Here's a quick recap of my workouts this week. It sure feels good to be getting back to a routine after the past couple of weeks!
Monday:
The only workout I did was 2 hours of shoveling 17 inches of heavy snow. That was enough for this chica.
Tuesday:
I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill. My knee was fine, but started feeling a little tight about 2.75 miles in.
Wednesday:
I hit up the pool for a 1 mile swim while I was still in Bismarck. It felt good to get back in, since it had been about 2 weeks since my last swim. I started Jillian's 30-day shred over again with day 1 today.
Thursday:
After completing day 2 of Jillian's 30-Day shred, I popped in a trainer dvd and went away on the bike for approximately 50 minutes. Afterwards, I did a about 25 minutes of pilates and threw out a few cuss words while getting to know the foam roller.... youch. Reminder... check back early next week for a product review!
Today:
I woke this morning at 445am, trying to get back into an early morning routine. I was suprsed to feel rested and ready for a good workout. I did Day 3 of the shred, had a bowl of cheerios and 1/2 a banana and then hit up the gym. I ran 2.5 miles (with sprints at 7.5mph) and then jumped in the pool for 1000M. I used to do this a lot in the evenings last school year, but it got to be so late since the pool was only open for lap swim in the evening from 8-10pm. This workout felt great overall but I was pretty worn-out when I finished the swim. The knee felt good through the entire run. I am hoping that my newly found friendship with the foam roaller is going to make a difference!
I have done pretty well with eating better and cutting back on the high calorie coffees for the past few days. I truly do love my Dunkin' Donuts coffee with splenda and sugar free creamer, so this transition won't be too big of a deal for me. I have been able to get about 8-8.5 hours of sleep each night. I am sure this has a lot to do with not working at all this past week and no schedule. I hope to be able to continue this once school starts back up again next week.
Well, I am signing off for the weekend. I will be spending the weekend in the cities with my sisters and mom. We've got big plans for this evening... Britney Spears babay!!!! I know you all are soo jealous! This is part of my youngest sisters Christmas gift! I am so pumped! It's been so long since I have been to a concert!
If you could go to any concert, which one would you choose? Another one that I would really like to go is Coldplay!
Showing posts with label OCN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OCN. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Preparing for a Flood
Blizzard one week, serious flood threats the next. Does anyone remember hearing about the Flood of '97? With our snowfall this year, and rapid melt this past week, flooding has already begun, much earlier than expected or usual. And, they project it to be as bad as '97. With that in mind, I canned my Saturday run and volunteered most of my afternoon to help do some much needed sand-bagging at a friend's parents house, southeast of town.
There's still lots of snow in some areas, and then lots of standing water in ditches and fields. It's horrible.
Where I live, I shouldn't be affected by the Red River flooding. However, some localized flooding in the streets and yards are most likely going to happen, due to all the heavy snowfall this year, still frozen grounds, fast melting, and rain to come.
And now, their is heavy rain on it's way. It should be here later this afternoon. The river is currently at 21.53 feet, and should crest to 39-41 feet by Friday, a day earlier than predicted 2 days ago. This flood is going to happen, whether people are ready for it or not. I feel like I should be out sand bagging today.
Does anyone else feel completely out of whack when you fall out of routine for a handful of days? That is the way I felt last week. Even though I got in a couple good runs, most of my days consisted of no workouts, and no Jillian.
But, have no fear I am back. Ha!
I was hoping to go out for a run today in the 50 degree weather, but the wind is horrible. I traded an outdoor run for 20 minutes with Jillian, a short run on the treadmill, followed by a nice ride on the bike. I haven't done much of Jillian in the past week, and I really contemplated starting the 30-day shred challenge over, but I don't know if I could do another 30 days, consistently. So, I am just going to pick up where I left off and see how it goes.
Today's Workout:
Jillian - Day 14
Run - 1.55 miles, 16:05, 10:22/mile avg.
Bike - 12.82 miles, 35:00, 21.98mph avg.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel?!
This morning I had my second physical therapy appointment. Second, and maybe final?
He asked me how the exercises were going. I told him I was getting used to them, doing them two times a day and actually increasing the reps from 10 to 15. He seemed shocked and I couldn't tell if he was surprised to hear that I was actually doing them twice a day or shocked that I had increased the reps. Would I do any less than what was expected? No.
He then proceeded to show me a couple more exercises to try out and then had me get on the eliptical for 15 minutes. He seemed pretty optimistic, and thinks that this "injury" is just the result of weak muscles, especially since the pain isn't there when I ride bike, do the eliptical, walk or go up and down the stairs. Good news.
He gave me some options. He said he could show me how to tape my knee cap in place, but said that he usually only tapes when pain is present doing the exercises. That's not the case for me and he doesn't think it's necessary in this case. He also said that we could do an ultrasound. But, since there is no pain walking he doesn't recommend it. He said I could make an appointment to check back in a week or just keep doing my exercises for the next 4-5 weeks, slowly adding some running into my routine, and give him a call if I have any questions or concerns.
What did I choose? To keep up with my exercises and to slowly get back to running. Very. Slowly.
He said to pay close attention to my running form and make sure that I am stepping more on the outside of my feet, as he is thinking that I might be stepping on the inside more, with my knees going in, causing all these problems.
This morning when I woke, I didn't have a single sore muscle! This evening I rode the bike for about 30 minutes and then spent 20 minutes with Jillian. I completed day 4. I am looking forward to moving onto Step 2, but know that I am not ready. My shoulders and legs still burn like crazy when doing a couple of the exercises! I did take some measurements on my hips, waist, thighs and biceps, but am not going to post. I will post the differences (if any) at the end of the 30 days!
I am off to do my PT exercises and then some paperwork. Grr. I leave for the Twin Cities tomorrow to spend some time with my sistah, so I will catch up with y'all when I return Sunday! Don't worry, Jillian will be coming with me! Have a wonderful weekend y'all!
Today's Workout:
Eliptical - 15 minutes
Bike - 10.78 miles, 30:00, 21.56mph
Jillian's Shred - Day 4
Today's Song:
Jay-Z - Can I Get A (Careful - inappropriate lyrics - in sidebar)
He asked me how the exercises were going. I told him I was getting used to them, doing them two times a day and actually increasing the reps from 10 to 15. He seemed shocked and I couldn't tell if he was surprised to hear that I was actually doing them twice a day or shocked that I had increased the reps. Would I do any less than what was expected? No.
He then proceeded to show me a couple more exercises to try out and then had me get on the eliptical for 15 minutes. He seemed pretty optimistic, and thinks that this "injury" is just the result of weak muscles, especially since the pain isn't there when I ride bike, do the eliptical, walk or go up and down the stairs. Good news.
He gave me some options. He said he could show me how to tape my knee cap in place, but said that he usually only tapes when pain is present doing the exercises. That's not the case for me and he doesn't think it's necessary in this case. He also said that we could do an ultrasound. But, since there is no pain walking he doesn't recommend it. He said I could make an appointment to check back in a week or just keep doing my exercises for the next 4-5 weeks, slowly adding some running into my routine, and give him a call if I have any questions or concerns.
What did I choose? To keep up with my exercises and to slowly get back to running. Very. Slowly.
He said to pay close attention to my running form and make sure that I am stepping more on the outside of my feet, as he is thinking that I might be stepping on the inside more, with my knees going in, causing all these problems.
This morning when I woke, I didn't have a single sore muscle! This evening I rode the bike for about 30 minutes and then spent 20 minutes with Jillian. I completed day 4. I am looking forward to moving onto Step 2, but know that I am not ready. My shoulders and legs still burn like crazy when doing a couple of the exercises! I did take some measurements on my hips, waist, thighs and biceps, but am not going to post. I will post the differences (if any) at the end of the 30 days!
I am off to do my PT exercises and then some paperwork. Grr. I leave for the Twin Cities tomorrow to spend some time with my sistah, so I will catch up with y'all when I return Sunday! Don't worry, Jillian will be coming with me! Have a wonderful weekend y'all!
Today's Workout:
Eliptical - 15 minutes
Bike - 10.78 miles, 30:00, 21.56mph
Jillian's Shred - Day 4
Today's Song:
Jay-Z - Can I Get A (Careful - inappropriate lyrics - in sidebar)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Physical Therapy and Product Review
WARNING: LONG POST LIES AHEAD....
I had my appointment this morning with the physical therapist to check out my right knee. I hate to admit it, but I was very anxious and afraid of what he was going to tell me. I spent some time giving him a little background information:
The pain started after a short 3 miler the first week of February, about a week and a half after a glorious pain free 7 mile run. The initial pain was mostly tightness and tracking issues, followed by pain going up and down the stairs. Then I laid of from running, only running about 2-3 miles 2 or 3 times per week. Then, the pain was only noticeable after 2 miles of running and was followed by tightness around the knee. At this point in time there was no concern with tracking or pain going up and down the stairs. The past week I didn't run a single mile, until this morning when I ran a little under a mile to "test out" the knee and all was pain free.
Then he did some exploring; bending my legs, playing with the kneecap, feeling the muscles and tendons around and behind the knee, rotating my feet, stretching my hips, etc. He had me do some strengthening exercises, and after all this, he noticed the following:
- My hamstrings are okay, but could be stronger
- My quadriceps, hips, and glutes are weak
- My left glutes/hips are weaker than the right
- My calves are extremely tight
He said I have one disadvantage that I can't do anything about: I am a female. With that, I am wide in the hips, narrow in the knees, and then go out again from there to the feet. He checked my feet and arches and was happy to see that they are pretty strong. No orthotics necessary.
He showed me a handful of strengthening exercises, with and without the bands, and gave me homework to complete prior to my return appointment next week. If your interested, and looking for some strengthening exercises to work similar muscle groups as I am, here are a handful:
- Leg lifts (on back, elbows, and sitting up): Start with laying on back, one knee bent, and other leg straight with toes pointed outward. Then raise the leg, stopping when it reaches the height of the other knee, hold for 2 seconds. Do 10 repetitions, 2 times. Repeat with other leg. Do this routine while 1. laying on the back, 2. propped up on the elbows, and 3. sitting up. They will, and should, be more difficult when sitting up. This should be done 2 times per day.
- Side Leg lifts: Lie on side with right leg on top. Bend lower leg slightly. Raise top leg straight up, without letting it come forward. Make sure to keep body in a straight line from shoulders, to hips, to feet. Hold for 2 seconds, and relax. Do 10 repetitions, 2 times, on both sides. This should be done 2 times per day.
- Knee Strengthening: Using a stretching band, create a loop at one end. Place one leg in the loop, and stick the other end in a closed door. Make sure the band is wrapped around the knee and step away from the door far enough to have some good tension. Begin with knee bent partway, then slowly straighten the knee (into locking position). Slowly bend knee again. Do 15 repetitions, 2 times, with both knees. Do this 2 times per day.
- Side-stepping: Use a stretch band with two ends tied together to create a loop. Place both feet inside and wrap it around the legs, halfway up the calves. Side step, keeping tension on the band, and shoulders level. Do NOT let the leg drag as you are stepping to the side. Do 3 sets to fatigue.
- IT Band Stretch: There are two different ways you can stretch the IT band. 1.) you can stand with the right leg behind the left, reaching over to the left. It may help to stand near a wall and use your left hand to support the body as your right hand stretches over your head. Hold 5-10 seconds and do 5-10 repetitions. Switch and do the same on the other side. 2.) Lie on your left side, the edge of your bed or a table, with your left knee slightly bent. Lift your right leg and let it hang over the side of the table/bed. You should be able to feel the band stretch in the right leg. Hold for 10 seconds and do 5-10 repetitions. Switch and do the same on the other side. One of these stretches should be done 2 times per day.
- Calf Stretch: Position body against the wall with one left foot behind. Point toes straight ahead and hold heal down. Lean into the wall so you feel a stretch in the left calf. Hold for 30 seconds, 1 repetition. Switch and do the other calf. This should be done 4 times per day.
If you are confused with any of these, let me know and I will try my best to clarify!
The PT recommended that I work to strengthen my muscles before really getting back into my half marathon training. He said that I need a good 5-6 weeks of strengthening. He didn't say I couldn't run, but if I do, he said to keep it minimal. He also said to be careful on the bike as well, as that can make knee issues worse, especially when on bikes that are not specifically set for me (ie. upright bikes). He was glad to see that I came in before it got worse and that I didn't continue to run through the pain. He says that with strengthening these muscles, I should be able to run with little to no pain in the future. I left my appointment on cloud nine and ready to strengthen some muscles!
Product Review:
Yesterday I tried my Yoga for Strong Knees video. The total run time is 50:00 and a lot of it is used to explain what kind of muscles do what and why it is important to strengthen those muscles. I thought that was very informative, but don't want to watch it every time I do the video. I think that if I do it a few more times with the video, I will be able to do it without the video in about 30 minutes. So far, I think it is a good video. They recommend doing it every other day, but with my strengthening exercises given by the PT, I will try to incorporate this yoga video a 2-3 times a week.
Today's Workout:
Run - .75 miles, 8:47, 11:42/mile avg.
Bike - 10.81, 31:00, 20.92mph
Today's Song:
Lady Gaga - Poker Face (in sidebar)
Monday, February 2, 2009
A little bit of this .... and a little bit of that....
....Last week I received a wonderful gift in the mail from my aunt. Supposedly she just found out about my purchase of a home. I don't know how she missed the news, but the gift was very thoughtful! She is totally catering to my addiction. Thank you thank you thank you!
....my parents, younger sister, and I took a quick trip to the twin cities this weekend for my brother-in-law's going away party. It was bittersweet. He will be leaving in less than 2 weeks for his 2nd tour of active duty. We cannot dwell on the fact that his time in the military was to be up in a matter of days, but support him in every way possible for the next year. We will miss him so so much and will be counting down the days for his return home. Fortunately, my sister has a wonderful support system and plans to keep herself very busy and active while his is away.
.....Friday I woke with a cold. Remember when I thought I was getting sick a couple weeks ago and I drowned myself in Airborne? That seemed to work then, but this cold came out of no where, and with a bang. It couldn't have come at a worse time, not that there is ever a good time to get sick, but I had busy plans for the weekend.
....my parents, younger sister, and I took a quick trip to the twin cities this weekend for my brother-in-law's going away party. It was bittersweet. He will be leaving in less than 2 weeks for his 2nd tour of active duty. We cannot dwell on the fact that his time in the military was to be up in a matter of days, but support him in every way possible for the next year. We will miss him so so much and will be counting down the days for his return home. Fortunately, my sister has a wonderful support system and plans to keep herself very busy and active while his is away.
....Today was the first day I worked out in 4 days! It was driving me crazy. I went out for a short run to test out my new kicks. It's amazing how wonderful new shoes feel. Aftwards I hopped in the bike for a little while. It felt pretty good.
Today's Workout:
Run 2.5 miles, 31:00, 12:24/mile avg.
Run 2.5 miles, 31:00, 12:24/mile avg.
Bike 7.11 miles, 20:00, 21.33mph
Today's Song:
Rihanna - S.O.S. (in sidebar)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Da weekend and shtuff
Week 2 of HM Training:
Monday:
Run 3.25 miles, 37:21, 11:29/mile avg.
Tuesday:
Bike 8.46 miles, 24:22, 20.83mph
Run 1.5 miles, 14:56, 9.57/mile avg.
Wednesday:
REST
Thursday:
Run 3.25 miles, 38:21, 11:48/mile avg.
Friday:
REST
Saturday:
Bike 10 miles, 35:21, 16.97mph (Hill Repeats)
Run 1.27 miles, 15:00, 11:48/mile avg.
Sunday:
Run 7.17 miles, 1:25:00, 11:51/mile avg.
The past week of training went by pretty smoothly. I ended up taking an extra rest day in there, on Friday. I just couldn't get up and to the pool that morning. I had way too much caffiene thursday and really didn't sleep well that night.
My long run today, went a helluva lot better than last week. I took it nice and slow, doing a run 8-9 minute/walk 1 minute ratio. There were absolutely no problems with my knee tracking. I am super stoked!
I can't believe how fast the weekend has gone by. Friday night I went out with a few girl friends to see Hairball play (click this link to see a snipit). For those of you who read my blog and are still unfamiliar with Hairball, they are an 80's rock coverband that dress the part of every song they play. This was probably my fourth time seeing them and they are still fun to watch. There were so many people there, more than usual, and the pushing and shoving in the crowds started too early. It's really annoying; especially when you are standing so close to the stage and you get a splash of beer thrown on you when a girl throws her beer at some random guy. The guy appeared to be completely innocent. The concert was still fun and the music was great!
Saturday afternoon I went up to GF with my parents to catch the Sioux hockey game. We stopped by my aunts for a few hours before the game and enjoyed catching up with everyone. The Sioux beat Denver the Friday night 8-3, but walked away with a tie in overtime last night. They played horribly and are lucky they didn't lose altogether. We are still ranked #2 in the WCHA...
This coming week I am going cut back a bit on my workouts, I think. I plan to get in a couple good swims - one working on endurance and the other working on form and speed, a session on the bike, and a few 3-5 miles runs.
Today's Song:
Kanye West - Heartless
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Physical Fitness Test
This morning I hit up the gym for a nice ride on the bike with atleast 15 minutes to follow on the treadmill. Then, I remembered reading MPA's post from yesterday and just had the desire to see how fast I could do a 1.5 mile run! From there, I was determined to do the rest of the physical fitness test. Remember doing that in grade school? Well, now they have a test set up for adults!
1.5 mile run time: 14:56 (boohyah!)
half sit-ups (1 minute): 69
pushups: 21
height: 5'4"
weight: 147 (eeks, I know)
waist measurement (at the belly button): 32.5 inches
Take your results and enter them into their handy-dandy website and it will show you where you rank with your peers:
1.5 mile run time: 40th %ile
half sit-ups (1 minute): 95th %ile
pushups: 30th %ile
average: 55th %ile
half sit-ups (1 minute): 95th %ile
pushups: 30th %ile
average: 55th %ile
BMI: 25.2 (Overweight, Increased Risk of Disease)
Pretty interesting results. I know what areas are of concern and I know what I need to do to work on them. I would like to do this again in 6 months and see where I am at!
Go ahead, try it for yourself!
Today's Workout:
Bike 8.46 miles, 24:22, 20.83mph
Run 1.5 miles, 14:56, 9:57/mile avg
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sense of accomplishment
Despite feeling a tad bit under the weather this past week, and being knee high in paperwork (what's knew?), I had a pretty successful start to my half marathon training. This was my first week of training for the half, the first week of 18.
Some of you may be thinking, why on earth does she need 18 weeks to train for a half?! I am hoping with this extra time I will get in some really good long runs before the race. On top of that, I know that life happens and there will be a week or two where my long run will be cut short due to life in general. This way, I can remind myself that when that happens, this is why I decided to train for 18 weeks!
Week 1 recap:
Monday: Run 3.5 miles, 40:00, 11:25/mile
I got this run in prior to starting the workday and it felt great.
Tuesday: Bike 10.8 miles, 30:00, 21.6mph; Run 1.28 miles, 14:00, 10:56/mile
Today I was beginning to feel a bit under the weather and didn't have as much energy as I hoped. I took it easy on the bike and finished off with a near 15 minutes on the treadmill.
Wednesday: REST
I felt really icky this day. Decided to move my rest day today and take advantage of extra sleep. 10 hours was great!
Thursday: Run 3.64 miles, 40:00, 10:59/mile
This was the first day this week that I felt great and the run proved it with a bit of sprinting.
Friday: Swim 2200M, 45:00, 2:02/100M
On Friday's, the pool is open for lap swim from 4-630pm in the afternoon, so I took advantage of that instead of getting up early that morning. Another 9 hours of sleep Thursday night!
Saturday: Run 5.76 miles, 1:09:22, 12:02/mile
The gym is still busy with new years resolutioners, and I thought I got there early enough to avoid the crowd. I was wrong. I had to break this run into two sessions on the treadmill. During the 15 minutes I had between the two, I did a bit of stretching and abs. My right knee was bothering me a bit. It felt like the knee cap wasn't tracking properly. Instantly I had a feeling of self-doubt about this half marathon, but reminded myself to take it slow and my knees should get used to these longer distances again. Positive thoughts all the way.
Sunday: Swim 3200M, 1:24:00, 2:37/100M (freestyle 500M/kick 100M x 5, 200M c/d)
I had a brick workout (Swim/Bike routine) planned for today, but knew that if I wasn't feeling up for it I would just swim. Yesterday's run left my quads a little sore, a good sore. Instead, I decided just do to a long swim, hoping for around 2000-2200M. When I got in the pool a friend of mine suggested using the kick boards today. So we planned on swimming freestyle 500M and then 100M of kick, times 5. We finished off with a 200M c/d. 2 miles in the pool was exhausting but exhilarating as well!
All in all, I think this past week was pretty successful! I look forward to another great week of training.
Tomorrow the little kiddo's don't have school and us teachers have a staff development day. It will be a nice change of pace. I have a lot of meetings this week and paperwork that needs to be finished. My goal is to get in my workouts in the morning, and stay at work a little bit longer each day, getting as much paperwork and stuff done as I can. I am sick of bringing it home each night, as well as working on it during the weekend. I have plans for next weekend, so it's not going to happen!
Happy Sunday, y'all! Have a great week!
Some of you may be thinking, why on earth does she need 18 weeks to train for a half?! I am hoping with this extra time I will get in some really good long runs before the race. On top of that, I know that life happens and there will be a week or two where my long run will be cut short due to life in general. This way, I can remind myself that when that happens, this is why I decided to train for 18 weeks!
Week 1 recap:
Monday: Run 3.5 miles, 40:00, 11:25/mile
I got this run in prior to starting the workday and it felt great.
Tuesday: Bike 10.8 miles, 30:00, 21.6mph; Run 1.28 miles, 14:00, 10:56/mile
Today I was beginning to feel a bit under the weather and didn't have as much energy as I hoped. I took it easy on the bike and finished off with a near 15 minutes on the treadmill.
Wednesday: REST
I felt really icky this day. Decided to move my rest day today and take advantage of extra sleep. 10 hours was great!
Thursday: Run 3.64 miles, 40:00, 10:59/mile
This was the first day this week that I felt great and the run proved it with a bit of sprinting.
Friday: Swim 2200M, 45:00, 2:02/100M
On Friday's, the pool is open for lap swim from 4-630pm in the afternoon, so I took advantage of that instead of getting up early that morning. Another 9 hours of sleep Thursday night!
Saturday: Run 5.76 miles, 1:09:22, 12:02/mile
The gym is still busy with new years resolutioners, and I thought I got there early enough to avoid the crowd. I was wrong. I had to break this run into two sessions on the treadmill. During the 15 minutes I had between the two, I did a bit of stretching and abs. My right knee was bothering me a bit. It felt like the knee cap wasn't tracking properly. Instantly I had a feeling of self-doubt about this half marathon, but reminded myself to take it slow and my knees should get used to these longer distances again. Positive thoughts all the way.
Sunday: Swim 3200M, 1:24:00, 2:37/100M (freestyle 500M/kick 100M x 5, 200M c/d)
I had a brick workout (Swim/Bike routine) planned for today, but knew that if I wasn't feeling up for it I would just swim. Yesterday's run left my quads a little sore, a good sore. Instead, I decided just do to a long swim, hoping for around 2000-2200M. When I got in the pool a friend of mine suggested using the kick boards today. So we planned on swimming freestyle 500M and then 100M of kick, times 5. We finished off with a 200M c/d. 2 miles in the pool was exhausting but exhilarating as well!
All in all, I think this past week was pretty successful! I look forward to another great week of training.
Tomorrow the little kiddo's don't have school and us teachers have a staff development day. It will be a nice change of pace. I have a lot of meetings this week and paperwork that needs to be finished. My goal is to get in my workouts in the morning, and stay at work a little bit longer each day, getting as much paperwork and stuff done as I can. I am sick of bringing it home each night, as well as working on it during the weekend. I have plans for next weekend, so it's not going to happen!
Happy Sunday, y'all! Have a great week!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Training thoughts and such
Thanks to everyone who gave me their two cents in regards to my training plans for my upcoming half marathon. If you haven't read my post, you can check it out here. Feel free to give me any advice you have.
I think I knew what I wanted to do already. I just am trying to decide what to do for my long runs. I woudn't mind trying to do a couple long runs more than 13 miles. I guess I can just start upping my miles and listen to my body and see how it goes. But, like I said, that is still 19 weeks away and plenty of time to think about it.
I did want to clarify one thing. Some of you commented on me motivating my family to join me. I don't think I motivated them. My parents have run more half marathons than I have raced. They have motived me. And Steph has been wanting to train for a half marathon, and I am glad she has bit the bullet and will be joining us on the dark side! LOL.
Yesterday, I DID make it to the pool for a nice morning swim. In fact I could have gone further, but the pool was getting too busy. So after 45 minutes I canned it and went to work early.
This morning in the process of getting ready for work, I stubbed my 2nd and middle toe against my bathroom door, as I was opening it. I compared the pain to childbirth. I know I haven't had any children yet, but I can assume that the pain was similar. My toes kept rubbing in my shoes all day and when I went to the gym I dreaded getting on the treadmill. It felt okay to run, but I think my gait was off a bit as I was trying to avoid pushing off those toes. So I stopped after 15 minutes and hopped on the bike to do some hill repeats. Now, that my friends, was fun.
I have been having a hard time keeping up with blogs lately, only getting to read a few here and there, but I hope to catch up a bit in the next few days!
Yesterday's Workout:
Swim 2200M, 46:00, 2:05/100M
Today's Workout:
Run 1.3 miles, 15:00, 11:30/mile
Bike 9.82 miles, 30:00, 19.64mph (hill repeats)
I think I knew what I wanted to do already. I just am trying to decide what to do for my long runs. I woudn't mind trying to do a couple long runs more than 13 miles. I guess I can just start upping my miles and listen to my body and see how it goes. But, like I said, that is still 19 weeks away and plenty of time to think about it.
I did want to clarify one thing. Some of you commented on me motivating my family to join me. I don't think I motivated them. My parents have run more half marathons than I have raced. They have motived me. And Steph has been wanting to train for a half marathon, and I am glad she has bit the bullet and will be joining us on the dark side! LOL.
Yesterday, I DID make it to the pool for a nice morning swim. In fact I could have gone further, but the pool was getting too busy. So after 45 minutes I canned it and went to work early.
This morning in the process of getting ready for work, I stubbed my 2nd and middle toe against my bathroom door, as I was opening it. I compared the pain to childbirth. I know I haven't had any children yet, but I can assume that the pain was similar. My toes kept rubbing in my shoes all day and when I went to the gym I dreaded getting on the treadmill. It felt okay to run, but I think my gait was off a bit as I was trying to avoid pushing off those toes. So I stopped after 15 minutes and hopped on the bike to do some hill repeats. Now, that my friends, was fun.
I have been having a hard time keeping up with blogs lately, only getting to read a few here and there, but I hope to catch up a bit in the next few days!
Yesterday's Workout:
Swim 2200M, 46:00, 2:05/100M
Today's Workout:
Run 1.3 miles, 15:00, 11:30/mile
Bike 9.82 miles, 30:00, 19.64mph (hill repeats)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The past few days
Friday morning I ventured to the local YMCA with the 'rents to see if my Fargo Y membership would get me in. Sure enough, I was excited when I found out I was able to use the gym here at home without having to pay anything.
That morning my parents talked about doing 5 miles on the treadmill. I didn't really have any desire to do that distance so I took advantage of the time and did some sprints. I ran 1 mile slow, to warm up and then did 400M sprints with 30 second cool downs. I finish off with a 1 mile slow run. 4 miles done and it felt great.
I spent a good portion of the afternoon at the bowling alley celebrating my god-daughter's 10th birthday. Her birthday reminds me not only of how fast time has gone by, but that this coming year will be my 10 year high school reunion. Eeks.
That evening I was starting to feel a slight pain in my left shin. I knew it was from pounding out the sprints, as my body was not used to that.
Saturday morning I hit the gym again with the 'rents and took it easy. I did a couple 11 minute miles (average) on the treadmill and then about 25 minutes on the bike. As for the rest of the day, I spent reading Twilight, completely addicted and didn't want to put it down.
This morning Dad and I went to the gym. He went to run and I headed for the pool. The Y here actually has two pools, a smaller one and then an Olympic sized pool. My memory of the larger one was the bitter cold water temps, so I jumped into the smaller pool. I kicked out a 100M and the water was so warm I couldn't stand it. So, I went over to the larger pool and was fearful of how cold the water was going to be. All my memories of swimming in that pool when I was 11 or 12 was of how damn cold it was. Either I was just a kid who liked to complain or the water was colder then, but today it wasn't too bad. It was still colder than the pool in Fargo, but better than the hot pool. However, I just couldn't get into a good rhythm and my breathing was off. It took everything in me to swim more than 1000M and I made myself kick out another 200.
As for the rest of the day, I look forward to lounging in my sweats (again) all while watching the Vikings and then the Tar Heels later. Sometime in between the two games I am going to venture over to Barnes and Noble and check out what they might have on sale... maybe pick up the next book in the Twilight series.
Tomorrow morning, I might try a short swim and then hop on the bike for a short brick workout! It's time to start re-focussing my workouts in preparation for the indoor triathlon I want to do the end of February!
Have a great Sunday, y'all!
Friday's Workout:
Run 4.05 miles (400M sprints) - no time - accidentally stopped the treadmill mid-run
Saturday's Workout:
Run 2.11 miles - about 23 minutes
Bike 7 miles - approximately 25 minutes
Sunday's Workout:
Swim 1200M - approximately 25 minutes
That morning my parents talked about doing 5 miles on the treadmill. I didn't really have any desire to do that distance so I took advantage of the time and did some sprints. I ran 1 mile slow, to warm up and then did 400M sprints with 30 second cool downs. I finish off with a 1 mile slow run. 4 miles done and it felt great.
I spent a good portion of the afternoon at the bowling alley celebrating my god-daughter's 10th birthday. Her birthday reminds me not only of how fast time has gone by, but that this coming year will be my 10 year high school reunion. Eeks.
That evening I was starting to feel a slight pain in my left shin. I knew it was from pounding out the sprints, as my body was not used to that.
Saturday morning I hit the gym again with the 'rents and took it easy. I did a couple 11 minute miles (average) on the treadmill and then about 25 minutes on the bike. As for the rest of the day, I spent reading Twilight, completely addicted and didn't want to put it down.
This morning Dad and I went to the gym. He went to run and I headed for the pool. The Y here actually has two pools, a smaller one and then an Olympic sized pool. My memory of the larger one was the bitter cold water temps, so I jumped into the smaller pool. I kicked out a 100M and the water was so warm I couldn't stand it. So, I went over to the larger pool and was fearful of how cold the water was going to be. All my memories of swimming in that pool when I was 11 or 12 was of how damn cold it was. Either I was just a kid who liked to complain or the water was colder then, but today it wasn't too bad. It was still colder than the pool in Fargo, but better than the hot pool. However, I just couldn't get into a good rhythm and my breathing was off. It took everything in me to swim more than 1000M and I made myself kick out another 200.
As for the rest of the day, I look forward to lounging in my sweats (again) all while watching the Vikings and then the Tar Heels later. Sometime in between the two games I am going to venture over to Barnes and Noble and check out what they might have on sale... maybe pick up the next book in the Twilight series.
Tomorrow morning, I might try a short swim and then hop on the bike for a short brick workout! It's time to start re-focussing my workouts in preparation for the indoor triathlon I want to do the end of February!
Have a great Sunday, y'all!
Friday's Workout:
Run 4.05 miles (400M sprints) - no time - accidentally stopped the treadmill mid-run
Saturday's Workout:
Run 2.11 miles - about 23 minutes
Bike 7 miles - approximately 25 minutes
Sunday's Workout:
Swim 1200M - approximately 25 minutes
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Isn't today a National Holiday?
It's been a busy past couple of days, but I just wanted to post quickly my results of the B-Fit-B-Day Challenge and say thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes today, yesterday and the past few days! My Birthday party was awesome, I received some very unecessary gifts from friends and co-workers, and another wonderful dinner with friends this evening! I have the best friends and family evah!
My goal for the challenge was to go GOLD; completing the following within 24 hours of my 28th Birthday, and that is just what I did:
My goal for the challenge was to go GOLD; completing the following within 24 hours of my 28th Birthday, and that is just what I did:
- 8 mile run (1:42:12, 12:46/mile average) - I complete this last night. I didn't think I would get through it, but I did. After the 5K on icy grounds Saturday morning, combined with a tight left calf from bouncing on my left foot while rockin' out on the guitar in Rock Band Saturday night, and not stretching enough after the past few weeks' runs, I was not in the best condition for this run, but I did it, with the help of a lot of walking. The first 4 miles went smooth as a baby's butt, probably averaging almost 11 minute miles, but it went downhill from there. My right knee started to get stiff and bother me, so I did a lot of walking and was able to finish.
- 2000M Swim (44:00, 2:12/100M average) - This I completed at the butt crack of dawn this morning, while most of you were still sleeping. This was the easiest of my 3 disciplines to do, as this is the distance that I usually do in the pool. However, the last 8 laps I really cranked it out and it felt great!
- 31.06 mile Bike (1:18:00, 23.89mph average) - This was supposed to be 28 miles. I did this workout today after school. I wanted to do it all on the spin bike but knew I probably wouldn't get 28 miles in spin class, so I jumped on an upright bike prior to spin to get in some miles first (9.36) and then added the results of spin class (21.7). It felt great.
Despite some previous negative comments about turning 28, I am okay with it! I am probably the healthiest and happiest I have ever been and I am thankful for that!
Tomorrow I am taking a rest day. I will be waiting for the arrival of my new dining room table and taking the time to check in on you guys, as well as piecing together my reflections of 2008 and my goals and aspirations for 2009! It's going to be an exciting year, I just know it!
Monday's Workout:
Run - 8 miles, 1:42:12, 12:46/mile average
Tuesday's Workout:
Swim - 2000M, 44:00, 2:12/100M average
Bike - 31.06 miles, 1:18:00, 23.89mph average
Today's Song: Green Day - Holiday (in sidebar)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
All the productivity
Yesterday's sick day was quite productive. I found out I still have 20/20 vision and no cavities, however I need to floss more frequently and get in for a cleaning twice a year. After talking with my doctor about my headaches, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, feeling tired even after 8 hours of sleep, as well as my workout schedule and daily nutrition, she called for blood work to check my thyroid. I should be getting the test results back within the next couple days.
I also spent the rest of the day running from furniture store to furniture store trying to decide on a dining room table. Who know it could be so difficult? I ended up making a purchase and it should arrive next Wednesday! I am excited! I also got some Christmas shopping done, tree up and decorated, as well as the rest of my Christmas decor out and about.
And... I got 9 1/2 hours of sleep last night. I sure felt good and rested this morning. I was able to get a lot done at work today and felt pretty darn productive. I am thinking this is totally due to a day off and a good night's sleep. I highly recommend taking a day off once in a blue moon to rejuvenate yourself!
After work I was able to sneak in a quick workout. The gym was packed and I blame it on the cold weather. It is definitely starting to feel like winter with today's negative 1 degree wind chill. I hopped on a bike for a bit while waiting for a treadmill to open up. Once I got on the treadmill I did some nasty sprint intervals. The 45 minute workout felt good.
I hope everyone has a superb weekend. I hope to get in the pool in the morning for an easy swim the day before the Jingle Bell 5K... only to look foward to celebrating me birthday with a few friends Saturday night!
Good luck to all those racing this weekend... Jess....Aron....Frayed Laces....David...and everyone else I might have missed!
Today's Workout:
Bike - 5.67 miles, 16:00, 21.26mph
Run - 3 miles, 30:03, 10:01/mile (Sprint Intervals)
Today's Song: Beyonce - Single Ladies
I also spent the rest of the day running from furniture store to furniture store trying to decide on a dining room table. Who know it could be so difficult? I ended up making a purchase and it should arrive next Wednesday! I am excited! I also got some Christmas shopping done, tree up and decorated, as well as the rest of my Christmas decor out and about.
And... I got 9 1/2 hours of sleep last night. I sure felt good and rested this morning. I was able to get a lot done at work today and felt pretty darn productive. I am thinking this is totally due to a day off and a good night's sleep. I highly recommend taking a day off once in a blue moon to rejuvenate yourself!
After work I was able to sneak in a quick workout. The gym was packed and I blame it on the cold weather. It is definitely starting to feel like winter with today's negative 1 degree wind chill. I hopped on a bike for a bit while waiting for a treadmill to open up. Once I got on the treadmill I did some nasty sprint intervals. The 45 minute workout felt good.
I hope everyone has a superb weekend. I hope to get in the pool in the morning for an easy swim the day before the Jingle Bell 5K... only to look foward to celebrating me birthday with a few friends Saturday night!
Good luck to all those racing this weekend... Jess....Aron....Frayed Laces....David...and everyone else I might have missed!
Today's Workout:
Bike - 5.67 miles, 16:00, 21.26mph
Run - 3 miles, 30:03, 10:01/mile (Sprint Intervals)
Today's Song: Beyonce - Single Ladies
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
I've made my decision
I have taken a sick day today with the plan of scratching 3 routine doctor appointments off the list. yay. As for the rest of the day, I hope to not only finish putting up the Christmas decorations, but clean the house, search for a dining room table, and possibly finish up some Christmas shopping. I know, ambitious. But, I have to take advantage of the extra time when I can.
This morning I met a friend at the gym to do some lifting and then bike. I haven't lifted in over a month, and I have been trying to encourage her to incorporate lifting into her workout routine. Sometimes she struggles with the same knee issues I struggled with a year ago, prior to lifting on a regular basis. I have encouraged her to lift, in hopes that it will help diminish her knee issues as the muscles strengthen.
In regards to the Challenge I was trying to come up with for December, I have made my decision. I will be doing the B-fit-B-day Challenge. Now, I just need to decide which level I want to do. My overall goal is to do the Gold, fo sho. This means that within 24 hours I will have to run 8 miles, swim 2000M, and bike 28 miles. The swim and bike is very do-able, but I haven't ran 8 miles since the half marathon training last spring. If I do the Gold, I will run my 8 miles next Monday evening, swim the 2000M Tuesday morning, and then finish off with the 28 mile bike/Spin Tuesday afternoon. If for some reason I can't finish my 8 miles monday night, I will spread this challenge across the 3 days (monday, tuesday, and wednesday) .... going for the Silver.
Today's Workout:
Lift - legs
Bike - 12.67 miles, 35:00, 21.72mph
Today's Song: Taylor Swift - Love Story (I don't know why I like this song so much!)
This morning I met a friend at the gym to do some lifting and then bike. I haven't lifted in over a month, and I have been trying to encourage her to incorporate lifting into her workout routine. Sometimes she struggles with the same knee issues I struggled with a year ago, prior to lifting on a regular basis. I have encouraged her to lift, in hopes that it will help diminish her knee issues as the muscles strengthen.
In regards to the Challenge I was trying to come up with for December, I have made my decision. I will be doing the B-fit-B-day Challenge. Now, I just need to decide which level I want to do. My overall goal is to do the Gold, fo sho. This means that within 24 hours I will have to run 8 miles, swim 2000M, and bike 28 miles. The swim and bike is very do-able, but I haven't ran 8 miles since the half marathon training last spring. If I do the Gold, I will run my 8 miles next Monday evening, swim the 2000M Tuesday morning, and then finish off with the 28 mile bike/Spin Tuesday afternoon. If for some reason I can't finish my 8 miles monday night, I will spread this challenge across the 3 days (monday, tuesday, and wednesday) .... going for the Silver.
Today's Workout:
Lift - legs
Bike - 12.67 miles, 35:00, 21.72mph
Today's Song: Taylor Swift - Love Story (I don't know why I like this song so much!)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Breast Cancer Awareness Ride
Lindenwood Park, Fargo ND
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.
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.
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!
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!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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
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.
---
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.
---
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
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Weekend Recap
Friday night Jill and I headed to Scheel's to see if there were any good sales on cycling attire. While there we ran into our cycling buddy who was working. He told us about the Breast Cancer Awareness Ride in October. It didn't take much effort on his part to talk us into joining him in the 25 mile ride that he will be leading. I hope for nice weather for the ride ... before the snow falls! I can't wait.
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Saturday, our co-ed softball team (and some) participated in a softball tournament. The proceeds go to our district's tennis team. The weather was perfect and I even had a pink face from the sun by the end of the day. I played right field and it was horrible and uneven... I was afraid of injuring myself with every step I took. We didn't play well at all, and ended up losing all 3 games.
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This morning I was hoping to get in a nice ride on my bike since the weather has been so nice this past week. But, the wind picked up this morning (20-30mph gusts) and with my quads/groin muscles being a bit sore from softball yesterday, I decided to head to the gym and take it a bit easy. I ran 15 minutes, biked 30 minutes, and then ran 15 minutes again... breaking up that run I thought would be a bit easier on my legs. However, when I started to run my legs felt pretty strong and I really pushed it at the end of each 15 minutes. Here's the results:
Run 15 min. = 1.31 miles, 11:27/mile
Bike 30 min. = 10.85 miles, 21.7mph
Run 15 min. = 1.34 miles, 11:11/mile
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Now I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon doing a bit of cleaning/organizing/packing, a little football watching, reading and relaxin'!
Today's Song: O.A.R. - Wonderful Day
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Saturday, our co-ed softball team (and some) participated in a softball tournament. The proceeds go to our district's tennis team. The weather was perfect and I even had a pink face from the sun by the end of the day. I played right field and it was horrible and uneven... I was afraid of injuring myself with every step I took. We didn't play well at all, and ended up losing all 3 games.
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This morning I was hoping to get in a nice ride on my bike since the weather has been so nice this past week. But, the wind picked up this morning (20-30mph gusts) and with my quads/groin muscles being a bit sore from softball yesterday, I decided to head to the gym and take it a bit easy. I ran 15 minutes, biked 30 minutes, and then ran 15 minutes again... breaking up that run I thought would be a bit easier on my legs. However, when I started to run my legs felt pretty strong and I really pushed it at the end of each 15 minutes. Here's the results:
Run 15 min. = 1.31 miles, 11:27/mile
Bike 30 min. = 10.85 miles, 21.7mph
Run 15 min. = 1.34 miles, 11:11/mile
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Now I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon doing a bit of cleaning/organizing/packing, a little football watching, reading and relaxin'!
Today's Song: O.A.R. - Wonderful Day
Monday, September 8, 2008
Starting to feel comfortable
This morning, despite the chilly 39 degrees outside (eeks), moisture on the car windows, and visible breathes in the air, I hit the gym for a date with the bike. I haven't done any "biking" yet this month and I thought Monday would be a good day to do so. Prior to biking, I was on the weight machines for about 20 minutes working on the upper body.
In the past couple weeks I have been able to do some consistent lifting. I have gotten into a routine of primarily working on the upper body prior to biking, and the lower body prior to running. However, if I want to spend more then 40 minutes on cardio, I need to find a different time to do my lifting. I might think about using one day each week to just lift (upper and lower extremities). Either that or doing a nice/longer cardio in the morning and then an hour or so of lifting in the evening once a week. How do you encoporate lifting into your schedule? How many times a week? How long does it take you to complete a good lift session?
I used to be scared of lifting prior to running, afraid that it was going to take everything out of me. Oh how contraire, my friends, I actually feel stronger when I lift then run. Maybe it's a mental game.
I think I am finally getting into a good morning workout routine and feeling comfortable with it. I know I tried many times last school year to do this, but just wasn't consistent enough. I was getting up early some days, and then my bedtime wasn't consistent either. However, with getting up 3-4 days a week for a morning workout, I am still working on getting to bed at a decent time. I truly need 8 hours of sleep each night. It seems though, by Thursday I am dragging if I start to lose sleep, even if it is only a half hour to hour each night. This will have to be a work in progress.
Tomorrow I have a date with the pool in the morning. If I have enough energy and drive, I will go to spin after work.
Today's Song: John Mayer - Comfortable
(in sidebar)
Today's Workout:
Lift Upper Body
Bike 13.68 miles, 39:20, 20.87mph
In the past couple weeks I have been able to do some consistent lifting. I have gotten into a routine of primarily working on the upper body prior to biking, and the lower body prior to running. However, if I want to spend more then 40 minutes on cardio, I need to find a different time to do my lifting. I might think about using one day each week to just lift (upper and lower extremities). Either that or doing a nice/longer cardio in the morning and then an hour or so of lifting in the evening once a week. How do you encoporate lifting into your schedule? How many times a week? How long does it take you to complete a good lift session?
I used to be scared of lifting prior to running, afraid that it was going to take everything out of me. Oh how contraire, my friends, I actually feel stronger when I lift then run. Maybe it's a mental game.
I think I am finally getting into a good morning workout routine and feeling comfortable with it. I know I tried many times last school year to do this, but just wasn't consistent enough. I was getting up early some days, and then my bedtime wasn't consistent either. However, with getting up 3-4 days a week for a morning workout, I am still working on getting to bed at a decent time. I truly need 8 hours of sleep each night. It seems though, by Thursday I am dragging if I start to lose sleep, even if it is only a half hour to hour each night. This will have to be a work in progress.
Tomorrow I have a date with the pool in the morning. If I have enough energy and drive, I will go to spin after work.
Today's Song: John Mayer - Comfortable
(in sidebar)
Today's Workout:
Lift Upper Body
Bike 13.68 miles, 39:20, 20.87mph
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Mr. Jonny Lang!
The 1st week of school is going well so far. (knock on wood). The first day of school went pleasantly well with no major issues, and I was surprised to see the second day go just as well. Today I think the honeymoon is over. A few students were very tired today and some behaviors have come about. I am hoping tomorrow goes better.
I was able to get in three early morning workouts ... monday, tuesday, and today. I think I am getting into a good "morning" schedule and doing some lifting regularly as well. Ask me if I will still be into the "morning" routine when the temps begin to drop. It is already cool in the morning, about 50 degrees this week.
Tuesday after school I did some house hunting with my realtor again. I am not going to say too much about it as I am afraid I will jinx it, but it went well. From there I rushed to my girfriend's place, changed out of my teacher clothes and we were off to dinner downtown. It was great to grab a bite to eat and catch up with her!
....and then it was time.... time for the concert!
THE concert.
THE Mr. Jonny Lang!
We have seen him in concert before ... about 7 years ago .. but we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him perform in his hometown!
Here is a video clip. I had a few others, but this was the best one. This is a snipit of the song Red Light.
Here is another video, from the same concert. I wasn't able to get the whole song, but found this on youtube. This is one of my FAVORITE songs! This is a long version, but I highly recommend listening!
Ahh, it was so much fun!
______________________________________________
Monday: Lifted lower body
Run 2.22 miles, 25:00, 11:15/mile
Tuesday: Lift upper body
Bike 10.52 miles, 30:00, avg. 21.04mph
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Lifted lower body
Run 3.1 miles, 37:02, 11:56/mile
(really focused on the run 5 or 6/walk 1 method)
*Psst... shh... I haven't done my pushups this week and I am afraid to get back into it...eeks.
I was able to get in three early morning workouts ... monday, tuesday, and today. I think I am getting into a good "morning" schedule and doing some lifting regularly as well. Ask me if I will still be into the "morning" routine when the temps begin to drop. It is already cool in the morning, about 50 degrees this week.
Tuesday after school I did some house hunting with my realtor again. I am not going to say too much about it as I am afraid I will jinx it, but it went well. From there I rushed to my girfriend's place, changed out of my teacher clothes and we were off to dinner downtown. It was great to grab a bite to eat and catch up with her!
....and then it was time.... time for the concert!THE concert.
THE Mr. Jonny Lang!
We have seen him in concert before ... about 7 years ago .. but we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him perform in his hometown!
Here is a video clip. I had a few others, but this was the best one. This is a snipit of the song Red Light.
Here is another video, from the same concert. I wasn't able to get the whole song, but found this on youtube. This is one of my FAVORITE songs! This is a long version, but I highly recommend listening!
Ahh, it was so much fun!
______________________________________________
Monday: Lifted lower body
Run 2.22 miles, 25:00, 11:15/mile
Tuesday: Lift upper body
Bike 10.52 miles, 30:00, avg. 21.04mph
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Lifted lower body
Run 3.1 miles, 37:02, 11:56/mile
(really focused on the run 5 or 6/walk 1 method)
*Psst... shh... I haven't done my pushups this week and I am afraid to get back into it...eeks.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
"Believe in me....
...sometimes the weak become the strong..."
My friend J and I had decided to do somewhat of a mock-triathlon today.... with the intentions of doing 1000M in the pool, almost 24 miles on the bike, and then a short 2 mile run. We did all but the run... she's been struggling with a sore knee, and after my 5 miles yesterday, I didn't want to push it.
We hit the pool just shortly after 7, as the beautiful sun was coming up...
The swim was great.... a consistent 1000M in approximately 20 minutes. From there we drove to J's house got our bikes ready (checked the air in our tires...) ... and were on the road.
We road out to a small town southeast of Fargo named Sabin.
The roads and the weather couldn't have been any better. It was a nice easy ride; nothing too strenuous.I came home and was disappointed when I remembered I still had to do my pushups. Egh.
But, I did them, maxed out at 32 with a total of 124.
Now, I am going to head into school for a few hours since I didn't make it there yesterday.
Happy hump day, y'all!
Swim 1000M, 20:00, avg. 2:00/100M
Bike 23.8 miles, 1:53:00, avg. 12.6mph
72 degrees and sunny when finished
Today's Song: Staind - Believe
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