And the beat goes on

A plan is set, a training plan that is.  It is truly amazing how difficult it is to try and fit exercise into your life  six days a week.
But the plan is:
Monday      -Yoga
Tuesday      -3 miles
Wednesday -Cross Train
Thursday     -3 miles
Friday          -Rest
Saturday      -Long Run
Sunday        -3 miles

Now there is just the goal of working a career, and social life into the plan.

No Scale and 5 lbs gone

As you know, for lent I gave up my scale and measuring tape, as I felt that I had been becoming obsessive over the constant monitoring of my waist line.  Well, on the Tuesday after Easter, I hopped back on the scale and learned that I had lost 5 lbs over the previous 40 days!
If I can keep this up I'll be 25 lbs lighter by the fall.
Now the plan to only hop on the scale once a month, just to check my progress, but not get too bogged down in the week to week details.

The Tri Dash!

I DID IT!
Well, really, WE did it!
My sister and I, that is.
Yesterday, before the sun was even up, at 6AM we left the house and headed to the lake where the triathlon dash was being held, start time 8AM.
Our nerves were really going. We weren't sure if we were ready of 200yds cold lake swim, 6.5 miles of biking, and a 2 mile run.  In separate bits these things were no big deal, but combine them and it is a Triathlon Dash!
But as we paid our $10 for parking, saw the giant Red Bull tent, all the Fleet Feet stalls, and the racks and racks for bikes, we bit our lips and headed over to the transition area.
I learned that my sister and I were not in the same heat, because I had been put in the over 40 category.  My 29 year old pride was a little hurt at the point I must admit.  But I decided to make waves in the water instead of with the organizers and we set up out stuff.
Bike: set, Shoes: untied, Socks: in place, Number: on the shirt, Clothes: laid out, Helmet: unbuckled.
Now to put the suction cup of a wet suit on.  God Bless BodyGlide! It really did help.  Now, swim shoes, cap and goggles on, and start?
After a short, but scary briefing by the announcer, we headed down to the water, and got in.  God Bless wetsuits!  They made all the difference in the world.
As 8AM quickly approached, my sister's heat was set, and then they were off!  She rocked in, the awesome swimmer she is, and was 7th out of the lake. And on to the bike.
Now it was my turn and all I could think was, What in the World am I doing! But the gun went off, and off I went.  I started swimming as soon as I could, and my shoe was quickly knocked 1/2 off by a swimmer behind me.  I fixed it and then really felt the cold.  Taking a breath was hard!  And little did I know that it wouldn't become easy again till at least the last mile of the run.  But for now I was in the water and having a hard time breathing. So I rolled over onto my back and did back stroke.  Ok, I thought, I can make this.  The 200yds were over quickly, then up the hill to the transition area.  My family cheering me up the hill.
I got the wetsuit off after shimming it down and doing what I can only call, a version of the pee pee dance.  Next clothes, shoes, some water, and honey goo.  Now helmet and off.
I had done this part before, but never out of breath like this.  I knew that there were 6 true hills to tackle, but tunnel vision came and I lost count.  I passes my sister just as she was coming back from the turn around, so she was maintaining her 6 min lead.  Just as I was coming back from the turn around, the tire of the woman in front of me went off like a shot.  Her day was done, but I keep going, knowing I would send help to her, if I saw a volunteer.  I did pass a few people, but was passed by more.  Each hill was something to pump up and the downhills always proved short lived.  But the 6.5 mile loop was completed.  And back to the transition area, where the bike and helmet was dropped and the honey goo and water bottle was picked up.
I tossed the wrapper of the goo to my family, and tried to jog off.  The jog only lasted for the first little bit of the 2 miles, and was picked up whenever I felt I could do it.  My legs weren't as bad as I thought, but I was still breathing really hard.  The path quickly became a trail, and my mantra became "No poison oak, no poison oak, no poison oak...." I did grab Gatorade at the aid station that seemed far longer than the 1 mile marker said.  But on the last 1/2 of the run loop, my new mantra stayed in my head.  And then I realized I was almost done with a triathlon!  And the best part was, when I finished, I never had to do one again, if I didn't want to!  I saw my family cheering me on about 300yds from the finish, and they got me to sprint in.
I finished it hard! And in just over 1 hour.  (I thought if I could do it in 2 hours I would be good)
My sister and I celebrated with water, cuties and graham crackers at the lake.  At home a hot shower and a nice nap awaited us, followed by hamburgers off my new grill!  It was a good day, a hard event, but a good one.  And as for doing it again, we;;, we'll just have to wait and see.

Long time gone

It's been a crazy few weeks and I have not been good about blogging, or running for that matter.
I thought giving up the scale for lent was a good idea, but now I'm not so sure.  While relying on the scale to know how I fell isn't smart, allowing the scale to keep me in check is understandable and easy to measure.  But, for two more weeks I will honor my vow and keep the scale in the closet.
As for now, I will get back to running!  And more importantly, back to training for the looming triathlon dash in my future. ONLY 8 DAYS TILL IT'S ON!
My sister and I did the course a week ago, and will do it again on Monday.  The trial was a good idea, because the bike portion of the course, all 6.5 miles of it, was one of the most physically straining things I have done in a very long time.  After that the 2 mile run was a piece of cake!  We also learned that the lake was far to cold to try and handle without wetsuits, so they will be rented this week.  I hope I'll be able to survive, even with the additional warmth.
Hopefully I'll be blogging again in just over a week.  If not look for me in as the human ice cube in the lake. ; )

Humidity ain't my friend.

Smoke on the water....
Fire in the sky.

Or at least fire at my core.

Coming from a rainy climate and dropping into a bit of a vacation in New Orleans left me unprepared for the humidity.  Thus as I went for a run along the riverfront and through the French Quarter, dressed in pants, a running jersey, and a light jacket (pockets needed for caring my room key, phone and ID) I was totally over dressed.

The dash of warm weather, left me dreaming of the rain on my face back home.  But it also triggered for me to buy a part of running shorts.
Summer is a comin'.

Really Bad Eggs

When for a run this morning with a friend.  He pushed in back from 9 to 10, so I figured I had plenty of time for a nice breakfast. So two poached eggs and a cup of coffee or two, or three.  10 came around and he showed, we stretched and then headed for the park.  A bit of rain and wind was not going to dissuade us.  1 mile there, and then around the park for 2 and 3.  It was on the third when my stomach dropped.

Note to self: Do NOT eat eggs before a run.

Next my eyes started float.

Note to self: Do NOT drink Three cups of coffee before headed out for a run.

Luckily the library in the park did have a restroom.  So I must say miles four and five, and number six were much better.  Plus it was mostly walking, since sometimes running with a friend involves much more talking than running.  But it was a nice morning.

And we did cover six miles.

I'm taking that as a win.

Brick

Sunday I did my first Brick in preparation for my Triathlon dash on April 17th.  A brick is a work out where you do all or at least a combo of the triathlon events. My workout was a 1 mile run warm up (at an 11 minute pace) on a treadmill, then I biked 6 miles (in just over 25 minutes), then swam a fast 200 yard free style, followed by an additional 400+ yards to get my body better adapted to the water.
I learned a few things:
1) I will be able to finish this Triathlon even though the swim is open water, the bike is 0.5 miles longer than what I did (with some hills) and the run is 1 mile more.
2) My arms are ubber wimpy
3) I have got to find a better swimsuit.  Something with support!

It was a good workout and actually invigorating.  Hopefully it was just the first Brick in a stack that will build me into a brick house.

Musical Inspiration:

"She's a brick----house

Mighty mighty, just lettin' it all hang out

She's a brick----house

The lady's stacked and that's a fact, 

ain't holding nothing back. 

She's a brick----house

She's the one, the only one, 

who's built like a amazon 

We're together everybody knows, 

and here's how the story goes. 

1. She knows she got everything

a woman needs to get a man, yeah. 

How can she use, the things she use

36-24-36, what a winning hand! 

2. The clothes she wears, the sexy ways, 

make an old man wish for younger days

She knows she's built and knows how to please

Sure enough to knock a man to his knees"

Fads

I never meant this blog to be about fads, but I think I may be just getting on a long run of fads.  I just finished an organic cleanse.  I didn't do the master cleanse where someone tries to live on water, lemon juice and red pepper for over a week.  What I did do was go to my local market and get a three phase, 2-week plan.  And I do have to say it was amazing how much waste my body flushed out.  But as far as how I feel?  Not much different.  I didn't loose any weight, in fact I have even gained some of the inches back after the South Beach.  So neither South Beach nor the cleanse resulted in sustainable results.
As it is lent and many believe that if you give up something you enjoy or are overly involved with, I have decided to give up the scale and the measuring tape.  This may seem like nothing of a sacrifice, but it is something I know I am spending way too much thought on, and that's just not healthy.  And this whole experience is about being healthy all the way through.  So bye, bye scale, hello mile 4.

A sickness

Yesterday,
on a Saturday,
in the middle of an afternoon,
where I didn't have anything I had to do or truly needed to do,
where I could just spend the day relaxing,
I went for a 4 mile run/walk.

I remember people saying that you can get addicted to running, but I never thought I could happen to me.  It's a sickness.  One, where my body desires to be sweaty and in pain.
But the run, despite the sickness that caused me to go for a run, was very nice.

I ran a mile to the park and then two laps around the park and back home.  While running around the park I passed other runners (going in the opposite direction of course).  But the problem with all the runners was that none of them were smiling.  On a Saturday, when the smell of spring blossoms and rain are in the air, it is a day to be smiling.  So, I for one was smiling.

And as the sprinkling of rain started,
as I ran/walked home,
I keep smiling,
even though no one was passing me to see it.

Portland Ho!

Be prepared to be SHEL Shocked!  Because on the 9th day of the 10th month of the 11th year of this century, my three sisters and myself will run and complete the Portland Marathon.
Embrace the Crazy!