Category: fitness/health

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February 2nd, 2009

Five Pounds + Back Fat

Today’s post is going to be a quickie because I need to get back to editing footnotes. Those of you who follow me on Twitter or are my friend on Facebook can also follow my frenetic editing adventure there.

Anyway, Chris and I have been following the Abs Diet since the New Year, obsessively bagging servings of nuts, veggies, fruit, and Triscuits after our weekly trip to Walmart and the grocery store. Today, I am happy to announce that I’ve lost five pounds in four weeks. Yea!

Now I’m not the type of girl who obsesses over numbers on the scale because as long as I feel good and my clothes fit, I feel like I’m in the black. Somewhere amongst triathlon training last summer and a rather sedentary fall, I started to feel not so good. My pants weren’t fitting right, my boobs were weird, and I was developing back fat. Bleh.

So in the last month, I’ve been sticking closely to a 1700-calorie/day diet with one free meal a week plus I’ve been weight lifting and running (when it’s not icy or too cold), and I’ve lost five pounds. W00t! I’ve never so closely counted the calories I take in, and I think my constant awareness of the value (both caloric and nutritional) has helped me the most in my effort to annihilate the back fat.

And Chris is counting his calories, too, and he’s helping with food prep, which also has made a huge difference. It helps when the one you live with is also on board.

And I realize this is only five pounds, but I’m not on The Biggest Loser, so I don’t need to lose a literal ton of weight. Maybe just 10% of my original body weight, which was 155 (I’m not afraid to say it) and which would get me down to about 140. And my suspicious back fat is disappearing and my boobs are getting back to normal. My pants, however, still aren’t fitting quite right, which simply means that I get to go shopping for dress pants this week because I’m going to a wedding and all of my dress pants tug and wrinkle in “areas,” which is a surefire sign they don’t fit right.

OK, back to editing.

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September 9th, 2008

Running Science Experiments

I conducted a little science experiment last night, and I must say, the results are promising. As many of you know, I’ve had trouble with my left knee and a little condition called ITB tendonitis ever since my half marathon last November. That was 10 months ago. How depressing! In August, I turned 26, and I resolved to run a marathon in this my 26th year. After the triathlon, I gave myself a week off and a trip to Chicago and came back ready and raring to train.

Last Friday was my first scheduled long run of seven miles. On Saturday, I actually set off to do this run around 11 AM, but about two miles into the run, my knee started hurting. Crap! It was raining anyway, and my feet were wet, so I capped my run at five miles. About one week before the triathlon, I went out for a 6.5 mile run in the middle of the afternoon, and my knee started hurting after about two miles. I had to walk the last two miles back to my house.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Sarah, maybe you shouldn’t run farther than two miles at a time. Maybe you just can’t run long distances anymore.”

I say, “That’s baloney.” What I haven’t told you is that the week after the triathlon, I completed 3 five-mile runs without any pain whatsoever. As I’m running in the rain on Saturday, I go over and over the painful runs and the painless runs in my head and try to identify possible variables that might contribute to the knee pain. There were two: time of day and my water pack. My painful runs were during the middle of the day while my painless runs were after 8 PM. Hmm…

So Monday night I did a little test. I went out for seven miles at 7:30 sans water pack. Guess what? Minimal knee pain. Whereas my normal knee pain gets up to a 6 or 7 (on a 10-point scale), it only reached a 3 or so last night. Does this prove my hypothesis correct? We’ll see.

I’m going to take marathon training a week at a time this fall. I’m moving my long runs from Fridays/Saturdays to Monday nights and see if night-time running continues to work. I’m a bit concerned about my pace. The slower I go, the longer I can run; however, my run on Monday night had an average pace time two minutes slower than my normal pace (14:00 miles rather than 12:00 miles), which adds up to a very, very long 26.2 miles.

In science, an experiment’s results are only valid if they can be repeated, so I guess we’ll see if I can go 8 pain-free miles next Monday. I’ll keep you posted…

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August 28th, 2008

Four Post-Run Activities You Shouldn’t Do (And Four You Should)

So it’s Take It and Run Thursday over at Runner’s Lounge, and the title of this week’s writing assignment is “Run. Rest and Recover. Repeat.” I’m supposed to be sharing my secrets for recovery after long runs or hard races, but instead I’m going to share four you shouldn’t do. Let’s take a look:

  1. Don’t walk across hot coals. I don’t care if you do have a runner’s high. Your feet have already taken a beating; don’t torture them any more. Even if you’re caught in the wind of self-realization, understand that you are not Pam from The Office.
  2. Don’t go bull riding. My brother is an aspiring bull rider, and let me tell you, if you’re going to ride bulls, you must be able to move quickly. YOU’RE A LONG DISTANCE RUNNER! And after a long run, slow is the only speed you have, which will not bode well for your back end when the bull head butts you across the arena.
  3. Don’t try to outrun a serial killer. Only outrun serial killers for speed workouts. Granted, serial killers are notably out-of-shape middle-aged men, and I’m sure you give them a run for their money (pun intended), but it’s just not a good idea.
  4. Don’t drink your body weight. I’ve heard that a cold beer after a hot run is wonderful, but let’s not get carried away. Yes, you need to hydrate, and one or two drinks is perfectly fine, but the last thing you want the morning after a long run is a hangover and stiff quads.

I understand that I just ruined your agenda for Labor Day weekend, but let me remedy that with some recovery activities that I do recommend:

  1. Take a nap. In bed, on the couch, it doesn’t matter. Sleep is a way of telling your body, “Thanks for working so hard today. I love you.”
  2. Eat pizza. I’ll be the first to admit that pizza is one of my favorite carb-loading foods, but it also makes a great recovery meal. I personally think that a thin-crust pizza with Canadian bacon, pineapple, onion, and red pepper is the best recovery meal for my body.
  3. Ice everything that hurts. I have tendonitis in my left knee, and while it doesn’t flare up a lot, I like to baby it after hard runs with a little Aleve and some ice. I just prop that baby up on the ottoman and veg out.
  4. Watch a DVD or movie that you know by heart. This activity works best with #1 and #3. Because you know whatever you’re watching so well, you won’t feel guilty for falling asleep while watching it, yet you love it so much that it’ll keep you on the couch while you ice. I’m a big fan of Friends, The Office, and romance comedies after long runs.

That’s all I’ve got, but I’m looking for more ways to recover after my long runs because I might be running a marathon this fall, and I’ll need all the help I can get! Yikes!

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August 27th, 2008

Republic Tiger Triathlon Race Review

Sunday I shared with you all my experience with my first triathlon, and today I want to tell you a bit more about the race itself and give you (and its organizers) some feedback about how I thought it went. Let’s get some key stuff out of the way:

Prerace
OK, let’s talk about about the prerace, which includes everything from registration to packet pick-up to race morning to swag. For the most part, I found everything I needed to know about this race on its website, which I appreciate because I am online all the time, and I could check out results and pictures from last year’s race, too, which gave me an idea of what to expect for this race. At the same time, the website publicized two prerace workshops (one in June and one in July) that never really panned out–the website said TBA, and well, they were never announced, so I assume they were canceled or never organized.

I didn’t register for the race until the Monday before, but even so, registration was pretty painless. Ultramax Events has online registration, so there was no form to fill out and mail in. Bueno. Likewise, packet pick-up was well organized. Several OMC members were there volunteering and answering questions.

I’ll discuss swag here because most of it came in my packet. Excellent round up of goodies. For one, the t-shirt was awesome; it’s a black ringer technical T with cool (not lame) graphics that actually fits! I also got a plastic water bottle with the race logo on it, a Hammer gel, coupons to miscellaneous stores, some magnets, and a triathlete catalog. At the finish line, I was handed a black hand towel (soaked in ice water) with the race logo on it, too.

Swim
Let’s actually get to the race. Swimming, of course, came first. The Republic Aquatic Center has a 25 yard pool, so to get in 300 yards, you have to do 12 lengths of the pool. As a first-time triathlete, I’m glad I had a pool, but the short lanes made the swim difficult. Once you get into a rhythm, you’re nearly at the end of the lane, so you have to turn around and start again. The faster swimmers went first, but it was really up to the participants to organize themselves according to swim time. Naturally, because time estimates are only estimates, there were some traffic jams in the pool. The pool has a sloped, “beach” exit, so you don’t have to climb out of it.

Transition Area
The transition area was just a big parking lot, and since this is my first experience with a transition area, I didn’t have any issues with it. It sloped a bit, so depending on which way you were headed, you were going either up hill or down hill.

Bike
The bike course kicked my butt, but that’s probably my own fault. I am told that most triathlons either have a hard bike course and an easy run or vice versa, and this one had a rough bike course. Hilly does not begin to describe it; even when you think you’re on a flat, you’re on a slight incline. The course was six miles long, so we road it twice. We were out on paved county roads, so volunteers and the police and fire departments were stationed along the way to warn traffic and to assist if we wiped out. The roads were well-marked with the route, and there were signs along the way denoting upcoming turns or dangerous intersections.

Run
The run was, of course, my favorite part simply because I’m a runner. The course cut through a Republic neighborhood, and there were three aid stations, lots of volunteers, and a mister (like at the Olympics!). It was just an easy, flat course, which I appreciated after such a hilly bike ride. I don’t have much to say about; it was pretty standard as far as 5K routes go.

Facilities
Ah, yes, toilets. The Aquatic Center had real toilets with toilet paper, and they came in quite handy, though the TP ran out midway through the swim. The Community Center next door also had facilities for us to use, too.

Volunteers
The race volunteers were awesome! Many of them stationed around the pool and transition area were OMC members (I recognized them), so I was confident that they knew what was going on. Many of the volunteers on the bike and run course were high school students, whose organizations benefited from the race’s proceeds (I read somewhere that it benefited Parkview HS cross country and Republic HS band, but I can’t find that info again.). The volunteers on the courses cheered for everyone and were enthusiatic and encouraging! I even bantered back and forth with one HS boy who insisted that I was indeed Number 1.

Other Thoughts
The most depressing thing about the race was the staggered start. There were over 300 participants, and it took over an hour for us to get through the pool. By the time I started, the elite triathletes were crossing the finish line, and they were already announcing the awards when I came in from my run, which meant that I didn’t receive any of those awards. By the time I finished, non-race participants had started helping themselves to the post-race food, which really ticked me off. The area was clearly marked, but some people still insisted on feeding their kids.

I loved the race because everyone was so supportive of the beginners. I bet a better part of the field of participants were first-time triathletes, so I didn’t feel like I was the only one who didn’t know what was going on. At a prerace orientation on Friday night, one gal who was borderline obese came in and sat down, and I thought, “Surely, she’s just here with a friend. Surely, she’s not doing the triathlon.” But she did! And she finished it! It took her two hours to do the bike ride and another hour to do the run, (and I didn’t stay to see her finish), but she was such an inspiration! I don’t know if I’d have guts to do that. The course is by no means easy, but the distance is short enough that a beginner can tackle it. Everyone’s willingness to answer questions and not make you feel stupid really brightened the experience.

So the real question: Would I do this race again? I’ll give that a pretty confident yes. Based on my experience, I think it’s a great race for beginning and experienced triathletes alike, and I say go for it!

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August 25th, 2008

Republic Tiger Triathlon Pictures Posted!

I finally sorted through all the pictures Chris took at the triathlon, and here’s a link to the album. Once proofs from the race photographers are posted, I’ll link to those, too. (Please forgive me of the atrocious bathing suit. I promise to get a one piece for the next race.)

Republic Tiger Triathlon

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August 24th, 2008

My First Tri: The Complete Race Report

2:03:26. The official I-completed-a-triathlon-and-didn’t-die time. I thought I was going to die—several times. I have several post-triathlon posts up my sleeve, but today’s will cover my experience at the Republic Tiger Tri (and how much it sucked). OK. I’m being melodramatic. I’ve been finished with the race for about 34 hours, and in retrospect, I am very proud of myself. I’m a triathlete now! Yikes! Thirty-four hours ago, though, it was a different story. Here’s how everything went down:

5:00 AM My alarm goes off, and I proceed to start moving and getting ready.

5:35 AM Chris, my mom, and I leave the house. I know I need to eat something, but I’m nervous, and I never eat this early in the morning, so I don’t. It takes us about 25 minutes to get to Republic, and I try really hard to not critique Chris’s driving of my car. I’m not allowed to drive on race mornings, and we had to take my car because it holds the bike.

6:00 AM We arrive at Miller Park in Republic, and I can already tell everything is well organized. I drag my bike out of the Blazer and get in line to get numbered. I’m number six, and everyone is like, “Wow! You must’ve signed up early–like in January–to get such a low number!” And I’m like, “Dude, I’m an A. That’s why.” I set up my bike in the transition area and lay out all my supplies. I’m still nervous and don’t feel like eating, but I managed to get down a Snicker’s Marathon bar. I meet Chris and Mom to pick up my timing chip, and Chris’s phone rings. IT’S LINDEN! She called from Germany to wish me good luck! It was so good to hear from her, and I started crying because I was nervous and I just wanted her there. After our call, I got down to business, and set my mind to the race. Visited the bathroom again, stripped down to my oh-so-flattering bathing suit, and got ready for the race. Here goes nothing.

7:00 AM Swimming starts. Because we’re swimming in a 25 yard pool, we’re doing what’s called a “snake swim” where we go up and down all the lanes to get in our 300 yards. Since I’m a slow swimmer, I position myself near the back of the pack, and I don’t get in the water until nearly 8:00. My first few laps went well, but then things got hairy. First of all, there were a bunch of swimmers in the water, so we were all getting passed or trying to pass someone else. Second, at the end of the lanes, we had to duck under the lane lines, which was weird and a little unnerving. (Next time, I’m going to learn how to turn and swim under them.) I had to start breast stroking because the people in front of my were going too slow. At some point, I put my goggles on my forehead (I don’t remember why), and that’s when the trouble started. Water splashed in my eyes, and my contacts went blurry. I couldn’t figure out if they had fallen out or were just foggy, so I started freaking out a little, but I knew I couldn’t do anything until I got to the end of the lane. At the same time, every time I tried to breathe, water splashed in my mouth, so I wasn’t getting enough air, and I started hyperventilating. I’ve never done this before (and I wouldn’t recommend doing it in a pool at any time), but I knew enough to know that I MUST calm down and regulate my breathing or things are going to go south fast. I only had a few pool lengths left, so I took it easy and finished the swim as best I could. It took me 9:33.

8:10 AM (ish) Transition 1, 3:11. As I ran from the pool to the transition area, I did a mental checklist of what I needed to do: dry off, put on shirt, put on shorts, put on shoes, put on socks, put on water belt, put on helmet, ride bike. For some reason, I thought it was a good idea to put on a shirt with a shelf bra for this race (my bathing suit isn’t super supportive in the boob department, and I needed something extra). Because I was all wet, the shirt curled up on itself, and I was sorta stuck for a bit until I figured out how to untangle it. It was frustrating then (but funny now): I didn’t get the shelf bra pulled under my boobs until I was on the bike. It took a few tries.

8:15 AM (ish) Bike, 1:11:13. The bike portion of the race sucked from the gitgo. I had driven it the day before and thought, “OK, it’s a bit hilly, but I don’t think it will be too bad.” Oh, how wrong I was. First of all, I didn’t account for how tired I would be after the swimming, and remember, I had hyperventilated, so my breathing wasn’t quite back to where it would normally be. Second of all, my S10 Blazer handles hills a lot better than me and my mountain bike. I had completed underestimated just how hilly the route was. I had to walk up a monster hill twice (it was a double-loop route), and at a few points I asked my legs, “Why aren’t you working?” But I made it, and I only cursed once.

9:25 AM (ish) Transition 2, 1:03. This transition naturally went a bit smoother than the first because I only had to drop off my biking crap and pick up my visor. Getting the visor on was another story. Apparently, after working that hard on a bike ride, my brain just ceased to work.

9:26 AM (ish) Running, 38:06. So much for a good 5K time, but I was so happy to get to the running. I knew that if I could make it through the biking, I could finish the race (that’s the great thing about being a runner). I tried to put my visor on; it took a few tries. Normally, I take my hair out its ponytail, slide the visor over my head, put my hair back in a ponytail, and slide the visor up in to place. I didn’t account for sunglasses, and well, I had to stop and walk to get it on. I had to walk quite a bit on my “run,” but I don’t really mind. My legs had virtually nothing left after that bike ride, and I hadn’t taken in any food on the ride, so I was pretty much spent. I took my time on the run, ran when I could, and walked when I needed to. And as always, I gave it everything I had left the last few hundred yards.

10:10 AM (ish) Finished. Chris asked me, “Can I get you anything?” My first thought, “A shotgun.” Yeah, I was hurting, and I was vowing to never again attempt a triathlon. By far, that was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do that challenged me that much physically and mentally. But even just a day after the race, I know how I would better prepare for another triathlon. Granted, I won’t be doing another on next week, but I won’t say I’m down for the count.

That’s my account of my race. I’ll have pictures up soon, and I have a few other posts up my sleeve, too!

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August 23rd, 2008

My First Tri: Some Initial Thoughts

Well, I finished. I have no idea what my time(s) is because when I finished the race, I just didn’t care. You’ll get those times when I get them. I know some of you are dying to here about the race, so here are some initial thoughts:

  • I have the best friends and family in the whole world. Literally! Linden called me from Germany this morning, and Sarah sent me flowers to wish me luck yesterday! My mom came and watched, Chris photographed, and Sam ran me in the last few hundred runs.
  • I have new-found respect for triathloners. They deserve a lot of credit for what they can do.
  • I had never hyperventilated before today. A pool is not great place to do this for the first time.
  • Periods and triathlons do not mix.
  • Water misters are not only for Olympians.
  • If I’m going to do another one of these things, I’m gonna need some better cycling equipment.
  • I haven’t worked that hard in a long time–mentally or physically.

These thoughts are kinda negative, I know, but don’t fret. Already, in retrospect, I’m glad I did it, but I can’t say that I enjoyed myself while I was doing it. I learned a lot; the learning curve for triathloning is just a bit steeper than running.

OK. That’s all I have for you right now. I need another bagel and another nap. A minute-by-agonizing-minute report is coming soon (with photos)!

P.S. A prize will be awarded to the person who can guess the curse word I said to myself on the bike ride. You have permission to cuss in my comments…

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August 11th, 2008

Triathlon Training: Weeks 9 & 10

Can you believe my race is less than two weeks away? I can’t! It’s crazy how fast this summer has flown by. I can tell you, though, that sprint triathlon training is a heckuva lot better than marathon training in July/August because you get to spend time in the pool (water in the face) and on a bike (wind in the face). Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Monday, July 28, 2008

  • Workout type. Running
  • Route. Forest Park 3
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 33 minutes
  • Distance. 3 miles
  • Pace per mile. 11:00
  • Additional notes. Again, another normal run around my neighborhood. I wouldn’t mind some new routes, but I often run after dark, and I like to stick to side streets that are well lit.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

  • Workout type. Brick
  • Route. Forest Park 3 x 4 + Pembrooke 2
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 66 minutes (46 + 2)
  • Distance. 11 minutes (9 + 2)
  • Pace per mile. 6:00 (5:06 + 11:00)
  • Additional notes. First ride with the helmet, and I think it will work just fine. At first, my forehead itched, but after a few rides, I don’t notice it anymore. Will have to practice transitioning from “swim cap” hair to “helmet” hair to “visor” hair. Maybe I should shave my head…

Thursday, July 31, 2008

  • Workout type. Brick
  • Route. Forest Park 3 x 5
  • Feeling. Surprisingly :)
  • Time. 90 minutes (60 + 30)
  • Distance. 15 miles (12 + 3)
  • Pace per mile. 6:00 (5:00 + 10)
  • Additional notes. Holy crap! Did you see my 3-mile time? That’s faster than my 5K PR! OK, now granted I’m not running with a stopwatch, so I don’t know minutes and seconds, but that was a pretty awesome run! If I can do this on race day, this puts me on track for a 1:45:00 triathlon. And that would be neat!

Friday, August 1, 2008

  • Workout type. Lap swim
  • Route. YMCA pool
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 60 minutes
  • Distance. 1800 m
  • Pace per mile. N/A
  • Additional notes. Well, I finally got back in the pool. I know I can finish the swim in the race, but I’m not sure how quickly I’ll do it. For sure, I want (need) to finish in less than 10 minutes if I’m doing this in 1:45:00.

For week nine, I planned to take it easy. Instead, I took the week off. The hubby and I had a hard weekend of meetings, design, and editing, so I intentionally took Monday off. Tuesday it was blistering. Wednesday it threatened rain. Thursday was the So You Think You Can Dance finale. I finally hit the road on Sunday night for my longest bike ride thus far.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

  • Workout type. Cycling
  • Route. Forest Park 3 x 5
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 73 minutes
  • Distance. 15 miles
  • Pace per mile. 4:50
  • Additional notes. Another ride around my neighborhood. This one got me thinking about marathon training for a December marathon and how I might work in cycling. For sure, I’ll have to do some cross training during training because I tell the difference in my knee and how much it flares up. I might do a preliminary 7 or 8 mile run this week to see how the knee holds up.

And with that, I have 12 days until my race. YIKES! I know I’m ready, but I can’t believe it’s soon!

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July 28th, 2008

Triathlon Training: Week 8

Another good week of training. I got caught up in the weekend, so I didn’t get in any workouts Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Oh, yeah, and it’s miserable outside, so who wants to work out outside? I bought a helmet on Friday, so now I can ride both safely and in style, but I haven’t taken it on the road yet. I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time, here’s what I did last week:

Monday, July 21, 2008

  • Workout type. Running
  • Route. Forest Park subdivision
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 35 minutes
  • Distance. 3 miles
  • Pace per mile. 11:40
  • Additional notes. Nothing new this week. Just a run-of-the-mill run around the subdivision.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

  • Workout type. Brick (Cycling + running)
  • Route. Forest Park subdivision
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 69 minutes (58 cycling; 11 running)
  • Distance. 13 miles (12 cycling; 1 running)
  • Pace per mile. 5:20 (4:50; 11:00)
  • Additional notes. Another ride around the neighborhood. This time I was riding after dark, so I had to be careful with the traffic. I dropped off my bike and took a one-mile loop around the neighborhood. My legs were jello-y until about the half-mile mark, and I didn’t find my groove until I was about 3/4 of the way done.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

  • Workout type. Swimming
  • Route. YMCA
  • Feeling. :|
  • Time. 45 minutes
  • Distance. 1000m
  • Pace per mile. n/a
  • Additional notes. Rough waters today. The pool was really busy because I went after work, but I managed to get in a decent workout. I need to work on my stamina in this department; I think I’ll be OK for the race, but I would like to swim well.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

  • Workout type. Cycling class
  • Route. YMCA
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 44 minutes
  • Distance. 9 miles
  • Pace per mile. 4:50
  • Additional notes. Just another cycling class with weight lifting beforehand.

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July 23rd, 2008

Triathlon Training: Week 7

Wow! Last week was so much more productive than the previous two combined! Of course, I’m pretty sure my increased motivation came from an increasing number on my bathroom scale. I haven’t checked my body fat percentage in a long time, but I’m hoping the few pounds I’ve gained are a result of increased muscle mass rather than an increase in body fat. I certainly haven’t increased in inches anywhere, and my clothes still fit fine. We just happen to live in a “vanity number” society, and even though we’re healthy as horses, we hate the scales to reach certain numbers (and I’m getting a little too close for comfort to my vanity number). Here’s what I did this week:

Monday, July 14, 2008

  • Workout Type. Running
  • Route. Forest Park subdivision
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 33 minutes
  • Distance. 3 miles
  • Pace per mile. 11 min/mile
  • Additional notes. Felt good for being the first time I was out in a week! Even though I wanted to hit the road hard for an hour or so, I held myself back. I tend to work too hard on Mondays and Tuesdays and then have zero energy for workouts later in the week. I’m pacing myself.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

  • Workout type. Cycling class
  • Route. YMCA
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 59 minutes
  • Distance. 12.6 miles
  • Pace per mile. 4:40 minutes/mile
  • Additional notes. Our instructor didn’t show up, so I “warmed up” for 20 minutes before a sub took over. It’s encouraging to see that I can easily get in 12 miles in less than an hour, which will help me finish the triathlon in less than 2 hours.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

  • Workout type. Running
  • Route. Forest Park subdivision
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 58 minutes
  • Distance. 5 miles
  • Pace per mile. 11:40 minutes/mile
  • Additional notes. Still incorporating walking into my runs. I find that when I stop and walk when necessary, I can go faster when I’m actually running, so my overall time is faster, too. Even with all the time off from running this winter, my pace is right where I left it when I did the half marathon last fall.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

  • Workout type. Cycling class
  • Route. YMCA
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 46 minutes
  • Distance. 9.6 miles
  • Pace per mile. 4:48 minutes/mile
  • Additional notes. Just another cycling class. Actually, they’re getting to be old hat for me. Maybe I should look into learning how to teach a cycling class. Every time I get out of one, I think about the music I would use, how I would plan the class, and how I would encourage my students. Ooh, and if I teach, I could probably get a discount on my gym membership. Dave Ramsey would be proud!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

  • Workout type. Cycling (road)
  • Route. Forest Park subdivision (4 laps)
  • Feeling. :)
  • Time. 56 minutes
  • Distance. 12 miles
  • Pace per mile. 4:40 minutes/mile
  • Additional notes. I actually aired up my tires and rode outside! Of course, I was a genius and went out at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and it was miserable, but I didn’t notice the heat until after I got off the bike. I did four 3-mile loops around my subdivision. My subdivision is by no means hilly, but it rolls in a few places, and I handled those spots just fine. I knew I could do 12 miles in cycling class, but I wasn’t sure once I got out on the road, so I was thrilled that this 12 miles was pretty easy for me. Once I finished, I dropped my bike in my yard and ran a lap around my block (4 minutes). That was the most painful part: for one, I realized just how hot it was. Secondly, I realized how much my quads had been working on my bike ride (I don’t have bike clips, which let you use your hamstrings more). My legs felt like jello for that four minutes. I’ll have to work on my transitions in the next month or so!

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