jump to navigation

1 Year Running July 29, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

It’s Friday and that means a rest day/easy commute for me. Can’t wait for tomorrow…I’m getting a massage! :) It was a year ago this weekend that I started running so I’m getting a massage to celebrate the anniversary. My treat to me! The last massage I had was in May for completing a year of bike commuting/living a life without a car. Yes, I am easily motivated by rewards. I can be bought! Although most of my rewards are much simpler- a nap, a bubble bath, a magazine, a strawberry shake, the podium (someday!). LOL :)

Anyway…a year ago, when I started running, I weighed 220 and I hated it. I started w/ a run/walk program but it was still so hard. Plodding, gasping for breath…what was I thinking? :( But gradually, I worked up to just running and it eventually got easier. I love it now and I’m so glad I didn’t give up that first month. If I had, I never would have done my first 5K and I certainly wouldn’t have done my first tri. I probably wouldn’t be swimming either. How sad would that be?

Warning…going to slip on my proud aunt hat for a minute…I finally got the pictures back that I took while my nieces were here. Photography is a hobby of mine that has taken a back seat to training. Prime photography times (early morning & late afternoon) are also my favorite training times. For the past year and half, training has won out. So I haven’t been taking landscapes or flowers lately. However, my nieces are always willing models and I have a blast taking pictures of them. They love to ham it up for the camera, although getting them both to smile at the same time in a picture is quite a challenge. Here’s a picture of my future tri girls…

Day tripping July 28, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

Run this morning. Ride to/from work. Pilates tonight. That’s it. That’s all she wrote. LOL Just kidding. I’m a rambler…of course there’s more. :) But that was the important part.

I did my usual run on the old rail road tracks this morning. It was a good run. I only tripped once but I didn’t hit the ground so, like I said, good run. I have a tendency to trip a lot but the last time I actually fell was during a run in March. That’s a pretty long streak for me. I’ve fallen while walking, running, going down stairs. I think mostly it’s because I don’t pay attention to what I’m doing. And maybe a little that I’m a bit disconnected for my body. Not really good thing for a triathlete to be but I’m getting better at listening to my body.

So that’s why I run on the old tracks. For the most part, it’s dirt w/ small rocks and mostly even. But there’s about a third of my run that goes thru a section that is very uneven, with large rocks, branches, and glass. I have to really pay attention to where I am placing my feet and where I am going so I don’t end up at Urgent Care again. Up/down/side to side – it makes it fun and interesting so I never get bored. Makes me feel more like the rabbit and less like the turtle. :)

Flippin Funnies July 27, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

I’ve been swimming for 6 months now. Yesterday, I decided it was time I learned how to do flip turns. So I read up on how to do it and went to the gym this morning to try it out. Warmed up for 100m and then practiced just turns for about 10 minutes. The kid in me was having a blast but I kept flipping 360s. Finally I got the flipping part right. Next problem, flipping to far from the wall so I go to push off and there’s no wall. That part is still hit and miss. Next problem, forgetting to turn over so I don’t come out of the water on my back. Ah…there’s too much to remember! So then I swam 3×200 easy just to practice flip turns during actual swimming. Sometimes I missed the wall. Sometimes I still did a 360. Sometimes I came out of the water on my back. Sometimes I remembered to turn but went crooked and nearly bonked my head on the side of the pool. However, there were two turns that I think were pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Luckily the pool wasn’t busy but I’m sure I provided a few laughs for the regulars that were there. I know I was laughing. :)

I also did 20 minutes arms & shoulders & glutes. I was tired on the ride to work. I didn't eat before I went to the gym and that was a mistake. Felt a little shaky. I really have to figure out an eating routine since I'm working out early now.

Good Luck Charm July 26, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

Last night was a cool ride home, only 92 degrees. Never thought I’d say that but after last week w/100+ degree temps and humidity, a dry 92 felt positively pleasant. Which also meant that this morning was cool for my run and ride into work. Woo Hoo! The usual miles. A little low on energy this morning but not too bad. I’m still not getting 8 hrs of sleep a night this month. But I am getting 7 to 71/2 which is much better than the 5 or 6 I was getting before. I might not actually need 8 anyway since I’ve been waking up before my alarm most days. Hmmmm…

Good news…I got my Road I.D. back yesterday! I left it at my mom’s last weekend along with some other stuff (including my Brooks – missed them!) and she dropped them off last night. I’ve been wearing my Road I.D. for about a year now and I always feel like I’m tempting fate when I don’t wear it. Like as long as I wear, I won’t need it. Superstitious? Yep! :) This past week, I was a little nervous without my good luck charm. Plus, I missed the tinkling sound it made while I run. :) So I’m glad I have it back. I bought one for my grandfather for Father’s Day to wear when he goes out walking in the morning. Funny thing…our Road I.D.s make my mom & my sister worry about us less.

My Road I.D. has the century creed on one side and name & info on the other along with “Go Hard or Go Home!” and “Know & Believe!” It’s funny…I am proud of the 2 centuries I did, but I always rationalized them away. Anyone can do it. They just have to put the time in the saddle. But that Sprint Tri I did…even though it was shorter time & distance wise…seemed so much harder and I haven’t rationalized it away. Maybe because I’m a newbie runner/swimmer? Maybe because I had to do more thinking & planning to get thru it? Maybe because I had to learn so much new stuff? Interesting…

Same old July 25, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

Same old work outs. I am such a creature of habit. Although…I did go to the gym at 4:30 instead of 6:30 on Saturday so I guess I am a little bit flexible. :) Who knew there would be people at the gym at 4:30 on a Sat morning? But I had the pool all to myself, kinda nice. So Sat it was bike-swim-lift-bike-run. I finished by 7:30. I’ve really been working on my form in the pool. I realized that my left arm does a lot more work when I swim since I always breathe to the right. My left elbow has been bothering me a little the past few days. I’m not sure if it’s from swimming or if I banged it on one of the weight machines. It doesn’t bother me when I swim though and it seems better right now.

Four mile run on Sunday. Great run and felt good the whole way. Love that time, it’s so early, I can’t hear any cars, just birds and the sound of my own breathing. I might pass someone walking their dog or another runner (or should I say they pass me :) ) but for the most part, I’m alone except for the birds and the rabbits. I almost forget I’m in the middle of a city. :) I think I’m going to start building up my mileage again. I think I’m ready for it.

Today… bike to gym-swim-lift-bike to work. I did chest & back today and 1×700 in the pool. Good workout but I was a little distracted. Again, tried to work on form both in the pool and w/ weights. I think sometimes my form lacks there too but the shorter sessions on Mon & Wed have given me a chance to get back to basics and work with heavier weights/shorter sets.

Hot Friday July 22, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

Easy rest day for me today. Just the commute to/from work and trying to remember to cruise the whole way. It's been so hot this week, 99/98 everday on my ride home. Another hot one today-about 103, then we are supposed to cool off about 5/6 degrees thanks to Emily. I'm thinking of getting up and going to the gym at 4 am tomorrow so I can be done with my workouts by 7. Then I won't be running/riding in the heat. I don't mind riding at temps over 90 but I can't handle running in it…yet.

Um, have I mentioned that I love quotes and collect them? Here's the quote for the day…"Great love and great achievements involve great risks."~Tenzin Gyatso XIVth Dalai Lama

Here's to great love and great achievements for all of you this weekend! :)

My legs won July 21, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

There was a war going on between my stomach and my legs this morning. My stomach said “take two Motrin and go back to bed!” The legs said “heck no, we’re going running!” The legs won…and it was actually a pretty good run. Energy level was good and after the first few minutes the stomach issues faded to a faint roar. A small victory. :)

The ride to work was good as well. Also had more energy than expected since this would normally be one of my low days. I’ve come to accept those low days but it wasn’t easy. In fact, I am a lot more relaxed about my training than I used to be. I used to “live” by my stopwatch and bike computer. Logging every mile timed down to the second. If I didn’t see improvement in every run or ride, I would get so frustrated. Then I decided it wasn’t fun anymore. And being a newbie…I want fun to be a priority so I continue to do this swim/bike/run for the rest of my life. :) I still log my miles, but I’ve stopped looking at my time except in a general sense. If I’m roughly around my usual time, I’m happy. Not that I don’t want to improve…cuz darn it, I’m hoping for a top 10 some day! I’m just more likely to sprinkle Fartleks into a workout instead of planned speedwork.

My goal for right now is simply to get out there and do something everyday. I don’t have a tri planned for right now and that is a struggle. I was hoping to do the LA Tri in Sept but it doesn’t look like that is going to work out. I am more consistent when I have a goal to work towards. So I’ve decided to spend the rest of the summer and fall building a solid base for next year. And have fun! :)

New Bike Rack July 20, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

1000m swim today. I haven’t been in the pool to swim in a week…except for fun time w/ my nieces. 300m for drills and then 1×700. I felt pretty good today and I’ve convinced myself that the drills are really helping. Could I be getting faster? I swam a few lengths on Saturday and then I asked my sister if I seemed fast in the water. She said yes. From her mouth to the swim gods’ ears! :) I also did 15 min arms & shoulders. It’s very cool to see my upper body get a bit of definition. Maybe someday soon I’ll be able to do a pull up!

And, of course, the ride to the gym and to work where I got to park it in the new bike rack. They installed it yesterday under two of the car ports. There are 3 of us at work that commute by bike everyday plus one other occasional bike commuter. But there’s room for up to 10 bikes so I’m going to try working on my coworkers to ride more. I tried to get them to ride on Bike to Work day. They asked if they could bring their bikes in their cars and just ride them in the parking lot during lunch! Sheesh. Anyway, I’m excited about the new rack. In the old building, I used to carry my bike upstairs and store it on the balcony but it was getting kind of beat up. The LBS was always asking me what I was doing to my bike when I took it in for a tune-up. :)

Tuesday Ramblings July 19, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

Great 2 mile run this morning! Unplanned negative splits. After the first half mile, I felt really good so I decide to step it up a notch. Finished strong and felt good even though it was warm out. I took my little Fuel Belt water bottle with me and drank it all during the run - something I think I need to practice more. It was already 82 when I rode to work this morning. I’m back on my mountain bike. It felt strange to me, and like a goof ball, I looked down to make sure it was my bike. Of course it was. :)

On Saturday I took Blue, my road bike, in to the LBS to fix the spoke and get the wheel trued. While one of the guys was fixing it for me, I was talking to the owner and he was telling me about the major ribbings he’s been getting since I was last in his shop. We had been talking about the possibility of getting my own wetsuit so I wouldn’t have to rent. He was saying how a lot of times, a family member ends up buying it for you for your birthday or Christmas or something. If only… :) Anyway, he’s asks “Do you have a rich aunt who spoils you, like an Aunt Flo?” After I left, the guys are like “We can’t believe you asked her if she had an Aunt Flow!” and they wouldn’t let him live it down. And now they’re always asking him if his “Aunt Flow” is visiting. LOL :) Poor guy. :) You know, I’ve had some really odd conversations since I entered the world of tri! :)

We also talked about pedals. I think it’s finally time for me to go back to clipless on Blue. I had them on before but I took them off last year when I started riding again. My balance had been really off since I broke my leg. And I was a little chicken too. I just have these slo mo images in my head of me falling over many, many, many times when I was first learning to use them! :) Maybe, I’ll get the halfers…

The best laid plans… July 18, 2005

Posted by vollenda in : General , add a comment

Well…didn’t get to do my bike/run/bike on Saturday. Headed out for it @ 7 am but popped a spoke a couple of miles into it. :( So I just did a 30 min run (plus an additional 10 min run/walk with my nieces). Nothing on Sunday and just the bike commute today. I'd hoped to get some swim time in at the olympic pool by my mom's house, but didn't happen either. Sigh…I feel so lazy…but rested. :) Sort of…

Because although I didn’t get any training in, it was a fun weekend with plenty of play time w/ my nieces, the family reunion, swimming, shopping, and answering many, many questions about cycling, running, and swimming. My nieces were sad they didn’t bring bikes with them so they could go riding with me and of course, they had to race me to show me how fast they were running and swimming (or dog paddling in Madison’s case). Future tri girls for sure! :)