Run 35 (now Bike 50)

OK, strange title, but let me explain. I was scheduled to run 35 minutes today. However, I'm going to Mississippi tomorrow and it may be hard to ride for 50 minutes. So, I swapped days. I figure it will be much easier to run 35 min when I get in tomorrow night.

It felt so good to be back on my bike again. Out on the open road! It was so windy though. It started out as a good NE wind, which was in my face the whole time. On the way back, the wind switched to SE... in my face again! UGH!!! It was in the 50s, so it was a bit nippy. It was tough at times, but it felt good.

I road almost 11 miles in 53 minutes. I'm almost liking my bike. I better learn how to like it soon... RAGBRAI is knocking on the door.

Strength

Oh my... am I tired! I had another meeting today at my house. There's been so much going on in the past 2 weeks. I'm exhausted!!!

My back is also a bit tweaked. I went to the chiropractor today, and feel better.

So, with the sore back and exhaustion... I decided to take a day off. I feel guilty about it, but I just need to take a break. My body needs a break.

I only lost 0.2 pounds this week. It wasn't for lack of trying. I worked out more than I had in almost a year. I ate well. I think I worked too hard. I just don't know. Either way, I need a break, so I'm taking it.

30 Swim & 30 Bike

Well, Carleton College has it out for me. They really want me to fail in my training! The only pool they have for open lap swimming was closed today, with no signs or warning. I went in to the pool area, only to find what I guess was beginning water polo. UGH!

I wanted to go home and pout. That would be the worst choice I could make. So, I drove through the throngs of students out for the Ultimate Frisbee Tournament (day 2) to get to the gym. It's rainy and 50 degrees out, so an indoor workout was in order.

I got on that fancy bike for 45 minutes. I rode hard! It felt good to get out some of my frustrations. Then, it was upstairs to run a good 15 minutes. My friend Kari suggested I work on upping my pace. So, I pushed it fairly hard. I ran 1.5 miles in around 15:30 (I didn't have my watch so I was using the wall clock).

All in all, I'm glad I worked out. It was frustrating, but it's done for today.

35 min Run

Today was a much cooler and cloudier day. It was in the 50s with a pretty good wind. That wasn't going to hold me back though.

Greg and I decided to head to the Carelton College Lower Arboretum for our run. When we arrived, we saw that there was a HUGE Ultimate Frisbee Tournament today. There were cars and college kids everywhere! Luckily, they were playing and not on the trails.

Greg and I were both pretty tired. It was tough to go, but we knew we'd feel better. So, after stretching out, we were off. Now, I say we, but those who know me know that exercising is a solo event for me. Greg has his own training plan to get into running, so we didn't do this together.

I his the trail and felt sluggish. It was tough to run. I was hungry, and didn't realize how hungry until 15 minutes in when I started to feel a bit light headed. I thought I'd run just a bit more to see if it was a passing thing. 5 minutes later, I realized it was a passing thing and I kept going.

What helped me keep going? Greg! He was just about 1/10th of a mile behind me. When I turned around, he did too, and I followed him for 15 minutes. It was great! How can you not be motivated by your husband?

He did amazingly well too! That's the furthest he's run in a long time. His plan this week had him walking 90 seconds, running 60 seconds, and repeating. It always seemed like his minute of running came at a big hill. It made me smile. I'm so proud of him!

30 Run & Strength

So, I'm still at my folks house. The work is tiring, but rewarding too. There is so much to do though, and just not enough time. Luckily, I have my wonderful sister, Dawn, to help me figure out what needs to be done. We spent today moving many boxes, so I figure that counted for strength training.

I went for a run at 2:15pm, around my childhood neighborhood. It was over 80 degrees when I hit the road. I actually wanted the heat, because I need to get ready for 90 degree weather during the tri.

It was a very tough run. I ate a late lunch, and it was still with me. At 20 minutes, I never thought I'd make it to 30 minutes. I really wanted to run over 30 min though. So, I kept going. Who knew I had it in me, but I ran a good 45 minutes. OK, not good, but I did run for 45 minutes, non-stop.

Tomorrow is a "rest" day. It's my last day of work at the folks house, so not really resting. However, no running or biking or swimming. Not too bad. I think I will miss the workouts though. Saturday is a 35 min run, and I hope to get it done in the Arboretum again. I love that place!!!

15 Swim & 30 Run

Yesterday, this is what was on tap. I did exactly this too. I went to the pool at Carleton, and swam 700 yds in 15 min. It felt good, and I would have done more, but I didn't have time. I had to get back up to my parents' house to keep cleaning.

After the swim, I hit the trail at the Carleton College Lower Arboretum. It was GORGEOUS! I hadn't gone that deep in the trail. It just kept going and going and going.... I tried to sprint up some big hills, and that kicked my butt! There were beautiful prairies and trees all along the route. It was wonderful. I can't wait to run that trail again on Saturday.

30 min Bike & 15 min Run

If you are my Mom, STOP READING! There is a birthday spoiler in here!

Yesterday was the official bike/run day. It was tough to get done though. On Monday, my siblings, Greg and I began renovations in my parents home. They are on a week long vacation in New England. So, we've taken it upon ourselves to get some much needed stuff done in and around their house to surprise my Mom on her birthday. Her birthday is also Earth day by the way.

On Monday, we took all the furniture out of 2 rooms to begin swapping them. We painted both rooms, and one ceiling. Yesterday, we moved the furniture into the new rooms. Oh, one is upstairs and the other is downstairs. The first room is my Mom's sewing room. The other was the guest room. The rooms are being swapped so that my niece, Scout, can now have her own room. Last night she helped us move everything back into her room. It looks VERY cute.

Back to the workout though... while Greg was taking a load of stuff to the dump, I went for my bike ride and run. The winds were 20-30kts from the north. It was in the low 60s though, so not too cold. It was fun to ride through my old neighborhood. So many memories on those streets. After the bike, I hit the road for a run. The recovery only took 1 block this time, which makes me feel better about it all. I ran for 30 min, instead of 15. It just felt good.

I still can't believe the improvement from last year. You can see it for yourself. You can look up my April 2008 posts and compare. It's pretty cool!

Swim 30, Run 30

Today was supposed to be another swim day. However, with my pool situation in town, times were limited to 4:30-6pm. Greg was coming home today at 4:30pm, and I needed to pick him up. So, I needed a new plan.

Swimming is the one event that I can do. After Friday's swim, I feel even more comfortable with my swim. I swam better on Friday than I did at any time last year.

So, I decided to replace the swim with the bike... my weakest event. It was 43 degrees and rainy out, so off to the gym I went. They have a bike that has a moving handle bar and a screen that makes you feel like you're really outside. It was a good ride that really made me sweat.

Then, it was upstairs for my 30 min run. The first 1/2 mile was rough! I forgot how hard it is to make that transition. My thighs were screaming, but it eased up. It was a good run in the end.

It was a good workout, that kicked my butt. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow though...

Run 30 min

First, the workout. I was exhausted, but I had to go running. I ran a 5K in 35 minutes. For all you runners out there, that's pretty slow. For me, it's a good pace. I think I ran it around 40 minutes last year. Not too shabby. I will get better.

Like I said, I was tired. I didn't want to take Skeeter with me. After 1/2 mile he slows way down and I have to drag him along. I also left him behind on Thursday (while I was looking for a pool). Greg took this picture of Skeeter waiting for me at the end of our driveway. I guess dogs are a girls best friend too :) He's the best dog a girl could ask for. I can only imagine he looked like this during today's run too, or am I too full of myself?

20 min Swim, 25 min Run

So my swim yesterday was a bust. I moved my day off to yesterday, and tried again today. I had to find a new pool to get it done. After an intense internet search, I found one in Faribault.

The Aquatic Center was pretty nice. There were 6 lanes in the 25 yd pool. It was a busy place, so I shared a lane with an older gentleman doing water aerobics. He was a really nice guy.

The swim was great! I swam freestyle the entire 1200 yds! Yeah me!!! I was supposed to swim for 20 min, but I went for 5 extra minutes so I could get in 1200 yds. I had a nice and slow pace, but it was constant. It just felt good.

After the swim, I needed to run. However, the area around the Aquatic Center wasn't great. So, I went back home to get the run done. It was a nice and easy 25 min run.

This weight loss has done amazing things for my training. I'm so glad I finally made the move to loose this weight. It's made a huge difference in my life.

Stupid Pools!!!

I was SOOOO excited to finally go swimming today. I can't remember the last time I went swimming. I think it was last summer. So sad for a water bug like me. It's my FAVORITE part of the triathlon!

I headed out to fair Carleton College, ready to swim in the basement pool. I was greeted with the horrible white board that said the pool was closed for the rest of the term!!! What... what... what!!!

So, I then went to the West Gym Pool, to see if they were open instead. Nope. Ugh! It ruined my day. What was I going to do now? How was my training plan going to pan out. West Gym is open mainly at night, not very good for my training.

Off to the Internet I went. I found the nearest community pool in Faribault, 15 miles away. It's new, and looks really nice.

I moved my rest day to today, so we'll test the new pool out tomorrow. Wish me luck!

45 min Bike

Today is my 8 year anniversary of meeting my wonderful husband Greg! I still can't believe it's been 8 years. I'm so lucky to have him in my life, and I can't imagine life without him. He's amazing!

Greg is taking me out on a date day. We're going to Como Zoo, in St. Paul, then off to a Twins game. Both are very special for us. Since it is date day, I had to make sure I got my ride in early on.

Greg decided to go for a ride too. Now, workouts for us are individual events. We start together, but then move out on our own. So, I went out on my own. Mind you, Greg hasn't ridden on his bike in 2-3 years, so he just wanted to ride for the heck of it. I had 45 minutes to do.

I set out towards our hospital. I would have gone on the highway, like the last ride, but I didn't feel very safe on the highway. The shoulder is crumbling and cars go 10-20 mph over the speed limit. So, I took the long way to the path to the next town.

It was a great ride! I felt good. However, upon completion of my 9.8 miles, the threat of RAGBRAI sank in. This was a good ride, but 7 to 8 times what I did today? What did I get myself into?

No time to think about it now. I have the tri to train for. I start RAGBRAI training in a month. Put that aside for now!

30 min Run

Today's goal: run for 30 minutes. This year, I'm trying to view the training plan as a minimum time frame. My goal is to improve from last year, which means pushing myself. That said, I ran a good 40 minutes today.

For the first mile, I had Skeeter the Wonderdog with me. He also needs to loose weight. He's become a bit of a slug. So, it was slow. I was pulling him along. Luckily, my wonderful husband was up ahead, ready for the hand off.

The next 2.5 miles were great! I really felt like my stride was longer. I was running with my entire leg, not just from below the knees like before. I felt so good! Hills that would beat me down before, felt like nothing this time around. I could really tell the difference in my body today. I'm just happy!

Day 1 of Training

So it begins!! Unlike a year ago, I'm so excited to start this time around. I was very scarred last year. I was so out of shape. Now, I'm not the peak of physical fitness right now, but I'm doing pretty well.

Today was strength training. I didn't do much for this last year. I do understand now how important it is this time around. Especially since I don't want my knees to blow out on RAGBRAI. I really don't like strength training though.

I was very unmotivated today. But, I did my Power Yoga tape today. This was the first work on my abs in since January. It was tough, but good. Next week, I will go into the gym to lift weights. I really need to work on my legs and arms for the upcoming events.

All in all, a good first day!

Swept Back Handle Bars

I was going to go for a run with Skeeter today, but he was a sick puppy last night. He woke up barking at 3am, and Chris discovered that he had pooped all over his kennel. Poor thing!

Anyway, it was a BEAUTIFUL morning! So, I decided to take the bike out for a spin. I rode from my house, down to the Malt-O-Meal plant, over to the next town (Dundas) on a trail, then back home. It was about 8.5 miles. I didn't do it very fast (42 min), but it felt really good.

I love my new swept back handle bars. My lower back doesn't hurt, and I'm not numb in those special places. My shoulders are tight, but I think I just have to get them used to riding. All in all, I'm thrilled with the updates to the bike!

Tomorrow is Easter, and I'm taking the day off from working out. Monday is the official beginning of my triathlon training! I can't wait to see how it goes!!

And I Ran, I Ran So Far Away...

Today was another day of running, because it was just too cold and windy to try the bike again.

I wanted to run for 45 minutes today. My thoughts were to run further than 2 days ago, which meant adding 5 more minutes to my time.

The first 1.5 miles was tough, really tough. I just wanted to go back home. My foot hurt, my running bra is too loose (yeah weight loss), I was just tired, etc. I shrunk it down to a 30 minute run in my brain. If I could just do 30 minutes then I'd be happy.

At 20 minutes, my brain switched. I thought I could do this! So, 45 minute run here I come! In the process, I figured I ran a 5K in under 35 minutes. That is my fastest time in 5+ years!

At 45 minutes, I'd run just over 4 miles. It felt amazing! I did it! I couldn't believe I did it! I was tired, but so happy. I came home, let the dog out, and hit the hammock chair in the sun porch to celebrate. It felt so good to sit in the sun and watch Skeeter run around the yard. So relaxing. Just what I needed after 4 miles!

I want to ride my bicycle

Yes, I want to ride my bike! So, I did. It felt really good, but man was it cold. It was 46 degrees and more windy than I thought it would be. My ears were freezing!! It was hard to ride faster, because that made the wind stronger and me colder.

This is the first time I've worn my helmet since June. It was big. I thought I just made it loose, but realized half way through the ride that it was bigger due to the weight I've lost. I've lost my 3rd chin... still working on that second one :)

I downloaded a free application for my iPhone that tracks my mileage and time. It worked great, but also told me that I went shy of 5 miles. Sad really. Oh, I went for 20 minutes.

When I put my activity into my Weight Watchers tracker, it gave me only 1 point for those 20 minutes. What the heck?!! I earned 7 for my 40 minute run yesterday. This stinks! Oh well, I need to get ready for RAGBRAI, and I can't worry about those points. I'll make it up tomorrow.

And I was RUNNING...

Today, I wanted to go for a good bike ride. Well, it was supposed to be in the 40s and windy. Not what I had in mind. So, I decided another day of running was in order. Since I ran for 3 miles yesterday (33 min), I thought I'd run for 40 minutes today.

The run was great! There were only 2 students up at the track (I still don't know where they all went). It still amazes me how much easier it is to run with so many pounds off of my frame. I could have run longer, but didn't want to push it too hard. I'm still nervous about my abdomen. It doesn't hurt though, so I really need to not worry about post surgery pain (1 1/2 months now). The thing is though, I want to be in good shape for my triathlon training. I don't want to screw that up. So, I'm working on improving, but not killing myself in the process. It's working for me so far.

Tomorrow, I want to ride my bike. It will be the first ride with my new swept back handle bars! I rode around my driveway the day I got it back from the bike shop. It feels so good. I have high hopes that it won't hurt my back anymore. We'll just see what tomorrow brings...

Where did all the students go?

Today, Greg and I went for a great run at the Carleton College gym. I decided I'd run for at least 30 minutes, figuring I'd get in 2.5 miles. We'll I still had time left when I hit the 2.5 mile mark. So, I decided to keep running for a full 3 miles. I don't know if Greg was so excited though, because I'd promised a meer 30 minute run and extended it without telling him.

Greg did so great today! He's decided to run a lap, jog a lap, run a lap, etc... He's getting so much better. He'll be beating me on my 5Ks and 1/2 marathons soon!

Next week begins the training for the Danskin Triathlon. It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to really get into the training! Soon, I'll have daily posts on my blog. Until then, thanks for the support!

Thunderbirds Baby!

So today I went running with Greg on Keesler AFB. Tomorrow is the first day of the airshow here, and many different groups have arrived. The most popular is of course the Thunderbirds. Each of the performance teams practiced today, so it was a great chance to see the show without the crowds. The Thunderbirds only had 3 of their planes up for practice today, but it was still a great show.

Because it was practice though, the Thunderbirds display was a bit slow. So, Greg and I decided to go running on base. It was so motivating to run with the sound of jets above me. It was very "Highway to the Danger Zone" "Top Gun." Cheesy, but true. I think I ran faster, and it was so much easier. I LOVED IT! Greg did amazingly well too. What a great day! I can't wait to run outside for the next few days before we head home to the snowfalls.