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The Twelve Days of Gazelle-mas: Day 11 (workout stats for 2011)

Jan 3rd, 2012
by gazelle.
3 comments

Last day of vacation! So sad! I already miss day 1. :( Sorry this is a bit late – I apparently forgot to hit “schedule” before going on vacation!  BOO!

Overall, I am not terribly displeased with my 2011 stats. The first half of the year I was working on recovering from foot surgery, the second half of the year I was pregnant. I probably could’ve done better, but in the interest of sanity and not being too hard on myself (those are actually pretty huge things), I am letting go of what I “could have” or “should have” done, and just reporting what was.

Running

Total miles: 250.62 – This is my lowest annual total since 2006 (i.e. the year I started running)
Biggest Month: July (67.35 miles)
Longest Run: 15.27 miles (7/31/11)

2010 mileage: 300.72
2009 mileage: 753
2008 mileage: 400.44

Biking

Total miles: 224.52
Biggest Month: July (61.15 miles)
Longest Bike: 30 miles (7/22/11)

2010 mileage: 245.43
2009 mileage: 440.8

Swimming

Total yard: 22,835 (12.97 miles. Also this number is higher than my 2009 total! Yay!)
Biggest Month: June (4,480 yds)
Longest Swim: 2000 yds (9/8/11)

2010 yardage: 60,130 (34.16 miles)
2009 yardage: 18,990 (10.79 miles)

Strength Training Sessions

Total number: 8 (i.e. pathetic!)
Biggest Month: November (3!)

2010 sessions: 16
2009 sessions: 28

I hate strength training, but that’s no excuse, really….this is an area in which I need to do better in 2012!

Yoga Sessions

Total number: 39 (i.e. best since I started tracking in 2008!)
Biggest Month: April & December, with 6 each

2010 sessions: 34
2009 sessions: 17
2008 sessions: 21

This can definitely be better, too. I’d like to average once/week (so 52 sessions/year, even when taking into account my post-partum recovery time).

Races

Number of races: 3
5K: 32:45 (3/13/11 – Shamrock)
10K: 1:04:14 (4/17/11 – Bridge to Brews)
Sprint Tri: 1:51:12 (6/11/11 – Blue Lake)

The tri was a PW, but since it was only my 2nd sprint tri, there weren’t a lot of choices. Neither of the other two were personal worsts, but they certainly weren’t PRs, either….they were, however, fairly soon after I started my foot surgery recovery!

2010 races: 3 (including a 15K PR)
2009 races: 8 (including all but two of my PRs!)
2008 races: 5 (including a 4 mile PR)
2007 races: 4
2006 races: 2 (my first year of running!)

Total Hours

2011: 153.52 hours (average of 25.24/day) – I’ll take it, considering the circumstances
2010: 181.24 hours (average of 29.79/day)
2009: 290.43 hours (average of 47.74/day)

 

I am not sure what to expect for 2012. I am hoping that I can exceed my 2011 stats in all categories, but am not sure how realistic that will be, considering that I will not be running at all for most of the first half of the year (I’ve had to finally say no more running, as it is just ridiculously painful – hardest thing I’ve done in ages).

***

On the the eleventh day of gazellemas, Amy gave to me:

Eleven hours remaining

Ten friends celebrating

Nine goals a-making

Eight hours a-sleeping

Seven miles a-cycling

Six yogis posing

FIVE PAIRS OF SHOES!

four pancakes,

three lazy cats,

two empty boxes, and

A Pooh Bear outfit, adorable and twee!

Possible Good News

Oct 27th, 2009
by gazelle.
4 comments

It seems that, just perhaps, some of my feeling bad was due to not exercising instead of the other way around. I had a great weights workout tonight (at my fancy pants new gym where I saw my neighbor AND my cousin).

I ran 1/2 mile tonight, as well. Without any physical discomfort. The 1/2 mile was just my cardio warm-up for the main event (weights!), but it was kinda nice. I might have to try that running thing again.

Fingers crossed that the worst is behind me.

Midweek update

Jul 23rd, 2009
by gazelle.
6 comments

This has not been my most successful of workout weeks. I have done zero cardio since Sunday. Why? you might ask. Well, because JM & my kick-ass neighbor killed me on Sunday (you might even say that they collectively KICKED MY ASS!).

That 14 mile run (10.2 miles at 45 seconds faster than my HM race pace) did some damage. My right hip has been killing me ever since. To the point where I haven’t been sleeping well due to the achy pains.

I also remembered that I do need to schedule one rest day every week. If I feel good & decide to do something that day, bonus! But if I don’t, then a workout isn’t lost. I took Monday off due to ow, and then pushed Monday’s workout to Tuesday, skipping my 5 mile run Tuesday. Wednesday, I really did intend to hit the pool before yoga in the park (thanks for coming JM!), but couldn’t get there in time, and yoga was the priority yesterday. We worked on some hip openers, which was good.

This morning, I still couldn’t get up in time to run, but am hoping to crank through my workload today & leave a bit early to get in a short run before tonight’s regular yoga session.

Tomorrow I will do my trail run, and, time permitting, a pool swim. Saturday I will do an OWS & bike, and then Sunday I’m doing a 15 miler. With JM. Who has promised to not kill me this time (and even claims to be a bit sore herself). According to the Runner’s World calculator, my long runs should be at about an 11:30 pace. Which, in case you really suck at math, is much, much slower than a 9:36 pace. Much.

I understand why long runs go at slower than marathon pace – and it’s so we can walk the next day & continue training! So – goal for tonight’s run is 11:00 pace (4-5 miles). Goal for tomorrow’s run is 12:00 pace (trails, that is always the goal). Goal for Sunday’s run: 11-11:30 pace (15 miles, between 2hrs, 45min & 2hrs, 52min). The last time I ran 15 miles was an accident, and we did it in 2:57….most of that was on trails, also we got lost (getting lost is kind of our MO), so I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine. As long as we get started early enough to beat the heat.

So – Saturday…..I am doing my 2nd OWS, and the first w/ the wetsuit. I’m a bit nervous about that. What are the chances I’ll get stuck in the wetsuit all contorted and be trapped for hours?

3-2-1 CONTACT!

Jul 11th, 2009
by gazelle.
9 comments

Did anyone else watch that show growing up? Do you now have the theme song stuck in your head?  ha ha ha! Sorry.

So – today’s post covers three things that I saw but didn’t photograph, 2 great workouts, and 1 thing that I saw and DID photograph.  Ooohh….fancy! :)

So – the three things I saw but didn’t photograph:

  1. Two men, in a boat, fishing….with bows & arrows. Gotta love the Couv, right?
  2. Two vultures, mid-meal….they were not pleased that I interrupted
  3. One homeless man, drinking beer from a sack at noon. I saw him finish the beer, then get up to throw it away (good job, homeless man). It was a microbrew. LOVE Portland.

Two great workouts.

Yesterday, I was to meet JM for a trail run. Before the trail run, I was gonna hit the pool. We are about to enter TMI territory, so cover your eyes.

Just before leaving for the pool, I decided that RIGHT NOW would be an excellent time to visit the restroom before leaving. And then, I felt it. That sensation that once it happens, you will never, ever forget. I had a UTI.

I skipped the pool. I drank a pitcher of cranberry juice. I decided that I could for sure do the run. The architect said, “I think you should stay home, you can’t stand erect.” I scoffed.

I drove to our meeting point. I thought I was going to die.

I visited the restroom there before JM showed up. She mentioned that I seemed concerned. I told her what was up. She, too, expressed reservations about my ability to run based on my inability to stand upright.

I conceded that she and the architect may be right, but I was really trying hard to exert mind over bladder (ha! even in pain, I make bad puns).

She said she would forgive me if for bailing on our run if I promised to blog about it and include an illustration of what I looked like when she saw me:

After I got home, I drank more water & cranberry juice. For reasons that shall remain unblogged, I also started doing shots of Pepto. I am a party monster, people!

I had a friend in town very briefly, and I really, really didn’t want to cancel on our happy hour. So I didn’t. I chugged cranberry on the way to Mint (thanks for the suggestions, people), and drank a LOT of water (and some yummy cocktails, of course) while there.

After the cocktails, I headed home. The architect had requested that I stop for some Thai food, so I did.

It was delicious – until I had a bad feeling. A bad “mushroom” feeling. It wasn’t too bad – likely someone just reused a knife or utensil or something. But it wasn’t good.

This morning, I woke up bright & early, determined to make my 9-10 miles with JM. We met at the Burnt Bridge Creek Park trail in Vancouver. It was very pretty, and very shady – and we’ll definitely be going back for some of our longer pre-marathon runs. We even managed to not get lost when the trail did a weird thing (a first for us).

We were both feeling a little off – due to post half marathon races & my crappy day yesterday, so we did more walking than usual. We ended up with 8 miles at just under an 11 minute mile. I’ll definitely take that!

I got home and ate (I hadn’t been able to get much down pre-run), and then started to feel all energetic again, so I headed out for a bike ride. I ended up with 13.3 miles in about an hour. My last 1.3 miles were through crowdedness, but before that, I was averaging 13.5-14 mph the whole time. It was pretty flat, with just a couple tiny rollers.

I’m feeling pretty damn good about my two workouts today!

And, finally – the one picture I did take:

I took this on my camera at Kelly Point – it’s amidsummer snow storm!

Or, you know, the cottonwoods are getting crazy – whatever!

I hope you all have a great weekend! I know Jen did! 5th in her age group at the Hagg Lake Olympic Tri! Way to go Jen!

Much Better

Feb 27th, 2009
by gazelle.
20 comments

I slept about 10 hours last night, and I feel MUCH better today. I lazed this morning, reading in bed, and then got up, had a big bowl of oatmeal, and worked my ass off!  Who knew gardening could be such a workout? There were squats, there were lunges, there was steering the electric tiller about.

I tilled the big & little beds, cleaned up the front flower garden & herb garden, planted some early spring plant stuff (asparagus, onions, radishes, spinach & early peas) and got super dirty.

My knee was bothering me again when I woke up this morning, and since I really want to make my 12 miler on Sunday, I decided that I would garden the calories off today instead – and that was quite a workout.

However, unfortunately the last few days of crazy schedules have taken their toll on the architect, and he is now sick!

I’m kind of sad that there are only two days of vacation left – there are still so many things on my to-do list that are undone!

BUT – in the next two days, I would like to accomplish:

  • Make laundry detergent
  • Make 2-week menu, grocery shop
  • Make a lot of freezer waffles
  • List extraneous shoes on eBay
  • List extraneous books on Amazon Marketplace
  • Finish rearranging the upstairs room (exciting photos to follow)

Actually – I think that’s all. Nothing that’s hard or even that time-consuming. I did get a lot more stuff done early on that I thought – just lazy days on Wednesday & Thursday made me forget.

And, I really only have to work four days before I get my three-day weekends back again!

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