Thursday, August 30, 2012
Back in the pool
First time back in the pool in a couple weeks. Only swam 1200 meters. Really need to build up my distance, but am not really going to start working on that until October.
I got in a run in Cypress Park before starting work in Department 95. I'm still feeling the effects of yesterday's Crossfit. I can only imagine how I'd be faring if I had done the whole fifteen minutes. Yikes.
I usually do this run by going up and down the first five streets to the north of Cypress. These streets aren't that long, but reasonably steep. The whole run is just under four miles. In my new strategy of trying to warm up before doing the hard stuff, I did the straight out part of the run and then I ran up and down all the streets to the south of Cypress. I knew those streets were shorter, but I figured if I did all of them, then the distance would be about the same. Oops. The distance ended up to be barely three miles. Oh well, I'll know better next week.
I got in a run in Cypress Park before starting work in Department 95. I'm still feeling the effects of yesterday's Crossfit. I can only imagine how I'd be faring if I had done the whole fifteen minutes. Yikes.
I usually do this run by going up and down the first five streets to the north of Cypress. These streets aren't that long, but reasonably steep. The whole run is just under four miles. In my new strategy of trying to warm up before doing the hard stuff, I did the straight out part of the run and then I ran up and down all the streets to the south of Cypress. I knew those streets were shorter, but I figured if I did all of them, then the distance would be about the same. Oops. The distance ended up to be barely three miles. Oh well, I'll know better next week.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
My version of a rest day
Great day so far. Went to Crossfit and did deadlifts. I'm pretty sure I reached my one-rep max. I couldn't have done two, but the workout only called for one and so I was good.
Then we did an AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) in fifteen minutes (I only did ten minutes because I needed to be to work a little early - truthfully, I needed to be to work on time) of ten kettlebell swings, ten box jumps and ten dips. I got in five rounds, which seemed like enough for anyone.
Time has passed since I wrote the above paragraph this morning.
I thought DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) showed up the day following the exercise. I can feel those fifty box jumps and fifty KBS and fifty dips. Oh, yes, I can.
I still went for my minimum run this still-hot evening. I didn't warm up in advance, but I did go on a route that begins downhill slightly. It was an OK run. Maybe I am past the dead leg interlude. Tomorrow will tell as my Thursday route is pretty tough. I'm not sure whether I will do it 3-1. I've done this run many, many times just running it. We'll see how I feel after my first swim in a while.
Then we did an AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) in fifteen minutes (I only did ten minutes because I needed to be to work a little early - truthfully, I needed to be to work on time) of ten kettlebell swings, ten box jumps and ten dips. I got in five rounds, which seemed like enough for anyone.
Time has passed since I wrote the above paragraph this morning.
I thought DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) showed up the day following the exercise. I can feel those fifty box jumps and fifty KBS and fifty dips. Oh, yes, I can.
I still went for my minimum run this still-hot evening. I didn't warm up in advance, but I did go on a route that begins downhill slightly. It was an OK run. Maybe I am past the dead leg interlude. Tomorrow will tell as my Thursday route is pretty tough. I'm not sure whether I will do it 3-1. I've done this run many, many times just running it. We'll see how I feel after my first swim in a while.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Great hike
The day started in the best possible way - a 3+ mile hike with my sweet dad. Nothing spectacular about it. The usual trail and all. But I do treasure these moments.
This evening was the experiment. I warmed up on the trainer for about 15 minutes, never getting my heart rate above about 90. And then I went out for my short run and it was fine. So far so good. The true test will be this weekend when I go for a longish run. I'll be in Pleasant Hill for William's birthday so I'm not exactly sure when I will be getting that in.
This evening was the experiment. I warmed up on the trainer for about 15 minutes, never getting my heart rate above about 90. And then I went out for my short run and it was fine. So far so good. The true test will be this weekend when I go for a longish run. I'll be in Pleasant Hill for William's birthday so I'm not exactly sure when I will be getting that in.
Good run and a possible explanation
This is about yesterday, Monday, August 27.
I spent an hour on the spinner while watching the Dodgers lose 10-0. Good ride. Bad game. I love my spinner. I definitely had trouble spending longer than twenty minutes on my bike when I had it hooked up to the trainer.
And then I went for my run. I had already planned to run on a three minute run-one minute walk program. I started running and I felt good, which really confused me. Then it hit me. I had been trying to run, uphill no less, when I was not warmed up in the slightest. And then by the time I was warmed up, I had trashed my legs. Because I started the run last night already warmed up from the ride, I didn't have that problem. I still went on the 3-1 strategy and it was a good run. I think I might have learned something here.
Since I seem to be describing the day backwards ...
I did go to Crossfit in the morning. We did a bunch of push presses. I equaled my previous one-rep max so that was good. Then we did a million or so renegade rows. What is a renegade row, you ask? You do a push-up with your hands on light dumbbells and then when you are full extended up, you row once on the right and once on the left and that counts for one rep. Nah, we didn't really do a million of those. Only fifty-five with ten toes-to-bars thrown it at various intervals. And yes, my arms are a little sore today.
But the important thing is my good run. I was starting to feel a little discouraged and now I am hopeful again. It will be interesting to see how the next one goes.
I spent an hour on the spinner while watching the Dodgers lose 10-0. Good ride. Bad game. I love my spinner. I definitely had trouble spending longer than twenty minutes on my bike when I had it hooked up to the trainer.
And then I went for my run. I had already planned to run on a three minute run-one minute walk program. I started running and I felt good, which really confused me. Then it hit me. I had been trying to run, uphill no less, when I was not warmed up in the slightest. And then by the time I was warmed up, I had trashed my legs. Because I started the run last night already warmed up from the ride, I didn't have that problem. I still went on the 3-1 strategy and it was a good run. I think I might have learned something here.
Since I seem to be describing the day backwards ...
I did go to Crossfit in the morning. We did a bunch of push presses. I equaled my previous one-rep max so that was good. Then we did a million or so renegade rows. What is a renegade row, you ask? You do a push-up with your hands on light dumbbells and then when you are full extended up, you row once on the right and once on the left and that counts for one rep. Nah, we didn't really do a million of those. Only fifty-five with ten toes-to-bars thrown it at various intervals. And yes, my arms are a little sore today.
But the important thing is my good run. I was starting to feel a little discouraged and now I am hopeful again. It will be interesting to see how the next one goes.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Very slow run and a Challenge
My running continues to be problematic. So, here is what I have done to exacerbate it. I mean, help it. I joined the Trail Runner/Strava 100 mile Challenge. You are supposed to run 100 miles (as many as possible on trails) between September 1 and September 16. I know there is no way I can run that many miles in that time, much less on trails, but hopefully that will provide a little motivation beyond what I seem to have at the moment.
I did run this morning. 5.88 miles from home to Marston's Restaurant in Pasadena. I won't say how long it took me, but I finished. I haven't done a run/walk program in a while, but I think I will re-start one. That might help. The problem might be that I am over-estimating my capabilities. I kind of don't think so because in the recent past I ran 9 miles to Dish Restaurant in La Canada and lived to tell about it. The subsequent three times I tried that exact same run have not worked out so well. But the fact remains I am not getting these "long" runs done and so I need to back up a little. The Nike Women's Half Marathon is in 48 days. No pressure.
I did run this morning. 5.88 miles from home to Marston's Restaurant in Pasadena. I won't say how long it took me, but I finished. I haven't done a run/walk program in a while, but I think I will re-start one. That might help. The problem might be that I am over-estimating my capabilities. I kind of don't think so because in the recent past I ran 9 miles to Dish Restaurant in La Canada and lived to tell about it. The subsequent three times I tried that exact same run have not worked out so well. But the fact remains I am not getting these "long" runs done and so I need to back up a little. The Nike Women's Half Marathon is in 48 days. No pressure.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Bike Drills
While on my ride today I focused on bike drills. Here are the drills I practiced:
1. working on turning good circles with the pedals – imagining scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe. This is a very important skill and all the bike gurus recommend it. When I remember to do it, I definitely see a difference in power output. I really do try to remember to pedal this way, but it is not a habit yet. Hope springs eternal.
2. dodging homicidal squirrels – dodging homicidal squirrels falls into two categories:
a. the homicidal/suicidal squirrel – in this scenario the h/s squirrel waits by the side of the trail until it perceives just the right moment to dash out and attempt to jump into your wheel, thereby causing you to crash and kill you both.
b. the malevolent homicidal squirrel – here, the malevolent homicidal squirrel waits by the side of the trail as you approach. It then dashes out to the middle of the trail, stops briefly, and then either continues on or turns around to return the way it came (leaving you to guess which it will do). The effect of this is to either give you a heart attack or cause you to crash. In either of these events, the malevolent homicidal squirrel is safely back under the fence and laughing gaily as you lie there gasping your last dying breath.
3. drinking – actually, the skill is getting your water bottle out of that tight cage and taking a swig without needing to come to a complete stop or crashing. I can't do this while pedaling (but at least I don't come to a complete stop), at least not yet, but that is why we practice these drills, isn't it?
4. lifting the front wheel slightly – the San Gabriel River Trail has lots of cracks in it and it would be useful to be able to lift the front wheel over the cracks and prevent a little bit of teeth-cracking jarring. I believe the technical name for this is skill is "popping a wheelie." This is a skill that most people learned as children, but, alas, not me. Sometimes I can lift my wheel slightly and sometimes not. I think I am doing the exact same thing in both instances so I don't know why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I hope to one day be able to do this on command and with precision (i.e. not dropping the wheel INTO the crack). Any hints or suggestions would be appreciated.
As soon as I have mastered these skills, I am sure there are lots more to be tackled.
1. working on turning good circles with the pedals – imagining scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe. This is a very important skill and all the bike gurus recommend it. When I remember to do it, I definitely see a difference in power output. I really do try to remember to pedal this way, but it is not a habit yet. Hope springs eternal.
2. dodging homicidal squirrels – dodging homicidal squirrels falls into two categories:
a. the homicidal/suicidal squirrel – in this scenario the h/s squirrel waits by the side of the trail until it perceives just the right moment to dash out and attempt to jump into your wheel, thereby causing you to crash and kill you both.
b. the malevolent homicidal squirrel – here, the malevolent homicidal squirrel waits by the side of the trail as you approach. It then dashes out to the middle of the trail, stops briefly, and then either continues on or turns around to return the way it came (leaving you to guess which it will do). The effect of this is to either give you a heart attack or cause you to crash. In either of these events, the malevolent homicidal squirrel is safely back under the fence and laughing gaily as you lie there gasping your last dying breath.
3. drinking – actually, the skill is getting your water bottle out of that tight cage and taking a swig without needing to come to a complete stop or crashing. I can't do this while pedaling (but at least I don't come to a complete stop), at least not yet, but that is why we practice these drills, isn't it?
4. lifting the front wheel slightly – the San Gabriel River Trail has lots of cracks in it and it would be useful to be able to lift the front wheel over the cracks and prevent a little bit of teeth-cracking jarring. I believe the technical name for this is skill is "popping a wheelie." This is a skill that most people learned as children, but, alas, not me. Sometimes I can lift my wheel slightly and sometimes not. I think I am doing the exact same thing in both instances so I don't know why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I hope to one day be able to do this on command and with precision (i.e. not dropping the wheel INTO the crack). Any hints or suggestions would be appreciated.
As soon as I have mastered these skills, I am sure there are lots more to be tackled.
New bike shorts and an OK ride
On my last ride my bike shorts were bunched up and uncomfortable in places where you don't want to be uncomfortable. A close examination revealed that the shorts were stretched out and simply worn out. I don't buy myself biking clothes that often, unlike running clothes. So, it was time to go on a mission for new bike clothes. I don't want boring black shorts and I don't want clothes with any writing on them (unless you are paying me to advertise your product). This was hard. It was very difficult to find cute and interesting bike/triathlon clothes.
This was about as close as I could get. The shorts are advertised as triathlon shorts with minimal padding.
I order them. They arrive. Let me tell you they have the most minimal padding of any bike short I have ever encountered. Really close to none. I wore them for about thirty minutes on the spinner and they seemed OK. And I wore them today for 2-1/4 hours and, again, they seemed OK. Whether they would last through an Ironman ride, I don't know.
And the new top and socks are color-coordinated, but not too mixy-matchy.
These were the other two shorts I ordered. Also advertised as triathlon shorts, but with more padding (but still not a lot) than the shorts above.
And yes, the cat was helping.
Here is today's duck picture. I went the usual route. I was hoping to improve on my 14.1 and 14.3 from my last two rides, but only managed 14.0. I'm really glad I didn't drop below 14mph, but it was close. Can't blame it on the heat. I did have to stop and adjust the wheel sensor for my cycling computer and I did get off the trail early which caused a long wait at a stoplight, but really, the reason I was slow was my dead leg syndrome kicked in pretty from the turnaround at Wilderness Park, but in earnest the last five or six miles. Poor Leah.
For most of my ride the two issues were 1) will I beat 14.3 mph (and we already know the answer is "no") and 2) can I get a Polar Pop after my ride when it isn't 100F outside. It's amazing what can motivate you on a ride (or run or whatever). I wasn't sure that I actually could justify it, but when I got back to my car, I realized that I hadn't brought a protein bar. Well, that settled in. Suddenly it became an entitlement as strong as any held by anyone. And I was pretty sure that the exercise nutrition people meant to include Polar Pops as suitable post-workout nutrition, right up there with whey protein isolate. So, I had one. I also got some beef jerky because I do believe in that post-workout protein thing.
My next time on this trail will be Friday morning. I'm taking the day off to start the Labor Day weekend. I'll get the ride in and then start up the 5 freeway to Northern California for my grandson's 8th birthday.
I order them. They arrive. Let me tell you they have the most minimal padding of any bike short I have ever encountered. Really close to none. I wore them for about thirty minutes on the spinner and they seemed OK. And I wore them today for 2-1/4 hours and, again, they seemed OK. Whether they would last through an Ironman ride, I don't know.
And the new top and socks are color-coordinated, but not too mixy-matchy.
And yes, the cat was helping.
Here is today's duck picture. I went the usual route. I was hoping to improve on my 14.1 and 14.3 from my last two rides, but only managed 14.0. I'm really glad I didn't drop below 14mph, but it was close. Can't blame it on the heat. I did have to stop and adjust the wheel sensor for my cycling computer and I did get off the trail early which caused a long wait at a stoplight, but really, the reason I was slow was my dead leg syndrome kicked in pretty from the turnaround at Wilderness Park, but in earnest the last five or six miles. Poor Leah.
For most of my ride the two issues were 1) will I beat 14.3 mph (and we already know the answer is "no") and 2) can I get a Polar Pop after my ride when it isn't 100F outside. It's amazing what can motivate you on a ride (or run or whatever). I wasn't sure that I actually could justify it, but when I got back to my car, I realized that I hadn't brought a protein bar. Well, that settled in. Suddenly it became an entitlement as strong as any held by anyone. And I was pretty sure that the exercise nutrition people meant to include Polar Pops as suitable post-workout nutrition, right up there with whey protein isolate. So, I had one. I also got some beef jerky because I do believe in that post-workout protein thing.
My next time on this trail will be Friday morning. I'm taking the day off to start the Labor Day weekend. I'll get the ride in and then start up the 5 freeway to Northern California for my grandson's 8th birthday.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Dead Legs
I'm not exactly sure what my problem is but for the last several weeks my legs have been dead and any attempts to run any distance have been met with either serious difficulty or outright failure. This simply can't go on. I have a half marathon in less than two months (50 days) and then training for an ironman begins.
Here are the possible explanations for my dead legs:
1. Over-training – I don't think this is the answer. Yes, it is true that since I made my New Year's Resolution I have run at least a mile every single day. Obviously that means that I have not had a complete rest day since then. But probably half those days, since January 1, have been only a single mile. I simply can't see how fifteen minutes or less of exercise in every day constitutes over-training. And there have been a lot of single mile days lately to see if I can "fix" the dead leg issue and so far that doesn't seem to have worked.
2. I do have some pain in the hip area and I am thinking it is time to see Miracle Man Jay to fix my ITB band or whatever the issue is. It doesn't seem farfetched that tightness or knots or whatever in my hips or ITB band might be somehow not allowing my legs the freedom to run like the wind (more like a zephyr).
3. The third possible explanation is that I have some dread neurological disease that hasn't yet been identified, but they will now that I have it. The good part of this is that they will name it after me. I'm sort of assuming that the other good part of this is that they will figure out how to cure it faster than they have figured out how to cure the common cold.
4. Nutrition? I think my diet is overall pretty good. OK. I confess to some ice cream while in Oregon. All right. It was a lot of ice cream. But still. In the scheme of things, I think my diet is better than 82.4% of all Americans. (I made up that statistic.)
5. I am open to other explanations.
I think it is time for a visit to Jay and see if that works.
Here are the possible explanations for my dead legs:
1. Over-training – I don't think this is the answer. Yes, it is true that since I made my New Year's Resolution I have run at least a mile every single day. Obviously that means that I have not had a complete rest day since then. But probably half those days, since January 1, have been only a single mile. I simply can't see how fifteen minutes or less of exercise in every day constitutes over-training. And there have been a lot of single mile days lately to see if I can "fix" the dead leg issue and so far that doesn't seem to have worked.
2. I do have some pain in the hip area and I am thinking it is time to see Miracle Man Jay to fix my ITB band or whatever the issue is. It doesn't seem farfetched that tightness or knots or whatever in my hips or ITB band might be somehow not allowing my legs the freedom to run like the wind (more like a zephyr).
3. The third possible explanation is that I have some dread neurological disease that hasn't yet been identified, but they will now that I have it. The good part of this is that they will name it after me. I'm sort of assuming that the other good part of this is that they will figure out how to cure it faster than they have figured out how to cure the common cold.
4. Nutrition? I think my diet is overall pretty good. OK. I confess to some ice cream while in Oregon. All right. It was a lot of ice cream. But still. In the scheme of things, I think my diet is better than 82.4% of all Americans. (I made up that statistic.)
5. I am open to other explanations.
I think it is time for a visit to Jay and see if that works.
My trip to Oregon
Oh, I had such a good time. My son and his family rented a house in Sunriver, Oregon. In this resort-type development, there are tons of bike trails, a water park, horse stables, the river, etc. I got there late on Friday night.
On Saturday we spent most of the day at the High Desert Museum, located about five miles south of Bend, Oregon. I have been to a number of these kid-friendly, hands-on, interactive museums and I believe this one is the best I have been to. They had the usual animal shows and you got to pet the animals that were pettable (a snake is pettable and a baby porcupine is not). But the area that was the biggest hit with the kids, particularly William, was the Miller Family Ranch and Sawmill from the early 1900's. They had a big dirt area with hand farming implements, such as a plow. William plowed and he plowed and he plowed. He was then dragged off to see the shows and have lunch and things, and then begged to come back and darned if he didn't plow some more. This was great fun to watch.
After the museum we went to the water park. I suspect in the hierarchy of water parks, this is not a particularly sophisticated one, but it certainly provided enough entertainment for a 7 year old, a five year old and me. They had this lily pad (see the picture) thing activity with I guess six loosely tethered lily pads that you were supposed to walk across to get to the other side. You were supposed to accomplish this by holding on to this cargo netting above you. This cargo netting dips down in the middle. The kids that did the best were the smaller ones because they could just monkey bar the cargo netting at the beginning and the end and then basically hold on and walk across in the middle. (That's my granddaughter easily getting across.) I do not qualify as a small kid. (That's my pudgy knee in the left of the picture.) I am extremely proud of the fact that I was the oldest person that I saw actually make it across. It required solid upper body strength and for that I say, "Thank you, Crossfit." It may not have been pretty. I know it wasn't elegant, but I got across.
William and I went down this big water slide in this double inner tube. He says I screamed. I know that I only squealed with delight.
So, totally great day.
On Sunday morning the kids and I bicycled to breakfast and then we rode out to the horse stables. We had read that the stables had a requirement that you be seven years old before you were allowed on the trail ride. So we went out to see if there was any way around that. The answer was "no, but we don't check ID."
Sunday afternoon we drove out to a lake, the name of which escapes me at the moment. This was great fun. William got to drive the boat all over the lake, which pleased him enormously. His mother and father got to relax in the sun and read and that pleased them enormously. After the boat trip we did get in some hiking and trail running (the kids and I – the mommy and daddy were content to lag behind).
After dinner on Sunday we went on the bumper cars and all pent-up hostility was released.
Another great day.
On Monday we went to the river to go kayaking. The idea was that you kayak up the river and then you turn around and let the river pretty much drift you back. The place was completely out of two-person kayaks, but since the kids were small Alexandra and I just put them in our kayaks. Sounds good, but let's talk about kayaking up river. Up river, meaning against the current. Where there are these eddies. Which can spin you around or send you to parts of the river where you did not wish to be. When you have a kid in front of you and do not have full range of motion when you try to paddle. Hmmm. Alexandra and I made it probably half way before we gave up and turned around. Michael went somewhat further. The most fun about this was after Alexandra and I got back and were waiting for Michael. William turned himself into unpaid help for the kayak place. He guided returning kayakers back in and he pulled the kayaks out of the water onto the grass. The employees were a little startled at first and then they just let him do it. In between returning kayaks William and Catherine played and swam in the river.
On Monday afternoon we went horseback riding. Michael didn't go. We carefully coached the kids that Catherine was 7 and we advanced William to 8. While he already was old enough to go on the trail ride, it didn't seem to be logical that he and Catherine were the same age. The kids did great on the ride. Catherine never forgot her cover story, but one of the guides chatted up William and as far as I can tell, he disclosed his entire life story, including how old he was and how old his sister was. The guide never batted an eye. I don't think William is cut out to be an undercover agent.
Alas, Tuesday morning, bright and early, I was on the airplane back to the real world. It really was quite a fun trip. There were lots of activities, but it wasn't so over-scheduled that you never had a moment to breath.
On Saturday we spent most of the day at the High Desert Museum, located about five miles south of Bend, Oregon. I have been to a number of these kid-friendly, hands-on, interactive museums and I believe this one is the best I have been to. They had the usual animal shows and you got to pet the animals that were pettable (a snake is pettable and a baby porcupine is not). But the area that was the biggest hit with the kids, particularly William, was the Miller Family Ranch and Sawmill from the early 1900's. They had a big dirt area with hand farming implements, such as a plow. William plowed and he plowed and he plowed. He was then dragged off to see the shows and have lunch and things, and then begged to come back and darned if he didn't plow some more. This was great fun to watch.
William and I went down this big water slide in this double inner tube. He says I screamed. I know that I only squealed with delight.
So, totally great day.
On Sunday morning the kids and I bicycled to breakfast and then we rode out to the horse stables. We had read that the stables had a requirement that you be seven years old before you were allowed on the trail ride. So we went out to see if there was any way around that. The answer was "no, but we don't check ID."
Sunday afternoon we drove out to a lake, the name of which escapes me at the moment. This was great fun. William got to drive the boat all over the lake, which pleased him enormously. His mother and father got to relax in the sun and read and that pleased them enormously. After the boat trip we did get in some hiking and trail running (the kids and I – the mommy and daddy were content to lag behind).
After dinner on Sunday we went on the bumper cars and all pent-up hostility was released.
Another great day.
On Monday we went to the river to go kayaking. The idea was that you kayak up the river and then you turn around and let the river pretty much drift you back. The place was completely out of two-person kayaks, but since the kids were small Alexandra and I just put them in our kayaks. Sounds good, but let's talk about kayaking up river. Up river, meaning against the current. Where there are these eddies. Which can spin you around or send you to parts of the river where you did not wish to be. When you have a kid in front of you and do not have full range of motion when you try to paddle. Hmmm. Alexandra and I made it probably half way before we gave up and turned around. Michael went somewhat further. The most fun about this was after Alexandra and I got back and were waiting for Michael. William turned himself into unpaid help for the kayak place. He guided returning kayakers back in and he pulled the kayaks out of the water onto the grass. The employees were a little startled at first and then they just let him do it. In between returning kayaks William and Catherine played and swam in the river.
On Monday afternoon we went horseback riding. Michael didn't go. We carefully coached the kids that Catherine was 7 and we advanced William to 8. While he already was old enough to go on the trail ride, it didn't seem to be logical that he and Catherine were the same age. The kids did great on the ride. Catherine never forgot her cover story, but one of the guides chatted up William and as far as I can tell, he disclosed his entire life story, including how old he was and how old his sister was. The guide never batted an eye. I don't think William is cut out to be an undercover agent.
Alas, Tuesday morning, bright and early, I was on the airplane back to the real world. It really was quite a fun trip. There were lots of activities, but it wasn't so over-scheduled that you never had a moment to breath.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Just a quickie
Yes, I'm leaving for Oregon this afternoon, but I got in my little one-mile run this morning. No Crossfit. Lazy, lazy, lazy.
But I kept my running streak going. That's the important thing. Form over substance any day of the week.
But I kept my running streak going. That's the important thing. Form over substance any day of the week.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Great day
It's always a great day when I get to start it with a hike to First Water with my Dad. I so enjoy these little jaunts up the mountain. We were concerned that it would be so hot as to be uncomfortable, but it wasn't bad. There was a nice breeze and that certainly helped.
I got in just under ten miles on the spinner tonight. I watched the last 35 minutes of Jailhouse Rock, a movie I had never seen and probably really don't need to see the first part of it. Today is the 35th anniversary of The King's death and it seemed like every channel was playing something Elvis-related.
And then I got in my brick run and now I get to go to bed.
Tomorrow I am flying to Oregon to see my son and his family who are vacationing in Sunriver. I may not be able to post between now and Tuesday, when I return. Apparently whatever there is in internet access where they are staying is very slow. So, I won't bother with it.
I got in just under ten miles on the spinner tonight. I watched the last 35 minutes of Jailhouse Rock, a movie I had never seen and probably really don't need to see the first part of it. Today is the 35th anniversary of The King's death and it seemed like every channel was playing something Elvis-related.
And then I got in my brick run and now I get to go to bed.
Tomorrow I am flying to Oregon to see my son and his family who are vacationing in Sunriver. I may not be able to post between now and Tuesday, when I return. Apparently whatever there is in internet access where they are staying is very slow. So, I won't bother with it.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
It's still hot
Very hot. Even at 6am. Today was Crossfit.
The workout:
block run (1/3 mile)
and then 8 rounds of 8 each of
push-ups,
box jumps,
toes-to-bar (for me this is just hanging from a bar and lifting my legs up so my thighs are parallel to the floor - some people hang from the bar and lift their toes all the way to that bar, hence the name), and
pistols (one-legged squats)
followed by another block run
I did an extra block run and called it my mile for the day. So, that's it for the day. Essentially a rest day.
Except that I took the train to work so there are a lot of steps to climb. I wouldn't dream of using the escalator. I had to go to court and the Hall both in the morning and afternoon so that's a nice little walk - in the heat, don't forget the heat. And then back to the train this afternoon.
The workout:
block run (1/3 mile)
and then 8 rounds of 8 each of
push-ups,
box jumps,
toes-to-bar (for me this is just hanging from a bar and lifting my legs up so my thighs are parallel to the floor - some people hang from the bar and lift their toes all the way to that bar, hence the name), and
pistols (one-legged squats)
followed by another block run
I did an extra block run and called it my mile for the day. So, that's it for the day. Essentially a rest day.
Except that I took the train to work so there are a lot of steps to climb. I wouldn't dream of using the escalator. I had to go to court and the Hall both in the morning and afternoon so that's a nice little walk - in the heat, don't forget the heat. And then back to the train this afternoon.
A bit late
I am late with posting about yesterday (August 14) because we were updating my laptop, the iPad and my iPhone which prevented me from having access to any of these devices. It wasn't an exciting workout day anyway.
I have a Myricom board meeting on Thursday, which means I am taking the day off. So, I was in Department 95 on Tuesday instead of Thursday. I usually swim on my Department 95 day, but they were working on the women's locker room so that was out. It is good thing I am not focusing on swimming right now because I'm sure not doing much of it.
I did get in the usual pre-Department 95 run in Cypress Park. Just under 4 miles.
I got on the spinning bike last night. I did a Sufferfest video, but I did not push the intensity and I only did the first 45 minutes.
And that's it.
I have a Myricom board meeting on Thursday, which means I am taking the day off. So, I was in Department 95 on Tuesday instead of Thursday. I usually swim on my Department 95 day, but they were working on the women's locker room so that was out. It is good thing I am not focusing on swimming right now because I'm sure not doing much of it.
I did get in the usual pre-Department 95 run in Cypress Park. Just under 4 miles.
I got on the spinning bike last night. I did a Sufferfest video, but I did not push the intensity and I only did the first 45 minutes.
And that's it.
Monday, August 13, 2012
August 13, 2012
Great morning at Crossfit. We did push presses (strength set) and then we did more push presses interspersed with pull-ups and 200 meter runs (met con).
The strength set was to be 3 sets of 5 reps at 60%-70%-80% of our one-rep max. My one-rep max is 60% and I did 35#-45#-50# and then I did one rep of 55# just to amuse myself (and to assure myself I could do it).
The met con (metabolic conditioning) part was to be 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps and 2 reps of push press at 50# of our one-rep max. After each of those rounds we were to do 8 pull-ups and a 200 meter run. I should have done all those push press reps at 30#, but I didn't think I could do it. In retrospect, the 25# I used was too light. But I also wasn't the last one to finish (which I frequently am).
Tonight was spinning. I did a Sufferfest program called The Revolver. Essentially, after a warm-up this program consists of one minute hard and one minute easy, fifteen times. Except they lied and it was really 16 times. I used gear 4 for the recovery minutes (90 cadence) and gear 12 for the hard ones (100+ cadence). Then there was a cool-down period. This is only a 45-minute workout so I did an extra fifteen minutes in a not terribly hard, but not terribly easy, gear (90 cadence). I did get in my brick run after.
Sufferfest programs use actual footage of bike racing videos set to music. Then they have motivational or encouraging words on the screen from time to time. They like to use words like "suffer" or misery" and the like. Actually, they can be quite amusing. But I only saw the printed words for the first half tonight. After that I had too much sweat dripping into my eyes to see anything much.
Thirty-five years ago today I had a baby. Today's workout was easier than that.
The strength set was to be 3 sets of 5 reps at 60%-70%-80% of our one-rep max. My one-rep max is 60% and I did 35#-45#-50# and then I did one rep of 55# just to amuse myself (and to assure myself I could do it).
The met con (metabolic conditioning) part was to be 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps and 2 reps of push press at 50# of our one-rep max. After each of those rounds we were to do 8 pull-ups and a 200 meter run. I should have done all those push press reps at 30#, but I didn't think I could do it. In retrospect, the 25# I used was too light. But I also wasn't the last one to finish (which I frequently am).
Tonight was spinning. I did a Sufferfest program called The Revolver. Essentially, after a warm-up this program consists of one minute hard and one minute easy, fifteen times. Except they lied and it was really 16 times. I used gear 4 for the recovery minutes (90 cadence) and gear 12 for the hard ones (100+ cadence). Then there was a cool-down period. This is only a 45-minute workout so I did an extra fifteen minutes in a not terribly hard, but not terribly easy, gear (90 cadence). I did get in my brick run after.
Sufferfest programs use actual footage of bike racing videos set to music. Then they have motivational or encouraging words on the screen from time to time. They like to use words like "suffer" or misery" and the like. Actually, they can be quite amusing. But I only saw the printed words for the first half tonight. After that I had too much sweat dripping into my eyes to see anything much.
Thirty-five years ago today I had a baby. Today's workout was easier than that.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
This is a test
I am experimenting with links. So, if this works, you will have a link to the Bunny Museum, one of the most unusual museums in the world. And it is in our little part of the world - Pasadena, California.
Oh well
I'm blaming it on the heat. I did make it to Dish Restaurant in La Canada (does anyone know how to get the tilde over the n?). I started early 5:15, but it was still slow going. I figure I walked more than half of the 9.25 miles. The good part about that is my walking pace and my running pace aren't that far apart.
It was still 78F at 5:15 in the morning with no breeze. That's pretty warm for starting out and it only got warmer.
I still got the banana pancakes, even if I didn't run the whole way.
It was still 78F at 5:15 in the morning with no breeze. That's pretty warm for starting out and it only got warmer.
I still got the banana pancakes, even if I didn't run the whole way.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Went biking instead
I didn't even start my ride until about 9:15 and it was already pretty hot. My only real goal was to not fall below the 14.1 mph that I got last week. I didn't think I was going to get it because of the heat. I'm happy to report that I averaged 14.3 mph and I am ecstatic.
I saw a Sheriff's car on the bike trail and two deputies clearly looking for someone. I'm happy to report that it probably wasn't me because I have been behaving myself lately. It wasn't there on the way back so they either got their man or they gave up. They were not expending a lot of energy on this search.
I got to Wilderness Park and refilled my water bottle. Since there were no ducks to look at, I noticed a man and his son fishing. I asked about the fishing and the boy, Gabriel, explained to me about the strategy with the worms. it seems you only take the very end of the worm because that is all the fish wants. I didn't ask what happened to the rest of the worm.
Apparently it doesn't take long to catch a fish because this little guy was caught in about 8 seconds. He got his picture taken and then Gabriel threw him back in the pond. After seeing this little fish, I understood about the worm. Sorry that it isn't a very good picture. Trust me, it shows a little fish, maybe about two inches long.
The ride back was considerably harder because it was considerably hotter. The last 5-8 miles were a slogfest. The reward was a Polar Pop from the new Circle K around the corner from the start of the trail. Sort of like an Icee, but "stays colder longer," according to the sign. Wild Cherry.
I was supposed to do a one-mile brick run after the ride. Not in 100F temperature. So, I still have to do that tonight. I'll probably get in about 8pm after the temperature gets down to mid 80's.
Tomorrow will be the run to Dish. Ideally this 9-mile run would be on fresh legs, but not this week. Should be interesting. But, I do get pancakes after completing this run.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Rest day, sort of
My back/hip flexor/piriformis is MUCH better. I did go to Crossfit this morning and did my usual "rest day" workout of three rounds of body weight exercises (pullups, dips, squats, pushups, ring rows, wall ball situps and plank) with a block run between rounds. Three times around the block equals a mile which gets me my run for the day to keep my streak going. I also carefully stretched and rolled - I want no more problems.
And that's it for training for today. Gotta rest up for the 9 mile run to Dish Restaurant in La Canada. Haven't done this run for a couple weeks. I'm going to start early to beat the heat.
And that's it for training for today. Gotta rest up for the 9 mile run to Dish Restaurant in La Canada. Haven't done this run for a couple weeks. I'm going to start early to beat the heat.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
No more bilateral breathing
I swam this morning, 1400 meters. While at the pool I asked Kandis, the T/TH morning coach, why none of the Olympic swimmers seemed to breathe bilaterally. She was puzzled by the question, as in, why would any swimmer breathe bilaterally. Well, I didn't used to bilateral breathe and at that very pool, albeit about ten years and several coaches ago, they "made" me change. So, why didn't they "make" me change back to breathing on one side when bilateral breathing was no longer the accepted practice?
So, I try to learn one new thing every day and today I have learned that we aren't supposed to breathe bilaterally while swimming.
Eyewitness News was at the pool this morning. Someone said they were there to film the pool as a way for people to beat the heat. I thought I was going to be famous or something, but I never saw them actually filming. So, don't look for me on the news tonight.
I forgot my towel. I guess that's what happens when you haven't been near the pool in several weeks. You forget what all you need to bring with you.
I ran before my stint at Department 95. I ran my usual route, but added a little hill at the turnaround point to try to boost the mileage to 4 miles. I only got it to 3.95 so I will need to extend it a smidge next week.
And then I got on the spinner tonight. I didn't do a Spinnervals or Sufferfest video because the Olympics are still going strong. When I am spinning on my own I work very diligently to try to maintain a 90 cadence. Muscle memory and all. But track and field was on the TV and I would watch the sprinters running all out and I would look down and see my cadence well over 110 RPM.
It was a pretty good training day.
So, I try to learn one new thing every day and today I have learned that we aren't supposed to breathe bilaterally while swimming.
Eyewitness News was at the pool this morning. Someone said they were there to film the pool as a way for people to beat the heat. I thought I was going to be famous or something, but I never saw them actually filming. So, don't look for me on the news tonight.
I forgot my towel. I guess that's what happens when you haven't been near the pool in several weeks. You forget what all you need to bring with you.
I ran before my stint at Department 95. I ran my usual route, but added a little hill at the turnaround point to try to boost the mileage to 4 miles. I only got it to 3.95 so I will need to extend it a smidge next week.
And then I got on the spinner tonight. I didn't do a Spinnervals or Sufferfest video because the Olympics are still going strong. When I am spinning on my own I work very diligently to try to maintain a 90 cadence. Muscle memory and all. But track and field was on the TV and I would watch the sprinters running all out and I would look down and see my cadence well over 110 RPM.
It was a pretty good training day.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Almost well
I began to realize, with help from my friends, that I wasn't really having "back" pain, as in from the spine. It was either the hip flexor or piriformis or maybe both. Once I started doing stretches targeted for those body parts, I really saw a jump in pain reduction. It still hurts a bit to lift my left leg, but I bet I'm fine in the morning.
The moral of the story is that I need to be more diligent about precautionary stretching and rolling.
Anyway, I went on my indoor spinner tonight and took it reasonably easy, not being sure how things would go. I had no back/hip flexor/piriformis pain. I did a pyramid program while watching the Olympics.
The moral of the story is that I need to be more diligent about precautionary stretching and rolling.
Anyway, I went on my indoor spinner tonight and took it reasonably easy, not being sure how things would go. I had no back/hip flexor/piriformis pain. I did a pyramid program while watching the Olympics.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Today's Picture - August 7, 2012
I have a collection of "motivational" pictures and I plan to post one every day or so. That alone should be worth the view.
All of these pictures came from various sites on the internet and I sincerely hope I have not violated anyone's copyright.
Oh, my aching back
So, there I was, behaving myself and whammo, my back attacked me. Yesterday, I had just finished a dental visit (my teeth are terrific, by the way) and I bent over slightly to set my purse on the floor. I think I twisted slightly while bending over and that's all it took. Another round of very painful back spasms.
I used heat for about an hour. In retrospect I think ice would have been better. Then I moved on to Flexeril. I went to Crossfit at 4pm to roll and stretch and hope that would help. And I think it did. I spent the entire hour rolling and stretching. I did feel a reduction in pain and spasming.
I went on a VERY slow shuffling run last night - just to keep my New Year's Resolution streak going.
I did go on my usual Tuesday morning hike with my Dad today. Walking doesn't seem to bother me. Really, getting up and down from a seated position or getting in and out of the car are really where it bothers me. I didn't go to work for that reason. I think another night of Flexeril should do the trick.
It would be OK if I could go the rest of my life without another back spasm.
I used heat for about an hour. In retrospect I think ice would have been better. Then I moved on to Flexeril. I went to Crossfit at 4pm to roll and stretch and hope that would help. And I think it did. I spent the entire hour rolling and stretching. I did feel a reduction in pain and spasming.
I went on a VERY slow shuffling run last night - just to keep my New Year's Resolution streak going.
I did go on my usual Tuesday morning hike with my Dad today. Walking doesn't seem to bother me. Really, getting up and down from a seated position or getting in and out of the car are really where it bothers me. I didn't go to work for that reason. I think another night of Flexeril should do the trick.
It would be OK if I could go the rest of my life without another back spasm.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Visiting the ducks
The highlight of cycling south on the San Gabriel River Trail, starting from the Santa Fe Dam, is this nice stopping point 15-16 miles down the trail called Wilderness Park. The very fine attributes of Wilderness Park include a drinking fountain, bathrooms, benches, and, of course, the ducks. I usually take a duck picture when I am here and the pictures are always different. I like today's picture.
Oh yeah, the bike ride. It was a pretty good ride. It ended up to be 32.05 miles with an average speed of 14.1 miles per hour. I'll take that. I started a little later than I meant to and the temperature was rising. That's my excuse for skipping the brick run.
July 2012 RECAP
Well, my first month of Ironman training started out with a bang and then kind of fizzled. The month wasn't TERRIBLE, just not what I was aiming for.
SWIM
I didn't get in much swimming, but I am not really focusing on swimming until October. Still, the 2,400 meters of swimming is pretty weak!
BIKE
This was better. I was consistent in the first two weeks of the month and then one thing after another ..... I had 150.82 total miles of biking. 59.75 miles were outside and the rest were on the indoor spinner.
RUN
This is kind of embarrassing. I did a "minimum run" of essentially one mile TWELVE times in July. I didn't count any one-mile brick runs in that total. I expect to do at least one minimum run per week, and two is OK, but averaging three per week cannot continue.
MONEY
I didn't have any Ironman-related expenditures in July.
SWIM
I didn't get in much swimming, but I am not really focusing on swimming until October. Still, the 2,400 meters of swimming is pretty weak!
BIKE
This was better. I was consistent in the first two weeks of the month and then one thing after another ..... I had 150.82 total miles of biking. 59.75 miles were outside and the rest were on the indoor spinner.
RUN
This is kind of embarrassing. I did a "minimum run" of essentially one mile TWELVE times in July. I didn't count any one-mile brick runs in that total. I expect to do at least one minimum run per week, and two is OK, but averaging three per week cannot continue.
MONEY
I didn't have any Ironman-related expenditures in July.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
This first post will set out my basic training plan. I have divided my training up into three-month segments. The training plan itself is divided into swim, bike, run, strength training, diet/nutrition, and money spent.
Generally speaking, I swim on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I swim with the Rose Bowl Masters (http://www.rosebowlaquatics.com/masters.php) and I do whatever workout they are doing that day. I’m slow and really have no expectations of becoming a faster swimmer. I will be content with getting my swim endurance back up to the 2.4-mile level.
Currently, I have been hiking up to First Water (a nice 3-mile round trip hike in the San Gabriel Mountains) with my dad on Tuesday mornings. I enjoy this time with my dad and don’t plan to quit immediately. For this first three months of training I am only going to swim on Thursday mornings, just enough so that I don’t forget how. But after it stays too dark in the early morning, I will resume swimming on Tuesdays.
The bike portion of the race will be the most challenging for me and I have devoted the most effort to devising a workable plan that will get me trained for both hills and altitude, not forgetting distance. The problem is that I am starting from Ground Zero since I haven’t even been on my bike in a long time.
The basic plan for the first three (and actually six) months is to really work on solid base-building. I have some Spinnervals (www.spinnervals.com) DVDs and I just bought the Sufferfest (http://www.thesufferfest.com/) videos. I plan to do these indoor cycling workouts on Monday and Thursday nights. For the first two weeks (or maybe the whole month of July), I will do the shorter ones, approximately thirty minutes. After that I will primarily be doing the rest of them. They range from 60-85 minutes. These workouts will provide me with endurance training and drills and all that sort of thing.
On Tuesdays I will do hill repeats. The north-south streets next to where I live (between Highland and Grandview) are short (approximately .15 miles), but reasonably steep. I haven’t done it yet to know whether this is how it will go, but my starting-out plan is to do ten of these repeats on Tuesday nights in the month of July. For August I will go above Grandview, approximately .3 miles, and for September I will do both segments, obviously about .45 miles. The idea is to start out with shorter distances so that at the end of the first three months this distance will be somewhat easy. It’s always kind of scary and presumptuous to use the word “easy” when talking about any kind of training, much less hill repeats on the bike.
By the end of the year I plan to be able to do 2-mile hill repeats up Michillinda. While that slope is pretty steep, it is nothing compared to what awaits at Lake Tahoe. So, starting in January much steeper climbs await and altitude training awaits and so many other things await.
I have been training for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon on October 14, 2012, so I have already been doing a lot of running. My New Year’s Resolution for 2012 was to run at least a mile every single day and I’ve done it so far. The basic plan here is just to continue to run every day, get in hill repeats and keep increasing the distance to the 13-15 mile level. I plan to keep myself at the half-marathon training level until April 1, 2013, and then will increase distance from there.
I think strength training is important and will continue to go to Crossfit (http://www.crossfitmonrovia.com/) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The trainers are all experienced Ironman athletes so they are a valuable resource for me.
I had nutrition pretty well worked out for my training for Ironman Arizona (although not so much for the actual race). I don’t actually remember what that was and that is still a work in progress. But it is important. For instance, I did a nine-mile run two weeks ago and did really well and was quite pleased. I did the same run yesterday and it didn’t go so well. I finally figured out the problem was that Friday night I had eaten a 200-calorie protein bar and before starting the run on Saturday morning I had eaten a 200-calorie Lara Bar. I expected me to run 9.25 miles on 400 calories consumed over twelve hours. That doesn’t work. So, definitely some work to do there.
I try to follow a Paleo (http://thepaleodiet.com/) diet. I don’t do it perfectly and sometimes I flat-out backslide, but pretty much I follow it. Basically, I don’t eat much in the way of grains or dairy or processed food.
I need to lose fourteen pounds. An additional five or ten pounds would be even better because the fewer pounds you have to haul up the mountains on the bike, the better you are. But I doubt if the extra weight loss is reasonable or even possible. So, let’s get these fourteen pounds off and take it from there.
I want to track how much I spent on this little Ironman adventure. I know it isn’t cheap, but just how not cheap is it? So, I am going to track any expenditure that I make BECAUSE of the Ironman. For instance, I need new goggles. I need new goggles irrespective of the Ironman so I wouldn’t count that. So far I have paid for the Ironman ($708.75) and The Sufferfest videos (94.99).
SWIM
Generally speaking, I swim on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I swim with the Rose Bowl Masters (http://www.rosebowlaquatics.com/masters.php) and I do whatever workout they are doing that day. I’m slow and really have no expectations of becoming a faster swimmer. I will be content with getting my swim endurance back up to the 2.4-mile level.
Currently, I have been hiking up to First Water (a nice 3-mile round trip hike in the San Gabriel Mountains) with my dad on Tuesday mornings. I enjoy this time with my dad and don’t plan to quit immediately. For this first three months of training I am only going to swim on Thursday mornings, just enough so that I don’t forget how. But after it stays too dark in the early morning, I will resume swimming on Tuesdays.
BIKE
The bike portion of the race will be the most challenging for me and I have devoted the most effort to devising a workable plan that will get me trained for both hills and altitude, not forgetting distance. The problem is that I am starting from Ground Zero since I haven’t even been on my bike in a long time.
The basic plan for the first three (and actually six) months is to really work on solid base-building. I have some Spinnervals (www.spinnervals.com) DVDs and I just bought the Sufferfest (http://www.thesufferfest.com/) videos. I plan to do these indoor cycling workouts on Monday and Thursday nights. For the first two weeks (or maybe the whole month of July), I will do the shorter ones, approximately thirty minutes. After that I will primarily be doing the rest of them. They range from 60-85 minutes. These workouts will provide me with endurance training and drills and all that sort of thing.
On Tuesdays I will do hill repeats. The north-south streets next to where I live (between Highland and Grandview) are short (approximately .15 miles), but reasonably steep. I haven’t done it yet to know whether this is how it will go, but my starting-out plan is to do ten of these repeats on Tuesday nights in the month of July. For August I will go above Grandview, approximately .3 miles, and for September I will do both segments, obviously about .45 miles. The idea is to start out with shorter distances so that at the end of the first three months this distance will be somewhat easy. It’s always kind of scary and presumptuous to use the word “easy” when talking about any kind of training, much less hill repeats on the bike.
By the end of the year I plan to be able to do 2-mile hill repeats up Michillinda. While that slope is pretty steep, it is nothing compared to what awaits at Lake Tahoe. So, starting in January much steeper climbs await and altitude training awaits and so many other things await.
RUN
I have been training for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon on October 14, 2012, so I have already been doing a lot of running. My New Year’s Resolution for 2012 was to run at least a mile every single day and I’ve done it so far. The basic plan here is just to continue to run every day, get in hill repeats and keep increasing the distance to the 13-15 mile level. I plan to keep myself at the half-marathon training level until April 1, 2013, and then will increase distance from there.
STRENGTH TRAINING
I think strength training is important and will continue to go to Crossfit (http://www.crossfitmonrovia.com/) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The trainers are all experienced Ironman athletes so they are a valuable resource for me.
DIET/NUTRITION
I had nutrition pretty well worked out for my training for Ironman Arizona (although not so much for the actual race). I don’t actually remember what that was and that is still a work in progress. But it is important. For instance, I did a nine-mile run two weeks ago and did really well and was quite pleased. I did the same run yesterday and it didn’t go so well. I finally figured out the problem was that Friday night I had eaten a 200-calorie protein bar and before starting the run on Saturday morning I had eaten a 200-calorie Lara Bar. I expected me to run 9.25 miles on 400 calories consumed over twelve hours. That doesn’t work. So, definitely some work to do there.
I try to follow a Paleo (http://thepaleodiet.com/) diet. I don’t do it perfectly and sometimes I flat-out backslide, but pretty much I follow it. Basically, I don’t eat much in the way of grains or dairy or processed food.
I need to lose fourteen pounds. An additional five or ten pounds would be even better because the fewer pounds you have to haul up the mountains on the bike, the better you are. But I doubt if the extra weight loss is reasonable or even possible. So, let’s get these fourteen pounds off and take it from there.
MONEY SPENT
I want to track how much I spent on this little Ironman adventure. I know it isn’t cheap, but just how not cheap is it? So, I am going to track any expenditure that I make BECAUSE of the Ironman. For instance, I need new goggles. I need new goggles irrespective of the Ironman so I wouldn’t count that. So far I have paid for the Ironman ($708.75) and The Sufferfest videos (94.99).
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