Back to Training

I never intended to take a break from training. Normally, I schedule plateaus in my yearly schedule, but the complete drop-off this past Nov/Dec was depressing for this runner chic. Between plantar fasciitis (PF) and pneumonia, someone up above was telling me to take a break. I grudgingly obliged...

Have you ever LAID DOWN on a treadmill
after running?? Yeah, it's HOT like a heating pad!

I have slowly been building back my running mileage base. The PF has occasionally reminded me of its presence, but pretty good for the most part. I continue with strengthening exercises for the lower leg, and the foot roller has a permanent spot by the couch. I've completed three long runs since the new year. Each time, I'm nervous of the results, but as with anything, each run feels better and better. Consistency is key. With each passing week, my endurance builds.

I've been avoiding the Garmin or anything that times my runs. I know I've been slow on the comeback. I can feel my body moving slower and don't need to see the numbers to reinforce that. It's depressing and I'm trying not to let it mess with my head. With Old Man Winter being nasty this year, I've been forced onto the treadmill more than I'd like.  I cover up the time/speed displays, but as a veteran runner, I know by the setting what speed I'm doing (6.0mph is 10 min/miles). Through the weeks, I've noticed a slight increase of pace which is encouraging to keep on keeping on.

Back in the pool!

In addition to running, I've added swimming back into the mix. (I signed up for an Olympic triathlon in July.)  Oh-brother, swim is a sport that gives me mixed emotions. I'm not good at it, but it is good for me. The cardio exercise without impact is simply invaluable in my training. With every swim, I feel the whittling around my core and the strength in my arms/shoulders/back. It makes me feel strong, yet fluid. By no means am I a "swimmer", but I try my best. Right now, I'm doing intervals of 4 laps of freestyle swim (which exhausts me), followed by a lap of water jogging. I repeat the sequence for 40 minutes. I'm usually in the pool with older pool walkers during the day. They are much nicer to me than the "swimmers". The other day, one guy told me I looked graceful. I almost spit pool water in his face at how much I laughed.

When it comes to biking, I really miss my rides outside. I don't have an indoor trainer (yet) so Spinning classes fill the void. I am a Spin instructor at my gym, and it has been my happy place this winter. I love the ability to ride with friends of all fitness levels. We have a lot of fun in the Spin room, plus it's a fantastic cross-train for running. I'm hoping come spring, I'll be able to smoothly transfer over to rides on the road bike.

If you've read my blog for any extent of time, you know my focus  to #RaceAll50. I've got 19 states done already, but it's getting expensive to say the least. So when the opportunity arose to win a trip to a state I haven't raced yet, I jumped at it!  I've received some nasty messages about it, so let me say this... By no means do I think I'm better than any other blogger or deserve it more than anyone else, I would just love the chance to run Napa Valley in CA!  In fact, I've been voting daily for my other friends in the contest. The 'Run to Napa' voting runs until Feb. 24 and I would greatly appreciate your daily votes.  If I win, another trip to ZOOMA Napa Valley will be given away here on the blog, so there's a bit of incentive for you too.  Click here to vote.  Please know that I appreciate it more than you know!

Drown, Fall or Dead Last

My first triathlon is exactly two weeks away on Sunday, August 5 at the Oshkosh Area Sprint Triathlon, held in my hometown of Winneconne, WI.  The tri been on my mind nonstop this past week. I'm excited for the new experience, but also very nervous. With running events, I know how to prepare myself. I know protocol. I know what to expect from past experiences. When it comes to the triathlon, it's a big new horizon for me. I've rattled other triathletes with question after question. I've read online stories, columns and forums. But in the end, there are just some things you learn best when you do it yourself.

Like any new adventure, there is always fear of the unknown. The most common thing new runners say to me before their first race is "I just don't want to be last." Rightfully so. It's the fear of inadequacy that lives in all of us from the early age of grade school. We know we may not be the best, but certainly don't want to be the worst ... or last picked.

My initial goal with the triathlon was simple... Learn to swim. Finish. 

Then it became... Don't drown. Don't fall off your bike and please Lord, don't let me be dead last.

And now as the date clicks closer, the competitive athlete in me starts to rear out. You see, there are very few (if any) races that I sign up for to 'just participate'.  I enjoy my daily runs and relax my pace to run with friends during training. But when I toe the line on race day, the adrenaline in me says, "Bring it!"  It's why I do races... to test myself, to find my best.  If I wanted a fun run with friends, I'd save myself the race entry fee and just run my favorite trail. So forgive me friends, I will never be the pal who runs stride for stride with you in a race (unless your name is Anna and I'm trying my best to keep up!). I don't mean that in a bad or judgmental way to those who do races for fun - it's just who I am.

So this competitive nature has driven me to train hard this past week. I had some great brick workouts, combining the three sports of the triathlon...

TESTING THE SWIM.
The swim is no doubt my weakest area. I've never swam before this past January, so it's been a learning process. Swimming is not as easy as the pros make it look. It's extremely exhausting, but I love what it does to my core. I was pretty dedicated to swimming practice January-March and then I got distracted with the marathon... and just lazy every since. This past month, I've gotten my rusty swimsuit back in the pool. Oh-my, it felt like I was starting over.

When I registered for the triathlon, I did sign up for the "slow swimmer" wave, so I'm hoping that will relieve some of my fears of being drown by the mass of people. It is an open water swim in a lake, which I've never done before either. Curiosity got the best of me this week, and I looked up the 2011 results from this event. I literally had no idea what a good time was for a 1/4 mile swim. Amongst the women, it looked like 10-12 minutes was about middle-of-the-pack. This past Friday, I brought my stopwatch to the pool and swam a 1/4 mile time trial. In fact, it was the first time I ever swam that far without stopping for a breather.  I did 13.5 consecutive laps (small pool) in just over 11 minutes. I was satisfied with this, knowing that it probably won't make me last out of the water. Of course my competitive mindset immediately thought, "I wonder if I could get it under 10..."

TESTING THE BIKE.
When it comes to the 16 mile bike portion of the triathlon, I'm not entirely worried. I've ridden bike all my life and in recent years, I've spend lots of time training those muscles in Spinning class. Although I'm not entirely comfortable on a road bike since most of my outdoor rides have been on a mountain bike. The wider tires of a mountain bike definitely offer more stability and confidence.

I just bought my first real road bike (as compared to the ten-speed I had when I was 12 years old). On Sunday, I took her out for a 20 mile ride and couldn't be more pleased with how she rides. What a difference! I love this purple beauty and she's all mine! My only concern I still have is riding tight quarters with other bikers. I've never done that before; I always ride solo.

TESTING THE RUN.
Of course I know I can run the 3.1 miles in the sprint triathlon. What I don't know is how fast. How much will my legs have left after the swim and bike?  Of course, this is the whole point of doing brick training. On Wednesday after nearly two hours of swimming and Spinning, fellow Sole Sister Karen pushed me in a 3+ mile run. It was so hot and humid outside; my legs were tired and she wouldn't let me slow down (love/hate moment here). The run proved to me that I could run a mid-9 minute/mile pace, despite weak conditions.

Love this gal, but ready to kill her for making me run so darn fast! haha

On Sunday after 20 on the bike, I immediately set off to run a 5k. The sensation was so weird in my legs. I couldn't tell how fast/slow I was running (and usually I'm a pretty good gauge of that.) But I was happy to finish the 5k under 30 minutes without really pushing.

Are you a triathlete?

Please share your words of wisdom and advice for this first-timer!

Ready for the Olympics?!  Don't forget to sign up for the Virtual Games.

January Challenges Recap

Like most people, I set myself lofty goals as the calendar flipped to January.  Make no mistake - I love blogger fitness challenges and virtual races, but I need to evaluate and select wisely.  Does this help me stay on track to reach my 2012 Goals?  Keeping focused on own personal goals is tough for me as I tend to get caught up in the excitement/persuasion of others.  During the month of January, I decided to participate in the following two challenges...

New 2 U Cross Training Challenge

hosted by (Just) Trying is for Little Girls

This challenge is a simple nudge outside my comfort zone of running... and try one new cross training activity each month of the year.  I am all about new experiences!  It keeps fitness fresh for me.  I find the more I cross train, the more I enjoy running days AND the less I get injured from overtraining. Total WIN all the way around.  Since one of my 2012 Goals is to complete my first triathlon, the selection of my first "new to me" cross train was easy... SWIMMING!

I wasted no time taking the plunge with my first pool date on January 2.  My goal was to swim at least two times each week as part of a brick-style workout (coupled with biking or running). During the last month, I completed 10 pool workouts.
Here's what I've learned...

• Swimming is hard!  Unlike running, there is much more coordination needed amongst the body parts - arm strokes, hip position, kicking and then breathing. Oh-the breathing!! The basic movements of running are natural for humans, right?  It was quite clear with swimming that I was not a natural-born fish.
• I had to think back to the beginning days of my running.  I didn't run a 5K overnight (took me months to work up to that!). The same holds true with swimming. I started with one simple lap of freestyle strokes.  I alternated with a lap of water jogging for recovery (I was literally panting after one lap of swimming!). The second week, I built up to a 2-1 ratio.  Now in my fourth week, I'm doing 3 laps of freestyle to 1 lap of board kicking where I practice proper breathing technique.  I can now easily finish 1500 yds in 40 minutes.
• Swim caps are not only awesome, but much needed when you have long hair.  I tied my long locks back in a tight bun to swim, but it still came loose. I can't tell you how difficult it is to detangle swim hair!  Finally I bought myself a swim cap and the hair problem is solved.
• Swimmers are not nearly as friendly as runners.  Just sayin'... it was a frigid welcome to the pool by the other regular swimmers.  Even after a month, only one guy has warmed up enough to say hello. Weird.
• Swimming rocks the side muscles of your core!  I felt it instantly after the first workout. I will continue swimming in my regular fitness routine because I think it's made a huge difference in my cardiovascular ability and overall toning of my "non-running" muscles.

Food Journal Challenge

hosted by Run to the Finish

Another one of my 2012 Goals is to lose weight, specifically 30 pounds before summer.  If you've been following me for even a little while, you know my failure is not in the exercise arena.  My weakness is food.  This Food Journal Challenge was just what I needed to start the year. Luckily the challenge perimeters were pretty flexible, because I fumbled around before finally finding what worked for me...

• First I bought a little notebook, eager to jot down everything I ate and journal my "food feelings" for the day.  I did well with that the first week and then it slowly fizzled (lost in the pile of homework, bills and mail on the kitchen counter).
• As I struggled to keep up the notebook, I started taking photographs of my meals.  Initially, the photos were just a visual reminder of what I ate... so that I could catch-up on my journal.  What I learned quickly was that I had a really hard time taking a picture of a pile of chocolate chips (the only chocolate I could find in the house!) or a greasy plate of pizza. I also couldn't take seconds... I mean seriously, two pictures for one meal!?!?  Then I began sharing my photos in a Facebook album {here}.  Now I felt an urge to make the plates "look pretty and colorful".  It also held me a bit more accountable.
• Lastly, I logged back into My Fitness Pal.  I used this website (and now iPhone app) several years back when I started my weight loss journey. It's so easy to use (and free!) to track your daily intake and calories.  It forces me to measure out my food portions.  Like so many Americans, my portions were too big.  In fact, I quit using the 11" dinner plates (except for salads).  My dinners are now served on the smaller 8" plates.

Do these monthly challenges make a difference?  I'll let you decide. This morning was my official Week 3 Weigh-In for the 55-Day Weight Loss Challenge at my health club.  So excited with my results this week...

-5.1 lbs this week!

Brings my total to -15.1 lbs for the three week period.

My team in general is doing very well.  The five of us Sole Sisters have lost 51.8 lbs as a group!

Family Fitness and WIAW

Yesterday was a slow start back to the routine...  Hubby went back to work after a 12-day holiday and Little Girl returned to preschool after a 3 week break.  When did Christmas break get to be so loooong?

Big Girl and I hit the gym.  She hung out in child care while I warmed up on the treadmill with a quick 2 miles (9:42 avg pace).  When my swim lane opened up, we both jumped in for a pool workout. Alternating laps seem to work well for me as I learn the sport of swimming.  I focused on my freestyle form for 2 laps and every third lap, I'd water jog down the lane, pulling Big Girl on a kickboard.  I completed 667 yds of swim and 366 yds of water jogging in 40 minutes.  At the end of the workout, the pool was empty so I let Big Girl do some jumping.  We both had a great workout and some fun quality time together.  In the locker room, she proudly told all the other ladies how she got to "workout with Mommy".  Melt my heart...

Tuesday nights, we have a tradition in our house... Commercial Workouts!  It's the one night of the week that "my show" is on... The Biggest Loser.  Seriously, it's the only show that I HAVE to watch each week.  My hubby used to work Tues nights, so I started Commercial Workouts simply as a way to keep the little ones occupied so I could watch my show.  Completely selfish reasons.  But over the past year, it's become something we really enjoy.

The first commercial has barely started, and my girls have jumped off the couch yelling, "Windmills! Situps! Pushups!"  Each commercial break, we take turns picking a fitness activity. The girls learn new moves and I get in a mini-workout.  By time the show starts again, the girls are ready to cuddle up on the couch (and be quiet).  Last night I went strictly ABS every time (with the exception of one plank challenge from the hubs).

What did you think of last night's Biggest Loser??  I applauded the "No Partners" and "No Excuses" themes for the season.  And of course, delighted to see Dolvett's return. Black is my favorite color, but I find myself cheering for RED.  The girls of course are pulling for Santa...

I had a good day with food yesterday.  I logged my intake and feelings in my Food Journal.  I photographed all my food.  Best water intake I've had in weeks.  I give myself a B+ on the day.  Here's what my food looked like...

Breakfast: Banana and coffeeAM Snack: Special K strawberry barLunch: Loaded turkey sandwich with apple & carrotsPM Snack: Coffee and chocolate (!)Dinner: Baked parmesan tilapia with veggies and salad

2 for Tues: Let's Get This Over With

ONE

My Wisconsin Badgers put out a good fight yesterday but lost the 2012 Rose Bowl to Oregon.  It was a high-scoring game, 45-38 final score, where a last minute fumble sealed the coffin for the Badgers.  Not the way I wanted to end the season, but I still love my Badgers!  Staying true to my friendly wager here with (Just) Trying is for Little Girls, let's get this over with...

TWO

It was packed at the gym yesterday (surprise!).  While it's slightly annoying because I have to arrive early to secure pool space or a spin bike, I like to see the new faces of hope and old friendly ones back for another round.  I put in my first swim yesterday.  I have a newfound respect for triathletes... swimming is freakin' hard!  Holy cow!  Two laps and I was huffing harder than a run sprint.  I looked at the water thinking, "What the hell did I get myself into?"  But I continued on... alternating laps between free-style, breast stroke and water jogging.  Finished the 35 minute workout with a total of 500 yds swam (15 laps) and 500 yds water jogging.  Exhausted, I quickly changed for Spinning class.

I need to approach swimming the same way I started running... learn the basics and start slow.  Alternating laps is a perfect start for me.  I can totally feel the workout in my arms, shoulders/back and core this morning.  Last night, I watched a bunch of videos on You Tube on breathing exercises and swim form.  I'm back to the pool today, but this time combined with a run.  I going to do this... thankfully I have until August for my Tri.