tend to just wander around the boardwalk with whoever happens to be my baby-sitter for the evening. I made a huge mistake though, and wore a (really cute) pair of mary jane style maroon patent heels to walk around the boadrwalk. The shoe itself was pretty comfy, but the heel was too skinny, and kept getting stuck between the boards, on top of the fact that I was walking, A LOT. The next day I noticed my feet were hurting, but figured it just happened because the of the shoes and that it would go away. My right foot got better, my left one didn't. A month went by and there was still a spot on the ball of my foot under my big toe that was killing me. I had already switched to wearing only flats, got some over the counter inserts for them, tried walking around barefoot as much as possible (even on my walks on my lunch break), only wore my good teva flip flops instead of the cheap plastic ones. The only time I wore heels was during dance class (Joe and I were taking ballroom lessons and private lessons to prepare for the wedding). Eventually it got to the point where I knew I had to see a podiatrist, but I was afraid she was going to tell me I had to wear a cast or a boot or couldn't wear my wedding shoes, and so I put it off until after we got back from our honeymoon (middle of November). Actually, wearing sneakers around Mexico and doing yoga almost ever morning really seemed to help.

So, off to the podiatrist I go. She was great (Dr. Theresa Fahy in Vienna, VA). She understood that I wanted to wear cute shoes sometimes and that I didn't need to give them up completely. However, until my foot heeled I would. The x-ray showed nothing broken. She gave me some anti-inflamitories, a cortisone shot into my metatarsals , and told me to wear stiff soled shoes or sneakers (like cross trainers rather than running sneakers) all the time. So, I bought a pair of Danskos which my mom (a nurse) always swore by. Eventually, my foot did start feeling better, and I started wearing other shoes again. Whenever my feet start to hurt, I wear the Danskos for a day or two and that usually helps. Also, she showed me some feet stretches to work on the plantar fasciitis, and yoga tends to stretch it out as well.

One thing she told me to do was to keep a tennis ball at my desk at work and at home, and to roll my foot over it daily. I kinda kept forgetting to go out and get tennis balls to do this, but finally (a half a year later) I did! Let me tell you it just feels GREAT! It's like a do-it-yourself foot massage!

I found another great article on that goes over it a little bit, as well as some other uses for the tennis ball that I'm going to try out. Its very related to the Foam Roller concept that I learned about in pilates, as well as an old trick my mom always used on our calf muscles: a rolling pin. Its why massage works on releasing sore muscles, also.

Yoga class or solitary practice

So, I received a phone call from the rec center where my yoga class was: it was canceled due to low enrollment. So, now I have Thursday nights available and I'm mulling over my options:

-There is a class at a yoga studio not to far away from home, which costs $135 for 9 sessions and starts this Thursday. It's about as much as the rec center one cost (well, a little more but there are more classes) I already had the time blocked off for yoga, I do like practicing with other people, having an instructor there to correct me and guide me, and committing to a class makes it more likely that I'll show up. The down side is that I'm already not at home 2 nights a week, and am afraid of getting burned out, which has happened before.

-Have Thursday's off and practice on my own. This allows for my schedule to be a little flexible and gives me some time to do chores. And saves me $135 bucks. However, when I schedule time for myself its usually the first thing to go when its flexible enough to go, and when I'm tempted to do other things instead. Also, it means I need to find space in my condo to do yoga, and I'm a tall gal, and we don't have a lot of space. However, I'd like to test my abilities to commit to myself and treat yoga on Thursdays like a class. And if I can somehow set up my computer in a way that YogaToday would work... I might be able to do it.

I went to the YogaToday site, and it looks like they've changed a bit. They still have free class every week, but now you have the option to buy each hour long class (there are over 160 to choose from) for $3.99 or sign up for a monthly subscription ($9.99) and then classes cost $2.99 to download. Still a great deal in my opinion. I wonder if downloading the class would make it able to work on our TV somehow....

An off week, but a great run and an awesome compliment

So... I missed swimming again on Monday. Again, I got all the way there only to realize that I didn't have the key to lock my bike up. So, I went for an extended ride home and logged 9 miles, which isn't too bad.

Tuesday, I went for a run. This was week 8 day 3 of my Couch to 5k program. It felt great! For the first time I was able to think about things other than the typical "OMG my legs hurt/I can't breathe/why am I doing this?!" and felt like I finished the run with a clearer head. Its a big transition, where it stops being exercise and starts being almost meditative. I also managed to shave off 30 seconds from my total time from my front door, following the same path, back to the front door. it usually takes me 40something minutes (its 3.1 miles total, but I walk for 5 minutes, then run 28, then walk the rest). So i went from 40:38 to 40:10. And I felt it when I was running, I got just a little bit farther.

Wednesday: I purposfully skipped swimming. To be honest, I just didn't feel like going. Instead, we did some shopping and cleaning (which was much needed!!) and then I did a pilates mat work-out video. I already knew I didn't like mat as much as I love the reformer, but I need to make sure I'm getting in at least one core workout a week. I also need to add some resistance training as well, but one thing at a time! I can't miss any more swimming workouts though.

Today: Maybe I'll get out of work early and go for a run. We have a friend coming in from out of town, so I'm missing yoga. And there is the weekend ahead of me that will not be diet friendly! But thats OK: a holiday weekend is not going to ruin me.

Happy news: I connected, via facebook, with a guy I had a huge crush on in middle school. (I was embarassingly pathetic, but who wasn't back then!) Anyway, he complimented me on how athletic I am and how good I look, and said I should keep up the good work! Seriously, this is the best part of Facebook. He's right, I have come a long way from my days back in Bethlehem, and my passport photo shows it! The old one was taken in 1999 (my junior year of HS) and the new one was taken last summer. I'll have to find a full body picture at some point so you can REALLY see the difference. I'm very proud of myself! I am slowly considering myself to be athletic, which is a big shift for me.

MapMyRun.com - Training Log for quembelle

MapMyRun.com - Training Log for quembelle

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Competition runs strong...

So, I just completed Week 8, Day 1 of the couch to 5k program, which was a 28 minute run. Since I worked out pretty hard yesterday I decided not to push it and stick with the program, and I'm glad I did. It actually felt really good to run. I think I actually enjoyed it. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of fireflies that were out!

One of my husband's best friends is rooting on me for this triathlon and playing up the competition between Joe and I. This is the nature of their friendship. Sometimes I try and trick myself into believing that this friend actually is cheering for me rather than just cheering against Joe. Of course, its all in fun and I know that deep down he really does support both of us :-D Anyway, in the spirit of competition, he posted these quotes on our respective facebooks:

On Joe's: Here is an inspirational quote from Lao Tzu to think about while training:"Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."

On mine: Here is an inspirational quote from Vince Lombardi to think about while training: “A person can be as great as they want to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”

Thanks, Dave! You've made it into my blog, congratulations! (the picture is from 2007 of Dave, myself and Joe in Atlantic City outside the Casbah... we're rockin', can you tell?)

In actuality, Joe is not really training for the triathlon. He hasn't withdrawn yet, however we got the prognosis for his shoulder injury: he broke his clavicle about a centimeter from the joint. So, he can't swim or bike and he has to take it easy when he runs - keeping it to a jog since you use your arms a lot when you run faster than that. He goes back to see the doc in August, and he'll have about a month before the race to train in swimming and biking if the doc clears him. Its a bummer, but we're just grateful he doesn't need surgery or physical therapy or anything like that.

Tomorrow is sort of a rest day, however I'm going to bike to the metro, head over to a friend's place, and we're going to wander around in DC for a while and get dinner at the Pita Pit! Look out Chicken Souvlaki Pita...

First swimming class

So, I actually made it to class this time! The bike ride was a little easier and a little faster, also, although when I took it up to the 7th gear (the highest) it didn't seem to catch. So I'll have to check that out. Otherwise, the ride there went well.

My class is at the rec center closest to my house (about 3 miles away). I've taken classes at two others in the area, and I have to say this one is the nicest. The locker rooms smell the least like pee than the others, and the pool was just really nice, too. They have all levels of diving boards and a platform which is cool: I was there a little early and got to watch some of the divers.

I really hate my swimming cap: I have one of the cheap latex ones and I think I need to go and get one of the better silicone ones. I did get paid today....

My instructor (didn't catch his name, blast me for being shy) is this nice looking, early 20-something guy, he's patient (he had been teaching a kids class prior to mine) and explained things well. I guess Monday's classes are more instruction where as Wednesdays are more of a straight work out. This class there were 4 of us. This is what he had us do:

Warm Up
75 Freestyle
75 Backstroke

Work-Out
3 x 150 Freestyle (the middle 50 of each was a drill: fingertip drag (when your arms come out of the water, you walk your fingers on top of the water up to the top), hand catch-up (the back hand comes up to meet the front hand before the power stroke) , and kicks (apparently, I was kicking too big and too much from my knees)
3 x 150 Backstroke (drills: thumb up pinky in (thumb comes out of the water and the arm twists to put the pinky in the water), hips up (basically tilting your pelvis and contracting the abs so your torso stays on top of the water... Thanks Pilates!!!) , and kicks (again, my knees were too bent and my kicks too deep. when I tried to correct though I gave myself some leg cramps... oops)

I actually did more like, 3 X (150 freestyle, 150 back) and I accidentally did and extra 50 free.

2 x 200 Free
2 x 100 Back

I only did 1 x of each because I ran out of time

Cool Down
3 x 50 your choice with a 15-20 second rest (I only did 50 Breaststroke)

In total, I swam 1450m, which is about .9 miles. not too shabby.

Then, I did the 3 miles biking back home. Which went OK except it was pretty dark out which made me nervous. But yesterday was a beautiful day!! So it felt really good to ride home.

Things I need to remember for next time:

-Get a new swim cap
-bring a water bottle in with me - its easy to forget to stay hydrated when swimming
-get a flasher thingy for my backpack/back of my bike for riding at night
-get a horn/bell for my bike
-find out cute instructor's name
-bring underwear and a bra to wear on the ride home. Not that riding in my swimsuit was bad and really, I should get used to it since I'll be riding in it for the triathlon, but still.
-wear HRM.

Well, i went biking....

So, I got everything packed up for swimming. My goggles and swim cap, flip flops, a towel, my wallet and phone and bike lock, all put in my backpack. I wore my swimsuit under a t-shirt and sweats, filled up my water bottle and headed out the door. I made it to the community center in 20 minutes, pulled in to lock my bike and realized that I'd left my backpack on the chair in the livingroom. Doh!

So, I biked back. At this point, I would have been late for swimming class so I just bought a new bathing suit online instead from Athleta.com, at about half price thanks to the Gap rewards I've been racking up.

But, it was a decent 35 minute bike workout if nothing else and I learned a few things about my bike:

1. I need either new handle bar pads or biking gloves. My hands and wrists really took a beating going over bumps and stuff. On top of this I need to learn to relax my arms and shoulders a bit, too.
2. My new water bottle rattles a lot. its just a little too small for the holder, and the holder is metal and so is the bottle. I'm thinking a beer coozy might help.
3. I really need to install the bike lock holder onto the bike. If I'd had the lock there, I could have at least gone inside and asked to make a phone call or something
4. I should keep an emergency information card somewhere on my bike, if its a sticker or something. I could have called Joe at home, but I don't have our house phone memorized (only our cell phones)
5. I need to register my bike: there is some national database or something
6. Get used to going fast down hills. Maybe this will help my skiing also!

Pacemakers 5k Completed

Yesterday, Joe and I got up super early (6am!!) to drive out to Warrenton, VA to run in the Pacemakers 5k which supports the Fauquier County Free Clinic. Since I am only on week 7 of my 9 week training program, and Joe hurt his shoulder, we weren't sure how it was going to go, but it was a nice day out and we figured if we had to walk, fine.

Neither of us had to walk. At all. My goal was to just do it without walking, and I did! It was a beautiful day and the setting was really lovely: it was at the Airlie Center. I saw a deer! (Also, I'm #2 in the picture. Joe was #3 and you can see his elbow and foot a few paces in front of me)

I finished with a time of 33:11, which was almost 3 minutes faster than my last time (at the Turkey Trot in 2007). Joe finished in 28:43.

I'm glad we signed up for this race. It was a good motivator, and now we're gearing up for the triathlon in 11ish weeks. I start swimming tonight, and I'm going to bike the 3 miles to the gym!

Pacing Myself? Whodathunk?

So, I finished my week 6 couch to 5k training on Monday. I'm a little behind but since I'm not feeling the pressure of the 5k I'm running on Sunday the 21st since I was already behind anyway. But, this session was a straight 25 minute run without stopping. Considering how hard the last day was, I decided that it didn't matter how slow I went or how far I got, but that I would not stop running. I think possibly I could have walked faster at some points, but I did it! I paced myself, and kept an eye on my heart rate monitor so I didn't get up too high.

Week 7 (which starts today) are all 25 minute runs. So I should be used to it by the end of the week, and it just happens that the 5K falls on one of my training days (assuming I get in my runs today and friday), so rather than competing, I think I'm just going to do my 25 minutes (plus the 5 minute warm up and cool down) and not really worry too much about my time. My focus is on the Triathlon, this was just a "training goal". I missed it by a bit, but its helped keep me working at it which is what is really important.

In other triathlon related news, I finally bought a bike! Its nothing fancy, cost me around $300 bucks (I had him put on a kickstand and a water bottle thingy plus I had to get a lock for it) Its only got 7 speeds, and its a hybrid rather than a road bike. I figure I'm not a serious racer. I might do one race a year. Otherwise, I'd be riding my bike around town, and on some trails probably. So I didn't want to shell out big bucks for a bike with features I wasn't going to use. I just went to Dick's Sporting Goods and was able to walk out of there with this bike. I tried a couple others: one that had shocks in the front, but that felt really unstable to me. As we get closer to the race I'll probably add a few more things (maybe a different seat, some kind of bag or basket of some kind, a patch kit, etc). Also, I still need to figure out what I'm going to wear, but those are all issues for a different paycheck.

Cherries

So, yesterday's run was tough. 5 minute warm-up, 10 minute run, 3 minute walk, 10 minute run, and then walking the rest of the way home. Took me about 42 minutes to go 3.1 miles.

I'm trying really hard to take it slow. my goal is to be able to run the 5k without stopping, no matter how slow i go. Maybe not the one on the 21st, but certainly at the end of the triathlon.

Joe and I go running "together" which really means that we do our 5 minute walk together, and then he loops back around at the end of his run (he's on week 7 which are all 25 minute runs) and we walk the rest of the way together. For a couple weeks he tried it where he'd loop around more often, but i would get so angry when he would come up behind me and pass me. But the past few times, i just let him go, and that seems to work better. The route we run has enough circles that i can still see him, and he actually doesn't get too far ahead of me, maybe a few blocks at the most.

Anyway, sometimes when i'm running i get into the groove and it feels good. sometimes, it is hell. yesterday, the only thing that kept me going for the last 4 minutes of my last run was thinking about all the cherries i would eat when i got home. And i did eat a lot of cherries.

I'm trying to become more aware of what i'm eating, also. I managed to not give into the peanut M&M's at work, we had a good dinner (tilapia with garlic and dill, a big baked potato with greek yogurt, and steamed zucchini and summer squash with rosemary and a little bit of butter). I had cherries with greek yogurt and a little bit of honey for dessert.

I feel like i slept pretty well, though i need to get in the habit of waking up with my alarm instead of snoozing. Breakfast this morning was a PBJ on whole wheat and some OJ, and i took my vitamins also. Today i need to find out if yoga class is still going on, i've missed 3 or 4 in a row. If so, i'll go in and ride the bike for a bit before class.

Now a week behind...

So, the 20 minute run went pretty well. And then, we started week 6. I was so determined to keep up with Joe - the competitive bug bit me really hard - and so I started running harder than I normally would. And then, my knee started hurting. Bad enough that I had to walk the rest of the time and take a week off. I'm not very good at the cross training thing, or the idea of "active recovery". So i pretty much didn't do anything all week.

I've been feeling so exhausted lately and I was fighting off something also (my glands were swollen and everything). Come Thursday and Friday my headaches were so bad, I thought I was getting migraines (which, I don't get). They were tension headaches, but I also think a lot of it was caffeine and sugar withdraw. I had been drinking a lot of coffee and soda the past couple of weeks because of my lack of sleep and the show. Its bad when a coke helps your headache. I figured I needed the week of rest though.

Yesterday, I got back on track. I ate really well, started week 6 over again (Joe is now a week ahead of me, oh well) and I told Joe I was thinking about seeing a nutritionist, to make sure that I'm eating enough and getting the right amount of protein etc etc, and I've also started taking my vitamins again. I felt really great!

And then I get into work and have a donut and a piece of birthday cake. :headdesk:

I'm trying to forgive myself, accept it, and move on with my day. Knowing I slipped up a bit means that I just need to watch it the rest of the day. Hopefully I can get out for a walk at lunch.

Tomorrow's run is two 10 minute runs with a 5 minute walk in between. Then, comes four straight sessions of 25 minute runs.

I get paid on Wednesday so I'm thinking it might be time to get a bike, also. And I need to start resistance training also. I think all this cardio without weight training isn't good for me.

Yes, I run during tech week

So, tech week, for you non-theater people, is the week before the show opens. For actors and techies alike it involves basically living at the theater. And when you add on that its community theater and most of us have jobs/school/etc... well, you can imagine.

Saturday, before I headed up to Baltimore for a bachelorette party, I did my last week 4 run. it felt great. Sunday, I was in the theater from noon-10ish. Monday, Memorial Day, I did Day 1 of week 5. Tuesday night, was in the theater from right after work until around11. Joe and I had planned on getting up on Wednesday morning to run but it didn't happen. So, we got up today. Day 2 of week 5 is two 8 minute runs with a 5 minute walk in between. It went pretty well! I'm excited about day 3, which is a straight 20 minute run!

Joe is still faster than me. But maybe the 20 minute run will be a good equalizer.

The race is on June 21, so we have to run every other day from here on out to hit week 9 for the race. after that, its just a matter of maintaining and allowing it to get easier. I think I'll feel good if i can get in 10-15 miles a week running from the 5k through the triathlon.

On and Off the track

So, this month has been a crazy one, especially the last couple weeks. I'm working on costuming a musical and that has taken most of my time and energy. Finding time to stay on track has been difficult.

This past week I managed to get in my Couch to 5k week 3 runs. These runs consisted of the following intervals: after a 5 minute warm up, run for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, run for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes, and that set was repeated twice. I felt it was too easy, so I repeated it 3x. I did this run twice (you're supposed to do 3x/week). Even though I didn't get in my 3rd day i am going to start week 4 this afternoon. I feel good about that decision: because I added the extra interval on both runs, technically I did all of the intervals I had to do this week. Also, even with the added interval I felt the runs were pretty easy.

I was going to start week 4 yesterday, but my body wasn't cooperating and I ended up napping instead. Then, i was going to wake up this morning to run, but again, body beat mind and I couldn't get myself up. I need to be more careful in taking care of myself when I am stressed out, especially when it comes to eating well.

Last night at dinner I had two cokes. I very seldom drink soda at all. It tasted great and was very refreshing, so I don't feel too bad about it. My diet for the day was pretty bad. For breakfast: a fruit salad (good) and a slice of cold pizza (not so good). Then I had a Starbucks grande triple soy latte (not bad). When I got home from the theater I was famished but didn't want to eat anything much since we were going out for dinner so I had a pudding cup (100 calories... not great) and 4 slices of hard salami (um... what?). For dinner, we went to Joe's Crab Shack, split the "double dip" appetizer (bad) and i had the broiled seafood platter - Tilapia (good) Shrimp (good) Crab something or other (bad - yummy but made with mayonaisse) and a side of broccoli (great) and rice (um... not good?) We got home and I had some raspberry sorbet (not bad) The problem is I haven't been planning snacks... I'll get busy, forget to eat, but then when I remember to eat, make bad decisions.

I feel good about today though. The extra sleep will help. After work I'm going to go to the gym: I don't have to be in the theater tonight. I have to get my run in, and I'd like to go to Pilates, at least to explain why I haven't been there, and I do like the cross training. I'll probably have to run on the treadmill after Pilates though which I don't like to do. Or, I may skip Pilates and just do a bike and run workout. But I am committing some gym time to myself tonight even though I have a lot to do with the costumes.

Looking ahead, tomorrow is the day we can sign up for classes through Fairfax County (which is where I've been doing Yoga and Pilates through. I'm dropping Pilates: I'm feeling a bit bored by it and I don't like the classes through the county as much as I did at the gym back before the wedding. I'll get back into it eventually, but I need a break. Its not worth it to me at this point. I'm keeping Yoga though. Also, we are going to add swimming. I'm going to sign up for the 2x/week class, and sign up for all three months. Joe is going to start with a 1x/week class for two months, and the third month join my 2x/week class. So my schedule starting on June 22 will be Swimming Monday and Wednesday, and Yoga Thursday, plus 3x/week running.

Biking: Joe and I need to buy bikes. I'm going to see if I can borrow one from my friend for a little while since I'm a bit strapped on cash right now: signing up for the next round of classes plus my car is up for inspection and registration renewal... it might be another month before I can get a bike. Plus, I'm able to use the stationary bike at the rec center the days I'm in there.

As much as I'm loving costuming this show, I'll be glad when it's over so I can focus on training for this Triathlon!

Running when sick?

So, i've got pink eye in both eyes, and i've had a sore throat for the past 4 or 5 days. i was worried it was strep or something else bad, so i went to the doctor today: pink eye confirmed and i received some antibiotic eye drops, but the throat and chest and congestion: just allergies. So i'm going to really start using the neti pot regularly, and i picked up some zyrtec. But other than that, and lots of liquids, i'm really not that sick. I don't feel 100% but all in all, i can head back to work tomorrow.

So, i decided that i needed to go for a run today. 2.3 miles for my couch to 5k week 2 run. When joe gets home we're going to do the second day of our 100 pushup challenge.

Food is the hardest thing for me. In general i eat pretty healthy: i gave up soda a long time ago and now only have one every once in a while. We eat whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, we avoid anything with HFCS. We try to get mostly organic produce and meats, and soon we'll be getting items from our farm share and going to the farmers markets more. My biggest problem is that i am lazy and even though i love to cook, never feel like i have time. And even though losing weight is not my priority now, i know i would actually lose weight if i could better control my eating. So, thats that.

So far...

I wanted a place to write specifically about the different athletics that I've been doing. I never really considered myself an athlete until recently, and that was only because a good friend of mine pointed out how impressed he was at all of the activities i do.

This is what i am currently doing:

Pilates reformer class once/week (Mondays at 7pm)
Vinyasa Yoga class once/week (Thursdays at 7pm)
Couch to 5K running program 3x/week
One Hundred pushups challenge 3x/week

Joe and i are training for a 5k which is on June 21 to prepare us for a sprint triathlon we're doing in Williamsburg on Sept 13. We still need to register though...

I am currently about 5 weeks into the current pilates and yoga classes, and i'm on week 2 of Couch to 5k. we started the one hundred pushup thing a few weeks ago, but fell off of it, so today was day 1.

So, today's report: I've got a nasty cold but knew i had to run today to stay on schedule. It was drizzling out, i felt crappy, but Joe and I still went out and did the Couch to 5k week 2 run. He's a faster runner than me so we don't really run together, but we try and do at least our warm up and cool down together, plus stretching. I actually felt better when i got back. I've learned to really love running.

Then, we did the first day of the push-up challenge, and it was pretty easy for me. I think i've gotten better with the chatarunga prep we've been doing in yoga.

Yoga class on thursday was very inspiring for me. I had a bad week at work and was stressed out and felt very off. I wasn't looking forward to class and had thought about skipping it. but, i made myself go and after warming up on the bike (only 3 miles) got to class. it was amazing. We did a new salutation series (Earth Salutation) which was incredibly grounding. by the time we got to our balance poses (we did one legged big toe hold) i was able to do them! i'm standing there, balanced on one leg with the other one in the air off to my side, and i'm thinking "if i can do this, my life must be pretty balanced after all!" it lead to a great weekend. My challenges in yoga: Chaturunga is the first one i'd like to be able to do. its basically the opposite of plank: in plank you hold yourself in the "up" pushup position, but in Chaturunga, you hold yourself in the down position, with your elbows tucked in against your sides.

Also, i try and get in some time on the bike at the gym to work up those muscles for when we actually start training for that part of the triathlon... we don't actually own bikes yet.

My schedule for this week:
Monday: Pilates (if i get there early, bike)
Tuesday: Morning run
Wednesday: off
Thursday: Morning run, Yoga in the evening (biking if i get there early
Friday: Off
Saturday: either off, or start week 3 of running
Sunday: either off, or start week 3 of running

eventually i'd like to try and get one or two more days of yoga in on my own but i find it hard to stick to something when i don't have a class or race to motivate me.

Update: I just registered myself for the triathlon!