1/3 of the way through 2010!

I can't believe we're already a third of the way through 2010! What in the world?!



Let's take a look at what April consisted of:


Month in Review: April 2010
Swim - 13,800Yds .... 10,600Yds in March
Bike - 96.74 miles .... 119.90 miles in March
Run - 46.15 miles .... 34.00 miles in March


Total number of:
Swims - 7
Bikes - 6
Runs - 13 (including short runs off the bike)
Spin classes - 0
BodyPump classes - 4
REST days - 9
Two-a-days - 3




Total minutes of:
Yoga - 30
Pilates - 0
S&S (Stretching and Strengthening) - 285 (includes Core work)


Highlight of the month:

• My long runs continue to slowly increasing. Up to 8 miles now! Woot woot!
• Still swimming with the FMY Adult Gator Swim Team!
• Encorporating more core and stretching into my weekly routine!
  

Lows of the month:

• All the soda consumed. Blech. But, happy to say I have been soda free for 5 days. It's a good thing, my friends.
• Eating too much processed foods. double blech.

Did I accomplish my April goals?

• Try to run outdoors at least once a week! - This didn't happen - due to when I scheduled my runs and weather... better luck next month!
• With the weather improving, familiarize myself with my new Garmin 305 - still haven't used it yet.
• Get my bike in the shop for a tune-up before hitting the open roads! - CHECK!
• Get on my bike outside! - Not yet... don't worry, I was just given a hard time about this yesterday!
• Figure out what race even I will be doing in the Fargo Marathon - CHECK! - Doing the 5K/10K GoFar Challenge!
  

What are my goals for May?

• Stay away from the soda!
• Cut back on coffee!
• Running injury free!
• Ride OUTSIDE more!
• Keep up with Core & Stretching!

Year-to-Date stats:

Swim - 37,000Yds

Bike - 408.28 miles

Run - 141.76 miles

April's been a really good month for me. Training has been going well and my knees are doing great! For the past couple of weeks I have sometimes forgotten how much pain I used to be in after just a 2-3 mile run and just this past weekend I was able to do 8 miles!!

How did your April 2010 turn out? Are you setting any new and exciting goals for the month of May?

3 Things Thursday

1. Triathlon!
I have my first triathlon of 2010 in 3 days! I am so excited I can barely stand it. It's been 2 years since I did an indoor triathlon, so I am looking forward to seeing what kind of improvements I have made! (Oh my, what if I didn't make any?!)

An indoor triathlon is set up a bit different from the typical sprint triathlon. You earn points based on the distance you have gone in a set time frame.

• The swim is 10 minutes (earn points based on the number of lengths.)
• T1 - transitioning from the pool to the bike - 10 minutes.
• Bike for 30 minutes.
• T2 - transitioning from the bike to the treadmill - 5 minutes.
• Run for 20 minutes.

What's my goal this time around? Last time I swam 17.5 lengths, biked 11.4 miles, and ran 0.55 miles. If I were to have a B Goal, it would be to beat my previous distance in all 3 areas. But...My A Goal?

• Swim: 19.5 lengths
• Bike: 15 miles
• Run: 1.75 miles

2. Grad Class
After waaaayyyy too much procrastinating, I am almost finished with my grad paper. I actually punished myself by staying late after work yesterday to work on it...until I had to go to swim practice. There were no distractions (read: TV) at work.

This is my first class of 6 for my ASD credential and I am starting to question why am I taking grad classes again!? I mean seriously! Wasn't I just doing this 3 years ago? The paper needs to be post-marked by May 2nd.... which I think is an absolute joke because May 2nd is a Sunday and you can't mail anything on Sundays which makes the post-marked date actually May 1st and now I have May 2nd stuck in my head and have to change my mindset to May 1st which actually gives me one less day to work on it and I am feeling cheated. lol...... *sigh*

3. Roses...
....just because...

Protecting My Skin & Products!

I have posted many times my frustrations with irritated, dry, and chapped skin, which I think has been the result of the dry winter and numerous hours in the pool for swim team practice. My face had dry patches on it (the cheeks and forehead), I had pink quarter-sized dry patches on my upper arms, a dry patch on both eyelids, and my ears were pink, dry, and cracking (sometimes burning). I told my aunt, who's a nurse, about my issues and she thought it was a form of eczema. I don't think it's that bad.

I started doing some more preventative things and I think it's helping. For the most part, I am really focusing on moisturizing my skin.

Here's what I'm doing/using:

• I am using Aveeno's Daily Moisturizer everyday! I use it every morning and sometimes before bed, if I remember.

• Before I swim, I put Vaseline on my face and ears in hopes that it will protect my skin from the chlorine. I am in the pool for 2+ hours a week.

• After I swim I use Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit Body Wash. I love the smell of this refreshing bodywash and the little scrubbies in it make me feel like I am really getting rid of the chlorine and dead skin.

• I also use Aquaphor on my upper arms, where the dry patches seem to show up the most (per the nurse's request). I don't do this every day, but make sure I do it on the days I swim.

• For my face, I use Oil of Olay. Somedays, I will admit that I use Vaseline as a face moisturizer rather than my Oil of Olay. If anyone has any suggestions for a better face lotion, please share. My skin is usually normal or mixed oily/dry, and I am looking to try something different.

• For my hair, I have been using Swimmers Action Shampoo and Conditioner. I absolutely love the way this product makes my hair feel after a long swim session. Absolutely wonderful!

On top of all of that, Joel sent my my Tri-Swim giveaway that I won. It included 4 - 2oz. bottles of shampoo, condition, body wash, and body lotion. Yesterday I was able to try it for the first time after my swim practice. What did I think?


I liked it! I have only used all four products once now, but so far I like it. They all smell good and don't have a heavy fragrance! I will continue to use them until they're gone and then I might just buy the lotion and body wash since I already have a great hair care product for swimming!




And......I got my new goggles this weekend and tested them out for the first time yesterday! I ended up ordering the Aqua Sphere Lady Kaiman goggles that soooo many of you had recommended. It took a few minutes to get them fit right, but after an hour in the pool with little to no readjusting, I was pleased! They fight just right, are easily adjustable, and don't really leave much for ring marks around my eyes. The nose piece isn't adjustable, but it was just the right size and a soft plastic. The bottom of the nose piece started to rub a little bit by the end of my swim, but I realized that all I had to do was adjust the bands in the back a bit. I love them so far! Thanks for the suggestions, y'all!
This skin stuff is just another sign that I am getting old. I mean, Vaseline? Really? If I start going to bed with curlers in my hair I'm in trouble!





What kind of products do you use to protect your skin?

Update on 3 Changes Challenge, Week 2

Here are my 3 changes and the updates:


1. Less Soda/More water - I have managed to cut back quite a bit with the soda. And, all of the soda has been removed from the house (should have never bought any to begin with). So, with that I am assuming the next week is going to be even better than last week!


2. 4-5 Core and Stretching sessions - done and done!

• 130 push-ups
• 130 side crunches w/8# ball
• 80 regular crunches
• 85 reverse crunches
• 1:05 - 1:45 plank x's 4
• 1:00 - 1:20 side plank x's 4
• 0:30 - 0:45 rocking plank x's 4

3. No Treats at work - This is becoming a lot more easier than I thought. This past week, I was able to turn down brownies at lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday, a piece of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for a co-workers 5oth birthday on Thursday, a cupcake from a student's birthday on Thursday, and a huge caramel roll on Friday. I wonder how many empty calories I saved!?

Week 4: 5K/10K Challenge Training Recap

Only 1 more week until my first triathlon of the 2010! It's an indoor triathlon at Lifetime Fitness in Eden, Prairie Minnesota. I have done an indoor triathlon through LF before, but this will be a great way to jump-start my triathlon season! In addition, I look forward to seeing the excitement in my sister's eyes when she finishes her first triathlon. She'll be hooked!




Let's take a look back on week 4's training for the 5K/10K Challenge. Some were confused by my color coding choices last week - and I don't blame you - so I will try to accommodate better today.


What I PLANNED TO DO is in BLUE, what I DID DO is in GREEN, and what I DIDN'T DO is in RED:



3 RUNS (3 mi, 3 mi, 5-6 mi)/ 2.2 mi, 8 mile long run/ missed 3rd run of 3 mi
2 BIKES (1 long, 1 short with 1 mi run-off)/20 miles with 1.25 mi run-off, 21.67 miles with 0.55 mi run-off
2 SWIMS (approx 4000Yds)/ 2300 Yds Swim/ missed 2nd swim
1 BodyPump Class/ 1 BodyPump Class
4 or 5 15-20 minute Core and Stretching/ Monday, Wedneday, Saturday, Sunday

1/2 hour of yoga/ didn't do

TOTALS:
Swim 2300 Yds
Bike 41.67 miles
Run 12 miles

I struggled keeping up with my training a little bit mid-week, but I know it was due to nutrition and insuficient sleep. I didn't plan my meals very well and was often scrounging randoms to pack for lunch and snacks. Totally not acceptable! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night I struggled to get 7 hours of sleep without waking 4-5 times during the night. It was horrible. I usually function best on 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep.

Even though I didn't get in every workout I had planned, I did get in a great long run, two long bike rides - both with some running afterwards, a long swim, and some great core and stretching!


Since this week is leading up to a triathlon on Sunday, I am not going to write up anything specific for my workouts this week. I am just going to play it by ear and take it a bit easy. However, I do hope to get to swim practice twice, bodypump once, do yoga once, bike once, a 5 mile run, and 4-5 days of core and stretching. We'll see what happens!


What's you're week look like? Anything exciting coming up?

Saturday Stuff

This morning, I was looking forward to doing my long run outside but the temps were a bit too cool and rain was in the forecast. Not my cup of tea. So, I did it on the treadmill in the humid & stuffy gym. It was disgusting, but the run went well. I figured since I didn't get my 3 miles in yesterday I could shoot for 7 and would be happy.

The legs were feeling strong and the knees were feeling great - no pain what-so-ever. I decided to break my run into 3 - 30 minute increments and it looked something like this:

First 30 minutes: 2.5 miles
Second 30 minutes: 2.57 miles
Third 30 minutes: 2.65 miles
Cooldown: 0.28 miles

Total: 8 miles!

It was a decent run. The only thing I noticed was my right hip was getting a bit tight in the last .5 mile. I don't think the legs are used to going that distance, but it was a success!

I was done with my run before 9 am, grabbed coffee and a bagel and am now going to work on paperwork/grad school project for a few hours. This afternoon I am heading up to GF for the night - grilling with some family! My cousin who has been living in NYC for the past couple of years, and her husband, are in the process of moving to Chicago! They are slowly working there way back to the midwest, and closer to her family! We are so excited!

Tomorrow I hope to get in a longer bike ride. At least 20 miles and then maybe a 1-mile run off. Oh, and yoga. It's funny how I leave that until the end of the week.

Happy weekend, y'all!

3 Things Thursday

1. Work - There are only 27 days left of school; less than 5 weeks. That scares me because I still have to hold a handful of meetings and finish a tedious amount of paperwork. Time is running out, people! The kids are still working very hard and haven't shown many signs of spring fever, yet. It's great, but I know it's only a matter of time before they start talking more about summer plans than multiplication arrays, comparing and contrasting information, or what a complete sentence looks like...

2. Earth Day - Everyday should be Earth Day! What are you doing to make a difference? I am trying to make things more green around my house: recycling, using green light bulbs, etc.

"Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values.... God made life simple. It is man who complicates it." ~Charles A. Lindbergh, Reader's Digest, July 1972

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

3. Training - The past couple of days I was feeling a bit exhausted and know it had more to do with nutrition and sleep than it did with over-doing my workouts. So, after a horrible night's sleep, I decided to skip swim practice this morning. I made the decision at 4am when I was tossing and turning, but struggled to sleep much more after that. Grrr. My schedule called for a swim this morning and a short run this afternoon/evening. When I looked over my schedule from the past week I realized I haven't had a full rest day since a week ago yesterday. I have managed to swim 4100 Yds, bike 45 miles, run 12 miles and go to BodyPump class once within the last 7 days. It's time. I am going to rest today and get back at it tomorrow!

What's in your Purse?

Holly tagged me last week, wondering what I carry around in my purse. Don't mind the fact that this purse is extremely dirty on the outside and needs to be replaced but I just haven't found anything I love love love yet!

So, here's what is in that huge thing:

• notebook - for logging workouts & nutrition
• ziplock baggy with post-it notes and pens
• cell phone
• camera
• camera battery charger
• coffee giftcard
• coupons
• little pink address book
• Nuun
• Ibuprofen
• hand sanitizer
• headband
• 2 ponytails
• floss
• iPod
• NCAA Tournament pin (from Dad)
• 2 granola bars
• ID/Lanyard from work
• USB flash drive
• gym pad lock
• chlorine-away packets
• mints
• two kleenex packets
• toiletries
• tanning goggles
• wallet

Wow, there's a lot of crap in there ... everything but the kitchen sink. :)

Feel free to play along. What do you carry in your purse? Or for the men - what do you carry in your European Shoulder Bag, if you have one?

3 Changes Challenge Update & Blogger Award!

Update on 3 Changes Challenge: Week 1 of the 3 Changes Challenge has gone pretty well so far.

Here's my 3 changes and how things have gone this past week:


1. Less Soda/More water - I have still had some soda here and there, but no where near what I was drinking before. I am still working to increase my water intake. It's definitely a work in progress.

2. 4-5 Core and Stretching sessions - I nailed this one on the head.

• 75 push-ups
• 60 crunches using bosu ball
• 490 side crunches w/8# medicine ball
• 50 regular cruches
• 1:15 to 1:45 plank x's 4
• 0:45 to 1:00 rocking plank x's 4
• 0:40 to 0:45 side planks x's 4

3. No Treats at work - This was really hard but overall pretty successful. I was able to turn down everything but the birthday ice cream cake from Cold Stone on Friday. I felt it would have been rude to turn down. But, the other 4 days at work I was able to turn down chocolate covered brownies, a dilly bar from Dairy Queen, caramel rolls and red velvet donuts. Yeah, you see what I am exposed to?!

I still need to really work on the treats and the soda/water, but other than that things are going pretty well... slowly transitioning into a better lifestyle, right?!






Blogger Award!


Patience over at A Reason or a Season has given me the following blogger award!

Isn't that lovely of her! I haven't been following her blog for very long, but I am happy that I found her, or she found me, and really enjoy reading her posts! Check her out!

The rules:

• Accept and thank the pereson who gave it to you!
• List 10 things about yourself.
• List 5 addition things you DON'T like.
• Then pick ten people to give this lovely award to!

10 Things about me:

1. I started keeping a food and exercise journal again. Not so much to lose weight, but to figure out what works and doesn't work for training.
2. I love dogs, despise cats.
3. Friends call me their "voice of reason". I tell them how it is and never sugar-coat things.
4. Sometimes the said term above gives people the impression that I am a hard ass, but don't worry, I have a soft side!
5. Realized this weekend that I am not a huge fan of water slides at hotels.
6. I would rather vaccuum and do laundry then clean bathrooms.
7. I love saurkrat on my veggie pizza. mmmm. mmm.
8. I love trying new recipes, but hate grocery shopping for ingredients.
9. I still haven't tried a green monster. Maybe tomorrow?!
10. I tend to be a procrastinator with work and homework... haven't started writing my final project for grad class that is due in less than 2 weeks!
    

5 Things I DON'T like:

1. Constant complainers
2. wind
3. food caught in my teeth
4. mean people
5. people who are unprofessional at work
   

Now to pick ONLY 10 people to pass this award on to... very tough, but here's the list:

1. Anne Marie @ Goals for the Week!
2. Mel @ 2nd Chances
3. Kelly @ She Wears a Red Sox Cap
4. Jess @ RunGirlRun
5. Jess @ 21Days
6. Holly @ Snapshots
7. Caroline @ Boston Runner
8. Mary @ Fit This, Girl!
9. Aron @ Runner's Rambles
10. Shannon @ It's Trickey

Last week's training & this week's training

Last week's training:

Alright, time to take a look back at my training from this past week. This week was supposed to be a bit lighter than the last few weeks - so I tried to keep all my runs, swims, and bikes a bit shorter.

What I planned to do is in blue, what I did do is in red, and what I missed is in green:

3 runs (3 mi, 3 mi, 4-5 miler)/ 3.75 mi, 3.3 mi, 5.5 miler - a little bit more than planned, but legs felt strong!

2 short runs (both less than 15 miles) 11 mi, 14.07 mi/missed the 1 mile run-off

2 Swims (approx. 3500-4000Yds)/2 swims = 3700Yds

1 BodyPump class/ 1 BodyPump class

1/2 hour of Yoga/ No Yoga :(

1/2 hour of pilates/ No Pilates :(

The only thing I missed this week was the 1 mile run-off from one of my bike rides and then the 1/2 hour of yoga and 1/2 hour of pilates. I guess But, since I started doing more Core & Stretching for the 3 Changes Challenge, I am okay with missing the yoga/pilates this week.

Even though it was my focus to cut back a bit this week, I ended up pushing myself a bit harder on all three of my runs and it felt great! Actually, on my 5.5 miler yesterday, I had more in the tank, but the calves/achilles were starting to feel tight, so I called it quits.

This week's training:

Each week as I try to lay out my training schedule, it works best if I list the workouts I want to get in and shuffle things around as need be to get things done. But, there are two things that I keep in mind: I must get in BodyPump (and follow it by an easy workout), and I like to do two runs back to back - a short run in the evening followed by my longer run the next morning. My hopes with doing the back-to-back runs like that is to prep me for the 5K/10K Challenge in a month.

Here's what I would like to do this week:

3 runs (3 mi, 3 mi, 5-6 mi)

2 bikes (1 long, 1 short with 1 mi run off)

2 swims (approx. 4000Yds)

1 BodyPump Class

4 or 5 15-20 min. Core and Stretching

1/2 hour yoga

I took each of these workouts, wrote them on post-it notes, and laid them out to figure out the best way to get things accomplished this week! (I saw something similar on someone elses blog and thought it was a neat idea - sorry, I can't remember who...)

Here's what it looked like:

....Yoga might go in there Wednesday morning or Saturday sometime... we'll see.

Other than that (above) I don't have much going on this week asside from work stuff and working on my grad school final project! What's your week look like?

Bullet Randoms

• A couple days ago, Joel over at TriMadness! informed me that I WILL be participating in swim team next session. Who knew some dude from Florida would have such an impact on me? Actually, I won the TriSwim giveaway he was promoting! The gift pack consists of 2 oz. bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion. I can't wait to try it out!

• Lil Runner is doing a giveaway! CEP Compression Socks! Check it out HERE!

• And yes, I will be participating in Swim Team next session - four week session, 3 weeks off, and then we start outdoors the 2nd week in June! Yikes!

• Training still is going well. I didn't want to crawl out of bed for my 3 miler this morning but fought the urge to stay in bed, knowing that it would mess up my schedule for the next couple of days. I ended up kicking out 3.3 miles before 6am.

• 6 weeks left of school. But, I am not counting.

• 2 weeks until my first tri of the season - an indoor tri with my sister and a couple friends. That following Monday marks the beginning of my 16-week training plan for my first Olympic Triathlon! Woot woot!

• 30 days of school left. Actually 29 with the kiddos -the last day is a teacher work day.

• The 3 Changes Challenge is going well. I am already noticing how many treats are brought to work and how many I have turned down! Yikes! I would do a week 1 recap next Tuesday.

• I am looking forward to happy hour with co-workers and friends after school. When you work with 10 and 11 year olds all week, it's nice to get out and have adult conversations! lol

• The weekend is quickly approaching! Even though I don't have any crazy going on (or traveling), I do have some relatives in town - including my wonderful 11 year old god-daughter. Geez, now I feel old. I hope to spend some time relaxing and chatting with them this weekend... asside from a longer run and bike ride Sunday!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

3 Things Thursday

3 Things that make me smile:

1. My students! I work primarily with 5th graders this year and am getting sad thinking about sending them over to the middle school. I have worked with most of them for 2 years (some 3) and am pleased to have such a great group of kiddos. This morning they had dress rehearsal for their music program and it was awesome! It was very patriotic and a tear jerker for me!
2. Successful training! I am feeling stronger and needing less recover time between workouts. I have been going to BodyPump class once a week, usually Mondays, and have been able to recover faster from that as well. Actually, I have been able to incorporate the "daddy" weight into my lunges and squats! Sometimes pushing myself through "heavy legs" has helped with recovery as well. I am finding that my rest days are probably my best or easiest days to fit in at least a half hour of yoga, considering I have been getting in a couple two-a-days per week.
3. Nice weather! Yesterday temps reached 74 degrees here in Fargo, ND! The sun was shining, I had my windows down while driving, and was tempted to turn the air on on the house. It reached almost 80 degrees upstairs. I slept with my bedroom window open! It's great!
   

Swimming, 3 Changes Challenge, & 5K Virtual Race for the Cure

Swimming Related:
Thanks to all those that commented and left suggestions on my post from yesterday regarding Swim Team and goggles.


As far as Swim Team goes, I had about 18 votes suggesting I stick with it and only a few suggesting I take a break. I think my heart is was leaning towards "stick with it" but my cheap ars was having a hard time justifying the $40. A friend reminded me that I can look at it as $20 since we are getting $20 back from our gym membership as part of our health care plan for visiting the gym 12 times in a month. I am still worried a bit with my skin, but I am going to look into some different lotions and/or soap... Are there any swimmers out there that deal with skin irritation and have a remedy that helps?

For the goggles, there were a few people who suggested the Aqua Sphere Kaiman Lady goggles and I am going to get myself a pair and try them! I am hoping they will work out great for me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!


3 Changes Challenge:

Amanda over at RunToTheFinish has put together the 3 Changes Challenge! The idea is to pick 3 changes to better myself and work on them for 30 days, starting yesterday. If your interested in joining, let Amanda know and go to the post I linked above and add yourself to the Google Document spreadsheet.

Here are my 3 Changes:

1. Decrease Soda/Increase Water - I have been really struggling to cut out soda and it is definitely something I need to do. I do drink diet soda, so that leaves me with the high calorie, high fructose corn syrup soda that leaves me feeling blech. I drink a decent amount of water, but I noticed when I increased it last week, it affected my workouts and overall feelings throughout the day.
2. 15-20 minutes of core work 4-5 times/week - I am getting better with this, but it's time to buckle down and pay more attention to the areas that can benefit my running, cycling, and swimming if in tip-top shape.
3. Say "NO" to treats at work - This includes bars, rolls, cake, ice cream, etc. For those of you who work in a school, particularly an elementary school filled with mostly women, you know what kind of treats come through the lounge and team lunches. I swear we have some sort of treat at our lunch table 4 out of 5 days, at least. It's actually gross if I really think about it.

5K Virtual Race for the Cure:

Tall Mom on the Run is putting together a 5K Virtual Race for the Cure and I look forward to participating in this! It's just $5 for a 5K on 5/5! I have donated to her fundraising page and look forward to participating in May! If you want to join in on the fun and need more information - check out her post HERE! It's for a great cause!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

Looking for Advice

This week is the last of the 4-week swim team session. I had it set in my mind a couple weeks ago that I was going to take a break from swim team and just swim on my own, instead of signing up for the next 4-week session.

But... I am having a hard time making this decision. Surprise, surprise.

Let me go over the pros and cons...

Pros to sticking with Swim Team:

• workouts are laid out for me
• workouts are different each day, working differen groups of muscles and techniques specific for triathletes
• spending the money for swim team gets me to the pool - where if I didn't pay for swimming I would probably sleep in and skip most of my swims
• the time is convenient - I don't need to get up as early as I would if I had to swim at the Y
• the 2+ hours of swimming a week is definitely making me stronger

Cons to sticking with Swim Team:

• The 2+ hours in the pool a week is so hard on my skin
• It costs $40 for four weeks
• Sometimes I feel like all the time spent in the pool is taking away from my other training. I would like to be able to swim one week day and then do a short swim followed by a bike on the weekend.

The next 4-week session starts up right away next week and then there will be 2-3 weeks off before the summer sessions start outdoors. If I don't join the next session, that's 7 weeks until the outdoor session starts.

As I look at my Pros and Cons list, I definitely see more Pros and I think some of the Pros and Cons cancel each other out. What are your thoughts? What would you do?

Asside from trying to figure out whether or not stick with Swim Team, I am struggling to find the right swim goggles for me. I have a pair of Speedo's something-or-another (can't remember specifics), but when I went to get a new pair they didn't have that style anymore. I picked up a pair of TYR Nest Pro Nano (pictured above), but got a bit annoyed when I tried wearing them for practice this morning. They were too close to my eyes as I felt my eyelashes brushing against them, and they felt like they were cutting into my eyelids. However, I kind of feel like spiderman wearing them. I am going to try them again, hoping I can get them to adjust a bit better, but I was wondering what goggles work best for you?

Last week's training & decision time

Training:


I think I might have found my groove. The following is my training schedule from this past week with what I planned in blue and what I actually did in red:



3 runs with one 6 miler/ 3.5 mi, 2.5 mi, 6.3 mi - CHECK!
2 swims (approx. 4000Yds)/2300Yds, 1800Yds - CHECK!
2 bikes (one long, one short)/ 16 miles, 14 miles - CHECK!
1 BodyPump Class/ 1 BodyPump Class - CHECK!
1 Hour of Yoga/ 1 Hour of Yoga - CHECK!
3-4 days of TriPower/ 3 TriPower days - CHECK!


Totals:
Run - 12.3 miles
Bike - 30 miles
Swim - 4100Yds (2.33 miles)

It was a good week with 2 rest days and got in yoga for the first time in months! Slept well. Ate well. Wasn't exhausted. Solid Training. Consistent. Good.

This week's training plan:
3 runs - 3 mi, 3 mi, 4-5 mi long run
2 bikes - 2 short bikes (15 miles or less), one with a 1 mile run-off
2 swim - approx. 3500 - 4000 Yards
1 bodypump class
1/2 hour of yoga
1/2 hour of pilates

Looking at my schedule, this should be more of a recovery week. I am going to cut back my long run a bit and do two shorter rides instead of 1 long and 1 short. Instead of an hour of yoga, I am going to do 1 half hour of yoga and a half hour of pilates. It should be a good week!



Fargo Marathon Decision:


I have finally made a decision about the Fargo Marathon.... drum roll, please.

Actually, I think I knew a few weeks ago what I wanted to do, but just wasn't ready yet to commit to my decision. As much as I would like to do the 5K/Half Marathon Challenge, I am just not feeling the Half Marathon right now. I am able to run 5-7 miles pain free for the first time in months and months and I am not ready to push myself too much further just yet.

I have never done a 10K before, so with that in mind I am planning on doing the 5K/10K Challenge! I will be participating in the 5K Friday night and then the 10K Saturday morning! I am kind of kicking myself for waiting so long to register as it was a bit spendy, but I have to think of this as TWO races not just one, and then the cost doesn't bug me too much!

I am super pumped!

A side note... Remember how I was grumbling over not being able to do many races this summer with all the busy weekends I have? Well, a smart cookie named Whitney, suggested checking to see if there were any events going on where I was going to be for those weddings. I looked into a few weekends between being home for weddings or in the cities for other events and found a triathlon in Bismarck the same weekend I am going to be home for my cousin's wedding! Needless to say, I am super pumped, but I need to check into this race before I commit myself completely! Wahoo!

My race schedule is slowly falling into place!

Happy Monday, y'all!

Snapshot Sunday

I am trying to multitask here...

Listening to my grad class powerpoint and watching the Twins while enjoying a cold one - Smithwick's.
Smithwick's is actually pronounced "Smittick's". It's an Irish Ale from the brewers of Guiness! Have you ever tried it before? It's one of my favs...and rightfully so... I have a bit of Irish in me blood!

And when the baseball game is over, it's my plan to get outside and enjoy some of the 61 degree weather on my patio, even if I have to spend the time reading a chapter for chat session this week.

What are you doing on this fine Sunday?

Summer Plans

Yes, I am thinking about summer already, but it doesn't help that some people have asked what I plan to do with ALL of my time off...being a teacher and all....

I will admit, I do love the perk of having almost 3 months off from work. However, only having 3 personal days during the school year kind of stinks especially if I want to travel with others that travel during the school year (aka ... family).


So, here's what I got going on this summer:

• June 6 - July 7 - Teach special education summer school (Mon-Fri: half days)
• June 6 - August 6 - Take online Autism Methods course
• June 4-6 - possible weekend at the farm (visiting Dad's side of the family)
• June 19 - Cousin's wedding (out of town)
• June 26 - Possibly a Triathlon in Perham, MN
• July 2-4 - 4th of July at home
• July 10 - Another cousin's wedding (out of town)
• July 17 - Friend's wedding (out of town)
• July 23-25 - Possibly attending a Bachelorette party (Minneapolis)
• July 31 - Aug 1 - Possibly participate in the MS 100 Ride
• August 14 - Twins game at Target Field/celebrate Dad's birthday
• August 21 - Detroit Lakes Triathlon

If I counted right, there are 3 open weekends between June 1st and when school starts on August 26. With almost every weekend in June/July taken, it's hard for me to try and plan any sort of fun trip. Asside from trying to travel, with all those fun-filled weekends, I am limited to doing any more races/events than the couple I have listed. Total bummer.

We start back up at work on the 26th of August, the kiddos start back on August 31st and we go until June 6th. Now that is something new. In North Dakota, I have never seen a school still in session in June. Yay....

Most of those weekends of weddings and family road trips are 3-5 hour drives one way...

What kind of fun things do you have planned for your summer, even if you don't have almost 3 months off?

Three Things Thursday - With Pictures

1. Here are the before and after pics from my recent hair cut and color... it was needed bad. Did I mention that I could barely get and keep my swim cap on? And it's a headache to have in a ponytail when it gets too long. The color is hard to tell, but there's more blonde...just in time for summah!

Before...

After...

2. Here's some lovely photos of my parents neighborhood in Bismarck, ND. These were taken on my way home Friday morning (before Easter) after a 8 inch snow storm/showers that included snow, sleet, rain, snow thunder (yes, that's for real), ice, etc. This storm killed our power at home for the afternoon, but left some homes and nearby towns without power for a few days.

3. I attended two wedding showers this past weekend - one was a cousin, the other was a cousin's fiance. At the second one, we had to work in teams and create a wedding dress. Guess who was volunteered to be the "bride"? Yeah, that was me. Actually our team was pretty creative and competitive.... and I am sure a couple of my teammates are still wondering why we came in second place! It was fun though!

Tuesday Tidbits

Random thoughts... and shout-outs...

• Amanda over at RunToTheFinish is trying to get a feel for who would be interested in attending a Runner's Workshop. Stop by and read her post regarding this, and give her some feedback if you are interested! I think it's a great idea!
• Joel over at TriMadness is doing a giveaway! Check it out HERE!
• ShutUpAndRun! is giving away cool gear for both men and women! Check it out HERE!

• The 40 days of Lent didn't go as I would have liked. I gave up sweets (including chocolate, baked goods, and soda) for the first 15 days and then kind of fell off the wagon, so to speak. I also gave up the scale but am afraid to get back on. Maybe I need to get back on track over the next week or so to see where I am at. eeks!
• I think swimming is killing my skin. The winter is extremely hard on my skin and I think the chlorine is making it worse. I have noticed a handful pink itchy patches on my arms. Then about a month ago I noticed that my ears were burning and itchy - pink in color and cracking. And then yesterday, I noticed I have the same kind of pink patches on my face - one on the corner of my left eye, and one on the lid of my right eye. It is very annoying. On average I am in the pool for 2-2.5 hours per week. This is a lot of time to soak in the chlorine. I am thinking I am going to have to take a break from swim team after the last week of practice for this session - next week.
• I need to schedule a massage, bad. I last had one in October and swore to myself I would try to get one in every couple of months. My body is begging for one! I am having a hard time finding a time to get it in.
• I need to make a decision for the Fargo Marathon this week! I should have done this last week before the registration prices went up April 1st. I think I know what I am going to do. I think.
• I "upped" my weights in BodyPump class last night. Even though it wasn't much, I was able to add some weight to the bar when doing the routines for triceps, biceps, and "clean and press". I could really feel the burn by the end of these drills, but it was well worth it. On the flip side - I still haven't added any weight for squats or lunges. I think my body weight plus what I am currently using is plenty for now. Usually my legs and butt are the things that are really sore the couple days to follow BP class.
• 8 weeks left of school ... including this short week! 39 days, including today... if I were counting. Time is going to just fly by, and summer will be here before I know it!

Short and busy week recap #1

I know for a fact, that I get more accomplished the more busy I am. This is present in every facet of my life: work, grad school, training, family, etc. I should learn to cherish these busy times, rather then fret over whether or not I will be able to get it all done because usually, I get it all done. And then some (sometimes).

However, that wasn't the case this week. Even though I was able to get most of my workouts in, I missed some....


Here's what I wanted to accomplish this past week:
1 BodyPump Class - check!
3 runs with 1 5-6 miles - 2 runs, with one 5.5 miler
1 bike - check! - 12.05 miles
2 swims - 1 swim
1 hour of yoga - nada
3-4 tripower routines - 2 tripower routines

I skipped my second swim practice of the week because I was exhausted. I had worked out 5 days in a row and was wiped! Then I ended up taking 3 rest days (thurs/fri/sat) without planning for it. Friday, we were without power for a bit at home because of a huge snow storm. I didn't have time Saturday due to back to back wedding showers and complete busy-ness! grrr... Life happens, right?


This week should be a little better. Here's the plan:
3 runs - with one 6 miler
2 bikes - one long, one short
2 swims - approx. 4000M
1 hour of yoga
3-4 tripower routines
1 BodyPump Class

Happy Monday, y'all!

Month of Madness

Instead of my regular scheduled program - "Three Things Thursday" - I am switching gears and using today to do my "Month in Review" post for March!



Let's roll...




Month in Review: March 2010
Swim - 10,600 Yds .... 11,600 Yds in February
Bike - 119.90 miles .... 105.00 miles in February
Run - 34.44 miles .... 30.00 miles in February


Total number of:
Swims - 5
Bikes - 6
Runs - 10
Spin classes - 0
BodyPump classes - 3
REST days - 9
TriPower days - 3 (newly added)


Total minutes of:
Yoga - 0
Pilates - 0
S&S (Stretching and Strengthening) - 240 (this actually includes a lot of yoga poses)

Highlight of the month:

• Last month I was excited to have 5+ miles of pain free running. This month, I am happy to say I was able to run 6.66 miles pain free!
• Deciding to keep up with swim team! I feel like my lungs are getting stronger and my swimming is improving!
  

Lows of the month:

• Still struggling with getting in a good yoga or pilates session. However, I am doing a lot of strengthening and stretching routines and yoga moves daily, just not in a video or class form.
• Getting over this Sinus infection. I think I have been sick 4 times this school year: 1 cold, 1 sinus infection, 1 flu, and 1 strep throat (which I have never had before...evah!)
• Tuesday night CEC classes that go until 730pm... killing my workout schedule, no lie. One more week.

Did I accomplish my March goals?

• Continue with Half Marathon Training? - check!
• Cutting back on soda (and coffee)? - not so much!
• Sticking with adult swim team? - check!
• More yoga, pilates, & BodyPump? - workin' on it!

What are my goals for April?

• Try to run outdoors at least once a week!
• With the weather improving, familiarize myself with my new Garmin 305 (birthday gift from December!)
• Get my bike in the shop for a tune-up before hitting the open roads!
• Get on my bike outside!
• Figure out what race even I will be doing in the Fargo Marathon.... coming soon!

Year-to-Date stats:
Swim - 23,200 Yds
Bike - 321.54 miles
Run - 95.81 miles

Overall, I am pretty pleased with March. It seems that my plan to incorporate yoga or pilates each week continues to fail. It's the first thing to go when there's a crunch for time. How do you include it into your routine?

How did March 2010 turn out for you?