Saturday was a 20+ mile bike ride and a 15-minute run and whoa was that hard. Well, the bike was great - after we separated out into a longer line of riders instead of a big scary cluster of riders, I ended up with two others that I rode with the whole way. It was fun - we figured out the whole trading off riding in front thing to give the back riders a rest (cyclists aren't kidding about the whole drag thing - it makes a HUGE difference). The run was really hard - my legs were pretty shot, but I was able to actually run the whole thing so that's a good sign. I think it takes me a long time to "get my running legs" and that with a longer run I might be in better shape.
We went to SF for the weekend, and Sunday I got up early and ran for 35 minutes on the treadmill in the hotel's gym at a 12-minute mile pace (5mph on the machine) and on quite a hilly program and was able to keep it up quite well, actually increasing my pace a bit as the program wound down. It was better than nothing, so that's good.
Last night was a quick swim workout, only about 1600 meters, that was run by one of the TNT people as an optional workout. It was geared mostly for non-swimmers, so maybe not so great for me but at least I went. Again, better than nothing.
There are five people staying with us at the moment, so I am sleeping on a mattress on the floor in the master bedroom, which means maybe not sleeping so well, and today I am at work with my running stuff - hopefully I can get my butt out on the trails and get a real run in, but I'll be happy with a quick 3 miles or so.
I am supposed to leave tomorrow for OC and on the 27th for Costa Rica, I am at work today, I have plans with our guests this evening, I have not done laundry, I am not packed, and I feel like I should be more stressed out that I am. Hm.
Well, back to work.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Water Polo
I was a grump at water polo last night - I think I'm overly tired. I got really frustrated with the whole scrimmage - it was kind of chaotic. The workout was great though, and my swimming is coming along, well, swimmingly.
We have five people coming to town this Saturday to stay with us, so the house is in total chaos at the moment trying to sort out linens and sleeping arrangements, and we're in for some fun in SF this weekend (with the out-of-towners), then back to San Jose, and then I head down to OC on the 23rd (maybe the 24th, I might need that extra day), and then my sister and I fly to Costa Rica for two weeks! Good luck getting workouts in. I wonder if ziplining would count as a core workout? Well, we'll have to do a lot of hiking. And swimming. And balance that out with some cocktails on the beach.
I'm back into my small clothes - a nice side effect of all this training, and am almost back into my small jeans. So close! And I feel good, except for the tired thing of course.
I might run today, but I've had five days in a row of workouts and would be okay taking today and tomorrow off. However, with the likely scarcity of workouts in my immediate future I probably should get my butt out on the trails. It's nice outside today too...
We have five people coming to town this Saturday to stay with us, so the house is in total chaos at the moment trying to sort out linens and sleeping arrangements, and we're in for some fun in SF this weekend (with the out-of-towners), then back to San Jose, and then I head down to OC on the 23rd (maybe the 24th, I might need that extra day), and then my sister and I fly to Costa Rica for two weeks! Good luck getting workouts in. I wonder if ziplining would count as a core workout? Well, we'll have to do a lot of hiking. And swimming. And balance that out with some cocktails on the beach.
I'm back into my small clothes - a nice side effect of all this training, and am almost back into my small jeans. So close! And I feel good, except for the tired thing of course.
I might run today, but I've had five days in a row of workouts and would be okay taking today and tomorrow off. However, with the likely scarcity of workouts in my immediate future I probably should get my butt out on the trails. It's nice outside today too...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Gum
It was still on the track.
At least I think it was mine. It was in lane 2, which for some reason I have a high affinity for, and it was still squished and frozen. But not smeared, so I think it's past the sticking phase.
Today I managed to keep my gum in my mouth, so I call that a victory.
Oh, and I ran the longer of the two offered workouts, which was broken down as follows:
1 lap easy warm-up (1 lap = 1/4 mile)
1 lap
10 push-ups (seriously, those were hard)
2 laps
16 lunges
3 laps (running after lunges = hard)
20 crunches
4 laps
1 minute rest (yay!)
3 laps
20 crunches
2 laps
16 lunges
1 lap
1 lap easy warm-down
Total mileage: 4.5 (counting warm-up/-down)
Felt really great! That's encouraging.
At least I think it was mine. It was in lane 2, which for some reason I have a high affinity for, and it was still squished and frozen. But not smeared, so I think it's past the sticking phase.
Today I managed to keep my gum in my mouth, so I call that a victory.
Oh, and I ran the longer of the two offered workouts, which was broken down as follows:
1 lap easy warm-up (1 lap = 1/4 mile)
1 lap
10 push-ups (seriously, those were hard)
2 laps
16 lunges
3 laps (running after lunges = hard)
20 crunches
4 laps
1 minute rest (yay!)
3 laps
20 crunches
2 laps
16 lunges
1 lap
1 lap easy warm-down
Total mileage: 4.5 (counting warm-up/-down)
Felt really great! That's encouraging.
Eventually a Silent Auction
So here's the list for items for my silent auction - date and time and location TBA:
2-night stay at the Hilton Union Square (SF)
2-night stay at the Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf (SF)
1-night in a deluxe suite at The Fairmont San Jose
$350 in women's cycling clothing, courtesy of The Spokesman in Santa Cruz
Two weekend rentals of ski or snowboard gear from Santa Cruz Boardshop ($95 value)
Styling products and a cut/style at James Craig Salon in Saratoga (~$150)
$20 in Bagel Bucks from The Bagelry in Santa Cruz
Wine basket including wines from Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard and David Bruce (Est Value $100)
One "aerial bay tour" for one person with Robert Garder (thanks Rob!), private pilot (Est Value $200)
XTerra women's large sleeveless wetsuit ($300 value)
There are few items still in limbo that I hope to add as the event gets nearer, but I'm excited to have so much to auction off! I'm figuring a little casual cocktail party where people can socialize and have some wine and bid on things they're interested in, probably at the end of January.
If you or someone you know is willing to donate goods or services please let me know! Stay tuned!
2-night stay at the Hilton Union Square (SF)
2-night stay at the Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf (SF)
1-night in a deluxe suite at The Fairmont San Jose
$350 in women's cycling clothing, courtesy of The Spokesman in Santa Cruz
Two weekend rentals of ski or snowboard gear from Santa Cruz Boardshop ($95 value)
Styling products and a cut/style at James Craig Salon in Saratoga (~$150)
$20 in Bagel Bucks from The Bagelry in Santa Cruz
Wine basket including wines from Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard and David Bruce (Est Value $100)
One "aerial bay tour" for one person with Robert Garder (thanks Rob!), private pilot (Est Value $200)
XTerra women's large sleeveless wetsuit ($300 value)
There are few items still in limbo that I hope to add as the event gets nearer, but I'm excited to have so much to auction off! I'm figuring a little casual cocktail party where people can socialize and have some wine and bid on things they're interested in, probably at the end of January.
If you or someone you know is willing to donate goods or services please let me know! Stay tuned!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Ah, Master's Swimming
Well, my grunginess propelled me to the pool, and now I am sparkly clean and have water draining from my sinuses.
I also realized that my pants are too big so my underwear are hanging out the top (thankfully, I have a long shirt on, but I am constantly hiking these suckers up), and the fleece I grabbed, straight out of the drier although already folded and put away, has a sort of static-y clingy inside where another pair of underwear were clinging to the inner sleeve. I discovered this as I changed into my swim suit in the locker room. Thankfully, no one noticed, but apparently my underwear really want to make an appearance today. And I guess now I have a spare. You know, just in case. So that's good.
So Master's swimming, at least the Master's swimming I have done (not at UCSC) usually involves a coach on the deck who tells you the workout and gives you input and makes sure you're doing okay and it's a very interactive thing. Well, as interactive as swimming can be. This workout was a little different. The workout was written on a white board, which was spectacular, but there was little explanation, and each coach has their own vernacular swim language. So you'll understand my confusion when I read something like 2 X 100; 1-10-beat/ 2-catch-up. Now, I know what 2 X 100 means (two 100-yard swims), what catch-up means, but 10-beat? And the 1 and 2? WTF? (Okay, it meant the first 100 was 10-beat, which I will spare you the boring explanation of, and the second was catch-up. Duh. But still, a verbal explanation would have been nice.) I was the moron asking everyone in the pool for clarification, since the coach (assistant coach?) mostly just sat and socialized on the deck. I finally gave up trying to understand and just swam last in my lane of really fast people and did what they did. This from someone who has been swimming for years and years. Come on, if I can't get it something's not right.
I also miscalculated my lane; lanes go from slow on the right (yes, there is slow in Master's swimming, unlike TNT! Also, anyone pick up on the fact that TNT didn't want to use the REAL acronym for Team In Training? I find that funny.) to fast on the left. We had five lanes, so I jumped in the second-slowest. I like to underestimate my speed and move up instead of the other way around, and figured that would be a good place to start. However, after we'd begun our warm-up, we lost the last lane to the recreational swimmers and were down to four. Now, I was in the slowest lane, and it rapidly became obvious that I was in the wrong place. The coach (who again mostly sat and chatted with people), who I sort of expect should be watching for this kind of thing, finally placed me in the second-fastest lane (woo hoo!). Which actually might not have been the right placement either - I probably should have been in the lane one notch down, but damn was that a good workout!
Not that I could tell you what I actually swam - there was a warm-up set, but I was so confused by my lane placement and trying to swim around people that I ended up skipping some of it and asking the coach if I should wait for my lane or just do the sets on my own. (That's when he suggested a proper lane for me - clearly I need to be more proactive about moving around. I'm just really sensitive to being the way slowest one in a lane, don't know anyone, and swimming can be kind of like surfing - a bit territorial. I didn't want to step on anyone's toes and was trying to gauge lane speeds...) I'm going to guess the warm-up set for me involved about 600 meters (oh yes, and it was long course, which means one length is 50 meters instead of 25 yards = less flip turns = WAY more swimming = good for my training but a little scary at my first day of Master's), and the main set was as follows:
4 X 50, descending free (I have no idea what interval we were on, I just swam when everyone else swam)
2 X 100, 50 backstroke 50 breaststroke (did I mention I hate breaststroke? This was a weird combination of my best and worst strokes, where I ended up on the toes of the woman in front of me on the backstroke and then gasping to keep up on the breaststroke.)
We did three sets of those, with a 100 after the first set, a 200 after the second set, and a 300 after the third set. I got my ass kicked by my lane on the 300.
So that's an 1800 meter main set, most of which I was swimming hard. Add the ~600 warm-up (that might be an underestimate) and I went ~2400 yards of pretty hard swimming.
There was a kick set at the end but most people, including myself, got out instead.
Now, back at work, sniffling and hoping there's no more stealthy underwear lurking in my clothes today.
I also realized that my pants are too big so my underwear are hanging out the top (thankfully, I have a long shirt on, but I am constantly hiking these suckers up), and the fleece I grabbed, straight out of the drier although already folded and put away, has a sort of static-y clingy inside where another pair of underwear were clinging to the inner sleeve. I discovered this as I changed into my swim suit in the locker room. Thankfully, no one noticed, but apparently my underwear really want to make an appearance today. And I guess now I have a spare. You know, just in case. So that's good.
So Master's swimming, at least the Master's swimming I have done (not at UCSC) usually involves a coach on the deck who tells you the workout and gives you input and makes sure you're doing okay and it's a very interactive thing. Well, as interactive as swimming can be. This workout was a little different. The workout was written on a white board, which was spectacular, but there was little explanation, and each coach has their own vernacular swim language. So you'll understand my confusion when I read something like 2 X 100; 1-10-beat/ 2-catch-up. Now, I know what 2 X 100 means (two 100-yard swims), what catch-up means, but 10-beat? And the 1 and 2? WTF? (Okay, it meant the first 100 was 10-beat, which I will spare you the boring explanation of, and the second was catch-up. Duh. But still, a verbal explanation would have been nice.) I was the moron asking everyone in the pool for clarification, since the coach (assistant coach?) mostly just sat and socialized on the deck. I finally gave up trying to understand and just swam last in my lane of really fast people and did what they did. This from someone who has been swimming for years and years. Come on, if I can't get it something's not right.
I also miscalculated my lane; lanes go from slow on the right (yes, there is slow in Master's swimming, unlike TNT! Also, anyone pick up on the fact that TNT didn't want to use the REAL acronym for Team In Training? I find that funny.) to fast on the left. We had five lanes, so I jumped in the second-slowest. I like to underestimate my speed and move up instead of the other way around, and figured that would be a good place to start. However, after we'd begun our warm-up, we lost the last lane to the recreational swimmers and were down to four. Now, I was in the slowest lane, and it rapidly became obvious that I was in the wrong place. The coach (who again mostly sat and chatted with people), who I sort of expect should be watching for this kind of thing, finally placed me in the second-fastest lane (woo hoo!). Which actually might not have been the right placement either - I probably should have been in the lane one notch down, but damn was that a good workout!
Not that I could tell you what I actually swam - there was a warm-up set, but I was so confused by my lane placement and trying to swim around people that I ended up skipping some of it and asking the coach if I should wait for my lane or just do the sets on my own. (That's when he suggested a proper lane for me - clearly I need to be more proactive about moving around. I'm just really sensitive to being the way slowest one in a lane, don't know anyone, and swimming can be kind of like surfing - a bit territorial. I didn't want to step on anyone's toes and was trying to gauge lane speeds...) I'm going to guess the warm-up set for me involved about 600 meters (oh yes, and it was long course, which means one length is 50 meters instead of 25 yards = less flip turns = WAY more swimming = good for my training but a little scary at my first day of Master's), and the main set was as follows:
4 X 50, descending free (I have no idea what interval we were on, I just swam when everyone else swam)
2 X 100, 50 backstroke 50 breaststroke (did I mention I hate breaststroke? This was a weird combination of my best and worst strokes, where I ended up on the toes of the woman in front of me on the backstroke and then gasping to keep up on the breaststroke.)
We did three sets of those, with a 100 after the first set, a 200 after the second set, and a 300 after the third set. I got my ass kicked by my lane on the 300.
So that's an 1800 meter main set, most of which I was swimming hard. Add the ~600 warm-up (that might be an underestimate) and I went ~2400 yards of pretty hard swimming.
There was a kick set at the end but most people, including myself, got out instead.
Now, back at work, sniffling and hoping there's no more stealthy underwear lurking in my clothes today.
Trying to Cycle
Saturday we had what was supposed to be a swim/bike workout, but since it was rainy and wet it turned into a swim/run instead.
The swim was fun, but short. My mentor, who knows I am also playing water polo and have a history of swimming, invited me to the early workout for mentors and captains so I could get some more laps in. The venue has two outdoor pools, one of which is covered by a "bubble," which is just what it sounds like - a big, white inflated bubble over the pool. This traps the heat, and that particular pool is kept quite warm (over 80 degrees, which in pool parlance is really f-ing hot). This results in a warm, humid, chlorine-y atmosphere, that upon entering is lovely but as soon as you try to be active it feels like you're suffocating. At least it did for me - I tried to actually swim hard, but ended up hanging halfway out of the pool trying to get a breath of fresh air, of which there was none to be found. Changing tactics, I swam about 1000 yards (maybe a bit less) of easy freestyle before hopping back out to get ready for the "real" workout with the participants.
The early workout was 7:45 - 8:30, then we were back in the pool at 9. Now, 30 minutes might not sound like a long delay, but imagine you're in a wet bathing suit, have forgotten to bring your parka, and are still wearing your swim cap, from which rivulets of cold water dribble down your back. You're trying to keep your towel relatively dry, since you need to use it again after the "real" swim and before the run, so it's loosely wrapped around you. You're barefoot, the cement is cold, and it's starting to rain.
So.
Thankfully we were in the outdoor pool for the 9AM workout, which was really fun. I hopped into the "faster" lanes (we self-categorize as fast or faster - there are no slow swimmers) and away we went. It was a short workout - I think we only went about 1000 yards - but I forgot how much fun it is to swim in a group like that. Very motivating. Then we had relays, so they broke us up into teams with a mixture of four "fast" and "faster" people in each group, and we swam a 200-yard relay, one lap at a time. It was an all-out 25-yard sprint, twice, and great fun. And my team won! (I know, I know, not a race...)
Because it was so wet outside, we ran instead of biked, which involved a large group of women cramming themselves into the locker room and wrestling themselves into sports bras and tight running clothes while still damp - a workout in and of itself. I would say it was team sport, with strangers helping other strangers untangle bras and pull up pants. Pretty entertaining.
We then ran a simple out-and-back flat 3.4-miler, which felt pretty good, and I hopped in the car and went home to take a long hot shower and a nap.
Sunday I was going to run, but was worried about my lack of cycling training, so bought an indoor resistance trainer (thanks Mom!). Essentially you hook your back tire up to the trainer and the wheel sits on a spinner, which offers resistance as you pedal and shift. The trainer came with a training DVD, which I watched yesterday. I don't think I've sweat that much in a long, long time - that was a seriously hard workout, but totally fun - essentially the video is a guy in an actual cycling race with a camera mounted on his handlebars, and at the bottom of the screen they give you stats like heartrate, RPM, power output, and intensity level you should be riding at to mimic the race. I couldn't do the whole thing and ended up just spinning fast at really low resistance for quite a bit of it, but it was totally fun. I have another video that's supposed to up your strength and speed, and am honestly a little afraid of it.
Today is supposed to be a swim... I find that on the days I am supposed to swim if I don't shower in the morning before work I am more likely to hop in the pool because I feel so gross. So, we'll see if grossness wins out today. :-)
The swim was fun, but short. My mentor, who knows I am also playing water polo and have a history of swimming, invited me to the early workout for mentors and captains so I could get some more laps in. The venue has two outdoor pools, one of which is covered by a "bubble," which is just what it sounds like - a big, white inflated bubble over the pool. This traps the heat, and that particular pool is kept quite warm (over 80 degrees, which in pool parlance is really f-ing hot). This results in a warm, humid, chlorine-y atmosphere, that upon entering is lovely but as soon as you try to be active it feels like you're suffocating. At least it did for me - I tried to actually swim hard, but ended up hanging halfway out of the pool trying to get a breath of fresh air, of which there was none to be found. Changing tactics, I swam about 1000 yards (maybe a bit less) of easy freestyle before hopping back out to get ready for the "real" workout with the participants.
The early workout was 7:45 - 8:30, then we were back in the pool at 9. Now, 30 minutes might not sound like a long delay, but imagine you're in a wet bathing suit, have forgotten to bring your parka, and are still wearing your swim cap, from which rivulets of cold water dribble down your back. You're trying to keep your towel relatively dry, since you need to use it again after the "real" swim and before the run, so it's loosely wrapped around you. You're barefoot, the cement is cold, and it's starting to rain.
So.
Thankfully we were in the outdoor pool for the 9AM workout, which was really fun. I hopped into the "faster" lanes (we self-categorize as fast or faster - there are no slow swimmers) and away we went. It was a short workout - I think we only went about 1000 yards - but I forgot how much fun it is to swim in a group like that. Very motivating. Then we had relays, so they broke us up into teams with a mixture of four "fast" and "faster" people in each group, and we swam a 200-yard relay, one lap at a time. It was an all-out 25-yard sprint, twice, and great fun. And my team won! (I know, I know, not a race...)
Because it was so wet outside, we ran instead of biked, which involved a large group of women cramming themselves into the locker room and wrestling themselves into sports bras and tight running clothes while still damp - a workout in and of itself. I would say it was team sport, with strangers helping other strangers untangle bras and pull up pants. Pretty entertaining.
We then ran a simple out-and-back flat 3.4-miler, which felt pretty good, and I hopped in the car and went home to take a long hot shower and a nap.
Sunday I was going to run, but was worried about my lack of cycling training, so bought an indoor resistance trainer (thanks Mom!). Essentially you hook your back tire up to the trainer and the wheel sits on a spinner, which offers resistance as you pedal and shift. The trainer came with a training DVD, which I watched yesterday. I don't think I've sweat that much in a long, long time - that was a seriously hard workout, but totally fun - essentially the video is a guy in an actual cycling race with a camera mounted on his handlebars, and at the bottom of the screen they give you stats like heartrate, RPM, power output, and intensity level you should be riding at to mimic the race. I couldn't do the whole thing and ended up just spinning fast at really low resistance for quite a bit of it, but it was totally fun. I have another video that's supposed to up your strength and speed, and am honestly a little afraid of it.
Today is supposed to be a swim... I find that on the days I am supposed to swim if I don't shower in the morning before work I am more likely to hop in the pool because I feel so gross. So, we'll see if grossness wins out today. :-)
Friday, December 11, 2009
Swim and Bike or Run Tomorrow!
There's an 8:30AM swim followed by a bike or, if it's raining, a run. The mentors and captains are getting in the water at 7:45, and my mentor (a friend of mine), who's aware of my already well-underway swimming efforts, invited me to join them since the workout for the rest of us is supposed to be not very intense.
I'm excited! I'll get 2x45 minute workouts in the pool and then either a bike or a run tomorrow!
Then, almost certainly, a nap.
I'm excited! I'll get 2x45 minute workouts in the pool and then either a bike or a run tomorrow!
Then, almost certainly, a nap.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
I Can't Chew Gum and Run.
No, really.
We had a track workout tonight in the 40-something weather (actually my favorite weather to run in - why am I doing a tri in Hawaii again?!), and after a 1.5-mile warm-up (actually ~20 minutes of jogging) we were partnered with another runner for a 4-mile relay. We could break the relay up however we wanted to, and we decided to run a mile before switching off, with my partner going first. We also had to guess our total time, and my partner figured she could run a 9:30-mile, and I guessed 12 minutes (I'm slow but steady), so we had a total of 43:30. There were "prizes" for the team closest to their guesstimated time, so speed wasn't the issue, and they wanted us to work on pacing.
So, I chew gum when I run. It keeps my mouth from dying out and keeps me from having that awful "I have to spit" feeling (gross, I know - I haven't gotten to the snot rocket phase of tri training, and I hope I never do). So I'm in the third lap of my first mile and am breathing pretty hard (I am completely incapable of not competing and thus was running harder than I probably should have. Which is still really slow.), and I look down at the track and exhale...
...and lose my gum. I watched it is slow motion, like locking your keys in the car, and had that "noooooo!" moment where I tried to grab for it and missed. It landed on the track and I just kept running instead of picking it up.
Hey, we were being timed!
Of course, I kept glancing back to see if anyone had stepped in it, and was listening for people to complain about it, and was visualizing the lecture we'd all get at the end of the workout about not chewing gum on the track (I have no idea if that's a rule or not). As I rounded the track and returned to the same area, I began scanning the second lane for the tell-tale white spot of stepped-on gum. However, when I saw it, I was delighted to find that the little piece of gum had frozen into a hard white pellet on the track! It wasn't smeared or sticky, just frozen.
Crisis averted! Thank you cold weather! At any rate, instead of the 43:30 we ran four miles (2 each) in just over 37 minutes - under ten minutes per mile (although I suspect that it was my partner that lowered the average, not me)!
And next time I'll try to run with my mouth closed.
We had a track workout tonight in the 40-something weather (actually my favorite weather to run in - why am I doing a tri in Hawaii again?!), and after a 1.5-mile warm-up (actually ~20 minutes of jogging) we were partnered with another runner for a 4-mile relay. We could break the relay up however we wanted to, and we decided to run a mile before switching off, with my partner going first. We also had to guess our total time, and my partner figured she could run a 9:30-mile, and I guessed 12 minutes (I'm slow but steady), so we had a total of 43:30. There were "prizes" for the team closest to their guesstimated time, so speed wasn't the issue, and they wanted us to work on pacing.
So, I chew gum when I run. It keeps my mouth from dying out and keeps me from having that awful "I have to spit" feeling (gross, I know - I haven't gotten to the snot rocket phase of tri training, and I hope I never do). So I'm in the third lap of my first mile and am breathing pretty hard (I am completely incapable of not competing and thus was running harder than I probably should have. Which is still really slow.), and I look down at the track and exhale...
...and lose my gum. I watched it is slow motion, like locking your keys in the car, and had that "noooooo!" moment where I tried to grab for it and missed. It landed on the track and I just kept running instead of picking it up.
Hey, we were being timed!
Of course, I kept glancing back to see if anyone had stepped in it, and was listening for people to complain about it, and was visualizing the lecture we'd all get at the end of the workout about not chewing gum on the track (I have no idea if that's a rule or not). As I rounded the track and returned to the same area, I began scanning the second lane for the tell-tale white spot of stepped-on gum. However, when I saw it, I was delighted to find that the little piece of gum had frozen into a hard white pellet on the track! It wasn't smeared or sticky, just frozen.
Crisis averted! Thank you cold weather! At any rate, instead of the 43:30 we ran four miles (2 each) in just over 37 minutes - under ten minutes per mile (although I suspect that it was my partner that lowered the average, not me)!
And next time I'll try to run with my mouth closed.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Back in the Pool
Weather.com tells me that Santa Cruz is 48 degrees but feels like 46. Perfect weather for a little dip in the pool, I thought!
I went early to avoid the crowds, arriving at 10:40AM after setting something up in the lab. However, when I arrived I found the pool still covered and the hours for lap swimming changed - during finals week, apparently, the pool opens at 11. There was no notice of this on the web site, which I check frequently to avoid this exact situation.
I ended up waiting in the locker room as asking people who came in how the pool looked (open or closed), and as soon as someone said htey were making progress on it I went outside in to stand with the other speedo-clad early birds in the lobby of the complex.
The water was warm, I'm sure partially because the pool was left covered (essential, even for heated pools, especially in the winter), and it was nice and steamy. I had a lane to myself for the duration of my swim, and wanted to really get in some yards, so I did an entirely freestyle workout that took 800 yards in various sets and tried pacing myself for consistency. I actually did pretty well at it, although I was a bit slower than I'd like, but that's what I get for being out of the water for a week. I'll probably break down and join Masters when my sister and I get back from Costa Rica.
At any rate, here's the workout:
(All free)
1 X 800 yards - I used this partially as a warm up (Total yards = 800)
2 X 400 yards, 15 seconds rest between (Total yards = 1600)
4X 200 yards (Total yards = 2400), 15 seconds rest between
8 X 100 yards (Total yards = 3200) on 1:40
50 warmdown
I held a really steady pace of 1:30 for the 100s, so was happy about that, and got a comfortable 10 seconds rest between them.
I think my wet hair froze on the walk back to lab though.
I went early to avoid the crowds, arriving at 10:40AM after setting something up in the lab. However, when I arrived I found the pool still covered and the hours for lap swimming changed - during finals week, apparently, the pool opens at 11. There was no notice of this on the web site, which I check frequently to avoid this exact situation.
I ended up waiting in the locker room as asking people who came in how the pool looked (open or closed), and as soon as someone said htey were making progress on it I went outside in to stand with the other speedo-clad early birds in the lobby of the complex.
The water was warm, I'm sure partially because the pool was left covered (essential, even for heated pools, especially in the winter), and it was nice and steamy. I had a lane to myself for the duration of my swim, and wanted to really get in some yards, so I did an entirely freestyle workout that took 800 yards in various sets and tried pacing myself for consistency. I actually did pretty well at it, although I was a bit slower than I'd like, but that's what I get for being out of the water for a week. I'll probably break down and join Masters when my sister and I get back from Costa Rica.
At any rate, here's the workout:
(All free)
1 X 800 yards - I used this partially as a warm up (Total yards = 800)
2 X 400 yards, 15 seconds rest between (Total yards = 1600)
4X 200 yards (Total yards = 2400), 15 seconds rest between
8 X 100 yards (Total yards = 3200) on 1:40
50 warmdown
I held a really steady pace of 1:30 for the 100s, so was happy about that, and got a comfortable 10 seconds rest between them.
I think my wet hair froze on the walk back to lab though.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The best laid plans...
Well, this workout week didn't exactly turn out the way I'd planned. I ended up running the trails (just under 5 miles) on Thursday, and took Friday off but mostly because we had a black tie event that evening and it just takes me forever to look put-together. Saturday morning was a "ride-and-tie" event for TNT, where we teamed up with a partner and showed up in costume (we were the Bathing Beauties, I in a robe and plastic shower cap over my bike helmet, my partner Christine in a towel - over her running clothes of course - and a cute pink polka dot shower cap over her helmet) and relayed around a 2.5-mile loop three times. Essentially one of us took off on the bike while the other one ran, and at some point we dumped the bikes along the trail, where our partner picked it up and rode for a spell, then they dumped the bike and partner number one picked it back up... After each loop you had to run up a hill and perform a task - a three-legged race while singing a nursery rhyme, for example. At the end, there were "prizes" for best costumes: ketchup and mustard won that one (they even had cardboard lids attached to their helmets). I found it really difficult - just as I was getting my running legs it'd be time to hop back on the bike! But it kept us interested and really, I ran and biked faster than I thought I could and although I thought we were one of the last groups, it turns out we were one of the first (but it's not a competition!)!
Today there's a bike ride at 10 that I am skipping because we're going to a Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree. We're bringing chairs and a camp stove and hot chocolate (and perhaps a nip of Peppermint Schnapps), and we're going with good friends and their two kids so it should be great fun. I got up early and ran 5.8 miles - here's my route and elevation (although it was only like 200 feet, there were some serious hills in there!):
Today there's a bike ride at 10 that I am skipping because we're going to a Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree. We're bringing chairs and a camp stove and hot chocolate (and perhaps a nip of Peppermint Schnapps), and we're going with good friends and their two kids so it should be great fun. I got up early and ran 5.8 miles - here's my route and elevation (although it was only like 200 feet, there were some serious hills in there!):
I'm feeling pretty good with the running - at the end I felt really strong, and although I am improving I think I really just went from looking like I was having a heart attack and only being able to stare at the ground and shuffle to being able to hold my head up and actually get more than two words out at one time. But hey, it's progress.
I'm behind on the biking but my legs feel strong so I'm not as worried about that part. I lagged on swimming this week and am going to feel that tomorrow when I get in the water, but know that it'll come back quickly...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
More Running and the Bake Sale
My run was amazing - I actually felt...bouncy, I guess, for lack of a better word! And there were points where it was easier to run a bit faster than to slow down. Maybe some people call those "downhills," but whatever! And right at the beginning of the run, there was this noise up the hill to my left, and I look up and very obviously trying to stay out of view behind a tree is this college kid with long curly hair and a bright orange shirt (not very good camo in a forest, kid). It was really creepy.
After the run I headed home to bake my heart out! I baked for five hours, completely destroyed the kitchen, and made the following:
Two raspberry buttermilk cakes
24 Yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting
20 Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting
Two pound cakes
One pan of chocolate chunk brownies
One pan of chocolate fudge brownies
16 cranberry-orange mini-loaves
I packed it all up, with the frosted cupcakes in two large plastic boxes, and drove over the 17 the next morning (Wednesday). I heard something crash as I took a turn, and it sounded like the package of napkins. When I arrived at UCSC, however, I found that the cupcake boxes had turned on their sides, and the cupcakes had all (seriously, every single one) stuck to the side of the boxes. When I righted the boxes, the cupcakes continued to stick. Good, thick frosting! Peeling them off the boxes wasn't the best rescue, and this is what I ended up with:
However, the bake sale was a great success - we sold almost all of my stuff and most of what my friend brought (but he brought a LOT of stuff), and made just over $200 each that I've already put into my account and I am now at 43% of my fundraising goal! I will say that being mildly hypothermic for a day was tough - it was about 45 degrees outside and it was not sunny. Cold!
And last night, after the hypothermic bake sale, was water polo, where my legs were surprsingly strong and I felt really good. It helps that the pool temp got bumped up to 81 and it was covered, keeping the heat in. I love it when it's so steamy you can hardly see the person you're passing to! Of course, the reward for going to water polo is that the ladies go The Dutch Goose for food and wine/beer, so we feasted on peanuts and burgers and wine and then went home.
Today might be a run, I haven't decided yet. I'm tired, and have to swim tomorrow, and there's a bike workout Saturday. Tired week for me, but I'm feeling like I'm getting into shape nicely!
After the run I headed home to bake my heart out! I baked for five hours, completely destroyed the kitchen, and made the following:
Two raspberry buttermilk cakes
24 Yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting
20 Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting
Two pound cakes
One pan of chocolate chunk brownies
One pan of chocolate fudge brownies
16 cranberry-orange mini-loaves
I packed it all up, with the frosted cupcakes in two large plastic boxes, and drove over the 17 the next morning (Wednesday). I heard something crash as I took a turn, and it sounded like the package of napkins. When I arrived at UCSC, however, I found that the cupcake boxes had turned on their sides, and the cupcakes had all (seriously, every single one) stuck to the side of the boxes. When I righted the boxes, the cupcakes continued to stick. Good, thick frosting! Peeling them off the boxes wasn't the best rescue, and this is what I ended up with:
The great cupcake disaster of 2009! The chocolate ones were even worse - the tops of some of the cupcakes actually peeled off and remained stuck to the side.
And last night, after the hypothermic bake sale, was water polo, where my legs were surprsingly strong and I felt really good. It helps that the pool temp got bumped up to 81 and it was covered, keeping the heat in. I love it when it's so steamy you can hardly see the person you're passing to! Of course, the reward for going to water polo is that the ladies go The Dutch Goose for food and wine/beer, so we feasted on peanuts and burgers and wine and then went home.
Today might be a run, I haven't decided yet. I'm tired, and have to swim tomorrow, and there's a bike workout Saturday. Tired week for me, but I'm feeling like I'm getting into shape nicely!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Running.
Today. 12PM. Me and the trails above campus.
Because yesterday I never actually did make it into the pool, today I must run, and I must run 5 miles on the trails. I'm giving myself two hours to get it all done and get back, and then I have to take a phone call at 2:30.
THEN I have to go home and bake a million treats for our bake sale tomorrow!
Because yesterday I never actually did make it into the pool, today I must run, and I must run 5 miles on the trails. I'm giving myself two hours to get it all done and get back, and then I have to take a phone call at 2:30.
THEN I have to go home and bake a million treats for our bake sale tomorrow!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Triathlon Training is Hard
I know, what an epiphany. I think I'm already in pretty okay shape and with months of training ahead of me I should be fine.
However, at this point I feel like I will train for the three events and be kind of good at all three, but not really well-prepared for any single one of them. That's frustrating.
Today I am struggling with getting myself to the pool and am tempted to take one more day off as I am *very* tired today. It's just the Thanksgiving weekend hangover, not from any athletic endeavors, and I worry that skipping a swim today is a bad thing. In hte big picture, not swimming today probably won't kill my training, and might even be good for morale, but damn do I feel guilty!
I also am doing a bake sale with a coworker who is in TNT but on the marathon team - the bake sale is Wednesday, and I haven't started baking yet. Tomorrow night is going to be a long evening of baking and wrapping and labeling!
Eh, actually, tomorrow is going to be so busy I'd really better get my butt to the pool today. Maybe I'll just do a timed mock swim and see where I'm at and call it a day...
However, at this point I feel like I will train for the three events and be kind of good at all three, but not really well-prepared for any single one of them. That's frustrating.
Today I am struggling with getting myself to the pool and am tempted to take one more day off as I am *very* tired today. It's just the Thanksgiving weekend hangover, not from any athletic endeavors, and I worry that skipping a swim today is a bad thing. In hte big picture, not swimming today probably won't kill my training, and might even be good for morale, but damn do I feel guilty!
I also am doing a bake sale with a coworker who is in TNT but on the marathon team - the bake sale is Wednesday, and I haven't started baking yet. Tomorrow night is going to be a long evening of baking and wrapping and labeling!
Eh, actually, tomorrow is going to be so busy I'd really better get my butt to the pool today. Maybe I'll just do a timed mock swim and see where I'm at and call it a day...
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Paso Robles Signage is Not Good
...or, how a planned 15-mile bike ride went awry.
My mom, sister, and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Paso Robles where we stayed in a lovely rental home very near downtown. I, being the motivated triathlon trainee that I am, brought my bike and my running gear so I could squeeze in a couple of workouts. Also, because I particularly enjoy having routes planned ahead of time and I don't know the area, I spent quite a bit of time on mapmyride.com looking up 15-ish mile rides in the Paso Robles hills.
I found one ride that particularly appealed to me: just a hair over 15 miles, "rolling hills," scenic loop, and backroads. Sounded perfect. So the route was supposed to be Peachy Canyon Road, right onto Hidden Mountain Drive, right onto Adelaida Road, and then that should take me back into town. 15 miles of rolling hills sounded ambitious, but I figured I could do it in under two hours.
Friday morning I donned my bike gear and headed out. My mom and sister watched me pedal away; what they didn't see was the chain slip about 50 yards down the road and me stopping to get it all running smoothly again. Slightly inauspicious start.
My first warning should have come when I hit the first hill almost immediately, on the road that was called "Merry Hill." Yes, the name should have tipped me off. Anyway, I rode up what felt like a huge hill, as a family of three were walking down - I, standing on the bike and pedaling for all I am worth just to stay upright, moving more slowly than I could walk, was huffing and puffing and sweating so much that my athlete-specific sunglasses fogged up and I could hardly see. They were walking leisurely downhill (damn gravity), and the mom actually cheered me on, with a "You're doing great!" The son, who was about 8 or 9, added, "Yeah hills are hard!" I could only add on my exhales, "You're not kidding!" and try not to fall over.
After "Not So Merry Hill" I was supposed to turn right onto Peachy Canyon Road. However, Peachy Canyon Road was labeled as something that was not Peachy Canyon Road, so I got off my bike and stood there for a minute with my iPhone trying to figure out what road it was (I'd been riding all of 10 minutes at this point). Turns out that road was indeed Peachy Canyon, it just had a different name on the sign (I think it was Pacific).
Strike two. I think I should have turned around at that point, but I was determined to overcome my road biking fear and do this supposedly lovely ride.
Peachy Canyon was absolutely gorgeous - it took me through vineyard after vineyard, and into a back canyon (again, I should have paid attention to the name!) where I lost cell signal. I wouldn't figure that out for a while though. There were hardly any cars, and the cars that were there were very bike-friendly, giving me a wide berth and slowing down quite a bit as they passed me.
There was a LOT of uphill. Like a LOT. How disappointed I am, every time, when I get to the easiest gear and want another one, only to find that I'm stuck and have to actually pedal hard! Seriously, there was a lot of uphill. This is a topo map of Peachy Canyon Road - Paso Robles is to the right, and Peachy Canyon dead-ends into Vineyard Drive. Hidden Mountain Drive isn't apparent on this map (more on that later), but you can kind of get a sense for where I was riding here - from Paso towards Vineyard...
My mom, sister, and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Paso Robles where we stayed in a lovely rental home very near downtown. I, being the motivated triathlon trainee that I am, brought my bike and my running gear so I could squeeze in a couple of workouts. Also, because I particularly enjoy having routes planned ahead of time and I don't know the area, I spent quite a bit of time on mapmyride.com looking up 15-ish mile rides in the Paso Robles hills.
I found one ride that particularly appealed to me: just a hair over 15 miles, "rolling hills," scenic loop, and backroads. Sounded perfect. So the route was supposed to be Peachy Canyon Road, right onto Hidden Mountain Drive, right onto Adelaida Road, and then that should take me back into town. 15 miles of rolling hills sounded ambitious, but I figured I could do it in under two hours.
Friday morning I donned my bike gear and headed out. My mom and sister watched me pedal away; what they didn't see was the chain slip about 50 yards down the road and me stopping to get it all running smoothly again. Slightly inauspicious start.
My first warning should have come when I hit the first hill almost immediately, on the road that was called "Merry Hill." Yes, the name should have tipped me off. Anyway, I rode up what felt like a huge hill, as a family of three were walking down - I, standing on the bike and pedaling for all I am worth just to stay upright, moving more slowly than I could walk, was huffing and puffing and sweating so much that my athlete-specific sunglasses fogged up and I could hardly see. They were walking leisurely downhill (damn gravity), and the mom actually cheered me on, with a "You're doing great!" The son, who was about 8 or 9, added, "Yeah hills are hard!" I could only add on my exhales, "You're not kidding!" and try not to fall over.
After "Not So Merry Hill" I was supposed to turn right onto Peachy Canyon Road. However, Peachy Canyon Road was labeled as something that was not Peachy Canyon Road, so I got off my bike and stood there for a minute with my iPhone trying to figure out what road it was (I'd been riding all of 10 minutes at this point). Turns out that road was indeed Peachy Canyon, it just had a different name on the sign (I think it was Pacific).
Strike two. I think I should have turned around at that point, but I was determined to overcome my road biking fear and do this supposedly lovely ride.
Peachy Canyon was absolutely gorgeous - it took me through vineyard after vineyard, and into a back canyon (again, I should have paid attention to the name!) where I lost cell signal. I wouldn't figure that out for a while though. There were hardly any cars, and the cars that were there were very bike-friendly, giving me a wide berth and slowing down quite a bit as they passed me.
There was a LOT of uphill. Like a LOT. How disappointed I am, every time, when I get to the easiest gear and want another one, only to find that I'm stuck and have to actually pedal hard! Seriously, there was a lot of uphill. This is a topo map of Peachy Canyon Road - Paso Robles is to the right, and Peachy Canyon dead-ends into Vineyard Drive. Hidden Mountain Drive isn't apparent on this map (more on that later), but you can kind of get a sense for where I was riding here - from Paso towards Vineyard...
Hidden Mountain Drive is supposed to be a bit before where the "A" label is. I should have turned right there. I was paying attention, looking for it, knowing I shouldn't be on Peachy Canyon for too long.
After a grueling uphill (I am no Lance Armstrong so it was grueling), there was a huge hairpin-containing downhill that was ridiculous fun, but was also my point-of-no-return. This was also where I realized I lost cell phone signal and was essentially on my own. But hey, how hard can it be? Just turn right on Hidden Mountain Drive.
Of course, Hidden Mountain Drive is likely names Hidden Mountain Drive because there IS NO HIDDEN MOUNTAIN DRIVE off of Peachy Canyon Road. Again, I should have paid attention to the names of the roads! Seriously - I remember this intersection because there was a sign there that said "Peachy Canyon Cottage" and I thought it was silly because there had already been a sign, at another house, for Peachy Canyon Cottage. Little did I know that early in my ride was the non-existent right turn! This is where the road was supposed to be - see it on the map, clearly labeled?
However, this is what the intersection looks like on real life:
Notice the closed gate? Looks like a house to me! No wonder I missed it and rose Peachy Canyon all the way to Vineyard Drive!
I actually stopped a couple of times to check cell phone signal and to see if my iPhone GPS worked. It did not. So, I just kept riding! Certainly there was no way I was going back over Peachy Canyon, so forward seemed my only option!
Plus, if you're going to get lost on a bike, do it in the back canyons of Paso Robles wine country.
I hit Vineyard and quickly relized I was way too far out, and I had already been riding quite hard (at least for me) for over an hour, close to an hour and a half. I thankfully saw a sign for Adelaida Road, which was what the hidden Hidden Mountain Road was to dump me out on, so I turned right onto Vineyard and followed it. But not before waiting in front of a house for any signs of life or phone. No luck.
Keep riding.
I pedaled off and passed a couple of vineyards, and thought about stopping to call, but wasn't sure how far out I was and wasn't falling over quite yet. I did stop to ask to grizzled old gentlemen where I was and how to get back to town...
They were splitting wood, or were supposed to be splitting wood and were sitting on some logs drinking Budweiser. I asked if they had cell phone reception (no), where I was (Vineyard Drive), how far town was from where we were (~11 miles!), and when they thought I might get cell phone reception again (~1 mile from town). That was when I decided there was no way I was riding all the way back. They asked me where I'd ridden from and I told them my route, at which they both went silent. Then the seated one offered me a beer. I was tempted, but instead decided to keep riding and try to flag down a motorist to see if I couldn't hitch a ride.
The first SUV that passed me slowed as I waved, gave me a wide berth, and I excitedly thought I might be rescued! Imagine my disappointment when the lovely couple inside just smiled and waved back at me, and kept driving.
Tourists.
So, my next plan - ride Vineyard until it dead-ended into Adelaida (about two more miles, quite a bit of which was uphill) and then go to a winery and use their phone. I saw the sign for Tablas Creek and realized I had ridden way, way out of my way. Where Vineyard deadends into Adelaids is a winery called Halter Ranch, where I surrendered. I wheeled my bike up their dirt driveway and stepped into their lovely tasting room, two hours after I left the house, drenched in sweat and shivering, and asked to use their phone. The women there were lovely, offered me water, and let me call my sister.
Who didn't answer.
So I called repeatedly until I got her on the phone - she was showering - and gave her directions. Thankfully, she hopped right in the car and drive ~20 minutes to get me. I suppose I could have kept riding her direction, but I was 11 miles from town, and had already gotten my 15-mile ride, unbeknownst to me! Actually, it was 15.4 miles, and here's my route:
My sister arrived with muffins and string cheese, which she thrust upon me as we were both laughing. The tasting room had opened while I was waiting, and a few groupd of nicely-dressed people arrived to find me in my Spandex and bike gear standing awkwardly just inside the door.
Thank you to Halter Ranch for hosting me and letting me repeatedly call my sister to come rescue me! (And thanks to my sister for coming to get me!)
Next time, I will drive the planned route first. Lesson learned.
And I never did go running this weekend...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
12 Days, Continued
I'm cheating on the numbers here but some of the stuff I see is just so funny. More verses for your holiday listening pleasure:
On the first day of running, I saw a crazy thing: a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the second day of running, I saw a crazy thing: two bikers' butt-cracks and a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the third day of running, I saw a crazy thing: three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
On the fourth day of running, I saw a crazy thing: four men with handweights, three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
On the first day of running, I saw a crazy thing: a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the second day of running, I saw a crazy thing: two bikers' butt-cracks and a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the third day of running, I saw a crazy thing: three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
On the fourth day of running, I saw a crazy thing: four men with handweights, three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
On the fifth day of running, I saw a crazy thing: Fiiiiiiive hats with bows! (I kid you not, a gaggle of Asian women wearing formal hats on the track.) Four men with handweights, three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
...to be continued as will my adventures...
Midday Swim (again)
I mainly came to work today because I'd promised a coworker we'd go to the gym together. I ended up swimming while she worked out on land. It was, of course, lovely - sunny, warm, not too crowded, although there was a creepy-ish guy in the lane next to mine who was really fast and kept making eye contact with me underwater. It was weird. I couldn't figure out if he was pacing himself off of me or just wanted to swim faster or was horrified at how I look in a Speedo and couldn't stop staring.
At any rate, here's my 3000 yard workout:
1 x 400 reverse IM (with the last 100 fly/free), total yards = 400
6 x 50 on 0:55, free, increasing speed through the set, total yards = 700
5 x 300 on 5:45, free, trying to get stronger through the set but really just maintaing and calling that good enough, total yards = 2200
1 x 200 IM kick total yards = 2400
1 x 50 water polo eggbeater (legs falling off at this point), total yards = 2450
5 x 100 on 1:55, free, constant speed (lots of rest, every one was ~1:25), total yards = 2950
1 x 50 warm down, total yards = 3000!
I take forever to warm up and only really felt strong at the 5 x 100 set near the end. I worry that by the time my swimming is up to speed in the real triathlon it'll be time to get out of the water.
At any rate, here's my 3000 yard workout:
1 x 400 reverse IM (with the last 100 fly/free), total yards = 400
6 x 50 on 0:55, free, increasing speed through the set, total yards = 700
5 x 300 on 5:45, free, trying to get stronger through the set but really just maintaing and calling that good enough, total yards = 2200
1 x 200 IM kick total yards = 2400
1 x 50 water polo eggbeater (legs falling off at this point), total yards = 2450
5 x 100 on 1:55, free, constant speed (lots of rest, every one was ~1:25), total yards = 2950
1 x 50 warm down, total yards = 3000!
I take forever to warm up and only really felt strong at the 5 x 100 set near the end. I worry that by the time my swimming is up to speed in the real triathlon it'll be time to get out of the water.
Tracks are Entertaining
I played water polo on Monday night and what a great workout it was! LOTS of leg work and huffing and puffing, it was pretty physical - imagine backing up to someone in the deep end and pushing them across the pool using your legs as they are pushing back at you... Whew!
Yesterday I got up early and ran at the Campbell Community Center Track. It's a lovely facility, but oh the people were hysterical! I, of course, read all about it online and familiarized myself with the rules (walkers to the right, joggers/runners to the left, don't walk more than two abreast to avoid impeding traffic...) before going. When I arrived, I saw large groups of walkers in all lanes, taking the entire track. There were older men walking in twos with little hand weights, one couple where the guy had ~10-pound weights and was walking and doing shoulder presses, a large number of women discussing the schools their kids were in, and my personal favorite, a group of about 20 Asian women wearing those funny oversized visors - and they were all over the track! It was like an obstacle course! Two of the women were wearing what looked like formal hats - black, wide-brimmed, trimmed with bows and ribbon - and were speed-walking/jogging around the track. One guy was there in jeans...
It was a special experience.
I tried to repeat the track workout of last Tuesday night but didn't do it properly I think, because it doesn't hurt to move today. Anyway, I was doing the drill part of it, around the way outside of the track to stay out of everyone's way, and this older gentleman passed me and complimented me on my balance. I almost kicked a nice older couple doing my toe-touches, and for a second I felt badly, but then again they came up behind me and surely saw what I was doing and certainly could have given me a wider berth. I don't take up THAT much room.
Last night we also had dinner at a friend's house and within the first five minutes I got the "Megan you've lost so much weight!"
Oh well, that's better than the other direction.
And I fit back into a pair of size 8 pants, so that's good (they're a generous size 8 though)!
Today it's a 3000-yard swim, then to the grocery store to get goodies for Thanksgiving in Paso Robles!
Yesterday I got up early and ran at the Campbell Community Center Track. It's a lovely facility, but oh the people were hysterical! I, of course, read all about it online and familiarized myself with the rules (walkers to the right, joggers/runners to the left, don't walk more than two abreast to avoid impeding traffic...) before going. When I arrived, I saw large groups of walkers in all lanes, taking the entire track. There were older men walking in twos with little hand weights, one couple where the guy had ~10-pound weights and was walking and doing shoulder presses, a large number of women discussing the schools their kids were in, and my personal favorite, a group of about 20 Asian women wearing those funny oversized visors - and they were all over the track! It was like an obstacle course! Two of the women were wearing what looked like formal hats - black, wide-brimmed, trimmed with bows and ribbon - and were speed-walking/jogging around the track. One guy was there in jeans...
It was a special experience.
I tried to repeat the track workout of last Tuesday night but didn't do it properly I think, because it doesn't hurt to move today. Anyway, I was doing the drill part of it, around the way outside of the track to stay out of everyone's way, and this older gentleman passed me and complimented me on my balance. I almost kicked a nice older couple doing my toe-touches, and for a second I felt badly, but then again they came up behind me and surely saw what I was doing and certainly could have given me a wider berth. I don't take up THAT much room.
Last night we also had dinner at a friend's house and within the first five minutes I got the "Megan you've lost so much weight!"
Oh well, that's better than the other direction.
And I fit back into a pair of size 8 pants, so that's good (they're a generous size 8 though)!
Today it's a 3000-yard swim, then to the grocery store to get goodies for Thanksgiving in Paso Robles!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Brick Workouts
So I've officially been on the bike! Saturday morning was our first "brick" workout, or essentially two disciplines in one workout. This was a bike and a run off of Edgewood Road north of where I live.
I showed up, of course, 30 minutes early to find a large group of road bikers all ready to go, looking very professional (and thus kind of scary) listening to a set of coaches. They were clearly Team in Training, so I ran across the road and joined the ranks. After some sidelong glances (they were all dressed in brightly colored cycling windbreakers, I in an REI fleece and clearly out of place), an administrative TNT woman approached me and asked me sotto voce if perhaps I was with the Tri team, and if I was, that perhaps I'd be more comfortable down the road where the Tri team was meeting. This was a century cycling group, and clearly I was in the wrong place. (A century = 100 miles and sounds perfectly awful if you ask me. Thank you no.)
Oops.
After my inauspicious start I foudn the Tri team and we spent a good long while discussing the routes, breaking into two groups (longer distance ride and shorter distance ride). I decided to go with the second, shorter distance ride as I had not been on my bike in, oh, over a year and couldn't really remember how the gears worked. At any rate, the shorter distance riders head out for an ~8 mile ride out-and-back along Canada Road. It really was lovely (once I remembered how to shift), and I felt pretty good. Immediately after the bike we were to change into running shoes (a la the tri transition) and head out for a short 15-minute out-and-back run. I of course didn't have my watch, so I just ran for what felt like 7.5 minutes out but in reality was more like 12. I returned to my friend Cara telling me she was worried that I'd been gone so long and was about to send out a search party. And lucky you - they have photographers at all the workouts! Photos of me rocking:
Okay, so we wear name tags in the shape of turtles. There are like 100 of us so it helps. And I have no idea what I'm trying to say to the camera in the last photo, but apparently we were at the gun show.
The rest of Saturday involved a short nap and then a drive over to Santa Cruz for my friend Becky's big going away bash. We started at her boss's house and ended at a bar in Santa Cruz, where I talked with a woman in the department I haven't seen a while who told me I'd lost a lot of weight.
I get that a lot - people I haven't seen in a while, no matter what my weight is, seem to remember me as being much heavier or something, and they almost always tell me I've lost a lot of weight. Hm.
Anyway, I spent the night at Becky's on a thermarest on the floor. Not my best night's sleep, and when I woke up arund 5:45 I decided to just get up and head home so I could get an hour or so in my own bed before another brick workout.
This workout on Sunday morning was a "captain's workout," which is an informal workout run by one of the TNT "captains" - and is just for fun, or for extra training, or whatever. My big issue with the bike is that I just don't know where to go, and don't like not having a course mapped out before I take off, so I'm trying to go to every bike workout I can to learn good places to ride.
We rode a quick out-and-back warm up that had some rolling hills, and then rode a ~2 mile loop for ~45 minutes. The loop was in a gorgeous residential neighborhood in Los Altos Hills (very posh), so there was lots to look at, and I felt really good until we got The Hill. For seasoned riders I'm sure it wasn't that hard, but I probably could have walked up the hill faster than I was riding, and was sorely disappointed when I realized my bike didn't have any more gears.
But, I fit in three loops, and then shifted to the out-and-back run of 10 minutes each direction. That felt surprisingly good and I think I may be building leg strength! Very excited about that. I took off immediately afterwards and after a long shower I tried to read but ended up closing my eyes "just for a minute."
Three hours later...
Guess I needed the sleep! Last night I was in bed at 9:30 and that was a stretch. Tonight it's water polo and hopefully we actually have a workout! I hear they raised the pool temp to 81 (which means it'll probably hover around 78-79 if it stays covered)...
I showed up, of course, 30 minutes early to find a large group of road bikers all ready to go, looking very professional (and thus kind of scary) listening to a set of coaches. They were clearly Team in Training, so I ran across the road and joined the ranks. After some sidelong glances (they were all dressed in brightly colored cycling windbreakers, I in an REI fleece and clearly out of place), an administrative TNT woman approached me and asked me sotto voce if perhaps I was with the Tri team, and if I was, that perhaps I'd be more comfortable down the road where the Tri team was meeting. This was a century cycling group, and clearly I was in the wrong place. (A century = 100 miles and sounds perfectly awful if you ask me. Thank you no.)
Oops.
After my inauspicious start I foudn the Tri team and we spent a good long while discussing the routes, breaking into two groups (longer distance ride and shorter distance ride). I decided to go with the second, shorter distance ride as I had not been on my bike in, oh, over a year and couldn't really remember how the gears worked. At any rate, the shorter distance riders head out for an ~8 mile ride out-and-back along Canada Road. It really was lovely (once I remembered how to shift), and I felt pretty good. Immediately after the bike we were to change into running shoes (a la the tri transition) and head out for a short 15-minute out-and-back run. I of course didn't have my watch, so I just ran for what felt like 7.5 minutes out but in reality was more like 12. I returned to my friend Cara telling me she was worried that I'd been gone so long and was about to send out a search party. And lucky you - they have photographers at all the workouts! Photos of me rocking:
Okay, so we wear name tags in the shape of turtles. There are like 100 of us so it helps. And I have no idea what I'm trying to say to the camera in the last photo, but apparently we were at the gun show.
The rest of Saturday involved a short nap and then a drive over to Santa Cruz for my friend Becky's big going away bash. We started at her boss's house and ended at a bar in Santa Cruz, where I talked with a woman in the department I haven't seen a while who told me I'd lost a lot of weight.
I get that a lot - people I haven't seen in a while, no matter what my weight is, seem to remember me as being much heavier or something, and they almost always tell me I've lost a lot of weight. Hm.
Anyway, I spent the night at Becky's on a thermarest on the floor. Not my best night's sleep, and when I woke up arund 5:45 I decided to just get up and head home so I could get an hour or so in my own bed before another brick workout.
This workout on Sunday morning was a "captain's workout," which is an informal workout run by one of the TNT "captains" - and is just for fun, or for extra training, or whatever. My big issue with the bike is that I just don't know where to go, and don't like not having a course mapped out before I take off, so I'm trying to go to every bike workout I can to learn good places to ride.
We rode a quick out-and-back warm up that had some rolling hills, and then rode a ~2 mile loop for ~45 minutes. The loop was in a gorgeous residential neighborhood in Los Altos Hills (very posh), so there was lots to look at, and I felt really good until we got The Hill. For seasoned riders I'm sure it wasn't that hard, but I probably could have walked up the hill faster than I was riding, and was sorely disappointed when I realized my bike didn't have any more gears.
But, I fit in three loops, and then shifted to the out-and-back run of 10 minutes each direction. That felt surprisingly good and I think I may be building leg strength! Very excited about that. I took off immediately afterwards and after a long shower I tried to read but ended up closing my eyes "just for a minute."
Three hours later...
Guess I needed the sleep! Last night I was in bed at 9:30 and that was a stretch. Tonight it's water polo and hopefully we actually have a workout! I hear they raised the pool temp to 81 (which means it'll probably hover around 78-79 if it stays covered)...
Friday, November 20, 2009
To run...
...or not to run, that is the question.
Oh wait, I just looked outside and it's pouring. Perhaps today is a rest day after all? Time for the treadmill!
Oh wait, I just looked outside and it's pouring. Perhaps today is a rest day after all? Time for the treadmill!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Theory of Relativity
I swam today, as water polo last night was cancelled due to cold water temps (75 degree water plus me and the coach being the only ones there at 6:30, when practice supposedly started - although stragglers showed up and we did some little dry land stuff). I am generally a strong swimmer. However, two days after this track workout and my legs still feel like they are about to fall off. So what do I do? Hop in the water and go 3000 yards, of course! Whew. I was fast comapred to the two really old guys, and compared to the really, um, rotund gentleman, but not so fast when compared to the 20-something girl who hopped in my lane. Sometimes I forget this is all about me, and not really a competition... That's hard for me.
At any rate, here's my workout:
500 warmup (500 total yards)
10 x 50, odds easy, evens sprint (or sprint-ish) (1000 total yards)
200IM kick (1200 total yards)
4 x 100 IM (1600 total yards)
200 drill; 25 catch-up, 25 swim; all free (1800 total yards)
4 x 50; free, breast, back, fly/free (I got tired); sprint(ish) (2000 total yards)
100 easy free (2100 total yards)
4 x 100 free, last 25 sprint(ish) (2500 total yards)
8 x 25 sprint with 25 easy in between (so 16 x 25, alternating sprint with easy) (2900 total yards)
100 warm down (3000 total yards!)
I'm tired.
I also have an informational interview in an hour with a woman who has a PhD in a similar field and works for a venture capital firm in the bay area. Hopefully my sinuses will have finished draining by then.
At any rate, here's my workout:
500 warmup (500 total yards)
10 x 50, odds easy, evens sprint (or sprint-ish) (1000 total yards)
200IM kick (1200 total yards)
4 x 100 IM (1600 total yards)
200 drill; 25 catch-up, 25 swim; all free (1800 total yards)
4 x 50; free, breast, back, fly/free (I got tired); sprint(ish) (2000 total yards)
100 easy free (2100 total yards)
4 x 100 free, last 25 sprint(ish) (2500 total yards)
8 x 25 sprint with 25 easy in between (so 16 x 25, alternating sprint with easy) (2900 total yards)
100 warm down (3000 total yards!)
I'm tired.
I also have an informational interview in an hour with a woman who has a PhD in a similar field and works for a venture capital firm in the bay area. Hopefully my sinuses will have finished draining by then.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Survival
I did it. I made it through my first ever track workout with minimal tears and no puking. Today, however, I am paying the price (see previous post).
I arrived at the track to find the track is not lit, so most people had headlamps. I decided I could see in the dark and stayed for the workout. (Thankfully there were streetlights on the other side of the fence that lit most of the track enough to see obstacles. Actually, I think I was the obstacle...)
The group included about ten of us - mostly very fit-looking women and two fit-looking men. And me. Crammed into spandex. Sexy. We signed a waiver in case we dropped dead no one could sue the coach (who was doing this on her own time, for free, for fun), and then wrote down our best mile times.
Um.
I glanced at the sheet. The best mile times of other runners included one runner under 7 minutes, the rest in the 7 - 8 minute mile range.
My best mile time is probably around 11 minutes at the moment. On a good day. When rested. And on caffeine.
I put a big question mark to avoid the humiliation of being officially twice as slow as the other runners.
Warm-up involved 4 laps, so a one mile slow jog. The group took off - and I mean took off! Immediately at the back, I made the snap decision to only do 3/4 mile warm-up. Oh, also I have no "slow jog," or any other "pace" for that matter - I am running or I am not running, and I am always huffing and puffing. So "slow jog" for 3/4 mile felt a bit like a workout.
Anyway, after that we jogged the curves slowly and sprinted the straights. I sprinted the first straight and then almost died, so decided to jog the curves and jog the straights a little less slowly than I jogged the curves. As the last runner, I have to say it was disheartening to watch the group keep going after the first lap. That's when I almost surrendered (notice we're only in the first official set of the workout and I was ready to throw in the towel) and wanted to cry. (I didn't, it was sweat. Really.)
So two laps later, bringing up the rear, I come huffing and puffing to the finish. Then - drills!
About 50 yards, there and back, of butt kicks, high knees, high kicks-touching opposite toes, sidewinders, walking lunges, some weird walking on the side of your foot thing...
THEN we begin the main set.
Now most runners were going to do one set of the following:
200, 400, 800, 400, 200 at a specific pace based on their mile time. I spoke briefly with our peppy coach and told her I was only running 10 - 12 miles a week at this point, so she told me to only do the 200, 400, and 800 (that's a half lap, full lap, and two laps). Between runs, we were to check our pulse and when it got to 120 beats per minute, begin the next run.
So we run the 200 - I was last, of course. Most runners were finishing in 30-45 seconds. I finished in 53 seconds (count out 8 seconds and imagine how far away I was from everyone else, then laugh.). At this point, people are cheering for the slower runners (I got lots of cheers). During the 400, I just kept saying to myself "at least I'm doing it."
The best part was during the 800. The fast group of runners was nearly halfway through their run when the slower group began ours, so they came upon us quite rapidly. There was a girl in front of me (an 8th grader) who kept looking over her shoulder at me and then speeding up (I hated her by the end of the workout. Okay not really, I just REALLY wanted to pass her and couldn't.), and she said something like, "Oh no, they're going to pass us!" I told her it wasn't about them, it was all about you and your pace. I paused, thought about it, and added:
"And you're always faster than me!"
She seemed to like that, and sped up again.
Coming through our first lap of the 800, the fast runners had finished theirs already, and they applauded us all as we came huffing through.
I finished the thing, and was told to do a "quick" 4-lap warm-down (that's a mile). I did three laps and called it a day.
Today, the backs of my legs and my butt are so sore that it actually hurts to sit down, and once sitting it hurts to get up. I'm sure it will get better, and I'm sure I won't always be the slowest one on the track.
However, I think next week I'll go to the Team in Training track workout that is geared more towards beginners, instead of going to the track workout coached by a track coach and attended by real Runners.
Tonight, water polo! That'll make me feel better about myself! :-)
I arrived at the track to find the track is not lit, so most people had headlamps. I decided I could see in the dark and stayed for the workout. (Thankfully there were streetlights on the other side of the fence that lit most of the track enough to see obstacles. Actually, I think I was the obstacle...)
The group included about ten of us - mostly very fit-looking women and two fit-looking men. And me. Crammed into spandex. Sexy. We signed a waiver in case we dropped dead no one could sue the coach (who was doing this on her own time, for free, for fun), and then wrote down our best mile times.
Um.
I glanced at the sheet. The best mile times of other runners included one runner under 7 minutes, the rest in the 7 - 8 minute mile range.
My best mile time is probably around 11 minutes at the moment. On a good day. When rested. And on caffeine.
I put a big question mark to avoid the humiliation of being officially twice as slow as the other runners.
Warm-up involved 4 laps, so a one mile slow jog. The group took off - and I mean took off! Immediately at the back, I made the snap decision to only do 3/4 mile warm-up. Oh, also I have no "slow jog," or any other "pace" for that matter - I am running or I am not running, and I am always huffing and puffing. So "slow jog" for 3/4 mile felt a bit like a workout.
Anyway, after that we jogged the curves slowly and sprinted the straights. I sprinted the first straight and then almost died, so decided to jog the curves and jog the straights a little less slowly than I jogged the curves. As the last runner, I have to say it was disheartening to watch the group keep going after the first lap. That's when I almost surrendered (notice we're only in the first official set of the workout and I was ready to throw in the towel) and wanted to cry. (I didn't, it was sweat. Really.)
So two laps later, bringing up the rear, I come huffing and puffing to the finish. Then - drills!
About 50 yards, there and back, of butt kicks, high knees, high kicks-touching opposite toes, sidewinders, walking lunges, some weird walking on the side of your foot thing...
THEN we begin the main set.
Now most runners were going to do one set of the following:
200, 400, 800, 400, 200 at a specific pace based on their mile time. I spoke briefly with our peppy coach and told her I was only running 10 - 12 miles a week at this point, so she told me to only do the 200, 400, and 800 (that's a half lap, full lap, and two laps). Between runs, we were to check our pulse and when it got to 120 beats per minute, begin the next run.
So we run the 200 - I was last, of course. Most runners were finishing in 30-45 seconds. I finished in 53 seconds (count out 8 seconds and imagine how far away I was from everyone else, then laugh.). At this point, people are cheering for the slower runners (I got lots of cheers). During the 400, I just kept saying to myself "at least I'm doing it."
The best part was during the 800. The fast group of runners was nearly halfway through their run when the slower group began ours, so they came upon us quite rapidly. There was a girl in front of me (an 8th grader) who kept looking over her shoulder at me and then speeding up (I hated her by the end of the workout. Okay not really, I just REALLY wanted to pass her and couldn't.), and she said something like, "Oh no, they're going to pass us!" I told her it wasn't about them, it was all about you and your pace. I paused, thought about it, and added:
"And you're always faster than me!"
She seemed to like that, and sped up again.
Coming through our first lap of the 800, the fast runners had finished theirs already, and they applauded us all as we came huffing through.
I finished the thing, and was told to do a "quick" 4-lap warm-down (that's a mile). I did three laps and called it a day.
Today, the backs of my legs and my butt are so sore that it actually hurts to sit down, and once sitting it hurts to get up. I'm sure it will get better, and I'm sure I won't always be the slowest one on the track.
However, I think next week I'll go to the Team in Training track workout that is geared more towards beginners, instead of going to the track workout coached by a track coach and attended by real Runners.
Tonight, water polo! That'll make me feel better about myself! :-)
Dear Body,
Why do we have to fight like this? I'm trying to help you with all of this working out and eating right, yet you continually revolt by being horribly sore and tired! I don't understand. Can we please come to some sort of agreement where I can workout without the lactic acid buildup? Can't we all just get along?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Getting in Shape
Just got back from another water polo workout. There weren't many women there tonight so there was no scrimmage, which was fine with me - that means more swimming! I felt like crap before practice - overly tired from the weekend following Great Big Sea around northern California (go look up Great Big Sea and listen to them) and working today... But I felt fantastic once in the water, and somewhat shockingly was one of the fastest ones in the pool. So I can beat just about everyone down the pool but then have no idea what to do with the ball once I get there. Hm.
I skipped out of work a bit early to begin collecting donations for a raffle - and was shocked at how nice everyone was! I only went to three places - started small to protect my fragile ego - but am encouraged at the positive responses I got. I officially have my first donation in-hand and am pretty excited about the other two places I visited - they seemed interested but had to give my info to the managers, who were not there when I stopped by. I might try to hit a couple of places every day instead of doing one huge day of soliciting. That way I can keep better track of who I speak with and who I have to follow up with.
This is fun - it's like a big project and is certainly keeping me busy!
Tomorrow night I got sucked into going to a track workout with a co-worker. Now, those who know me know that I am no runner. Like not even close. When in shape I run 12-minute miles. I have never been to a coached track workout (the first Team in Training one notwithstanding as that was a scavenger hunt). When I run, there is a lot of shuffling. Also, I really don't like running with people, as it seems to emphasize how slow and out-of-breath I am. They say you should be able to run and have a conversation at the same time, but I never understood that. When I run, there Is No Talking. Mostly because I am breathing and that's about all I can handle. It's not cute.
So, tomorrow night I run with a group of women who are Runners. One of them has taken it upon herself to informally run a group workout for these ladies. I am tagging along with my co-worker, who is also a Runner. She promises it'll be casual, I'll be fine, blah blah blah, but for some reason I am envisioning me puking in the bushes halfway through the workout.
I'll keep you posted. If you don't hear anything from me, send help to the middle school on King Street in Santa Cruz.
I skipped out of work a bit early to begin collecting donations for a raffle - and was shocked at how nice everyone was! I only went to three places - started small to protect my fragile ego - but am encouraged at the positive responses I got. I officially have my first donation in-hand and am pretty excited about the other two places I visited - they seemed interested but had to give my info to the managers, who were not there when I stopped by. I might try to hit a couple of places every day instead of doing one huge day of soliciting. That way I can keep better track of who I speak with and who I have to follow up with.
This is fun - it's like a big project and is certainly keeping me busy!
Tomorrow night I got sucked into going to a track workout with a co-worker. Now, those who know me know that I am no runner. Like not even close. When in shape I run 12-minute miles. I have never been to a coached track workout (the first Team in Training one notwithstanding as that was a scavenger hunt). When I run, there is a lot of shuffling. Also, I really don't like running with people, as it seems to emphasize how slow and out-of-breath I am. They say you should be able to run and have a conversation at the same time, but I never understood that. When I run, there Is No Talking. Mostly because I am breathing and that's about all I can handle. It's not cute.
So, tomorrow night I run with a group of women who are Runners. One of them has taken it upon herself to informally run a group workout for these ladies. I am tagging along with my co-worker, who is also a Runner. She promises it'll be casual, I'll be fine, blah blah blah, but for some reason I am envisioning me puking in the bushes halfway through the workout.
I'll keep you posted. If you don't hear anything from me, send help to the middle school on King Street in Santa Cruz.
Friday, November 13, 2009
My Crazy Weekend...
...began with going away party number one for Becky at Gayatri's house where we gorged on goat biryani and all sorts of amazing desserts. I'm worried about cramming myself into my tights tomorrow morning.
Speaking of tomorrow - I have a bike clinic for Team in Training in Sunnyvale (north of where we live) at 8:30, then I have to go to work for ~2 hours (with a ~1 hour drive the other direction to get there, putting me at work at ~12), then I come home (back ~45 minutes north) and we hop in the car and drive up to Petaluma (~2 hours north of the house - yes, you did notice me driving in big circles tomorrow) where Great Big Sea is playing. We have dinner with a friend at some point after we check in and I manage to clean up enough to be presentable and then we're all going to the show. Sunday we come back to the house, I go back to work, and we see Great Big Sea again in Santa Cruz!
Whew, I'm tired just writing about it! I guess Sunday is a rest day for me, at least work-out-wise.
I have a mental block about cycling, so tomorrow will be helpful...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Running!
I went running today, and I saw some very interesting people on the trails above UCSC. I've decided to keep a tally of the characters to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas." I'm up to three, using "days of running" (which isn't exactly accurate but whatever, it fits). So, here you go:
On the first day of running, I saw a crazy thing: a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the second day of running, I saw a crazy thing: two bikers' butt-cracks and a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the third day of running, I saw a crazy thing: three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
I'm sure it won't take long to get up to 12. And it kept me entertained while running five miles today!
On the first day of running, I saw a crazy thing: a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the second day of running, I saw a crazy thing: two bikers' butt-cracks and a hippie doing yoga in a field.
On the third day of running, I saw a crazy thing: three stoners smoking, two bikers' butt cracks, and a hippie doing yoga in a field!
I'm sure it won't take long to get up to 12. And it kept me entertained while running five miles today!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Working on a Fundraiser
I mustered up all my courage today and spoke with the owner of a venue where I'm interested in hosting a fundraiser. She was lovely and appreciated my organization (I came with fliers), and seemed very interested in helping me out for an evening. I came away with her personal cell phone number and a promise to call her if she doesn't call me. I'm excited! Hopefully I can squeeze this in before the holidays. Once I have a venue and a date officially nailed down, I'll start soliciting the local merchants for donations I can raffle off...
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
First Coached Workout!
Well, "workout" might be a strong word! It was more of a meet-and-greet with a little 3/4 mile jog in the middle, but it was fun. We met at Foothill College (awesome track and really nice turf field) and broke into groups for a little stretching and core work (if ten crunches counts as core work!), then jogged for ~10 minutes and did a little scavenger hunt (which has us moving, certainly). One of the items on the scavenger hunt checklist was a cheer that we had to make up. Ours was pretty silly - a kick line and a cheer that at the end involved us thumbing our noses and saying "nyah nyah nyah" (yes, I am 35, what?) - but at the start, as we were all running up to start our cheer I regressed to my gymnast/cheerleading years and did a little round-off with a cheerleading jump, which was greeted with cheers from the crowd. I think I pulled something. (Okay not really, but it was pretty fun!)
Tomorrow is water polo (yay!), so that's my swim, and Thursday will be - gasp! - a bike ride.
I'm frightened and have already started looking up possible routes to bike, as riding in traffic scares the crap out of me. Especially since I listened to two women tonight describing their awful crashes! Ack!
Tomorrow is water polo (yay!), so that's my swim, and Thursday will be - gasp! - a bike ride.
I'm frightened and have already started looking up possible routes to bike, as riding in traffic scares the crap out of me. Especially since I listened to two women tonight describing their awful crashes! Ack!
Kicked Off!
As in the season has officially...
The meeting last night was amazing - this organization does not mess around! Arriving at the hotel that was hosting, there were volunteers outside with Team in Training signs pointing us to the appropriate venue. Once inside, big signage directed you to where you pick up your paperwork and you are assigned a color based on which team you are on (tri, cycling, marathon). The tri team was purple. You get a green piece of paper with a picture of a t-shirt on it, which you turn in at the next station to claim your Team in Training... well, training t-shirt. Then, it's into the large ballroom with rows upon rows of chairs. However would one find where to sit?
The colored balloons tied to the chairs, of course! Rows of purple balloons = tri team. I saw Cara, my mentor, and we caught up a bit as I met some of our mentor group and teammates. We each got a goodie bag filled with magazines, coupons, and sports supplement stuff (Gu, powdered drink mixes, etc). Then, the meeting began.
Background info on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Team in Training, a lot of introductions (to the coaches, captains, mentors, honorees, and I'm forgetting some...), then a personal story from a mother about her 6 1/2 year old daughter's bout with leukemia ~5 years ago that had the audience in tears (we laughed, we cried...). The daughter, up on the stage, just playing with a toy and watching the audience, looked happy and healthy! Then we broke up into our respective teams and got our official workout schedule.
Whew, I'm gonna be busy.
There were some more rah-rahs and a lot of applause, and then on to the fundraiser fair, where we could sign up for info about how to raise money.
My big one, I think, will be a fundraiser at a local bar where I host a raffle with items donated from local restaurants and shops. Hopefully that will push me over the top, but it will be a lot of work to get up and running.
Tonight is our first coached workout on the track. Have I mentioned that I am NOT a runner? Should be interesting. Hopefully I won't puke... :-)
The meeting last night was amazing - this organization does not mess around! Arriving at the hotel that was hosting, there were volunteers outside with Team in Training signs pointing us to the appropriate venue. Once inside, big signage directed you to where you pick up your paperwork and you are assigned a color based on which team you are on (tri, cycling, marathon). The tri team was purple. You get a green piece of paper with a picture of a t-shirt on it, which you turn in at the next station to claim your Team in Training... well, training t-shirt. Then, it's into the large ballroom with rows upon rows of chairs. However would one find where to sit?
The colored balloons tied to the chairs, of course! Rows of purple balloons = tri team. I saw Cara, my mentor, and we caught up a bit as I met some of our mentor group and teammates. We each got a goodie bag filled with magazines, coupons, and sports supplement stuff (Gu, powdered drink mixes, etc). Then, the meeting began.
Background info on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Team in Training, a lot of introductions (to the coaches, captains, mentors, honorees, and I'm forgetting some...), then a personal story from a mother about her 6 1/2 year old daughter's bout with leukemia ~5 years ago that had the audience in tears (we laughed, we cried...). The daughter, up on the stage, just playing with a toy and watching the audience, looked happy and healthy! Then we broke up into our respective teams and got our official workout schedule.
Whew, I'm gonna be busy.
There were some more rah-rahs and a lot of applause, and then on to the fundraiser fair, where we could sign up for info about how to raise money.
My big one, I think, will be a fundraiser at a local bar where I host a raffle with items donated from local restaurants and shops. Hopefully that will push me over the top, but it will be a lot of work to get up and running.
Tonight is our first coached workout on the track. Have I mentioned that I am NOT a runner? Should be interesting. Hopefully I won't puke... :-)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Midday Swim
I love swimming in the middle of the day - the sun was out, the pool was nearly empty (because it's COLD outside!), I had a lane to myself! I do not love the water draining out of my sinuses while back in lab, nor the goggle imprints around my eyes. I look freakish.
Nice swim though - 2100 yards (plus a 100 yard warm down), broken up as follows:
500 free warmup
4x100, fly-free-free-fly, back-free-free-back, breast-free-free-breast, all free
1x200 IM, kicking first lap swimming second lap
1000 yard ladder: 50, 100, 200, 300, 200, 100, 50, all free
100 warm down
For some reason I had it in my head that it was a 1.5-MILE swim, which is about 2700 yards. I just realized (sometimes I amaze myself with my stupidity) that it's just as 1.5 KILOMETER swim, which is ~1640 yards. I swam 1.35 times that distance today and felt pretty darn good.
Yeah, I'm in good shape for the swim already. I think I'll aim for top 1/3 in the swim portion (I placed in the top 1/3 in a 2.2-mile ocean swim I did years ago, so that seems reasonable for some reason) and then just try not to die for the rest of it.
Excited about the meeting tonight!
Nice swim though - 2100 yards (plus a 100 yard warm down), broken up as follows:
500 free warmup
4x100, fly-free-free-fly, back-free-free-back, breast-free-free-breast, all free
1x200 IM, kicking first lap swimming second lap
1000 yard ladder: 50, 100, 200, 300, 200, 100, 50, all free
100 warm down
For some reason I had it in my head that it was a 1.5-MILE swim, which is about 2700 yards. I just realized (sometimes I amaze myself with my stupidity) that it's just as 1.5 KILOMETER swim, which is ~1640 yards. I swam 1.35 times that distance today and felt pretty darn good.
Yeah, I'm in good shape for the swim already. I think I'll aim for top 1/3 in the swim portion (I placed in the top 1/3 in a 2.2-mile ocean swim I did years ago, so that seems reasonable for some reason) and then just try not to die for the rest of it.
Excited about the meeting tonight!
Two days off...
San Francisco was great fun - and Wicked was amazing! Our "obstructed view" seats were hardly obstructed at all (we just couldn't see deep into the right side of the stage), but I would love to see it again from good seats. Highly recommed the show!
Today it's a dip in the pool for me - and it's cold outside! Hopefully that means the pool will be nice and toasty. The anticipiation of the initial shock of the water is always the worst part.
Tonight is the season kick-off meeting for Team in Training, where I get to meet our team leader and see my "mentor" (a friend of mine) and meet our San Jose teammates. I also get a t-shirt and free earmuffs for having raised over $500 pre-season. Woo hoo! Earmuffs = good for running in the cold weather!
I'm sure I'll have more to report after the team meeting tonight!
Today it's a dip in the pool for me - and it's cold outside! Hopefully that means the pool will be nice and toasty. The anticipiation of the initial shock of the water is always the worst part.
Tonight is the season kick-off meeting for Team in Training, where I get to meet our team leader and see my "mentor" (a friend of mine) and meet our San Jose teammates. I also get a t-shirt and free earmuffs for having raised over $500 pre-season. Woo hoo! Earmuffs = good for running in the cold weather!
I'm sure I'll have more to report after the team meeting tonight!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Running Commentary
I ran yesterday, same trails, and as I was coming back into the building a woman who also works in the building crossed my path and commented loudly that she was impressed that I'd been running twice this week. (Actually, three times, but I didn't correct her!)
She then said, rather loudly, that she thought I "am going to lose a lot of weight!"
Thanks. I think.
Once I got over the backhanded compliment (hey lady, spandex doesn't look good on anybody!), I was rather impressed that I'd run the entire thing yet once again.
This morning I went to yoga, which sounds nice and relaxing but it's a "flow" class and they keep you moving! My legs were shaking by the end of it and I'm still pretty beat. More bendy, but beat.
Tomorrow I'm heading up to SF for an overnighter with my good friend Becky, who is leaving for her native country (England) in less than a month. We're going shopping in Union Square and then going to dinner and to see Wicked (very excited!), and heading back to Santa Cruz on Sunday. Those will be my two days off...
Monday is the big kick-off meeting/party for Team in Training and I'm excited! Plus I get free earmuffs for having raised more than $500 already (thank you donors!) - I love free stuff!
Tonight, I have to admit, I am planning on attacking a bottle of wine. I've stopped all drinking during the week (shocking, I know) and have been looking forward to this specific bottle of Zinfandel all week long... In fact, I might try to finish up early and go open it before the BF gets home... :-)
She then said, rather loudly, that she thought I "am going to lose a lot of weight!"
Thanks. I think.
Once I got over the backhanded compliment (hey lady, spandex doesn't look good on anybody!), I was rather impressed that I'd run the entire thing yet once again.
This morning I went to yoga, which sounds nice and relaxing but it's a "flow" class and they keep you moving! My legs were shaking by the end of it and I'm still pretty beat. More bendy, but beat.
Tomorrow I'm heading up to SF for an overnighter with my good friend Becky, who is leaving for her native country (England) in less than a month. We're going shopping in Union Square and then going to dinner and to see Wicked (very excited!), and heading back to Santa Cruz on Sunday. Those will be my two days off...
Monday is the big kick-off meeting/party for Team in Training and I'm excited! Plus I get free earmuffs for having raised more than $500 already (thank you donors!) - I love free stuff!
Tonight, I have to admit, I am planning on attacking a bottle of wine. I've stopped all drinking during the week (shocking, I know) and have been looking forward to this specific bottle of Zinfandel all week long... In fact, I might try to finish up early and go open it before the BF gets home... :-)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Actually running!
Yesterday I went for a mid-day run and actually ran it! The trails above UCSC are gorgeous - fire roads and single track through redwood forest, with rumors of mountain lions (never seen one), and lots of deer and coyotes (seen both, lots). I ran "to the water tanks," an uphill fire road that's mostly shaded that joins up with two other fire roads at three large water tanks that look like graffittied (sp?) barrels on their sides. It's an out-and-back route that ends up being between 2 and 3 miles round trip, but the first half is almost entirely uphill. I maintained the "running" tempo the entire time, although sometimes it felt more like shuffling, and the downhill was awesome. I used these trails almost exclusively to train for a half marathon I ran in Death Valley in 2007 (winter, don't worry), and was wonderfully prepared, I think because it's so hilly out there.
The only problem with midday runs at work? Putting on the spandex and walking through the building.
Not cute.
The only problem with midday runs at work? Putting on the spandex and walking through the building.
Not cute.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Running, Day One
Or should I say "running" - I use the term loosely! There was a lot of very slow jogging... Dare I say shuffling? Running is *not* by strong suit... Anyway, I took advantage of the extra hour today to head out for a little morning run. I was pleasantly surprised that my ankle held up rather well, and I jogged for quite a bit of the ~3.2 miles I ended up traveling. It's a bit sore now but frighteningly so. Still a bit bruised but I think it's finally healing up nicely.
Tomorrow is water polo/swim workout! Tonight I am tired and am just waiting until an acceptable time to go to bed...
Tomorrow is water polo/swim workout! Tonight I am tired and am just waiting until an acceptable time to go to bed...
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Water Polo on Halloween
I showed up at water polo to a coach painted red with devil horns and a player dressed like a skeleton complete with plastic mask.
We swam quite a bit before we got to the passing and drills, which made me happy (since really I am supposed to be training for this triathlon and all). At the end, we scrimmaged and were goofing off a bit (I know, shocking) and one of the goalies put on the skull mask (not safe, but it made for some great photos that hopefully will get passed around).
After workout we hung out and ate the million pounds of baked goods that people brought. Which really cancelled out the workout, I guess. Oh well.
Tomorrow I'm going to test the ankle with some actual jogging (but probably not much)!
We swam quite a bit before we got to the passing and drills, which made me happy (since really I am supposed to be training for this triathlon and all). At the end, we scrimmaged and were goofing off a bit (I know, shocking) and one of the goalies put on the skull mask (not safe, but it made for some great photos that hopefully will get passed around).
After workout we hung out and ate the million pounds of baked goods that people brought. Which really cancelled out the workout, I guess. Oh well.
Tomorrow I'm going to test the ankle with some actual jogging (but probably not much)!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fundraising Page Up and Running!
I'm working on setting up my fundraising page - check it out here! Yes, I do need a better photo, and I'm working on that as well.
Training - well, yesterday wasn't the best day for me, although I did walk on the treadmill to test out my sprained ankle. (I fell. It was embarrassing, and it really hurt. That was two weeks ago.) It's healing but I don't trust it, and it feels tight, like I can't quite take a full stride when walking/jogging.
Of course, there's water polo tomorrow, which will count as my swim workout. Very much looking forward to that!
More later!
Training - well, yesterday wasn't the best day for me, although I did walk on the treadmill to test out my sprained ankle. (I fell. It was embarrassing, and it really hurt. That was two weeks ago.) It's healing but I don't trust it, and it feels tight, like I can't quite take a full stride when walking/jogging.
Of course, there's water polo tomorrow, which will count as my swim workout. Very much looking forward to that!
More later!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
And so it begins...
I just signed up for Team in Training - the event is an Olympic distance triathlon (1.5K swim, 40K bike ride, 10K run) in Kona, Hawaii at the end of March in 2010! I'm nervous about the training (and the fundraising!), but I think with an organized schedule it should be manageable. The kick-off meeting is November 9th, and official workouts begin on the 10th, and until then I'll keep playing water polo a couple of times a week.
I'm probably the most nervous about the bike part. I don't like riding in traffic, and in fact once fell over from a dead stop (yes, in front of cars stopped at a light) thanks to my inexperience with clip-less pedals. Embarrassing. I look forward to riding with a group who can show me some good, safe places to ride (again, I do NOT liek riding in traffic!).
This is where I'll track the trials and tribulations of my training! Stay tuned...
I'm probably the most nervous about the bike part. I don't like riding in traffic, and in fact once fell over from a dead stop (yes, in front of cars stopped at a light) thanks to my inexperience with clip-less pedals. Embarrassing. I look forward to riding with a group who can show me some good, safe places to ride (again, I do NOT liek riding in traffic!).
This is where I'll track the trials and tribulations of my training! Stay tuned...
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