I am moving to Alaska June 29, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 4 commentsOk, not really. But it would be nice. 
I woke up hot and cranky and tired this morning. I haven’t been using my air conditioner during the week because I usually get home around 7 and by then it’s cooling off. Last night, my apartment was still 90 degrees at 9 at night. I looked at Spike and he was laying like a lump, panting away. I was laying like a lump, panting away. And I deided I was insane for not using the air. So, I turned it on this morning. I think the heat is why I haven’t been sleeping very well at night. Neither has Spike so he’s been roaming around and getting into trouble. Of coure, I hear things crashing or him getting into stuff and I have to get up to check it out. Maybe this way, we’ll both get some sleep and be less cranky.
I. Did. Not. Want. To. Run. This. Morning. But I did. Only 30 minutes and it was just a slow easy run, no walking. It should have been 40-45 min but I was messing around and left late. Swim tonight - drills. I didn’t do anything yesterday but the commute. What a slacker, eh? Instead, I went and got a pedicure so my toes would be blue for the weekend. I also got an extra foot massage which felt great. On the way home, there was a broken sprinkler shooting water up into the air and most of it was falling into the street. I COULD have gone around it but what fun would that be? Nope, I rode straight thru it and it felt wonderful!
The Passage of Time June 28, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 7 commentsI swam in a washing machine yesterday. Okay, it was the local 24HR pool, but it was crowded!
I had to share a lane (as did everyone else). And in the lanes on either side of me were guys doing butterflies. The water was churning and a couple of times, I went to breathe and got a mouthful of water. I guess I wasn’t the only one that was using the pool to get out of the heat. Anyway…I swam for an hour with only two 60-90 sec breaks. Mostly so I could make sure the guy I was sharing the lane with was far enough along that we wouldn’t catch each other. We swam in circles and at first I thought he might swim faster than me, but what do you know? We were swimming at the same speed so we never ran into each other. Or swam over each other. I asked him if I was slowing him down and he said no. I would say it was a good swim with quite a few moments that felt speedy even though I wasn’t pushing it at all. No cramps either. Woo Hoo! I had plenty of energy when I left the gym and again passed the corner to head home to instead get a few more minutes of bike time in. It was cooler by the time I got home - 84 degrees. The air had a heavy feel to it and I could see the smog sitting on the foothills. Sigh.
I bought a little play football at the store on Monday, and I spent yesterday rolling my right foot over it while I was working at my desk. It felt good and my foot felt better by the end of the day. Last night, when I was making a bracelet, I rolled my foot over a tennis ball. Which also felt good. Sometimes, I use a tennis ball to massage my legs. I also have a rolling pin kind of massager but it’s missing right now. I had a run scheduled this morning and decided to skip to give my foot some extra healing time.
So…I always put my left foot down when I stop on the bike. Always. And I lean/sit with my right leg on the bike while I’m waiting. Did I tell you that Blue is a Schwinn Passage, about 10 years old? Well, the “Passage” on the left side of Blue is still in perfect condition. But on the right side…the “PASS” has faded and all that’s left is “AGE”. Sometimes I laugh when I see it. Because I’m an age grouper. And of course, because it’s a reminder that I’m not getting any younger so I better make the most of my life right now! I can only hope I age like a fine wine and get better every year.
Look…here’s a picture of my nieces at a Diamondback’s game on Sunday. They are coming back to California with us to spend a week with their grandpa (their dad’s dad). I’m going to have to brush up on my road trip games.
I am a salt lick and other ramblings June 27, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 2 commentsFirst, business…yesterday was an active rest day for me. I really wasn’t that tired but I took it anyway because I know in the long run it will be better for me. My foot was still hurting anyway. Commute wise, the ride to work was icky since it’s so muggy. And the clouds were a sickly color, almost like there was a fire in the area. It was probably just smog (yes, bbb, we are destroying our planet and my lungs). I ran this morning for 30 minutes at a slow pace. My foot felt alright when I woke up but started bothering me on the run. I sweated a river and it was only about 70 degrees with 68% humidity. Swim tonight…long, I think. I am really looking forward to that cool pool. Ah, bliss.
Now for some ramblings:
- I sweat. I sweat A LOT. No glistening for this girl. And there’s usually a nice coat of salt on my skin. In fact, often when I get back from a run or ride and I’m stretching, my cat will sit by me and try and get in a few licks, like I’m a salt lick or something. Drives me batty and I have to scoot him off.
- “That bike thing is addicting.” As said to me by my mother this weekend who is riding her bike almost every day and has taken to riding over to my grandfather’s instead of driving. She said it’s more fun than the gym thing. Yep.
- One of the things I like about riding with the FC group is that they are all individuals. Sometimes, I see group rides and they are all wearing the same jerseys and I think, “Rebel, people”. Be unique.
- Another thing I find funny about the FC group is that when the ride is “done”, people go off and continue riding. Or they’ve already ridden for an hour or two before the ride.
- I found out on Saturday why it’s not a good idea to sing while on the bike. Rode into a swarm of gnats and got some extra protein. Yuck!
- One cool thing about the whole gas price thing is that I see more and more bike commuters now. It makes me sad that only about 1/2 of them are wearing helmets. What frustrates me more is to see all the kids that aren’t wearing helmets. And it’s the law in CA that they have to. But I never see the police stop them or tell them anything. How is that teaching them to respect the law? Not to mention their heads?
I guess that’s all for today. Hope you all have a great Tuesday.
It’s a long one… June 26, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 8 commentsHuh. I hit all my scheduled workouts this weekend. So why do I feel like I didn’t do enough? Here’s what I did the past few days:
Friday - 60 min run, bike commute to/from work, 30 min swim (drills)
Saturday - 5 hrs planned, 5 hrs 11 min actual
Sunday - 2 hrs 30 min run, 2500 planned swim, 2800 actual, 35 min bike
Ok, here’s the thing. Starting with the 30 min swim on Friday night, the workouts started strong and ended with a whimper. That night, I’d only planned the 30 min but had no energy by the end so it was an okay swim, but nothing to write home about. Oh, wait, that’s what I’m doing. 
Saturday’s ride started out great. I left the house at 5:45 and rode towards the dam and then turned around to meet up with the FC ride. There were a few guys there, all strong cyclists. I almost told them I would catch them next time because I thought I might push too hard if I rode with them. But Dan told me that John was leading the ride and I shouldn’t worry about it being a hard ride. So I headed out with the guys. Just as we left the parking lot, Kylie came riding up. We did a couple of loops of Bonelli, the short loop, the flat loop w/the freeway hill, and then cobblestone hill. John left us after the first loop, as did another guy who was racing the next day. So it was just the 4 of us for the last two loops - Scott, Bill(?), Kylie and me. I got a flat during the ride and Scott kindly changed it for me. When we got back to the bike shop, we found out that John had gotten a flat, and then Kylie had one as well. Weird that the 3 of us had one. And I had only packed one tube that morning because I haven’t had a single flat with Hobbes except with the groove incident. So I waited a few minutes for John to open the shop and bought some tubes and headed out toward home again. So far 3 hrs and 15 min and I still had a couple hours to go. I felt great - plenty of energy & legs still fresh. Everything was fine until I hit the 5 hour mark. It was about 90 degrees so not really hot but when I climed up from Church to Baseline (only a half mile tiny climb), I had trouble breathing. I felt like I couldn’t get any air in my lungs at all and then I started to feel dizzy. Rode a couple more miles like that and then when I stopped at a light, I felt like I was going to pass out. So I got off my bike and sat in the shade for a few minutes and poured water over my head. After a while, I started to feel like I could breathe again and I got back on Hobbes and rode the 2 miles home. My legs were still pretty shaky and I was slow as molasses but I made it home. I think I drank enough. I had even stopped to refill at the park a half hour before and had poured water over my head then too. So I’m not sure what happened. 
I took it easy the rest of the day and had a great nap. I also tried some recovery stuff after.
On Sunday, there was no soreness in my legs. I headed out at 6 for my run (5/1 run/walk). I ate before I went - just a breakfast bar and some OJ and took water with me. It went well until the last 15 min or so, which was more of a shuffle. I have to also admit that I walked the last 5 minutes. The arch on my right foot was really bothering me (still is). It was 80 when I finished and I was drippig wet. I hope I get acclimated to the heat soon. After the run, I went to breakfast with my mom and then we went to see the Lakehouse (weird movie). Around 5, I rode to the Rancho gym to swim. Started out strong and thought I would make the 3000 easily, then…cramp in the right leg at 2500. I made it through another 300 then called quits, showered, and rode home.
I should be happy that I completed and/or exceeded the planned workouts. I guess I’m disappointed that I didn’t finish them feeling strong. I am happy that I wasn’t too exhausted last night. I am definitely recovering better/faster from the hard workouts. Plus, I had Pizza for dinner which tasted delicious…and a Take5 candy bar. Bad, I know. But, ooooohhhhh, it was heaven. I’m not sure whether I should thank Kylie and Amber for introducing me to that heavenly concoction or curse them as it could be addicting. Gracias, mi amigas! 
Le petit bonheur… June 23, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 5 commentsI had an awesome swim last night. Plenty of energy and no seasickness. I was swamped yesterday with the training I was doing and forgot to eat a snack in the afternoon. I decided not to eat before the swim and see how it went. Everything was fine until the last few laps when I could feel a cramp coming on but it didn’t hit until the last few yards of the last lap. Cool, huh? The ride home was just as good. In fact, when I got to the corner to turn up to my house, I decided to keep going for another mile or so. That way I could finish off with a slight uphill into a headwind. Am I sick or what?
I slept really good last night and when the alarm went off this morning, it startled me. Then thru sleepy eyes, I thought the clock said 5:55 - oh crap, I missed my run! But then I opened my eyes all the way and saw that it said 4:55. Whew. Stretched like a cat in bed, heard my knees pop (as usual) and then felt a twinge of a cramp. Hmmm. Strange. Got dressed, took a couple of gulps of Gatorade and headed out for an hour run. Legs did fine. Still plenty of energy and not tired at the end. This time I walked but did a 7/1 run/walk. Also had a nice commute to work - 60 degrees and clear. Swim tonight. Shorter, I think and it will be drills. I’ve been slacking on that.
I saw this quote the other day and it reminded me of what everyone has been telling me about enjoying the process of getting to Vineman. About not worrying so much and just let it happen. It’s hard for me, my fellow trifuelers, but I’m really trying to do that.
“There are times when it is hard to believe in the future, when we are temporarily just not brave enough. When this happens, concentrate on the present. Cultivate le petit bonheur (the little happiness) until courage returns. Look forward to the beauty of the next moment, the next hour, the promise of a good meal, sleep, a book, a movie, the likelihood that tonight the stars will shine and tomorrow the sun will shine. Sink roots into the present until the strength grows to think about tomorrow.” ~ Ardis Whitman, American Author
Have a great weekend everyone. Long ride and run for me this weekend. Hobbes has been giving me the eye in the mornings. I’m pretty sure he needs to go for a ride. No, he’s demanding it!
Nothing Really To Report June 22, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 9 commentsJust wanted to jot down some weird stuff:
I found another bald spot. Luckily it’s on the back of my head and covered by other hair so it doesn’t show. The other one hasn’t completely grown back yet. It’s very unnerving. Is my body freaking out from the increase in training? Is it left over from the “groove incident”? I hope I don’t lose anymore!
My legs are feeling pretty good. Much better than last week. They feel strong and ready to rock and roll. Yeah, baby!
I had a great ride home last night. It was 91 with a breeze. I got a few extra miles in because I rode over to Michaels for some more jewelry supplies (I sold 3 more pieces).
I almost had to go to Vegas today but instead the people I’m training are coming down here. So I don’t have to miss my swims. Or my commutes. Yeah.
It’s supposed to be 107 here this weekend. Aack!
The Pool Gods Must Be Angry June 21, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 6 commentsNo swim last night. I worked til 6:45 and the Upland pool was still closed so I headed home. It was supposed to reopen yesterday but apparently the chlorine levels were too high. Sigh. It might reopen today but even if it does, there’s an aqua class tonight. The plan now is to swim tomorrow night and Friday night instead.
I went for a 40 min tempo run this morning. And threw in a few strides at the end. So, I’m sure you guessed…no walking. Woo Hoo! It was a very nice run and it felt good to pick it up a little. Made me think there’s hope for me yet. The ride in to work was nice as well. Not much traffic since school is out. Clear, sunny, warm. The afternoons are hot.
I’m not really looking forward to training in the heat, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I’m going to Arizona for the 4th of July weekend and it will be nice and toasty there. I’ll be doing a long run while I’m there so I better start getting used to it. It will be good training for Vineman anyway, right? Here’s to a summer filled with swimming, cycling, and running. Enjoy everyone.
Blue Angel June 20, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 4 commentsI got in an extra 50 min of riding last night. After work, I rode over to Foothill Cyclery where John helped me make some adjustments to Blue. We are definitely a better fit now and I don’t feel so scrunchy anymore. I felt/seemed more efficient and no knee pain although I might still need to make some more adjustments. I also think I picked out the pedals that I’m going to get for Hobbes this coming weekend (or next cuz right now they are out of shoes in my size). And I picked up a couple of tubes, co2 cartridges, Clif Bloks, Swim shampoo, and a Halo. Which I wore on my run this morning - 28 minutes, no walking. I felt really good this morning with only a slight twinge in my left knee. The ride to work was awesome. I can totally feel the difference between yesterday’s ride to work and todays.
So…what’s a Halo? It’s this…
It worked pretty well. I looked like a pirate but it kept my hair under control and the sweat out of my eyes. I sold 4 more bracelets/anklets so it helped pay for some of the stuff. Cool, huh?
Swim tonight! Have a great, great day everyone.
Reunion…aack! June 19, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General , 9 commentsI was pretty irritable this weekend and feeling a little roly poly. I was definitely burnt out on training and tired. It was a good weekend though - very family oriented. Let’s rewind back to Friday…I ended up working late that day and I didn’t do anything except ride home. So on Saturday morning, I went for a 30 min run (no walking) and then my planned 2 1/2 hr ride. Both were pretty nice, sunny but not too hot. I think it was 80 when I finished at 10:20. It seemed like the birds were singing more than normal this weekend and I saw some rare birds, or at least some that I don’t usually see - an owl and a pair of cranes with thier baby (in the airport’s field). I don’t know why, but it smells like the beach when I ride by Brackett Field (La Verne’s small airport). I always take deep breaths when I ride by there because it’s a yummy smell, much better than car fumes. Sigh…there’s something to be said for living in the burbs (convenience, opportunity, friends, etc.) but sometimes I really wish I lived in the boondocks.
That afternoon, I went over to my mother’s to spend the night. I was hoping to go to bed early but she wanted to go see the Da Vinci Code and it didn’t start til 8. By the time we got home, it was 11. Way past my bedtime! I slept in til 6 on Sunday and went for a 45 min run thru the streets of La Verne. A bit of June gloom so it was cool. Then I borrowed my mom’s car to go to the gym for a swim. But it was CLOSED! Argh! Closed for maintenance. I have to say, though, that I was a tad relieved because as much as I wanted to swim, I also wanted to just veg and relax. No, needed to veg and relax. So no swim. My grandfather came over and we barbecued and watched movies. We also went thru a box of old photos my grandfather found. Fun stuff.
Oh, guess what came this weekend? My invitation to my high school reunion!
I CANNOT believe it’s my 20 year high school reunion already. My god, I can still remember my graduation like it was yesterday. The reunion is the weekend after Vineman. It would be fun to go and just casually drop that I’d just done an Iron distance race. Oh Lisa, what do you do now? Oh, I’m a triathlete and I go for 140.6 miles for the fun of it! What a kick that would be. But I’m not sure I’m going to go because there’s also a wedding that I’m invited to that same day.
On The Edge June 16, 2006
Posted by vollenda in : General, Pictures , 4 commentsI made it to the gym last night and swam for an hour. I felt like stopping after the first 30 min but pushed on by telling myself just 15 more min, then another 15 min. It was a good swim, no sets, nice and easy. The best part was that I felt okay when I got out of the water, not dizzy and not tired. The ride home was very nice as was the ride in this morning. Still no run but maybe after work tonight - a brick. Unless I go to the LBS instead. I have to do something about Blue and quick because she’s messing with my knees. And today, my left shin hurt. While riding. Isn’t that weird?
Did you read Kylie’s blog yesterday? She is giving herself a great bday present and may be going to one of my two favorite places on earth - Bryce Canyon (the other is Joshua Tree). They are a photographer’s dream. If you haven’t been to either one, I highly recommend it. This is a picture I took at Bryce Canyon. I call it On The Edge and I think it shows nature’s tenacity. And in a way, hopefully, my own. If there’s a will, nature will find a way. And I will to.
