Ride Your Bike

You can do anything you set your mind to.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sundays are my favorite day and not my favorite day...

Sundays are the day of my favorite ride. It always has been favorite day because it is more laid back...until about 8 pm or so then it becomes my least favorite day because I have to go to work and go back to normal life.

Today, I rode from home to our Sunday ride. It was a little windy. Our first 10 or so miles was slow as we had new riders with us. It is fun to have new riders because it reminds us of where we came from. We were all there once and it is nice to be able to pay it forward. After the new riders split from the group, we had the wind at our backs...of course, then the speed flew up...I fell off the back at 27 mph. Then we turned back into the wind. It was a beautiful day with great folks including my great friends, Ginger and Leo! After a few more miles, I decided to take a shorter way as I still had to ride home. My friend, Quincy, rode back with me and we had a pleasant ride back and I got home just in time for cleaning and resting and lunch. It was so nice...until I read my bank statement online...there was a strange charge for an bowling alley in Mississippi. Luckily, after calling the bowling alley and the bank, they cancelled my credit card. It really bummed me out! People who can figure out how to get credit cards and do online fraud are actually smart and it is a shame that is how they choose to live their lives...ripping other people off.

Tuesday, we are headed to Connecticut to spend New Year's Eve in NYC. So exciting! Can't wait to ring in the New Year and lots of new goals and dreams!!!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have an even better New Year! 2009 is going to be mighty fine!!!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

IT Band?

Yesterday, I was going to run 16 miles but my life is crazy so I broke it up over 24 hours (I know - not the best plan). So, I ran 6 miles yesterday morning, 3 miles last night, and 7 miles this morning. About 2 miles into my run this morning, my left knee (on the side) started screaming in pain. Pretty sure it is the IT band and I will need to stretch it well. YUCK.

Yesterday, I also rode with the club and it was quite pleasant. We rode almost 35 miles and everyone seemed in great spirits. I hoped to ride today but Mother Nature said no. I plan to lift later. Depending on the day, maybe I could get in a short mountain bike ride. So much still to do today - finish cleaning house, lift weights, clean out my Jeep, and go to another grocery store because our regular store did not have cheese - how can a grocery store not have cheese????? It is just crazy!

The holidays make me feel like I weigh 700 pounds...Why do we eat so much crap? Besides being yummy! I have got to do something because I feel gross!!!!

My parents are coming today for a few days before heading to my sister's house for Christmas. It should be fun! They are quite delightful!

Week's Plan
Monday-run, lift
Tuesday-run
Wednesday-run, lift (maybe ride)
Thursday-ride, I hope and maybe run
Friday-run and lift
Satuday-ride
Sunday-ride

Only a few more days and some friends and I are going to NYC for New Year's Eve!!!

Friday, December 19, 2008

The Holidays...

Did I mention I am not a big fan of the holidays? Especially when it is 70 degrees outside and HUMID!!!!

Ran this morning and it was hot. I did not want to run but I did and I felt better. Plan to lift weights tonight.

Disappointed in myself because no P90X for two weeks. I knew going on vacation would throw me off...I think I will lift weights again because I really miss the gym. I think I may start P90X again after I get home from Goofy's Challenge. However, I plan to incorporate some of the things from P90X into my weight workout. Hey, I won the pull up contest at work so it must be doing some good somewhere.

Rode 65 miles yesterday with Pat and Justin. Fun! We had a good ride despite the rain and fog. Pat and I bought our lottery tickets and won $20 bucks. We also won $40 on Sunday. We always split...maybe we will hit it big some day! I sure missed riding with Pat on Thursdays and hope we can get back into the regular routine. However, I made the mistake of leaving my wet bike shoes in my Jeep after the ride and forgetting about them...my Jeep was sure stinky when I got in it this morning!

Rest of the week plan...
Today-lift weights
Saturday-run and ride
Sunday-run if weather permits, weights!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Las Vegas Marathon…

Las Vegas Marathon…
We finished. There were some times I was sort of doubtful. At mile 5, we renewed our vows and that took 32 minutes off our time. The first five miles was fine and we were moving out. It was awesome as we were right up front as all the couples who were getting married or renewing their vows. As we ran down the strip, there were tons of fireworks and the first five miles whizzed by. After the ceremony, we ran fine for awhile until about mile 8-9 and then my belly and my nutrition were not happy at all. From miles 8 or 9 to about 15, Matt had to help me get through. My belly and head were not happy. Luckily, Matt was there to help. At about mile 17, I was desperate for gel and thank goodness I overpacked because the marathon did not have gel at their appointed spots. Mile 19 – Matt handed me his last gel, thank goodness. Matt’s knee started to really hurt and then I got to return the favor of his earlier support. We ran through the last few miles but there were sooooooooooooooo long. The last mile in particular was so long and it was never ending. My feet hurt so bad I thought they were going to fall off. Finally, Matt got me through the last few meters because I hurt so bad. My feet hurt. We finished and we were both very very thankful. We walked slowly back to our hotel and managed to get in the shower and hope to get some yummy food.

Pluses for Las Vegas Marathon
-Lots of bathrooms with plenty of toilet paper and hand sanitizer and very few lines.
-Lots of Elvi…
-Water stops right at mile markers, plenty of water and Gatorade
-Lots of food and goodies at the end of the race
-Mostly flat course that one could easily PR at.
-Good expo
-Perfect weather
-Can renew vows

Minuses
-No gel where promised
-Two long stretches that sort of were a mind thing
-Scwhag was sort of sad
-T-shirt was really disappointing, this is Las Vegas after all. I expected something a little flashier

Next year Las Vegas will be a Rock and Roll event and that might be even better.
The most important thing is that we did it together and helped each other along the way. Plus we got to renew our vows and that was fun with lots of Elvi as witnesses.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Big Fat Turkey Day!!!

Happy Big Fat Turkey Day!!!
Today, I am thankful for all of my friends, family, and the ability to do stuff some people cannot. I am thankful for each and every person that reads my blog, too! You have no idea how much it means to me.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Blog got a bit neglected...

Blog got a bit neglected...Busy days!

Just read this from SparkPoints:
"I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experiences behind him."- Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights advocate
Conquering your fears through action
Life brings with it many doubts and fears. But the unknown and the untried have held more people back than any lack of ability. Most successes are never seen because they're never attempted. The courage to face your fears can build momentum that creates magic. Each time you overcome an obstacle, a fear or a step back, you gain confidence. Every small victory helps you feel more certain of yourself and your direction, pushing you further and faster than you ever thought possible. You can do it! What's holding you back? True, fears are intimidating. So start small. Believe in yourself and take one small swipe at your fear today just to see what happens. If you can't talk yourself past the "point of no return", get a friend to help. In the end, half of the doing is in the deciding. If you stumble, don't be afraid to brush yourself off and jump back in.

Usually what holds me back is me. I get afraid and it is so easy to become complacent and stay where I am. Obviously, that gets us no where fast. Lately, I have made a couple of small swipes at staring fear in the face. The first one has to do with running. Let's face it...my motivation sucks. Thankfully I have been able to ask my spouse and Ginger to help me and getting back to running. Even though I keep falling, I keep getting up and getting back to it. Even though I need help, it doesn't mean I failed. Today, Doodle and I ran a hilly, rainy, muddy 10K. We were slipping and sliding and covered in mud. Honestly, I wanted to quit. Somehow I was able, with his help, to push past that and finish with a smile on my face. This brought in another fear because I am afraid to ask for help because I think it would be weak or put another person out. However, my friend, Alexa, told me once that people want to help you and it makes them feel good so it is helping everyone. It is still hard! Thanks to Doodle and Ginger! You both ROCK!

The other thing is applying to graduate school. Honestly, I really do not think I am that smart and am petrified that the school will not let me in. I am scared I will not get a high enough score on the GRE. However, I just keep pressing on and filling out the application and reading a book on the GRE. Am I still scared? Absolutely. But I cannot stay in the same position and expect miraculous changes. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results. Even if I fail, it is better than going crazy. SO, I challenge you today to face something you are afraid of...even if it is a little bug. You will get more confidence and be on your way to bigger and better things. We can all do it! If you need help, ask!

Plans for the weekend...
Saturday-ride if not raining, run if raining, P90X
Sunday-ride, P90X, run if raining Saturday

PS...my big fat cat, Atticus, is just fine. He had an echocardiogram and the results (Which just got back yesterday) said his heart was just fine. He has a fancy new haircut. Who knows why he has an irregular heartbeat? The vet doesn't! It doesn't matter as long as he is okay!!!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day

Today is Election Day! No matter who you voted for - thanks for doing your civic duty! My husband and I have very different views but we work it out!

This week so far...yesterday, taught one spin class
Today-2 P90X workouts (Shoulders and Arms and Plyometrics), taught 2 spin classes
Tomorrow-run, P90X( chest and back) teach one spin class
Thursday-run, teach 2 spin classes, hopefully bike, P90X (yoga)
Friday-run, 2 P90X workouts (legs and back, Kenpo X)
Saturday-ECU Game and run
Sunday-Special Olympics (hopefully run)

Sunday, I ran 12 miles with Ginger. It was so great!!! Ginger is very fun and positive! I was so thankful to have someone to run long with! The average was less than 11 minute miles. Need to run more but every step is a step in the right direction.

P90X is great. I feel like my arms are getting more tone but my legs - not so much. In 3 weeks, I have gone from 2 pull ups to 6 pull ups. A step in the right direction!!! I feel thinner although the scale only says 1 pound! My eating has been somewhat better! P90X is not for wimps though!! Only one more week of the first section and then move onto another section.

Raining today so no bike ride. Last week I rode my mountain bike twice and I loved it. It was not for a long time but it was fun and I worked hard. I need to get back to riding more. Dang time change - it really messes up my bicycle riding. That and work really mess up my schedule! Gotta work though to feed my cycling habit.

Will check in at the end of the week and see how my actual workouts match my plan. Maybe that will help if I know I have to check in with y'all!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Holy Flying Soccer Balls!

This weekend was fun. My Doodle came home from his vacation and we met in Va. Beach. It was a nice little getaway. We got to see our oldest nephew, Lucas, play in a soccer game. Well, wouldn't you know it...I was busy trying to text the Doodler on my sister's phone and WHAM...a wild flying soccer ball cold clocks me in the side of the head. First of all, I had no idea it was coming so it scared me to death and two...it hurt like heck! After the initial shock, I was just fine but demanded for someone to buy me a cocktail. What I got was a well needed ice pack that worked wonders. The poor goalie just felt terrible and came over and apologized. Bless his heart! Of course, my nephew said that he had never seen the goalie hit a ball quite that hard. Again...back to the Irish luck. It was nice to see my sister and her whole famdamily!

Saturday, I did P90X and drove...Sunday, Doodle and I ran for almost 6 miles. Today, rest day and back to it tomorrow.
Tuesday-P90x, run, teach 2 spin classes, bike
Wednesday-P90x, run, teach 2 spin classes
Thursday-P90x, run, teach 3 spin classes, bike
Friday-P90x, run, teach 1 spin class
Saturday-P90x, bike
Sunday--P90x, bike

Friday, October 24, 2008

Another day of P90X

Today was legs and back day for P90X. Who knew that your legs could hurt just using your own body weight? Well...they can. I did a few more pull ups than earlier this week. Oh, and the ab workout is NO JOKE! I really think P90X has HUGE potential! The workouts go by fast and you can make modifications if needed. It is only about an hour a day and I waste that watching trash TV.

Earlier today, I taught spinning, ran for 40 minutes and did yoga at the gym with Ginger. More sweating in yoga. My shoulders are sore and I had to take motrin to get through the day. I hope it is just from being sore from P90X and not another shoulder injury.

Tomorrow will be an adventure (more details later) and I hope to get an hour run in and do my P90X workout. I missed one P90X workout this week and I hope to get it in tomorrow too. I would like to take Sunday off.

Since starting this P90X thing this week, I have really tried to eat better. However, I did eat a snack size Kit Kat Halloween bar today. I love Halloween but I hate all the candy everywhere!!!! Well, I really love the candy and that is the problem!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Delightful Thursday

Today started off a little off. I had planned to get up at 6 am and run but I overslept and went on to school and ran at the track. I did Tuesday's workout today, which was 5x1 mile repeats...it went well. Here are the splits...
WU 1 mile 9:52-1.01 mile
#1-mile repeat-8:39-1.05 mile
1 lap recovery-3:07-.26 mile
#2-mile repeat-9:41-1.02 mile
1 lap recovery-2:56-.26 mile
#3-mile repeat-9:23-1.02 mile
1 lap recovery-2:42-.25 mile
#4-mile repeat-8:59-1.03 mile
1 lap recovery-3:11-.27 mile
#5-mile repeat-9:05-1.02 mile
3 laps cooldown-9:21-.83 mile
Total 8.02 in 1:17:02 Maybe that is slow for some of y'all but it is great for me!!!!

Then after teaching 2 great spin classes, I headed home and rode my mountain bike in the woods! It was great fun. Now, mountain biking for me is on some wide and single track trails which is not very technical. It was so fun. I have decided to try to ride the mountain bike at least 4 times a month. The past two years, I have ridden with my friend, Jimmy, at CNC and he flies uphill! You know how...he is a great mountain biker. Finally, I have decided to follow his lead and hope that mountain biking will help with bike handling and climbing in the future. Plus it is very fun to me. Since I was alone, I got to go at my pace with no pressure of going faster. Now, I am a novice mountain biker...I do not clip in, I have no computer on my bike, and I just ride because I love being in the woods and doing something a little different.

After dinner, I did an hour and a half of P90X yoga. It was tough but it felt pretty good after a busy day. How one person can sweat so much doing yoga is beyond me!!! I can feel that I am getting a little better at yoga!!!

Tomorrow-teach spinning, P90X, run, and yoga with Ginger...another yoga class where I sweat but I have a great new red yoga mat to keep my feet from sliding all over the place!

Update on my big fat cat...Atticus needs an echocardiogram for further testing. He will have that done next Thursday. He is acting just fine! He still takes up half my pillow!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

First Day of P90X

Today was my first workout with P90X. I think I did it out of order but I did arms and shoulders and it was no joke! It went quickly though and was actually fun. I will have before pics and measurements soon. Hope this works cause I want to be in so cute shape for IM Canada and bathing suit season next year. I know it is a long time away but I need to start now.

Today, I missed my run but taught 2 spin classes and had a great 19 mile ride. It was so great. I rode alone as our regular group is not riding because it is getting dark too early. Luckily, I get off early on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I can get a ride in before dark. I am so excited I felt good on the hills. I am hoping to really work hard to get better on the hills over the winter...I see some single speed in the future.

So, adding to my regular Irish luck (okay, Doodle is Irish so that makes me Irish by marriage), my fence was falling down and my ceiling fan was snap, crackling, and popping last week so I asked my friend, Handsome Hal, to come help me. Sunday, Hal pops over and helps me fix these two things. As we are just finishing putting up the post by pouring 80 pounds of concrete in the hole, my neighbor comes out and asks if I realize it is their fence. No, I did not because the ugly part was facing us, which is indicative of it being our fence. Hal says to the man that the pole is not moving! Of course, he says they were thinking of putting up a new fence...wouldn't ya know it? That pole is not moving!!!! Oh well...also when pulling up a rock there are some pesky little termites in my vegetable garden. Always something...

Tomorrow, I have a run, will ride with some wounded soldiers (if I get done with my eye appointment on time), teach spinning, and do another P90X workout. I feel buffer already...

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Sunday

Today, I rode 45 miles on the regular Sunday ride. The pace was moderate but it was a good ride. Yesterday, I was off but cleaned my house like crazy.

This week's plan...
Monday-55 minute run, weights, teach 1 spin class
Tuesday-5x1 mile repeats, teach 2 spin classes, ride
Wednesday-40 minute run, weights, teach spin class
Thursday-teach 2 spin classes, ride
Friday-1 hour run, weights, teach 1 spin class
Saturday-ride
Sunday-not sure

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Atticus


My constant companion for 13 years has been one big fat black cat, Atticus Finch. He is quite the mellow fat cat who just wants to be petted and fed. He is in fact a very big cat but quite the gentleman. Today, (of course when my Doodlebug is not home) I took him to the vet for something else and the vet found an irregular heartbeat and was quite worried. She kept him overnight and it makes me very worried.

Today, I ran 12 miles although in an unusual way...
6 am 2 miles outside
7 am 4.6 miles on treadmill
9 am 3.7 on track and around school
12 pm 1.9 miles on track
Can't quite find the focus I used to have and that is frustrating. Maybe I could find a running partner for the long run...maybe sweet Ginger? Maybe when Doodle comes home we can run together and it would motivate me more!

Also taught spinning twice and planned to ride for an hour but at the vet too long. There will be another day. Tomorrow's plan - teach spin class, run 1 hour, yoga and lift weights.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Crappy workouts

Just came in from a majorly shortened bike ride because it sucked. My heart rate zoomed up, I was out of breath, sweating like a hog and I was just miserable so I cut it short. This ride was not any faster than I have been riding. I just felt like crap. Yesterday, my run sucked too. Again, not any faster than normal. I do not know if I am getting a cold or something, or my iron is down or I am just tired. Whatever it is...it really annoys me. What to do...I am supposed to run 10 miles today...I hope I can do it in 2 different sessions and feel better than I have today and yesterday. This is really frustrating...add to that I feel like I just keep repeating the same day over and over and over again. Got to get back into the swing of things. I hope starting the P90x this week will help.

Friday, October 10, 2008

This week so far!!!!

Monday-tried to run but could not stand the treadmill, taught spinning, lifted weights, yoga
Tuesday-taught 2 spin classes
Wednesday-taught 2 spin classes, ran 4.5 miles, yoga, weights
Thursday-ran 3.89 miles, rode 60 miles
Friday-yoga
Saturday-1 hour run and ride, weights
Sunday-long run and maybe short afternoon ride (or not)

At the beginning of the week, I did not want to be back from CNC. It was so fun and I had little to worry about! Finally, I think I have started to get back to normal. I am thinking of starting the program P90X to try to lose some weight and get some muscle back. The few weeks off weights and not working out has not done well for me. Plus I get bored over time! I am going to read the stuff this weekend and take my before pictures. Watch out world, here I come!!!! Really watch out size 6 jeans...here I come!

Yesterday, I was off from school and Pat and I had a nice long ride on a new route. Unfortunately, I do not think I ate enough and BONKED...YUCK! Either that or I am just plain tired. Today, I decided to hang out and do yoga with Ginger, go to work, then go to Special Olympics practice! I might change my mind before then. I know I need a a day off though!

Good news though...I got to put up my Halloween Decorations! I love Halloween!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

CNC short post


Finished Cycle North Carolina yesterday...after 496 miles across North Carolina, I have lots to be thankful for and think about. I met some wonderful friends and got to see another friend! Now back to reality and lots to do before I write in detail about CNC! Here is a picture of the best group at CNC!!!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Grumpy...and Special Olympics


Saturday, we went to the Special Olympics qualifer. We (Leo, Bob, Tom, Nicole, Andrew and myself) coach 10 athletes in cycling and the athletes must go to a qualifer in order to participate in the State Special Olympics held in November. Our first group of athletes rode 500 meters and they did great. Our next set of athletes had to ride 5 kilometers. The event was held on the inner track of a race track and had two really sharp turns. Alex, Anson and Michael all crashed in this turn. They each hit hard and it looked just terrible. Anson and Michael got right back on their bikes. Alex, who rode last year, took a little coaxing on but they each got back on and finished. It was so scary. However, we were all so proud that each of them finished the qualifer. This is a very rewarding experience because the athletes do not really care who wins or loses. They just ride for the fun of it.


Sometimes I think most of us lose why we started riding and ride to see who is the fastest, strongest, or best climber. Not only do we ride to see who is the best but then we criticize those who are not as fast as others. I have lost that for sure because I am so worried about being slow and weak that I sometimes do not enjoy the ride at all. Luckily, next week I will be riding across North Carolina and can take as much time as I need because I will be on my schedule. No stress of trying to keep up or feeling weak because I cannot keep up and getting mad at myself because of it. No, next week is just about riding.

Today, I woke up in a bad mood. Have you ever done that? I do not want to run, lift weights, ride my bike or teach spinning. This, my friends, is called Burn Out. Of course to add to this I feel like I weigh 1,000,000 pounds (no comments please). This has led me to the conclusion that I am suffering from a temporary form on insanity, otherwise known as PMS. I should be okay in a few days. I feel sorry for the people who run across my path today and are not very nice. I should wear a warning label today...do not irritate, could potentially explode.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Haven't always been a smarty pants...

Just finished reading some random blog and it was just hysterical. It talked about fat clothes, directions on microwaving pop tarts and other random things. It occurred to me that 15 years ago (I know I do not even look that old-it is just amazing!), I would not have thought this was at all funny. Then I met and married my Doodle Bug almost 12 years ago (again, how did I even get a marriage license because I looked like just a teen fresh out of junior high?)...bless his heart, he is the king of smarta--. He is just hysterical and keeps me on my toes. As a result, I have developed this knack as sort of a defense mechanism. Thankfully, my peeps understand this about me and still love me anyway. I used to be a naive and nice person who tried never to say anything to offend people but now it is all over.

On a different note, I have taken to having a cocktail almost every night. It is one of the highlights of my day to be sitting on my couch at the end of a busy day, staring at my messy house and having no desire to clean and hope Doodle calls me on the way home so I can furiously clean it (hey, I can always use a different kind of workout for cross training) and having a nice glass of wine or a Mike's Hard Lemonade (they have various flavors and I highly recommend them all). Now, the past two times I have gone to buy beverages, they have not carded me. What happened? Do I finally look like a grown up? I was really trying to avoid this. This might mean that people think I actually am responsible. I have been trying really hard to keep this a secret because then they expect me to do responsible stuff. What fun is that? Dang it!!!! I was trying for a much different look. What to do?

Speaking of being responsible...at my annual lube and oil change, my doc told me that I thought I should think about having a child before too long. SERIOUSLY! Has he met me? What on earth was he thinking? Does the military have a cap on BC now...after so many years they boot you off? (Gosh, I sure hope not because there are some folks who really need it or they would have a small army.) This would mean I really have to be responsible. Hello, I am not even a good pet parent. I leave my cat for a week and have even forgot to feed him. I do not think a child would stand for this. People say this changes when you have a child. This may be true but I seriously have my doubts. At work, they do not even let me have sharp objects...now, you want to give me a precious, fragile human being...seriously.

Have you ever read the warnings on different appliances? They say things like do not place the hair dryer in the water when you are in the bathtub. You know someone did this and that is why they had to put the warning on the label. On a Starbucks cup, it says WARNING, beverage is hot. Well, it better be because that is what I paid for...what good is cold hot chocolate? Hello, hot is in the name. It darn well better be hot because Starbucks is not cheap. You know that some old lady poured hot coffee all over herself at McDonald's and sued the heck out of them and now they have to pay extra to print this on all their hot cups...what is next? Warning, this cup of coffee has caffeine, it might wake you the heck up. Is that not why people drink it?

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Thursday's post...blog was doing funky stuff.


The Moon Saddle...their catch phrase is redefining the bicycle saddle...you have no idea. This is quite the understatement of the year...

Okay, I have a thing for saddles. I cannot find one I just love. It either has too much pressure on the bone or the tissue between my thigh and nether regions. Either way, I have been through more saddles than a small bicycle shop. I could have my own saddle library. Okay, Hal could house my own saddle library underneath his bench. When Marvelous Marvin suggested the Moon Saddle, which has no nose, I ordered it! So, today was the initial ride.

Since Ironman, I have not ridden my tri bike except to try the Moon Saddle in the parking lot. I hopped on today and headed out. Before I even got out of my neighborhood, I was off the bike twice to make adjustments. I felt okay and had nooooooo pressure on my happy parts. However, I feel like too close to my saddle and lots of pressure on the handlebars. It is quite uncomfortable. Things that are normally easy - say like drinking were hard. I was very wobbly on a bike I am pretty comfortable on. Honestly, I was ready to bail because I was just miserable but I could hear Hal saying I dissed him. I tried to call Leo but no answer. DANG IT! So, I get off and adjust a few more times and even turn the saddle completely around. BAD IDEA. This was way worse because you cannot get a full pedal stroke this way. So, it took me almost twice as long to meet up with my peeps. Hal was not at all surprised when I told him I hated this saddle. I wanted to ride a little longer but bailed after working almost 2-3 times harder than normal. To add to my pain, the wind was blowing like crazy. Again, I was one of the last people. Oh well, I got this really cool saddle...NOT! Oh well, live and learn. What to do about the saddle? Why can't someone come up with a saddle that is comfy for women? If I could figure that out, I would be rich!!!! But life is so much better working part time at a bike shop and teaching for peanuts! It is much more interesting, however.

Well, I finally got home and decided to shower and then go and get some Mike's Hard Lemonade. I decide to take Doodle's car and of course, it had a low tire so I had to pop over and air it up. But they had a sale on Mike's Hard so the evening is looking up!!!

Good news for me today...for weeks I have been trying to get Wii Fit. I popped into my favorite store, Target, today for something completely different and lo and behold WII FIT! So exciting! I have not been able to try it yet but I am giddy with anticipation.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Good Run

Lately, I have not been running so fast and I get very frustrated! Yesterday, I got up and ran before spin class. I started out rather quick but I even got to pick up my pace! I ended up with a good average and was quite happy about that! Hopefully, I can keep it up for several reasons including but not limited to: maybe PR at Las Vegas, lose weight, and run faster at IM Canada.

Today, a run, teach 2 spin classes and bike ride! Tomorrow, run and teach 1 spin class. Saturday, we will be going to a Special Olympic Qualifier for our cyclists. Sunday, a century in Greenville. Hopefully, I can get back to sleep before beginning the rest of my day.

Yesterday, I got an exciting package from the ever lovely Elizabeth. A New WETSUIT! It is so fancy. I have not been able to try it on but it looks soooooooooo nice!

Gotta figure out someway to lose about 10 pounds and keep it off. I know the answer is to eat right and exercise. Temptation is horrible though and I have a hard time resisting it. Wish I could figure some way to do that. I wish it was not so hard to resist yummy things. Speaking of which, I am from the South and I have never had a Moon Pie. Yesterday, Mary brought in several snacks to the shop yesterday and some of them were Moon Pies. I tried a vanilla one and it was different. Not sure it will be #1 on my list but it wasn't bad!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Yoga

Friday and yesterday, Ginger and I went to yoga at our gym. Friday's class was a little challenging. Monday was a whole different experience. We get to class and it is packed so we settle in at the back of the class and start to relax. Well, there are two gentlemen in front of us and as we are in the corpse pose, we hear almost like a growling noise - kind of like a grizzly bear. At this point, I just think this person is really getting into the breathing. As class continues, it gets louder and louder. Imagine a bear with a soft growl every time you inhale and exhale. If there was a difficult pose, it got louder. So, next to Grizzly Adams is an older gentlemen who is having a hard time but trying his heart out. The instructor says something about saying good morning to your hips and he is saying good afternoon. This banter about the poses goes on for most of the rest of the class. So between Grizzly Adams and the other gentleman, Ginger and I start giggling and I think for sure we are going to get thrown out of yoga class. Finally, we finish class...we are happy and well stretched! Not a bad way to start off a Monday.

Yesterday, I rode to the gym, ran, did yoga, worked, taught spin class and rode home. I am up early today in anticipation of going to Body Pump but the bed might be calling. I plan to run, lift, cycle and teach 2 spin classes. Cycling might not happen because someone is supposed to come and look at something in my house late this afternoon. I hope they will be on time so I can ride.

Last night at my spin class, Alex (one of our Special Olympics athletes) came to class. It was great! Alex is one of the most polite kids I know. He always says Yes, Ms. Jen or Yes, Ma'am. How many kids do that? He also is becoming a great cyclist. At practice last week, he had improved 100% from last year. He is smiling almost all the time and is really a joy!

Sunday, I went to officiate a crit in Wake Forest. My friends, John and Justin, went with me. If I had a younger brother, it would probably be Lil Justin. He is a good kid and is a great cyclist. Justin raced twice - once in Juniors and once in Cat 4. Justin was third in Juniors - the first place guy was second in the pro race! Justin did great to hang on to the pack in the Cat 4 race until the last lap where they blew it apart. He came in 13th in a big field. John and I got to hang out under some huge shade trees and not worry about cleaning our respective houses. It was great and it is always fun to see Judy and the other officials. It was a long day...leaving at 5 am and getting home at 8:30 pm. We had fun though and lots of laughs! If Justin had only known had to drive a stick then we could have had margaritas! Dang it! Can you believe people today do not know how to drive a stick?

The plan this week...
Tomorrow-run and teach 2 spin classes.
Thursday- weights, and ride, teach 2 spin classes
Friday-run, teach 1 spin class and Special Olympics Cycling Classes.
Saturday-run, Special Olympics Qualifier, weights
Sunday-ride in Greenville
When is there time for a nap???? Got to schedule these types of things.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Saturday

Rode with the club today...I fizzled out in the middle but made it the rest of the way. Don't know if I was tired still from Ironman, teaching 7 spin classes this week, lifting weights yesterday, yoga, or I just had a bad day. Stuff happens, I guess. Got 51 miles in.

Tomorrow I will have a day off, sort of. I will be officiating a crit. Luckily, my friend, John, is going with me as I wish I could stay home napping, cleaning and working in the yard. John is way fun!

Next week, 4 days of running, ride a few days (including to work because gas is crazy!), teaching 8 spin classes, three weight workouts, and hopefully yoga one day or two. Staying out of the pool for a little longer. Somehow I should be thinner. Food was pretty good today! Hopefully, I will continue to do so and lose about 10 to 15 pounds before too long. Mostly to fit in my cute capris before Doodle comes home. The other day there was nothing on so I had an infomercial about PX90 on and am tempted to try it. I feel sick of my weight workout and want to try something new. Everything I have read thus far was good. I wonder...

Thursday, September 11, 2008

First Bike Ride After Ironman and random thoughts...

So, today, I taught 2 spin classes and went on my first bike ride on the road since Ironman. It wasn't too bad. I felt pretty good! YEAH! Of course, my favorite peeps were there and I was so glad to see them! Tomorrow, teach one spin class, lift, run and yoga with Ginger at 10 am. YEAH!!!

Today, someone told me some exciting news and it really got me to thinking...You see, a little over two years ago I went crazy...okay, not really but it felt like it. But I think it was God's way of getting me to see things differently. I actually thought I was quite happy but really my priorities were really screwed up. For about two years, my life pretty much sucked. I had a terrible attitude and I was just miserable. Oh and I made everyone else miserable too. Sure, I had reasons for this and I could list them but why? Quickly, starting on November 15, 2005, a series of events sent my life into a downward spiral. Honestly, I was not sure I could ever get back to normal (whatever normal is). Slowly, I started to get out of this hole I dug. It took a long time but I realize that I had my priorities all screwed up. One main thing was I put a lot of things in front of my husband...finally, I realized that, while on occasion he makes me NUTS,
he is the person who should be first in my life and not all those other people. He will be here in five years and will the people I put in front of him? Who knows? This downward spiral made me realize that I was not really happy. I also put people in front of my parents and did not appreciate them like I should have. Hey, they are the ultimate professional Ironfans - how could I do that? Now, I do get mad at myself for this but there is nothing I can do about it but apologize and try to do better. Honestly, I have spent a lot of my life angry and comparing myself to others and thinking I was not good enough. The other day on the way to the therapist (I am not crazy, I am just a little unwell), I thought why am I not happy with my life? I have a great life. My Doodle Bug is the person who was meant for me (because no one else would put up with my crap and still love me no matter what). My parents are the best and they support me no matter what (although sometimes I am sure they think I am crazy...). The rest of my family is great too even though I am a mess. I realized that sometimes the people you never think will be there are there no matter what. I have an extended family(who are not actually related to me) who I love and they always take care of me. They never leave me even if I ride at 12 mph and they do not complain. I realized that money is not the best thing because if you are miserable at a job, it costs you waaaaaaaaaaay more then the extra money. Also, I have gotten to go places I never thought I would and do things I never thought I would. Plus, I have the best big fat cat in the world who loves me. Honestly, I realized that God has a path for you and even though you are going through hell, it will be worth it in the end. All the crappy things you go through are done for a reason and it might be to teach you something.

Now, that doesn't mean I do not get disappointed or my expectations are lower. I have a good friend who has recently disappointed me and although I have tried to think of all the excuses I could to make it better, I am still heart broken. Doodle tells me all the time my expectations are too high (the therapist, too). Honestly, I think lowering my expectations is not fair because I think almost all people are good and expecting the best from them will make them want to do their best (including me). However, it does make for some heart breaks but I will take that because I always want to believe people are good. Call me naive or crazy...

So, today think about your priorites and make sure you have them straight. If you are going through hell, remember God has a plan and it will be worth it. Also, remember that life is about the journey and the destination. So enjoy the ride while getting to the destination!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Back to training...Las Vegas here we come!

Today was my first day back to training...a 20 minute run. I sure hope it gets better. It was not great but I know it will get better. I intended to try Body Pump at 5:45 am tomorrow but that is so early so I will go back to lifting tomorrow, running, and cycling. I have to teach 2 spin classes tomorrow. I hope it all goes better than today.

Only a few more months to Las Vegas...Viva Las Vegas...


Yesterday, I went to see my friend, Ginger, at a race. It was very fun. She rocked! She placed 3rd woman overall and she rocked! I got to ride with her while she ran some which was so fun! She rocked and was very inspiring! I hope I can swim, bike, and run as fast as she can one day!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Rest is good...

Today is really my fourth day of rest after Ironman. I did teach 2 spin classes but just spun at very low level. My legs do not hurt when I go up stairs. Thank goodness for the chiropractor and massage therapist. Thankfully, I did lots of yard work today and realized how much I do love yard work. It is very peaceful although I think too much sometimes.

We are supposed to get hit by hurricane Hanna tomorrow. Not sure how that will work out for the ECU game. AARRGGHH!

Monday, I will start running again to get ready for the Las Vegas marathon in December and back to lifting weights. I hope to ride a lot more. I hope to really PR at IM Canada. I think I will do great there but I have to set my mind to it and really work hard! Until January though, I will just ride and run and maybe swim a little. I hope to gain a lot of strength and tone up during the winter by lifting three times a week besides two times a week. I really would like to do some more yoga too. Somehow, I want to lose 10 pounds too.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Bless his heart...

If you are from the South, you know that you can say almost anything to anyone as long as you say bless your heart. Well, I actually say this a lot and I do not mean it that way. However... today, on my way home I just about got run off the road by an old man from Florida...bless his heart...he probably can't see that well with his bioficals and was trying to get back to the sunny weather of Florida!!!

Reflecting on Ironman...
Swim-Did not like the individual start at all. I felt horrible the whole swim and was just miserable because I wasn't having any fun. I was afraid this would dictate the whole day. On the way out, you swim against the current and since the whole course was not set up during Gatorade swim, it was the first time we actually swam that part of the course. It seemed like forever until I got to the Ford turn buoy. Supposedly, when you made the turn the current was going to carry you in and make your swim time faster...right...the current pushed me alright...right into the shore and I feel like I actually swam about 3 miles. I was so frustrated and all my positive self talk was not helping!!!! I was so thankful to get out of the water. I was disappointed at my time but I got out...I was happy with my transition time though.

Bike-So, I hop on my bike and cannot get clipped in because there is so much mud and crap in my cleats. During the first mile, I try to switch into my big chain ring to take advantage of the flats and I dropped my chain. I could not pedal it back on so I had to get off my bike and put it back on. Then I couldn't get clipped in again. Finally on the road, I got in the groove after about 30 miles. Of course, after that was after the two biggest hills. (Thank goodness for Elizabeth telling me about these). After the out and back and the biggest hills, the wind was in my face and it sucked. Luckily, we went through LaGrange where there was tons of people including my parents so that helped. The second loop was much better. I flew in on the flats and wished I went to Florida where it was flat. I might have pushed a little too hard on the way in.

Slower transition from the bike...The run started out slow. Then I felt better and ran a little faster. I just tried to keep going from aid station to aid station. Thank God for volunteers and lots of water, gatorade and pretzels. I got through it although slow but I ran much better than Arizona. I did not want to stop at the last aid station but my legs were a little shaky and I knew I needed food. After a gel, water and a short walk, I ran it in slowly and finished 14:47:37. It wasn't a PR but it was a good day. Of course, I always think I could have done better during the day but I did the best I could at the time and that is all I can do.

Today, my quads are sore (which is not fun when trying to get to the restroom on a 10 hour road trip) but I have a massage tomorrow and am going to the chiropractor. A few more days off then back to training for the marathon with Doodle in Las Vegas. I hope I can lose some weight and get ready for a PR in Las Vegas. Then get fired up to go to Canada and hope for a PR there.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Remember when I said no Ironman races in'09?


So, remember when I said I wasn’t doing an Ironman next year? Well, I signed up for Ironman Canada today. On Friday, I heard Ginger tell a customer that I had done all of the North American Ironman races except for Canada and Hawaii. The day before I received an email from NAS saying there were a limited number of entries opening at 9 am today. Well, after I sat in the hotel lobby refreshing the page, I got in. After I sent it in, I started to freak out that I did it. WOW! I have never been to Canada and I might as well go. Since it was quite quick, I did not get to ask Doodle so I hope he doesn’t freak out. He has been to Canada several times and encouraged me to go with Elizabeth to sign up a few years ago.

Back to the present…Yesterday, I made the drive to Louisville, Kentucky. It was raining from North Carolina almost to Kentucky. Through the mountains in West Virginia the fog was so thick I could barely see. Fortunately, it stopped and I stopped and put the top down on the Jeep. Along the way, I had a great experience. I did not have enough cash for a toll and the toll booth operator paid the rest for me. When I arrived in Louisville, everyone was super friendly. I walked around Louisville and it is quite nice. My parents arrived later and we had a lovely dinner complete with half a bottle of wine that my mom and I shared.

After a wonderful night’s sleep (I guess so with 3 glasses of wine), I woke up and ran and my legs felt pretty good. After a yummy breakfast, I swam in the Ohio River and it really wasn’t that bad. I then went and rode for an hour and felt quite confident about my bike. Of course, then I spent half an hour in the lobby signing up for Ironman Canada. Then my parents and I went to this cute diner named for a dog, Boomer. After lunch, we went to the Louisville Slugger museum. It was sooooooooooo neat! Outside is the world’s biggest baseball bat and inside was all sorts of neat stuff about the players who use the Louisville Slugger. Also, we had a tour of the factory where they made the baseball bats. There was also an exhibit of baseballs that presidents had signed. Then we went to the Frazier Museum, which is a museum about different periods of conflicts. It was interesting. After our tourist activities, I popped over to the World Fest. Then my beautiful and talented friend, Elizabeth, called and I got to visit with her and her mom! Elizabeth is one of my favorite people. She is absolutely beautiful, smart, funny, nice and FAST! She could easily qualify for Kona and I hope she will. Elizabeth used to live close to us but then her husband got stationed in Washington. Elizabeth and I went to the Ironman Welcome Dinner and headed over to CVS to get Gatorade. There it is…two days before Ironman. Tomorrow, we will swim for a little while. I will do a short brick and then head to Churchill Downs for a tour with my parents. It will be an early night and hope to sleep quite well. I still wonder if I set my goals too high and did not train hard enough. For Ironman Canada, I am considering hiring a coach and really get serious. I really need to train harder and lose some weight. I need to have a conservative but quality training plan. I know I can do better! I just know it. My coach now is delightful and really cute but she could probably benefit from a different point of view.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

4 days to go-#805

Got up this morning for an early run. It was sooooooooooooooo slow. Yesterday, I had to ride all over to get my Jeep so I got a bike ride in. Tomorrow, I am on my way...So much to do today-pack, 2 appointments, work, teach spinning, put stuff in Jeep. Now all the questions come up...did I train enough, did I train too much, should I have ran, bike or swam more...there is nothing that I can do now to change it. It is what it is...I hope it is good. The biggest question is...will my new crank and bottom bracket come today and will my bike be ready to go? I have another road bike that I can ride but I do not run that well off that bike. Thank goodness it happened here.

Checked my number last night and it is #805. Check www.ironmanlive.com on Sunday and you can put my number in and see where I am. Pray for a good day and add a little prayer for the best race ever.

Tomorrow-travel day
Friday-swim, bike, run
Saturday-small brick, short swim
SUNDAY...IRONMAN!!!!!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Another day, another drama

So, I get up this morning and despite reports of rain, it is not raining. I am feeling lucky because I have to ride my bike home after I drop the Jeep off at the Jeep dealership (to fix the repairs where the lady rearended me last week). So, I load up the bike and start on my way. About now it starts to pour. Oh well, the ride is about 8-9 miles and I can ride and get home, get a run in before I have to go to school. I drop off the Jeep and unload my bike and start to ride. I step down on the left pedal to clip in and I hear a strange noise. Then I realize that the left pedal is not coming up when I pull up. The crank is broken. Well, of course, I did not bring my cell phone because I did not want it to get wet (because I have already had to replace it from water damage not 3 weeks ago). So, I decide that I will ride over to the bike shop where I work part-time and fix the pedal myself. So, I ride about 2-3 miles to the bike shop, pedaling with one leg. So, imagine for a minute...I am riding in the pouring rain and can only pedal with one leg. I get to the shop and I cannot fix it. Wait, did I mention this is the bike I am doing Ironman in on Sunday? So, I call Sandy and ask her if I can borrow a bike to get home to get to school. I, of course, burst into tears when trying to explain this. She tells me to take any bike I need to and head home. So, I grab the easiest bike I can get to which is a 53 cm cyclocross bike, which is too big for me and of course, has the wrong pedals on it. I start home and while I can pedal with both legs, I cannot clip in and have to pedal on my toes because of my cleats. In the meantime, I lose both flat sides of the clipless pedals on the cyclocross bike. I get home and it stops raining. AAAAAHHHH! About now, you are probably asking yourself "Why did she not ask for help?" Hello, that would mean I would have to depend on someone else and do not want to trouble anyone. Being a Capricorn (whose sign is the goat), I am extremely stubborn and am convinced I can do everything on my own...even though I am continually reminded, I cannot! Oh well, more material for my best seller. At least the crank arm broke now and instead of at Ironman on Sunday. Now, I am convinced I will do great on Sunday because all the bad stuff has already happened.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

One day I am going to have a best seller....

Any time my husband is far enough away that he cannot return quickly, some thing (okay, many things) go hay wire in my life....here is the latest example...

So, today I decide I am going to cut the grass so Leona and I can go to the beach tomorrow. I get the lawnmower and off I go. Mow the front yard and the lawnmower works just fine. Get to the back yard and with my ADD self, I cannot cut the grass in straight lines. I have to go in some funky jacked up way...not even a pattern. But I think I will cut the grass and start cleaning the house so when I get home from the beach tomorrow I can just hang out in my clean house with the manicured lawn. So, about half way through the lawnmower starts smoking and I think that something is wrong with the oil. Well, it stops and there is some oil on the mower but it starts up again. First thing I notice is all the bugs are gone! WOW, I think the smoke cleared away the bugs and I could leave the windows open without fear of getting eaten alive. So, I continue in my jacked up lawnmowing way and finally the lawnmower dies. After several attempts, I figure it is better for me to leave it and maybe somehow someway it will fix itself. Of course, I leave it in the middle of the backyard. I then decide to get the weedwacker and trim the rest of the grass because in my brain there is not that much left. So, I start weedwacking away. Now, the weedwacker is cordless and dies after about 10 minutes. Not to mention that thing gets a little heavy my forearms feel like I have been beat up by the closest UFC fighter. So, here I sit...lawn looks some psycho elf half assed mowed it, dead lawnmower sitting in the middle of the back yard, dead weedwacker on the charger. All hopes of becoming the more efficient wife and better housekeeper dead...better get the wine because I am really good at that. And once I have had enough wine I won't care about the yard and I might convince myself that it looks just fine and I might have discovered a new landscaping trick. Heck, I won't even care the house looks like a hurricane hit it. Bless my heart and bring on the wine!

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night tovisit violence on those who would do us harm."-George Orwell

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."-George Orwell

Today, I read this on a forwarded email. Like a lot of people I have been watching the Olympics religiously nightly (sometimes very late into the night) and while I am totally amazed at their athletic feats and blown away by their natural abilities, I have only heard one American athlete (funny it was an athlete that I don't really respect - Kobe Bryant) say anything about our troops overseas who have given them the ability to compete at these Olympic games. This is a subject I am extremely passionate about because one of those troops is my husband. He spends a lot of time away from home because of this. I even forget that he gives me the freedom to do all of these athletic feats (on a much smaller scale than the Olympics) and his willingness to visit violence on those who do us harm also allows me the freedom to do all of these things I take for granted. Most of us do not think of the war going on a daily basis far far away and we go on about our every day lives taking all of this for granted. We forget that there are actually people fighting for our freedom. Every night we go to bed and most of us do not give the troops another thought...these are the very people that allow us to go on about with our lives. We do not think of the sacrifices these troops make...and some will make and have made the ultimate sacrifice. It doesn't matter your political persuasion or your views on the war, we are able to sleep safely in our comfy beds every night because of these troops. What's the point? Just to make us all stop and think and maybe even say a quick prayer for our troops (past, present and future) and respect their undying devotion to our country. Some of them have given much more than any Olympic athlete competing today. Off the soapbox...

Thursday, August 21, 2008

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt

This is at the signature at the end of my email and I have written about it before. Maybe I actually followed it yesterday...Only three other people knew I was even considering swimming the 800 meters at the post swim meet. I had never swam at a swim meet before and I was scared I would embarrass myself and end up last. So, yesterday, after teaching spin class, I sped like a mad woman to post and got there just in time. There were lots of people I knew there which made it worse because if I was going embarrass myself at least I did not want everyone in God's green earth to see it. So, when I got to my lane, my timer asked me what I thought I would swim and I said about 17 minutes. Well, sure enough...I had a decent swim but I was dead last. Yes...exactly what I was afraid of. Good news, I did finish 15:41. At first, I was mortified in the water because I could see people passing me and actually lapping me. I thought of all the excuses (I swam 1800 yards this morning, I am a long distance athlete and do not warm up until after 1000 yards, I just came from spin class, yada yadaada) that I could make but finally on the way home I realized...I did it and I did not die from embarrassment and no one really cared but me. The best thing is I did something that really scared me. Is it scary to most people? Probably not but it was to me!

Today, I ran 55 minutes this morning and rode this afternoon. The week (as usual) has not worked out quite as I planned but it is not a bad week! Tomorrow, a swim and run.

Note for the day...do something that scares you...even if you do not completely succeed - at least you tried and that is winning!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

2 more weeks...

2 more weeks to IM Louisville! This week's workouts...
Monday-swim, run, teach one spin class
Tuesday-run, bike, yoga, and weights
Wednesday-swim
Thursday-run, bike, and weights
Friday-swim
Saturday-short brick
Sunday-BEACH - JEEP RIDE!!!!!!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Self Destructive Behaviors and Nutrition

Oh...why is it before Ironman your legs feel like they weigh 900 million pounds? Today, I rode the Carthage ride with Hal, Leo, Quincy, Mike, Zodie, and Bob. While it was fun and my friend, Leo, swears the hills were not that big...it hurt. We did come in a little over 3 minutes faster than 2 weeks ago. Stuff hurt...hips, priformis muscle (thanks Ginger for telling me what the heck that was), legs...OUCH. I probably worked way harder than necessary but all in all it was a fairly good ride. The ride was for the Special Forces Association who raise money to help families of Special Forces that were wounded or killed in action. It was a great cause, the weather was perfect and I was in good company.

Today, I was reading my friend, Amelia's, blog (http://www.sbrtricoach.com/). Amelia is a local triathlon coach who I met at our first coaching clinic a few years ago. While I do not talk to her that much anymore, she helped me through some very difficult times in my life. She talks in her blog about several things but the two topics that hit home with me were self-destructive behavior and nutrition. She says, "So when do triathletes engage in self-destructive behavior? The most common scenario leads to overtraining. As the art and science of triathlon have evolved, we’ve learned that we should ‘periodize’ our training." This is true. Somehow we think more is better and even with a degree in PE and lots of training in the subject, I do this too. The bad thing is that now I am ready to give up triathlon because I do not know when to back off. So, the best advice I can give to people is to actually rest and have easy days when you actually go easy and don't feel like because you do not stay with the pack one day, you suck. Actually, this could help you out more than you know and you can bypass the pack!

Now, nutritionally, we all have self-destructive behaviors. We all have our thing that we love and it is not good for us. Now, I do think that all things in moderation are okay. Sometimes a piece of cake will not kill you and it will curb the sweet tooth. Unfortunately, for me, I cannot have one piece of cake...it is several pieces and then some. So, what can you do if you have this problem? Well, there are many several different schools of thought on that...what has worked for me sometimes is to completely give that thing up and write it down and give it to someone who will keep me to it (Thanks Hal). It does not mean I cannot have a treat but I know that I cannot eat just one piece of cake. Does it always work? No. The problem with the wealth of nutritional information we get bombarded with is that it is hard to tell what is going to work for each of us individually. That is the key...what works for each of individually. Find what works for you and do it! I will say that the healthier I eat the better I feel and usually perform better. Be careful here and do not take it too far and end up focusing only on food. Again, everything in moderation.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Tired...only 17 more days.

This morning I woke up tired...Think I am quickly approaching overtraining and ready to be done with Ironman. Rode with my good friend, Pat, this morning and then rode with Hal and Leo this afternoon. All and all 50 miles today. My head tells me I am tired and my legs scream they are tired which is all making me very grumpy. This is the worse part before IM. You just want it to be over and then when it is over, you are sad and want to start all over again. You forget being tired and pain and just remember that $1,000,000,000+ feeling when you cross the finish line. I always say if you could bottle that feeling and sell it, you would be a trizillionaire! Not only do you feel good but you forget all the bad stuff! Every time I do IM, about half way through I think...I do not remember this hurting so bad or being so hard...well, it is because of that feeling at the end. Even at the end of IM Arizona in April (which was my worst showing to date), I had that feeling. The day was not the best but I still had that feeling of accomplishment and this time (after 4 times) I finally heard "You are an Ironman." I had never heard it before, although my friend, Elizabeth, is convinced that is what makes your arms go up when you go over the finish line. I hope so! Just the same I finally heard it! WOW!

What does it mean anyway to be an Ironman? HMMM...it means different stuff to different people. Surely, it means you completed the 140.6 mile journey - no matter what your time or where you did it. It does not make you any less of an Ironman to do the race in Kentucky or Hawaii. You still completed the journey. Are some courses tougher than others? Sure but so is life but we all still complete the journey. To me, it means doing something I never imagined I could. It means being out there no matter for how long and how hard it is and making it through. It means that no matter what happened outside training and how much it hurt inside, you did it. You did it. There are more and more people who can say they are Ironmen and Iron women but seriously, it is probably less than 1% of earth's population. So, whether you finish at 8:10 or 16:59, you are still among an elite population. Now, I never think that of myself because I think I am just a regular person who just can do things for a very long time. I often see myself in the mirror as a slow, fat, dumb and lazy person who is able to keep her body and mind doing things for a long time. Which if you knew me in real life, that would not make sense to you at all...I am a little ADHD and I think way too much. So, even people who are little crazy can be an Ironman. We still did the same 140.6 miles that the leader did. Sorry for the babbling post...just pondering...

Best Ironman so far...IM USA in Lake Placid - do this race. The venue is supreme and the people are soooooooooo nice! One of their bike shops is open 24 hours IM Week! The water is pristine!
Hardest course-IM USA
Toughest mental IM (because of life in outside life)...IM Coeur D'Alene
Flatest course-IM Florida, without a doubt
Coldest swim-IM Coeur D'Alene
Toughest/Hottest day-IM Arizona
Most Emotional Finish - IM Wisconsin...the first one is always the most emotional...

Maybe these will change in 17 days...who knows. All I can honestly hope for (beside a PR) is not to drown, fall off my bike and no blisters on the run and to do all of this and still feel good at the end. One of my greatest joys at every IM is that my parents are always there and just as proud of me as they were at the first one. My mom has a hat you can see from outer space and is always there screaming and worrying but she is always there. My stepdad is always there-mostly worrying-and he is always there, too. Thank goodness for parents who believe in you, no matter how crazy they think you are (trust me, they think I am crazy but support me anyway-with t-shirts even). My biggest sadness for this IM is that I hope to PR and it may be my last IM...and my Doodle will not be there to see it but I know he will be there watching on Ironman Live. So is life. All I can do is put one foot in front of the other and have faith that God will see me through it no matter what.

Today, my friend, Pat, said he was a blessed man and he is (although it might just be with crazy women ;) ). It really started me to thinking that I am blessed too. I have spent a lot of my life looking at the bad things and focusing on me and not everyone else. But I made a vow to myself today to really start trying to look for the good in all situations and focusing on others. Thanks Pat! (Of course, this was after our Waffle House breakfast because of a fog delayed ride...it could have just been the grease talking!)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Last Long Run before Ironman

This morning, my new good friend, Ginger, graciously ran slowly with me on my last long run before Ironman. It was no speed record by no means but we got it done and I am feeling much more confident in my run at Ironman. Today we ran 13 miles and I ran 4 miles yesterday so basically 17 miles in 24 hours so I know I can get through the other 9 miles. We ran on a local road where we saw several cyclists we knew which was fun, too! Thanks Ginger! You have no idea how much I needed that!

Yesterday, I ran 4 miles and swam 1350 yards. It was okay. I will be looking forward to a break after Ironman. Of course, this lasts about a week or so...

Honestly, I have been seriously considering giving up triathlon. Six Ironman races in five years is a lot (maybe not for some pros but for this Texas girl) and I think right now I am a little burned out - not to mention two 50 K runs, a 50 miler and countless other marathons and varying distance triathlons. I still want to cycle and run and maybe swim but training for long distances all the time has finally worn a little thin. Ginger told me today she has been doing triathlon for 23 years! WOW! First, if you saw her you would not believe she is over 23! Second, she said her secret is to spread those Ironman events out and add shorter distances for fun and speed work. Maybe after a short break I will consider this. I have not considered myself anything but a triathlete for the past few years so I cannot imagine being something else. Hopefully, her enthusiasm will rub off and get me back in the spirit before too long. I really do like long stuff as I am not a speed demon (yet) and I do not mind doing stuff forever! I really would like to do something entirely different but still get a workout...maybe salsa or something fun like that! However, I cannot imagine at least running and cycling.

My first true love is running and I love the "runner's high" during that perfect run when you feel completely balanced and all is right with the world. This is when I truly feel closest to God and appreciate all of the gifts we all so often overlook like the sun peeking out over the little pond in the woods. Unfortunately, I haven't felt that too much this year. Maybe after a break!

Enough of that stuff, 19 days to Ironman! Besides going to Louisville, seeing my delightful parents, doing IM, I am really looking forward to seeing my good friend, Elizabeth, at IM! She rocks! She qualified for Kona last year and hopes to again this year! Elizabeth is one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out! She always has a great smile and an even better attitude! Her family is great, too!

Off to ride in an hour or so, lift weights tonight and try to squeeze in some yoga. Next week school starts back so I will be back teaching next Thursday. My free days are numbered but I will be thankful to get back to school and my students! They make me crazy but I love it somehow! Hopefully, I will be back in school too. I am awaiting approval to take a graduate class at UNCG this term and deciding if I will go back to graduate school for my Ed.D in Exercise and Sport Science. Imagine me being called a doctor...WOW! It could be as soon as 5 years away (hopefully less)! My Doodle is right...I will always be a lifetime student. Always learning is a good thing!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Sunday


This is my brother-in-law's UPS truck. Due to another driver's careless driving, he wrecked his truck. However, he avoided a multi-car pile up where many more people could have been hurt! His angels were working overtime and he is safe and virtually unharmed. This just goes to show you that you must pay attention when you are driving!
Rode too hard with the club today. However, we raised over $400 for our Junior Development Team! YEAH! I should have rode alone because my heart rate was way too high. I hope this doesn't affect me later. I have to be much better about staying at the right heart rate. I guess I have spent so much time being last that I just hate it. I knew it was a rest week and I sort of blew that today and yesterday. Hope I do not pay for it at Ironman!

My husband always encourages me and believes in me...that means a lot. When I talked to him today, he just knew I would be just fine at IM. He knows I always get nervous before IM and he does very well at calming my nerves. He is just delightful.
This week's plan...
Monday-swim, run, teach one spin class
Tuesday-run, bike, yoga, weights
Wednesday-swim, teach one spin class
Thursday-bike, run, weights
Friday-swim
Saturday-bike
Sunday-run


Saturday, August 9, 2008

Saturday

Today, I rode with our club. This might be the fastest I have ever rode on a consistent basis. We rode consistently at between 20-22 mph and we had to make a catch at 25-27 mph and I hung ON! WOW!!!!!

Tomorrow is our club's charity ride for our Junior Development Team. I hope to have a good ride but take it a little easier tomorrow.

Only 3 weeks to IM Louisville...can I do it?

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Omigosh...a day off!

Today, I actually had a whole day off from working out. YEAH! I did not even feel bad for not working out. I did teach my spin class off the bike, which I never do. I hope my spinners got a good workout! They sure looked like they did. I felt semi-guilty but my legs feel like they weigh 9 million pounds. Luckily I have a massage scheduled for tomorow. Sometimes it actually hurts my shoulder worse after a massage but my legs need to be flushed out.

Thursday-run, bike, weights and maybe yoga
Friday-ride to work?
Saturday and Sunday-ride

25 days to IRONMAN LOUISVILLE!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Much Needed Rest Week

Monday-swim, run, and teach spin class
Tuesday-swim TT at 50 meter pool, run, bike and weights

Today, I am tired and need a rest. However, I had a good swim outside and wondered why I have been swimming inside all summer...my tan might actually even out and I might not look like I have cycling clothes all the time. My bike legs were tired today. It was also quite hot today.

Tomorrow - teach spin class and new HAIRDO! YEAH!!!!
Thursday-run, weights, ride - MASSAGE!
Friday-off
Saturday and Sunday-ride my bicycle!!! Easy rides both days!!!

Only 26 days to Ironman Louisville!!!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Next week is a rest week, YEAH!

REST WEEK is very much needed....
Yesterday, we went to Carthage and rode the metric century there. It was a hilly course but it was great fun! We had a great group and everyone was pretty pleasant. It got a little warm at the end but we made it in without any major problems. Lots of people cramped up but thankfully since we rode it last year and Hal had a major cramp in his legs, we were well prepared and shared our goodies with some other riders. Came home, went to the grocery store, mowed the grass, drank 5 margaritas on the front porch alone because my favorite sista girl was on vacation and had no one else that would have cocktails with me! Hope she comes home soon!

Got up this morning and felt okay. Got on the bike and did not feel so good. Met the group and rode an easy 55 miles and started to feel a whole lot better. Of course, this was not exactly my plan-7 hour ride and 1:15 run...NOT! I have a whole list of excuses but I will spare everyone.

Rest week coming up and I am very thankful. This body needs a rest. We only get bigger, better, stronger when we rest. I wonder if we get faster...

Only 28 days to Louisville. Is a PR possible? Maybe. My swim is okay but I do not know if it is faster. My bike is going well but how well I do in the hills? My run is okay but can I do the fastest marathon I have ever done at IM? Is the goal unrealistic? Who knows? If I can do even 1 second faster, then it will be an awesome day. I might not meet my goal but a PR is a PR. So what if I do not PR? Is the world going to end? Will it make me less of an IM? Will I die from disappointment? The last one might feel like it will happen but I think I will live. I remember my first IM and I was afraid I would not make the bike cut off and I got off the bike with enough time to spare. At IM Arizona in April, I seriously thought I might not make the cut off and had my slowest time ever. I did not die and I finished when 400 others did not finish. This is the only time my name will ever be before a pro's name! Now, that I have told everyone I want a PR - did I put too much pressure on myself?

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Say what you need to say...read warning...

WARNING...I have had 5 margaritas!!! If you know me really well then you know that my favorite musical artist is John Mayer...he really speaks to me and any of you that have been fortunate (or unfortunate ) to have been in the car with me for a long period of time with me...eventually John Mayer is on my radio. Lately, my favorite song is Say from the movie, The Bucket List. If you do not know know, my dad died from lung cancer on April 2, 2006. My dad and I had quite the tumultous relationship. We loved each other but we were mirror images of teach other and that caused 99% of the problem. The Bucket List is a great movie but to my sister and I it is like seeing our dad on screen (Jack Nicholson). The point of this is that in the song it says "It is better to say too much that to never say what you need to say again" and the lyrics say...
Take all of your wasted honor. Every little past frustration. Take all of your so-called problems. Better put them in quotations. Say what you need to say (8x). Walking like a one man army. Fighting with the shadows in your head. Living out the same old moment. Knowing you'd be better off instead If you could onlySay what you need to say (8x). Have no fear for giving inHave no fear for giving overYou better know that in the end It's better to say too much Than never to say what you need to say again. Even if your hands are shaking. And your faith is broken. Even as the eyes are closing. Do it with a heart wide open. Say what you need to say (lots of times).

So, I did not always tell my old man what I needed to say and I promise myself that I would never do that again. DO NOT EVER NOT TELL SOMEONE WHAT YOU NEED TO SAY! Trust me on this one. Having said that, I will say to some people in this blog post what I need to say and if I did not mention someone, it is not that I forgot you - it is the margaritas...
Matt-I love you. You have given me the world and more than I ever deserved. I love you. I hope I am half the wife you hoped for because you are more than I ever hoped for. You bought me a Jeep and given me so much more.
Dad-Please forgive me and I do love you. I only wish I could have been there when your eyes were closing and knew that you knew that I loved you...no matter what.
Mom-I love you. You are the best mother one neurotic triathle could hope for.
Ray-I love you. If I had to choose a 2nd father, I could not have asked for more.
Nette-You are the best sister one person could ask for. I love you.
Lucas and Lanie-You are the apples of my eye and I love you like my own kids. Please take care of your Auntie Jen when she is old and the cat lady. Do not send her to the nursing home when she is old and senile and has 10 cats!
Mom and Dad D. - You have raised one of the best men on the whole planet and I truly do not deserve such a great fella but he is mine and I am not giving him up. You really have no idea how good he is but he is. Thank you.
Hal-you are one of the best men I have ever known my whole life. I could not have asked for a better friend.
Leo-you are one of the best people I have ever known and I love you madly. You have no idea how much I love you.
Pat-YOU ROCK! You inspire more than you will ever know and I love you for dragging me around the country side and love our chats. You are one of the best people I know and you will never know how great of a friend you are to me.
John K.-You are one of the happiest people I know and I hope you always will be.
Bob M.-You ROCK! You inspire me!
Ginger-You are grand and you have no idea how much I need you in my life.
Milanne-You know I love you even though we are on very different paths right now and I hope you are very happy because that is all I truly wish for you. We may never be like we were before but I hope you know that I appreciate all you have taught and given me. Thank you. Yes, I am wearing sunscreen!

I am sure I have not included everyone and my deepest apologies! I feel very blessed to have all of you in my life. Thank you for the gifts you have given me. Sorry for the babbling post.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Viva Las Vegas!


Back in January, my husband put in writing (and signed it) that he would run the Las Vegas Marathon with me. Really, I have it in my house and have considered scanning it and sending it to his mother in case he tries to hide it! So, yesterday I got an email with a offer to register so I sent this on to my delightful spouse and he replied to sign us up! I DID! So...VIVA LAS VEGAS! He has not run a marathon before but I have written him a training plan and he assures me that he is running! So, now he has to put his money where his mouth is...and RUN!!!!!!

FUN! FUN! FUN! We love Las Vegas and maybe we could even get hitched again. We went there last year for our 10 year anniversary but we did not get to get married again...maybe year 11 is the lucky year!


My best laid plans...usually go kaput!

It is not always bad when things do not work out the way I plan...this is what I keep telling myself anyway.

Monday-swim and taught one spin class
Tuesday-run with Ginger (absolutely delightful and got some confidence back into my run), yoga, and ride with Hal (kept HR under 130 most of the time as I planned)
Wednesday-swim, run, weights, taught spin class, yoga
Thursday-I planned to do my long brick today. Have a summer cold and spent half the night up coughing and overslept....Hopefully, I can ride this afternoon for a few hours before the rain comes.

Rest of week plan
Friday-swim, weights and run
Saturday-ride in Carthage
Sunday-long brick

Usually people pick on me constantly for being slow and it does hurt my feelings, however, one of my good friends, Furman, told me yesterday someone I would have never expected actually commented me. Last Sunday, we left to do our regular Sunday ride but I forgot something in my Jeep and then my friend, Quincy, forgot his gloves...needless to say we got left so Hal, John, Quincy and I set out on a different but pleasant 56 mile ride. When the other group got to the parking lot, Furman was teasing about me not wanting to ride with him because I was afraid of his speed (this actually is not that far from the truth) and another rider who does not often hand out compliments said I had been to the top of Mount Mitchell and he had not! It made me feel really good...maybe I am better than I think I am.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

"Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about." This is from an email that my good friend, John K., sent me. Sometimes I spend so much time comparing myself to others' that I forget their lives are a journey too. Perhaps they are good at one thing but may have other struggles in their lives. Triathlon sometimes is one of those things. I think I wish I was a better cyclist like __________ or a better swimmer like ________ or a faster runner like __________. This frustrates me a lot. This quote reminded me that other people might struggle with things that are easy for me. Luckily, my parents raised me to be an independent and pretty level-headed with money. I do okay by myself, which is good for my husband as he is gone ALOT and I keep our money straight and he never has to worry about that (except for I might buy another bicycle ;)) I take these things for granted while others may struggle with them. Thanks John for the reminder! So, today remind yourself of the things you do with ease that others may struggle with and be thankful for them.

Again, my weekend workouts did not quite go the way I planned. I rode 90 miles Saturday and ran .74 miles. I sort of felt crappy with a sore throat. I got home after a lovely dinner with one of my favorite friends and it only got worse. Finally, I figured out I have a little summer cold. Sunday, I rode 56 miles with a great small group of Hal, John, Quincy and me. The pace was good recovery pace but my saddle was killing me and I struggled especially on the last 15 miles.

Honestly, I am very worried about my run at Ironman. I haven't been running long. I have been running 3-4 days a week but not long. Luckily, my friend, Ginger, is coming to run with me on Tuesday. I am so excited! Hopefully, we can run more often together!

Workout Schedule for next week
Monday-swim, run and teach spin
Tuesday-run, ride, weights, yoga
Wednesday-swim and teach spin class
Thursday-long brick
Friday-Swim (hair appointment, too! SO EXCITING!)
Saturday-100K ride in Carthage
Sunday-Run (maybe easy ride)

Friday, July 25, 2008

Friday...

Run on treadmill for 7 miles (4x1 mile intervals with 4 minute recoveries after 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down)
Swim 3700 yards...Started to actually visualize Ironman even down to time on the clock coming out of the water, after bike, and final time. I can do this...

Tomorrow 6:30 hour ride and 1 hour run

Got my new Trigger Point stuff to roll out the lactate acid in my legs. My legs were hurting quite a bit and feel a bit better now. Hope I will ride great tomorrow.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Back in the saddle again...

Went for my first ride on my regular ride in a week with one of my favorite friends, Hal. At first, I felt like everything was all wrong on my bike but after about an hour, I felt pretty good. Practiced climbing out of the saddle alot and sent my heart rate into the higher zones...I just keep reminding myself how hot my quads are going to look and what an awesome climber I will be when it hurts like heck! Don't think I ate enough because I sort of bonked in the middle and thanks to Hal (Clif Blox) and Tim (Gatorade) I got home. Did a little yoga earlier and plan to lift weights while watching So You Think You Can Dance in a few minutes! Have to get up earlier and get to Operation Spin Cycle in the early am, then a run and swim.

My Mom's 24 inch Huffy

Back from vacation...got a lot of workouts in but the most enjoyable were my 2 bike rides on my mom's 24 inch Huffy...I am sure I looked ridiculous but it was great fun. I really enjoyed my short rides and loved the scenery. There was this great donkey who followed me and I longed to pet it but he wasn't having it! It was a nice vacation and I needed it. Now, only a few more weeks until IM Louisville. Got to refocus and get my stuff together and then taper and work my bootie off to hopefully get my PR. My running is not going great. I can't seem to get to it like I did before. My swimming was great when I was on vacation because I needed a change of scenery...tomorrow will tell.

Today-bike, weights and yoga
Friday-run and swim
Saturday-long brick
Sunday-run and ride

Friday, July 18, 2008

Friday

Wednesday-taught spin class
Thursday-travel and walk 4 miles
Friday-run 30 minutes, swim 3250, weights

Change of scenery was good for swim - did not feel like I was swimming in jello. Run did not go great but there is hope for tomorrow.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Long Brick Already...

Tuesday-rode 86 miles and ran 3.75 miles...ride got better as it went along but the run was not good as it was so hot and I did not have enough water. Note to self...do not freeze water, take it out immediately before the run and expect it to thaw on the run so you can have enough water! However, I did it. I miss my friends when riding but I had a good ride. I think it was the ride I needed to have because sometimes I get very frustrated at not being able to keep up with the pack. I went at my pace with no pressure on myself. I realize I put the pressure on myself because I feel like I am so slow and people always have to wait on me. I did the first 60 or so miles in the hills and ended up on the flats. I feel more confident about running off the bike with the bricks. Now, if I could just get my long run in and if the water in the pool did not feel like jello. Maybe I just need a change of scenery.

Wednesday plan-lift weights and swim
Thursday-travel
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - run (maybe if I can go to the Y with my folks I will get a swim or weights in but if not - no worries).

Monday, July 14, 2008

Only 7 more weeks.

Only 7 more weeks to IM. Things are going okay...I wish it was going better but I can do it.

Tomorrow I have to do my long brick as I am going to visit my parents for a week.
Wednesday-teach spin class, swim, weights
Thursday-travel
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday-run

Haven't been able to get my long run in and my swims feel like I am swimming in jello.

It will get better!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Will I ever get any faster?

Monday-teach spin class and swim
Today-run 30 minutes, lift weights, ride

Today was quite a frustrating day for me, as far as workouts go. I got up and went running and it was supposed to be a tempo run. It was hard and I wonder if I will ever get faster. My long runs have been hard to get in and that scares me at IM Louisville. Especially when a 30 minute run seems so long and hard.

Today, I tried a different weight plan...two sets of 10 reps, then add weight and two sets of six reps. That went really well.

This afternoon, I went on my regular Tuesday ride. IT was supposed to be a 2 hour ride with my heart rate under 130. That did not work out. I was really working hard and my speed did not correspond. I met up with some of my favorite folks, Leo and Hal, and rode another 10 miles with them and I felt like they had to wait on me because I was so slow. My hill work seemed to be getting better but not I did not feel like it today. I really need to work the hills and I felt like I was doing so well but now my legs feel heavy and I feel sooooooooooo slow. It is really frustrating. What went wrong? Am I working too hard on my easy days? That is probably the answer. I did get a new saddle and although I really like it, I can't quite get in the right position. I feel like I lost some power. Will I ever get any faster, period? Will I ever become a better hill climber?

Tomorrow, I was going to ride to work but rain is forecasted so no ride. I will teach 2 spin classes, run, and swim. I would love to get home early enough to get a few miles in on the bike but I doubt it since I won't get home until 7:30 pm or later.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Fourth and end of the rest week!

Happy Belated 4th of July! Hope everyone had a great one! We were at the beach with my sister and her family and some of our other favorite friends, including Lee, whom we have adopted as our older sister! She is fabulous! We spent the majority of the day at the beach including swimming, playing scrabble, sun and fun. After the beach, we had a yummy dinner of sushi, BBQ ribs from Harris Teeter, salad, pasta and potato salads and yummy chocolate mint pie! Gosh, I will need to work out for weeks!

Saturday, I got up and ran for 40 minutes. I was afraid I would not get my bike ride in but I did but not in the manner I normally do. My husband and I rented a bike for two (not a tandem but a double bike) and rode for an hour and we scooted on down the boardwalk and passed tons of people. We actually were working pretty hard! It was so fun too! Since it was dreary out we did not get to go to the beach but we had fun anyway! We also did a little shopping and ate at this gorgeous restaurant on the beach.

Sunday, it was dreary so we headed to the aquarium and walked all over...of course, this was after IHOP! No workout...headed home and ran into a huge storm.

Great weekend but I cannot wait to get back to eating right and working out. My belly is not happy when I do not eat well. I can't wait to really get my next month in and get ready for IM Louisville.

Made some new goals while at breakfast this morning and plan to break them down further tomorrow...
1) Get weight to 135.
2) Get body fat to 15%.
3) Cut out fast food.
4) Cut out high fructose corn syrup.
There will be more but that is all for now...got to get to bed to get ready for the upcoming week!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Thursday...

Thursday is my ride day with one of my best buds, Pat. We started early and it seemed to be going okay. I was testing out a new saddle and it was a little high but I really liked it otherwise. We get to the turn off to our big loop and we had made it there faster than I had before. What a great day I thought it was going to be...we get to our regular stop for some fuel. We start riding again and WHAM...the wind...more hills...pain. This started to be the never ending ride, I did not ever think we would get to the turn off. My legs were screaming. Finally, we make it to the turn off and it is downhill for a long way. We manage to get in but both of us were glad the ride was over. Good news is we got over 70 miles in before noon.

If you do not know Pat, he is great! He is very kind and thoughtful. He is one of only a handful of people that I know would not leave me on a long ride. He always watches out for me and makes sure I am okay. He is actually one of the best all around cyclists in our club. He doesn't think he is but HE is! He can ride short, fast, long, not so fast and despite his thoughts, he can climb pretty well. He doesn't ever seem to mind that our rides take forever. We get to chat a lot and that is fun and therapeutic for me!

Yesterday, I did a 1000 yard time trial. Inspired by an article I read in Triathlete magazine and watching the Olympic Trials, I decided this week to try a four beat kick instead of my normal two beat kick. So, I felt pretty good in the water yesterday and despite my thoughts about getting tired too quickly, I tried the four beat kick. I did tire near the end but the laps seem to fly by and before I knew it I was at 850. The last 150 went quickly and I came out with a time of 19:08. Last month was an off month because I sort of felt like crap but the month before I did 19:37 so I was thrilled with a 29 second decrease! YEAH! If I can do that over 2.4 miles, it would be a 2-3 minute decrease in time.

Workouts so far this week...
Monday-swim and run, teach one spin class
Tuesday-bike, lift weights
Wednesday-teach two spin classes, swim trial
Thursday-lift weights and bike

For the rest of the week, I hope to ride and run over the holiday weekend. Headed to the beach soon to get rid of this cyclists' tan. If the riding and running doesn't work out, oh well. Maybe it is God's way of telling me I need a break. Next week, back to business and I do mean business. As of Sunday, 8 weeks to IM Louisville.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Rest Week

Changed my workout schedule around and made this my rest week since it will be a short and compact week because of the holiday and I am going to the beach for the weekend! Happy 4th!

This week will be a different rest week for me. I am trying to get my workouts in but I think I am not going to lift weights this week and start again next week with a new plan. I have 9 weeks to IM Louisville. Starting Monday, I must refocus as this week I feel a little overtrained because I really do not want to do anything. I rode today and my HR was extremely high and I had a hard time with my regular Tuesday ride. I did not even want to ride my bike. All signs of overtraining...the answer is a little more rest. Plan tomorrow is swim, teach 2 spin classes and try to squeeze in a run. Thursday is a long brick and headed to the beach. One day I am going to run and another a leisurely ride.

So disappointed with my weight and eating patterns. The scale is not moving and I know it is because of my eating habits. Trying to do some stuff to change these things. I would like to be down to 135 for IM Louisville. Can I do 9 pounds in 9 weeks? Yes, but I must change several things...first of all, emotional eating or eating when I am bored!

Yesterday, I read quote on a car that said "Do something every day that scares you." Another Eleanor Roosevelt quote that is great so I am determined to do that every day. Yesterday, it was getting back on terms with a co-worker after a fallout but to do this without saying sorry because I am not sorry for what I said. Today, it was going to UNCG to talk to 2 professors about getting my Ed.D. I am always so scared I am not smart enough or good enough so this was huge for me.

Next week, I will return to working out hard and trying to make the changes I need to be better, stronger, faster! I WILL PR at IM Louisville!

Some goals for July:
1) Lose 4 pounds.
2) Spend 20 hours in the yard.
3) Ride 1000 miles.
4) Do not miss more than two workouts a week.