Who cares about saving daylight?

I'm ALMOST done being cranky about daylight saving time...but not quite yet. What a stupid deal...give up an hour of sleep and return to dark mornings...oh, and jack up your VCR and miscellaneous other appliances. How can anyone think any of these are good ideas?? Augh. Well, the good news is that I read in yesterday's paper that the sunrise will be back to about 6:30 a.m. by the first weekend in April. I suppose I'll live till then.

Anyway...it took me a while to recover from the over-tired I felt after Saturday's long ride...I was still pretty wiped out a lot of yesterday. Cheryl and I reevaluated this week's training schedule, scaling down some of the speed work and next Saturday's long ride to give me a little bit of a recovery week....I do think I need it. I was back in action today, though, and feeling pretty good...swam this morning and did a run (aerobic, nice) at lunchtime. Today's forgotten item was the sports bra...discovered in the locker room. But I was yet again saved by the emergency pack in my car (though it did require a detour and a little public nudity in the parking garage on my way out of the gym to go for my run...).

Run:
4.4 miles
37:47
Avg HR = 145ish

Saturday slog...

Yesterday was the usual swim team + weights Friday...both were fine, but the last few weeks, I've been pretty body-tired by Friday and very thankful that Fridays aren't doubles. This was a really busy week on all fronts and I was feeling pretty dragged out again yesterday. I slept more than 9 hours, but the dragged-out feeling carried over into this morning's long bike ride. I was supposed to do 60 miles today and had a possible route in mind when I took off, but I truncated it because for most of the 3+ hours I was out there, I just kept thinking to myself that I haven't just didn't have the legs or the enthusiasm to make it to 60---and I've felt this way on my longer rides for about 3 weeks...this should not be happening this early in the year. Looking at my numbers from today and the week, I think I might be on the edge of over-training (i.e. only about 11 hours of training this week, yet my legs are thrashed and my avg. HR and pace for this ride were a little low, although I now feel like I want to lay on the floor with the remote until tomorrow!).

Anyway, today's ride was in some drizzle and breeze...and a lot of wet pavement...which also didn't do too much for my enthusiasm...but it wasn't cold and I was comfortably over-dressed and warm. I did the long side of Mercer Island and the north end of the lake...felt pretty good climbing Juanita, but the last few miles on the trail were a limp...50 miles total.

I'm now off to work a few hours at the Bike Expo (so much for my laying on the floor fantasy...), and am happy happy happy that tomorrow is my rest day!

50 mile ride:

3:27

Avg HR = 114

Avg pace = 14.5

Run 'n spin day

So far, so good...no "you're a bad neighbor" notes have (yet?) appeared this week as a result of my squeaky bike trainer...shew.

Yesterday turned out to be a swim-only day...too many things going on this week and it seemed the best use of my time to go grocery shopping at lunchtime instead of biking. I made up for it today, though...

It was long run morning and I got in 8 miles (first 8 of '08!). I noticed today that re-building the running endurance means re-learning patience. Last summer, my long runs were SO long, that an 8 miler would've seemed really short. After being down in the 4-5 mile zone for a few months, though, anything over an hour seems long again. Just a mental adjustment that I'm having to make again...don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to almost be back up to double digit miles.

Anyway, stupid daylight savings time will be happening this weekend (I'd boycott, but I don't think it'd be successful), so I decided to take advantage of this week's morning light and run through Interlakken and the Arboretum...I ran from home and made up the route as I went. The bummer about this lack of route planning was when I popped out of the Arboretum at the bottom of 24th and still had a little more than a half a mile to run...ending an 8 mile run straight UP 24th is not something I'll be doing again if I can help it. I hit the 8 mile mark at Aloha and walked up the last bit of hill to the Shoebox.

I was also invited to be a guest for a certain someone's birthday spin class at Seattle Fitness today at 12:30...another thing I'm not sure I'll be repeating on the same day as one of my longer runs. It was really fun, though...great music and instructor, and a really really nice gym...I kept it pretty aerobic and barely went to AT.

8 mile run:
1:14:07
Avg HR = 140

50 minute spin class
Avg HR = 135
Max HR = 145

Return of the bad neighbor

That'd be me. Based on the last under-the-door note from my (hopefully former) downstairs neighbor a few weeks ago, she should have moved out of my building over the weekend. I have maintained legal noise behavior for several weeks, so I figured I better stake my territory and get my squatter's rights ASAP in case someone new has moved in down there...so I did a workout on the bike trainer yesterday morning at about 6:15. When I got home last night, there were no notes under the door and no visible crankiness via any other medium, so I'm hoping the coast is clear...might be too soon to tell, though. Anyway, it was an interval bike day. I wasn't at 100% on the enthusiasm scale (legs felt a bit tired from the hills on Monday), but I got in a bunch of 1 minute and 2-minute intervals, all with 1-minute recovery in between. By the end of the hour, I was bored and done, so I cut it about 4 minutes short of an hour. Got in the regular weights later in the day.

Yesterday afternoon I got to schmooze with Greg LeMond and John Curley for a while...we (OK, they...but I got to be there) did a story for tonight's Evening Magazine TV show about the event I manage, the Tour de Cure, and featured LeMond and Curley on some LeMond spin bikes. It was cool to hang out with them and talk about training, triathlons, etc....and listen to them talk about gear, bikes, geometry, and aero position....Curley has some custom bike shoes he is very excited about... when I heard how much they are worth, I was thinking, "Holy crap, I know people who don't pay that much for their BIKE, much less the shoes..." Anyway, a great afternoon and the segment on the show tonight should be a good pitch for us.

Swimming kicked my ass this morning...Mackenzie and Anna took turns leading us into oxygen debt and I think that workout might be all for me today...I'm debating on doing an outdoor ride at lunchtime, but might bag it since I've been invited to a spin class tomorrow at Seattle Fitness.

Yesterday's bike intervals:

15 min warm up

Intervals: Got HR up to 150 bpm on all of these

1 min hard/1 min recovery
1 min hard/easy
2 min hard/1 min easy
2 min hard/1 min easy
1 min hard/1 min easy
2 min hard/1 min easy
2 min hard/1 min easy
1 min hard/1 min easy

27 minutes moderate

56 minutes total
Avg HR = 131

Back to beagle-less

The beagle's family has returned from their trip to Tucson and I took her home this morning before work...It was great to have her around for a few days and I miss her already. However, my current living situation/schedule works great for temporary dog care, but not so much for real dog parenting...it's on the someday list, and perhaps I'll get to host the beagle again.

Got in the Monday swim this morning and then went out at lunchtime to run hill repeats. Today's forgotten items were a shower towel (remedied by the emergency ziplock in my car for exactly these occasions, who shoulda been a boy scout, huh?) and a running hat...being hatless was a bummer because it was rainy/misty and windy.

Anyway, I ran the usual route from work...up Lakeview over the freeway to the Howe St. stairs. The task was 10 x 1 minute hill repeats...I counted one set of stairs as the first one and then turned left and did the other 9 on the street that crosses the stairs about 2/3 up (Broadway). Running 1-minute hills sounds easy, but it's actually pretty freakin' hard. The hills kicked my butt, but I hit them all consistently and didn't fall apart...felt OK afterwards (hip seems fine) ate lunch, and was completely starving again by 4:30...eventually had a big 'ol Chipotle carnitas burrito for dinner. YUM.

Hills run:

12 min warm up
1 stairs: 1:12
3:30 down to the hill

9 hills, all .12 mile and :58-:59 and avg HR = 145-147 (hit 160 on each one
1:15 recovery on every hill

14:53 moderate run back to the gym

Total:
5.6 miles
50:36
135 avg HR
163 max HR

3 months till HoNu

Let's see...catching up here. Yesterday was the regular a.m. swim team workout and weights later...the usual Friday routine. I also had my last PT appt. with Wolf for a while...The hip is doing pretty well and I told him I think it's time for us to break up, at least for a while or until the next injury (which my right hamstring keeps applying for). The hip isn't totally done being an issue, but I'm hoping to just manage it on my own from here on out.

After some late afternoon coffee yesterday, I rallied and went to a fun burlesque show in Columbia City with Stacey & Shane and Julie & Duncan. It was really fun and I was out till 10:30 p.m.! Impressive, no?

Today was long bike ride day. The beagle and I went out about 7:00 a.m. to assess the weather scenerio....then we watched the morning news for their opinion....then we went out again about 9:30 a.m....and discussed it further. My ability to waffle for hours on whether to ride indoors or outdoors is unsurpassed, but the beagle seemed less annoyed than any human would have been (and ultimately, I'm quite happy with having made the right decision). Rosie thought I should just get on the trainer and spend the morning with she and Denzel Washington (Neflix on site at the moment is "American Gangster"). I started to agree and put the bike on the trainer, then looked outside again and decided that since the pavement was dry and it wasn't actually raining, I shouldn't be a pansy...just buck up and go. I left the gray bike on the trainer in case I had to abort the outdoor mission partway through and headed out about 10:00. My legs were tired within the first half hour which is how it seems to be every Saturday...I guess I'm just getting used to biking on tired legs. It was windy in a few places, but fortunately, I got the tailwind in the 2nd half of the ride...and it never rained. I went over Mercer Island the long way, around the south end, and did an extra back-and-forth down on Lake Washington Blvd. between Mt. Baker beach and Seward Park to get closer to the 50 miles I was supposed to do. I got just over 48 and am going to "Hot Flash" later, so I figure I'll dance enough to equal that last 1.6 miles! I'm beat. The regular Saturday crap TV (and Denzel) is still here for the recovery... a few hours of laying on the floor before going out to dance sounds pretty great at this point!

3 months from today is the HoNu Half Ironman!

Bike:
48.3 miles
3:08
Avg HR = 121
Max HR = 160

'Nother lap around Lake Union

Run day today...it was a really nice no-wind morning, warm enough for shorts, and there was daylight by 6:30 a.m...every week is a little closer to getting out of the winter tunnel. Did the usual Lake Union + part of Boyer and felt good.

No other workouts today...just several "round the block with the beagle" strolls.

7.4 mile run
1:06
Avg HR = 141

Beagle blog!

I'm hosting my first 4-legged guest in the Shoebox...Rosie, my favorite beagle, is in my care (or maybe more accurately, I'm in hers?) until Monday. YEA!! I even cleared her presence with the apt. manager who said he'd be able to "look the other way..." for a weekend, despite the fact that doggies really aren't allowed in the building (making this a double gift from the universe). It's definitely time for some unconditional love on 4 feet and I'm very happy to have her around.

Today was a swim/bike day...swim team was the regular good workout (although there was some breath control crap and I actually tried to do a little of it, blech). I got in an hour on the bike trainer later in the day at basic aerobic pace, nothing fancy. I tried to keep the cadence up and was at about 100 for much of the workout...hoping some of this indoor stuff will transfer to the real riding.

I also had to deal with a technical difficulty with my computer today...I couldn't get online and had to call Comcast (who, despite the fact that the company IS the devil, employs some really nice and decent tech support staff...). It turned out my splitter had spontaneously bitten the dust and, for a few hours, I had to choose between the TV or being online. It made me realize how dependent I am on having them both simultaneously to keep me company...Anyway, a $2 splitter at Bartell's has brought me back to the usual connections and I am good to go with the TV on as I type...thank god, as it's time for American Idol! Poor Rosie had to listen to my singing in the car and it might get worse now if I like their song choices!

Swim: 3150 yards

Bike trainer:
1:00
Avg HR = 130

How's your column?

Tatyana and I watched Ann's "Chi Running" DVD last night...lots of posture, body alignment stuff ("check your column," mine's not as columnal as it should be) and cerebralizing of running technique. I think I'm going to grab a few tips, but not try to become a complete disciple of this one...too many things to think about to do it all and I'm just not up for it (read: motivated enough to get the hip not to hurt, too lazy to think/change more than necessary).

Got up and went to the gym for weights and core first thing this morning...I don't usually like to lift in the morning, but it was good this time...I was mostly in my head with the ipod and processing some stuff with the weights moving in the background.

I brought my bike to work and went out at lunchtime to do hill intervals...another dry and pretty warm day so it was great to get outside and not onto a spin bike! Today's forgotten cycling accessory was gloves. It's always something, but of all the 9,352 things I could have forgotten, that one wasn't too awful on a 55 degree day.

I biked over to Interlaken, did 5 hills, then a loop around the arboretum, and one more of the hills so I could swoop by Nancy's house. She was working out with Cheryl, so I got to see them and chat for a minute before coasting back down the hill.

I kept myself in the saddle and the hill I did was .5 mile. I hit all 6 of the hills between 3:02 - 3:04 with recovery of 1:59-2:03...pretty consistent, so that was good...got up to 150+ bpm on each one. Nice day, good workout, though I would have liked to ride another hour or 2...

3 mile warm up
5x .5 mile hill:
3:02 (137 avg HR)
3:04 (141 avg)
3:03 (142 avg)
3:02 (143 avg)
3:04 (143 avg)
4 mile ride
1x hill: 3:04 (145 avg)
10 min easy

Total: 15 miles
1:05
Max HR = 155

Alki intervals

Had a good rest day yesterday...I almost wanted to ride or run since it was sunny yet again (I actually wore my favorite chaco sandals for a while in the afternoon!), but the body voted to stay with the regular rest, groceries, and clean house sunday routine. Probably good as today was the Monday double.

Started the day with a good swim workout...I had my own lane for more than half the session and it was a good no-nonsense workout (yea, no stroke/drill crap!), so I got in 3,400 yards, just a little more than usual.

I strategically sculpted my day's schedule to include an afternoon meeting in West Seattle, so I could "carpe diem" a sunny run on Alki. It was a tough interval run and nice to have sunshine and pretty scenery (although I'm not sure it matters that much when you're thinking you might trip on your tongue). On paper, the workout wasn't that bad, but it felt hard...5 x 2 minutes hard/2 minutes recovery in the middle of a 4-5 miler. I pushed it pretty hard (160s on all intervals), jogged the recovery pieces (no walking), and pushed the last part after the intervals to tempo-ish pace because I wanted to be as close to an 8 minute average mile pace for the whole workout as I could (I don't know why, I just did). I did end up with an 8:10 overall average pace...not bad. It was hard, but I do think I might be getting a tiny bit faster... I'm very happy about that, especially since I've only been running 2x per week and working on the hip. Great to be by the water and running in shorts today! I felt great afterwards.

Came home, did some core stuff, and am making dinner for Tatyana as we have a viewing of Ann's "Chi Running" DVD scheduled this evening.

Interval Run:

10 min warm up: 1.17 mile

2:00 Hard: .31 mile: Avg HR = 155
2:00 Recovery: .20 mile
2:00 Hard: .29 mile: avg HR = 155
2:00 Recovery: .21
2:00 Hard: .30: Avg HR = 158
2:00 Recovery: .21
2:00 Hard: .31: Avg HR = 158
2:00 Recovery: .21
2:00 Hard: .29: Avg HR = 158

12:48: 1.5 mile Avg HR = 152

Total:
5 miles
40:48
Avg HR = 149
Max HR = 167

A feast of vitamin D!

This cannot be February in Seattle!! It's yet another sunny perfect cycling day...I take back every insensitive comment I made about that little groundhog a few weeks ago!

I slept in till about 7:00 today and woke up to daylight and another great sunrise view of Mt. Rainier from the Shoebox. Before I finished my coffee, my bike was almost twitching on the rack and I called Cara and bailed out of the XC skiing option...I'm sure it was gorgeous up in the mountains, too, but it was just too nice to pass up a riding opportunity. My bike and I discussed where to go (when an extrovert lives alone, conversations with inanimate objects are common) and decided that another trip out to the east side sounded the most fun. I drove out to Marymoor and got on my bike by about 10:00...it was already 51 degrees and I ditched my jacket early and was glad I wore the 3/4 tights and not the full ones. I rode the Flying Wheels 45 mile route which meant some tough hills (like stupid Inglewood Hill Rd. with less than 15 minutes warm up...and Issaquah-Fall City Rd. later). This route also includes one of my favorite stretches of road to go aero and cruise, Ames Lake going toward Carnation...as they say in the Mazda ad, "Zoom-zoom!" Way fun.

My legs were a bit tired throughout (I did lunges and plyometrics yesterday afternoon and an unscheduled walk around Greenlake afterwards), but I felt pretty good and it's sunny, so who cares! I had a little tailwind on East Lake Sammamish and pushed the last 3-4 miles harder to finish strong...felt really good at the end and glad to be done at 45 miles. Then I took myself out to lunch at Whole Foods and ate outside to soak up a little more sun...

45 mile ride
2:51
Avg HR = 119
Avg pace = 15.8mph

Marathon Movie review...

I dragged myself through a 45 minute bike trainer session late yesterday afternoon...it was very uninspired, but I got it done. Fortunately, what that workout lacked in inspiration was more than re-captured by the movie shortly thereafter.

The "Spirit of the Marathon" was great! It's a documentary of the history of the marathon as an event, and specifically about the 2005 Chicago marathon. It profiles some elites, some first-timers, and some other mere mortal marathon addicts over several months as they trained for it...and does so pretty evenly (rather than the coverage of Ironman on TV where all you see is elites and 30 seconds of "everyman"). Deena Kastor (who, in my estimation, is part hummingbird, holy smokes) is amazing and it was cool to learn more about her and how she patiently and intensely re-habbed an injury during training that year and still won the race. Impressive. They also include the film of Joan Benoit in the 84 Olympics (I've seen it many times and it makes me cry every time) and interview Katherine Switzer, another one of my heroes. There's some footage of the 1967 Boston marathon where the jerk-heads tried to tackle her to get her out of the race and her boyfriend decked them...classic!! I think I may need to get her book. I was a little bummed when the movie was over that there's no running on my training plan until Monday...after watching it, I wanted to run home and keep on going!

Regardless of the fact that I did NOT run home and had only watched others run in the film (while eating chocolate chip cookies I might add), I was as hungry this morning as if I had done it myself...I made it through swim team, but was starving by the time Julie, Duncan, and I went for coffee. I will get in some weights later and that'll be it for today...tomorrow will be a bike ride if the good weather continues or perhaps a cross country ski outing...TBD.

Eclipse 'n stuff

Since my way-fun Monday, it's been more of a regular slogging week with a decent amount of meetings and appointments and not a ton of training...Tuesday and Wednesday were swim team mornings and that was about it except for weights on Tuesday. Last night, I had a front row seat of the eclipse from my new favorite watering hole, the Bottle Neck Lounge, where I met up with Erin, Brenda, and Megan. We got the very front table with a view to the moon and the clear sky (beer + layman's astronomy + conversation...what's not to love about that!). Erin has started calling me "Norm," as my new favorite bar has a some "Cheers" like qualities. I'm becoming a bit of a regular there and the bartenders now know me...

This morning I got up and went for a run in my neighborhood...where I saw that very same moon that was eclipsed last night, but it was huge, much more yellow, and again beautiful (although it didn't really resemble the same planet we'd been watching 9 hours prior much at all). It looked really cool behind the cemetary by Volunteer Park. Anway, it was a good 5.5 mile run (the "long" run is back down a little this week), but living up on the hill means a lot of down-down-down to get to Boyer...and then the up-up-up to get back home through Interlaken...not much flat on this route. I don't really like all that downhill stuff, esp. in the first half of a run, but the moon was nice and most of the run was in daylight, so it was OK. And I was able to avoid the carbon footprint guilt this time since I went from home. Hip's a little stiff, but allright.

I'm planning to go home to get in a session on the bike trainer later before going to see "The Spirit of the Marathon" movie. I wanted to see it a month ago and it sold out, so I got tickets pronto for this one-time showing. I'm really looking forward to seeing it and getting some good inspiration.

5.5 mile run
51:38
Avg HR = 138
Max HR (?) = 191 (is the gadget to be trusted??)

Carbon footprint confessions

I spent a lot of the President's Day holiday today running and biking...and, as a resident of environmental central Seattle, I feel the need to confess that I drove my car to do both. I wanted a change of scenery and had the whole day to kill, so I figured what the hell...

I have really been missing Greenlake since I've moved...I realized the other day that it's been more than 6 years since I've lived more than a mile from Greenlake, and I've been craving a run there. I woke up early and drove over to do my sort-of tempo run. The new training plan has me easing the hip back into the harder speed stuff, and today was a 4 mile run with 3x 5 minutes tempo pace. It was cold and clear (had to scrape the windshield to commit my first carbon footprint sin of the day) and the sunrise sky was really great as it got light at Greenlake. I parked by Starbucks and did a warm up to the track, did the first tempo there, then continued around the lake...good strong run and my tempo "chunks" were at a pretty good pace. I kept it at only 4 miles instead of cheating up like usual because a bike ride was also on the agenda today.
After the run, I hung out with my coffee for a while, did some housecleaning around the shoebox, and waited for the temperature to warm up, then got all my bike stuff together and drove out to Marymoor. I wasn't sure how much cycling energy would be in the tank today, so I figured I'd start around Lake Sammamish with options to May Valley and more miles over Tiger Mountain if I felt good. It's really interesting how you never really know how a workout is going to feel...on Saturday, I had my head wrapped around the idea of a 60ish mile ride and completely saw it happening...however, my legs and my tire were deflated and my attitude followed quickly...and it was a really tough long ride. Today, my attitude was a little less determined (plus, yesterday was not exactly a nutritionally stellar day and included a few beers and fun last night with my new pals, Megan and Brenda at our new favorite watering hole...great for morale, wasn't sure it'd be good for training), but my bike and my legs felt so good that my head easily followed along. I'd put my Ironman tires on my freshly clean bike after Saturday and it zoomed out of the park...and for whatever reason, I felt great. Every 10 miles or so, I kept wondering if/when my legs would start falling apart, but they never did....I added rte. 900 to May Valley, went over Tiger Mountain, and back to Marymoor feeling strong all day (and at a faster pace than usual!) Not sure where it came from--probably the sun as that always affects me (it was 56 degrees when I got done)--or the good company last night---whatever it was, I'll take it!

When I got home, Erin sent me this hilarious blog link on IM called Stuff White People Like . I read today's entry and laughed out loud because it hit close to home and, well, sometimes one must laugh at oneself...no wonder it got 50 comments.

OK, back to the facts:

4 mile run:

10 min warm up
5 min tempo (.65 mile) Avg HR = 155
2 min moderate
5 min tempo (.65 mile) Avg HR = 150
2 min moderate
5 min tempo (.66 mile) Avg HR = 154
4:30 moderate
Total: 33:36
Avg HR = 149
Max HR = 166

45 mile bike:
2:50
Avg HR = 120
Max HR = 157
Avg pace = 15.8 mph

How to grieve a tire...

Didn't blog yesterday...not much to report on the end-of-week except the regular good swim team workout, a decent weights session, and PT with Wolf and his sweet golden retriever (note to self: always schedule PT on Mon/Wed/Fri because the dog works on those days). My hip was less sore this week after my 7 miler than last week and we've determined that I'm officially getting better. My next appt. with Wolf won't be for 2 weeks since things are going pretty well. Ended yesterday by convincing Stacey to meet me at Atlas for Happy Hour which was great...came home, crashed early, and slept about 9 hours.

Today was a bike day and I was enthusiastic about the forecasted sunshine and had aspirations for 60ish miles...both the sun and my mileage didn't quite hit the mark, but they were close. I had hoped the pavement would be be dry by the time I started riding, but it was still wet and cloudy at 8:30 when I headed out...oh, well, just means I have to clean my bike. I headed out the long side of Mercer Island (my bike seems to have this on auto-pilot now) and then east past Loehmann's Plaza, over Newport Way, toward Lake Sammamish. At about mile 24, I was crossing over I-90 and on a concentrated mission to get to the Lake Samm State Park bathrooms, and dropped my chain...no big deal, stopped on the gritty shoulder and threw it back on. However, as I was starting back onto the road, I didn't notice the big pile of glass until I was right in the middle of it. When I didn't hear anything immediately, I thought maybe I'd dodged the bullet. In about a half mile, though, I was rapidly going through the stages of grief (being an expert of late, I recognized this process quickly).

Tire: thumpthumpthump

Me (Denial phase): I can't have a flat, it's been at least a half mile since that glass....

Tire: thumpthumpthump

Me (Anger phase): DAMMIT, I have to pee, I should have looked where I was riding, and haven't I banked karma lately to cover this???? And it has to be the back tire, too, crap.

Tire: thumpthumpthump

Me (bargaining phase): Can't I just make it one more mile to the park and the bathroom and make ONE stop....please?

Tire: thumpthumpthump, not unless you want to wreck the rim you're already riding on.

Me (acceptance): Ok, Ok, it's not the end of the world, I'll fix it now.

I skipped the sadness phase...enough of that lately and I over-dramatized the flat already :) And, of course, it could have been worse. I was right by a condo complex with a nice safe parking lot and a dumpster for the dead C02 cartridge and tube. I fixed it and found a piece of glass that was lodged so far through the tire I had to pull it out the inside-side of the tire...it left a cut, so I booted the tire with a dollar bill (I am not too proud to buy karma at this point and really really didn't want another flat today).

I went on down to the park (thank god, the bathrooms are open in the winter, see, my $1 karma paid off immediately!)...mixed the 2nd bottle of Perpetuem, ate a banana, and headed home the same way, over Mercer Island the long way...I'd thought about trying to do more miles, but the flat and my tired legs decided against that one, and it still felt like a LOONNNGGG ride. I'd had 2 bottles of perpetuem, a banana, and 2/3 bottle of Nuun, but I was really hungry, too.

Of course, when I got home there was an email from my coach saying, "Weather doesn't look as good as we thought, save your long bike ride for Monday when it will be 60 and sunny..." Guess I saw that note about 4 hours too late. But I'll ride again on Monday and might try for another long one. Now I get to recover, clean up the dirty bike, and replace the tires with last summer's "race" tires.

Long ride:

54 miles
3:42:49
Avg pace: 14.4
Avg HR = ?? (GPS said avg HR was 107, but it was screwy today, no way that's right)

BAH HUMBUG!!

Today is Valentine's Day... because I really need a holiday to remind me (in those 2-4 minutes of the day I'm not thinking about it already) that I'm relationship-impaired...thankyewverymuch. I've been waiting for a few weeks now for stupid cupid to get this day OVER with so I won't have to see/hear the hearts & flowers marketing barage anymore and we can move on to some holidays worth celebrating like...I don't know, spring solstice or oh yeah, Monday is President's Day and that's not too bad...I can celebrate some dead white guys by not working and being on my bike that day. That'll work. My non-Valentine's present to myself was joining Netflix yesterday. And when I got to work, the latest friend-recommended morale boosting book I ordered, "The Art of Possibility" had been delivered...perhaps the perfect thing to start later today.

Other than my afore-mentioned crankiness, I had a really good run this morning. I did the Lake Union + some of Boyer Street loop for a total of 7 miles again, like last Thursday, but in the opposite direction. The days are getting slightly longer -- I noticed that I had a bit more daylight this week...there is (literally) light at the end of the tunnel! Pretty sky, no rain, and I felt good...my hamstring was talking as soon as I started, I felt that new knee thing a tiny bit in the last mile, but the hip said nothing...woo-hoo!! I'll take it. During the run, I think I decided to forego the Pac Tour trip at the end of March...I really really want to go, but I'd rather pay it forward on vacation days and money and have some play options later in the summer...90% sure on that one.

7.o mile run
1:04:40
Avg HR = 143

Either...or

After a less-fun-than-usual swim yesterday morning (first set was really dumb and really long and wasted too much time), I met with my coach to discuss the training plan for the next few weeks and to talk about what other races 'n stuff I'll do this year. The options have been narrowed down, but the final decisions are yet to be made: Either I'll do the Pac Tour training trip to Arizona the last week of March, or...I'll (likely) decide I can't afford it (even with a tax refund and a frequent flyer ticket, still not looking financially responsible)...Either, I'll do the Eugene Half Marathon on May 4, or I'll do the Tacoma Half on May 10....and Either I'll do the ChelanMan Half Ironman on July 29, or I'll (more likely) do Troika on Aug. 3. Of course, HoNu on May 31 is set and we've decided that the goal for that one due to time of year, weather, etc. is officially to have fun...it's not my A race. In addition, Tour de Blast and High Pass Challenge could happen and, of course, Fat Salmon is a given...and perhaps a few other things like Chilly Hilly next weekend are TBD.

I lifted weights and did plyometrics yesterday and something torqued in my left knee at some point...I'm pretty sure it was from the plyometrics or maybe lunges and I felt it the rest of the day/evening. It scared me last night when it was sore (even after taking Aleve) and has continuted to be a little annoying today, but I'm choosing to believe that it's just a little thing that will pass, especially since it felt a bit better today after cycling. I'm NOT interested in another injury, for sure, as I'm not quite finished with the last one.

Today I had a really good swim (way better workout from the swim coach today) and also figured out my schedule so that I could come home and get on the trainer in between various meetings hither and yon. It was sunny and almost 50 outside, but I opted to just get on the trainer for 45 minutes while watching "Ellen," steady state and simple.

Tues swim:
2850

Wed Swim:
3000

Bike Trainer:
45 min
Avg HR = 132

Sidebar: culinary lesson learned this evening...don't put wild grain rice in the rice cooker despite what it says on the box...my rice cooker is a little crusty and really pissed.

Monday double

My good friend, Shemille, has mastered the art of relaxation and sedentary downtime...while this is probably a good influence on me --and I loved having her in town this weekend-- I did a bit more sitting around yesterday than I usually do, even for a rest day, and I was uncomfortably rested by last night. I was good 'n ready to hop out of bed at 5:00 this morning to get in my run before shuttling her to SeaTac. I did about 4.5 miles with 4 good hills (there are several good steep hills on the streets running east/west between 19th and 15th Ave on Cap Hill). I felt great and like I wanted to run a lot longer, but...I had limited time and it was supposed to be a 4 miler. Anyway, good start to the morning.

With some energy left to burn, I went to spin class at noon. Despite the appearance of the Monday instructor I usually don't like (she announces at the beginning of every class that "When I ask any question, the correct answer is, 'Whhheeeewwww!'" gawd, can I roll my eyes any higher?), I had a great workout. And I must admit that although I did NOT ever yell, "Whhheewwww" as cued way too many times, I liked her cheesy oldschool music and got a kick out of the class...I can't remember the last time I heard, "You dropped the bomb on me...baby!" but I must admit that I love that song and ramped my HR right up while trying not to actually sing. I was about to bail a couple minutes early, but who can truncate Sister Sledge...I mean, "We are Family" is a classic and gave me some good flashbacks of dancing at the old Timberline on 50 cent beers...went the whole 50 minutes and did a lot of sprints, exactly what I wanted.

Run Summary:
4.55 miles
44:20
4 hills on parallel streets (Garfield, 2x Galer, and Prospect)
Avg HR = 134
Max HR = 164

Spin Class:
50:00
Avg HR = 143
Max HR = 159

Saturday spin 'n spin 'n spin....

I spent about a month on my bike trainer this morning...ok, closer to half a day, but it was the longest amount of time I've ever lasted on an indoor ride...2 hours, 45 minutes. It was supposed to be 3 hours, but I got to the bottom of my bottles and my enthusiasm before I hit "3," and called it good. I alternated between a DVD and women's basketball and took a break at 1:30 to rotate laundry, re-fill my Nuun bottle, and grab a banana...I was riding with the sliding glass door of the shoebox open, as usual, but thought it was really warm...well, duh... at my little halftime break, I realized that I'd left the heater on and, of course, didn't hear it because of the trainer. Big oops...might as well have been just throwing money out the window, dangit.

Anyway...2 soaked headbands, 2 soaked sweat towels, 2 full bottles of Nuun, 1 full bottle of Perpetuem, 1 banana, parts of 2 basketball games, 2 episodes of "The Riches" and the whole morning later...I'm done and it's time for the weekend and a rest day tomorrow!

My friend, Shemille, got in last night from Baltimore and we went for a late beer (successful carb load for this morning!). Needless to say, she did not participate in the morning workout and I will return to my host duties shortly. Tonight we're going with some friends to "The Saturday Night Sizzler" boxing matches at Cappy's gym...I have always hated boxing, but apparently, it's pretty cool to watch the amateurs spar and, well, it's only $5, so why not. If it looks like something out of the Sopranos and there's lots of fat guys and cigar smoke, we can always bail.

Indoor Bike:
2:45
Avg HR = 131

Impromtu group run

This morning was "long" run day..."long," of course, is still a relative term, but slowly returning to what I consider to be a realistic definition. I turned on the TV quick before heading out and dreaded the "really windy" assessment of current conditions, but there was no friggin' way I was going to the gym to get on the treadmill for 6+ miles. It was a good decision to go out...it was breezy in places, but not that bad, no rain and not too cold. I parked on Boyer again like last week and went clockwise (strategy = headwind first) around Lake Union. At the south end of the lake, I heard my name being yelled behind me...at 6:15 a.m. in the dark, it seemed a little odd, but I looked back and Ann J. and Karen D. had merged onto the route and were behind me (apparently Ann identified me by my running form which I don't think was exactly a compliment!). We ran and chatted together for a few minutes and they told me they were out for a 9-miler and invited me to come along...it was VERY tempting, especially since their route sounded fun, but I thought I shouldn't jump up to 9 miles quite yet. I split off when they made a pit stop and continued around...by the time I passed Speedy Reedy, there was a slight bit of daylight and I was thinking (again) how much I can't wait for the days to get longer...come on, spring! I added a little at the end past my car to get 7 miles and it felt good. The hip was fine while running and I have PT later today, so hopefully Wolf will wrench on the post-run stiffness.

7 Mile Run
1:05:46
Avg HR = 140

Payback spin

Since last night's computrainer class made me feel like Wussy McWussington (sidebar: Karen D. told me this morning she thought it was too easy, too, but thought it was just the course he made up), I figured the "optional bike" on today's calendar was no longer optional. I got in a good spin class at lunchtime and received the butt-kicking I expected yesterday...worked the intervals pretty hard as penance for yesterday's walk in the park. Also had a good swim this morning...it was just Mackenzie and me in the lane today. She's a much stronger swimmer than I am and she usually kicks my butt, but she's had a couple weeks off and it was her first day back, so I got to lead while she lamented about how hard it is on the first day back...I'm sure she'll be back at the front by next week.

In unrelated excellent news, one of my best pals in the whole world, Shemille, told me this morning that she booked flights to come visit me this weekend from Baltimore. For someone who's had a rough couple of months (that'd be me), this is the equivalent of calling in the friendship cavalry and I am more than happy she's headed west. Sounds like she's taking a timeout from some substantial job-related stress, so I think some hangin' out like old times might be good medicine for both of us. I'm not sure how exactly a house guest will fit in the shoebox, but I guess we'll find a human shoehorn of some sort...

Swim:
3100 yards

Spin:
49ish minutes
Avg HR = 137
Max HR = 155

Too much technology?

I slept in this morning... unheard-of for me on a weekday, but I have the "no bike trainer till 7:30 a.m." rule from the downstairs neighbor, I had the offer to do a Computrainer class this evening and, well, I was tired. I slept over 9 hours and I was still feeling a little slo-mo when I woke up, so hanging out for a couple hours with my coffee was a welcome luxury. I did weights midday and then went to try out the Computrainer class late this afternoon.

The workout was, well, disappointing. I think it was a combination of first-timer-figure-out-the-wattage and the dude underestimated bigtime, plus he thought that maybe the particular machine I was on wasn't "loading up" the workload correctly. Once, for about 30 seconds, it hit me like a ton of bricks, but the rest of the time it was so easy I could barely get my HR up...and, apparently, increasing cadence actually reduces the resistance, so I was pedalling faster and I kept hitting the "up" arrow to increase wattage, but...bottom line: wussy workout. Tim told me I'd done over 26 miles in the 50 minutes, but I was thinking, "Yeah, 26 miles coasting downhill..." Karen D., Ann J., and Ratna came in for the next session, so I chatted with them a bit, thought about trying to do their class with them, and then just bagged it. After how tired I was earlier today, an easy workout was OK and surprisingly, I'm over it. I might give it another shot next week, but...maybe not. TBD.

Computrainer class:
50 min
Avg HR = 126

A welcome double

After a not-so-great Sunday (Sundays are kind of depressing these days...note to self: pretend Sundays are Saturdays henceforth) and the extra calories due to the occasion of the "Stupid-Bowl" Superbowl (as if I cared or had watched a single game all season till yesterday), it was OK with me that today was Monday with a good double on the schedule.

Swimteam was the usual good workout...there was someone new today, so we had 5 in the lane, but it was fine...got in 3,100 yards.

The lunchtime run assignment was 4 miles with some 1-minute "pick-ups" (euphemism for intervals, just sounds more fun, huh?). I changed it up and added a little length on the pick-ups and the overall distance. Kind of a bummer how 2 minutes of "hard" feels a lot longer than it did last summer and running them on the road isn't as cool as on the track, but I'm coming along, I think. The hip felt fine, but everything else (esp. that damn right hammy) is a little stiff and tired now as the day goes on. The run felt good and I was really trying to work on the forward lean as well as turnover and smaller steps (this after a form conversation with Julie & Duncan last Friday about not striding too far out, esp. on speedwork). I think there's something to that idea of smaller steps and keeping your wheels under you...my overall average pace for the whole workout (including the recovery intervals in the total) was pretty good and it FEELS faster when I take more steps, kind of like increasing cadence on the bike. Who knows if it's physical or mental, but a good experiment nonetheless.

Run:

8 min warm up

Then 3 of these:
1 min hard/ 1 min jogging recovery
2 min hard/ 1 min jogging recovey

17 min moderate

Total:
4.75 miles
39:49
Avg HR = 152
Max HR = 177

Damn the groundhog, full speed ahead!

Does anyone else think that Punxsutawney Phil looks kind of stoned? I mean, as someone who also has a job that pretty much revolves around an event that happens one day per year, I'd think that little groundhog would exhibit a bit more enthusiasm...I think they drug him before they go on TV to announce the results of his yearly shadow-seeking. Poor guy...he's cute, fat, and looks well-groomed, but doesn't seem too happy about his gig. Anyway, Phil saw his shadow this morning and I went downstairs and outside to the street twice to look for my own before I finally bit the bullet and decided to ride my bike outdoors. I had all but conceded to the wet pavement and cold, but the more/later I waffled, the bluer the sky got, so I took it as a sign (plus, I just didn't want to get on the trainer AGAIN).

My legs were feeling it pretty soon (which made sense as I remembered that I haven't been off them since last Sunday and I did stairs this week, did an extra spin class yesterday, and did plyometrics last night...), but otherwise it was a really good ride. I went out the long side of Mercer Island and around the south end of the lake...other than my toes, I never got cold (good, as it was 37 degrees) and even though the pavement was wet, it didn't rain so I stayed dry. I was supposed to do 30 miles today, but since I "cheated short" last week, I "cheated long" this week and went 42...at 30 miles, this was a decision my quads did not agree with, but I was south of Seward Park and had no scoop options, so I kept throwing food at the problem and made it home. Woulda shoulda (not sure I coulda) done core when I got home, but felt more like "stick a fork in me, I'm DONE..." so I opted for a shower and lunch. I toyed with the idea of hiking downtown to meet my friend, Paul, for a movie this afternoon, but I think I'll just deal with the guilt of my carbon footprint and drive down the hill...I'm beat and looking forward to sitting through a movie. I trained just under 12 hours this week, but it feels like about 18! REST DAY tomorrow, whew.

Groundhog Day Ride:

42 miles

2:50
Avg HR: 121
Max HR: 154
Avg pace: 14.8mph

Love my lane-mates!

Despite a few adult beverages last night over dinner with my friend, Erin, at the "shoebox" (as I now affectionately refer to my living quarters), I was up before my alarm this morning and off to swim team. 3 of my lanemates have commented this week that they think I've gotten faster recently...I'm quite happy with this compliment, but not sure where it's coming from, except maybe that I'm pulling a little less weight through the water...or that my over-actively processing brain is transferring something to the rest of me. I keep hoping that whatever improvements are happening aquatically might also happen on the bike and running...and in that hope, I added a lunchtime spin class today that wasn't on the schedule. I still have to lift weights today, but I think I can still fit that in later. I was kind of thinking that today's spin class might be a little paying-it-forward to tomorrow because another long session on the bike trainer is likely... and I may be tempted to cut a little off of another 2 hour butt killing session. I'm hoping a miracle brings outdoor-bikeable weather or maybe the avalanches will have calmed enough that I can go skiing. TBD, but some kind of relevant training will occur tomorrow...

I had a really good PT appt., too, and the hip is doing pretty well. It was a little tight from yesterday's run, but not bad. I really like Wolf, the PT I'm finally working with, and the fact that he had his very sweet dog, an 8-month old lab, in the office made the appt. even more fun. The dog was uber-friendly and then just laid under the table while I got worked on. Wolf mentioned that he did a 17-mile run himself last weekend, so the empathy of a PT who's a real runner is good..he gets it. He says I can keep the weekly mileage the same (i.e. 10-12 miles) and either go to 3 days per week or keep it at 2 days and gradually increase the longer one like I've been doing. I think I'll opt for the 2x per week as I really want to get that longer run back up to 8-10 miles soon.

A real run!

I ran Lake Union this morning...6 miles and I feel like I'm slowly getting back to "normal" running again. It was dark/early, and running through Interlaken or the Arboretum seemed a like a recipe for a faceplant and frustration, so I drove down to Boyer and ran from the bridge by Red Robin. Not a particularly eventful run, but no rain and did I mention my hip was OK????? It's a little tight now, but not bad...I have a PT appt. tomorrow and maybe I'll get the go-ahead soon to run 3x a week and build the mileage back up. A half marathon this spring before the HoNu Half Iron is still my off-the-record goal.

The run was the only workout of the day today and I have a lunch meeting, so I left for work this morning without a duffel bag or a lunch...completely wierd! And after a shower at home and a little time to actually dry my hair (can't remember the last time I did that on a work day), I had the very foreign feeling of a "normal" person...yikes.

Lake Union Run:

6 miles
54:29
Avg HR = 146

So much for the mat

Well, I heard from the apartment dweller below me and the mat has helped with the noise/vibration created by my bike trainer, but not enough to be acceptable...another (more nice in tone this time) typed note was delivered last night with an allowance from her to train at 7:30 a.m. instead of only after 8:00 a.m. (not much help). Fortunately, the latest formal little typed note also announced that she will be moving out at the end of February...so hopefully, a deaf and/or early riser type person will inhabit that space starting in March and I will just have to "punt" for February. Sigh. I had a meeting with the head guy at Seattle Multisport yesterday, Tim, and he offered me a free test drive of a Computrainer class next week, so that'll get me started and may give an alternative to my "bad neighbor Tuesdays..."

Had a good swim this morning. It was Jenny's birthday, so she made up the workout for the whole team and most of us liked it better and got in more yards than usual. My training schedule said "optional bike" today, too, and I thought I'd go to spin class at noon. Well, that was until I had a staff meeting that went almost till noon and until I also realized that I forgot my bike shoes, my HR monitor, and Nuun (hello, midlife crisis indicator, the "details girl" lost a few)...so I did a pretty uninspired (and un heartrate monitored) 30 minute hamster workout.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow...it's a run day and I'm hoping/planning to try for a 6-miler.

Snow false alarm

The predicted snow day for today turned into a regular 'ol day of Seattle winter rain...dangit. I heard the rain all night and hoped it'd turn to snow, but nope, didn't happen. Got up with the alarm and the news and onto the bike.

My quads have a slight hangover from the stairs yesterday as predicted, but not too awful...they were able to pedal. I oiled my bike chain last night and double-layered the heavy rubber mat with the hope of not pissing off my neighbor with this morning's ride on the trainer. I had my phone by the bike, too, just in case I had to field a complaint. But...the phone didn't ring and I didn't hear any broom handles knocking through their ceiling/my floor...so I guess I'll just have to wait and see if there are any more anonymous typed notes under my door or on the mailbox later.

The bike workout wasn't particularly inspired, but it was OK. Will also get in weights today.

Bike Trainer workout:

5 x 3 min hard (HR to 150ish) with 1:30 recovery after each
4x 1 min hard/1 min recovery

Total:
1:00:00
Avg HR = 136

Snow 'n stairs

It's one of those winter days in Seattle when there are a few flakes of snow, many puddles, and a LOT of weather hype...viola', instant sweeps week for the local TV news. I woke up a little before my alarm this morning and turned on the TV to hear "There has been a great deal of snow overnight, don't go anywhere if you don't have to..." so I put on my hiking boots and went down to find...some snow on my car and wet streets. I drove to swim team and back with no problem and then hung out for a while drinking coffee and watching the live reports of snow in the area and exchanging phone calls and emails with co-workers, most of whom bailed and took the snow day at home option. I'm banking on another snow storm tonight and will probably walk home and leave my car in the garage at work.

More stuff was coming down by late morning and I went out for a run at lunch time in the rainy snow (or maybe snowy rain?). Today was a 4 mile-ish "add hills" run, so I decided to do a few sets of the Howe St. stairs...hills, stairs, close enough. My hip was fine and I'd thought I'd do 4-5 sets, but my quads went on strike by the 3rd set and I know them well enough to know when they might be sore tomorrow, so I called it good at 3 sets (there are 13 flights in a set, after all!!).

Run summary:

46 minutes
4.3 miles
Avg HR = 148
Max HR = 170

Spinnin' Saturday

Today I facilitated a small exodus from Seattle to warmer places by doing 2 shuttles to Sea Tac airport, the first to take Michele & Cathie to their flight to Mexico, and the 2nd to take Dave for an escape to southern Cal. In between the shuttling, I wished I'd gone somewhere sunny and warmer myself as I did a long butt-chapping (sorry, "tmi," but it's true) workout on the bike trainer. I considered braving the elements for an outdoor ride, but it was about 31 degrees when I needed to start my workout, and the forecast included a rain/snow mix within a few hours, so I opted for the indoor deal. I tried out my new expensive mat under the trainer (waiting for feedback from the downstairs neighbor on whether sound and vibration were sufficiently muffled) and watched last night's taped "Friday Night Lights" and 3+ episodes of "The Office" I rented last night. The workout was supposed to be 3 hours...which seemed like an eternity all week as I saw it coming my way on the calendar. However, eternity was reached at 2:35 when boredom, hunger, and my butt decided it was enough (plus, I remembered Julie & Duncan telling me yesterday that Duncan's formula for indoor cycling is that indoor = 2x outdoor and I LIKE that formula a lot!). So yeah, I caved at 2:35 which, I'm pretty sure, is my longest workout on the bike trainer ever.



After the 2nd airport shuttle, I took Ja'Nararah to the women's basketball game at UW where I found myself tilting my head back from time to time and taking little mini naps, despite the loudness of the band, our friends John & Judy being there, and the game going on... We stayed afterwards so Ja'Narah could get her basketball autographed by the entire Husky team....then she wanted to go to Jamba Juice (brrr, not me, but of course we went)...then I finally hit Safeway for some stuff to make for dinner and happily was in for the night at 6 p.m. How do weekend days end up being at least as busy and exhausting as work days??



Tomorrow is a rest day...shew.



Bike trainer workout:



2:35

Avg HR = 131

Won't you be my neighbor?

So...yesterday evening there was a typed note under my door from the unnamed "neighbor" who lives below me. Apparently, my bike trainer is "loud and the vibrations are disturbing..." and I was asked to only use it after 8:00 a.m. I thought they MUST be kidding until I re-read my lease and realized that there are quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. CRAP, they've got me. My mission of the day is to find and buy a mat that will help muffle the vibration and noise so I can test drive it tomorrow after 8:00 a.m....and I have mentally composed an apology note to be delivered this evening. Apartment livin'...sigh.

I had a good swim this morning and a really good run at lunch. The hip felt good and the weather was sunny and brisk (again the weather gets this adjective, not me), so I stretched it out to 5.6 miles and went out and back into Interlaken since I love that road. I guess I'll know tomorrow by the hip soreness factor if I made a bad decision or not in going longer, but I really want to return to the land of the living soon and be back to running normal distances. Got in my plyometrics, too, after the run. I didn't feel like I was pushing it to tempo pace, but my HR was on the high side.

Run:
5.6 miles
50:00 minutes
Avg HR: 154

Bike trainer workout

I got to sleep in a little today (6:00!) and did a bike workout on my trainer this morning with the morning news. I wasn't sure I was that inspired, but it/I was better than I anticipated, and I got in some good intervals...also made it to the gym at lunch for a good weight session.

Bike Trainer workout:

15 min. moderate/steady
Interval ladder (all intervals got HR to 150+):
1 min hard/ 1 min recovery
2 min hard/1 min recovery
3 min hard/ 2 min recovery
4 min hard/2 min recovery
3 min hard/2 min recovery
2 min hard/1 min recovery
1 min hard/1 min recovery
8 min steady
4 x 1 min hard/1 min recovery (at higher cadence than the first set)

Total:
1:00
Avg HR = 140
Max HR = 155

Me 'n my Visa

I'm blogging on my BRAND NEW laptop...very exciting! It's blue and very sexy. Buying a new computer was part of my "what the hell, I'm worth it" shopping spree that has been going on for a couple of weeks...my Visa has left a smoking trail through the city, blazing through "Bed, Bath & Beyond," Fred Meyer, Office Depot, and Target...oh yeah, and Dania. Oh and the HoNu race entry. I'm a little afraid to look up my statement online...yikes. I think I need to put on the brakes soon (like about 4 purchases ago), but it has been fun and I'm pretty well nested with my new stuff!

I've barely been keeping pace with my Visa card, but did get in a double yesterday (it was supposed to be a triple, but I didn't exactly make it to the gym to lift weights...). I swam yesterday (today, too) and also did a 4.5 mile run yesterday with 8 x 1-minute "pick-ups." My hip was a little tight today, but not bad, so I'm planning to up the mileage a little on the next few runs. I went back to PT today and it seems the hip is making decent progress. I think I may have landed at the right PT (finally) because he's a marathoner, former ultra-marathoner, and has had a very similar hip injury himself.

Yesterday's weight session didn't exactly happen today, either (crazy run-around day)...but I think I'll make it tomorrow.

Brisk January ride

I got in a good 42-mile ride yesterday...wish I could say that my pace was as brisk as the weather was, but that definitely was not the case. It was about 37 degrees and my face was numb almost the whole time...I kept having this vision of my head like a cube in an ice tray gradually expanding...it felt wierd. But other than my face/head, I was warm enough and had chosen the right gear--kept the lobster gloves on for the entire ride. There were a few ice patches in some shady places, but nothing too hazardous.

My legs were a bit heavy and I wouldn't have done more than 30 miles, except that I kept seeing the "45-50 miles" that was on the prescribed training schedule. I went over to Mercer Island and rode the whole island twice, once in each direction...I know, not particularly creative, but it was a nice ride and a gorgeous day. The mountains were incredibly clear and, had it been 45 degrees warmer, I'd have been in my natural habitat!

Ride summary:

42 miles
2:52
Avg HR = 126 (highest = 158! Yikes)
Avg pace = 14.6

First brick of '08

I went to PT on Friday and now have another (this is the 3rd) PT working on my hip (the last one moved to a new clinic). Apparently, the field of PT is a bastion of "2nd opinion," and seems to be more of an art than a science...every person thinks and does something different for my hip. The new guy took the heel lift out of my running shoe and said I should add a short unscheduled run to the week on Saturday to try running again without it. Saturday was a bike day, so I decided to do my first brick of the year.

I had a 2-hour trainer or 30-mile road ride on my schedule for Saturday and the weather was crap, so the trainer was the obvious choice. Fortunately, I had a DVD of an "L Word" episode as well as a tape of Ironman Wisconsin, so I made it 1:40 on the bike with good quality entertainment. Then I grabbed my running shoes and ran outdoors for 25 minutes, taking a short tour of Volunteer Park (making up new routes in my new 'hood). It was really cold and rainy and my hands got numb pretty quick. I was also pretty tired and just done with working out for the week so I cut the run at 25 minutes. The brick felt pretty good...legs were fine and hip was OK, too.

Yesterday was my first rest day in 2 weeks and after a crazy week, I was just fine with that idea. However, when I got back to my building with the last full car full of stuff to move, the $&#! elevator was broken. And guess who's on the 4th floor. So...several schleps up and down the stairs made it a bit more of an "active rest" rest day. At least it happened yesterday and not on Saturday when I was negotiating a large desk alone (that I got for $20 on craigslist, whoop!).

Today I finally got online for the first time in 2 days and had a note from Julie saying "Register now for Hawaii!!!" because she noticed that the race is almost full. My credit card has been operating at full steam lately, so it hopped out of my wallet at Julie's prompt and I'm officially signed up for the Honu Half Ironman at the end of May.

My schedule today has me biking about 45 - 50 miles and since I just paid $250 for a race in a few months, I better get out there and do it. They just said on tv that this morning is the coldest day of the year so far...locating my lobster gloves and prepping for a cold one.

Urban nomad

This week has me moving into/living in a new apartment...and I'm a bit of an urban nomad in the transition (my frig contains one bottle of coffee mate and nothing else, yikes). Fortunately, I shower most days at the gym or the pool as I didn't quite get around to buying a shower curtain until today (however, I chose one with palm trees on it so I can think about Hawaii and now I'm very excited to actually use my shower sometime soon!).

Yesterday's prescribed bike workout turned into a hamster as my bike & trainer were at the wrong address, I don't have cable yet (TV = essential for trainer), and there weren't any spin classes at the gym at the times I could do one. I tried to ramp up the hamster workout and did 6 x 2 minute hard intervals within the 50-minute workout, so I called it good. I also drove down Capitol Hill to the gym at about 5:30 a.m. in the ice and snow, which was a fun adventure (you think the US post office will not be stopped by rain, sleet, snow, or hail? Just try to keep me from a workout and see who goes postal). I also got in weights yesterday at lunch.

Today I did the regular morning swim team workout and also tried to make up for yesterday's skipped bike workout with a noon spin class. Of course, I forgot my $%&*+! heart rate monitor and had to do the class on RPE. I checked HR the old fashioned way a few times (140-150) and felt light-headed and like I really wanted to quit after several intervals, so I'm pretty sure I didn't let the lack of gadget feedback allow me to slack off.

Rest Schmest

The weather was gorgeous yesterday and my mental/emotional disposition required activity and fresh air, so I ditched having a rest day this week. I went for a really nice sunny bike ride around Mercer Island...first time outdoors since New Year's Day and I wasn't cold. Sweet. Despite being sore from skiing on Saturday (adductors and quads from snow-plowing on the descent, I'm pretty sure), I felt good on the bike.

I started out the week today with a good swim workout (main set was 16 x 100's and Mackenzie was leading and kicking our butts). I also got in my 4-mile run at lunch with the prescribed hills added...did 2 hill repeats pretty hard on the .25 mile hill at the middle of the Howe St. stairs (i.e. Broadway from Miller back up to the stairs), plus another hill and a set of stairs. Felt really good while running and I was wishing (as usual) that I was allowed to run longer...but now my hip is tight and I guess holding it to 4 miles was the responsible (augh, I hate being responsible) thing to do.

Sunday ride:
28.6 miles
1:54
Avg HR = 126
Avg speed = 15 mph

Monday swim: 3050 yards

Monday run:
4.o miles
37:38
Avg HR = 148 (165 high)

First ski of '08

I went XC skiing today at Hyak...Cara, her friend, Amy, and I waffled about whether to go to Hyak or to Stevens due to the snow/rain probability and settled on the usual (Hyak) after Cara checked the DOT website one last time. As we drove up, we kept hoping the dumping rain would turn to snow and, fortunately, it finally did. The reader board at the top of Snoqualmie Pass was jumping between 32 and 31 degrees. As usual, I skied alone and went up Mt. Catherine...Cara and Amy did a different route and we all ended up at the lodge a few hours later. As I was skiing in the tracks with my little classical "beater" skis (and poles whose wrist straps have been lost, often resulting in me leaving one behind and having to back track to retrieve it), Karen Wolf swooped past me on her skate skis and we chatted a little before she dropped me. Saw her and her husband again later in the lodge and hung out chatting for a while, which was fun. I had a good, fun ski and had quite a bit of solo time (my favorite for skiing) on the climb and around the top...the trees and the snow were really pretty and besides the clatter of my own skis (oh, wait, that was the clatter in my own head), it was quiet and serene. On the way back, I got a little road rage in the last 1-2 miles, but de-escalated because I realized the people who were moving slowly or standing in the tracks were the special needs folks from "ski for all." Not cool to be cranky with them at all! Anyway, I had fun... didn't kill myself, but got a decent workout and I had a really great time riding up and back with Cara and Amy.

11.1 miles skiing
Avg HR = 121
2:24

Friday...no clever title available

This is the end of the first 5-day work week in a while...where did all those holidays go already? The hardest "work" of the week, however, hasn't been in the office or the gym, and it's been a pretty extensive butt-kicking, for sure. The workouts have served to keep me going, as always, and having a new color coded schedule is a nice stable base to work from. I threw in a non-scheduled session or 2 this week to move something at the same time my mind was spinning around.

Yesterday was a 45ish minute spin on the bike trainer and a 30 minute hamster (+ plyometrics as we didn't do those at the Wed. night weights group, where I was humbled by my non-firing core muscles, a sidebar I'd rather not go into at this time, thankyewverymuch).

Today was a good hard swim (main set was 20 x 50's with various paces/speeds throughout and I must say that I led the lane and kept 3 different rotating send-offs on track flawlessly, impressing my lane-mates). I also lifted weights at lunchtime, which brought a nice escape into the ipod and the gym.

Weekend training plan is undefined...could be skiing, could be biking, could be both...depends on weather, mood, and my ski buddy, Cara's transportation plan to go to Hyak.

Wednesday triple...

I left the house this morning equipped for today's triple (a.m. swim team workout, lunchtime run, and weights group tonight). Fortunately, I was a physical education major way-back-when and have academic training on how to change clothes quickly 96 times per day. However, I did forget a few things, as has been the case more often lately (a few other things hopping between the synapses). This time I actually remembered the right GPS gadget for my run, but got to the swim locker to discover I'd forgotten underwear (fortunately solved this one by the "emergency pack" always kept in the car containing the most common items: a towel, sports bra, underwear, socks, and 2 belts) and also forgot running gloves. My hands got quite numb on the midday run...but all things considered, I think I'm calling it a successful day so far (ok, it's not over, but I'm feeling hopeful). Even got some work and meetings done in between the workouts...not bad!

Hip felt pretty good on the run again, today, too, and I can't wait to get up to some decent mileage again.

Swim: 3,00o yards

Run: 4 miles, 37:27, Avg HR: 143

Leg workout: TBD

Monday, Monday...

Got to work on the new training plan today with a Monday double. Swim team was good as always and the lane was crowded again with 5 of us paddling away... we're in the wall lane this month so we can smack hands with the big guys in the next lane swimming one way and with the brick wall swimming the other direction :( Who ever said swimming isn't a contact sport? But the workout was fun, nonetheless, and I got in my regular 3,000 yards.

At lunch I went for an outdoor run...grabbed the wrong gadget so I didn't have my GPS with the good HR monitor, but did have the stopwatch and I know my route is just about 4 miles. I was supposed to test out the hip with a few 1-minute surge intervals during the run, so I did 5 of them...one was up the hill where I did pre-Ironman hill repeats last summer. I'd been feeling my hip this morning a bit, but felt really good on the run...will see how stiff I am tonight and tomorrow and might throw some ibuprofen at the problem if necessary. The PT put a new, higher lift in the heel of one shoe last week so I'm test driving it to see if it helps.

4 mile run: 37 minutes.

Happy New Year

Well, the first few days of 2008 have been...well, not what was anticipated a week ago, and a bit of a new and interesting frontier in the old setting. Let's just say that I un-forwarded my mail and my/our home address will remain the same for a while. Tomorrow is the season premiere of the "L Word," but I think the truth has been more difficult to believe than fiction, and I could really step up with a few autobiographical episodes should their writers go on strike!

I brought back a bit of a cold from the Georgia trip, so I've been a sniffy and coughing a little this week. But I still got in some good training in the last few days including a great 35 mile solo outdoor bike ride on New Year's Day (during which I was never cold...whoop!). Thankfully, swim team has resumed at Seattle U, too, so I'm psyched about that. My coach has created my new training plan and I have my marching orders for the next 5 weeks or so to get 2008 going. The hip is still a bit of an obstacle, but I am running a little and easing it back into functionality (albeit way slower than I'd like, grrr).

Today's task was a bike ride with an AT field test included...I was NOT looking forward to it the last couple of days and procrastinated for a while this morning before I sucked it up and got on the bike trainer. It helped that we'd taped "Friday Night Lights" last night, so watching that got me through the first hour or so...and then I had an old tape of the Louisville Ironman from a month or so ago that I hadn't gotten around to, so that finshed it off. Also, there were some great dinner leftovers in the frig waiting at the finish line.

Bike ride summary:

15 minute warm up
20 min. TT: Avg. HR = 142
5 min recovery
20 min. TT: Avg. HR = 140
40 min moderate ride: Avg HR = 130

Cargo shorts in December!!

I am re-charging my solar panels! Today's highlights included driving with the top down in my mom's little cabriolet convertible and then sitting and walking on the beach barefoot and in shorts...not bad for December 28!! It was a little over 70 degrees today and pretty darn perfect except for a few clouds. I kept trying to think up more errands to have an excuse to drive around in the convertible, but all we came up with was the grocery store and then we went to the beach.

I went for a run this morning and stretched it to 4.5 miles (longest in at least a month) because it was so nice to be warm and on the beach. My hip is a little tight, but felt fine during the time I was running. I won't run again till I'm back in Seattle...but will keep doing other stuff.

Yesterday we did the morning family trip to the gym and I did a really good spin class and weights/plyometrics (while my mom did "Stretch & Tone class and deep water exercise because regular water aerobics is too wussy for her). The spin class was only 40 minutes of actual work, but a good butt kicking and, surprisingly, included neither country nor christian music...no small thing for spin class in Georgia. After an afternoon of going out to lunch and a tour of the Sea Turtle Center/hospital on Jekyll Island (very cool place and nice creatures, those turtles, although the injured ones looked pretty depressed, poor things), I went back to the gym for a swim. I was the only person in the outdoor pool as the sun was setting and the pool lights came on during my workout...the water was still ridiculously hot and I had to keep stopping to put my arms out and cool down, but it was a great swim and being outdoors to swim made me happy.

Tonight's event is happy hour (my mom has just called that "the bar is open!" as I type) at home and local fresh shrimp for dinner. YUM.

I haven't had a musical theme song in my head for a few days, but have read chapter 48 of "Eat, Pray, Love" at least 4 times followed by Chapter 49 at least twice...and those have provided some themes and a few one-liners to chew on...

Chasing retirees

I am at my mom & stepdad's on St. Simons Island Georgia for the week...got in on Christmas morning and will be here till Sunday. Despite the fact that I declared that I am boycotting the holidays this year as I just didn't have it in me, their tree, a turkey with my mom's amazing stuffing, and my favorite cheesecake (ok, plus presents and booze) mellowed my "bah humbug" a little...not quite to the point of "fa-la-la," but definitely an improvement. I also got in a short run on the beach yesterday before the aforementioned menu hit the table and I loooovvvve the beach here. It's supposed to be 75 degrees by Friday and I think I have landed where I'm supposed to be this week.

My parents are 70-year old German energizer bunnies (from whence I inherited the scheduling and efficency gene) whose mottos are "Getting old is not for sissies" and, my personal favorite, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!" With these people, a 2 hour morning visit to the gym, followed by lunch, a nice walk on the beach, shopping, then dinner with friends at their favorite restaurant, "Mudcat Charlies" (and this was just today) is not a tough sell...as a matter of fact, I can barely keep up with them...I had to bring snacks on the shopping outing as I was bonking and they were going strong. This turbo parent scene is most excellent for my perpetual motion processing mode...as well as my efforts to balance my affinity for my mom's permanently stocked Christmas cookie plate (YUM). These people will do their best to spoil me rotten and make me sleep many hours per night this week. I am very fortunate to have such great parents.

Oh yeah, my training. Yesterday was a 3.5 mile run + 1 mile walk and my hip felt great on the run, though a little tight today. I am committed to getting out on the beach every day this week to walk and maybe one more run.

Today I got in a 30 minute hamster at the gym (while my mom did the "moving sidewalk" and weights), then both my mom and I hit the outdoor (yup, as in no roof! Whoop!) pool. Unfortunately, the pool temperature is set for "cauldron" and I about wilted, but it was really great to swim outdoors and see blue sky!!

First XC ski of the season

I went cross country skiing yesterday for the first time in almost 2 years. I rode up to Snoqualmie with my friend, Cara (great company), and dropped her off at Alpental so she could telemark...then I went on to Hyak for a nice solo ski. I remembered that my ski boots always give me blisters on my heels and tried a preemptive strike with bandaids, but I missed the mark on my left heel and shredded it anyway...oh, well, at least I saved the right one. I think I was the first person out on the trails and I was psyched when the grooming machine came right at me about a half mile out...sweet, I thought, fresh tracks all day! I didn't see anyone for over an hour (even after I took off my snow caked yellow lensed bike glasses because I couldn't see anything at all)...and I skied (ok, it's really just glorified hiking) up Mt. Catherine. It was dumping snow on me the entire time...my head and hat were a total snowball all morning. By the time I got to the top, there were no tracks to be seen anywhere as the snow had filled everything in completely (so much for the fresh fast tracks I thought I'd get). But it was beautiful and, at the top, I wouldn't have been gliding anyway because of the grade--it's just a bit of an uphill slog. I was smart enough to pack my "teflon" jacket and lobster gloves for the descent, so I quickly changed out of my soaked lighter layers and put on the warmer stuff. Coming down in the powder was really fun and I kept my heartrate up a bit because it required some pushing off to keep good downhill momentum. I never got cold (major win) and I think I skied off most of the remaining soreness from my butt...but, of course, my quads are sore today from skiing. I had a great workout and did almost 10 miles.

9.75 mile ski
2:14

This morning I had a really good swim at the Helene Madison pool masters workout again...swam with 2 guys and chatted with one afterwards who's done several Ironmans. I realized while I was swimming that I haven't taken a rest day in at least 2 weeks, and perhaps I'm almost due. However, it's just felt necessary to be in motion as much as possible lately and stacking up workouts has seemed like the right thing to do.

1 hour swim
3,500 yards

Celebrity sighting at the gym

Today was a swim-in-the-morning and lift-weights-at-lunchtime day. I had a great swim at the Greenlake pool as I met my friend, Robin, at 6:00 a.m. lap swim and we made up a workout as we went along with 2 other dudes in the lane. It was way better than a solo swim and a good filler in lieu of "real" swim team...though I'm counting the days till S.U. swim team re-opens (that'd be 12 days, are we there yet?).

So then...went to the gym to lift weights a little while ago. I had already listened to today's theme song (The Clash, "Train in Vain,") about 5 times and had finally let the ipod shuffle onto something else when I saw a woman walk by that I knew I recognized...super tall, skinny legs...yup, I bet that's her...Stanford basketball shorts...yup, definitely her. Now, a few years before Sue Bird was the Seattle basketball celeb, the basketball "bird" in Seattle was Kate Starbird and that was her, sure enough. I'm sure nobody else in the stupid gym recognized her, but I was all over it. I pseudo-stalked her upstairs where I saw her get on a hamster machine (how relieved am I to know that a very recent professional athlete does that damn hamster thing, too...I feel so much better!) and I talked to my friend, Phi, a trainer, just to make sure it was actually Starbird and to look casual and scope her out for a few minutes. I decided not to bug her while she was on the hamster, finished my workout downstairs, and waited for her to go into the locker room...where I then stalked and tried to look like I wasn't (completely transparent, I'm sure). Here's my conversation with Starbird:

Me: You're Kate Starbird, right? I'm a big fan of yours...
Bird: Well, I was Kate Starbird, now I'm just 'Kate.'
Me: You're still Kate Starbird! Do you still play?
Bird: I played in Europe for a few years, then came back and took some time off. I just started playing again recently. My back is finally better...
Me: Well, I was definitely a fan (dumbass, didn't I already say that?)
Bird: Were you around for the ABL?
Me: Yeah, I was a season ticket holder, 4th row (double dumbass)
Bird: Yeah, I recognize people who were around then...

Can't remember how the conversation ended exactly...but hey, at least I talked to one of my heroes, and I don't think I was TOO much of a dork...OK, I take that back. But what the hell, I figured she might like to be recognized and get a little fan adoration. I ditched out on my abduction/PT exercises to chase her around the gym, but my case of "lunge butt" from Wednesday is still very apparent and this seemed more important. And I did everything else!

The other momentary distraction today was a hilarious race report that Julie sent around this morning. The quote at the beginning is so good, I copied it and hung it in my cubicle:

“Blessed are the flexible for they shall never be bent out of shape.” – Ancient Xterra Tribe Race Director Proverb.

The rest is a must-read and a total crack-up. After that classic quote above, the guy leads off with, "This is a chronicle of the evolution of triathlon fear, and a big hairy, then shaved, then once again hairy moron (that would be me) who tried to conquer it. "

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=689

Definitely, the bug...

OK, I'm continuing yesterday's theme song...because the results of yesterday's PT (and by the way, PT no longer means "physical therapist," but rather "personal torturer") session are now making me feel like I was the bug smashed by a windshield butt-first. My butt and quads are the most sore they've been since Ironman...the lunges, "skaters" and various other hopping and squat things are exactly what I need, but youch...all night I was waking up and feel more and more sore each time. I somehow managed 50 minutes on my bike trainer this morning, but every time I sit for 5 minutes or more, I have a hard time getting up and moving. Tin man city.

Had a great meeting with the coach this morning and will be ready to hit the ground running---or I guess I should say biking--with a newly designed plan the first week of 2008. I have to stay conservative on the running until the hip is back to 100% ("long" runs at 4-5 miles, augh) but the focus will shift to cycling and a spring training bike trip is in the planning stages to give me a training goal (half marathons are not allowed for a while). I'll also work on more strength stuff for legs/core in the hopes that I will not be as sore as I am at present...

I'm planning to go cross country skiing this Saturday...it's dumping snow up in the mountains and a good ski workout might be a good pretend-long-run.

Windshield or bug?

Lately, I've been choosing a new theme song every day or few...or perhaps it's more accurate to say that songs are chosing me...regardless, a soundtrack for the current chapter of my life is developing. Yesterday at the gym, the ipod shuffled up Mary Chapin Carpenter and "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug..." Perfecto...this one will last a few days, at least. Que up the background music and karoke along if you'd like:

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-Bug-lyrics-Mary-Chapin-Carpenter/7C9C06B880443FAD48256938000DBC90

The latest hip report is that....tah-dah...I ran on both Saturday and this morning with hardly any hip pain (making me "the Louisville slugger, baby")...but each day I only ran 4 miles and I felt the hip a bit afterwards ("sometimes you're the ball..."). This morning it was dark, pouring rain, and 39 degrees, but I was damn happy to be splashing around Greenlake and actually RUNNING instead of on the hamster machine at the gym. After the run this morning, I had another great PT session. She has me doing some cool balance stuff on the Bosu ball and some plyometrics, too. I came out of there humbled with legs shaking again (the kind of shaking where I would prefer my car didn't have a clutch), but totally psyched to be doing some new training stuff that obviously is a new challenge my body appreciates. Perhaps do-it-yourself Santa will come up with a Bosu Ball and medicine ball...hmmm.

I've dropped about 5-6 pounds in the last few weeks, but this morning I weighed myself and had gained a pound or so back (2 beers and a small mountain of phad thai at the Triple Door last night during the "Nutcracker Burlesque" show probably contributed...). I'd like to keep a few of those pounds from creeping back and maybe when I can run long again, I'll be a little faster.

The S.U. Masters swim team is on holiday break until January 2 (ggrrrr), so I'm winging it and looking for aquatic alternatives...swam alone yesterday at 24-Hr Fitness and managed to do the usual 3,000m, but I really miss the team workouts.

Overall, I'm just wishing I could hit fast forward and land in about...let's say March of 2008...with all manner of things healed and in a new more stable and happy chapter. But...there are a few moments of being the windshield and smashing that damn bug, so I'll take 'em where I can get 'em.

Pedal 'n process

I'm staying at a friend's place on Alki for a few days while he is out of town...it's a really nice place with a great view. I woke up early this morning, went for coffee and an aimless walk through a Safeway, then got back to see it get light; the mountains and the water were gorgeous. I slowly got my crap together and drove over near the I-90 lid to go for a solo ride. It was sunny, but less than 40 degrees and my face and head were numb throughout (wierd headache like my head had shrunk when I got done) . I lost feeling in some toes, but otherwise my trusty gear ("teflon" jacket and lobster gloves, I don't care how dorky they are) kept me pretty warm. My thoughts and head were spinning and processing about the whole break up situation the entire 3+ hours (kind of a 24/7 routine these days), but it was good to have my legs and pedals follow, making for a really good ride. I thought I'd probably do the south end of the lake...on the long side of Mercer Island, though, I felt good and had the urge to CLIMB something. I think it was the need to symbolically "get over" something huge in front of me. So I decided to do the north end and go over Juanita. It was a good decision, a good climb, and the trail didn't even annoy me too much from Logboom to the UW--I think I was too pre-occupied to really even notice much. My legs were definitely getting tired by the time I got close to the car...this was my longest ride in 3 months, I think (48 miles). I did get a few things "thought through" out there... and hopefully got enough of a workout to get some decent sleep tonight.

My GPS/HR monitor battery went low after about an hour, so I didn't get HR data...however, I noticed on at least one small hill that my HR hit 164...which is crazy high for me.

Ride summary:

48 miles
3:16:22
Avg pace: 14.6

So much for race magic

Whatever relationship-repairing magic the Seattle Half marathon day held unfortunately didn't last for more than a few days. Game over. This week has included an apartment hunt (successful), purchasing at least one recommended inspirational book ("Eat, Pray, Love," thanks, Erin), and a lot of workouts in between several epidodes of spontaneous combustion.

I've felt the best in the pool this week and Julie told me this morning that she thought I was a bit faster than usual in yesterday morning's workout. I definitely know that training is my center...it works for making me happy, for burning off grief (ok, maybe a little anger, too), and for just about anything in between. I can usually only get my HR into the 140s in spin class and yesterday afternoon my average for a 45 minute class was 150bpm. My new marketing idea is that I think that 24-Hour Fitness should have a banner ad on Match.com and the other dating sites that says, "If your relationship tanks, click here..." with a reminder that you can go to their gym 24/7. This is extremely convenient when you can't sleep...nothing like an hour of the elliptical machine at 5:00 a.m.

In my true disco loyalty, I'm starting to believe that Gloria Gaynor will eventually (soon, I hope) be my theme song singer of choice, but I'm still feeling a little Dave Mathews...

It's finally supposed to be clear and cold tomorrow...planning to get out on my bike.

Saved by a race...

It's been a really rough few days and running the Seattle Half Marathon today was probably the easiest thing accomplished since about Tuesday (and that includes eating and sleeping). Fortunately, however, the fact that there WAS a race today saved my relationship bacon. Both Seujan and me trying to go out there alone to run the race made it apparent that a breakup wasn't the best idea afterall...whether we do races together or alternate being support staff, we're simply supposed to be a team. Long story short is that those race fees turned out to be some of the best money ever spent and an investment in mental and emotional health...and all they advertised we'd get for $70 was a T-shirt and a medal.

Anyway, I don't recommend 4 days of crying, not sleeping, and extreme stress as a training strategy for a half marathon PR, but it was effective for a little weight loss and somehow we both finished the race decently. As usual, Seujan was quite a bit faster than I was, but I did OK, it was a really nice day (WAY better than last year's weather), and I actually felt the best in the last 3-4 miles. One highlight: In the I-90 tunnel, I passed a very cute "senior" lady with a sign on her back that said, "This is my 40th Marathon. How many have YOU done?" People were cheering her on and it was really cool...inspirational for sure. My hip hurt throughout the run, but not as much as I'd anticipated. My new PT put some lift thingees in my shoes and perhaps that helped. I'm feeling it tonight, though, and can already tell I'll be a bit sore all over tomorrow...small price to pay for this one, though, and time for some rest.

Half Marathon stats (splits on GPS didn't exactly match the mile signs, but close):

First 2 miles: 18:54
1.04 mile: 10:24
.73: 9:50
1.35: 10:27
1.01: 9:39
1.01: 10:04
1.02: 10:18
1.01: 9:35
1.00: 9:12
1.01: 9:17
1.04: 8:55
1.01: 8:54
.12: :56

Total time: 2:06:30

Heartrate to heartbreak

Well, the hip pain is barely a blip on the radar in comparison to the last couple of days...not that it's healed up by any means, it's just getting overshadowed by break up hell. I'm not sure if crying is aerobic or anaerobic--seems it has been both--but regardless, a break up is a much harder exercise than a freaking Ironman, that's for sure...I think I'd rather run a triple marathon in 100 degree heat on an injury (wait--is that option available? What's the entry fee and where do I register?) than be doing this. I'm not feeling particularly thankful for a Thanksgiving morning, and am hanging out with Dave Mathews repeating "Grace is gone" on the ipod a zillion times (ironic that the ipod was a Valentine's Day present...augh...).

It's going to be sunny later today and I'm hoping to get out for a bike ride... then will be landing at somebody's Thanksgiving table quoting Dave Mathews...

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dave+matthews+band/grace+is+gone_20036641.html

Slop 'n stomp

Seujan and I puddle-stomped our way through today's long run in the pouring rain...she slummed it and ran slow today, so we actually ran together most of the 10.1 miles. We went from Greenlake, through Ravenna Park, past Husky stadium, and to through the Arboretum...then back the same way. Lots of trails and puddles and kind of fun. We were smart enough not to drive near Husky stadium within a couple hours of the 12:30 kickoff of today's football game and running through the neighborhood gave us an up close view (and smell) of the throngs of purple-clad tailgaters and their culinary creations. Nothing like barbeque grills humming along at 10:30 a.m. Now I am the first to admit that the triathlon world is a bit of a (kind of odd perhaps to some people) subculture...but tailgating football fans, now there's a subculture worthy of wonder. I mean, we had to go out in the pouring rain and slop through the mud to do our long run, but those wackos were out in the wet and cold cooking chili on propane burners and getting drunk before noon...and paying a lot of money for tickets and parking to do it...when they all appeared to be the kind of people with heated homes, fully functioning kitchens, and televisions with instant replay that could enable one to actually enjoy a football game. I will vouch for just how enjoyable that experience is because after a shower and lunch, I turned on the Husky game and promptly fell asleep on the warm dry floor in front of the TV while Seujan finished her book in the bathtub.

I had not run in a week and prior to today's run, my hip was down to just a small ache and close to normal...that was shot within the first mile of the run as it hurt right away and hasn't stopped. We went on a home improvement shopping trip this afternoon (anyone interested in booking a tour of our spare bathroom to admire the new shelving, please contact Seujan for an appointment)...and I limped around Home Depot and Target looking for escalators and elevators like a garden variety American.

It's likely that I will hamster through the week and won't run much or at all before the Seattle Half next Sunday.

Long run:
10.1 miles
1:40:12
Avg HR = 140

My life as a hamster

My hip has been a pain in the...oh, I guess a hip can't be a pain anywhere else. So yeah, the hip. Not cooperating. Verbal when I walk, especially up stairs, and hurts pretty much all the time when I run...and pipes up with sarcastic comments about my age after it sits for a while and gets stiff. I went to a new PT last week who agreed with the coach that the source of my woes is mechanical/form related. So the old dog/new tricks thing is continuing...and I'm still trying to learn how to run efficiently after doing it incorrectly for approximately 35 years. The new PT has recommended working on my glutes and abductors where Cheryl had recommended working the adductors (you say abduct, she says adduct...and I've not done much of either, I must admit).

Anyway, we were in St. Louis for my aunt's memorial service over the weekend and I got in a good long (11.25 miles) run in a nice change of scenery, but it hurt a LOT and I haven't run since. In lieu of running, I've been doing doing the elliptical machine which, Seujan reminded me yesterday, is dangerously similar to a hamster wheel. The good news: it hardly hurts my hip to do it, I can get my HR up, and I've been able to "hamster" out my intervals last week and this morning. The bad news is, of course, that I'm gym-dependent and starved for fresh air, especially since the minimal cycling lately is also indoors. I guess it could be worse. If it were summer, I'd be even more cranky going into the gym... it's not as tough of a sell when it's cold and crappy outside. God bless the ipod. So...the goal remains to make it to/through the Seattle Half a week from Sunday and then back off the running a bit more.

Today's rodent report/workout summary:
20 min warm up
2 x 4 minutes hard, 1:30 rest (up to 160 bpm on intervals)
4 x 2 minutes hard, 1:00 rest (up to 163 bpm on intervals)
5 minutes cool down
Total:
48 min
6ish "miles"

Hip hell

Today was long run day...perfect temperature (55ish) and not raining, plus some fall color still on the trees. Seujan and I both ran down on Lake Washington...she went 14+ and I did 11.25. I had her tape my hip, but it didn't really matter...damn thing hurt the whole time again. I'm going to PT on Wednesday and have ice on it right now...and will take Aleve tonight and a rest day tomorrow. I'm thinking that if I can hold on and make it through the Seattle Half in 3 weeks, I may take a couple weeks off running altogether and see if it will calm down. Maybe.

What really sucks about the whole thing is that I'm running pretty well speedwise and am trying to work on the new form thing. Today I did the 9 minute run/1 minute walk routine (another failed attempt to help with the hip pain) and even with the walk breaks, I averaged a 9:34 mile.

Long run:

11.25 miles
1:47:40
Avg HR = 142