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?