So today my game plan was to swim after work and then do a bike ride when I got home. And that's just what I did. I swam 2,000 meters. And I'm pretty sure the cough is swim related, because it came back. I have no idea what causes it, but I'm thinking I might need to try ear plugs and see if that helps. When I start swimming and turn my head to breathe, I can feel the water going in my ear. It takes several laps before that feeling goes away.
It was around 90 degrees today, but when I got home from swimming I headed out for a bike ride. I rode the loop in my neighborhood twice. You never realize how hilly your neighborhood is until you run or ride your bike through it. Now, we don't have HUGE hills, but we have hills. One of them is the hill I use for hill repeats during marathon training. I rode up that hill 3 times. My speed today ranged from 6.8 mph to 26 mph. That should give you an idea of what the hills are like. One of these days I'm going to get up to 30 going down the big hill. I've gone faster than 30 on my bike before, but not much past that. I remember when I first started riding and I hit 18 - I thought that was fast. And in my first triathlon, I hit 22 mph and was scared to death. Now I TRY to go faster. Not sure I ever want to get to 40 or 50 mph like some folks, but I'll take 30.
I still need to work out nutrition. I don't think my lunch was big enough for my workout today. I was fine during the workout, but then I had problems. I don't do heat well either (which should be interesting training though the lovely hot summer here). So combine the small lunch with the heat, and I had a hard time standing up long enough to cook dinner. I'm one of those that need food right away after a marathon or long, tough workout. I managed to get the food in the oven and rested while it cooked. And then I replenished my body with protein (from pinto beans) and good fat (from avacadoes) in one of my favorite dishes - bean burrito pie. Yum! I'm feeling better now - if the cough will just go away for good.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
I Think I've Got It Figured Out
Other than getting in a long bike ride over the Memorial Day weekend (which never worked out thanks to the rain), my other goal was to figure out how to mesh my marathon training with my half ironman training. After thinking about the kids activities this summer and knowing that I won't give up my Tuesday night yoga, I think I've got it figured out. Maybe. We'll see how it goes.
The plan is to continue swimming on Monday. Then Monday night while my son is at soccer, I'll do my run for the day. Tuesday, I'll go to yoga and then run when I get home. Wednesdays are still not set in stone. My friend (who is also one of the assistant coaches for the marathon team) and I may offer a second "track" night for the marathon team for those who can't make track practice on Tuesday nights (like me). If we do this, I'll take my bike to work with me and hit the veloway after work for a ride. (The veloway is a place where only bikes and roller bladers are allowed - no runners or people on feet; you have to be on wheels). Then I'll head for the track workout and do my run. If this doesn't work out, I'll probably continue swimming and then do a bike ride when I get home from that. Thursday nights will be swimming and running. Friday nights will be a long bike ride (most of the time). Saturday mornings will be my long runs with Team in Training. If the weather is nice and I have the time, I may head out for another bike ride. Sundays will either be off days or long bike rides.
I know the weather won't always cooperate and there will be days I'll have to rearrange things due to my husband being out of town or the kids having an activity that pops up, but that is the general plan. We'll see how it goes.
With Memorial Day on Monday, I didn't exactly start this plan yet. The rain started Sunday evening and rained into Monday morning. It rained so much that one of the popular triathlons here was actually cancelled Monday morning. Since I didn't really want to get out, I rode the stationary bike for an hour and then got on the treadmill for a 4 mile run.
Today, I lifted weights at lunch. I went to yoga tonight and then ran 3 miles when I got home. One thing I do need to figure out is when and how much to eat. Since I never eat before yoga, I have to eat when I get home. But I didn't want to eat before running, so here it is after 9:00 and I'm eating a not so decent dinner. I'll have to figure this one out. But, I'll need to figure out eating for the triathlon anyway. I know how to eat for a marathon. I've done five of them and I know what works for me. Not so for a 1/2 ironman. I'll be out there longer than I am for a marathon and I'll need to eat some kind of fuel while I'm on the bike. I can take my cliff shots while I run, but I'll have to make sure I have enough energy to get through the bike and even start the run. It will be a learning process, that's for sure.
The plan is to continue swimming on Monday. Then Monday night while my son is at soccer, I'll do my run for the day. Tuesday, I'll go to yoga and then run when I get home. Wednesdays are still not set in stone. My friend (who is also one of the assistant coaches for the marathon team) and I may offer a second "track" night for the marathon team for those who can't make track practice on Tuesday nights (like me). If we do this, I'll take my bike to work with me and hit the veloway after work for a ride. (The veloway is a place where only bikes and roller bladers are allowed - no runners or people on feet; you have to be on wheels). Then I'll head for the track workout and do my run. If this doesn't work out, I'll probably continue swimming and then do a bike ride when I get home from that. Thursday nights will be swimming and running. Friday nights will be a long bike ride (most of the time). Saturday mornings will be my long runs with Team in Training. If the weather is nice and I have the time, I may head out for another bike ride. Sundays will either be off days or long bike rides.
I know the weather won't always cooperate and there will be days I'll have to rearrange things due to my husband being out of town or the kids having an activity that pops up, but that is the general plan. We'll see how it goes.
With Memorial Day on Monday, I didn't exactly start this plan yet. The rain started Sunday evening and rained into Monday morning. It rained so much that one of the popular triathlons here was actually cancelled Monday morning. Since I didn't really want to get out, I rode the stationary bike for an hour and then got on the treadmill for a 4 mile run.
Today, I lifted weights at lunch. I went to yoga tonight and then ran 3 miles when I got home. One thing I do need to figure out is when and how much to eat. Since I never eat before yoga, I have to eat when I get home. But I didn't want to eat before running, so here it is after 9:00 and I'm eating a not so decent dinner. I'll have to figure this one out. But, I'll need to figure out eating for the triathlon anyway. I know how to eat for a marathon. I've done five of them and I know what works for me. Not so for a 1/2 ironman. I'll be out there longer than I am for a marathon and I'll need to eat some kind of fuel while I'm on the bike. I can take my cliff shots while I run, but I'll have to make sure I have enough energy to get through the bike and even start the run. It will be a learning process, that's for sure.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Rain, Rain, Go Away!
As usual for this time of year around here, the Memorial Day weekend has been, and is expected to continue to be, rainy. Yesterday it rained off and on most of the day. I was getting concerned that the rain might turn into thunderstorms and cancel today's group run with Team in Training. Since I missed last week, I was looking forward to today's run.
Luckily, when I woke up this morning, it was not raining. The ground was wet, so I know it rained over night, but it was ok for the moment. I took a hat with me just in case. I usually don't run in a hat, but if it is raining, I will.
We got lucky. Although it was humid, the rain held off and we were able to get in our group run. We ran a little over 4 miles today. For some, today was the furthest they have ever run. Most people did well. It seems to be a group who is already bonding. October should be fun!
When I got home, I decided to go ahead and get in a bike ride before taking a shower and running some errands. I changed into my cycling clothes, aired up my tires, and took off. There is a loop I do around the neighborhood. It's about 6 miles, so I was planning on doing it 3 or 4 times. I didn't want to get too far from home just in case the rain started. The first lap went great, but as I was heading out for the second lap, it started raining. It probably wasn't raining hard, but when you are on a bike, it feels worse than it actually is. Instead of risk getting caught, I headed home after having only done a little over 7 miles.
And I should have just kept going. When I got done with my shower the rain had stopped. And it hasn't rained since. Oh well. I ran some errands and got some things done that needed to get done. Hopefully the weather will cooperate the rest of the weekend, especially on Monday. Since I'm off Monday, it would be great to get in that long bike ride. We'll see.
Luckily, when I woke up this morning, it was not raining. The ground was wet, so I know it rained over night, but it was ok for the moment. I took a hat with me just in case. I usually don't run in a hat, but if it is raining, I will.
We got lucky. Although it was humid, the rain held off and we were able to get in our group run. We ran a little over 4 miles today. For some, today was the furthest they have ever run. Most people did well. It seems to be a group who is already bonding. October should be fun!
When I got home, I decided to go ahead and get in a bike ride before taking a shower and running some errands. I changed into my cycling clothes, aired up my tires, and took off. There is a loop I do around the neighborhood. It's about 6 miles, so I was planning on doing it 3 or 4 times. I didn't want to get too far from home just in case the rain started. The first lap went great, but as I was heading out for the second lap, it started raining. It probably wasn't raining hard, but when you are on a bike, it feels worse than it actually is. Instead of risk getting caught, I headed home after having only done a little over 7 miles.
And I should have just kept going. When I got done with my shower the rain had stopped. And it hasn't rained since. Oh well. I ran some errands and got some things done that needed to get done. Hopefully the weather will cooperate the rest of the weekend, especially on Monday. Since I'm off Monday, it would be great to get in that long bike ride. We'll see.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Training Has Officially Started
But I haven't officially started training. Yikes!! We got the marathon training schedule through June at the kick-off last Thursday. The first official group training was the 19th. I guess since I missed the practice on the 19th, I kind of forgot that I have a schedule to follow now. Ooops.
And then on Monday, I figured I needed to look at the marathon schedule vs. the half ironman schedule and try to mesh the two. That's when it hit me that the half ironman schedule I printed out was a 20 week plan and - well - the 20th was 20 weeks away from October 7th.
The combined schedules look a little daunting at the moment. There will be times toward the end of summer when I have a long run and also need to do a 3 hour bike ride. Unless I want my family to disown me, I need to figure out how to get it all in without affecting too much family time. The good news is that I don't mind running late at night during the summer since it gets so hot. I can do a swim right after work and then wait until the kids are in bed before running. The other good news is that there won't be soccer (at least not consistently) during the summer. Sure, my son will still have practice, but there won't be games every Saturday, so I will be able to spend the time running and biking. I guess this weekend I need to figure out my plan of attack and get to it.
With this being the last week of school, things have been hectic. We've also had appointments and work related events, so it has been a tough week. I didn't get to swim today, but ran 5 miles instead. I won't be able to make it to the gym tomorrow but will try to get a run in possibly in the morning before heading to my daughter's 5th grade award ceremonies. We'll see. Somehow I see myself hitting the snooze button a couple of times.
Saturday I will head downtown for my first group run with this season's team in training group. There are over 50 people signed up, so it will be hard learning all the names at first, but more people means more fun. I'm ready. Now if I can just get my schedules to work out, I'll be set.
And then on Monday, I figured I needed to look at the marathon schedule vs. the half ironman schedule and try to mesh the two. That's when it hit me that the half ironman schedule I printed out was a 20 week plan and - well - the 20th was 20 weeks away from October 7th.
The combined schedules look a little daunting at the moment. There will be times toward the end of summer when I have a long run and also need to do a 3 hour bike ride. Unless I want my family to disown me, I need to figure out how to get it all in without affecting too much family time. The good news is that I don't mind running late at night during the summer since it gets so hot. I can do a swim right after work and then wait until the kids are in bed before running. The other good news is that there won't be soccer (at least not consistently) during the summer. Sure, my son will still have practice, but there won't be games every Saturday, so I will be able to spend the time running and biking. I guess this weekend I need to figure out my plan of attack and get to it.
With this being the last week of school, things have been hectic. We've also had appointments and work related events, so it has been a tough week. I didn't get to swim today, but ran 5 miles instead. I won't be able to make it to the gym tomorrow but will try to get a run in possibly in the morning before heading to my daughter's 5th grade award ceremonies. We'll see. Somehow I see myself hitting the snooze button a couple of times.
Saturday I will head downtown for my first group run with this season's team in training group. There are over 50 people signed up, so it will be hard learning all the names at first, but more people means more fun. I'm ready. Now if I can just get my schedules to work out, I'll be set.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Missed It By THAT Much!!!!
Literally. This morning was the local 5K. When I say local, I mean local. So local that I jogged from my house to the start line as my warmup. When I got there, I saw a few people from my church who had also signed up for it. And since this was a small race, I was hoping that I had at least a small chance of maybe placing in my age group. And I missed it by THAT much! So frustrating.
The thing that I think is interesting is that people think that because I run marathons that I am automatically a fast runner. That is not true. I can run for long distances, but I've really had to work over the past couple of years to get faster. And I have, but I'm still not where I want to be. We have a large running community in the area I live, so if I ever hope to place in my age group in a big race here, I need to be running 6 or 7 minute miles. The fastest I can crank out is an 8 minute mile and I can only hold that for 2 or 3 miles.
The race started at 8:00. I got close to the front of the coral so that when the gun went off, I wouldn't have to weave around people. I didn't want to waste any extra energy you know. The course went through the neighborhood that is in front of my own neighborhood. It's also a place where I do some of my mid-week runs. It wasn't too bad, but there are a few hills thrown in there.
I wasn't sure how I was going to do this morning since the cough has lingered, but it seemed to stay away and for that I was grateful. I hit the first mile in 8:18, so I knew I had a chance at coming close to or beating my personal record (PR) of 26:10. It IS a small town, so the mile 2 marker never appeared. I hit mile 3 at 25:38. Not much time let for that last .1 mile. I crossed the finish line at 26:29.
After having looked at last year's results, I knew it was going to be close as to whether I would place or not. (That's the joy of small town races - not many people, and the really fast ones are usually somewhere doing a bigger race). It turns out, I ended up in 4th place in my age group. And I missed it by 28 seconds. 28 seconds!!! That's it. If I could have run 10 seconds faster per mile, I could have placed. But I didn't.
Overall, I'm happy with my results. I placed higher in my age group than I ever have before. And I was only off my PR by 19 seconds. Not bad considering my PR came during the middle of marathon training which included hills and speedwork. Right now, I'm just maintaining my base and haven't done a week of over 20 miles in several weeks. It's nice to know I haven't lost the conditioning and I can only hope that as I begin to gear up for my October 1/2 ironman and marathon that I will get faster. Overall, I was 115 out of 240 people. That's in the top half and I'll take it.
After the race, I jogged back to the house. So my mileage for the day is over 5 miles. And that helps me not feel so bad about not getting in any other kind of workout. The kids were still at the soccer tournament this morning, so I went to a graduation party and then headed out to my parents for a bit. I'll head up to the church in a little bit for youth group and then come home and get ready for the busy week ahead.
By the way, my son's team got first place in the tournament and my daughter's team got third. Not bad!
The thing that I think is interesting is that people think that because I run marathons that I am automatically a fast runner. That is not true. I can run for long distances, but I've really had to work over the past couple of years to get faster. And I have, but I'm still not where I want to be. We have a large running community in the area I live, so if I ever hope to place in my age group in a big race here, I need to be running 6 or 7 minute miles. The fastest I can crank out is an 8 minute mile and I can only hold that for 2 or 3 miles.
The race started at 8:00. I got close to the front of the coral so that when the gun went off, I wouldn't have to weave around people. I didn't want to waste any extra energy you know. The course went through the neighborhood that is in front of my own neighborhood. It's also a place where I do some of my mid-week runs. It wasn't too bad, but there are a few hills thrown in there.
I wasn't sure how I was going to do this morning since the cough has lingered, but it seemed to stay away and for that I was grateful. I hit the first mile in 8:18, so I knew I had a chance at coming close to or beating my personal record (PR) of 26:10. It IS a small town, so the mile 2 marker never appeared. I hit mile 3 at 25:38. Not much time let for that last .1 mile. I crossed the finish line at 26:29.
After having looked at last year's results, I knew it was going to be close as to whether I would place or not. (That's the joy of small town races - not many people, and the really fast ones are usually somewhere doing a bigger race). It turns out, I ended up in 4th place in my age group. And I missed it by 28 seconds. 28 seconds!!! That's it. If I could have run 10 seconds faster per mile, I could have placed. But I didn't.
Overall, I'm happy with my results. I placed higher in my age group than I ever have before. And I was only off my PR by 19 seconds. Not bad considering my PR came during the middle of marathon training which included hills and speedwork. Right now, I'm just maintaining my base and haven't done a week of over 20 miles in several weeks. It's nice to know I haven't lost the conditioning and I can only hope that as I begin to gear up for my October 1/2 ironman and marathon that I will get faster. Overall, I was 115 out of 240 people. That's in the top half and I'll take it.
After the race, I jogged back to the house. So my mileage for the day is over 5 miles. And that helps me not feel so bad about not getting in any other kind of workout. The kids were still at the soccer tournament this morning, so I went to a graduation party and then headed out to my parents for a bit. I'll head up to the church in a little bit for youth group and then come home and get ready for the busy week ahead.
By the way, my son's team got first place in the tournament and my daughter's team got third. Not bad!
Friday, May 18, 2007
The Team in Training Kick Off
Thursday night was the official "kick-off" for the next season with Team in Training. I always love the kick-off, because everyone is so excited about getting started with their fundraising and with their training. Since I live way north, work way south, and the meeting was in downtown, I decided not to go home after work. Instead, I headed for dowtown and the wonderful running trail we are blessed with here. I had told my friend and running buddy that I would meet her for dinner before kick-off, so I just did the 3 mile loop and called it a day. At least I did something!
After running, I met my friend for dinner and then we headed over to the kick-off. This season, TNT is recruiting for all three events - marathons, a triathlon, and century rides. I bet there were over 70 people at the kick-off, and probably 50 of those are doing the Nike Women's Marathon. It was interesting to see the group - only 3 men in the whole bunch. One of them is part of a husband/wife team and he assured me that he would enjoy the view. The first official practice will be tomorrow morning (Saturday), but I won't be able to go. I have a prior committment. I'm sure it will be a success.
This weekend is another soccer filled weekend. Both kids are in tournaments and the games are spread thoughout the whole day Saturday and then on Sunday morning. We have two graduation parties to attend, and I'm running in the local 5K Sunday morning. I'm already ready for the 3 day weekend coming up!
After running, I met my friend for dinner and then we headed over to the kick-off. This season, TNT is recruiting for all three events - marathons, a triathlon, and century rides. I bet there were over 70 people at the kick-off, and probably 50 of those are doing the Nike Women's Marathon. It was interesting to see the group - only 3 men in the whole bunch. One of them is part of a husband/wife team and he assured me that he would enjoy the view. The first official practice will be tomorrow morning (Saturday), but I won't be able to go. I have a prior committment. I'm sure it will be a success.
This weekend is another soccer filled weekend. Both kids are in tournaments and the games are spread thoughout the whole day Saturday and then on Sunday morning. We have two graduation parties to attend, and I'm running in the local 5K Sunday morning. I'm already ready for the 3 day weekend coming up!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Becoming Part of the National Bone Marrow Registry
Over the past four years (since my brother-in-law was diagnosed with lymphoma), I've learned a lot about cancer. I'm no expert by any means, but I have followed many caringbridge sites and have learned how important it is for cancer patients to get the treatment they need. When people are diagnosed with cancer, a treatment plan is set in place for them. For most people, that plan involves chemotherapy. Children like Hailey who have leukemia undergo chemo to get into remission. (Remission does not mean they are cured.) They then continue chemo for a specified amount of time - usually around 2 years for girls and 3 years for boys. When chemo works, the person stays in remission. When it doesn't work, they relapse. For some that relapse, the only real hope for a cure is to undergo a bone marrow transplant.
When it is determined that someone needs a bone marrow transplant, the family of that person is usually tested to see if there are any matches. Sometimes a match will be found, but more often than not, a match won't be found within the family. What this means is that another person must be found to donate the marrow. In order to find that person, a search is done of the National Bone Marrow Registry.
On Monday, I received an email from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They were letting past participants of the Team In Training program know that there would be a bone marrow registry drive today. I've always wanted to become a part of the registry, but didn't know how to go about doing that. So today at lunch, I went to the drive and I registered. It was very easy. I just filled out some paperwork and took a swab (actually four of them) of the inside of my check and I was done.
Now I just wait. Part of me hopes that I get called at some point. And part of me hopes I don't. It would be great if no one else ever needed a bone marrow transplant, but I know that isn't likely to happen. Since there will be people needing transplants, it would be wonderful to be able to help someone and possibly give them marrow that could save their lives. But that scares me, because I hate needles. With a passion. When I donate blood, I cannot look as they stick the needle in me. I've watched my son get stitches several times, but if it's me the needle is going into....... Let me just say again - I hate needles. But if I can donate marrow to save a life, I will.
After work today I went for my swim. 2,000 meters. The cough has gotten better, but there are still a few times when it acts up. I had to stop a couple of times in the middle of the lap to cough. But it is much improved. When I got home, I ate dinner and did a few things around the house and then hit the treadmill for a 5 mile run. I wanted to get outside and run the race course for the 5K I'll be doing Sunday morning, but that didn't happen. And that's why I have the treadmill.
When it is determined that someone needs a bone marrow transplant, the family of that person is usually tested to see if there are any matches. Sometimes a match will be found, but more often than not, a match won't be found within the family. What this means is that another person must be found to donate the marrow. In order to find that person, a search is done of the National Bone Marrow Registry.
On Monday, I received an email from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They were letting past participants of the Team In Training program know that there would be a bone marrow registry drive today. I've always wanted to become a part of the registry, but didn't know how to go about doing that. So today at lunch, I went to the drive and I registered. It was very easy. I just filled out some paperwork and took a swab (actually four of them) of the inside of my check and I was done.
Now I just wait. Part of me hopes that I get called at some point. And part of me hopes I don't. It would be great if no one else ever needed a bone marrow transplant, but I know that isn't likely to happen. Since there will be people needing transplants, it would be wonderful to be able to help someone and possibly give them marrow that could save their lives. But that scares me, because I hate needles. With a passion. When I donate blood, I cannot look as they stick the needle in me. I've watched my son get stitches several times, but if it's me the needle is going into....... Let me just say again - I hate needles. But if I can donate marrow to save a life, I will.
After work today I went for my swim. 2,000 meters. The cough has gotten better, but there are still a few times when it acts up. I had to stop a couple of times in the middle of the lap to cough. But it is much improved. When I got home, I ate dinner and did a few things around the house and then hit the treadmill for a 5 mile run. I wanted to get outside and run the race course for the 5K I'll be doing Sunday morning, but that didn't happen. And that's why I have the treadmill.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Back To Yoga
Yesterday after work, I went for my routine Monday swim. I was able to get in my normal 2,000 meters and it felt pretty good. So good in fact that after running a few errands, eating dinner, and letting my food digest, I hopped on the treadmill for a 5 mile run. I probably could have gone farther, but it was getting late and I needed a shower before getting in bed.
Today was yoga day. I love Tuesdays. And since I missed yoga last week due to my son's school program, I needed my yoga today. And the best part about tonight - it was also the preschool graduation at our church. And when I came downstairs from yoga, the first person I saw was Hailey. She looked so beautiful in her graduation dress, and she had just gotten her ears pierced today and had in some beautiful earrings. I asked her if she was excited about summer and she said she was. When I asked if she had any plans for the summer, she replied "swimming". Now that's my kind of girl!!!
Today was yoga day. I love Tuesdays. And since I missed yoga last week due to my son's school program, I needed my yoga today. And the best part about tonight - it was also the preschool graduation at our church. And when I came downstairs from yoga, the first person I saw was Hailey. She looked so beautiful in her graduation dress, and she had just gotten her ears pierced today and had in some beautiful earrings. I asked her if she was excited about summer and she said she was. When I asked if she had any plans for the summer, she replied "swimming". Now that's my kind of girl!!!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Even though my Mother's Day did not turn out exactly how I wanted it to, I was able to be with my family and that is what is most important.
My daughter and I went to church this morning while my husband took my son to the soccer game. And as we got out of church, we got the call that they won the game this morning and would be playing in the championship game at 11:30. So after Sunday school (which because of soccer, I had to teach both Junior high and Senior high - yikes!), my daughter and I left for the game. We took my two neices with us, too. We got to the game just as it was starting. The boys played well, but the other team had more experience. The team my son was on ended up losing, but they came in 2nd in the tournament and got a big trophy for that, so my son was happy.
After the game we came home. My dad picked up my neices and I got ready to head to the lake to meet the ladies from my church who are training for the Danskin. I met them and a few other ladies at the lake at 2:30. Today, the water was perfect. It was very hot outside and the water felt great. I swam for about 20 minutes. I have no idea how far I went in that time. That's the only bad thing about open water swims if the distance isn't marked by buoys. Maybe I should suggest that. Anyway, it was a great swim and everyone is feeling more comfortable in the open water. The ladies from church are going to do just fine.
After the swim, I can home and showered so that we could finally go out to eat for my Mother's Day meal. I was in the mood for Mexican food (one of my favorites) and wanted to go to the little place here in town we normally go to. But when we got there they were closed. I was not happy. When I get my mind set on Mexican food, I need my Mexican food. So we went to a place just north of town instead. It wasn't my first choice, but I now have a belly full of Mexican food and am getting ready to go watch my Survivor finale. That will be the perfect end to the day.
My daughter and I went to church this morning while my husband took my son to the soccer game. And as we got out of church, we got the call that they won the game this morning and would be playing in the championship game at 11:30. So after Sunday school (which because of soccer, I had to teach both Junior high and Senior high - yikes!), my daughter and I left for the game. We took my two neices with us, too. We got to the game just as it was starting. The boys played well, but the other team had more experience. The team my son was on ended up losing, but they came in 2nd in the tournament and got a big trophy for that, so my son was happy.
After the game we came home. My dad picked up my neices and I got ready to head to the lake to meet the ladies from my church who are training for the Danskin. I met them and a few other ladies at the lake at 2:30. Today, the water was perfect. It was very hot outside and the water felt great. I swam for about 20 minutes. I have no idea how far I went in that time. That's the only bad thing about open water swims if the distance isn't marked by buoys. Maybe I should suggest that. Anyway, it was a great swim and everyone is feeling more comfortable in the open water. The ladies from church are going to do just fine.
After the swim, I can home and showered so that we could finally go out to eat for my Mother's Day meal. I was in the mood for Mexican food (one of my favorites) and wanted to go to the little place here in town we normally go to. But when we got there they were closed. I was not happy. When I get my mind set on Mexican food, I need my Mexican food. So we went to a place just north of town instead. It wasn't my first choice, but I now have a belly full of Mexican food and am getting ready to go watch my Survivor finale. That will be the perfect end to the day.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
What A Day
Today was supposed to be a day with not much in it. I had my scheduled bike ride this morning, my son had a make-up soccer game, and I had a Team in Training information meeting that I needed to attend. That was it. We'd all be done by about 2:00 and have the rest of the afternoon to relax. HA HA HA HA!!!!
Last night, the phone rang and the next thing we know, my son was invited to be a guest player on his friend's team in a soccer tournament this weekend. The first game would be at 8:00 way down south. My son's makeup game with his team would be at 12:30 way up north. And then another tournament game way down south at 3:00. All of this would be my husband's problem, because I had plans! I had my bike ride to do.
We all got up early this morning. My husband left with the kids about 6:30. I loaded up my bike and headed out to the lake (where the ride was starting) around 7:00.
I forgot to start my watch right as the bike ride started, but it took about 44:25 to go 13.66 miles. The course had a few good hills on it and I need to get back out there and do some more rides.
Here is a picture of me in the parking lot at the lake. The lake is in the background although you really can't see it. I'm glad the picture was taken before the ride, because afterward, I went for a run around the lake. And by then it was hot and humid. It took me 29:36 to go 3.1 miles.
After I ran, I came home to get cleaned up before my 1:00 meeting and grabbed a bite to eat. Quite a few people showed up for the information meeting, including a lady I met during the bike ride this morning. She even signed up for the Nike Women's marathon. Yeah!!! I'm really looking forward to this season.
As the meeting was ending, my husband called and we figured out a plan for me to meet him along the highway so that I could go with them to the 3:00 game. I'm glad I did, because my son had a really good game. His friend came home with us after the game to play for a while.
The good news is that the team made the playoffs. The bad news is that they play at 8:00 in the morning way down south again. If they win in the morning, the championship game is sometime around 11:00. My daughter and I will go to church and my son and my husband will do the soccer thing. If they play in the championship game, we'll try to rush down there after church. So much for getting an early start on the lunch crowd for mother's day lunch! Oh well. That's what happens when your kids play soccer.
Last night, the phone rang and the next thing we know, my son was invited to be a guest player on his friend's team in a soccer tournament this weekend. The first game would be at 8:00 way down south. My son's makeup game with his team would be at 12:30 way up north. And then another tournament game way down south at 3:00. All of this would be my husband's problem, because I had plans! I had my bike ride to do.
We all got up early this morning. My husband left with the kids about 6:30. I loaded up my bike and headed out to the lake (where the ride was starting) around 7:00.
I forgot to start my watch right as the bike ride started, but it took about 44:25 to go 13.66 miles. The course had a few good hills on it and I need to get back out there and do some more rides.
Here is a picture of me in the parking lot at the lake. The lake is in the background although you really can't see it. I'm glad the picture was taken before the ride, because afterward, I went for a run around the lake. And by then it was hot and humid. It took me 29:36 to go 3.1 miles.
After I ran, I came home to get cleaned up before my 1:00 meeting and grabbed a bite to eat. Quite a few people showed up for the information meeting, including a lady I met during the bike ride this morning. She even signed up for the Nike Women's marathon. Yeah!!! I'm really looking forward to this season.
As the meeting was ending, my husband called and we figured out a plan for me to meet him along the highway so that I could go with them to the 3:00 game. I'm glad I did, because my son had a really good game. His friend came home with us after the game to play for a while.
The good news is that the team made the playoffs. The bad news is that they play at 8:00 in the morning way down south again. If they win in the morning, the championship game is sometime around 11:00. My daughter and I will go to church and my son and my husband will do the soccer thing. If they play in the championship game, we'll try to rush down there after church. So much for getting an early start on the lunch crowd for mother's day lunch! Oh well. That's what happens when your kids play soccer.
Friday, May 11, 2007
The Verdict Is In
After coughing horribly most of Wednesday night, I decided that if the cough were still with me Thursday morning, that I would go to the doctor. My doctor is just minutes from my office, so I called Thursday morning and got a lunch time appointment. I told him what was going on and that I was sick of the cough. And you know what he said. Allergies. That's right. Exactly what I thought. Then I got a little afraid - afraid he would say there was nothing he could do. But he didn't. Instead, he told me I should get back on Allegra. I had taken Allegra before, but switched to an over-the-counter allergy medicine so I wouldn't have to go in each year to get my prescription renewed (I hardly ever get sick, so going in once a year is a lot for me). And then he offered something else. A steroid pack. That's right - steroids. Yikes!!! But hey, if it knocks the cough out, I'm willing.
When I picked up the prescription Thursday night, it was a little scary to listen to the pharmacist telling me EXACTLY how to take the steroids. I have to follow the directions properly so that I get weaned off of them. Scary. It was also scary because my doctor said I could experience drastic mood swings with this. Yes, I know. I follow the web sites of quite a few kids with cancer and read about their "roid rages". What would it do to me? I could get lots of energy, or I could become somewhat depressed. I was hoping for the lots of energy (afterall, I have an 18 mile bike ride Saturday morning).
Since my daughter's soccer party was Thursday night and since I "needed" to watch my recorded version of Survivor when I got home from that, I took the day off. No excercise for me. I'll let my medicine start to work and then get back to it. Only thing was that the pharmacist told me to start the steroids this morning (Friday).
So, when I got to work this morning, I ate my breakfast (I always eat my muffins and/or fruit once I get to work) and took my two pills. And I waited. I had no idea if I would feel any effects right away or not. I went to the gym at lunch to do my weight lifting routine, came back to work, ate lunch, and took another pill. No effects yet.
After work, I picked up my "race" packet for my bike ride tomorrow. I say "race", but I don't really think it's a race. I did get a t-shirt which I wasn't really expecting. I was disappointed to see the map of the route and discover that instead of the advertised 30K (18.6 miles), it's a 13 mile ride. It will still be good to get out on the open road and get to build up speed vs. riding in the neighborhood and having to stop at all the stop signs. Maybe I'll just do the route twice! It should be interesting.
Tonight I need to work on sending out some more letters for my Team in Training fundraising campaign. So far I've got $100 and we haven't even had the official kick off yet. But, I've still got a long way to go. I've got some "craft" ideas I need to work on tonight, too, because I might sell some things to make money as well. We'll see. So today will probably be another "off" day. Unless the steroids kick in and give me that extra energy and I decide to hop on the treadmill for a run. :)
When I picked up the prescription Thursday night, it was a little scary to listen to the pharmacist telling me EXACTLY how to take the steroids. I have to follow the directions properly so that I get weaned off of them. Scary. It was also scary because my doctor said I could experience drastic mood swings with this. Yes, I know. I follow the web sites of quite a few kids with cancer and read about their "roid rages". What would it do to me? I could get lots of energy, or I could become somewhat depressed. I was hoping for the lots of energy (afterall, I have an 18 mile bike ride Saturday morning).
Since my daughter's soccer party was Thursday night and since I "needed" to watch my recorded version of Survivor when I got home from that, I took the day off. No excercise for me. I'll let my medicine start to work and then get back to it. Only thing was that the pharmacist told me to start the steroids this morning (Friday).
So, when I got to work this morning, I ate my breakfast (I always eat my muffins and/or fruit once I get to work) and took my two pills. And I waited. I had no idea if I would feel any effects right away or not. I went to the gym at lunch to do my weight lifting routine, came back to work, ate lunch, and took another pill. No effects yet.
After work, I picked up my "race" packet for my bike ride tomorrow. I say "race", but I don't really think it's a race. I did get a t-shirt which I wasn't really expecting. I was disappointed to see the map of the route and discover that instead of the advertised 30K (18.6 miles), it's a 13 mile ride. It will still be good to get out on the open road and get to build up speed vs. riding in the neighborhood and having to stop at all the stop signs. Maybe I'll just do the route twice! It should be interesting.
Tonight I need to work on sending out some more letters for my Team in Training fundraising campaign. So far I've got $100 and we haven't even had the official kick off yet. But, I've still got a long way to go. I've got some "craft" ideas I need to work on tonight, too, because I might sell some things to make money as well. We'll see. So today will probably be another "off" day. Unless the steroids kick in and give me that extra energy and I decide to hop on the treadmill for a run. :)
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Squeezing It All In
Last night was my son's music program at school. They had a book fair before the program, so we went early for some good books. The program was good. It was a spanish theme and the kids actually sang a song in Spanish. I have no idea what it said, but I did see my son's lips moving. The boys also "danced" a little and then had a sword fight with another boy.
After the program, I put the kids to bed and hit the treadmill. I was hoping to get in more miles than I did, but about 2 miles in, my cough returned with a vengeance. It's hard to run, cough, and stay centered on the treadmill all at the same time. I gave up and set the treadmill at a pace for a fast walk and kept going until I hit 4 miles.
Today after work I went to the gym for my Wednesday swim. I knew I wouldn't get in my normal distance because I needed to leave enough time to pick up the kids, so I only swam 1,500 meters. I was hoping to get in another run on the treadmill tonight, but right now the cough is saying "no". If I'm still coughing tomorrow, I may be going to the doctor to get something to knock it out.
After the program, I put the kids to bed and hit the treadmill. I was hoping to get in more miles than I did, but about 2 miles in, my cough returned with a vengeance. It's hard to run, cough, and stay centered on the treadmill all at the same time. I gave up and set the treadmill at a pace for a fast walk and kept going until I hit 4 miles.
Today after work I went to the gym for my Wednesday swim. I knew I wouldn't get in my normal distance because I needed to leave enough time to pick up the kids, so I only swam 1,500 meters. I was hoping to get in another run on the treadmill tonight, but right now the cough is saying "no". If I'm still coughing tomorrow, I may be going to the doctor to get something to knock it out.
Monday, May 7, 2007
I Saw The Sun Today
This weekend remained pretty overcast. I wasn't sure we were going to get our open water swim in, but the rain stayed away Sunday morning. I was suppose to meet some ladies at the lake at 2:00, but I went an hour early because I wanted to get in a run. There are two reasons for this. First, I wanted to run the loop around the lake which will also be the run course of the Pflugerville tri. I've run it several times before, but the more I run it, the better. The main reason I wanted to run before the swim was to build up a sweat and get hot. I hate cold water. With a passion. The hotter I am when I have to get in, the better. So, I ran the loop which is a 3.1 mile loop. And I got hot. And sweaty. But it didn't really help.
There were five of us total who were going to do the swim. Once we were all there and the husbands with the kayak were in the lake we were ready to jump in. And the water was FREEZING!!!!! I was so wishing I had worn my wetsuit. What's up with that? It's May in Texas. The lake should be somewhat warm by now. So I just started swimming and kept moving to get warm. We had determined a buoy we would swim to before turning around and heading back, so that's what we did. It was great practice and something we all said we should be doing at least once a week. I just hope the water warms up fast.
We did see the sun today. Finally. Monday is usually my swim day, but we had appointments with the eye doctor today and since I swam yesterday, I decided I would bike today. I have to take advantage of the weather while it's nice. As soon as I got home, I took off for a 12 mile bike ride. It felt good. Things are finally started to fall into place.
This week may be a little off. My son's music program is tomorrow night and my daughter's soccer party is Thursday night. Hopefully I'll find the time to squeeze in some kind of workout.
I added two more races to my agenda today. I'll be doing an 18 mile bike ride this Saturday and a 5k race next Sunday.
There were five of us total who were going to do the swim. Once we were all there and the husbands with the kayak were in the lake we were ready to jump in. And the water was FREEZING!!!!! I was so wishing I had worn my wetsuit. What's up with that? It's May in Texas. The lake should be somewhat warm by now. So I just started swimming and kept moving to get warm. We had determined a buoy we would swim to before turning around and heading back, so that's what we did. It was great practice and something we all said we should be doing at least once a week. I just hope the water warms up fast.
We did see the sun today. Finally. Monday is usually my swim day, but we had appointments with the eye doctor today and since I swam yesterday, I decided I would bike today. I have to take advantage of the weather while it's nice. As soon as I got home, I took off for a 12 mile bike ride. It felt good. Things are finally started to fall into place.
This week may be a little off. My son's music program is tomorrow night and my daughter's soccer party is Thursday night. Hopefully I'll find the time to squeeze in some kind of workout.
I added two more races to my agenda today. I'll be doing an 18 mile bike ride this Saturday and a 5k race next Sunday.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
A Good Day For A Ride
After taking off Thursday, I decided to see what Friday would hold. I had taken off work so that I could attend field day at the kids' school. This was only the second time I've been at field day, so they were excited. I woke up Friday morning and didn't feel much better than I had Thursday night, but I was determined to go. So I did. And I got to stand on my feet all day in the lovely misting morning and humid afternoon. But the kids had a blast and I had fun watching them get completely soaked and covered in mud (what kid doesn't have a blast doing that). I got lots of good pictures, so it was well worth it.
When we got home from field day, I decided that I still didn't feel well enough to exercise, so I watched the shows I had recorded Thursday night and went to bed at 9:00 pm.
This morning we had to be up pretty early because my son had a 9:00 am soccer game. He has to be at the field an hour early, so we had to leave the house at 7:45. I wasn't as congested and I wasn't sneezing, so this was a good thing. The cough, however, was still with me. It was another overcast, humid day with light mist. It was all made better when his team won 4-2.
This afternoon, I went to a Team in Training information meeting to help in my role as mentor and to answer questions people may have before signing up. It turned out to be a good meeting with several signing up. There are already 24 participants signed up to raise money and participate in the Nike Women's Marathon. One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post about this marathon is that when this marathon started, it started specifically as a fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So not only are there many TNT people raising money, but the entry fee from ALL participants helps the society.
My son had gone to play at a friend's house and when I called home after the meeting, I found out my daughter had done the same, so I went to lunch with a friend. I don't get to do that often, so I enjoyed it. My intention when I got home from lunch was to maybe get in a short run. That just goes to show why I should never have "intentions". No one was home when I got there and I was feeling pretty good, so I thought I'd give the bike a try and see how far I could go without my cough bothering me. I figured that would be better than running. Well, it turns out it was a great choice. When I hit six miles, I checked to see how long it had taken and I had done if fairly quick, so I thought I'd just keep going. And I did. Until I hit 20 miles. That's right. Twenty miles!!! And I felt so good when I got home from the bike ride that I changed clothes and went back out and ran 3.1 miles.
The funny thing is that the whole time I was exercising, I did not cough or sneeze once. As soon as I stopped, the cough returned. It is getting better, so hopefully it will be gone soon.
It is suppose to rain tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. I have been asked to meet some ladies at our local lake to do an open water swim with them. The ladies all go to my church and are doing the Danskin triathlon for the first time. They've never swam as a group in a lake before and want to practice before the event. Hopefully we'll be able to get our swim in. I'll let you know what happens.
When we got home from field day, I decided that I still didn't feel well enough to exercise, so I watched the shows I had recorded Thursday night and went to bed at 9:00 pm.
This morning we had to be up pretty early because my son had a 9:00 am soccer game. He has to be at the field an hour early, so we had to leave the house at 7:45. I wasn't as congested and I wasn't sneezing, so this was a good thing. The cough, however, was still with me. It was another overcast, humid day with light mist. It was all made better when his team won 4-2.
This afternoon, I went to a Team in Training information meeting to help in my role as mentor and to answer questions people may have before signing up. It turned out to be a good meeting with several signing up. There are already 24 participants signed up to raise money and participate in the Nike Women's Marathon. One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post about this marathon is that when this marathon started, it started specifically as a fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So not only are there many TNT people raising money, but the entry fee from ALL participants helps the society.
My son had gone to play at a friend's house and when I called home after the meeting, I found out my daughter had done the same, so I went to lunch with a friend. I don't get to do that often, so I enjoyed it. My intention when I got home from lunch was to maybe get in a short run. That just goes to show why I should never have "intentions". No one was home when I got there and I was feeling pretty good, so I thought I'd give the bike a try and see how far I could go without my cough bothering me. I figured that would be better than running. Well, it turns out it was a great choice. When I hit six miles, I checked to see how long it had taken and I had done if fairly quick, so I thought I'd just keep going. And I did. Until I hit 20 miles. That's right. Twenty miles!!! And I felt so good when I got home from the bike ride that I changed clothes and went back out and ran 3.1 miles.
The funny thing is that the whole time I was exercising, I did not cough or sneeze once. As soon as I stopped, the cough returned. It is getting better, so hopefully it will be gone soon.
It is suppose to rain tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. I have been asked to meet some ladies at our local lake to do an open water swim with them. The ladies all go to my church and are doing the Danskin triathlon for the first time. They've never swam as a group in a lake before and want to practice before the event. Hopefully we'll be able to get our swim in. I'll let you know what happens.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Allergies and Thunderstorms
If there are two things that will hinder my training, it's allergies and thunderstorms. And right now, they are both hitting full force. That cough that I developed Monday after swimming turned into a runny, itchy nose with lots of sneezing. I'm about worn out from sneezing.
I was going to update last night, but we had more severe weather hit the area and were under a tornado watch. I don't like being on anything electrical during severe weather. Today and tomorrow we have sun, but the rain is suppose to return next week. When I look at the 7 day forecast, it looks pretty bleak for getting an outside bike ride.
Despite the allergies, I went to my yoga class on Tuesday night. A friend of mine is a personal trainer and offers a yoga class at our church on Tuesday nights. I've been going ever since she started it several years ago and RARELY ever miss. I love my yoga. I need my yoga. Just ask my family. So, despite the allergies I went. I always feel so much better after going.
And despite the allergies, I ran 5 miles last night (on the treadmill due to the impending storm). I prefer to run outside, but am so glad I have the treadmill as a backup. As usual, during my five miles, my nose stopped running, I could breathe just fine, and I didn't sneeze once. But once I stopped, it all came back. I don't know why that happens with me, but it does.
Today has been a day full of sneezing and a runny nose. We have a church function to attend anyway, so I'm making this a day off. Tomorrow I'll go to field day at my kids' school and if I feel like running or riding my bike in the evening I will. We'll just see what the allergies decide to do.
As far as I'm concerned, they can both go away!
I was going to update last night, but we had more severe weather hit the area and were under a tornado watch. I don't like being on anything electrical during severe weather. Today and tomorrow we have sun, but the rain is suppose to return next week. When I look at the 7 day forecast, it looks pretty bleak for getting an outside bike ride.
Despite the allergies, I went to my yoga class on Tuesday night. A friend of mine is a personal trainer and offers a yoga class at our church on Tuesday nights. I've been going ever since she started it several years ago and RARELY ever miss. I love my yoga. I need my yoga. Just ask my family. So, despite the allergies I went. I always feel so much better after going.
And despite the allergies, I ran 5 miles last night (on the treadmill due to the impending storm). I prefer to run outside, but am so glad I have the treadmill as a backup. As usual, during my five miles, my nose stopped running, I could breathe just fine, and I didn't sneeze once. But once I stopped, it all came back. I don't know why that happens with me, but it does.
Today has been a day full of sneezing and a runny nose. We have a church function to attend anyway, so I'm making this a day off. Tomorrow I'll go to field day at my kids' school and if I feel like running or riding my bike in the evening I will. We'll just see what the allergies decide to do.
As far as I'm concerned, they can both go away!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
