Track practice
I had a rough track practice last evening. My times are staying put or getting faster, which is great, but everyone else seems to be surpassing me. I was so frustrated that I left early and finished my workout in the parking lot of the high school where we work out. I always compare myself to others and am too competitive to watch people get so much faster than I.
This training has really brought up how I felt in junior high all over again. I just need to keep plugging along.
I read a blog of someone who bikes 100 miles/week and is staying everyday between 850-1100 calories--always under 1200 calories. I think I eat that much by the end of lunch. How can someone work out a lot and stay at such a small caloric intake? I can't seem to cut back no matter how hard I try. I just get so hungry.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Weekend
Saturday started off at 5:30am for a 4 hour bike ride through Apache Trail and onto Tortilla Flats. Gorgeous! Best bike ride ever. Beautiful cactus and desert landscape with canyon lake looming in the background. I charged up the hills, but stayed behind the pack for the flats. We had a lot of switchbacks and straight climbs and downhills. Although, I am not feeling the love of my training group member who said "maybe Ironman isn't for you." She is on my bad side now. Let your haters be your motivators.
Right after the ride, we all did a 6 mile hill run: three miles up, three miles down. I averaged not too shabby on the run.
The next day at 5:30am, we all met for a 20 mile run and it went great. The first 15.5 miles flew by. I had problems with my iPod the night before and think it is done. I had an old friend give me an iPod last year, so I'll have to be using that now. However, for the 20 miler, I decided to use a small portable radio and knew the batteries would be dying. So I kept a spare pair of batteries with me in a pocket. Well, of course, the batteries died and I thought...no problem, I have back ups. Smart thinking! Well, somewhere between mile 1 and mile 4, they fell out. But alas, the 20 miles went fine.
At noon, I met my group for swimming practice, which I dread. I am not a swimmer and really struggle with swimming. The coach stayed with me to practice my form and it is so hard to relearn what I have been doing for so long. Plus, in races, a lot just goes out the window anyway when you wear a wetsuit and battle it out with 2000 other people who kick and pound you.
I am feeling quite bad about three things in my life that are weighing heavily on my mind. I won't go into it here, but I'll just say that I have had three disappointments recently all at the same time. They say things happen in threes, so maybe three wonderful things will be happening to me soon. I'll say that one has to do with my training group member who seems to take a harsh beating to me, one has to do with another harsh person in my life and another has to do with not getting something I really wanted for the past 6 years and someone else getting it who probably doesn't know what he or she has.
But life must go on. I feel blessed to have other good opportunities come my way, but not getting this one hurt. Not so much for not getting it, but for the person that got it.
But I am grateful for this training and for my braces and for celebrating my dad's birthday yesterday. My dad is in amazing shape and works so hard. I should learn from him.
Saturday started off at 5:30am for a 4 hour bike ride through Apache Trail and onto Tortilla Flats. Gorgeous! Best bike ride ever. Beautiful cactus and desert landscape with canyon lake looming in the background. I charged up the hills, but stayed behind the pack for the flats. We had a lot of switchbacks and straight climbs and downhills. Although, I am not feeling the love of my training group member who said "maybe Ironman isn't for you." She is on my bad side now. Let your haters be your motivators.
Right after the ride, we all did a 6 mile hill run: three miles up, three miles down. I averaged not too shabby on the run.
The next day at 5:30am, we all met for a 20 mile run and it went great. The first 15.5 miles flew by. I had problems with my iPod the night before and think it is done. I had an old friend give me an iPod last year, so I'll have to be using that now. However, for the 20 miler, I decided to use a small portable radio and knew the batteries would be dying. So I kept a spare pair of batteries with me in a pocket. Well, of course, the batteries died and I thought...no problem, I have back ups. Smart thinking! Well, somewhere between mile 1 and mile 4, they fell out. But alas, the 20 miles went fine.
At noon, I met my group for swimming practice, which I dread. I am not a swimmer and really struggle with swimming. The coach stayed with me to practice my form and it is so hard to relearn what I have been doing for so long. Plus, in races, a lot just goes out the window anyway when you wear a wetsuit and battle it out with 2000 other people who kick and pound you.
I am feeling quite bad about three things in my life that are weighing heavily on my mind. I won't go into it here, but I'll just say that I have had three disappointments recently all at the same time. They say things happen in threes, so maybe three wonderful things will be happening to me soon. I'll say that one has to do with my training group member who seems to take a harsh beating to me, one has to do with another harsh person in my life and another has to do with not getting something I really wanted for the past 6 years and someone else getting it who probably doesn't know what he or she has.
But life must go on. I feel blessed to have other good opportunities come my way, but not getting this one hurt. Not so much for not getting it, but for the person that got it.
But I am grateful for this training and for my braces and for celebrating my dad's birthday yesterday. My dad is in amazing shape and works so hard. I should learn from him.
Friday, October 9, 2009
TGIF
I had a swim session today with my group and we got a workout. Luckily, the pool is now heated and feels warmer than it did during the summer. The temperatures quickly dropped from record-breaking heat two weeks ago during my triathlon to cool mornings. Yesterday I went out for a bike ride at 5:30am and actually came home to get a jacket. Nice that fall has finally descended upon us. Although, temperatures are going back up today through early next week. But that's okay, no more triple digit temps.
I can finally bike during the day and not be overwhelmed with heat.
This weekend I have a long bike ride of 4 hours, plus a 10K run immediately after. The next day I have a 20 mile run followed by a 1 hour swim. I am eating up the calories now.
My favorite things about autumn:
1. Halloween candy. I love pumpkin mellowcreams.
2. A break from heat. I love crisp mornings.
3. The fall menu at Starbucks: pumpkin scones with a non-fat tall chai. Yum.
4. The holidays are right around the corner.
And this year, fall means I'm halfway through my braces (I hope). They are to come off hopefully at the end of January if all goes well. I cannot wait for that day. My teeth have shifted to where I talk funny. I sound like I have a lisp. I can't make "f" sounds very well.
I had a swim session today with my group and we got a workout. Luckily, the pool is now heated and feels warmer than it did during the summer. The temperatures quickly dropped from record-breaking heat two weeks ago during my triathlon to cool mornings. Yesterday I went out for a bike ride at 5:30am and actually came home to get a jacket. Nice that fall has finally descended upon us. Although, temperatures are going back up today through early next week. But that's okay, no more triple digit temps.
I can finally bike during the day and not be overwhelmed with heat.
This weekend I have a long bike ride of 4 hours, plus a 10K run immediately after. The next day I have a 20 mile run followed by a 1 hour swim. I am eating up the calories now.
My favorite things about autumn:
1. Halloween candy. I love pumpkin mellowcreams.
2. A break from heat. I love crisp mornings.
3. The fall menu at Starbucks: pumpkin scones with a non-fat tall chai. Yum.
4. The holidays are right around the corner.
And this year, fall means I'm halfway through my braces (I hope). They are to come off hopefully at the end of January if all goes well. I cannot wait for that day. My teeth have shifted to where I talk funny. I sound like I have a lisp. I can't make "f" sounds very well.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Aches and Pains
I went to the chiropractor last night for the first time since I was 14. I have been having back problems from biking. Whenever I bike, I get a pain in my upper back that won't go away for the rest of the day. He poked and prodded and stretched me out and I woke up this morning feeling like I had been weightlifting like crazy.
So this morning I went biking and within 45 minutes, the pain returned.
Plus, on Sunday, my knee that I injured in a 2007 bike accident has now started hurting again with any physical activity--even swimming, which has never caused me any pain. It's the least hard on the joints, so makes no sense.
This training is really tearing up my body. I think I can live with the back pain, but the knee pain makes me nervous. In September 2007 I got into the bike accident and ended up in physical therapy for it and it kept me out of some races. So I'm hoping the pain will go away.
I'll ice it and pray.
I went to the chiropractor last night for the first time since I was 14. I have been having back problems from biking. Whenever I bike, I get a pain in my upper back that won't go away for the rest of the day. He poked and prodded and stretched me out and I woke up this morning feeling like I had been weightlifting like crazy.
So this morning I went biking and within 45 minutes, the pain returned.
Plus, on Sunday, my knee that I injured in a 2007 bike accident has now started hurting again with any physical activity--even swimming, which has never caused me any pain. It's the least hard on the joints, so makes no sense.
This training is really tearing up my body. I think I can live with the back pain, but the knee pain makes me nervous. In September 2007 I got into the bike accident and ended up in physical therapy for it and it kept me out of some races. So I'm hoping the pain will go away.
I'll ice it and pray.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sweet Dreams are Made of This--Who am I to Disagree?
Since being sick, I have had a myriad of strange dreams. I dreamt last night that I wanted to start dating again. In real life, I stopped a long time ago. But in my dream I wanted to go on a date and I kept finding these weird guys. One was a guy who I saw on an old episode of CSI who played a serial rapist and murderer. One guy was a 20 year old who was going through a divorce. I kept thinking, why would I want to go out with a 20 year old? Very odd and scary characters kept appearing and all were trying to go out with me. Maybe I just get these type of guys in my dreams and real life.
I also dreamt that I wanted to tell my mom to be supportive of my wearing braces and participating in triathlons, but I couldn't talk. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't say anything.
Perhaps my dreams mirror real life.
I went to track practice last night and then went weight lifting after. Haven't had much time to weight lift, so enjoyed it.
Since being sick, I have had a myriad of strange dreams. I dreamt last night that I wanted to start dating again. In real life, I stopped a long time ago. But in my dream I wanted to go on a date and I kept finding these weird guys. One was a guy who I saw on an old episode of CSI who played a serial rapist and murderer. One guy was a 20 year old who was going through a divorce. I kept thinking, why would I want to go out with a 20 year old? Very odd and scary characters kept appearing and all were trying to go out with me. Maybe I just get these type of guys in my dreams and real life.
I also dreamt that I wanted to tell my mom to be supportive of my wearing braces and participating in triathlons, but I couldn't talk. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't say anything.
Perhaps my dreams mirror real life.
I went to track practice last night and then went weight lifting after. Haven't had much time to weight lift, so enjoyed it.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Life on the dark side
As a brunette, I find that life isn't any different than it was as a blonde. But since the dye was temporary, each day my hair is getting lighter and lighter.
I have been struggling lately with my trichtotillomania. I used to just pull from the back of my head, but now it is from the front and with darker hair, it is more noticeable. I am trying to stop, but I've been trying to stop since I was 14 when I started. I think this is a reason I need to be a blonde.
Perhaps in the winter I will go back to my sunnier color.
I've been doing a lot of research for my book and training and watching bad reality television. I am just loving Brad from the Rachel Zoe Project. What a life he has!
As a brunette, I find that life isn't any different than it was as a blonde. But since the dye was temporary, each day my hair is getting lighter and lighter.
I have been struggling lately with my trichtotillomania. I used to just pull from the back of my head, but now it is from the front and with darker hair, it is more noticeable. I am trying to stop, but I've been trying to stop since I was 14 when I started. I think this is a reason I need to be a blonde.
Perhaps in the winter I will go back to my sunnier color.
I've been doing a lot of research for my book and training and watching bad reality television. I am just loving Brad from the Rachel Zoe Project. What a life he has!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sick
I am getting over a viral infection. I haven't been sick since February 2008 when I did the Antarctica marathon. It isn't something I want to repeat. I had a bad viral infection and missed a couple days of work and now am on antibiotics. I wonder if that played a part in my bad showing at the triathlon for Nathan's. Oh well. I'm doing better.
I dyed my hair last Sunday a brunette color. I went to the store and found two boxes, one labeled "brown" the other labeled "chocolate espresso brown." I went with the later, as it sounded so much more alluring. Well, 10 minutes and hair dye all over the bathroom later, I ended up a brunette. Of course, now the shower curtain and floor were brown. I've not colored my hair at home and have always left it to the professionals and think in the future I will leave it to the professionals. Not sure how I feel about being brunette. I think a golden color makes me feel sunnier. I have just been having my hair ruined with chlorine, so thought this might make a good solution.
Yesterday I went biking in 20 mph winds and got pretty much blown off my bike. I had to actually get off and walk it through an intersection because my weight wouldn't keep me up. I've never had to do that before. Also, there were some trees hanging over the biking path and didn't have enough time to push them out of the way with my hands, so one branch sliced up my forehead.
I swear, I have a scar from my stitches from my bike accident, now a slice through my forehead and dried out brunette hair. What a sight am I? Battle wounds! Loving it.
I am getting over a viral infection. I haven't been sick since February 2008 when I did the Antarctica marathon. It isn't something I want to repeat. I had a bad viral infection and missed a couple days of work and now am on antibiotics. I wonder if that played a part in my bad showing at the triathlon for Nathan's. Oh well. I'm doing better.
I dyed my hair last Sunday a brunette color. I went to the store and found two boxes, one labeled "brown" the other labeled "chocolate espresso brown." I went with the later, as it sounded so much more alluring. Well, 10 minutes and hair dye all over the bathroom later, I ended up a brunette. Of course, now the shower curtain and floor were brown. I've not colored my hair at home and have always left it to the professionals and think in the future I will leave it to the professionals. Not sure how I feel about being brunette. I think a golden color makes me feel sunnier. I have just been having my hair ruined with chlorine, so thought this might make a good solution.
Yesterday I went biking in 20 mph winds and got pretty much blown off my bike. I had to actually get off and walk it through an intersection because my weight wouldn't keep me up. I've never had to do that before. Also, there were some trees hanging over the biking path and didn't have enough time to push them out of the way with my hands, so one branch sliced up my forehead.
I swear, I have a scar from my stitches from my bike accident, now a slice through my forehead and dried out brunette hair. What a sight am I? Battle wounds! Loving it.
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