A Whole Bunch of Randomness

3 weeks until the 32 mile Tour de Cure ride. Thanks again to all those who have donated thus far, and if YOU would like to donate, please feel free to check out my website!

I haven't been outside to ride my bike YET! That is rediculous. But, things have been crazy busy with end of school year stuff and busy weekends. Next week, I look forward to getting out there and enjoying the warmer temps!



Well I gone and did it. Just when I didn't think I could go and get any crazier, I joined a local swim team.

A few months ago, a friend-of-a-friend's was hoping to get some sort of adult swim sessions set up Tues/Thurs mornings with the Y, but it never worked out. Now this, my friends, couldn't have come at a more perfect time. It's 4 weeks long, Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6-715am, and will finish up the week prior to my triathlon! And, it's at the outdoor pool so I hope it warms up by June 9th because it's going to be shock to the system at 6am!

Here's what it looks like:

Adult Swim Team: This program is for swimmers ages 19 and over who can swim 50 meters or more without stopping. It is for participants who wish to stay fit or who aggressively competein swimming or triathlons. Coaches will be on deck to improve stroke technique, endurance and speed. Workouts will be written specifically for all levels on the team.

I am so excited, but nervous at the same time. I really hope this is going to help with my swimming! I know that I have lots to work on and look forward to hearing what the coaches have to say! (I think)

Other than that, this week has been uber busy and I have been barely able to post, let alone comment on a few blogs here and there. Tuesday night I was busy with volleyball and I didn't go to softball because my Dad was in town on his way to the cities. Last night I had plans to grab a drink with the ladies from work, get groceries, mow my lawn, and get in my trainer ride. Today I was able to get in a 2-a-day with a morning speed work and afternoon trainer ride. And shortly, I am off to meet a couple dear friends for dinner!

Tomorrow is already Friday AND the last day of school! Saturday morning I am heading to the cities with a few friends to celebrate my sis' 25th birthday! Once I return Monday I will have more time to catch up with y'all in blogland!

Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

Training and Long Weekend...

Last week should have been my recovery week, since I missed 3 of my workouts. Here's what was we're lookin' at...

Week 4 of Sprint Tri Training:
Monday:
Run - 2.53 miles
Tuesday:
REST - Softball
Wednesday:
Swim - 1500M, 28:00, 1:52/100M
Thursday:
Bike - 26 miles, 1:20:00, 19.5mph
Friday:
REST
Saturday:
REST
Sunday:
REST


Most of my long weekend was spent up north, visiting my Dad's side of the family. We don't get up there too often so it was nice to see them for the weekend and catch up with my Grandpa! It was also nice to take a drive through the cemetary to visit my Grandma's burial sight. I was very young when she passed away, but still have some memories of her.

I had good intentions of running while I was up at the farm, but it just didn't happen. The gravel roads didn't sound too appealing. I was thinking about increasing my workouts a bit this coming week, but decided to just stick with the plan and get over it....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I know I sure did, spending it with my family. Unfortunately my favorite soldier was not there, but we were thinking of him all weekend. Miss you B! Did you take time to remember all soldiers, past and present?

Only 4 more days left of school! Then, I have two weeks off before I begin teaching summer school and doing some tutoring! I have many plans for the next couple weeks, like cleaning the house top to bottom, hanging some pictures, looking at additional furniture, etc!

Have a great rest of the week, y'all!

Thanks for the advice!

A couple days ago I was struggling with extreme exhaustion. I was very tired and dealing with nutrition issues. After making a post of it, complaining a bit, and reading all your wonderful comments and nutrition/training tips, I am starting to feel a heck of a lot better!

Here are a list of things that I need to keep in mind. Some things I already knew but forgot to remember when I started upping my training, some things I learned from you all, and some things I did a bit of research on:

• Get enough sleep. I don't care what research says, I think everyone knows how much sleep there body needs and I know that I perform best on 8-8.5 hours of sleep each night, especially when I am building my training. I can function on less, but it isn't pretty.
• Use the 4-week training cycle. Build 10% each week for 3 weeks, and then drop 25% the 4th week. Starting the 5th week back at where you were at on the 3rd week.
• More protein. I eat some protein, but I know it's not enough.
• More whole grains. I need to get back to my oatmeal kick. I lurve it and it's uber-filling!
• Water water water. They say you should drink half your weight in ounces. So, if you weight 150lbs, you should drink 75oz. of water a day, and more if you are working out, drink soda, or alcoholic beverages! I usually am really good about this, averaging about 90-100oz of water a day!
• Eat more ... and more often. Actually, I am pretty good about eating often throughout the day, but I don't think I have been eating enough for how much I have been working out... or enough of the right stuff. I usually eat a mid-morning snack and an afternoon snack (usually a Clif ZBar in the afternoon), but I think my lunches have been lacking, as I feel ravenous when I get home around 4.
• Recovery food/drink. Duh. Looking back at all my hard workouts (more than 60 minutes) this month, I can honestly tell you that I haven't bee refueling properly afterwards. This needs to change! I guess I forgot what training was like. I used to down a glass of chocolate milk or a small fruit smoothy, after a long workout.
• Daily vitamins. Once again, I used to be consistent about taking my daily Women's Vitamin and Fish Oil. Time to get back on the saddle with that one!
• Green Monster. I am bound and determined to get on this band-wagon! They look and sounds so yummy!
• Listen to the body. I need to remember to thrown in a good solid REST day after a few days of hard workouts. My body will thank me!

I appreciate everyone's comments and have taken them all to heart! I am already starting to feel better and look forward to how these adjustments can help with my training and overall well-being! Thank you!

Tomorrow I am taking a half day of personal leave and heading home to the Bis with my sister in the afternoon. From there we plan on heading up north to see my Dad's side of the family. We haven't been up there since the wedding in August and I look forward to seeing them! Have a great Memorial Day weekend, y'all!

Nutrition/Training Advice Wanted

I got home from work today at 4, played with the dog outside for about a half hour, and then crashed on the couch for an hour. I haven't done that in a long time, and I can honestly say that I.am.wiped.out.

With training, the workouts are getting longer. I am doing more than a couple miles of running here and there, adding in brick workouts, and including the Tri Power daily sessions.

I am trying to stay consistent with my sleep. I love sleep and am usually pretty good with that. It's the nutrition part that I think is kicking me in the arse. I am still learning! I almost feel like I am not getting enough protein a day, but wondering how and when is it the best way to incorporate that more?!

I can be so anal about what I eat. I don't want to eat too much, but I sometimes wonder if I am not eating enough... enough of the right stuff. I know that Leana wrote up a very helpful post on Race Nutrition yesterday and I was super pumped to read it... but any further advice would be wonderful!


Anyway, the weather is beautiful here... 65 degrees with minimal winds. As much as I would like to take advantage of it and ride my bike, I have my first night of Softball tonight, since it was cancelled last week due to rain! We play at 9 and 10 pm and need my energy! This is late for me, but if it's only a couple weeks during the school year, I can handle it! It should be fun!

Only 7 more days left of school!


P.S. Thanks to the continued support in the fight against Diabetes! I truly appreciate each and every one of your donations! If you haven't donated and would like to do so, check out my Tour de Cure page! Thanks again!

Tour de Cure and Sprint Tri Training

My training for the Sprint Tri in July is going pretty well. Overall things look pretty good and are feeling really good... which makes me really happy! I look forward to doing some even longer rides to prepare for the Tour de Cure in 4 weeks!

Week 3 of Sprint Tri Training:
Monday:
Run 1.5 miles
Bike 10 miles
Tuesday:
REST (was supposed to have our first set of games for softball this night but got rained out)
Wednesday:
Run 3.43 miles, 42:00, 12:14/mi avg.
Thursday:
Swim - 1200M
Friday:
REST
Saturday:
BRICK
Swim - 1200M, 22:00, 1:50/100M
SPIN- 23.09, 1:05:45, 21.07mph
Sunday:
Run - 4.53 miles (outdoors)

This coming week's workouts are going to be a challenge with leaving town for a long weekend. But, I will make the most of the time I do have. Then, the following week our pool is closed for a week which makes me very angry, but what can you do?!

I am off to enjoy the sun and warm weather on my patio with a book. I sure wish I had some nice patio furniture but my camping chairs will have to do! That stuff is super expensive!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Only 9 more days left of school! Lovin' it!

Tour de Cure, Super Blog, & Meme

I want to shout out and say THANKS to those who have donated to help me in the fight against Diabetes. I have been thinking about the Tour de Cure for the past couple of days and look forward to building my long rides to be ready in June! If you are interested in donating, feel free to check out my last post, or just click the picture on the sidebar to the left! THANKS AGAIN, fellow bloggers!

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Ashley, over at Journey to Better Me has given me an award! She says my blog is SUPER! Now isn't she so sweet? What a doll!

The rules are: tape the award on your blog somewhere and pass it along to 5 fellow super bloggers. Then comment on their blog to let them know how lucky they are today! When you present your Super Blogger awards, link back to the Super Blogger who gave it to you :)

Choosing 5 fellow blogs to pass this award onto is super hard. There are so many great blogs out there! But, as required, I have narrowed it down to the "required" 5:

1. Amanda over at Run To Finish.... I love reading her blog and not just for all the give-aways she has! She is constantly sharing recipes, challenging bloggers with her nutrition challenges, sharing product reviews, talking about her running, and I love reading her gratitude list! ... In my mind, she lives life to the fullest with such a great attitude! It's starts to rub off on a person after a while! :)

2. Kelsalynn...is awesome! She is constantly pushing herself above and beyond, and is a great source of motivation for me and many others!! She rocks when it comes to CrossFit and keeps reminding me of how great it is... and she can do 170 real push ups!

3. Steve over at Steve in a Speedo?! Gross... this guy is always up for a challenge! He's fast! He's hilarious! and he's Gross! And he's now organized a Triathlon Training Club! You never know what he will be up for next!

4. Carolina John at Smoke Training... I look forward to each and every one of his posts. Sometimes I find myself laughing out loud reading them. And he's got some mean gardening skillz! He is training for B2B Half Iron and almost got me to sign up for it this year. This man is the guy who introduced me to Tri Power... which in return "fixed" my knee. What else can I say about the guy... he is pretty high on my pedestal. (plus, I think he shaves his legs more than I do!)

5. Jess over at 21 Days... I think I have been following her blog since I started blogging a few years ago... and vice versa. She is a fellow runner, avid reader, awesome bowler, and very witty! And... she's expecting her first baby! 10 months out of the year I find myself jealous of the warmer !

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I have seen the following meme floating around blogland for the past month or so, and just thought I would dive in myself. I know. You guys are super excited to learn more about muah!

8 things to which I'm looking forward....
1. The end of the school year... the next 10 days are going to be long.. .the kids have already begun shutting down.
2. The Tour De Cure ... 32 mile ride to fight diabetes!
3. My first outdoor triathlon ... July 11, 2009
4. Family trip to NYC in July
5. Teaching summer school
6. Spending many afternoons on my deck this summer
7. Getting my own puppy
8. Going to a Twins game

8 things I did yesterday....
1. Ran on the treadmill
2. Tri Power strengthening routine
3. Worked
4. Played with the dog
5. Read a bit from the book Culture Jam... for book club
6. Did some much needed blog reading
7. Watched American Idol
8. Fell asleep watching the Twins

8 things I would like to do....
1. buy furniture and grill for the deck
2. Read more classic books
3. Work towards my ASD Credentials
4. Do another Half Marathon
5. Train for a Half Ironman, before I turn 30
6. Do a Contiki Tour in Europe
7. Cycle in Europe
8. Take a couple weeks to backpack, hike, and camp in the mountains

8 shows I watch....
1. Mike & Mike in the Morning
2. American Idol
3. Dancing with the Stars
4. Two and a Half Men
5. PTI
6. Medium... when I am still awake for it
7. Today Show
8. Anything sports related.....

8 people I tag...
This has been going around for a while so if you haven't done it yet, I tag alls y'all! :)

Tour De Cure

In December, I had jotted down a list of races and events for 2009 that I would potentially be interested in doing. About a month ago I looked over that list again, knowing that my knee is healing fast and I am feeling strong enough to get back into training.

That was when I came across the Tour de Cure on my list. Initially, I struggled with choosing the distance I wanted to ride as well as the idea of having to "ask" people to help me raise the required $150. It wasn't until now that I made the decision to participate, full-fledged.

On Saturday, June 20, 2009, I will be riding 32 miles in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure fund-raising event. I am not going to beg you to make a donation, but want you all to keep in mind that even $5 will make a difference if you choose to do so. I think it is possible to raise twice the required denomination, setting a goal of $300. If you would like to donate, click here to go to my Tour de Cure web page and proceed to click the "Click Here to Sponsor Me" button. I have also placed a link in my sidebar if you choose to come back later and donate. All donations are tax-deductable.

Our efforts will help set the pace in the fight against diabetes. No matter how small or large, your generous gift will help improve the lives of more than 23 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Thanks!

Sidenote: If you have a friend or family member affected by diabetes and would like me to ride in "honor" of them, please feel free to share their name and/or story by emailing me at teacherwoman80@gmail.com, or leave a comment in this post. Between now and June 20, I will be taking stories and names, and will figure out a way to have those with me on my ride.

Thanks again,

Stacy
(aka. Teacherwoman)
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=4461255&fr_id=5600&pg=personal

The Fargo Marathon

Saturday was the 5th Annual Fargo Marathon. I couldn't believe how much the race had grown since last year. I think there were about 15,000 participants. There were hundreds of kids running the 1/2 mile and 1 mile races Friday night. It was so fun to see those young ones running their heart out!


The weather wasn't the greatest for race day, but it wasn't the worst conditions I have run in either. We left the house around 645 am and it was 38 degrees but "felt like" 26 degrees with the wind. Definitely not the same conditions as last year. You never know what it's going to be like in North Dakota.


While my parents and sister Steph ran the half marathon, I ended up running the 5K with my friend Jill and my sister Susan walked the 5K with some friends. Jill and I finished in 35:45 with only a couple brief walk breaks which was pretty good considering a couple weeks ago I couldn't run more than 2 miles pain free!


After our race, we waited in the chilly temps to watch my parents and sister Steph finish the half marathon! We planted ourself just outside the Fargodome, about 1/10 of a mile from the finish line with our signs that we made. Steph passed us by first and then my parents passed by about 5 minutes later. All three of them looked pretty strong! Congrats to Steph on her first half marathon! I hear that it was my Mom's 10th half marathon too!


Even though the temps weren't ideal, it was a great race. I am itching to get back into some longer runs and possibly get in my own half marathon sometime this year!! :) All in all, it was a great family affair!






Wednesday:
Swim - 1600M (speed work)
Thursday:
Run - 2.25 miles, outdoors

Friday:
REST
Saturday:
Fargo 5K
35:45, 11:31/mi. avg.

Today:
REST

What's going on?

Teacher Appreciation Week...
The week started off with $60 in cold hard cash from our PTA as a thanks for all we do. Seriously, we are so lucky to have such a wonderful PTA, and it's not just about the money! They have been very involved and supportive in our school and district. On top of the money from the PTA, our district administrators, support staff, and district educator's association, have been providing treats in the lounge each day... meat and cheese tray, root beer floats, muffins and rolls, pies, etc.


Triathlon to Come...
Less than two weeks ago, I came across a triathlon I wanted to do. It's part of the Prairie Rose State Games that takes place here in ND every year, rotating between four locations. This year it takes place in Grand Forks, only an hour drive from here and the cost is only $15!! For my first outdoor triathlon, I just couldn't pass it up. The knee is feeling stronger than ever, I have started an 11 week training plan, implementing Tri Power, and I am super pumped!


Fargo Marathon...
This weekend marks the 5th annual Fargo Marathon. As much as I was looking forward to doing the Half Marathon again, I am okay with down-sizing to the 5K run. This race is going to be for fun! I plan to take my camera with me, taking pictures along the way, and finishing with extra time to watch the rest of my family finish. My sister Susan will be walking across the finish line with other friends, my sister Steph will be finishing her very first Half Marathon, and my parents will be completing their umpteenth Half Marathon. It's a family affair. If anyone is looking for a flat course with a great crowd to work towards their BQ, this would be the one!


Co-ed softball just around the corner...
I had originally planned to can co-ed softball this summer but I just couldn't. I told our "manager" that I would be willing to be a sub, and he asked that I play the first couple weeks to get me on the roster. Then, a shirt was ordered for me, and I really wanted to play. We have more girls this year, so I opted to rotate in, playing maybe one game each week rather than both games and I am completely fine with this! We start next Tuesday, playing at 9 and 10 pm! This will be late nights for the last few weeks of school, but I can't handle it!


Sand Volleyball ?!?...
When I was living in GF, a handful of us played co-ed sand volleyball at a local bar for years. It was sad to see that come to an end and I really missed not playing last summer. So, a friend of mine set up a Co-ed team for this summer and I am going to be playin' baby! This will start in a couple weeks, the same night as softball but just a few hours earlier. Hopefully there will be just enough time for a cold beer or two between the two sports! Just another reason to look forward to summer!



Monday's Workout:
Bike 12.5 miles, 38:00, 19.73mph

Tuesday's Workout:
Run 2. 75 miles, 31:06, 11:18/mi avg.

Fun times & good news

Fun times?!

My sister came into town Friday afternoon and a bunch of us went to the Hairball concert that evening. I don't know where else you can go to hear the best 80's coverband for 5 dollars and get a free drink card at the door!

After a late night out, we slept in a little, walked to the coffee shop, and then did some shopping Saturday afternoon. Saturday night, we went to the Billy Joel/Elton John concert and had a blast! We were surrounded by a lot of "older" people, and I felt bad standing but I just couldn't help myself! The music was so fun, and we had some handsome gentlemen in our isle that danced with us! Ha! This was the second time I have seen Billy Joel and Elton John together, but it was Steph's first. It still is one of my all-time favorite concerts! After the concert we went to a nice little bar and had a couple martini's! Steph took some pics this weekend, so I will try to get those from her and post them later. What a wonderful weekend!

*****

Good news?!

Last Wednesday, when I was using the foam roller as part of my TriPower routine, I was rolling out my right leg, behind the knee and outside the knee and something "popped". It didn't hurt, but tingled a bit. Later when I was going down stairs to check my laundry, I noticed something very exciting. My right knee was no longer popping when going down the stairs. In the past, it's just been so "normal" for my knees to pop going down the stairs, but it never hurt. I just learned to accept it as a part of "having bad knees". I don't know what that foam roller did exactly, but I was thrilled! I am so excited to see how these workouts from TriPower are going to help me with my training!

After my sister left this morning, I just had to take advantage of the nice weather. It was 59 degrees, sunny, and a little breezy. I ran without the knee sleeve, very slow and with a lot of walking, but completely pain free! You have no idea how excited I was! My running legs are not as strong as they were prior to my injury but soon they will be stronger than they ever have been!


Today's Workout:
Run 3.55 miles outside
(sunny & 59 degrees with light breeze)

Another one bites the dust

Where the heck did April go?

Here we are, the first day of May, May Day mind you, and I am reminded that after today, we have 4 weeks of school left - 18 days. It is going to fly by! I must do my regular "Month in Review" and recap April.

April's totals:

• Swim - 11,000M.....................5,600M in March
• Bike - 103.00 miles.............65.91 miles in March
• Run - 24.49 miles..............24.00 miles in March
  

It was a pretty decent month. I was still dealing with knee issues, but I think that things might start looking up. I just have that feeling! With that note, I think May is going to be even bettah!

A couple goals for May:

• Train smart - remember.... Quality vs. Quantity
• Dig deep into TriPower training
• Eat smart
• Enjoy the little things... life's too short!

I can't wait for the weekend! My sister that lives in the cities is coming up! We have crazy busy plans this weekend... Hairball concert (80's coverband) tonight, drive up to GF to see some family tomorrow morning/afternoon, and Elton John/Billy Joel concert tomorrow night. I am sure a lot of laughter and some alcohol will be thrown in there somewhere, but they don't have to go hand in hand!

Have a great weekend y'all! Good luck to ALL those who are racing this weekend. I won't point out names because I know I will forget someone and feel soooo bad!

Wednesday's Workout:
Run - 2.54 miles, 30:00, 11:48/mile avg.

Yesterday's Workout:
Swim - 1400M

Today: REST