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biking

Paranoid

Jun 9th, 2010
by gazelle.
3 comments

You guys, I have a confession. I am LAZY! And busy. But mostly lazy. I haven’t done a bit of cardio since last Thursday’s bike ride. (I did yoga on Friday & garden/yard work Saturday, but that’s it.) Even the Ambitious One, who had good reason to be skipping workouts, is working out.

Part of this? It is my last week of my current class. And I do want to finish my project (a presentation, complete with audio, of the project I’ve been working on for the last 7 weeks). (AUDIO, as in me talking! Does anyone want to come read a script into a microphone & pretend to be me? I am a new toaster! I don’t even have my book yet! This is not fair.)

AHEM!

So – partly due to busy. BUT, partly due to running paranoia. I want to run. But am developing a weird fear of running. I know, right? WEIRD. I have also developed a very weird workout inferiority complex. <whine> I’ll never be strong enough/fast enough/good/enough</whine>

Other crap things: I have gained some weight in the past months. Not a ton, but I am out of my comfort zone. Enough out of my comfort zone that today, I put on a skirt that I’ve been meaning to give away because the last time I wore it last summer, it FELL OFF MY BODY. Which is not cool. Today? it’s still big, but I am in no danger of being embarrassed (ha! get it?) at work.

So – things have got to change. (For starters, I am never again allowed to have peanut butter & wine for dinner – that is not the meal of champions. Or of anyone who doesn’t want a stomach ache the next morning.)

I am going to start training again. But not for running. I am planning on doing a metric century in 10 weeks. That is not as scary as 100 miles, but still has the word ‘century’ in it. I am going to drop my running plans down to twice/week (likely Tuesday/Fridays -  my feet don’t like to run on weekends), keep swimming like a fish, and start yoga-ing more.

My only conflict at this time is: I cannot wear my bike shoes (due to Damian), but miss having that power you get from being clipped in (sometimes I forget & try to pull the pedal up with my running shoes which never works). Should I shell out the $$ to find new shoes that might fit around Damian, or just deal with the ride w/o being clipped in?

Stuff I want: happy birthday to me: part 2 (biking & swimming gifts)

Feb 3rd, 2010
by gazelle.
6 comments

Originally, I was going to divide this up into two separate posts, but then I didn’t have ten items in each category, so now it’s one post.

Biking Stuff

1. These pants. So cute! So functional! So expensive. *sigh*

Novara Flirt Capri Bike Pants (size small)

Novara Flirt Capri Bike Pants (size small)

2. Rain pants. I have a jacket – but some pants would be fantastic. It would certainly prevent me from using the “it might rain” or “it is raining” or “insert whinyness here” excuses!

Womens Club Convertible Pant - size small

Women's Club Convertible Pant - size small

3. Bike shirts. I don’t have a single bike jersey, and could really use one or two.

Pearl Izumi Select Bike Jersey (green! medium)

Pearl Izumi Select Bike Jersey (green! medium)

4. Seat pack – to carry important things in, like a tire changing kit! and Gu!

Timbuk2 Strap Seat Pack (green or red)

Timbuk2 Strap Seat Pack (green or red)

5. Helmet lights for safety! I have bike lights, but am super jealous whenever I see someone with helmet mounted lights. I would like both a front & back light!

Cygo Bicycle Light Helmet Mount Kit for Rover/Night Explorer

Cygo Bicycle Light Helmet Mount Kit for Rover/Night Explorer

Planet Bike Blinky 3H 3-Led Rear Bicycle Light with Self Leveling Helmet Mount

Planet Bike Blinky "3H" 3-Led Rear Bicycle Light with Self Leveling Helmet Mount

Swimming Stuff

6. Swim caps – I would really like to have a spare swim cap.(of course, not pink – but I do like reds, blues & greens!)

ClubSwim Solid Silicone Swim Cap

ClubSwim Solid Silicone Swim Cap

7. Swim suit – I think it might be impossible to have too many swim suits. I have two now (thanks A!), but would love a third – especially as I start ramping up the swims. (I really love this one – size 32 or 34; whichever is available.)

ClubSwim Urban Dandelion (size 32 or 34)

ClubSwim Urban Dandelion (size 32 or 34)

8. Wetsuit – this is a must for all my triathlons, but I haven’t yet gotten one – because the price frightens me. I rented one last year – and spent about $50.  So, if I do three triathlons this year, at $50/each, I will have spent $200 at the end of the season (including last year’s, of course). Which makes this a less scary investment, right?

2XU SC:2 Sleeveless Triathlon Wetsuit (Womens S/M)

2XU SC:2 Sleeveless Triathlon Wetsuit (Womens S/M)

9. This book (please? pretty please?)

Workouts in a Binder: Swim Workouts for Triathletes (Spiral-bound)

Workouts in a Binder: Swim Workouts for Triathletes (Spiral-bound)

10. A pool? Just a 25 yard lap pool would be sufficient. So far I can’t convince the architect to build me one. No? Well, fine, then.  How about a triathlon suit? I would love one of these! (two piece, I am not the same size on the top & bottom!)

DeSoto Womens Carrera TRI Short (size small)

DeSoto Women's Carrera TRI Short (size small)

DeSoto Womens Carrera Full Top (size medium)

DeSoto Women's Carrera Full Top (size medium)

so – that concludes the swimming & biking portions of my shamelessness. Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks for the “household stuff” and “other random crap I want” portions of Amy’s birthday wish list!

Someone – please talk me down

Aug 5th, 2009
by gazelle.
7 comments

So, you may or may not remember that I became a triathlete about four days ago.  I can’t recall if I mentioned it here or not.

Other things that you may not be aware of because you have more to your life than remembering my race schedules. I am doing a marathon on October 4 of this year.  Also, I am in grad school (day 3 or class #2!). And I have a job. And a husband. And friends with whom I occasionally like to hang out with.

So. Please tell me that I absolutely cannot do another triathlon in September.  I do not have time. Seriously. Not even for a little one.

NO!!!!

In other news, I rode my bike to work today for the first time in over a year.  I stopped last summer due to torn hamstring & knee problems. Then when that was all better, it was cold & rainy. Now, since May, I’ve had a parking spot, and no way was I going to not park in the spot for which I was paying to ride my bike! That was expensive! On my vacation days, I contemplated driving to the parking lot & parking, just for a while, to get my money’s worth. Now, I no longer have parking. So today, I girded my loins & headed out on the bike. It took 44 minutes to get ride the 9.4 miles to work. (Another 15 or so to get to my building, lock up my bike & change clothes.)  I did not remember to pack all the necessary clothes.  That makes me sad. But, it does amuse my office mate (I shared the story with her – I’m a giver that way).

It’s actually a pretty decent ride – bike lanes & waterfront the whole way. There are a couple sketchy spots where I’m riding next to trucks going 55 mph & having to cross the car lane so I don’t end up on the freeway, but it’s mostly an easy ride.

Afterwork, I’m headed downtown. If I have time, I’ll hit the gym for a few laps before meeting my new classmates for dinner. That’s right – I’m having dinner with three strange men I’ve never met before. I am a risk taker! And I like Indian food!

Other exciting news, I am taking swimming lessons starting next Monday! I am so pumped. It’s pretty cool to have knowledgeable friends & stuff. I’d love to pay it forward, but am not sure I have any useful skills like that. Unless you want to learn how to can. Or braid garlic. Or something like that.

So – to recap.

1. Help! Talk me down!

2. Still working out.

3. Biked to work.

4. Learning to swim better.

5. Only useful skill = gardening.

Skipped workouts + double workout Wednesday

May 13th, 2009
by gazelle.
7 comments

So, I skipped my speedwork last night. Although my 3 mile recovery run went pretty well on Monday evening, I was still pretty sore last night, with most of the soreness in my ankles & arches.

Sidebar: One mistake I did make for the race was the use of old insoles. I need to replace my superfeet insoles at about 250 miles. Mine were at about 275. So I bought some new ones, but never ran with them. I walked with them a few times, but didn’t put any significant mileage on them. I didn’t feel comfortable running with them because for the first 10 miles or so, they tend to give me blisters high up on my left arch. So, I ran with the old ones.

At the end of the race, the arch in my right foot was swollen and felt sprained. It was hard driving the 1.5 hours back. When I got home, I put on my orthopedic socks (thanks again, JM – they are my favorite recovery socks) and iced my foot. By Monday, the pain was mostly gone, and Monday evening I ran with my new insoles (no swollen arches, but I did get that blister on my left arch!)

So, after my quads recovered (I stretched! Yay me!), I was feeling pretty good, except for my ankles. So I made the executive decision to NOT run last night. And now I feel guilty. Which is silly. I know that training hard when the body is exhausted/fighting injury is the perfect way to get injured (see last year when I continued to run on my wonky knee, tore my hamstring, and ended up not running for almost 4 months!), so it just makes sense to take care of the body now so it can keep working later, right? And I don’t have to make up those miles, because I’m putting in a lot of miles even without that one run, right?

In good news that makes me feel all virtuous & stuff, I did hit the pool this morning. I got my ass out of bed at just after 5 AM and made it to the pool about six. My timing worked out well – although the lane next to me ended up with 3 people in it for a while, I never had more than one other person in my lane. I don’t mind splitting a lane, but I hate circling because I am so slow & always feel silly so I quit early.

I ended up with 1,250 yds in 5 sets:

250 – free
250 – kick
250 – free
250 – kick
250 – free

It was a good workout for my first time back in the pool in almost six weeks! Next week, I’m going to try to swim twice, but I’m easing in slowly with just the one swim this week.

Another sidebar: I always talk about how I really don’t like swimming, it’s my weak sport, I don’t know how I’m going to get through a swim for a triathlon, but when I was heavier, this is the only exercise I regularly did, and I remember LOVING it. I would hit the Venice High School pool, or later, the Y pool, and swim for 45-60 minutes at least 2-3 times a week. I’m not sure why I regard swimming as such a hassle now – maybe it’s because I found something I love much, much more & everything else is just not as good. (I also used to really enjoy mountain biking – now? Haven’t been on my mountain bike in over 2 years!)

Tonight the architect & I are going for a bike ride together. It will be his last ride before his century on Saturday, and my first ride in longer than I care to admit. He tuned up my bike for me a couple of weeks ago; so I should be ready to go. I’m just trying to decide if I want to get all hardcore right away & use my special shoes, or if I’m a big old chicken who will just wear regular shoes.

And, speaking of the architect & his century ride – he is doing Reach the Beach on Saturday, which is a brutal 100 mile. I am meeting him at the finish line & then we are staying overnight in Pacific City at a Bed & Breakfast. There will be food & beer for the tired bikers at the finish line, but I wanted to make sure I had some extra goodies for him. He requested fudge & a bottle of white wine – but I’m wondering what else I should include – both edibles & not. What do you want at the finish line of a century ride or (more runners, here, right?) a marathon?

Looking Ahead

Mar 25th, 2009
by gazelle.
14 comments

I am trying to feel a bit more positive and less blah today. I got denied a follow-up visit with my PT, so I guess I’m on my own (unless I want to shell out the actual cost of a visit, which at this point, I don’t).  So – I just need to be extra vigilant about doing my exercises & monitoring & foam rolling. And, since I want to complete all my planned races this year, I think I’ll have to do just that. What is it about doing my PT exercises that is so hard? I can go out & run 27 miles a week, but can’t take 15 minute 4-5 days a week to make sure that I can run 27 miles next week? That is so lame. I’ve been doing 200-300 crunches/night & push-ups 3 nights a week, but I can’t figure out how to work in some one-legged squats or plyometrics?  Lame, lame, lame.

Anyways – back to NOT lame. In April, I will run 100 miles, and I would like to do so in good health. This month, I should hit 90 – which is still the biggest mileage month I’ve ever had. If I keep up with my plans for the rest of the year (what, you don’t map out 12 months of running in January?), I’ll be over 1,000 miles for the year, and that is something pretty awesome, I think.

My biggest challenge in the coming months (since I’m planning a sprint tri- on 8/1/09) will be getting in the pool. While I don’t HATE swimming, I don’t love it. It’s harder to get up for that than anything else. It takes very little to intimidate/discourage me:

  • Other people waiting to use the pool – check!
  • Circle swimming with people who are faster than me (i.e. everyone) – check!
  • The thought that someone might look at and then judge me – check!

All this leads me to believe that I will have to change my schedule Wednesday AM swims to some time with fewer people & less early, making it harder to choose sleep over swim. I’m thinking maybe Friday early afternoons, just prior to my Friday trail runs. Or, maybe someone could just give me enough money to install an indoor lap pool on my property. I’d totally let you come use it, too! I had briefly thought of doing 2 swims/week in June & July to really prepare for my Tri-swim, but am not sure I can be that dedicated.

Soon, it will be nice enough to ride my bike to work again, and then I can do that 1x/week for automatic cross training (it’s about 18 miles round trip). I’m planning on taking my bike out (for the first time in WAAAY too long) for a test commute to my temporary part-time job on Friday, since it’s supposed to be nice.

There are so many things to look forward to in the next few months – and I’m excited that I’m strong enough to make these plans. I may not have the body I dream of having, but at least my body can do all the things I dream of doing…

And, to remember my earlier mantra: “Life is good, dammit!”

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