As soon as I woke up this morning, while still laying in bed, I could feel that my body was more healed than yesterday without even moving. So I twisted to one side and the next, arched up my back and then swung a leg over the edge of the bed. Still better than yesterday! Then I noticed that my gut wasn't feeling all jumbled up as it has for the past few weeks, which I've attributed to the muscular issues remaining from my back injury in November.
I got up and sauntered around like a cowboy with a swagger. I made coffee and then went to sit in front of the computer. Still feeling better.
Just last week, I said to my massage therapist that I thought I had about 2 more weeks until I'd be all healed up. One more week to go! This is the best my body has felt (in totality; I've been in a good mental place for well over a month now) since early November. Of course, some of my pain has been due to self-inflicted punishment--like my crazy birthday workout, effectively doing a HIM at IMFL and then another one just 2 weeks ago--but underneath has been the mess that I've been from my "accident" on 11/15.
While I've been able to move myself towards a healed state, it's been a slow process. This morning while testing myself out (I'd say I'm about 98% now), it occurred to me that I have become so accustomed to this discomfort, this pain. I'm not even sure what my pain threshold really is. If you asked me to rate how it's been on a scale from 1-10, I'd call it a 3--just something that's there that bugs the shit out of me. But maybe to someone else my pain would register more like an 8. All I know is that I've been able to continue swimming, biking, running, lifting and many other activities without too much restriction. But I've noticed a lack of full range of motion, and I am very flexible and normally my range of motion is well beyond any standards. Yet I'd become OK with limiting myself and being OK with things like not being able to raise a foot to my waist or higher (can't everyone do that?), bend over backwards just because I can--things like that.
And if you restrict yourself like that, eventually it becomes the norm. Even though I've continued pushing my own envelope, I've felt like I might do something at any time that would send me spiraling backwards in improvement. I can think of other times in my life where I've been OK with pain--psychic or physical--and have been just too complacent to try and move forward. Sometimes pain is a sign that we need to push our envelopes more to get through it or know it better so that we can move beyond it.
I'm very happy that as fucked up as I thought my back was that I knew it could have been much worse. It was entertaining to listen to others opine on how long it should take me to recover from what happened, but how could they know how bad it was unless they were there? I knew how bad it was when I was laying on the floor after about 80 pounds of wood had crashed down on my shins and quads after my glutes had already hit concrete and all my back muscles had gone into a protective tightening mode. I knew how bad it was a few minutes later when I was laying on an ice pack and my back muscles were spasming, I was sweating bullets, my pulse was going through the roof, and my body was trying to throw me into shock. I knew how bad it was a week and a half later when I went for my first post-injury run and my shins, quads, glutes and back were screaming at me to the point that I was crying while running--the tears streaming down my face and me wondering if it was a bad idea to try running at all.
So I laughed when one person said I should have recovered from this in 2 weeks! My massage therapist thought I'd be recovered sooner than now, too, but I told him you had to be there to know just how bad it was.
I am grateful that I have conditioned myself, sometimes in extreme ways, so that I was able to withstand the injury, and I'm coming back. I am done being OK with the pain and discomfort. I am done restricting myself. I am done saying I can't do certain things because it might cause me additional pain.
There was a time in my life when I would be OK being immersed in psychic or physical pain for months at a time. During the last 3 years, it's interesting that despite all the crap that has happened to me, my tolerance has shortened to about 8 weeks. 8 weeks is about all the time I will let myself be subject to crap--whether it be how someone else is treating me, how I am treating myself or going easy on myself because I perceive myself to be injured. I could enumerate all the examples of this and bore you, but I know how it's been.
I observe others and how they have built up this tolerance for pain to the point of staying in unhealthy situations for months or even years. What if everyone just decided to put limits on how long they would let themselves be in them? Part of the game is just making a conscious choice and setting a goal, and saying, "x weeks from now I am going to be in a much better place because I choose to take action NOW."
And now I can't wait to be 100%. My 100% is at least 150% of most normal people, I suppose, but I like it that way. Maybe now I should lower my tolerance to only 4 weeks!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Weekly Workout Totals 01/05-2009-01/11/2009 and Miscellaneous Stuff
As you can see, one of my dirty whore Barbies is enjoying herself while a Kachina doll watches...I had a great training week. I'd call it a breakthrough week because I had everything fired up--harder and longer swim workouts, harder bike workouts, harder run workouts, and harder strength workouts. Add in a bunch of time moving snow around and a 1-hour (OK I was slow and spastic) cross country ski, and I don't think there is any muscle in my body that wasn't used! I got a great massage from the master, Mike, and was diligent about working on the muscles in my back (erector spinae, quadratus lumborum and iliopsoas) that are still a bit truculent. I had lunch with my friend, Marty, on Friday, and made dinner plans with another friend for next week.
Yesterday was one of those best days ever, which is interesting since it's the middle of winter! It started out well. I cleared the last of the snow from my driveway, took a little walk and took some pics (see previous post) of the snow. It was a beautiful, clear morning, and it was so quiet, as everyone was sleeping in and the roads were still snowy. I had planned on a 1:40 run followed by a :30 swim, but when I got back in the house, I felt a little dizzy or at least that I needed to lay down for awhile. In retrospect, I think my body was telling me that I wasn't fully recovered from Saturday's 3:00 workout plus who knows how much snow shoveling! I'm constantly learning what different bodily sensations mean, and the way this one felt was that I was a bit sinus-y and like my muscles were all out of fuel, despite the care I took on Saturday to refuel (or so I thought). Well, I am learning to listen to my body, so I started drinking Gatorade and got back in bed. I didn't fall back asleep, but it sure felt good to lay down. Also, I felt hot, so I took my temperature just for fun, and it was up--my normal temperature is about 96, and I was at 98.8! So that's almost a little fever to me. But after about an hour or so in bed, I got up, and suddenly I felt pretty much OK.
I suited up to run and headed to the Y. I got on a treadmill, and some guy who's been eyeballing me (he mostly just lifts, I think) asked me how much I was going to run today--9 or 10 miles? It was funny because that's about what I had planned, but I still wasn't sure I could execute on it or not, so I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and said I wasn't sure whether I'd make it that far, but I was going to start on it. He then proceeded to ask me whether I run marathons, and I just told him I do Ironman. I guess there's a part of me that doesn't want to be labeled as just a runner (especially since I don't consider myself one!), because I don't think I look like one. Anyway, I wasn't in the mood to chat, so I fired up the machine, and as achey and sluggish as I had felt just an hour earlier, it felt great to run! I was pleased, but cautiously optimistic, thinking that whatever I got done would be fine.
It was one of those days where I would have been OK with taking a full rest day, but then since I was on the treadmill, I began going over various scenarios--since I knew I might ski later, I could run less, or I could do the last 15 minutes on the elliptical. A 1:30 run would have been plenty. But as I got into it, I felt really good and did 1:30 on the treadmill and then headed to the indoor track.
I decided to just run a mile and see how long it took. My pink Timex watch had finally died (I knew the battery was going because the LED display was fading in and out), and so I had to wait for the second hand of a wall clock to come up on 12 so I could time myself. I wasn't trying to push it or anything, but isn't it funny sometimes how if you don't actually have a watch on you run faster? Seriously, I didn't think I was running faster than maybe 8:45, but it turned out I was running at my 5K pace! I was like what the fuck where did that come from? I ended up running 11 miles. And I was pretty happy to go for a recovery swim.
The pool was stinking hot, but it still felt good, and I knocked out a leisurely 1500 yards followed by about 5 minutes in the sauna (I would have stayed in there longer except there was a woman in there who seemed to be gay for me by the way she was looking at my naked body), then headed home.
I ate a Lean Cuisine and drank a bottle of Endurox R4, and knew I needed a lay down, after sorting through the Sunday newspaper for the sections that I read (I toss Sports, Business, Classifieds and all the ads) so I could take it into bed with me. Side note: I love my bed, and I had just changed the sheets in the morning, so how nice to finish up working out, showering and sauna and come home to that!
I had a message from a friend to meet for skiing at 6PM, so I figured I should try and get my nap on! After about 5 minutes in bed, I figured a beer would be tasty and probably knock me out, so I went and got one, got back into bed, read a little of a book, drank the beer, turned off the light, and I was out cold. I woke up an hour later feeling pretty awesome except for the right side of my back was a little stiff. I got up and had a snack and began drinking more Gatorade, since I was going to be doing another workout, got some laundry done and got things ready to fix dinner once we were back from skiing.
Skiing was great, except that I suck, while my friend is awesome at it. I need to learn to skate ski, as that's the kind of skis I got. I was a little stiff, ginger, wary of the whole thing since in a way I was a little afraid of doing something else to my back. But I managed, even though I sucked. It was beautiful out in the dark and so quiet, and I was mostly just happy to be doing something in the snow! There was one decent downhill, and I thought I had it, but then in a flash I did a huge face plant, and laughed my ass off while getting up. It's fun to fall in the snow when you won't hurt yourself.
I'm not sure of the distance of the course we were on, but it was at least a few miles. This place has lessons, so I think I'm going to do that next weekend and let that replace my run.
After skiing, we cracked open some wine, showered up and I fixed a simple but tasty dinner--Porterhouse steaks, pasta with the red pepper, bacon and Gorgonzola sauce I'd made on New Year's Day, and steamed asparagus. And a good bottle of Zinfandel. I had looked forward to that meal since I was finished running!
After all that, I slept like a baby and this morning I am just doing a :30 swim and think maybe I'll run outside in the snow later on. This week's training is going to be killer, here let me show you:
We are supposed to get more snow (blizzard warning tonight!) today through Wednesday, which is fine by me except it's going to be really super cold, too. But I'll get a little extra strength training done moving the snow.
Hope everyone had a great week and is starting out another good one! I did not include the skiing or the excessive snow removal in the numbers below--it was a solid training week anyway!
| Weekly Workout Totals | 01/05/2009-01/11/2009 This week's totals are sponsored by snow!!! There is no shortage of it here! |
| Swim: | 8400 yards (4.77 miles) in 2.88 hours; 22% of weekly workout time; approx. 1009 calories burned Canadian: 7680.96 meters |
| Bike: | Approx. 78.82 miles in 4.33 hours; 32% of weekly workout time; approx. 2384 calories burned; Total TSS=276 Canadian: 126.85 kilometers |
| Run: | Approx. 23.41 miles in 3.72 hours; 28% of weekly workout time; approx. 1691 calories burned Canadian: 37.67 kilometers |
| Strength: | 2.45 hours; 18% of weekly workout time; approx. 613 calories burned |
| All Sports: | Approx. 107 miles in 13.38 hours; approx. 5697 calories burned Canadian: 1 kilometers |
| Sleep: | 7.04 hours avg./night |
| Stretching: | 3.22 hours. Massage: 1 hours |
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Snowy Morning
It is such a beautiful morning that I decided to take a few more pics of all the snow. It looks like my town got about 8" from Friday through Saturday afternoon! There may be a little on the way again today--who knows?
Pink sunrise!
Pink sunrise!
My humble abode
The creek that seems to overflow every time I do a NothingMan!
Ash tree in my backyard. I like how the snow drifted up the 4 trunks.
Snow-covered Griffen
Beautiful sky with wispy clouds
Pink sunrise!
Pink sunrise!
My humble abode
The creek that seems to overflow every time I do a NothingMan!
Ash tree in my backyard. I like how the snow drifted up the 4 trunks.
Snow-covered Griffen
Beautiful sky with wispy cloudsSaturday, January 10, 2009
Lots of Snow Again!
I just finished clearing my driveway and removing snow from the lower north-facing roof (ice dams will form on the north roof if I don't get the snow off once it begins melting). It took me about an hour of shoveling plus snow raking, then another 40 minutes with the snowblower. The snow is really pretty, and the temperatures are really mild (near 30!), and it looks like it will keep falling until at least noon.Since I effectively just did another strength workout, I'm going to dump some more calories in me, head to the grocery store before more snow falls, and then I'll get on the trainer for 2 hours. I'm supposed to run for 30 minutes afterwards, but the snow is too deep to run in safely on the roads, so I'll either head to the Y for a short treadmill/track run or just skip it.
I do plan on skiing some tomorrow--the snow is just too nice to not do something with!
If you didn't know already, Chicago had a record precipitation year in 2008--the most EVER recorded--and this winter is looking to set records for snowfall, just like we did last winter. Oh well, nothing to do but get out in it!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Um...this hurts?
So today I did my first track workout:
WU: 10' Easy, 8 x Strides, 3 x 1' (30") @ 5k pace
MS: 3 x (6' @ 10k pace, 2' @ 5k pace, 2' walking recovery)
CD: 5-10' Easy
I did these a few years ago as preparation for the indoor tris and also Triple T. Only 2 years ago in the prior fall/winter months I had done some serious running preparation for Goofy Challenge that included a lot of tempo work and progressive long runs.
What kind of running have I done so far this season? A lot of mostly easy stuff, with brief bursts (10-15') of tempo pace thrown in in just the last 3 weeks! The same has been true of my biking. So you can imagine the shock to my legs to have done this bike workout yesterday (after lifting for about an hour including legs):
WU: 15' wup, 3' spinups
MS: 3 x 1' (1') @ 105%, 2' Easy, 4 x 5' (2') as 4' @ FT then 1' @ 105-110%, 3' Easy, 10 x 30/30' CD: 3' Easy
and then show up for today's track workout. My legs were plenty toasted by the 3rd repetition, and when I look back at how I did in these workouts 2 years ago, I've got some work to do. BUT, I was happy that I got through it. AND I think I am well on my way to resolving my back injury (I give it 2 more weeks max).
The really good thing is that mentally I am SO ready to punish myself in training, because I know what dividends it will pay. Plus, I have no complaints about the rest of my life right now, so why wouldn't I put some real focus into my training again?
I suppose in some way or other it was good that I had a forced break from my usual Crackhead-style training this fall--replacing it with constant activity related to remodeling. It's cold and snowy here, and I don't fucking care because I have a plan, I have races, I have burning desire to train hard, and if all that happens in 2009 is that I am no slower than I was 2 years ago, I'm a happy camper!
On that note, I need some motivational music, so here we go:
WU: 10' Easy, 8 x Strides, 3 x 1' (30") @ 5k pace
MS: 3 x (6' @ 10k pace, 2' @ 5k pace, 2' walking recovery)
CD: 5-10' Easy
I did these a few years ago as preparation for the indoor tris and also Triple T. Only 2 years ago in the prior fall/winter months I had done some serious running preparation for Goofy Challenge that included a lot of tempo work and progressive long runs.
What kind of running have I done so far this season? A lot of mostly easy stuff, with brief bursts (10-15') of tempo pace thrown in in just the last 3 weeks! The same has been true of my biking. So you can imagine the shock to my legs to have done this bike workout yesterday (after lifting for about an hour including legs):
WU: 15' wup, 3' spinups
MS: 3 x 1' (1') @ 105%, 2' Easy, 4 x 5' (2') as 4' @ FT then 1' @ 105-110%, 3' Easy, 10 x 30/30' CD: 3' Easy
and then show up for today's track workout. My legs were plenty toasted by the 3rd repetition, and when I look back at how I did in these workouts 2 years ago, I've got some work to do. BUT, I was happy that I got through it. AND I think I am well on my way to resolving my back injury (I give it 2 more weeks max).
The really good thing is that mentally I am SO ready to punish myself in training, because I know what dividends it will pay. Plus, I have no complaints about the rest of my life right now, so why wouldn't I put some real focus into my training again?
I suppose in some way or other it was good that I had a forced break from my usual Crackhead-style training this fall--replacing it with constant activity related to remodeling. It's cold and snowy here, and I don't fucking care because I have a plan, I have races, I have burning desire to train hard, and if all that happens in 2009 is that I am no slower than I was 2 years ago, I'm a happy camper!
On that note, I need some motivational music, so here we go:
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Pics!!!
...since I know that's the only reason most people look at my blog...
It's always fun to lift in a velvet, snow-leopard top and compression tights!
Do these tights make my butt look fat? No--my ass is fat!
It's always fun to lift in a velvet, snow-leopard top and compression tights!
Do these tights make my butt look fat? No--my ass is fat!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Weekly Workout Totals 12/28/2008-01/04/2009
When you look at the numbers below (does anyone really look at them?), it's not a lot of hours, but it was a recovery from ZebraMan and the beginning of focused intensity work.
I nearly screwed up my recovery early in the week by deciding to run on Monday. Usually I take 2 days off from running after a 1/2 Ironman, but I was feeling OK so I went and ran anyway. That wasn't really a good idea as my legs were really sore afterwards, and I was concerned whether I'd be able to bike decently on Tuesday.
Tuesday rolled around, and I looked at the planned bike workout thinking I might not be able to do it and decided instead to pop in a Spinervals tape. Usually I don't think the Spinervals are that hard, but for some reason I was totally motivated to hit the % numbers displayed (they are using HR but I'm using % of FT watts) or better, and I ended up getting a really good workout in.
Wednesday I had a pretty good swim in the AM and run around noon. I wondered if I could nail another good bike workout on Thursday, and I did, even after 4 hours of intense cooking and lifting weights for about an hour beforehand! I was really putting the hurt to myself at this point, and luckily, I only needed to swim on Friday, which enabled me to finish up my strength routine for the week.
And then for Saturday, I had this bike workout to do:
WU: 30' @ 65-70%
MS: 2 x (20' @ 80-85%, 10' Easy), then 2 x 8' (5') @ FT; 6x30/30,
cd 3'
It was hard (after the warmup), but I was focused, and besides, it was only 2 hours, and it went by pretty quickly. I finished up, changed into running shorts and headed to the Y to run for :30. Even though my family room stays nice and cold which is great for trainer riding, I still get pretty hot and sweaty, and I think this was my first really focused long-ish ride on the trainer this winter. When I got on the treadmill, within minutes I was sweating buckets, despite having a fan right over my head, and about 15 minutes in I began feeling a little dizzy and just really overheated. I wondered if I was bonking, but figured I shouldn't be as this really wasn't that long of a workout and I had drank some Ultra Violence before I started and a decent amount of Gatorade on the bike. I decided I better go and run on the track because it's a lot cooler in there than in the cardio room.
I started running on the track and still felt a bit woozy, but after a few laps, the feeling went away and that's how I knew that I was just a bit hyperthermic, and it made me laugh! I mean I'm barely wearing any clothes, I'm sweating bullets, running in a cold gym and I'm overheated! And all I could think was this was a great way to start off 2009!
I was all finished working out and eating by about 1:30PM and so I went to a matinee of "Role Models" and laughed since I was feeling like I have all this time on my hands! It truly is a treat to be done with the remodeling and not be training very much where I have time to do other things like go to a movie, sew, cook, read--a few of my favorite things!
Sunday called for a 1:30 run and a :30 swim, and I thought easy peasy. Well, about :55 into the run (on the treadmill), the front of my right ankle is giving me fits to the point where I thought I might need to quit running for the day. I went to the indoor track to see if that made a difference and hobbled through another mile, and it was while doing that that I realized why it hurt--it was from the 4 hours of sewing in the morning! It's good to remember that a lot of the things we athletes experience as injury is not from the sports themselves but from other daily living activities! Well, once I realized the origin of the pain, I was quite content to finish up on the elliptical (which didn't hurt at all), and the swim felt good even though the water was HOT, and I was done for the day.
I took a shortie cat nap (at least I think I fell asleep) with a smile on my face under my pirates and zebras, finished making some gifts (secret!), boxed up things to mail off, roasted a chicken, ate dinner and went to a friend's place. Meanwhile, of course, my ankle is fine as it had just developed some trigger points that went away on their own.
This week begins the official pattern of training for the indoor sprint races which is basically just preparation for Triple T, which even though it's 20 weeks away, you basically want to be trained up as if you were doing an Ironman, so I am taking everything fairly seriously now.
Speaking of serious, I need to go swim. Have a great Monday!
I nearly screwed up my recovery early in the week by deciding to run on Monday. Usually I take 2 days off from running after a 1/2 Ironman, but I was feeling OK so I went and ran anyway. That wasn't really a good idea as my legs were really sore afterwards, and I was concerned whether I'd be able to bike decently on Tuesday.
Tuesday rolled around, and I looked at the planned bike workout thinking I might not be able to do it and decided instead to pop in a Spinervals tape. Usually I don't think the Spinervals are that hard, but for some reason I was totally motivated to hit the % numbers displayed (they are using HR but I'm using % of FT watts) or better, and I ended up getting a really good workout in.
Wednesday I had a pretty good swim in the AM and run around noon. I wondered if I could nail another good bike workout on Thursday, and I did, even after 4 hours of intense cooking and lifting weights for about an hour beforehand! I was really putting the hurt to myself at this point, and luckily, I only needed to swim on Friday, which enabled me to finish up my strength routine for the week.
And then for Saturday, I had this bike workout to do:
WU: 30' @ 65-70%
MS: 2 x (20' @ 80-85%, 10' Easy), then 2 x 8' (5') @ FT; 6x30/30,
cd 3'
It was hard (after the warmup), but I was focused, and besides, it was only 2 hours, and it went by pretty quickly. I finished up, changed into running shorts and headed to the Y to run for :30. Even though my family room stays nice and cold which is great for trainer riding, I still get pretty hot and sweaty, and I think this was my first really focused long-ish ride on the trainer this winter. When I got on the treadmill, within minutes I was sweating buckets, despite having a fan right over my head, and about 15 minutes in I began feeling a little dizzy and just really overheated. I wondered if I was bonking, but figured I shouldn't be as this really wasn't that long of a workout and I had drank some Ultra Violence before I started and a decent amount of Gatorade on the bike. I decided I better go and run on the track because it's a lot cooler in there than in the cardio room.
I started running on the track and still felt a bit woozy, but after a few laps, the feeling went away and that's how I knew that I was just a bit hyperthermic, and it made me laugh! I mean I'm barely wearing any clothes, I'm sweating bullets, running in a cold gym and I'm overheated! And all I could think was this was a great way to start off 2009!
I was all finished working out and eating by about 1:30PM and so I went to a matinee of "Role Models" and laughed since I was feeling like I have all this time on my hands! It truly is a treat to be done with the remodeling and not be training very much where I have time to do other things like go to a movie, sew, cook, read--a few of my favorite things!
Sunday called for a 1:30 run and a :30 swim, and I thought easy peasy. Well, about :55 into the run (on the treadmill), the front of my right ankle is giving me fits to the point where I thought I might need to quit running for the day. I went to the indoor track to see if that made a difference and hobbled through another mile, and it was while doing that that I realized why it hurt--it was from the 4 hours of sewing in the morning! It's good to remember that a lot of the things we athletes experience as injury is not from the sports themselves but from other daily living activities! Well, once I realized the origin of the pain, I was quite content to finish up on the elliptical (which didn't hurt at all), and the swim felt good even though the water was HOT, and I was done for the day.
I took a shortie cat nap (at least I think I fell asleep) with a smile on my face under my pirates and zebras, finished making some gifts (secret!), boxed up things to mail off, roasted a chicken, ate dinner and went to a friend's place. Meanwhile, of course, my ankle is fine as it had just developed some trigger points that went away on their own.
This week begins the official pattern of training for the indoor sprint races which is basically just preparation for Triple T, which even though it's 20 weeks away, you basically want to be trained up as if you were doing an Ironman, so I am taking everything fairly seriously now.
Speaking of serious, I need to go swim. Have a great Monday!
| Weekly Workout Totals | 12/29/2008-01/04/2009 This week's totals are sponsored by a lack of snow. How did I make it stop snowing? I bought cross country skis! |
| Swim: | 9400 yards (5.33 miles) in 3.38 hours; 26% of weekly workout time; approx. 1185 calories burned Canadian: 8595.36 meters |
| Bike: | Approx. 97.35 miles in 4.77 hours; 36% of weekly workout time; approx. 2625 calories burned; Total TSS=295 Canadian: 156.67 kilometers |
| Run: | Approx. 24.23 miles in 3.77 hours; 29% of weekly workout time; approx. 1715 calories burned Canadian: 38.99 kilometers |
| Strength: | 1.27 hours; 10% of weekly workout time; approx. 318 calories burned |
| All Sports: | Approx. 126.91 miles in 13.19 hours; approx. 5843 calories burned Canadian: 1.25 kilometers |
| Sleep: | 7.64 hours avg./night |
| Stretching: | 2.03 hours. Massage: 1.25 hours |
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Look What I Made This Weekend!
A new duvet cover for my bed...I decided I was tired of the previous one. I went online to search for pirate and zebra fabric a little over a week ago, and I scored big time! Bonus--I also got flames! Here's the finished product on the bed:
Here's a closeup of the pirate fabric. Yes, it says "Bad Bones" on it!
Closeup of the zebra fabric. I really like the fact that it's like embedded zebras instead of just stripes!
The entire thing took about 8 hours to complete, from buying the lining fabric locally (Friday evening) to measuring and cutting (yesterday morning before I worked out) and finally sewing (this morning). I'm really happy with the result, and now I think it's time I ditch the floral curtains and go with pleated shades...funny how I"m into this "decorating" thing after 8 years of total neglect!
The only reason I hurried up on this sewing project is that I only use the duvet cover in the winter, and there's maybe 2.5 months left of that (YEAH!), so I wanted to get some use out of it. Plus, I have another sewing project in the wings, and there aren't too many more weekends (7, maybe) where I won't be wasted from training and/or racing.
Had an awesome day yesterday--cut out the duvet cover, biked 2 hours pretty hard, ran :30 pretty hard (including my first episode of hyperthermia for 2009!!!), went and saw the movie "Role Models" (hilarious), watched a little TV, read a little and early to bed.
Now it's time to go run and swim and then all I have left today is to cook, which I am really getting into now.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Here's a closeup of the pirate fabric. Yes, it says "Bad Bones" on it!
Closeup of the zebra fabric. I really like the fact that it's like embedded zebras instead of just stripes!
The entire thing took about 8 hours to complete, from buying the lining fabric locally (Friday evening) to measuring and cutting (yesterday morning before I worked out) and finally sewing (this morning). I'm really happy with the result, and now I think it's time I ditch the floral curtains and go with pleated shades...funny how I"m into this "decorating" thing after 8 years of total neglect!
The only reason I hurried up on this sewing project is that I only use the duvet cover in the winter, and there's maybe 2.5 months left of that (YEAH!), so I wanted to get some use out of it. Plus, I have another sewing project in the wings, and there aren't too many more weekends (7, maybe) where I won't be wasted from training and/or racing.
Had an awesome day yesterday--cut out the duvet cover, biked 2 hours pretty hard, ran :30 pretty hard (including my first episode of hyperthermia for 2009!!!), went and saw the movie "Role Models" (hilarious), watched a little TV, read a little and early to bed.
Now it's time to go run and swim and then all I have left today is to cook, which I am really getting into now.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
New Year's Day Cooking Orgy
I did not drink much at all last night. Nice to not wake up with a hangover on New Year's Day, as I have plenty of things to do while enjoying a day off from work.
I did some reading in bed, and then I motivated to cook around 7:15. Pics and description are here. I spent 4 hours cooking, and now I must work out so I can eat some lasagna later! I will also do the dishes later on...I hate doing dishes, but I did rinse or soak the gnarly ones so it won't be that bad, and I already cleaned off the stove.
It's gray and depressing weather here, but too bad, I'm enjoying my day. I'm going to lift weights first, and then get on the trainer for about 1.5 hours, or whatever I feel like--we'll see! I will get in at least 2 hours, though, as that is my threshold to eat something so incredibly bad for me but yet so tasty!
Happy New Year everyone!
I did some reading in bed, and then I motivated to cook around 7:15. Pics and description are here. I spent 4 hours cooking, and now I must work out so I can eat some lasagna later! I will also do the dishes later on...I hate doing dishes, but I did rinse or soak the gnarly ones so it won't be that bad, and I already cleaned off the stove.
It's gray and depressing weather here, but too bad, I'm enjoying my day. I'm going to lift weights first, and then get on the trainer for about 1.5 hours, or whatever I feel like--we'll see! I will get in at least 2 hours, though, as that is my threshold to eat something so incredibly bad for me but yet so tasty!
Happy New Year everyone!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
I Ching Guidance
Every now and then, I consult the I Ching in the way some people look to astrology; only whereas astrology is designed to be predictive, the I Ching is used to help you look inward at your current situation. I use an online divination tool rather than tossing coins or reeds (as is called for if you do it yourself). I won't say what my question was today, but it was interesting that one of the results was Qian, or Ch'ien (English pronunciation), which has never come to me before. I have reprinted the online text for it at the end of this post, but here is part of Confucius' commentary from the I Ching that I own by Alfred Huang:
Dragon lying low, do not use.
Your energy is lying deeply low.
Dragon arising in the field.
All under Heaven is illuminated.
The superior person, all day long initiating, initiating.
He is acting, proceeding in harmony with good timing.
Probably leaping from an abyss.
The Tao of Qian is transforming.
Dragon flying in the sky.
Heavenly virtue is being bestowed on this position.
Haughty dragon, there is regret.
Completion and ending correspond with timing.
When all firms change to yielding,
The model of Heaven is perceived.
I always find truth and inspiration in the I Ching. Today it tells me I am on the right path! If you are interested in a brief introduction to the I Ching, go here.
1. Ch'ien - The Creative
-----
----- above Ch'ien The Creative, Heaven
-----
-----
----- below Ch'ien The Creative, Heaven
-----
The Judgement
The Creative works sublime success,
Furthering through perseverance.
The Image
The movement of heaven is full of power.
Thus the superior man makes himself strong and
untiring.
The Lines
Nine at the beginning means:
Hidden dragon. Do not act.
Nine in the second place means:
Dragon appearing in the field.
It furthers one to see the great man.
Nine in the third place means:
All day long the superior man is creatively active.
At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares.
Danger. No blame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Wavering flight over the depths.
No blame.
() Nine in the fifth place means:
Flying dragon in the heavens.
It furthers one to see the great man.
Nine at the top means:
Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.
When all the lines are nines, it means:
There appears a flight of dragons without heads.
Good fortune.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Weekly Workout Totals 12/22/2008-12/28/2008, Miscellaneous Reflections and Recipe for Margarita Pie
It was a good week! We had crazy weather--snow, sleet, rain and ice for precipitation--and the temperatures ranged from the 60's down to about -15. Throw Christmas, a sprint and a 1/2 Ironman in there, and the entire week became something so unique that I will remember it for a long time! It is interesting to note that this is my second Christmas without my parents, and while I can fondly remember many with them, I am sure they'd be happy to know how much I enjoyed this one.
I received many special gifts this year, that I suppose, signify that I have friends and family that know who I really am:
I've been reading posts in some forums written by people who did an Ironman this past year who, in looking back, feel like they sacrificed too much to get to that starting line. While I don't have kids, I think I manage to squeeze in a lot of living with the time I have, and I think that if that is how someone feels about Ironman, I certainly honor it--but on another level, I am thinking if that's how you feel then you are doing it wrong! Some of their feelings may be driven by the fact that it's their first Ironman--similar, I suppose, to having a first child feeling overwhelming but the second and subsequent seem easier. For most people, the first time you train for an Ironman, it beats the absolute shit out of your body, and if that's all you remember, then sure, you might not want to do it again. But if you look at your life and figure out all the ways you can simplify it so that you can pursue that passion, if it in fact is a passion for you, then the act of training becomes an expression of pure joy. I know it is for me! Long distance endurance training and racing is not for everyone, for sure, and we all need to make the right choices for our life situations. While there are certainly times when I'm training that it feels like work, 95% of the time I just feel happy that I am able to do it, and know that the mental focus required to keep doing it carries over into everything else I do in life. But I also tend to laugh my ass off at myself, triathlon in general, and how serious I sometimes I think I am. But hey, in the final analysis, all I care about is that I don't totally suck! And my personal expression of the complete and utter joy I get from training and racing is by doing NothingMans! If all the organized races were to be cancelled, I would still be out there training and doing my own thing, occasionally roping in some other athlete who "gets" me and gets this stuff.
I am scheming, in fact, to "organize" an event for 2010 that will be a 4-day stage NothingMan, with a sprint on day 1, an Olympic on day 2, a Half Ironman on day 3, and an Ironman on Day 4. That seems like it would be an accomplishment, no? I'm thinking of doing it in June, to allow for another extreme event in August or September. While there is no shortage of organized endurance events, I kinda like the idea of inventing one on my own. We shall see...
Oh yeah, I was supposed to post totals and a recipe. So here they are!
Margarita Pie
I received many special gifts this year, that I suppose, signify that I have friends and family that know who I really am:
- A fur zebra stripes on one side and black velvet on the other, blanket. I've already been cuddled up under it several times to read or just relax.
- The book Walden Two by B.F. Skinner. I will begin reading it in the new year to reconnect with my intellectual self.
- The book Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is a great addition to my small collection of books that remind me of my mission. Just reading the first paragraph has set the stage for my day: Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others. That is what I intend to do today.
- Beautiful leaded-crystal candelsticks. In lighting candles on them, I'm reminded of my inner fire and the beautiful glow that it can cast on others.
- A sparkly, pink, leopard-print camisole. How my niece found animal print that is also sparkly and pink, I'll never know--but she does know me well!
- A plush monkey that went through an "infusion of love" session with my healing friends who live in Pahrump, Nevada.
I've been reading posts in some forums written by people who did an Ironman this past year who, in looking back, feel like they sacrificed too much to get to that starting line. While I don't have kids, I think I manage to squeeze in a lot of living with the time I have, and I think that if that is how someone feels about Ironman, I certainly honor it--but on another level, I am thinking if that's how you feel then you are doing it wrong! Some of their feelings may be driven by the fact that it's their first Ironman--similar, I suppose, to having a first child feeling overwhelming but the second and subsequent seem easier. For most people, the first time you train for an Ironman, it beats the absolute shit out of your body, and if that's all you remember, then sure, you might not want to do it again. But if you look at your life and figure out all the ways you can simplify it so that you can pursue that passion, if it in fact is a passion for you, then the act of training becomes an expression of pure joy. I know it is for me! Long distance endurance training and racing is not for everyone, for sure, and we all need to make the right choices for our life situations. While there are certainly times when I'm training that it feels like work, 95% of the time I just feel happy that I am able to do it, and know that the mental focus required to keep doing it carries over into everything else I do in life. But I also tend to laugh my ass off at myself, triathlon in general, and how serious I sometimes I think I am. But hey, in the final analysis, all I care about is that I don't totally suck! And my personal expression of the complete and utter joy I get from training and racing is by doing NothingMans! If all the organized races were to be cancelled, I would still be out there training and doing my own thing, occasionally roping in some other athlete who "gets" me and gets this stuff.
I am scheming, in fact, to "organize" an event for 2010 that will be a 4-day stage NothingMan, with a sprint on day 1, an Olympic on day 2, a Half Ironman on day 3, and an Ironman on Day 4. That seems like it would be an accomplishment, no? I'm thinking of doing it in June, to allow for another extreme event in August or September. While there is no shortage of organized endurance events, I kinda like the idea of inventing one on my own. We shall see...
Oh yeah, I was supposed to post totals and a recipe. So here they are!
| Weekly Workout Totals | 12/22/2008-12/28/2008 This week's totals are sponsored by freakish winter weather in Chicago. We had it all--rain, sleet, snow, ice! |
| Swim: | 8200 yards (4.65 miles) in 2.78 hours; 21% of weekly workout time; approx. 975 calories burned Canadian: 7498.08 meters |
| Bike: | Approx. 94.79 miles in 4.88 hours; 38% of weekly workout time; approx. 2417 calories burned; Total TSS=256 Canadian: 152.55 kilometers |
| Run: | Approx. 25.26 miles in 3.83 hours; 30% of weekly workout time; approx. 1744 calories burned Canadian: 40.65 kilometers |
| Strength: | 1.45 hours; 11% of weekly workout time; approx. 363 calories burned |
| All Sports: | Approx. 124.7 miles in 12.94 hours; approx. 5499 calories burned Canadian: 0 kilometers |
| Sleep: | 7.39 hours avg./night |
| Stretching: | 2.12 hours. Massage: 0 hours |
Margarita Pie
From The Manhattan Chili Co. Southwest American Cookbook
Serves 8 (more like 10-12, if you ask me)
This makes a very tart, lemon-meringue type pie, but does not get baked. You’ll have a lot of egg whites left over which you can use in an egg white omelet or make some meringue cookies.
Do not serve this to children—there is a kick from the alcohol, and some adults (wimps) may not even like it!
Crust
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
4 TBSP. unsalted butter, melted
In a small bowl toss together the crumbs, sugar and butter until evenly combined. Pat evenly and firmly into a 10-inch pie pan and refrigerate.
Note: If I remember correctly the last time I made this in a single pie plate, there was a lot of extra filling. So I would suggest you use a deep-dish pie plate.
Or, you can be lazy like me and just buy a pre-made graham cracker pie crust, or even better, get those baby individual ones. The filling is enough for 15 individual pies.
Or, you can skip the crust altogether and just pour the cooked filling into unbuttered cups or bowls—perhaps margarita glasses would look nice with a slice of lime before serving!
Filling
7 large eggs
8 large egg yolks
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups fresh lime juice (about 9 limes)
Note: Do NOT use bottled lime juice. It will ruin this!
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
8 TBSP. butter (salted is fine), cut into small pieces
½ cup tequila (use something good, and a gold tequila is best)
1/3 cup Cointreau (I used Grand Marnier and really liked it)
Since you will be making a fast-setting custard, it’s best to have all your ingredients ready to go at room temperature before you begin, as it’s important to combine things at just the right time, otherwise you can end up with runny custard!
In a heavy-bottomed, noncorrosive saucepan, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the sugar, lime juice and zest.
Set over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to heavily coat the back of a spoon. This happens rather suddenly, after about 9 minutes of cooking. Do like I do—set a timer for 11 minutes, and keep stirring and watching the timer. Depending on atmospheric conditions, it may set up after 9, 10 or 11 minutes and the amount of heat you are applying.
Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the butter all at once. Whisk until the butter is incorporated. Whisk in the tequila and Cointreau (or Grand Marnier) and pour immediately into the prepared crust. If you have more than enough to fill your crusts, simply pour the extra into bowls or cups or whatever. They don’t need to be buttered first, as this is good as a thick pudding!
Chill until set before covering loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight before cutting.
Serve with whipped cream—sweetened or not. Raspberries would be good on top, too.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
ZebraMan 1/2 Ironman Race Report
Pics (lots of them!) are here.
I did the swim and the bike with a friend who had to do something else and so I did the run by myself.
We headed to my Y to swim. Most of the ice on driveways and roads had melted, as the temperatures had risen to 50 overnight, and it was raining. The weather forecast called for rain all day, and if it weren't for the rain, we probably could have biked and run outdoors! Well, we could have anyway, but biking would not have been safe, and I'd done enough running in the rain for the year already!
As we walked into the Y, I thought I smelled gas, but it could have been anything. When we got on deck, I took one pic of the lane we were going to swim in, and then I handed my camera to the lifeguard and asked him to snap a few while we were swimming. He exceeded expectations, and was snapping away while we swam. It was fun to see the flash of the camera every now and then, and he must have had fun taking the pics. I've never seen myself swim in so many shots before, and while I think I still suck at it, there are a few things I am doing right. We started swimming at 6:00AM on the nose.
I had decided we would swim 2200 yards, but it wasn't until this morning that I realized that was a little further than 1.2 miles. No worries! We both made a few quick stops en route, and the water was nice and cool, and we had just finished when the lifeguard blew the whistle. I know that Masters doesn't begin until 8:00AM, so I wondered why the whistle had been blown. Well, they told everyone that we had to get out because there was a gas leak in the building! I had been correct in smelling gas when we first got in. But, it wasn't so bad that you couldn't take your shower and stuff.
Swim time: :40
We changed into our biking clothes and headed back to my house to bike. Of course, it was still raining like crazy. I had some music queued up in the CD player, but we decided to start with watching Ironman Hawaii 2008. Once again, I found it difficult to pay attention to the TV, and we mostly ended up talking. When that was finished, we talked about watching either Spinal Tap or Monty Python, and we decided to go with the Monty Python. We watched about 1/2 hour that was in German with English subtitles, but it was still hilarious. My friend then left (I decided he could call it quits at 2:40 clock time because he's so fast), and then I finished up my ride to 56 miles, since I have my speed/cadence pickup on my rear wheel.
My bike time: 2:47
I took my sweet time transitioning to the run because I wanted to get some towels against the wall where I figured I'd get some seepage from all the snow melt and rain (it ended up not being too bad), and I dumped all the pics from the pool onto my laptop, changed clothes and decided what I wanted to drink. I think once I was off the bike that it took about :25 before I was firmly ensconced on a treadmill at the Y, after calling to be sure it was open. As it turned out, there wasn't a gas leak--they said it was "something outside."
On the way in, I ran into a friend who asked me what I was up to today, and I told him a 1/2 Ironman. He asked me what I was training for, and I should have said THIS! But I said I just had some sprint races coming up and that I usually try and do a 1/2 Ironman on my own by Thanksgiving, but that I was behind schedule for a few reasons. He rolled his eyes at me and told me I am crazy, but we both already knew that!
I got lucky in that I got the rightmost treadmill which is near to one of the entrances to the indoor track and also the ramp down to the free weight area, since that is one of the coolest areas in the cardio area, and also I had a personal ceiling fan! I was already pretty hot from biking, and it didn't take very long for me to become extremely disgusting, as I was sweating from every single pore in my body, and also my eyes! I had decided to try and run the same pace as I had a week ago for my 2-hour long run, which would be good if I could maintain it for a 1/2 Ironman. I was happy that my iliopsoas was feeling pretty good, and I rarely needed to stop and stretch it.
Another runner I know came to chat with me right about at 1 hour in. I had told him a week ago that I was doing a 1/2 Ironman, and he asked me again what the distances are. I told him, and then he was like, wait, what have you done already again? Sometimes it takes a few times of telling someone before it all sinks in. So I said slowly that I'd already swum 1.2 miles and biked 56 miles. And he asked again how much running, and I said a half marathon! I love the look on someone's face when they really realize just how far you are talking about, and then especially when you are just doing it on your own, and indoors to boot!
I also saw another runner that I'd seen last week towards the end of my long run who is doing Goofy Challenge. I asked him how many miles he'd done today, and he said 17. He is psycho, as he did it all on the indoor track, which is 12 laps to the mile! I said to him that if it made him feel any better that I was doing a 1/2 Ironman, and he said no, it didn't make him feel better! Truth be told, I'd rather do a 1/2 Ironman than a 17-mile run any day!
The first 7 miles of running felt great, and it wasn't until I was about 1:30 in that my legs were like what the fuck? But I pressed on, knowing that I didn't have much longer to go. When I had one mile to go, I wiped down the treadmill and headed to the track. Last week, when I did the same thing at the end of my long run, my legs were all peppy and snappy. Not so much today! But I still managed to hold pace, and it was nice to be in the cool part of the gym. I set up my camera to snap a few finishing photos, and then headed off to the showers.
My run time: 1:58
Total moving time: 5:25, not bad!
I thought I'd stretch a bit in the sauna, but my core temperature was predictably up, so I couldn't stand it in there and just got dressed and headed home. It was still raining. My preemptive strike against seepage had turned out to be spot on, and I really didn't get very much at all. I drank some Endurox and ate half a prosciutto sandwich and got ready to go to my brother's house for Christmas dinner.
I checked the weather forecast, and they had put out a tornado watch until 7:00PM, and just as I was about to leave, the sky opened up and a deluge came down. But I knew it wouldn't last very long, so I waited for it to ease up, and then I headed to my brother's. I didn't drive through the lake on my street as I had no idea how deep it was. I knew a route there that would avoid low lying areas, but man was there a ton of water everywhere! Almost all the snow (let's call it 2 feet or so) had melted, and it had already rained a couple of inches, so it was truly water, water everywhere!
About a block after I turned onto my brother's street, there was water over the road, and I had no choice but to go through it. My car made a nice wave, and then the battery light promptly went on and I could feel the power steering start to go, but I managed to make it into Mike's driveway. I shut everything down and then restarted the engine to let it run a bit and all was fine. Mike had a lake in his backyard, and he joked that we could have done our swim in it!
I had a really nice family dinner and lots of talking and we exchanged gifts and I ate like a pig, and I just had this nice inner satisfaction that I'd done a 1/2 Ironman. I did need to periodically lie down as I was pretty tired, but punch with vodka, a few beers, and a glass of wine or two helped with the pain management!
I didn't enjoy my own margarita pie until I got back home, since I needed a little time to digest the large meal I'd eaten, but it was really, really good, and I ate two of those little suckers with whipped cream on top!
I slept the sleep of the really sleepy, and this morning I feel a good tired. The rain is gone, my family room is nearly dry, I do not have to workout at all today (but I may swim--er--flop around), I do not have any house guests, I do not have to do any form of shopping, my house is clean--I get to just enjoy a lazy Sunday all by myself! I love hanging out with my friends and family, but I need some alone time, too, and this day is well-deserved! I had one of the best days ever yesterday from the moment I woke up to falling asleep. Friends, family, food, triathlon, presents, laughter--what could be better?
I did the swim and the bike with a friend who had to do something else and so I did the run by myself.
We headed to my Y to swim. Most of the ice on driveways and roads had melted, as the temperatures had risen to 50 overnight, and it was raining. The weather forecast called for rain all day, and if it weren't for the rain, we probably could have biked and run outdoors! Well, we could have anyway, but biking would not have been safe, and I'd done enough running in the rain for the year already!
As we walked into the Y, I thought I smelled gas, but it could have been anything. When we got on deck, I took one pic of the lane we were going to swim in, and then I handed my camera to the lifeguard and asked him to snap a few while we were swimming. He exceeded expectations, and was snapping away while we swam. It was fun to see the flash of the camera every now and then, and he must have had fun taking the pics. I've never seen myself swim in so many shots before, and while I think I still suck at it, there are a few things I am doing right. We started swimming at 6:00AM on the nose.
I had decided we would swim 2200 yards, but it wasn't until this morning that I realized that was a little further than 1.2 miles. No worries! We both made a few quick stops en route, and the water was nice and cool, and we had just finished when the lifeguard blew the whistle. I know that Masters doesn't begin until 8:00AM, so I wondered why the whistle had been blown. Well, they told everyone that we had to get out because there was a gas leak in the building! I had been correct in smelling gas when we first got in. But, it wasn't so bad that you couldn't take your shower and stuff.
Swim time: :40
We changed into our biking clothes and headed back to my house to bike. Of course, it was still raining like crazy. I had some music queued up in the CD player, but we decided to start with watching Ironman Hawaii 2008. Once again, I found it difficult to pay attention to the TV, and we mostly ended up talking. When that was finished, we talked about watching either Spinal Tap or Monty Python, and we decided to go with the Monty Python. We watched about 1/2 hour that was in German with English subtitles, but it was still hilarious. My friend then left (I decided he could call it quits at 2:40 clock time because he's so fast), and then I finished up my ride to 56 miles, since I have my speed/cadence pickup on my rear wheel.
My bike time: 2:47
I took my sweet time transitioning to the run because I wanted to get some towels against the wall where I figured I'd get some seepage from all the snow melt and rain (it ended up not being too bad), and I dumped all the pics from the pool onto my laptop, changed clothes and decided what I wanted to drink. I think once I was off the bike that it took about :25 before I was firmly ensconced on a treadmill at the Y, after calling to be sure it was open. As it turned out, there wasn't a gas leak--they said it was "something outside."
On the way in, I ran into a friend who asked me what I was up to today, and I told him a 1/2 Ironman. He asked me what I was training for, and I should have said THIS! But I said I just had some sprint races coming up and that I usually try and do a 1/2 Ironman on my own by Thanksgiving, but that I was behind schedule for a few reasons. He rolled his eyes at me and told me I am crazy, but we both already knew that!
I got lucky in that I got the rightmost treadmill which is near to one of the entrances to the indoor track and also the ramp down to the free weight area, since that is one of the coolest areas in the cardio area, and also I had a personal ceiling fan! I was already pretty hot from biking, and it didn't take very long for me to become extremely disgusting, as I was sweating from every single pore in my body, and also my eyes! I had decided to try and run the same pace as I had a week ago for my 2-hour long run, which would be good if I could maintain it for a 1/2 Ironman. I was happy that my iliopsoas was feeling pretty good, and I rarely needed to stop and stretch it.
Another runner I know came to chat with me right about at 1 hour in. I had told him a week ago that I was doing a 1/2 Ironman, and he asked me again what the distances are. I told him, and then he was like, wait, what have you done already again? Sometimes it takes a few times of telling someone before it all sinks in. So I said slowly that I'd already swum 1.2 miles and biked 56 miles. And he asked again how much running, and I said a half marathon! I love the look on someone's face when they really realize just how far you are talking about, and then especially when you are just doing it on your own, and indoors to boot!
I also saw another runner that I'd seen last week towards the end of my long run who is doing Goofy Challenge. I asked him how many miles he'd done today, and he said 17. He is psycho, as he did it all on the indoor track, which is 12 laps to the mile! I said to him that if it made him feel any better that I was doing a 1/2 Ironman, and he said no, it didn't make him feel better! Truth be told, I'd rather do a 1/2 Ironman than a 17-mile run any day!
The first 7 miles of running felt great, and it wasn't until I was about 1:30 in that my legs were like what the fuck? But I pressed on, knowing that I didn't have much longer to go. When I had one mile to go, I wiped down the treadmill and headed to the track. Last week, when I did the same thing at the end of my long run, my legs were all peppy and snappy. Not so much today! But I still managed to hold pace, and it was nice to be in the cool part of the gym. I set up my camera to snap a few finishing photos, and then headed off to the showers.
My run time: 1:58
Total moving time: 5:25, not bad!
I thought I'd stretch a bit in the sauna, but my core temperature was predictably up, so I couldn't stand it in there and just got dressed and headed home. It was still raining. My preemptive strike against seepage had turned out to be spot on, and I really didn't get very much at all. I drank some Endurox and ate half a prosciutto sandwich and got ready to go to my brother's house for Christmas dinner.
I checked the weather forecast, and they had put out a tornado watch until 7:00PM, and just as I was about to leave, the sky opened up and a deluge came down. But I knew it wouldn't last very long, so I waited for it to ease up, and then I headed to my brother's. I didn't drive through the lake on my street as I had no idea how deep it was. I knew a route there that would avoid low lying areas, but man was there a ton of water everywhere! Almost all the snow (let's call it 2 feet or so) had melted, and it had already rained a couple of inches, so it was truly water, water everywhere!
About a block after I turned onto my brother's street, there was water over the road, and I had no choice but to go through it. My car made a nice wave, and then the battery light promptly went on and I could feel the power steering start to go, but I managed to make it into Mike's driveway. I shut everything down and then restarted the engine to let it run a bit and all was fine. Mike had a lake in his backyard, and he joked that we could have done our swim in it!
I had a really nice family dinner and lots of talking and we exchanged gifts and I ate like a pig, and I just had this nice inner satisfaction that I'd done a 1/2 Ironman. I did need to periodically lie down as I was pretty tired, but punch with vodka, a few beers, and a glass of wine or two helped with the pain management!
I didn't enjoy my own margarita pie until I got back home, since I needed a little time to digest the large meal I'd eaten, but it was really, really good, and I ate two of those little suckers with whipped cream on top!
I slept the sleep of the really sleepy, and this morning I feel a good tired. The rain is gone, my family room is nearly dry, I do not have to workout at all today (but I may swim--er--flop around), I do not have any house guests, I do not have to do any form of shopping, my house is clean--I get to just enjoy a lazy Sunday all by myself! I love hanging out with my friends and family, but I need some alone time, too, and this day is well-deserved! I had one of the best days ever yesterday from the moment I woke up to falling asleep. Friends, family, food, triathlon, presents, laughter--what could be better?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Wake the Fuck Up and do a 1/2 Ironman!
OK, I'm just curious who all else is doing a self-supported 1/2 Ironman today??? Nobody??? Robin thought I may have done too much yesterday, but I am training for Triple T and I am Crackhead, so no worries. I actually skipped the spinning yesterday because I just ran out of time--I needed to make these little margarita pies for this afternoon's family gathering, do laundry, wash the dishes, acquire provisions, try and get the ice off my driveway near the front door, and oh I did do a sprint tri and lifted for 1/2 hour. In the big scheme of things, a :30 spin just wasn't necessary.
Here are the margarita pies/tarts:
The filling is awesome! If anyone wants the recipe, leave a comment, and when I get around to it I'll post it here. Trust me, it tastes like a margarita, and there's a good amount of tequila and Grand Marnier (recipe called for Cointreau; the Grand Marnier tastes better, I think) in there. I got to lick the pan that I made the custard in, and yum, yum, yum!
Just as if I were doing a regular race, I woke up several times during the night feeling a bit excited, knowing I was doing a race today. As soon as I got up and turned on the light, I looked at my toenails and just cracked a huge smile. How can you not smile when your toes are zebra striped? I'm going to drink Ultrafuel in about an hour just so I'm fully carbed up. LGL is on the trainer (as she is all winter long), and I just need to load up some CD's for the bike ride, pack my swim/bike and run bags, do a little stretching and I'm all set to go. I don't feel any worse for the wear considering what I did yesterday, and why should I? The more you do this stuff, the more your body remembers what you've done before, and even if you know it might suck, it's not like there are any concerns about being able to do it.
What is it about these NothingMan's that the weather is always crappy? In 2007, for my first full NothingMan, it was cold as shit in Wisconsin. For this year's full NothingMan, it was raining almost the entire time. This past spring there were a few NothingMan's that I did where it was also raining. And guess what? Today it's going to be raining a lot all day. Since the ground is frozen, there are warnings out for flooding, and I am just hoping I don't get any water in my house. But, the show must go on, and I'll get things done no matter what happens today, and then I'll go and feast with my family who thinks I always eat like a pig since I've usually worked out at least 3 hours, and then I'm going to relax and try to sleep in tomorrow.
I am starting the swim between 6:00 and 6:15AM CST, and should be back home on the bike starting around 7:30, and back at the Y on the treadmill from 11-1. If you have my cell #, feel free to shoot me a txt msg. of encouragement. HTFU is always welcome!
Check back later for pics...not sure I'll have a race report until tomorrow, but you never know!
Here's today's race clothes (on black granite!):
Pre-race nutrition (no it's not beer--it's Ultrafuel):
Today's music selection for the bike:
Here are the margarita pies/tarts:
The filling is awesome! If anyone wants the recipe, leave a comment, and when I get around to it I'll post it here. Trust me, it tastes like a margarita, and there's a good amount of tequila and Grand Marnier (recipe called for Cointreau; the Grand Marnier tastes better, I think) in there. I got to lick the pan that I made the custard in, and yum, yum, yum!Just as if I were doing a regular race, I woke up several times during the night feeling a bit excited, knowing I was doing a race today. As soon as I got up and turned on the light, I looked at my toenails and just cracked a huge smile. How can you not smile when your toes are zebra striped? I'm going to drink Ultrafuel in about an hour just so I'm fully carbed up. LGL is on the trainer (as she is all winter long), and I just need to load up some CD's for the bike ride, pack my swim/bike and run bags, do a little stretching and I'm all set to go. I don't feel any worse for the wear considering what I did yesterday, and why should I? The more you do this stuff, the more your body remembers what you've done before, and even if you know it might suck, it's not like there are any concerns about being able to do it.
What is it about these NothingMan's that the weather is always crappy? In 2007, for my first full NothingMan, it was cold as shit in Wisconsin. For this year's full NothingMan, it was raining almost the entire time. This past spring there were a few NothingMan's that I did where it was also raining. And guess what? Today it's going to be raining a lot all day. Since the ground is frozen, there are warnings out for flooding, and I am just hoping I don't get any water in my house. But, the show must go on, and I'll get things done no matter what happens today, and then I'll go and feast with my family who thinks I always eat like a pig since I've usually worked out at least 3 hours, and then I'm going to relax and try to sleep in tomorrow.
I am starting the swim between 6:00 and 6:15AM CST, and should be back home on the bike starting around 7:30, and back at the Y on the treadmill from 11-1. If you have my cell #, feel free to shoot me a txt msg. of encouragement. HTFU is always welcome!
Check back later for pics...not sure I'll have a race report until tomorrow, but you never know!
Here's today's race clothes (on black granite!):
Pre-race nutrition (no it's not beer--it's Ultrafuel):
Today's music selection for the bike:
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sprint Zebraman Race Report
Pics are here.
I hadn't planned on doing a sprint the day before the 1/2 Ironman that I'm doing tomorrow, but early this week I just figured, hey, I've done this before, why not put a sprint the day before? Besides, I am not worried about what pace I do tomorrow.
When I woke up this morning, I wasn't sure whether I was going to try and push it or not. My driveway, the roads and the YMCA parking lot were total ice when I left. When I got out of my car at the Y, I walked maybe 12 feet, slipped and fell. Good thing I had practiced falling yesterday while out skiing, so I did a nice tuck position into the snow! I laughed, got up gingerly (you'd need crampons to walk on the ice normally), got to the salted part of the sidewalk, and was glad that I'd be indoors for a little over an hour.
Since I didn't have anyone to time me and I didn't feel like looking at a clock, I decided the swim would just be 500 yds. I sucked, even though I was trying to push it a little. I didn't warm up or anything--just got in and swam. I've got 4 weeks to put a little pep in my arms. At least the water was nice and cool, which means it should be cool tomorrow morning for the 1/2 Ironman.
I tried to limit my T1 time to 10 minutes, since that is what they give you for the indoor tris. I went a little over because of the clothing I was wearing--I don't normally wear a long top (I just leave my swimsuit top on) or tights for the actual races. No worries, though.
I adjusted the Precor saddle height, hopped on, and right away I could feel my quads not too happy, but mainly because of my iliopsoas, which are a little jazzed from yesterday's weight lifting and also the skiing adventure. No worries--it doesn't matter how I do today. I actually did do some intervals, just to get used to this fucking bike again, since I'll be riding them at least once a week for the next 8 weeks. My plan is to do one bike workout per week on it, because they are not at all geared like a regular bike. Plus it gets my ass used to the wide saddle and not having a fan on me. I sucked on the bike, but not as badly as I thought I would. 4 weeks is plenty enough time until the real races start for me to step up the intensity in my bike workouts, which I've only recently added intensity to in the last 2 weeks.
Just like in the actual races, I gave myself 5 minutes before I began running on the indoor track. A friend of mine, Al, who lives just down the street from me, walked in and we chatted, and I told him what I was up to. He doesn't even flinch when I tell him about my exploits because he knows I'm a little nuts. He did look a bit wide-eyed at seeing me all decked out in zebra stripes!
I tried to take out the run fairly slow, but failed ;) It was nice and cool in the track/basketball court area, and I had some spectators in the form of a bunch of guys playing hoops. I'm guessing it looked a little funny seeing someone running laps wearing all zebra stripes. I felt on the verge of puking the entire time, which meant I was running the correct pace. I ended up running about my 5K pace, which was great, especially since I haven't been too impressed with my running lately! But I guess a bit of a volume spike has helped.
So all in all, I think I'm going to be well-prepared for the indoor triathlon series that begins in 4 weeks. I'm sure my first race will suck, but I typically improve each race, and I always know so many people there that it's always fun to cheer others and be cheered on by them! If nothing else, it will be tons of fun! Plus I have a friend who is doing all 4 races and I will be running about 1:30 after each one (OUCH!), and then we'll go get some foods and relax the rest of the day. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday in winter!
I still need to finish my strength workout today, which should take about 25 minutes, and I may spin on the bike for :30 since I bagged it yesterday, and then I need to get psyched for the 1/2 Zebraman tomorrow!
Woo hoo!!!! I am in zebra heaven!
I hadn't planned on doing a sprint the day before the 1/2 Ironman that I'm doing tomorrow, but early this week I just figured, hey, I've done this before, why not put a sprint the day before? Besides, I am not worried about what pace I do tomorrow.
When I woke up this morning, I wasn't sure whether I was going to try and push it or not. My driveway, the roads and the YMCA parking lot were total ice when I left. When I got out of my car at the Y, I walked maybe 12 feet, slipped and fell. Good thing I had practiced falling yesterday while out skiing, so I did a nice tuck position into the snow! I laughed, got up gingerly (you'd need crampons to walk on the ice normally), got to the salted part of the sidewalk, and was glad that I'd be indoors for a little over an hour.
Since I didn't have anyone to time me and I didn't feel like looking at a clock, I decided the swim would just be 500 yds. I sucked, even though I was trying to push it a little. I didn't warm up or anything--just got in and swam. I've got 4 weeks to put a little pep in my arms. At least the water was nice and cool, which means it should be cool tomorrow morning for the 1/2 Ironman.
I tried to limit my T1 time to 10 minutes, since that is what they give you for the indoor tris. I went a little over because of the clothing I was wearing--I don't normally wear a long top (I just leave my swimsuit top on) or tights for the actual races. No worries, though.
I adjusted the Precor saddle height, hopped on, and right away I could feel my quads not too happy, but mainly because of my iliopsoas, which are a little jazzed from yesterday's weight lifting and also the skiing adventure. No worries--it doesn't matter how I do today. I actually did do some intervals, just to get used to this fucking bike again, since I'll be riding them at least once a week for the next 8 weeks. My plan is to do one bike workout per week on it, because they are not at all geared like a regular bike. Plus it gets my ass used to the wide saddle and not having a fan on me. I sucked on the bike, but not as badly as I thought I would. 4 weeks is plenty enough time until the real races start for me to step up the intensity in my bike workouts, which I've only recently added intensity to in the last 2 weeks.
Just like in the actual races, I gave myself 5 minutes before I began running on the indoor track. A friend of mine, Al, who lives just down the street from me, walked in and we chatted, and I told him what I was up to. He doesn't even flinch when I tell him about my exploits because he knows I'm a little nuts. He did look a bit wide-eyed at seeing me all decked out in zebra stripes!
I tried to take out the run fairly slow, but failed ;) It was nice and cool in the track/basketball court area, and I had some spectators in the form of a bunch of guys playing hoops. I'm guessing it looked a little funny seeing someone running laps wearing all zebra stripes. I felt on the verge of puking the entire time, which meant I was running the correct pace. I ended up running about my 5K pace, which was great, especially since I haven't been too impressed with my running lately! But I guess a bit of a volume spike has helped.
So all in all, I think I'm going to be well-prepared for the indoor triathlon series that begins in 4 weeks. I'm sure my first race will suck, but I typically improve each race, and I always know so many people there that it's always fun to cheer others and be cheered on by them! If nothing else, it will be tons of fun! Plus I have a friend who is doing all 4 races and I will be running about 1:30 after each one (OUCH!), and then we'll go get some foods and relax the rest of the day. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday in winter!
I still need to finish my strength workout today, which should take about 25 minutes, and I may spin on the bike for :30 since I bagged it yesterday, and then I need to get psyched for the 1/2 Zebraman tomorrow!
Woo hoo!!!! I am in zebra heaven!
Beginning of ZebraMan Weekend
But first a little food porn:
I was invited to my friend Matt's for dinner yesterday, as his wife was out of town with family, and Matt and I haven't seen one another since the infamous spring ride where he was taking pics of me peeing. Matt had cooked for his family who had been by earlier in the day, and he always makes tons of excellent food, so there was plenty leftover for me. That's one of his dogs, Micky, on the chair. I couldn't get her to look at me--she was too interested in Matt! I started with bruschetta, some olives and then the pasta was with a shrimp and cream sauce. Of course, TONS O' GARLIC!!! The food was great, and we had some Chianti that was awesome, too. We went downstairs into Matt's newly finished basement (it's like an Italian den of iniquity--travertine floor, beautiful woodwork) and continued talking non-stop, and then Matt showed me pictures from his most recent trip to Italy (Tuscany, to be specific). I swear I am half Italian! Anyway, the food and company was awesome, but I made it an early evening since I was pretty tired from lifting for an hour, skiing for about 1/2 hour, and then I tried to bike but gave up.
This morning I'm going to do a sprint ZebraMan, just because, why well not? Here are my race clothes (plus one additional item that I will wear when finished):
I did my toes up special for this weekend, too:
And finally, this evening, I will sleep in my brand new pirate sheets:
Did you know that pirates go with most any decor? ;) I do need to make a new duvet cover, and I'm thinking pirates on one side and zebra on the other...I am such a cliche!
Don't worry--there will be pics of me racing...check back later for sprint results, and have a great Friday!
I was invited to my friend Matt's for dinner yesterday, as his wife was out of town with family, and Matt and I haven't seen one another since the infamous spring ride where he was taking pics of me peeing. Matt had cooked for his family who had been by earlier in the day, and he always makes tons of excellent food, so there was plenty leftover for me. That's one of his dogs, Micky, on the chair. I couldn't get her to look at me--she was too interested in Matt! I started with bruschetta, some olives and then the pasta was with a shrimp and cream sauce. Of course, TONS O' GARLIC!!! The food was great, and we had some Chianti that was awesome, too. We went downstairs into Matt's newly finished basement (it's like an Italian den of iniquity--travertine floor, beautiful woodwork) and continued talking non-stop, and then Matt showed me pictures from his most recent trip to Italy (Tuscany, to be specific). I swear I am half Italian! Anyway, the food and company was awesome, but I made it an early evening since I was pretty tired from lifting for an hour, skiing for about 1/2 hour, and then I tried to bike but gave up.This morning I'm going to do a sprint ZebraMan, just because, why well not? Here are my race clothes (plus one additional item that I will wear when finished):
I did my toes up special for this weekend, too:
And finally, this evening, I will sleep in my brand new pirate sheets:
Did you know that pirates go with most any decor? ;) I do need to make a new duvet cover, and I'm thinking pirates on one side and zebra on the other...I am such a cliche!
Don't worry--there will be pics of me racing...check back later for sprint results, and have a great Friday!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Going Nordic
I got some new gear yesterday! I was invited to go and ski a nearby trail yesterday, but I didn't because I want a chance to go out on my own and just get used to things. I didn't need to get my ass kicked during my test drive!We are not supposed to get any new snow today and the temps will be relatively mild in the 20's (eventually--it's only 7 right now). Then it's supposed to rain (ick) for a few days, so my next chance to ski won't be until next week sometime.
I haven't skiied in years, and I threw out my old skis as part of the remodeling/crawl space purge. I bought the new skis at REI, and I should not be allowed in that store! But I don't really need any triathlon gear, so it was a nice change of pace to buy something different. But, I am still psyched for ZebraMan, and I'm working on my zebra striped toenails today once I finish lifting, skiing and a short trainer ride, and then I'm off to a friend's for some food and laughs.
Merry Christmas, or should I say God Jul, everyone, and if you've got snow, use it!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas, Bloggies!
OMG!!! A regular picture of me! Thought I'd put my Christmas-y red dress (that I made many years ago--it's snuggly corduroy) and an assortment of jewels on, which I'll be wearing to a Christmas dinner on Saturday. I'm sitting on a gorgeous furry zebra blankie that I got from Cindy! I won't say what her card said, but let's just say it is true, true, true! I put out the only Christmas decorations I have (I gave away my tree and ornaments to my niece, Michelle, last winter) on the bar (which gets destroyed next fall and replaced by glass block with neon lights), and thought it would be nice to do a portrait picture. Yeah, I'm vain and narcissistic, blah, blah, blah, get over it...oops...you already have because you are reading this!
And not to put a damper on the Christmas spirit, but I DO have ZebraMan coming up this Saturday, and I am getting in the mode...I am really looking forward to doing another NothingMan!
Merry Christmas, everyone, and have a safe and happy holiday!
And not to put a damper on the Christmas spirit, but I DO have ZebraMan coming up this Saturday, and I am getting in the mode...I am really looking forward to doing another NothingMan!
Merry Christmas, everyone, and have a safe and happy holiday!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Weekly Workout Totals 12/15/2008-12/21/2008
I had a most excellent week, save for the fact that my back is pissed off at all the biking (surprise!) that I'm doing. Oh, and I'm fucking freezing, as is a lot of the U.S.!
On Friday, I was pretty tired to start the day, partly from training a lot, and partly from enjoying myself Thursday evening (I thought of it as Friday, though), but I still got my 2 workouts done--a swim, which I executed pretty well, and an easy run, which while I did, my legs hurt like mofos the entire time.
Yesterday, I did a 3.5 hour shopping odyssey that included some Christmas shopping as well as (mostly) final buying of stuff for the house as a result of the remodeling. I decided to shop first and then train later, as the forecast called for more snow. I didn't start my workouts until 1:30, since I had to eat lunch and put away a bunch of groceries and assorted other crap, and well, I just didn't get to it until then. But I did this workout on the bike:
WU: 45' @ 65-70%
MS: 2 x (20' @ 80-85%, 10' Easy), then
3 x 6' (5') @ FT; cd 7';
10x30/30, cd remainder
Looks easy on paper, right? Fuck no. But these workouts will get easier. The great thing was that I enjoyed working hard, even though my legs were sore as well as my back. When I finished, I hustled my ass over to the Y to run for :30, and even though my legs hurt, I just made myself run at a decent pace. All good! So I finished up that workout around 5PM, came home, drank some Endurox, ate some food, and felt pretty well cashed. I went upstairs and got in bed around 7:45PM and must have passed out reading something, woke up to a phonecall, ate some Cheetos and went back to sleep.
I got up around 4AM this morning and got to various things, and was ready to head to the Y to run around 7:45, when I went outside and realized it had snowed again, and I needed to clear my driveway (I like a clean driveway). It was so cold and windy, though, that I decided to not use the snowblower, as I would just get snow blasted and frostbite probably. I had to change coats into my ultra low temperature parka and thicker gloves to get the job done.
I ran for 2 hours on the treadmill, and I even managed tempo pace for about :40 total! I was so happy that I felt so good running, especially since I'd ended my Saturday workouts so late in the day. I did need to stop briefly about every 10 minutes to stretch my iliopsoas, which made it look like I was doing the Time Warp dance with my hips thrust out. I saw a guy I haven't seen since last winter who had really toned up and I thought, geez the guy is a hottie now! I ran my last 10' on the indoor track, and ended up telling this guy (Mike) that he is a hottie, and he said I am too, but I wasn't fishing for a compliment. I just get so excited when I see someone transform from overweight and out of shape to total fucking hottie! Mike wasn't particularly fat--he was just a bit overweight, but man, he looks great, and I think people need to hear it even if they are married or whatever! He and his friend, Bill, are doing Goofy Challenge, and they look totally ready.
After the run and chatting with Bill and Mike, I headed to the pool just to swim 1,000 yards easy pull, which felt good, and then I hustled back home because I was starving. But I was also fucking tired, and after eating some crab claws, I got in bed just to stretch the legs out and passed out for about an hour. I am really happy that I am once again able to nap every now and then--in fact, I took THREE NAPS this week! That is like a world record for me.
I did some sewing and cooking and now I am just relaxing before an early turn in since I am still pretty tired. I feel really good as exhausted as I am, and know that I'm totally ready for ZebraMan on Saturday, and am really looking forward to it! I may even do a little sprint the day before just because, why the fuck not? There will be no taper involved.
GO FUCKING HARDCORE AGGRO OR GO HOME!!!
I hope everyone is keeping warm and toasty and is looking forward to Christmas!
| Weekly Workout Totals | 12/15/2008-12/21/2008 This week's totals are sponsored by fucking Arctic conditions in Chicago! |
| Swim: | 9450 yards (5.36 miles) in 3.45 hours; 22% of weekly workout time; approx. 1208 calories burned Canadian: 8641.08 meters |
| Bike: | Approx. 100.63 miles in 5.75 hours; 36% of weekly workout time; approx. 3027 calories burned; Total TSS=328 Canadian: 161.95 kilometers |
| Run: | Approx. 34.37 miles in 5.33 hours; 33% of weekly workout time; approx. 2427 calories burned Canadian: 55.31 kilometers |
| Strength: | 1.4 hours; 9% of weekly workout time; approx. 350 calories burned |
| All Sports: | Approx. 140.36 miles in 15.93 hours; approx. 7012 calories burned Canadian: 1.5 kilometers |
| Sleep: | 7.04 hours avg./night |
| Stretching: | 3.22 hours. Massage: 1.5 hours |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
