12 Things Tuesday

1. I drink tea several times a day: black, green, herbal. I love them all!

2. I want to do a 70.3 in 2013

3. I hate running.

4. Leverage is my favorite show. You should watch it.

5. Fast food is bad for me. It's bad for you too, just in case your waistline forgot to give you the memo.

*le sigh*

6. I'm still waiting for my Chuck Connors as the Riffleman to fall madly in love with me.

7. I love running.

8. I've never needed glasses.

9. When I'm 100, I still won't need glasses.  

10. I'm writing this on a 6 year old laptop. I love this old laptop.

11. I got a running coach. 

12. Core work is fun! (this is a lie I tell myself every time "core work" shows up on the calendar.)

Planning the Start of a Season

Part 2 of my plan to keep my focus while my foot is out of commission is planning next year's races. Winter races are out. Some of my favorite races have been the winter races. The Knoxville Tack Club has a fantastic winter long course series. However, I am going to try to volunteering for at least 2 races this winter. I really enjoy volunteering. My winter plan is hibernating riding the indoor trainer and working on my core. GRRR! Go get it!

The race I really want to be ready for this spring is Rev 3 Knoxville. This time I will conquer the cold Tennessee River. May 6... Five months to be ready. And I don't know when I'll be able to run. And I have no idea when the pool will open (it's closed due to mechanical issues; we can check back January 7). Uncertainty. Life isn't perfect. I can't predict the future. Still, signing up for it :D

The Knoxville Marathon 5K race is April 7. This will be a perfect check on my running. Hoping for a PR! I'll  fit in a pool sprint between the 5K and Rev3 as a transition practice. I suck at transition. But that's another blog post. Three races for the spring, think I'll stop there.

I do have 1 summer race already on the calendar, Amica 19.7 in Lenoir City. I did this race last year and it was the most fun I had at a race all year. Some of my tri friends are doing it again this year it and I can steal borrow a boat and make it a weekend :D Or we could rent a house on the golf course. Have I ever mentioned how bad I suck at golf!

Me on a golf course would be endlessly funny... unless, you're a serious golfer and then you'll probably just want to bury me under the course...

How do you plan your race calendar? Are there any races you have to do every year?

Shh! It's a Secret!

Training has been depressing. My foot doesn't feel like it's getting any better and now the pool is closed until at least next year. No more aqua-jogging for me. Boo! Lost in the morass of self pity and the depths of rehab despair, I've come up with a plan to survive the winter/rehab blahs.

Step one of the plan is positive thinking. I need to do things that keep me motivated to run again. Things like Volunteering! While watching others run is somewhat depressing because I can't run, it also reminds me that if I stick to "the plan," I will be doing that soon. Fast, slow, run, walk-- I love watching the people go. I wonder at the motivation for each runner.

This morning I volunteered at the Secret City Half Marathon in Oak Ridge, TN. It's a beautiful place and just over an hour away from home. One catch, the quickest way for me to get there is all two-lane roads loaded with switchbacks. I made myself carsick driving there. I dragged my mom with me and she took over the driving just in time for me to toss my breakfast. All of it, on the side of the road. I do not travel well. After that I felt better. Bundled into multiple layers and wearing 2 hats I was ready to course monitor and of course cheer! More cowbell! Woo Hoo!

I only had 1 runner go a bit off course. He got away from me! He was the second fastest runner. People of all shapes, sizes and speeds were running. Several ladies were wearing the Secret City T-shirt with black sunglasses attached to a shoulder, with neck ties, black and white checkered stockings, and cute skirts. They made excellent Agent Provocateurs. Not only did I get to people watch, I got to learn a little about traffic control. As in, some people really shouldn't be allowed to drive! What part of "no turn" is unclear? I am certain that this handful of drivers are the ones who hit runners and cyclists. The only time I felt my heart leap was when an SUV decided to go when the officer directing traffic had to turn his back to yell at the car in the turn lane. This impatient driver nearly hit the cyclist that was leading the lead runner.

With that catastrophe adverted, the rest of the day ran pretty smooth. The last walker just made the course cut off at the turn to Emory Valley. After that we packed it in, returned to the start, ate pizza and cookies and met up with a few friends. I even earned a blister on my finger from all the cowbell. It was a brilliant Sunday morning.

My foot may not feel better but my spirits do.

Now, it's time for some core work. GRRR! Go get it!

No Injuries 2013

My new mantra for the fall/winter is "No Injuries 2013." I want to have an awesome race season with PR's all across the board. I want to be fast, for me anyway.  And I am tired of being injured. I'm tired of the bone spurs, the tendonitis, the fasciitis. All caused by improper training.

The ball

I tend to push until I hurt and then I sit. I'm terribly inconsistent in all my habits and it shows in my past training. The new training plan demands consistency. It's based on max aerobic heart rate training. No intervals, fartleks, hills, sprinting, fun stuff... That's what inspired my first Garmin purchase. It's the 405. I know it gets mixed reviews, but I'm willing to give it a try. Training with it is eye opening. I didn't think I was working hard on the bike, but the heart rate monitor said otherwise. A weight workout also pushed me out of that zone. This week I got to walk twice and my average speed was like 17 min miles. What!

The one thing the doctor told me I had to do if I wanted to succeed was, "Follow the plan. No cheating!" It's so frustrating to hear the beep and have to slow down. Of course, I can't wear it in the pool, so I have to manually check my heart rate at the end of each set. No annoying beeping there! Another eye opening and humiliating experience. I'm used to swimming about 1000 yards in 30 minutes. Now, it's closer to 600.

Everything about this is humbling. Is my fitness really rubbish? What have I been doing for the past 4 years? Does this thing even work!

Though I do have to admit, I get a kick out of uploading my data and reviewing it.

So, for now, the next few months anyway, my workouts will be short and boring and no cheating! (except maybe one Gran Fondo, but just the piccolo) The doctor promised I would start seeing improvements sooner rather than later, if I stuck to my plan. Thirty minutes, 5 times a week, 10 minute warm-up, 10 minute workout, 10 minute cool-down. I can do that for 2 more weeks. Right? Right!

Have you tried max aerobic heart rate training or zone training? Did you see improvements?

Part 3 Nation's ~ Up Hill Both Ways

I've never been so hungry as when I came out of the water! I ate a honey stinger before I put my bike shoes on. I even sat in the grass to eat, drink and put on my shoes. I needed a moment to gather myself before hitting the bike course.

THERE IS NO DOWNHILL

I admit it. I like to complain. I'm good at it. Of course, Coach Richie says I only complain with a smile on my face so it's hard to take me seriously...

But there was NO DOWNHILL! None, none at all. I was still a bit energy depleted at the start of this ride, but I kept up a good cadence, kept eating and drinking. About mile 6, I started to feel like I had some more to give and cranked up the speed. The course itself was well marked and rolling to flat. There was one section that was a long, gradual incline and on the other side of the road were cyclists going down and I was really excited to get to that part for some free wheeling. Except, there was no free wheeling! What the heck happened to the DOWNHILL! 

I've described routes I've ridden around home as having "no hills." But there were times I was still able to get low and go fast and free wheel. This course I didn't find any of that! It felt like a really long spin class- I hate spin class. My ride wasn't consistent. I would have loved to have a bike computer to give me my stats on this course. I'm still learning when to eat and what gear is most efficient. But as a race, it was my best to date.

Socialcizing!

Before the race, I told Richie I was setting my watch to run 40 seconds and walk 1:25. I was fudging what the doctor said would be acceptable- as long as my tendon didn't hurt. I pre-cut some kinesio tape to apply for the run and tried to get it on like the PT showed me. That didn't workout so well... but anyway, I was feeling all HTFU! I wanted to be done and I was 6.2 miles from a doughnut.

I met this awesome lady, Theresa from Baltimore who decided to hang with me on my intervals. We talked the entire way. I forgot I was "racing" and just ran or walked when the watch beeped. I also remembered to eat my last few chews, sugar really makes a difference! The course was fun, even though I didn't notice any of the monuments. ADHD or exhaustion?

Because I had someone to share the miles with, it didn't feel hard at all. Theresa, if you read this, THANK YOU SO MUCH! The only time my tendon hurt was the last little bit when I decided to run to the finish line for over 3 minutes... My tendon hated that and let me know just before the finish line. Ice and compression socks helped :D I felt great after this race, mentally and physically. Well, after the ice bath and a nap. GO TEAM!

Part 4 ~ Final Thoughts