February Totals

February was not too shabby, especially in comparison to January, which got off to a slow start due to my detox and all. The only disappointment is that I still haven't gotten back into swimming and biking yet, which I REALLY need to do if I plan on doing any triathlons this spring (and I DO). I've been really focused on training for the OKC Half Marathon though - in fact, I've REALLY stayed on track with my schedule this year - I've been out there in the freezing cold, snow, sleet, wind...you name it! And I'm quite proud of myself, to be perfectly honest. I'm still pretty new to running and this is the first year I've ever braved the cold. Purchased my first pair of running tights and fleece lined gloves just this season - and oh have I been putting them to use! And I've found that I actually LIKE running in the cold. I think I'm going to be dreading the heat this summer when I'm deep into training for Chicago.

Anyway, now I'm just rambling and getting waaaay off track...which I often tend to do. ;) So, without further delay, here are my February and Year-To-Date totals:

February Totals:
Running: 10 days, 46.15 miles
P90X: 6 days
Weights/Toning: 4 days
Misc Cardio (cardio that is not running, swimming, or biking, such as walking, elliptical, Just Dance, or any of the P90X cardio workouts): 9 days
Total Days of Cardio: 15 (some days had a combo or running and another form of cardio)
Total Days of Working Out: 18

Year-To-Date Totals:
Running: 15 days, 60.95 miles
P90X: 9 days
Yoga: 1 day (I really need to get back into yoga.....)
Weights/Strength Training: 8 days
Misc Cardio: 11 days
Total Days of Cardio: 22
Total Days of Work Outs: 27

Looking forward to what March will bring! Happy training, everyone! :)

Training Updates

Just some updates on my latest workouts. I've got some more exciting (well, to me anyway...) stuff coming up, so stay tuned! :)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010: 4 mile run (This was supposed to only be a 3 mile run...but it felt so great, I went ahead and tacked on an extra mile for good measure. It was 23 degrees out, and only 16 with the wind chill...but it was sunny and pretty out and didn't feel that bad. It's crazy, but I've found myself actually enjoying running in the cold. Well, as long as it's not sub zero. ;) And - funny - I ran this 4 mile easy run faster than my 4 mile race a couple weeks ago. The funny part is that the race was on a completely flat course and my neighborhood run was all over some hills AND with a quarter mile of snow and ice covered sidewalk that I had to HIKE over, and I still finished MINUTES faster than I finished the race. LOL...good stuff. But like I said, on this particular day, I just had a GOOD run.)

Thursday, February 25, 2010: Warm up on elliptical, P90X Kenpo

Friday, February 26, 2010: Cardio X (P90X)

I'll save my birthday 10 miler for a separate post all to itself - because it was THAT.AWESOME. that it deserves a post all its own! ;) And then I'll follow up with my February totals. :)

I'm A Bad Blogger...

I have 4 draft posts I'm working on right now and feel like I'll never get to due to the craziness of my life right now. Work is insane, I never have a moment to myself at home...so where does that leave me? With little time for blogging.

So anyway, today I really just want to update my blog with my last several workouts. This is mostly for my benefit, so I'm sorry if it bores you. I'll try to get my Groundhog race report out soon...you know, since it was 2 weeks ago and all and I'm running another race this weekend. Val (who I think I'm going to have to start calling The Running Chalupa, fyi) and I are running the Love 2 Run race on Valentines Day together. It's a 4 mile loop out at the downtown airport. The high for Sunday is 24 - the HIGH. I'm pretty sure around 9am, we'll be lucky if the temp is even in double digits. Add to that the wind out at the airport and yeah....I wonder if it'll even be above 0??? Yikes!

Oh, and it's unfortunate that Val and I had already registered for the race before we thought to register as a couple since this race has both a singles and a doubles division. Cuz how cute would it have been for the 2 of us to cross the finish line holding hands on Valentines Day?? ;) I have since discontinued calling it the Love 2 Run race, and am now refering to it as our Lesbian Race. Heehee.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Have a super V-Day & eat lots of chocolate!!! :)


Recent Workouts:

Thursday, February 4, 2010: P90X Kenpo, 3.1 mile run (same route as Tuesday, beat time by 4 *yes, 4!!* seconds, lol)

Friday, February 5, 2010: P90X Cardio X, Wii - Just Dance (has anyone played this game?? so fun!!)

Saturday, February 6, 2010: Wii - Just Dance, 6 mi run (Longest run since September! Ry ran the first 2 miles with me. Pace for miles 2 and 4 was exactly the same, miles 1 and 3 within 3 seconds of each other, mile 5 was the slowest - mostly uphill, and mile 6 was the fastest - yay! Mile 6 was mostly downhill, but still....I like ending with my fastest mile ;) .)

Monday, February 8, 2010: P90X Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps

Wednesday, February 10, 2010: 3 mi run (coldest run of the year...fastest pace of the year! negative splits...and last mile 1:55 faster than the first!)

I Fought The Wind & The Cold...And I WON!

Yesterday was a successful day of working out. I did the P90X Plyo workout during lunch. Well, I did a little over half of it....that workout is over an hour long. Add in enough time to change in and out of workout clothes and grab a lunch and well, my lunch break just isn't that long. BUT, I also managed a 3.1 mile run after work as well.

First, let me say that I dreaded my run all day long. It was cold out. As in frigid. And I just don't fair well in the cold. I know there are peeps out there that can run in sub 0's all the time. I am NOT one of those people. Hell, I was nervous about running in the 50's just last year. I have since discovered that 50's = my fave temps to run in. But yeah, I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times that I've ran in 40 degrees or below. It just doesn't happen for me. But I also hate (as in LOATHE!!!) the treadmill. So all day yesterday, I battled it out in my head - run outside in 29 degrees and 10mph wind, or tough it out on the stupid treadmill??

I finally decided to give it a shot outside just to see how it would go. The first mile was tough. The wind was in my face and my pace was sloooooow. The second mile, the one with the most hills, was also a struggle due to the hills...but I made it through all the hills without walking. I finally got to the last mile and by then I was cruisin. My last mile was my fastest, which is rare for me. And my overall pace was my fastest since I started running again a few weeks ago. So I would say the run was a success. I was feelin pretty good at the end - finally warmed up and ready for a few more miles. But I'm really trying to stick to my schedule and not push myself any further. The last thing I want to do this year is reinjure this darn stress fracture for a THIRD time!

Oh, and I have learned that recovery socks are my new best friend! (Thank you, Running Lawyer!!!) :)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010: P90X Plyometrics, 3.1 mile run

Workout Updates and January Monthly Totals

First off, I haven't done "monthly totals" in forever....probably September. Geez, I suck. I also never did my yearly totals for last year either, which I still need to do for my own benefit. Sigh... And here it is, already February, and I haven't even done a 2009 recap either. I'm so behind. But for now, here are my most recent workouts, followed by my totals for January (totals kind suck considering I was detoxing half the month and therefore not working out....)

Thursday, January 21, 2010: 40 minute walk w/dogs

Friday, January 22, 2010: P90X Legs & Back

Monday, January 25, 2010: 2.6 mile run on treadmill (had to stop early due to pain in the left leg)

Saturday, January 30, 2010: 45 min on elliptical, abs, biceps, triceps, shoulders, inner & outer thighs

Sunday, January 31, 2010: 5k race (race report coming soon!)

Monday, February 1, 2010: abs, biceps, triceps

January Monthly Totals:
Running: 5 days, 14.8 miles
P90X: 3 days
Yoga: 1 day
Weights/Strength Training: 4 days
Misc Cardio: 2 days
Total Days of Cardio: 7
Total Days of Work Outs: 9

Be on the lookout for my race report from Sunday involving The Running Dork, The Running Lawyer, The Running Sri Lankan and The Running "Chicken".

Workout Updates

Thanks again to everyone for your continued support through my detox endeavors. Ending the detox was not an easy decision to make. But it came down to toughing it out for a few more days to get the full benefits in exchange for not being able to ingest vegetables again for a veeeery long time, or go ahead and quit early and still be able to consume veggies in my day-to-day diet. I really had to weigh out the pros and cons of each side. And although my judgement may have been a bit irrational at the time, due to the hunger and severe NEED for solid food, I feel that in the end, I made the right decision for me.

So now, moving on from the detox, I'm pleased to announce that I'm back in the swing of things again, workout wise. I have no idea what came over me in December, but I became a huge, lazy piece of shiz! But that is all behind me now. I have plenty of spring races coming on the horizon, including Half Marathon #2 - woot! So as soon as I phased off the detox, I knew I had to make up for it by getting my rear back into shape. So below are my workouts for the past week and a half - note, I've worked out more in the past 3 days than I have in the past 2 months. Fact. LOL...and sad.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010: P90X Ab Ripper X
--This was my first workout in nearly 2 months. Sigh, I know. I suck. The holidays, illnesses, and life all got in the way. Moving past that, I got my butt in gear and did the ab ripper workout. The following morning, I didn't even feel any soreness. As the day went on, I began to feel more and more sore. By Thursday, I couldn't laugh, cough, or even breathe without about doubling over, lol.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010: 2 mile run - treadmill
--This was my first run since November. I struggled, but made it the whole way through without walking. My pace was around 10:00 - 10:30. I was incredibly sore the next 2 days - could barely walk, lol.

Monday, January 18, 2010: 4 mile run
--This was my first run outside since Gobbler Grind in November. I still consider myself a new runner. I just started running consistently last year. And even my "consistent" running hasn't been all that consistent. I'm the epitome of a "fair weather runner." I don't even own all the proper gear for cold weather running. In fact, there are probably only a handful of times that I've ran in temps below 50 degrees. And they were probably all in the mid to upper 40's. So I set a new record on Monday when I pounded out 4 miles in only 36 degrees. I know, 36 isn't even THAT cold. But this is a new accomplishment for me, and I was quite proud of myself.

I met up with my friend Valerie at a new trail Monday morning (I love work holidays!) and set out for a run. Neither of us had ran in awhile (minus my pathetic 2 mile TM run on Wednesday), so neither of us really knew what to expect. The run was def slooooooow (for me, at least...Val blew right past me very early on). But the scenery was beautiful. There was snow on the ground, we were in a wooded area with a trickling stream and several little bridges to run over, and there was a LOT of fog out that morning. It was absolutely breathtaking! And to my surprise, I was able to pound out 4 miles! This is only my second run back from a 2 month hiatus and I was able to run 4 miles! Wow....a year ago, it took me several months to work up to 4 miles! I remember being excited just to run 1.5 - 2 miles.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010: P90X - Shoulders & Arms, and Ab Ripper X
--I'm trying to get back into the P90X program, but with training for some upcoming races, I won't be able to follow the schedule exactly. So I've just incorporated it into my schedule on the days I want to do strength training / weight training.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010: 3.1 mile run, yoga
--I ran 3 miles outside in my hood - LOTS of hills....and I ran 'em all! My pace was slow, yes. Like ridiculously slow. But the run actually felt good, so I'm not going to focus on my pace. I really only took my Garmin to see my distance. It was cold out too. And windy. But again, it felt good. When I got home, I stretched really well and did 45 min of yoga. It was a good workout day.

So, it's official - I am training to run the Oklahoma City Marathon (okay, the half marathon) with The Running Dork and The Running Lawyer. That's the "big" event I'm training for at the moment...but I have several other races on the radar as well. A goal I really wanted to set for this year was to run at least 1 race every month this year. So far, I have the first half of the year covered. :) I'll post more about upcoming events soon.

Back In The Groove

Yesterday was a pretty good workout day, esp considering yesterday was MONDAY! I got in a quick 3 mile run right after work. Well, technically, I ran the first 2.5 and walked the last .5 with Rylie when she got of the bus from school (I got off to a late start). I stretched really well and then I went ahead and did P90X Core Synergistics. Let's just say I'm pretty sore today...but it's a good sore. Ah, I miss this feeling. ;)

Tonight I'm getting a third MRI on my neck since '05. My doctor has been treating me for neck issues since my last car wreck back in February and things just aren't getting better. I've been through a third round of physical therapy, I've taken steriods, and I refuse to get another round of cortisone injections. I had 3 back in '05. I was pain free for about 6 weeks...but the side effects (horrible acne and a 30 pound weight gain) lasted for nearly a year! NEVER. again. I hate getting MRIs. I hate having to hold completely still for 45 min - an hour while they take all the pictures. I usually end up having muscle spasms and it takes way longer than it is supposed to. And I have a feeling this MRI isn't going to be a whole lot different than the others. Sigh....

Well, I hope everyone is having a great week. Oh, and if you want to read a really BAD ASS race report, check out my buddy John's race report from the Beach 2 Battleship 2009 Half Ironman here - nothing short of amazing! Way to go, John!!

Monday, November 9, 2009: 3 mile run, P90X Core Synergistics

August & September Totals:

I got out for a short run yesterday. I'm guessing it was right around 2.5 miles, but the batteries in my Garmin went out AGAIN - I just replaced them on Saturday before my race - what gives???? Anyway, I had some tightness/soreness in my calves and shins again...so I'm resting until at least Saturday.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009: 2.5 mi run

Also, as a side note, I've been up since 1am (blame the storm, both kids, both dogs, and husbie....one giant combination of STFU!!!!), so I can't make any promises about getting my Nations Triathlon Day 3 (Race Day!!) post up today. I'll try...but it might have to wait until tomorrow.

At any rate, I'm going to go ahead and post my August, September, and Year-To-Date totals. August started out strong, I was working out 5 and 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day. But after my longest triathlon training, I ended up fatigued and sick...so then I kind of fizzled out. September is the opposite. Started out slow (from being sick) and have slowly regained some momentum. Here are the exact stats:


August:

Running: 9 days, 32.65 miles
Biking: 7 days, 124 miles
Swimming: 4 days, 5000 meters
P90X: 10 days
Yoga: 2 days
Weight Training: 6 days
Total Days of Cardio: 16 days
Total Days of Working Out: 18


September:

Running: 7 days, 30.1 miles
Biking: 3 days, 40 miles
Swimming: 2 days, 1700 meters
Yoga: 1 day
P90X: 1 day
Total Days of Cardio: 9
Total Days of Working Out: 9


YTD Totals:

Running: 55 days, 207.35 miles
Biking: 33 days 411.15 miles
Swimming: 26 days, 23,800 meters
Weight Training: 47 days
Yoga: 26 days
P90X: 18 days
Misc Cardio: 12 days
Total Days of Cardio: 110
Total Days of Working Out: 138

Not bad, I guess...considering injury/stress fracture, surgery, and illnesses throughout the year. And after tracking everything and looking at my splits from my triathlon, I definitely know what areas I need to improve on before next season.

Nations Triathlon, HERE I COME!!!

The big day is almost here and I finally feel so READY!!!! I had my last long practice before Nations on Monday (1 mile swim, 20 mile bike, 5 mile run) and it was AWESOME! Seriously, after the way Monday's practice went, I have no doubt in my mind that I'll be able to DO IT!

My team had their last long training day on Saturday, but I had to miss due to the back-to-back birthday parties we had for our girls on Saturday. And trust me, I probably exerted more energy on those 2 parties than my team did on the longest brick training on our tri training schedule, LOL! The parties turned out PERFECTLY, by the way, but I'll blog about that later...once I get pics uploaded. :)

Anyway, Monday night I met up with a girl from my team that also missed Saturday's big practice. We wanted to get that last long training day in before the big race, so we met up at Longview Lake Monday afternoon for a mile swim, 20 mile bike, and 5 mile run...and let me just say, I felt like a total bad @$$ afterwards, LOL! Srsly, it was amazing!!!!

It took us about 4 hours, but our transitions were not like they will be on race day. For instance, we had to pack up our bags from the swim beach and go use the showers to wash the sand off our feet. Then we had to load our stuff into the car and unload our bikes (and reload our bikes after we biked). Then we had to move our cars to a different parking lot before the run since the swim beach was going to close and they gate off the parking lot, etc. Plus, we had to stop for traffic on our bikes.

So....we'll see. I really wanted to do the tri in under 4 hours...and I was actually trying to shoot for around 3 1/2...but I don't know how realistic that is. The swim will be hard to predict. Cuz I know I can do that distance in 45 minutes....but I may panic or have anxiety with that many people around me. Unless I can get away from everyone, I'll probably end up wasting time stopping to see if anyone is near me, making sure I don't get kicked in the face, etc. PLUS, if it's windy or if there's a current (it's in a RIVER), it will add time. It'll probably take about an hour. The bike....I usually average about 14.7 mph. I don't know if the course will be hilly...or if there will be wind. If I can kick it up to 18 mph, I can do it in an hour and 15 or 20 min...but I just have a feeling it's going to be around an hour and 45 min. Then to run a 10k after all that....I know that will take roughly an hour and 15 min, just cuz I'm guessing my avg speed will be around 12 min miles since it will be at the end of everything and I'll be tired. But, I may surprise myself with adrenaline. Monday night I ran my 5 miles with an avg speed of 11:18, which isn't bad after all the swimming and biking....plus I had to walk a couple times cuz my IT bands were bothering me the last half of the run. So...I guess we'll just see. I'm really trying not to have any expectations, cuz just finishing the race will be an accomplishment in itself, and I really just need to remember that.

It's just crazy, cuz when I was training for HyVee, which was a 5 month training program, I got up to 3 weeks before the race when I had to drop out due to the stress fracture. That's where I am now - 3 weeks out (actually 2 1/2). I totally did not feel ready at ALL for HyVee and I had been training for nearly 5 months! Now here I am, on only a 3 month training program...and I even missed the first month since I was recovering from my surgery and had not even worked out at ALL for 6 weeks coming into it and I've only been working out again for about 7 weeks, and I totally feel like I have this in the bag. I mean, it may not be pretty or fast...but I know I can DO it! I am soooo excited now! I think I have a new passion, lol.

The only thing is my IT Bands are KILLING me!!! :( But fear not - I'm going to see Dr. Jesse tomorrow (who does Active Release Therapy) and I know he'll get them worked out for me....I just haven't had knee problems since I started running again and thought I'd make it until race day, but I guess not. Oh well. Foam roller, here I come - LOL!

Anyway, it's been a long journey and I can't believe the big day is almost here!!! All I need to do is add about 5 miles on the bike and a 1.2 mile run to what I did on Monday and I'll have completed an olympic triathlon! I'm so close, I can feel the victory already!!! :)

Friday, August 21, 2009: P90X (Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X)

Monday, August 24, 2009: 1 mi swim, 20 mi bike, 5 mi run

It's Been A Rough Week...

This week has just been completely emotionally draining. Work drama has had me pretty emotional and just not myself. I'll spare you the details...but let's just say I'm glad it's Friday!

That being said, yesterday's workout didn't quite turn out as planned...but that's not necessarily a bad thing either. I did yoga yesterday morning (P90X style) and it was MUCH NEEDED. After work, I headed to the airport to meet up with Mike for a bike ride. My tri schedule called for a 10 mile bike ride and 3 mile run.

Well, as the end of my work day approached, I realized I had barely eaten all day. This is not normal for me, but with all the drama and stress of the past few days, I had barely slept or eaten much - it was really taking its toll on me. As I was packing up my stuff to leave work, I realized I had only eaten a banana and a few raw veggies with ranch. That's it. Definitely not enough fuel for a bike/run! And to top it off, I forgot to pack Gu. I did find half a power bar in my desk and scarfed that down....but I knew before I even got to the airport that running just wasn't a good idea. I'm trying to be smart about training and I know that running on such few calories just wasn't a good idea. It's too bad too...cuz it was a perfect day for running. After temps in the 80's and 90's, yesterday was cool in the 70's. I'm really bummed that I wasn't properly prepared to run.

Not all was lost, though. I ended up having a pretty decent bike ride. I got to the airport about 40 minutes before my riding buddy Mike, so I had already put in several miles by the time he got there. Then once we started riding, we just got to talking and having such a good time....and next thing I knew, I had put in 30 miles. Well 29.2, but who's counting? ;) Having a buddy really makes training that much more fun.

Tomorrow I'll be missing team practice since I'll be hosting back-to-back birthday parties for my girls. Yep, their bdays are exactly a week apart - great planning on my part, LOL. So we'll be hosting a brunch for family only for Harper's bday in the morning followed by a party at the park in the afternoon for Rylie. And if I can get motivated enough, I'll actually try to upload some pics next week. ;)

I hope everyone has a SUPER weekend!!!!! :)

Thursday, August 20, 2009: P90X (yoga) and 29.2 mi bike ride

Hectic Week...

It's been a little crazy these past few days. Between both my girls having birthdays/parties, Rylie's first day of school, Rylie's activities, the insanity of my work life, and just life in general, it's been a little tough to squeeze in my workouts. Here's where I'm at so far:

Monday, August 17, 2009: 10 mile on stationary bike (lame)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009: P90X (Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper X), 1200m swim

It's crazy, my abs are KILLING me today. I've been doing the Ab Ripper twice a week and usually don't feel it this much. Maybe cuz I've slacked off the past few days? Maybe because I stepped it up a bit? Who knows....

I finished the 1200m swim in about 25 minutes. I had a lot of steam to blow off yesterday, so the swim barely phased me. I should have gone for longer, but I needed to get home. I still don't think I'll be swimming that fast on race day, though. I know my anxiety in the open water around that many other swimmers will totally get to me.... I even had dreams about open water swimming last night. OH - and speaking of open water swimming (here's your LOL for the day), I read that one thing you must NEVER do when avoiding parasites is to drink lake or river water. LOL, I wonder how many gulps of lake water I've swallowed in the past few months while training for this tri?? Oh my....I have GOT to quit reading about parasites!!!

Today I plan to do a little yoga ( I have GOT to de-stress) and then I have a bike/run planned for this evening. I'm meeting Mike up at the airport for a bike ride and then running a few miles afterwards. If today is anything like yesterday, I'll totally need to blow off some steam after work!

By the way, go check out Tall Mom's Nuun giveaway!!!!!

P90X, Bike Rides, and......Parasites??!! EW!

Yesterday I was involved in a day-long conversation (via email) with Fair Weather Runner, the Self-Proclaimed Running DORK and Kristen the Running Lawyer about (you guessed it) PARASITES. After all the research I've done over the past few days, I'm pretty much convinced that I not only have parasites...but so does everyone else! From what I've read, you can get them from improperly washed fruits and veggies (Do you get veggies at restaurants? Do you know if they were washed properly??? And don't even get me started on salad bars!), undercooked meat (I love my steak medium rare and I *heart* me some SUSHI!!!), TAP WATER, you can even inhale pinworm eggs in the air you breathe, and other types of worms can enter through your bare feet - no open cuts needed...they just crawl directly through your skin!!! Are you grossed out yet??? Not to mention, if you have pets, your chances of getting parasites are even higher. Awesome...I have 3 animals living in my house. AND, roughly 80% of children have pinworms as they are super easy to contract and spread, so if you have children living in the home (as I do), your chances of having parasites are even higher. So, call me paranoid. Call me a hypochondriac. But I'm pretty positive that I have parasites, causing me extreme bloating as well as other gastrointestinal problems. And after all the reading I've done, I've learned that parasites are much harder to get rid of than I thought. Scary!

Sooooo.....if anyone has any insight they would like to share, I'm totally open to hearing about it! And I'm pretty sure that Fair Weather Runner, the Self-Proclaimed Running DORK will post a more entertaining blog about the discussion we had yesterday. ;) I also asked Amanda at Run to the Finish to blog about parasites as well...since she seems to be a plethora of health-related information and could probably shed some light on the subject. By the way, Amanda's got some great give aways going on right now, so go check 'em out!

Anyway, moving on from the "creepy crawlies," yesterday was a decent workout day for me. I did P90X (Arms & Shoulders and Ab Ripper). We cut the Arms & Shoulders workout short just a tad due to time contraints. Then after work, I headed over to the airport to enjoy a bike ride with my new friend Mike that I met at the airport last week. I put in 14.6 miles and could have kept going if I didn't need to get home to the fam. Having a buddy to ride with makes the ride so much more enjoyable. Plus, I like Mike. He's good people.

Today I'm doing the P90X Yoga workout - YAY!!! I'm so pumped! I haven't done yoga since the beginning of May since my yoga instructor moved away - sad. :( I also have a 4 mi run on the schedule...and with it being in the 90's today, I have a feeling it's gonna be a treadmill run - yuck! I'll be honest, I'm pretty much dreading it. I LOATH the TM. Haven't ran on it since March, I believe. It's soooooo booooooring. So, any words of encouragement are welcome! ;)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009: P90X Arms & Shoulders and Ab Ripper X, 14.6 mi bike

TGIF!

It's been an exhausting week, people! I had swimming on my schedule twice this week, but never made it to the pool, sigh. But I did 2 bike/run bricks, so I'm happy with that. The other 2 nights this week, I had stuff going on. I thought about going tonight...but I have a 6am practice tomorrow and I'll swim then (and bike and run), so I'm not too worried about it. I've done P90X every day this week too, so even tho I missed my swims, I'm not really feeling like a slacker by any means.

I've been doing some research on colon cleansing, parasites, and detoxes lately. I know a good detox would do me good. In fact, I did a great one last fall: Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox. I got it from the book 21 Pounds in 21 Days. I didn't do it for the full 21 days, because it doesn't involve EATING, which is pretty hard. It's a liquid/juicing detox. VERY beneficial and I would LOVE to try the full 21 days one of these days... But right now, while I'm training for endurance sports, this type of detox would not fit my lifestyle. I HAVE to eat to have the energy to train. That's not to say that there aren't other ways of cleansing, though. And that is why I just scheduled an appointment for my first colonic. Has anyone else ever had one? I've heard great things about them and I'm actually looking forward to getting "cleansed." :)

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend! Here are my workouts for the last 2 days:

Thursday, August 6, 2009: P90X - Kenpo

Friday, August 7, 2009: P90X Back & Legs, Ab Ripper X

Makin Friends Everywhere I Go!

I made some new friends at the airport yesterday. That's just how I roll. :) I went out there right after work to do a quick bike/run. ("Quick" actually ended up being almost 2 hours. More on that in a bit.)

Anyway, as I was getting my bike out of the back of my car, I remembered my tires were pretty low. I scoured the parking lot to see if any cyclists were at their cars so I could try to bum an air pump off of someone. No such luck. So, just as I was about to take off, a man and woman rode right up to me. They were parked right next to me and were taking a water break. They were so friendly and the woman introduced herself before I even got a chance to ask if she had an air pump I could borrow (she did), so that was cool. We got to talking and they asked if I would like to ride with them.

I rode my first 2 laps with them and as we got to talking I found out that they both live near me. In fact, the guy lives right in my neighborhood. What a small world. Found out the guy is a former runner and the chick has done some tri's. How cool! She even told me I could meet up with her to swim in her neighborhood if I would like. So we exchanged email addresses before they left and then I went on for 2 more laps.

My schedule yesterday called for a 10 mile bike and a 2 mile run. Well, I ended up doing a 15 mile bike and a 3.3 mile run. The bike was pretty slow. I think because I was with people for the first half and we were chatting, which tends to slow you down. It was more of a casual ride, but enjoyable nonetheless. My last 2 laps were faster, but my avg speed was pretty low overall. It took an hour and 5 min to do 15 miles. My run was also pretty slow and I'm sure the heat was a factor. The arch of my foot kept cramping, so I had to keep stopping to stretch it out. I had 3 bottles of water while I was out there, but I was drenched in sweat and I'm sure the heat had a little something to do with the cramping.

I made sure to stretch really good when I finished up. So between the bike, run, and stretch, I was at the airport for over 2 hours. Not to mention that I did P90X yesterday on my lunch break too. We did the shoulders & arms workout which is an hour long...AND the ab ripper workout, which is another 15 minutes. So yeah...I basically worked out for 3 hours yesterday. Crazy. What's even crazier is that I'm not nearly as sore today as I thought I would be. But....I'm sure that will change as the day goes on, lol. I did take a cold bath as soon as I got home last night, so I'm sure that helped the legs. But I know my shoulders/arms will be feeling pretty stiff later on.

On the agenda for today: Kenpo - yay! <---one of my favorite P90X workouts! And some pool action after work. Have a great day, everyone! :)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009: P90X (Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X), 15 mile bike, 3.3 mile run

P90X, Training, & Fundraising

Yesterday I did P90X over my lunch break. It was the Cardio X workout. The girls and I decided to start over on P90X this week and do the "Lean" program. Previously, we were working out with some guys here at work who were following the "Classic" program. It's a good program too, but we felt that "Lean" would be more appropriate for us. So we started Monday with Phase 1 and we're going to try to be more consistent over the next 12 weeks and hopefully we'll see results.

I didn't work out last night since I went to Happy Hour with my old boss instead. Wine & sushi was a lot more fun than swimming anyway. ;) BUT....the scale didn't quite agree with that this morning, sigh. Oh well, another bike & run in this crazy heat tonight should help out with that. Tonight is another brick. It'll be slightly cooler than it was on Monday, but the humidity is pretty crazy. I just need to make sure I'm staying properly hydrated throughout the day.

On another note, does anyone have any suggestions for fundraisers? I need something relatively simple that doesn't require a lot of planning/preparation. I need to raise just under $1600 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by the end of this month! Feel free to email me with any ideas at randyandashleyrobbins@yahoo.com. If you would like to donate, please check out My Fundraising Page. Thanks!!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009: P90X (Cardio X)

Most Productive Monday EVER!

Not only was yesterday a productive day at work AND home, but I also kicked a little ass with my workouts as well. :) I did P90X over my lunch break - Core Synergistics. Then I did an 11.2 mile bike ride, followed by a 2 mile "run" in the evening. Now, I have "run" in quotations cuz it wasn't a full-on run. I met up with a girlfriend of mine that signed up to do Race for the Cure this weekend and has never even run a mile in her entire life. I've been on her over the past several weeks to get out and run a little bit, so I told her I would meet up with her and walk with her when she needed to walk. She actually did a really great job. She ran the first half mile without stopping and at a pretty decent pace. Not to mention it was over 90 degrees out, so I think she was a total trooper!

What's interesting is that after an 11.2 mile bike ride in 90+ heat, I took off for my run and glanced down at my Garmin to notice that I was running WAAAAAY faster than I typically run. It immediately made me think of Mel's post yesterday. Why is it that after a bike ride, our runs begin at a much faster pace than if we were just running alone without the bike ride?? You would think it would be the other way around. The only answer I can come up with is that my average pace on my bike was 14.7 mph (yeah, I really need to work on speeding that up), so running 5 - 6 mph feels extremely SLOW compared to that, thus the body's need to feel like speeding up...?? Does that even make sense? I just found it to be strange. I had to force myself to slow down. I have a swim/bike/run coming up on Saturday, so it will be interesting to see what my pace is like then.

Tonight I'll be going to Happy Hour with my old boss (whom I ADORE), so no tri training tonight. Just a little P90X action at lunch again. Happy Tuesday! :)

Monday, August 3, 2009: P90X Core Synergistics, 11.2 mile bike, 2 mile run

July (and June) Stats

Okay, I never posted my June stats since I was pretty much out of commission that month. My surgery was June 5th, so obviously I didn't do a whole lot. AND, I wasn't technically released to begin working out again until July 20th. So...these months aren't going to look the best...but here they are:

June:

Cycling: 1 day, 15 miles
Walking: 2 days, 3.8 miles
Weight Training: 5 days (2 were P90X)
P90X: 3 days
Total Days of Cardio: 5
Total Days of Work Outs: 9

July:

Cycling: 1 day, 12.5 miles
Swimming: 5 days, 3550 m
Running: 5 days, 14.6 mi
Weight Training: 2 days
P90X: 4 days
Total Days of Cardio: 9
Total Days of Work Outs: 10

YTD Totals:

Cycling: 23 days, 247.15 miles
Swimming: 20 days, 17,100 m
Running: 39 days, 144.6 miles
Weight Training: 41 days
Yoga: 23 days
P90X: 7 days
Misc Cardio: 12 days
Total Days of Cardio: 85
Total Days of Work Outs: 111

Just a little side note: July was my best month of swimming so far this year! I'm pretty pleased with swimming 5 times...so I'm gonna try to keep that streak going. Obviously, looking at these figures, it is very clear to me that I need to get on my BIKE, stat! Good think I have a bike/run scheduled for tonight.

Here's looking forward to a great July! :)

It's a Busy Time of Year!

Sooo busy, in fact, that it's been challenging finding time to squeeze in my workouts! Between work meetings, going out of town, and multiple activities in the evenings, it's definitely been a challenge. We were out of town Thurs - Sun, but I still managed to do a little. Here are's how I rounded out the last bit of last week:

Wednesday, July 22, 2009: P90X

Thursday, July 23, 2009: 4 mile run

Saturday, July 25, 2009: 1/2 mile swim

The swim was at the lake and it wasn't the best swim ever. I had some anxiety in the open water, which isn't uncommon...but it was my first time to attempt an open water swim without anyone (people or boats) near me. I was just swimming from buoy to buoy. Not the best idea. My wetsuit was choking me, which started the anxiety. Then I started having horrid thoughts of random snapping turtles...lol. Soooo, needless to say, when I attempt another open water swim at the lake again this weekend, I'll make sure to have my dad in the boat along beside me "just in case." The security of having someone near makes it so much better.

Unfortunately, today is Wednesday and I haven't worked out all week. I've just had too many things come up - meetings, lunch dates, plans in the evening, etc. But it's all good. I have plans to have dinner & a movie with a girlfriend tonight...but I'm going to run right after work and then shower before we have to meet up. Tomorrow I'll have to squeeze in a quickie right after work again, but it's do-able. Friday we are going out of town again, so I may not have time on Friday unless I run that night once we get to said destination. We'll just see...

The past weekend was a BLAST! We had our annual lake party and we had a really good turn out. I'll try to post some pics later this week or next when I get some time. This morning I attended a talent show at Rylie's school where she performed a gymnastics routine (I had to take an early "lunch" in order to attend). She did such a great job...but stupid me, I got there with the video camera in tow...but no disc. :\ Oh well, at least I was there.

In other news, has anyone heard of wellsphere.com? I received an email this morning inviting me to be a featured blogger for their triathlon community - how exciting! I'll write more about this later.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Guess Who's Back?

Back again...
Ashley's back.
Tell a friend.

(Are you singing a little Slim Shady yet??) ;)

I think I finally got my groove back - woot! Monday I did P90X (chest, shoulders, triceps - and I'm STILL sore!). Yesterday my running buddy Jen and I busted out a nice little run on our lunch break. Jen said the route we did was supposed to be 4 miles. The Garmin only read 3.5...but it did lose signal several times since we're downtown in the middle of all these tall buildings. I don't think it was 4 miles cuz we did it in just under 40 minutes and we are slow runners - there's no way we were busting out a sub 10:00 mile pace! So....I'm thinking it was around 3.75 miles. Not bad, considering it's only my 3rd run back and I just started running again a week ago. I was quite pleased with myself. It was just a good run overall - it was a cool/rainy day out and we really pulled off a good run, even with all the hills.

THEN -brace yourselves- I even made it to the pool again last night! I went right after work and pulled off a 1000m swim - yay! I was exhausted last night after 2 heavy workouts, plus all the running around I did (picking up the kids, taking Rylie to gymnastics, getting groceries, etc). But I'm feeling very accomplished!

Not sure if I'll be able to squeeze in a workout today or not... I have a pretty hefty day at work and tonight is going to be crazy. Randy has a final, so he won't be home until late. I've gotta get both kids, get them fed, make food for this weekend, and start packing. We are leaving right after work tomorrow for my parents' annual Shrimp Boil at the lake - it's an all out food/booze/muz(ic) fest - SO PUMPED!!!! Maybe I'll even see a few of you there....?? (Running DORK and Running Lawyer, this means YOU!!!) :) Oh, and the beauty of going to the lake for 3 days is that I'll get plenty of open water swimming time!! **hopefully**

By the way, I had my post-op follow-up appt on Monday and my doctor said everything looks GREAT and I'm officially released to go back to my old routine....I mean, I was starting to ease back into it anyway, but now it's OFFICIAL - yay!

Hope everyone is having a great week!!! :)

NOTE: Has anyone else notice the shift in my mood since I started working out again? I just noticed how many smilies I had in this post....LOL! :)

Monday, July 20, 2009: P90X (chest, shoulders, triceps and ab ripper x)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009: 3.75 mi run, 1000m swim

Plyo, Brick,& Girls Night - WOOT!

Yesterday I did the P90X plyometrics workout. It was fun, plus I was in good company with my workout buddy Jen. :) Last night was date night (we RARELY get these, so they are cherished!). I think this is maybe the third? date night we've had since Harper was born and she's 11 months old today. LOL. Anyway, we enjoyed a nice Italian dinner at Lucia's in Liberty (I had AMAZING seafood stuffed ravioli - YUM!!!) and then we went to see The Hangover - GREAT flick!

We didn't get home until after 10pm last night, yet I was still able to get my butt up by 4:15 this morning...got fueled & out the door by 5am, made it to practice by 5:45 and had my transition area ready to go and was in the lake by 6am. I'm a rockstar. ;) (Oh, and if you're keeping track, this is the THIRD time I've swam this week - a new record, people!!!)

Anyway, today's practice was a 1/4(ish) mi swim, 12 mi bike, 3 mi run. I kicked some ass with the swim - I was the FIRST one done! Don't know how that happened, but I'll take it! Amongst the other swimmers were 2 Ironmen (one of them has completed 4!!) and my friend that just did his first oly tri a few weeks ago. So, needless to say, I felt pretty good about the swim.

As for the bike, I'm usually in the middle of the pack. Nothing to brag about, but it was good to be on the bike again. I've only gotten in a few rides recently, so I needed it. Plus, it was a BEAUTIFUL day out for a bike ride/run.

Now, mind you I just ran for the first time this week since my stress fracture and surgery. So my coach told me to def not go for 3 miles with the rest of the team. She really wanted me to just do 1, so that's what I did. I had to walk a bit too...and my legs totally felt like jello after the bike. But in the end, it felt GREAT to have another swim/bike/run under my belt. I'm finally getting back in the game. :)

Now I need to go make some snacky snacks cuz I'm meeting up with my girlfriends for a day at the pool with adult beverages, followed by dinner and a movie. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!! :)

Friday, July 17, 2009: P90X Plyometrics

Saturday, July 18, 2009: 1/4 mi swim, 12.5 mi bike, 1.25 mi run