Saturday morning Rob and I were up early to ride the motorcycle down to Monterey to help celebrate his friend's 40th birthday. I had a deep tissue massage scheduled for 2:30PM, and I arrived at the spa an hour early to avail myself of it's numerous advertised amenities. The facility was lovely - sauna and steam room, large lockers, plush robes, big mirrored areas for getting ready, lots of goodies lying around. I spent some time in the sauna to loosen up my sore muscles. Of course, once you've been to a Burke-Williams (or the spa at the Somona Mission Inn - thanks Dad and Mary!) you're just spoiled. That place is amazing.
The massage itself was the most bizarre massage I've ever had in my life. I realize I am a total massage snob at this point, but I booked a deep tissue massage and that type of massage uses very specific techniques and hard pressure.
My massage involved hardly any work at all on my back and most work was done on my legs. The majority of the backwork was done while I was lying on my back, which felt ineffective (also the pressure was too light, and I tried to communicate that to her but finally gave up). My favorite part was when she put her hands under my neck to hold my head to - at least this is what I assumed - stretch out and massage my neck. However, what ended up happening was that, once my head was in her hands, she just sat there. Like not moving. No stretching, no massage. Eventually her thumbs started twitching.
I think she fell asleep.
I tried to breathe loudly and she jumped back into action. Maybe she was aligning my chakras or something (<-- sarcasm), but I could swear she fell asleep.
The whole thing was weird. I know, I'm being overly picky, but it really was bizarre.
We did have an amazing dinner at Roy's (and I had my very own soufflé) and then drinks in the bar afterwards. Sunday we slept in and rode home and were pretty lazy for the rest of the day.
Now, I am at work and just finished my experiments for the day. I went for a ~5 mile run on the trails, the sun is out, people were saying hello, and it's finally warm. Tonight is water polo but I am re-thinking that. I want to cook a nice healthy dinner (after the gluttonous weekend veggies sound really good) tonight and clean the house.
I have to take my ring in to get re-sized (it's just a hair too big), but the jeweler told me it takes a few days and I really don't want to leave it for that long! Rob and I are starting to talk about going to look at possible venues for a Real Live Wedding, so stay tuned!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Boot Camp, Part Deux
Even though I was extremely sore, I went back to boot camp this morning. The best cure for soreness is to get out and move, and what better way than another boot camp class! (<-- sarcasm)
Okay, it sounded like a good idea.
We did the same sort of warm-up, but I slowed way down this time so I didn't have another near-passing-out incident. After the warm-up, we jumped right into the main set, where we were partnered up and had to complete a total number of certain exercises as a pair with running in place on a trampoline in between. So, we had to complete 100 pull-ups, 100 push ups, 200 squats, and 100 sit ups (and by sit up she meant shoulder blades on the ground and chest-to-knees - the full range of motion!). I started on the pull-ups, where you can be assisted by a huge rubber band hanging off the bar that you hook your foot into. Otherwise there's no way in hell I could do even one single pull-up. I did ten pull ups, then traded with my partner and she did ten pull ups, and back and forth until we hit 100. Ditto with the rest of the sets. I am very, very weak at the sit-ups, and at most could do 25 at a time, so my poor partner Lily had to do the majority of those as I "ran" on the trampoline to keep my heart rate up.
It was intense. Now, my abs are so sore I wonder if I didn't pull something. This weekend we're heading to Monterey to celebrate one of Rob's friends 40th birthdays and there's a spa, so of course I'm getting a massage. I worry that I will be too sore and wonder if I should change my treatment to something less pressure-focused. My poor muscles!
However, I finally got on the scale today (I try to avoid the scale and instead go by how my clothes fit, I find that less depressing) and am at my lowest weight in over two years. Woo hoo!
Okay, it sounded like a good idea.
We did the same sort of warm-up, but I slowed way down this time so I didn't have another near-passing-out incident. After the warm-up, we jumped right into the main set, where we were partnered up and had to complete a total number of certain exercises as a pair with running in place on a trampoline in between. So, we had to complete 100 pull-ups, 100 push ups, 200 squats, and 100 sit ups (and by sit up she meant shoulder blades on the ground and chest-to-knees - the full range of motion!). I started on the pull-ups, where you can be assisted by a huge rubber band hanging off the bar that you hook your foot into. Otherwise there's no way in hell I could do even one single pull-up. I did ten pull ups, then traded with my partner and she did ten pull ups, and back and forth until we hit 100. Ditto with the rest of the sets. I am very, very weak at the sit-ups, and at most could do 25 at a time, so my poor partner Lily had to do the majority of those as I "ran" on the trampoline to keep my heart rate up.
It was intense. Now, my abs are so sore I wonder if I didn't pull something. This weekend we're heading to Monterey to celebrate one of Rob's friends 40th birthdays and there's a spa, so of course I'm getting a massage. I worry that I will be too sore and wonder if I should change my treatment to something less pressure-focused. My poor muscles!
However, I finally got on the scale today (I try to avoid the scale and instead go by how my clothes fit, I find that less depressing) and am at my lowest weight in over two years. Woo hoo!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Oh my...
...I hurt.
That workout yesterday left me SO FREAKING SORE. Like the sides of my ribs are sore. Really?!
I'm totally going again tomorrow.
That workout yesterday left me SO FREAKING SORE. Like the sides of my ribs are sore. Really?!
I'm totally going again tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Boot Camp Kicks Booty
Monday night I went to water polo, which was lackluster. There's a practice tonight, but it's raining, and I went to boot camp today.
Ah, boot camp. A coworker has been going to this workout at a small, local Santa Cruz gym for a while and has been talking me into going for almost as long. This morning I finally broke down and went. Workout started at 8, of course I was there at 7:30. The gym was tiny but cute, and there were only a couple of people there when I arrived. I filled out the release form and then wandered around until other people showed up. It was all women, there were about 12 of us (including my coworker), and we did a quick warm-up that involved 3 sets of a 200 meter run, squats, push-ups, then single-leg crunches (lying on the ground, raise arms overhead, then at the same time raise one leg and both arms so you fold yourself in half and try to touch your nose to your knee, then lie back down).
Warm up. Riiiight.
After that, we got into the actual workout (haha!). We started with 5 sets (!) of some crazy ab workout that involved single-leg crunches, burpees (imagine: squatting, jumping into a push-up position, doing a push-up, jumping back into a squat, then jumping straight into the air, landing, squatting and starting all over again), hollow rock (lie on the ground, round your back so it touches the ground, lift your legs and arms off the ground, and just rock. It's much, much harder than it sounds. Seriously.), and then a 100 meter sprint.
Five times through.
When I was in the middle of the fourth set I started to get a little bit dizzy. But I kept going, thinking maybe I stood up too quickly, but it didn't go away. Then I started to get a little nauseous. Uh oh. I'd had that feeling before (years ago) and ended up passing out (it was on a day I worked out too hard and hadn't eaten enough). So I snuck off to the corner and drank some water and crouched down for a minute. I was hoping to stay incognito, until the "coach" called out to me to ask if I was finished. I paused, and simply said, "Yes, I am."
After that it gets a little hazy and runs together - there were pull-ups, more squats, and squat-jumps (yay!). Then a set where, for 15 minutes, we crammed in as many sets of shoulder presses, squat-jumps, and weighted step-ups (There's a box. And weights. You pick up the weights, step up on the box with one foot, raise your other knee, and step back down.). 15 minutes is a long, long time. At the end I was just laughing because I could hardly even get up on the box.
Now, my legs feel a little like jell-o and it's hard to raise my arms above my head. I fear I am going to be so ridiculously sore tomorrow it will be hard to walk. Thank goodness water polo was just canceled. I've never been so happy for rain in my life.
I'm totally going to Friday's workout.
Ah, boot camp. A coworker has been going to this workout at a small, local Santa Cruz gym for a while and has been talking me into going for almost as long. This morning I finally broke down and went. Workout started at 8, of course I was there at 7:30. The gym was tiny but cute, and there were only a couple of people there when I arrived. I filled out the release form and then wandered around until other people showed up. It was all women, there were about 12 of us (including my coworker), and we did a quick warm-up that involved 3 sets of a 200 meter run, squats, push-ups, then single-leg crunches (lying on the ground, raise arms overhead, then at the same time raise one leg and both arms so you fold yourself in half and try to touch your nose to your knee, then lie back down).
Warm up. Riiiight.
After that, we got into the actual workout (haha!). We started with 5 sets (!) of some crazy ab workout that involved single-leg crunches, burpees (imagine: squatting, jumping into a push-up position, doing a push-up, jumping back into a squat, then jumping straight into the air, landing, squatting and starting all over again), hollow rock (lie on the ground, round your back so it touches the ground, lift your legs and arms off the ground, and just rock. It's much, much harder than it sounds. Seriously.), and then a 100 meter sprint.
Five times through.
When I was in the middle of the fourth set I started to get a little bit dizzy. But I kept going, thinking maybe I stood up too quickly, but it didn't go away. Then I started to get a little nauseous. Uh oh. I'd had that feeling before (years ago) and ended up passing out (it was on a day I worked out too hard and hadn't eaten enough). So I snuck off to the corner and drank some water and crouched down for a minute. I was hoping to stay incognito, until the "coach" called out to me to ask if I was finished. I paused, and simply said, "Yes, I am."
After that it gets a little hazy and runs together - there were pull-ups, more squats, and squat-jumps (yay!). Then a set where, for 15 minutes, we crammed in as many sets of shoulder presses, squat-jumps, and weighted step-ups (There's a box. And weights. You pick up the weights, step up on the box with one foot, raise your other knee, and step back down.). 15 minutes is a long, long time. At the end I was just laughing because I could hardly even get up on the box.
Now, my legs feel a little like jell-o and it's hard to raise my arms above my head. I fear I am going to be so ridiculously sore tomorrow it will be hard to walk. Thank goodness water polo was just canceled. I've never been so happy for rain in my life.
I'm totally going to Friday's workout.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Water Polo!
Yesterday the water polo team I (occasionally) play with hosted a water polo tournament at our pool. We break up our team up by age, so we have a 50's team, and 40's team, and a 30's team. The 30's team, however, only has a few players, one of whom I played with in college. So of course my other college friends drove up from Santa Barbara to play with us! We had two games yesterday, and lost both, but had a great time playing. I was so afraid of making mistakes that I only took one shot (and missed), but otherwise played solidly. Well, at least I didn't totally screw up, so I count that as a victory. The sun was out, there was a great snack bar, I was hanging out with all of my old college friends, I got to show off my sparkly new ring, and after the tournament was over we had a little dinner party where we all drank too much and I somehow ended up in a gymnastics competition with a 7 year old. (I lost, but I threw it.) We didn't go to sleep until about 3 in the morning, and I am moving slowly today, but it was totally worth it.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Dear Team in Training...
...If you have an end-of-season party, and give out certificates to almost everyone for "achievement" or for funny things that happened during the season, you really need to make sure that you give one to everyone. I know, I know. I'm 35. A stupid certificate shouldn't matter. But when almost everyone around me gets one, and some people even get two or three, and we spend over 30 minutes giving them out, and we acknowlege someone (else) who got engaged the night before the event (we got engaged the day of the event), you need to make certain you're not excluding someone.
Okay, I know it's childish, but I worked just as hard as everyone else this season, and I watched (nearly) everyone get announced and have some inside joke made about them
I know it's petty and stupid. I know that. But really, if you're going through the motions then do it for everyone.
Okay, my hissy fit is over. :-) I got a water bottle and a coffee mug (the irony of the coffee mug - I don't drink coffee - is especially not lost on me) for raising a certain amount over the minimum, so that's cool, and Rob might sign up for a TNT event in the future...
Okay, I know it's childish, but I worked just as hard as everyone else this season, and I watched (nearly) everyone get announced and have some inside joke made about them
I know it's petty and stupid. I know that. But really, if you're going through the motions then do it for everyone.
Okay, my hissy fit is over. :-) I got a water bottle and a coffee mug (the irony of the coffee mug - I don't drink coffee - is especially not lost on me) for raising a certain amount over the minimum, so that's cool, and Rob might sign up for a TNT event in the future...
5.8 miles
As in I ran that today!
It's a gorgeous day and the sun is shining and my running clothes are clean and the pedals are still not on my bike (clearly I have some mental block about putting those back on), so I threw on the running gear and took off. I ran my usual route and it took me about an hour and five minutes. The first five minutes were all walking, and I walked for about two minutes total in there as well, but even with that I averaged just over 11 minute miles, which for me is pretty good (consider the walking too and that average will drop). It was interesting to see who is home in the middle of the day. All the gardeners were out, and I almost got run over a bunch of times (midday drivers are not as aware as morning weekend drivers or are there just more of them?) Of course, because I've been training in the cold I haven't been bringing water with me on that route. Haven't needed it.
Today, I needed it.
I got about 4 miles in and was parched. It's not hot, but warm enough to make me sweat even more, and I started getting a bit desperate. I felt great otherwise, but stopped to walk a couple of times to just rehydrate my mouth. At one point there was a gentleman across the street watering his lawn, but I decided it was too weird to jog over and ask if I could drink out of the hose. I did, however, keep my eyes peeled for hoses hidden along the sides of the houses.
I finally gave up and started fantasizing about the ice water I was going to have when I walked in the door. I gulped down a 32-ounce bottle in one fell swoop and immediately felt a little ill. Now, I'm a bit headachy and might lie down for a minute... Funny how a little change in temperature can screw my routine up so badly!
It's a gorgeous day and the sun is shining and my running clothes are clean and the pedals are still not on my bike (clearly I have some mental block about putting those back on), so I threw on the running gear and took off. I ran my usual route and it took me about an hour and five minutes. The first five minutes were all walking, and I walked for about two minutes total in there as well, but even with that I averaged just over 11 minute miles, which for me is pretty good (consider the walking too and that average will drop). It was interesting to see who is home in the middle of the day. All the gardeners were out, and I almost got run over a bunch of times (midday drivers are not as aware as morning weekend drivers or are there just more of them?) Of course, because I've been training in the cold I haven't been bringing water with me on that route. Haven't needed it.
Today, I needed it.
I got about 4 miles in and was parched. It's not hot, but warm enough to make me sweat even more, and I started getting a bit desperate. I felt great otherwise, but stopped to walk a couple of times to just rehydrate my mouth. At one point there was a gentleman across the street watering his lawn, but I decided it was too weird to jog over and ask if I could drink out of the hose. I did, however, keep my eyes peeled for hoses hidden along the sides of the houses.
I finally gave up and started fantasizing about the ice water I was going to have when I walked in the door. I gulped down a 32-ounce bottle in one fell swoop and immediately felt a little ill. Now, I'm a bit headachy and might lie down for a minute... Funny how a little change in temperature can screw my routine up so badly!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Swim Day
I swam 2000 yards today and once I was warmed up I felt pretty good. As the weather's been nicer there have been lots more people in the pool, and today I shared a lane with a girl who was decked out in a full wetsuit and wearing large clear goggles. She was an intense swimmer, very focused, and just kept going and going and going. She wasn't flip-turning, and she was incorporating other strokes into her routine, but man did she make it look hard. And I noticed that she didn't use her legs at all. Like at all. Not one little flutter of a kick anywhere, no motion from the hips when she was trying to do butterfly. And when her hand would enter the water it would be hooked downward from the wrist. All in all a painfully inefficient swimmer and rather hard to watch without offering up my two cents (I didn't).
Anyway, I did a simple set today: 600 free, 2 x 300 free, 4 x 150 free, followed by a 200 mostly backstroke and breaststroke and done pretty slowly to warm down. The sun was out and the water was warm, and it made me nervous for the cold water that will be in Lake Berryessa on May 2nd when I participate in a sprint triathlon there.
I just reserved two campsites for that weekend, Saturday and Sunday nights, for me (and anyone else who wants to tag along) and another TNT woman and her friend who are also doing the race that day. We plan on lying in the sun and drinking beer and playing in the lake once we're done with the race on Sunday! It sounds heavenly. It's also the weekend after my job ends, so it will be a nice little celebration for me. Hopefully Rob will come but I doubt it - he's probably got some flying he wants to get in that weekend and I think his paparazzi days are over for the time being...
Anyway, I did a simple set today: 600 free, 2 x 300 free, 4 x 150 free, followed by a 200 mostly backstroke and breaststroke and done pretty slowly to warm down. The sun was out and the water was warm, and it made me nervous for the cold water that will be in Lake Berryessa on May 2nd when I participate in a sprint triathlon there.
I just reserved two campsites for that weekend, Saturday and Sunday nights, for me (and anyone else who wants to tag along) and another TNT woman and her friend who are also doing the race that day. We plan on lying in the sun and drinking beer and playing in the lake once we're done with the race on Sunday! It sounds heavenly. It's also the weekend after my job ends, so it will be a nice little celebration for me. Hopefully Rob will come but I doubt it - he's probably got some flying he wants to get in that weekend and I think his paparazzi days are over for the time being...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Buggy
I think I finally recovered from the Great Bug Swallowing of 2010. Man, that was rough. But, a little extra protein never hurt anybody, and I'm sure whatever it was is a delicacy in some countries.
Thank god it didn't have a stinger.
Today I have weddings on the brain - at least partially because I spent a good portion of the afternoon talking to my sister, mom and aunt on the phone about flying up to Portland to possibly see my cousin graduate (no pressure James!) and do a concurrent celebration of my birthday and a mini-family-wedding shower.
Is it time for a cocktail yet?
Thank god it didn't have a stinger.
Today I have weddings on the brain - at least partially because I spent a good portion of the afternoon talking to my sister, mom and aunt on the phone about flying up to Portland to possibly see my cousin graduate (no pressure James!) and do a concurrent celebration of my birthday and a mini-family-wedding shower.
Is it time for a cocktail yet?
Ew ew ew ew ew ew.
I ate a bug.
My run was lovely, just lovely - I ran all 5 miles and felt absolutely fantastic. In fact, as I was nearing what must have been mile 4 or so, I was thinking that if I felt this good then perhaps a marathon wasn't an impossible and overly painful goal for me someday. I was in the middle of calculating how many 5 mile runs a marathons actually contains (~5.2), not even paying attention to my breathing, when out of the corner of my eye and faster than I could react comes this thing flying at my face. The next thing I knew it had lodged itself directly in the back of my throat, so far down I could not cough it up.
After a quick couple of coughs to try and dislodge the little bastard, I made the decision to swallow it. It was big enough that I could feel its little exoskeleton lodged in my throat, and I swear I felt it wiggling. I swallowed. It remained. I swallowed again. Still it remained. Alas, the problem with swallowing while running is that there is no saliva. My mouth and throat were very dry. I tried chewing on my tongue to dredge up some spit. No luck. Eventually, through sheer force of will (and repeated convulsions of my esophagus no doubt) I thought I felt it go down.
I just kept running through the whole thing. After I finished my great run and spent a few minutes stretching I drank about a gallon of water to try and flush the feeling out of my throat.
I think I can still feel it there.
Does that count as extra protein, I wonder?
Ew.
My run was lovely, just lovely - I ran all 5 miles and felt absolutely fantastic. In fact, as I was nearing what must have been mile 4 or so, I was thinking that if I felt this good then perhaps a marathon wasn't an impossible and overly painful goal for me someday. I was in the middle of calculating how many 5 mile runs a marathons actually contains (~5.2), not even paying attention to my breathing, when out of the corner of my eye and faster than I could react comes this thing flying at my face. The next thing I knew it had lodged itself directly in the back of my throat, so far down I could not cough it up.
After a quick couple of coughs to try and dislodge the little bastard, I made the decision to swallow it. It was big enough that I could feel its little exoskeleton lodged in my throat, and I swear I felt it wiggling. I swallowed. It remained. I swallowed again. Still it remained. Alas, the problem with swallowing while running is that there is no saliva. My mouth and throat were very dry. I tried chewing on my tongue to dredge up some spit. No luck. Eventually, through sheer force of will (and repeated convulsions of my esophagus no doubt) I thought I felt it go down.
I just kept running through the whole thing. After I finished my great run and spent a few minutes stretching I drank about a gallon of water to try and flush the feeling out of my throat.
I think I can still feel it there.
Does that count as extra protein, I wonder?
Ew.
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