Back on My Feet

Anne Mahlum, a High School classmate of mine, is the Founder and President of Back on My Feet, in Philadelphia. Please take a couple minutes to read about her and her organization that has worked to encourage self-sufficiency of the homeless population through running as a means to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem.

Back on My Feet has been chosen as one of the top 10 hero stories of 2008 by CNN.

Now, please take a couple minutes to watch an inspiring video, here, on Anne and this wonderful

organization. After you have watched the video, I encourage you to vote for her story.

I am sharing this with you because this is not only a person I know and have a connection to, but I feel that this is another reminder to all of us how a running can make such a difference in a community. Most of you, my fellow bloggers, are avid runners and know what running can do to the mind and body. This organization is just another example of the good that comes out of running.

She did find her love of running on the flat streets of Bismarck, ND.... and all the positives that come out of it.

The results of the voting will be revealed during CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE Thanksgiving night at 9PM ET.

A Challenge: 34 Days to a Better Me

With the stress of work and moving over the past couple of weeks, I know for a fact I haven’t been up to par in my workouts or proper nutrition and sleep, for that matter. I have been feeling sluggish, tired, and my body has been pumped with too much unhealthy food and high calorie beverages. With that in mind, I am going to join Borsch in his 35 day challenge (with a little tweaking) and work to improve my general well-being.

Have any of you heard of Bob Greene? I have read his book, The Best Life Diet, and found it to be very interesting. The next month or so is going to be very similar to his first month plan which is basically a time for cleaning out the system. Bob suggests cutting out the coffee, soda, and alcohol altogether, as well as increasing the healthy foods, supplements, and workouts. I am taking his suggestions and changing them a bit.

Here's what the next 34 days will look like for me:

• Absolutely no soda. I did this about this time last fall and was soda-free for almost 6 months and somehow got back into a little here and there. It makes me feel like crap.




• Only allowed coffee 1x/week. This is very manageable and I look forward to getting off the caffeine-roller-coaster-ride. I can’t tell if I am tired because I am tired or tired because I am coming off a caffeine-high. It’s awful.




• Keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum. I could totally cut this out, but that’s not realistic. I like to have a beer or drink here and there and I probably only have a couple a week if that. So I am not going to worry too much about this.




• Workout daily. This will consist of a minimum of 20 minutes per day, ranging from a long run, bike, or swim, to a short run, bike or swim sometimes including weight training; or something as minimal as a walk, yoga, stretching, Pilates, and Turbo Sculpting/Turbo Abs. I did this in June and found it to be very effective, and actually lost 6 pounds that month.




• Take daily supplements. I usually take a women’s multivitamin and fish oil. I am usually pretty good about doing this, but on occasion I will go a week or so without taking anything.




• A minimum of 8 hours of sleep each night. This should really be 8+ hours (for me), but that isn’t always realistic. This should be the easiest thing to accomplish… as I love to sleep.

So, anyone else in on this challenge?

Day 1 Workout:
Run - 2.92 miles, 34:00, 11:38/mile
Perfect 55 degrees, sun shining, no wind, and no walk breaks!

Today's Song: Creed - Higher

I got back just in time to see the sun set in the clear blue sky!

**Breast Cancer Awareness Information**

There are mixed-reviews on whether or not routine breast self-examinations are effective and necessary. Some say it is, and some say that it has led to more doctor visits but does not find breast cancer earlier than regular medical examinations.

I don't know about you, but I would rather be safe than sorry, right?

Click here for an excerpt on early detection at the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.

All moved in....

Thanks to my wonderful family, moving this weekend went fairly well, minus a couple moments of misery.

Thursday night when my parents and youngest sister arrived, we moved a few more things from the apartment, including the huge (old) tv and huge entertainment center. It took us forever to get the entertainment down the stairs because of the narrow stairs and hallway. Eventually we were able to maneuver it enough to get it down there.

Friday, we woke to rain and tried to wait it out a bit before tacking the rest. We picked out the paint for the rest of the living/dining/kitchen area. By the time my other sister, Steph, arrived in Fargo, the rain had stopped and we tackled the rest of my stuff... things in the fridge, a couple bookshelves, odds and ends, as well as the huge couch and chair.

After taking down two doors and trying to get the couch in the basement, where I wanted it, it was decided that it was only going to fit upstairs. Now I need to find furniture to go downstairs so I can watch tv!

Yesterday, us girls spent a good chunk of time painting, and Dad put in a light dimmer in my room and a sensor light on my patio. Later on we checked out some furniture at a few stores before grabbing a bite to eat for dinner. Now I just need to make a decision on what I want for a couch and dining room table!

Here are a few pics... but remember, it's still a work in progress and I need to do a lot more painting and hang up some pictures/art work.

Living room/kitchen/dining room:

Before

After

The green stayed the same, but we painted all the other walls a yellow-creamish color (Bavarian Cream to be exact)

My favorite, the master bedroom:

Before
(Remember the nasty red?!)

After
(The markings on the wall are from the glass fixtures around the lights in the ceiling fan.)

I will post more pics when I have more rooms painted, art and pictures on the wall, and things organized in general.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! My back is a bit sore from painting and moving stuff, but I hope to be back to the gym tomorrow! Only 5 days left in October!

Oh... and we woke up to the sight of this ...

Don't worry, it has already melted, but the 40 degree temps and 36mph gusting winds might be sticking around for a few days....

4 Day Weekend Kick-off

This 4-day weekend, due to ND Teacher's Convention (that isn't required), couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I was starting to reach my breaking point at work, due to paperwork, meetings, behavior issues, etc. On top of that, closing on the house, packing, moving, cleaning, and trying to be consistent with my workouts and nutrition has been hard. But, after this week, I hope to be back to my normal self. Whatever that may be.

To kick-off the 4 day weekend of craziness, I met a friend at the pool for a long swim. We did a lot of speed work and I probably only took 2 breaks. She was planning to finish with 2500M, and I just couldn't stop there; I wanted to push another 100M. So, we did.

Afterwards, I made breakfast for the both of us while we did some packing and loaded up both of our cars with boxes and hanging clothes. Good thing I am only moving a few blocks from my current apartment.

Now, I am going to do some more packing and cleaning before my parents and baby sis get to town tonight. Tomorrow Steph will be joining us and we will have a busy weekend full of unpacking, little cleaning, and more painting! I might have to put a few cold ones in the fridge to keep them all happy!

Have a great weekend y'all. I will catch up with you later and will hopefully have some pictures to post!

Today's Swim: 2600M, 58:00. 2:13/100M

Today's Song: New Kids on The Block ft. Ne-Yo - "Single"

Feelin' Good?

Definitely feelin' better.

Thanks for those kind comments in regards to my post yesterday. I think I am just physically and mentally drained right now. On top of that, my allergies ARE affecting me.

This morning I was able to make it to the gym, as much as I wanted to stay in bed. I got on the treadmill and did a very, very, slow 2.7 miles. I was struggling a bit, mostly due to the pain in my sinus due to the allergies, but I felt a helluva lot better afterwards. Even though it wasn't a great run, it was just what I needed to start my day and make me feel better!

Now, I am off to do some more cleaning at the house. I got my Norwex cleaning rags and I can't wait to use them. Look back for a follow-up post on the wonderful products, as I will post more information and testimonies!! It's will benefit your health!

Today's Run: 2.7 miles, 33:44, 12:29/mile

Today's Song: Michael Buble - Feelin' Good

What's this funk?

I knew I wasn't going to make it to the gym this morning, so I slept in until 5:45. I had to get to work early as I had a meeting and plenty of paperwork to try to finish up. I thought that if I felt rested and better this afternoon I would take advantage of the nice weather and run outside.

That didn't happen. Being locked up in the building all day I felt like my allergies were being aggravated. When I left work and headed to the house to do a few things, the fresh air felt good but not good enough to get me out and do something.

I feel like I am in some sort of funk. I cleaned up at the house a bit, unloading a few boxes that I brought over, putting the face plates back on the walls in the master bedroom, and headed home.

I just feel, icky.

I made my favorite post-workout snack, even if I didn't workout, it hit the spot.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie:

1/2 large banana

4 large strawberries

1 cup white grape juice

1 serving of whey protein powder (using the measuring cup with it ... I like to use chocolate)

1 cup ice

...blend well.....mmm.... it's so yummy!

Hopefully tomorrow I will make it to the gym. Tonight I will be doing some more paperwork... at home. There is definitely something wrong with this idea.

Sunday Sunday Sunday

I am trying not to revolve every post around this house thing, but I hate to admit it .. my life is revolving around it right now. That and work... but I am not going to even go there.

Yesterday I spent the entire day, at the house. I cleaned. Made some friends at the Home Depot. Primed the bedroom and then painted it with some very great help from Jill. Then I finished up a second coat, and went on to shampoo two bedrooms and a living room in the basement. Some of you asked what color I chose to paint the master bedroom (ridding of the vampire red) ... I am not going to show pictures yet, but here are the names of the two colors: polished silver and calm storm. Does that give you an idea?

I was completely spent when I got home last night and felt worse than I did after my half marathon. I don't know if I am going to be able to do a workout today. All I want to do is finish some necessary paperwork, check y'alls blogs, and watch some football.

Have a great Sunday!

Here it be...

Signed my life away on my first home today, a twinhome. Kind of like a townhouse.

Got my keys, did some minor cleaning, now it's time to get down to business... before moving all my stuff in next week.

The first thing on the list? ... getting rid of this color...

Closing Time...

.... in T-minus ....




Today's Song: Green Day - Closing Time

Today's Workout:
Run - 3.12 miles
Bike - 10.15 miles, 30:00, 20.3 mph

PTI

Pardon the Interruption, but sometimes, life just get's in the way.

Meetings, walk-through with the house, meetings, IEP paperwork, baseline data, meetings, goals, closing, meetings, paperwork, meetings, paperwork... I have things coming from me from all different directions and I have no freakin' idea how I am able to stay on top of my workouts of all things. I think it is the one, and only thing, that is keeping me sane. For reals. for really reals; along with the excitement of closing on my house in less than two days.

Sunday, the day after my glorious ride, I took the day off. I used the day to run errands, work on paperwork, pack some boxes, and just chill. It was my first day away from any workout in over a week. As much as I needed the day off, it took everything in me to stay away from the gym.

I just wanted to write up a quick post, letting y'all know that I am here, but buried knee deep in shtuff. I know it will get better, it's just going to be really busy over the next two weeks... busy with work and closing and packing and movie, and... well, you get the point.

Don't worry, I will be checking in on you all, but just not as often as my obsession would like me too!

Monday's Workout:
Run 3.1 miles, 34:00, 10:58/mile
lifted l/b, abs

Today's Workout:
Swim 2000M, 44:00, 2:12/100M

Breast Cancer Awareness Ride

Lindenwood Park, Fargo ND

Saturday, October 11, 2008

25 Mile Ride (closer to 28 miles)

Before:
The first thing I did this morning when I woke shortly before 7 was check the weather. It was a whopping 42 degrees, with the windchill right around 36 degrees. I looked outside and the sky was full of dark, thick, clouds and wet streets. On the bright side, it wasn't raining. All I wanted to do was crawl back into my warm bed and watch the Today Show.

There were multiple reasons that could have kept me home, but I knew I just had to do this ride. I have been looking forward to this for almost a month. If I could do anything to bring more awareness to the community, this was just another little thing I could do myself. Plus, one of my best friends left me a message saying...."Get down to your ND roots and do it!:)" ... That was just enough of a push to get my going.

I dressed in as many layers as I could. Not only was I trying to keep myself warm, but dry as well; 3/4 length running tights, padded cycling shorts, cycling socks with red tube socks up to my knees, long sleeved shirt, adidas zip-up dri-fit jacket, a water resistent "shell-like" jacket, padded cycling gloves with fleece gloves on top, and a winter headband for the ears. We got to Lindenwood Park, signed in, and picked up our fun stuff. We were given a bag of goodies... gu, pria bar, Trek Breast Cancer Awareness water bottle, and Sock Guy cycling socks!

The Ride:

When we started it was not only cold, but it started to rain again... nothing heaving but enough to make one wonder what the ride was really going to be like. It was so cold that you could see your breath as well. There were probably no more than 15 people riding this morning. Would this possibly be under the definition of crazy? I was just hoping that the weather wouldn't get worse.

We rode through Lindenwood Park and was sheltered from the wind and rain for a little bit. Before we knew it, we were heading north out on a county road. The rain had backed off a bit, but we were fighting some serious headwind for quite a while. It was slow going at that point.

Then we turned west onto a nother county road, Cass County Road 22 to be exact. We still had a bit of wind to deal with, but it was more out of the north and it was nothing compared to the last leg. I had never ridden on this road, but I look forward to getting out on it next spring/summer. It was newly paved and very quiet, nothing but farmland all around.

After a good length of time on that road we headed south for our last leg. The wind was at our back and it was pretty much smooth sailing from there on out. However, this was the point when I felt pretty tired and we still had another 40 some minutes left of the ride.

After:

When we were finished, it felt so good to get off the bike and into the warm visitor builing at the park. Prizes from the drawing were being distributed and I was able to go home with a new Bontrager saddle for my bike! I was pumped!

It only ended up raining about the first 20 minutes and the rest was just cold and windy. But, once I got home, it was down pouring. Is that ironic or a gift?

It felt so good to be able to participate in such a ride, even if the weather conditions weren't prime. I just kept reminding myself that fighting through the cold and wet on a 25+ mile ride was so minimal and not even comparable to the battles that those with cancer have fought or are fighting. I was just there to bring more awareness to others.

The photo below was take before we took off, but it definitely portrays how excited I was to be a part of this ride. I hope to do it again next year!

A fear of not getting enough sleep...

I went to bed later than usual last night with a feeling that I wasn't going to make it to the gym this morning. This is where the problem begins. I fear that I will be too tired, therefore, most times I don't get up for a morning workout because I am afraid I will be too tired. Thus, I should be making that decision not to workout in the morning, prior to going to bed, rather then at 430am. If I make the decision before bed, I will set my alarm for later, thus getting a good extra hour and a half sleep. If I don't make the decision prior to going to bed, the alarm goes off at 430am, and then I toss and turn for another hour and a half, feeling guilty instantly. It's not a fun thing, and I should know better.

We all know now how this morning went. I definitely didn't get up at 430 and I most definitely did toss and turn feeling guilty for an extra hour and a half. All I could think about while getting ready this morning was starting the day off without a workout. It just bugged me. I knew I could get it done after school, but I knew then I would be crunched for time as I had prior commitments this evening.

Fortunately, I was able to get out of school right after the day was over and got to the gym with plenty of time to get my run in. It was nice and quiet in the gym for a change, and I didn't have to limit myself to 30 minutes on the thrillmill.

I knew I wanted to do a bit more than my usual 3 mile run; something between 4-5 miles. I started out slow and was able to run for 25 minutes strait, before I had to sign up for another 30 minute. After that I did the run 5 minutes walk 1 minute for about 15 minutes and then worked on some speed intervals within the last 15 minutes, maxing out at 7mph (avg. 8:34/mile) on a 2% incline.

While stretching out on the mat I was thinking of how much I had left in me. I knew I could have put in another mile, but I just ran out of time. Overall, the run was good, and I wasn't too guilty any more about trying to sleep in this morning and move the workout to later in the day... this time.
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On a side note, I less than 48 hours I will be participating in the Breast Cancer Awareness Ride! I am super excited, but I am not so excited about the weather. The high for the day will be around 54, but I am pretty sure it won't be anywhere near that at 10am. Plus, there is 60% chance of rain/thunderstorms and a 13mph wind out of the North. I am not looking forward to that. How does one dress for that?!
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Today's Song: TI - Whatever You Like

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Wednesday's Workout:
Lift u/b, core
Bike - 10.85 miles, 30:00, 21.7mph

Today's Workout:
Run - 4.6 miles, 54:00, 11:44/mile

Have a great weekend y'all! Good luck to those who are racing this weekend as well!

Spreadin' the Love

Erin tagged me...

...she said....

Oh there are so many of you that I absolutely love out there... but I am going to pass this on to the following 10 peeps....

1. my lovely sistah Steph
2. Kelsalynn
3. Borsch
4. Sherry
5. MJC
6. Steve
7. Stef
8. Wes
9. Marcy
10. Jess

With that ... you are supposed to write 6 random thoughts about yourself... here goes:

1. I am a data whore. For reals. I love collecting and crunching numbers in any way possible. Have you looked at my sidebar lately? .... plus, if you know anything about special education and progress monitoring, this is one of my favorite parts of my job... shhhh... don't tell anyone.
2. I HEART morning workouts. It's just feels so good. Plus, there's nothing like being able to leave work and head home to relax for the evening.
3. I hate making dinner. for one. It's just seems like so much work and is the last thing I want to have to do after a long day.
4. I am currently obsessed with HGTV. Must have something to do with purchasing and decorating my own home.
5. I wrote my last RENT check a week ago. For good, I hope. In less than a week I will be writing a check for closing costs. Yaaayyyy!!

Today's Song: All You Need is Love - Beatles

Tuesday's Random thoughts and questions...

• This morning's swim was successful. 2000M in less than 50 minutes. I felt really strong and probably could have gone longer, but I guess I had to get to work.
• The past 48 hours I have felt really "gassy" in my stomach. It feels gross and I am wondering what I might be eating too much of to cause this... fiber?
• Today, about an hour after lunch I was hungry again. Could it be that my previous four days of workouts, one being a brick, were enough to increase my hunger? What's the dealio?
• So... who else is joining Viv's next challenge?
• During my lunch I spent a few minutes and was looking over my stats on my sidebar.. noticed that my running miles weren't adding up right... if I wasn't so obsessed with numbers I would probably let this slide, but it is bugging me big time.
• I thought of starting to follow a 10K or half marathon training program... just to motivate myself to get in some long runs.. even if I am not doing a race. Am I weird?

Swim - 2000M, 46:00, 2:18/100M

Let me clear my throat...

Today's Song.... We Tryin' to Stay Alive by Wyclef Jean (feat. John Forte and Pras)
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The hockey game last night was pretty good. Even though it was part of the regular season, the boys played well and we have a couple pretty decent freshman on our hands that know what their doing.
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My sister and brother-in-law took my laptop in to an Apple store in the cities this evening. The tech thought it was most likely going to be software issues. However, he was quite wrong. It turned out to be the hardware. And it's a goner. Fo reals. Fo really reals. It looks like I might be computer-less for a while. I would really like to get another Mac, and if I do so, he said they will Apple will transfer everything onto my new computer for free. Plus, I get an educator's discount. I guess it's time to start researching what I would like, like things I didn't have before.... wireless internet capabilities, DVD player, video burner, etc.
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This evening, after a long 10 hour day at work, I hit the gym for my run/lift session. I lifted first for about 20 minutes, primarily focusing on my lower body. Then I hit the treadmill and actually had almost 35 minutes. I wanted to work on some speed and just played it by ear. After my 3 plus miles I felt pretty good and could have probably gone longer, but I just needed to be done. I have a long swim tomorrow on the schedule! I finished the workout with a bit more lifting and then some stretching and ab work on the mat.

ORN: 3.4 miles, 34:10, 10:02/mile average
Lifted lower body
Abs
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***Breast Cancer Awareness Information***

Changes you Can Make to Lower your Risk.....
Check it out! Who knows... you might learn something you didn't know before. I know I did... I didn't realize that alcohol consumption could have an effect on estrogen levels. Very interesting.
*information from breastcancer.org

Who could think of a better way to end the day, and 36 hours of non-stop rain, than a beautiful sunset like this? It's like a big wink from my friend who passed away almost 2 years ago. She loved the color pink and her family and friends to this day considers sunsets like these a "wink" from her. She continues to be missed by all and I know that I can speak for many that have had the blessing of knowing her, even if it were brief.... she has left a lasting impression on us all.

Playing Catch-up

Work:
Friday's staff development sessions went well. As usual, some are more worth while then others but overall it was okay. My afternoon session was nerve-racking. Like I stated previously, we were presenting to the school information on RtI and how we were going to start implementing it. It went well. The teachers really didn't question anything, so it will be interesting to see how things work out in the next few weeks.

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Fun:
After work on Friday a handful of us met up for apps and taps at a restaurant. We used to do this last year on pay-days (not all of them). It was fun to catch up with people and just enjoy a cold one.

Saturday afternoon my sister and brother-in-law came to town and spent the night with muah! We went out for a nice dinner and afterwards, since we were in the area, we headed to my uncle's house with the thought that some other family were in town. Sure enough, the driveway was full of cars and we ended up staying for a few hours... enjoying a few drinks and a handful of laughs.

This evening I will be heading to GF for the first SIOUX hockey game... exhibition game. I can't wait! Hopefully I will have pictures to post later.

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Workouts:
Yesterday I had a 30 minute swim and spin session on the calendar. I was going to work on some speed intervals in the pool and when I realized that it was going to take longer than I expected (with the rest breaks) I cut it down a bit. Aftewards I headed to spin class and thoroughly enjoyed myself! I need that ride to prepare myself for next weekend's Breast Cancer Awareness Ride. If your interested in participating yourself, check out the website and see if they are offering one near you!

Today, after my sister left I headed to the gym for a run. I wanted to do something longer but I just couldn't push myself. My hips were sore from the bike and I wanted to be able to run again tomorrow, so I kept it short. Plus, I was overheating like crazy. Blech.

Later dudes.....

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Swim: 1000M, 30:00, avg. 3:00/100M
Bike (Spin): 24.05 miles, 1:02:47, 22.98mph

Run: 3.10 miles, 37:00, 11:56/mile

Off to a good start

October is off to a great start. I spent almost an hour lifting and working on the abs yesterday after work, and then almost an hour in the pool this morning. Cha-ching. Tomorrow I will be getting up early for a run; hopefully something longer than 3 miles.

As much as I love lifting, it can be soooo time consuming and I am looking into different forms of strength training. Kelsalynn has been doing a lot with CrossFit and I am quite intrigued. I will be looking to her for further information and such. It's sounds like she knows her shiznit!

Tomorrow the kiddo's don't have school, but us educators are taking part in our first Staff Development day for the school year. yeaaaahhh. Can you sense my excitement? Maybe it has a bit to do with the fact that I will be presenting information on RtI and helping my team inform our teachers about the changes we will be making at our school with interventions and such. yeeeaaahhh.

Today's Swim: 2000M, 51:00 (approx.), 2:33/100M

Today's Song: Pink - So What?

...Today's Breast Cancer Awareness information...

The most common risk factors:

1. Sex. The highest risk factor for breast cancer is being female; the disease is about 100 times more common among women.
2. Age. The risk of breast cancer increases as a woman grows older. The risk is especially high for women age 60 and older. Breast cancer is uncommon in women younger than age 35, although it does occur. There is some evidence to suggest young African American women are at greater risk for breast cancer than young Caucasian women.
3. Personal History. Women who have had breast cancer and women with a history of breast disease (not cancer, but a condition that may predispose them to cancer) may develop it again.
4. Family History. The risk of developing breast cancer increases for a woman whose mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives have had the disease. It is important to know how old they were at the time they were diagnosed.
5. The Breast Cancer Genes. Some individuals, both women and men, may be born with an "alteration" (or change) in one of two genes that are important for regulating breast cell growth. Individuals who inherit an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at an "inherited" higher risk for breast cancer. They also may pass this alteration on to their children. It is very rare. Scientists estimate that only about 5-10 percent of all breast cancers are due to genetic changes. One out of two women with these changes are likely to develop breast cancer. Women with a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to speak to a genetics counselor to determine the pros and cons of genetic testing.

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I have made changes to my blog once again. This time, besides just looking for a change, I have a purpose in mind.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer seems to affect more and more people each day. I hope to spread more awareness and education through random links and information within my posts (or in the sidebar) every once and a while throughout the month. Even if the color of my blog is enough awareness... I am fine with that!

Here's some information to start the month off:

Q: How many new cases of breast cancer are estimated in the United States in 2007?
A: New cases of breast cancer in the United states are estimated to be 178,480 (female); 2,030 (male). Of these an estimated 40,460 (female) and 450 (male) will die from the disease. (National Cancer Institute figures).

Q: How common is breast cancer in the United States?
A: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, aside from skin cancer.


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Monday: Run 3 miles, 34:13, 11:24/mile
Lift u/b, abs

Tuesday: Run 1.82 miles, 20:00, 10:59/mile
Bike 8.96 miles, 27:00, 19.91mph

Wednesday: Lift u/b, l/b, core, abs
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11 days until my 25 mile Breast Cancer Awareness Ride!!!


*Information from nbcam.org

September: Month in Review

Well, here it is. September's month in review. I can't believe the month is already over!

Let's compare those numbers.

• SWIM - 8100M .........................12,700M in August
• BIKE - 48.62 miles ..................70.64 miles in August
• RUN - 25.99 miles....................20.55 miles in August

I sure don't know what to think about these numbers. They are what they are. When I look at my calendar laid out in front of me, I notice that 13 out of the 30 days were REST days... I can blame a large number of these to being sick with the worst head cold I have ever had and being out of town with training for work. However, that's only about half of them and poor excuse are left for the rest.

When I look ahead to October, I know things will be a bit busy with closing on a house and moving, but at least I am not planning on going anywhere that will take away my weekend workouts. This month won't be about quantity of miles or meters, but the quality of each workout.

Here are a handful of short-term goals I put together:

• The focus will be running. Period. I want to start doing some longer runs as well as more interval runs to work on increasing speed. I am working to Shave my 5K in less than a couple months!
• Swim two times/week.... one being a longer swim and one primarily focusing on speed.
• Bike at least 1 time/week.... with the weather changing, biking isn't going to be occuring outdoors. It's time to move back indoors and I would like to get back into Spin class once a week. If I have more time for biking after that, great.
• Lifting at least two times per week... I usually break my lift sessions in half. One half focusing on the lower extremities, and the other half working on the upper body and core. I break these in half because I am trying to fit them in before or after my cardio and usually don't have enough time to get all lifting done, especially when I workout in the morning. I am trying to figure out if it would just be easier to do ALL lifting one day, and then the same on another day, or continue to break it up like this, which technically means I am lifting 4 times/week. Anything thoughts?

I think that is it. I think.

Happy October, folks!