Sunday, January 31, 2010
Day 5: 40 days 'til 40
I liked today's celebration. It did help me unwind. Today, we took a NAP :). I dozed on and off for about an hour and a half; I got back from my workout, made myself a hummus and kalamata olive sandwich (yum!), and then napped. It was good.
Tri workout today
I did another "triathlon" today. Anything to mix it up! The gym isn't open until 10 am on Sunday, so I went in the early afternoon during Michelle's nap. Kudos to my hubby for watching the kids for me!
I started off with a 30-min swim. Warm-up for 500 yds, practicing my open turns. Then 6x50: 25 drill, 25 free. Drills were kicking drills - face down with arms overhead on odd, then with arms at side on even. Getting better with my balance in the water. I accidentally did 7x50 because I threw in an extra lap of freestyle after the 3rd drill. Oops! Finally, I did a short ladder: 50-100-150-100-50 on the 1:00. After yesterday I was curious to see if I could do it. I had about 5-10 sec rest each time, but only about 3 sec before the last 50, which I managed in about 0:57. And I was really working it - my HR was 162 at the end (about 85% max). Yeah, I'm not that good of a swimmer yet. But I am liking it more, which is an improvement. I no longer despise it. Not sure I really enjoy it, but can certainly tolerate it much better than before. I'm actually a little bummed that I'll be at the dentist on Tuesday morning instead of my normal swimming workout.
After the swim, I quickly threw on my workout clothes and did 10 min elliptical, 35 min stationary bike (video bike! yay!), and then 15 more on the elliptical. I only did it that way because only one of the two video bikes at the gym is working, and there was a guy on it. He told me he'd be done soon, and he let me know when he was off. I felt I should grab it right away or I'd lose my chance to do it. Today I did the "Wicked Workout", and set the pacer at a power of 165. It was a hard workout, with my HR averaging about 150 for the bike. I did the elliptical much easier and enjoyed the new issue of Runner's World :).
I started off with a 30-min swim. Warm-up for 500 yds, practicing my open turns. Then 6x50: 25 drill, 25 free. Drills were kicking drills - face down with arms overhead on odd, then with arms at side on even. Getting better with my balance in the water. I accidentally did 7x50 because I threw in an extra lap of freestyle after the 3rd drill. Oops! Finally, I did a short ladder: 50-100-150-100-50 on the 1:00. After yesterday I was curious to see if I could do it. I had about 5-10 sec rest each time, but only about 3 sec before the last 50, which I managed in about 0:57. And I was really working it - my HR was 162 at the end (about 85% max). Yeah, I'm not that good of a swimmer yet. But I am liking it more, which is an improvement. I no longer despise it. Not sure I really enjoy it, but can certainly tolerate it much better than before. I'm actually a little bummed that I'll be at the dentist on Tuesday morning instead of my normal swimming workout.
After the swim, I quickly threw on my workout clothes and did 10 min elliptical, 35 min stationary bike (video bike! yay!), and then 15 more on the elliptical. I only did it that way because only one of the two video bikes at the gym is working, and there was a guy on it. He told me he'd be done soon, and he let me know when he was off. I felt I should grab it right away or I'd lose my chance to do it. Today I did the "Wicked Workout", and set the pacer at a power of 165. It was a hard workout, with my HR averaging about 150 for the bike. I did the elliptical much easier and enjoyed the new issue of Runner's World :).
new swimsuits
I got a couple new swimsuits. My old one was rather saggy from chlorine damage, and that was (literally!) a drag! I debated whether I should upload these photos (3 more linked), given the weirdos out there. However, if one is looking for something salacious, there are a lot better photos to choose from, honestly. And a lot better bodies to look at!
I was also debating because I'm still pretty body-conscious. I mean, I know I look pretty good for losing 100 lbs, but still, there are things that are never going to be great because I allowed myself to get so big. Even if I lost another 20 lbs (which would probably not be healthy!) I'd have loose skin and cellulite on my hips and legs unless I got surgery (which I am NOT going to do).
In the end, I decided that it just doesn't matter. This is who I am, and I'm proud of the fact that I have lost the weight and kept it off. In fact, it will be 5 years this Friday since I joined Weight Watchers and started this journey. So, this is for ALL of you out there who are on the journey. Be confident in where you are and who you are, and know that you can do it!
Oh, and I really DID want to show off the new swimsuits. I like them a lot, and they are 100% polyester so they are supposed to last longer in the pool. I got them for about $59 total including shipping (for BOTH suits) from www.swimoutlet.com. Great site & good stuff. My sister-in-law (a VERY good swimmer) recommended the site to me.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
sickie
Michelle isn't feeling well today. This was SO cute - she made herself a little bed out of couch cushions, and sat watching TV with her pillow, blanket, and favorite stuffed toy.
Day 4: 40 days 'til 40
Today Sarah and I shopped for music together. Very fun! We went to Day Murray Music, because we wanted to look at violin and piano music, and the other store that I like, Daynes Music, only carries piano music. We ended up just getting some piano music, but enjoyed looking at the violin sonatas too. We got a couple duet books and even tried some of the duets on the pianos available in the store for that purpose. Of course, we didn't just shop...we also enjoyed chatting and catching up on stuff. We plan to play some more of the music on Monday night for our day 6 activity. Maybe we'll have to do a short video or something!
I love celebrating for 40 days! I think I'm going to enjoy it even more the 2nd year than I did the first :).
I love celebrating for 40 days! I think I'm going to enjoy it even more the 2nd year than I did the first :).
Swimming again
This morning I knew I needed to practice my open turns so I didn't forget how to do them. Good thing, because it took me a few times (OK, more than a few) to feel like I was getting them again. I know that they could still be better, but at least I have the basic idea. I have no idea how many laps I did - I just worked hard on the turns, swimming rapidly in between them, and also doing a bunch of kicking drills. I was not very good at some of the drills in class, so I practiced the hardest ones - kick and roll, and also kicking face down with my hands at my side. That last one is the hardest - to get a breath you have to get unbalanced by lifting your head, and then rebalance to kick. It's a great drill though.
After 20 minutes I was bored of this, and since I wanted to swim for 30-35 minutes I decided to do a short ladder. 50-100-150-100-50 on the 1:05, 2:10, 3:15, 2:10, 1:05. I was doing each lap in about 1:00, so I got a little rest before each set - about the perfect amount. I think if I wanted a really hard workout I could dry to do these on the 1:00 instead of 1:05; today was hard but not really difficult. The 1:10 we did in class Thursday was a little too easy. I'm still slow, and will probably not be much of a swimmer, but at least I'm getting better.
I finished the swim and changed into workout gear and then did 4 miles on the elliptical in 31:51. I really had to push the last 2-3 minutes to make it to 4 miles before 32:00. I hate the that ellipticals are all calibrated differently from each other; I have no idea if 4 miles is really 4 miles, and it seems to be quite different from machine to machine. Oh well. I like thinking that I could run 4 miles in 32:00. I probably could do it on the roads, if my IT band would hold up. Maybe. But I don't really care about running that much, other than the curiosity I have about how fast I might be able to be. I suspect I'd be a good runner but not quite good enough get age group awards in local races. Probably top 10%. But racewalking...ahhhh, now THAT'S a sport I really care about. In a few weeks I'll get to do it again I hope.
After 20 minutes I was bored of this, and since I wanted to swim for 30-35 minutes I decided to do a short ladder. 50-100-150-100-50 on the 1:05, 2:10, 3:15, 2:10, 1:05. I was doing each lap in about 1:00, so I got a little rest before each set - about the perfect amount. I think if I wanted a really hard workout I could dry to do these on the 1:00 instead of 1:05; today was hard but not really difficult. The 1:10 we did in class Thursday was a little too easy. I'm still slow, and will probably not be much of a swimmer, but at least I'm getting better.
I finished the swim and changed into workout gear and then did 4 miles on the elliptical in 31:51. I really had to push the last 2-3 minutes to make it to 4 miles before 32:00. I hate the that ellipticals are all calibrated differently from each other; I have no idea if 4 miles is really 4 miles, and it seems to be quite different from machine to machine. Oh well. I like thinking that I could run 4 miles in 32:00. I probably could do it on the roads, if my IT band would hold up. Maybe. But I don't really care about running that much, other than the curiosity I have about how fast I might be able to be. I suspect I'd be a good runner but not quite good enough get age group awards in local races. Probably top 10%. But racewalking...ahhhh, now THAT'S a sport I really care about. In a few weeks I'll get to do it again I hope.
Friday, January 29, 2010
workout/podiatrist
This morning I enjoyed a 30 minute ride on the stationary bike. Yes, I am becoming happier about the bike, mostly because I've been riding the video bikes at the gym - they have scenery, hills, and gears that you have to use. Pretty entertaining, actually - next best thing to riding outside. Unfortunately, the gym only has 2 of them - and one was broken this morning :(. But at least I could ride the other one.
Then I had time for 15 minutes on the elliptical before I had to head over to work to pull out some plates from the incubator (yay! my experiment looks like it worked! I have colonies!) and then to my weight training class. Did some great lifting: bench press (85 lb), squat machine (180 lb), pull-up assist (60 lb assist; did 3 sets of 8 reps - working for that elusive pull-up someday), leg extensions, abductor and adductor cable pulls, lateral raises, and a good set of abs, including a 90-second plank. It all felt great.
***
Off to the podiatrist this morning at 9:00 am to get my new orthotics. I like them so far (after wearing them most of the day, since they felt fine - he said to wear them as long as they feel comfortable each day). They are a hard plastic, offering more support than my previous orthotics. They are not full-length like my previous pair. Hopefully they will help ease the pressure on my sesamoids. We'll see. I see him again in 2 weeks to get a plan to return to racewalking.
Then I had time for 15 minutes on the elliptical before I had to head over to work to pull out some plates from the incubator (yay! my experiment looks like it worked! I have colonies!) and then to my weight training class. Did some great lifting: bench press (85 lb), squat machine (180 lb), pull-up assist (60 lb assist; did 3 sets of 8 reps - working for that elusive pull-up someday), leg extensions, abductor and adductor cable pulls, lateral raises, and a good set of abs, including a 90-second plank. It all felt great.
***
Off to the podiatrist this morning at 9:00 am to get my new orthotics. I like them so far (after wearing them most of the day, since they felt fine - he said to wear them as long as they feel comfortable each day). They are a hard plastic, offering more support than my previous orthotics. They are not full-length like my previous pair. Hopefully they will help ease the pressure on my sesamoids. We'll see. I see him again in 2 weeks to get a plan to return to racewalking.
Day 3: 40 days 'til 40
I like celebrating my birthday for 40 days. It's fun! Especially when you get something nifty like a 15-minute back massage from the husband :). I'm going to have it before I turn in early for bed.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 2: 40 days 'til 40
Today we did something simple but wonderful. We gave at least 2 hugs to our kids and husbands. I love hugs, so this was great :).
I just spent about an hour working on the plan for the rest of our 40 days. I love this idea - celebrating life for 40 days is a blast!!! Yes, it takes additional time, but totally worth it and very fun. I thought about having a big party, but this is more my speed and definitely more entertaining.
I just spent about an hour working on the plan for the rest of our 40 days. I love this idea - celebrating life for 40 days is a blast!!! Yes, it takes additional time, but totally worth it and very fun. I thought about having a big party, but this is more my speed and definitely more entertaining.
Morning swim
This morning, as with all Tu/Th lately, I went to the masters swimming workout. I like the coach, and despite the lanes being fairly crowded (we had 4 in our lane, and have had that many each time) it does make for a more interesting workout to have more people there.
Today there were 3 women and 1 man in our lane. The man was actually the slowest, and of the women, I was the fastest at kicking drills, but probably we were all similar speeds when it came to our freestyle. This made for some interesting times touching the toes of the person in front, or getting one's toes touched. It was fine, though.
The workout was w/u with 300 free/200 choice. I did the 300 free and then 50 breast but no one else was doing that so I switched back to free and did another 100 before time was up. Then we did 9x50 in 3 sets: 50 drill (kicking 6x on side, then rolling to other side and repeating), 50 build (acceleration from slow to fast), 50 fast. Repeat 3x. That was actually pretty hard by the time you did the last 50 fast. Then we did a ladder set, 50-100-150-200-200-150-100-50 with 1:10 per 50. Yeah, that's slow, but it worked for me OK. More rest than I would have taken alone; I did swim one 50 in 0:50, but most were about 0:55, which is a big improvement for me. I led on the 2nd 200 and 150, and on the 150 I counted wrong and did 200 by mistake, so I got in an extra 50. Finally, we did some drills to work on our open turns. I used to do flip turns 20 yrs ago when I took a swimming for fitness class in college, but I haven't done them in so long that I've just been doing open turns. Well, no one ever told me how to do them efficiently until today. I am sure I'll be much faster next time for having worked on this. I really ought to get in the pool and practice them - maybe Saturday morning? Otherwise I might forget the things she told me about how to be efficient.
I have no idea how many open turns I did, swimming about 25 yd each time (we started in the middle of the pool and swam to the end then back to the middle to practice). We did them for about 10 minutes; I probably did 15-20 turns in that time.
Total yd for today, counting 15x25 for the turn practice: 2325.
Confidence in swimming? Increasing a lot. And I actually like going to these practices, vs. swimming alone. Much better.
Today there were 3 women and 1 man in our lane. The man was actually the slowest, and of the women, I was the fastest at kicking drills, but probably we were all similar speeds when it came to our freestyle. This made for some interesting times touching the toes of the person in front, or getting one's toes touched. It was fine, though.
The workout was w/u with 300 free/200 choice. I did the 300 free and then 50 breast but no one else was doing that so I switched back to free and did another 100 before time was up. Then we did 9x50 in 3 sets: 50 drill (kicking 6x on side, then rolling to other side and repeating), 50 build (acceleration from slow to fast), 50 fast. Repeat 3x. That was actually pretty hard by the time you did the last 50 fast. Then we did a ladder set, 50-100-150-200-200-150-100-50 with 1:10 per 50. Yeah, that's slow, but it worked for me OK. More rest than I would have taken alone; I did swim one 50 in 0:50, but most were about 0:55, which is a big improvement for me. I led on the 2nd 200 and 150, and on the 150 I counted wrong and did 200 by mistake, so I got in an extra 50. Finally, we did some drills to work on our open turns. I used to do flip turns 20 yrs ago when I took a swimming for fitness class in college, but I haven't done them in so long that I've just been doing open turns. Well, no one ever told me how to do them efficiently until today. I am sure I'll be much faster next time for having worked on this. I really ought to get in the pool and practice them - maybe Saturday morning? Otherwise I might forget the things she told me about how to be efficient.
I have no idea how many open turns I did, swimming about 25 yd each time (we started in the middle of the pool and swam to the end then back to the middle to practice). We did them for about 10 minutes; I probably did 15-20 turns in that time.
Total yd for today, counting 15x25 for the turn practice: 2325.
Confidence in swimming? Increasing a lot. And I actually like going to these practices, vs. swimming alone. Much better.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Trains!
We bought this set for Calvin when he was two years old. He loved it, but couldn't appreciate its intricacies. Now, at age 5, he can pretty much build it all by himself, and finally understands all the neat things it can do. We had fun with this today!
Day 1: 40 days 'til 40
Last year, my friend Sarah and I came up with 40 things to do on each of the 40 days until her 40th birthday. This year, it's MY turn to turn 40 (eek?!), and I can't think of any more fun thing to do than to celebrate for 40 days with my wonderful friend and birthday twin :). Oh, and our birthdays? March 8, to save you the trouble of counting.
So, here goes!
Day 1, Jan 27, 2010:
Today we are each thinking of a word for our year. OK, you know how no one keeps New Year's Resolutions? Yeah, I thought so, seeing as how you probably made a few that have been all-but-abandoned only one month into the new year. Well, the word for the year is a way to be thinking about embracing a positive change that you can easily remember and reference.
I at least plan to embrace my word for the next 40 days, and see how it goes. Then we'll take it from there.
I hope Sarah won't mind if I share her word publicly, because I like it, and I think it illustrates the goal. Her word is "connected", as in relationships. So, doing this 40 days 'til 40, which connects her with me (and hopefully with her family, as some of the things we'll do are family-oriented), will help her with her word of the year.
And my word (drum roll...)? "Unwind". Yeah, I'm waaaaay too high-strung, anxious, and uptight (though if you saw me 20 years ago, I was much worse then, so I guess that's something to celebrate). Unwind here has a connotation of more than just physical relaxing - i.e. reading books, hot baths, massage, etc. - but also mental relaxation. Taking a little more time in the morning so I don't get uptight and snap at my family, stepping back from anxious thoughts at work to analyze what is going on, realizing that I don't have to be in control all the time. Hmm, that's a tall order. I'll settle for simply improving even a little bit in this area, and keeping the word "unwind" in mind for the next 40 days.
So, here goes!
Day 1, Jan 27, 2010:
Today we are each thinking of a word for our year. OK, you know how no one keeps New Year's Resolutions? Yeah, I thought so, seeing as how you probably made a few that have been all-but-abandoned only one month into the new year. Well, the word for the year is a way to be thinking about embracing a positive change that you can easily remember and reference.
I at least plan to embrace my word for the next 40 days, and see how it goes. Then we'll take it from there.
I hope Sarah won't mind if I share her word publicly, because I like it, and I think it illustrates the goal. Her word is "connected", as in relationships. So, doing this 40 days 'til 40, which connects her with me (and hopefully with her family, as some of the things we'll do are family-oriented), will help her with her word of the year.
And my word (drum roll...)? "Unwind". Yeah, I'm waaaaay too high-strung, anxious, and uptight (though if you saw me 20 years ago, I was much worse then, so I guess that's something to celebrate). Unwind here has a connotation of more than just physical relaxing - i.e. reading books, hot baths, massage, etc. - but also mental relaxation. Taking a little more time in the morning so I don't get uptight and snap at my family, stepping back from anxious thoughts at work to analyze what is going on, realizing that I don't have to be in control all the time. Hmm, that's a tall order. I'll settle for simply improving even a little bit in this area, and keeping the word "unwind" in mind for the next 40 days.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Podiatrist
Went to the podiatrist this morning. After taking my rather lengthy history and looking at my MRI from a couple weeks ago, he agreed that I do have a rather severe case of sesamoiditis. In fact, he thought it looked like perhaps I'd had a fracture, something which my sports medicine doc and her cadre of radiologists vigorously denied. Hmmmm...interesting. Doesn't matter too much now, though. The question is what to do next.
He looked at my $250 custom orthotics that I just got and pronounced them worthless for dealing with this problem. Too flimsy; not enough support or cushion. He said they'd be fine for Joe Ordinary who wasn't doing so many miles, but not for me.
Sooooo...they casted my feet and $325 later, I left the office. Oh, plus $30 specialist copay. This injury has been very expensive. $250 ER visit, at least $350 last fall for MRI and cortisone shot and doctor visits and x-rays, plus $250 for the last pair of orthotics. That's $1175 so far, and I haven't seen the bill for the latest MRI. Oh, and that's just my part - the insurance has paid a fair amount (but they don't pay a dime for orthotics).
At least the podiatrist is fast. He'll have the orthotics ready for me on Friday. And the good news is that they will last (he says) 10-12 years. Wow.
The best news? In his opinion, I should be able to start racewalking again in 2-3 weeks, gradually ramping up my miles. I hope he is right. I almost dared to hope and smile this morning thinking about that. But I will admit that I'm afraid to get my hopes up too much.
He looked at my $250 custom orthotics that I just got and pronounced them worthless for dealing with this problem. Too flimsy; not enough support or cushion. He said they'd be fine for Joe Ordinary who wasn't doing so many miles, but not for me.
Sooooo...they casted my feet and $325 later, I left the office. Oh, plus $30 specialist copay. This injury has been very expensive. $250 ER visit, at least $350 last fall for MRI and cortisone shot and doctor visits and x-rays, plus $250 for the last pair of orthotics. That's $1175 so far, and I haven't seen the bill for the latest MRI. Oh, and that's just my part - the insurance has paid a fair amount (but they don't pay a dime for orthotics).
At least the podiatrist is fast. He'll have the orthotics ready for me on Friday. And the good news is that they will last (he says) 10-12 years. Wow.
The best news? In his opinion, I should be able to start racewalking again in 2-3 weeks, gradually ramping up my miles. I hope he is right. I almost dared to hope and smile this morning thinking about that. But I will admit that I'm afraid to get my hopes up too much.
racewalking in the news
Did you know that Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, was a racewalker? I sure didn't! Read this article for an Irish perspective on the sport of racewalking. Thanks to Renee Brown of Dave's World Class Racewalking Alumni Yahoo! group for the article.
Monday, January 25, 2010
and winter drags on and on
I really don't like winter. I don't care for the cold at all; I have Reynaud's phenomenon, and my fingers & toes go numb when outside too long (unless I'm racewalking, in which case usually they are fine). Even when I'm inside, I have trouble at times. I like to keep my house at 65F to save $, but sometimes I just have to turn it up to 70F to keep my hands from getting too cold. I don't really like the dark, either. It bugs me when it gets light at 8 am and dark again at 5 pm. I know, I'm lucky I don't live farther north where it's even worse. Finally, I dislike driving in the snow - intensely. It just freaks me out. It's better now that I have 4-wheel drive, but even so, it's not good.
I woke up in a winter mood this morning. Icky. The scale has not been kind (despite the fact that I've been disciplined about my eating), and I'm running about 150 right now. It was dark. I was not in the mood to go out to the gym to do the bike & elliptical again. Oh yay. But I got up and did it anyway, and I do feel better now. I've been doing the video stationary bikes that have courses and gears, and it's a lot like biking outside - it's much better than the regular bike. My friend Dorothy even told me how to adjust the pacer to get it just right, and you can get a really good workout. I did Sleepy Hollow today, at average power of 185 (that's what the pacer was set at), for 30 minutes. Then I followed that up with 15 min on the elliptical before it was time for weight training class. I was still in kind of a bleak mood at the start of class, but by the end I was feeling better. I did a lot of challenging exercises, and it made me feel stronger mentally. Push-ups, walking lunges, assisted pull-ups (like most women, I really can't do pull-ups unassisted, and to do sets of them I need the assist machine), and 21s (bicep curls, in 3 sets of 7: bottom half, top half, full curl) were some of my favorites today.
While on the workout topic, I did racewalk yesterday. The gym is not open until 10 am Sundays, and so that was just not an option. I decided racewalking would be OK, and it was all right. My foot feels fine. I know this is a bit illusory since the cortisone is still helping me, but the doc said it would be OK occasionally. At least until I get in to see someone who can really help me, I may racewalk on Sundays if I can't get to the gym. Next Sunday I think I might be able to swim at 11:30 am, so that might be an option sometimes. Anyway, I racewalked 5.32 miles at a 10:53 pace (I put 10:48 on facebook by mistake - close, but not quite right) and it was so nice to be out there.
***
I get to be home with the kids today :) which I'm happy about. I feel like I've been at work a lot lately, so it's good to be home today. We're going to the grocery store, to Kindermusik (Michelle has moved up to the next level!), and Calvin will practice the piano. I started giving him piano lessons! He had his first lesson Saturday, and I think he is doing well so far. He seems to be ready now, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Hopefully we'll continue to have a good working relationship in the piano lesson department. It saves a lot of money for me to teach him. Other plans for today: work on the family finances, clean the house, cook dinner, and prepare the crock pot for tomorrow, since I'm working then. Oh, and I'm calling a podiatrist today. Can't hurt, might help.
I woke up in a winter mood this morning. Icky. The scale has not been kind (despite the fact that I've been disciplined about my eating), and I'm running about 150 right now. It was dark. I was not in the mood to go out to the gym to do the bike & elliptical again. Oh yay. But I got up and did it anyway, and I do feel better now. I've been doing the video stationary bikes that have courses and gears, and it's a lot like biking outside - it's much better than the regular bike. My friend Dorothy even told me how to adjust the pacer to get it just right, and you can get a really good workout. I did Sleepy Hollow today, at average power of 185 (that's what the pacer was set at), for 30 minutes. Then I followed that up with 15 min on the elliptical before it was time for weight training class. I was still in kind of a bleak mood at the start of class, but by the end I was feeling better. I did a lot of challenging exercises, and it made me feel stronger mentally. Push-ups, walking lunges, assisted pull-ups (like most women, I really can't do pull-ups unassisted, and to do sets of them I need the assist machine), and 21s (bicep curls, in 3 sets of 7: bottom half, top half, full curl) were some of my favorites today.
While on the workout topic, I did racewalk yesterday. The gym is not open until 10 am Sundays, and so that was just not an option. I decided racewalking would be OK, and it was all right. My foot feels fine. I know this is a bit illusory since the cortisone is still helping me, but the doc said it would be OK occasionally. At least until I get in to see someone who can really help me, I may racewalk on Sundays if I can't get to the gym. Next Sunday I think I might be able to swim at 11:30 am, so that might be an option sometimes. Anyway, I racewalked 5.32 miles at a 10:53 pace (I put 10:48 on facebook by mistake - close, but not quite right) and it was so nice to be out there.
***
I get to be home with the kids today :) which I'm happy about. I feel like I've been at work a lot lately, so it's good to be home today. We're going to the grocery store, to Kindermusik (Michelle has moved up to the next level!), and Calvin will practice the piano. I started giving him piano lessons! He had his first lesson Saturday, and I think he is doing well so far. He seems to be ready now, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Hopefully we'll continue to have a good working relationship in the piano lesson department. It saves a lot of money for me to teach him. Other plans for today: work on the family finances, clean the house, cook dinner, and prepare the crock pot for tomorrow, since I'm working then. Oh, and I'm calling a podiatrist today. Can't hurt, might help.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Masters swimming
I tried the masters swimming group this morning. It was way better than swimming alone. Not racewalking, true, but it was at least as good as the elliptical and bike. I guess that's not saying much, but still...it's something.
Coach Michaela (spelling?) had us warm up with 300 free/200 choice, and then we did 12x75 yds, in 4 sets of 3: 75 kick, 75 drill (the drill we did was kicking on side, then rolling to other side and repeating), 75 free. Finally, 8 x 50 yds with 25 easy and 25 fast, on the 1:20 (yeah, I was in a slow lane). I was in the slowest lane, so did fewer yds than other lanes; they all had longer and harder workouts. And yeah, i could have done more yards by myself, but this was vastly more entertaining and I got some good coaching too. It was good to chat a little with the other women in my lane. A couple of them were triathletes. One of them actually asked me if I was a swimmer! Hahahahaha! How did I fool anyone? Anyway, I ended up leading after a bit because I kept passing some of them, and that worked out well (there were 4 of us, so we were circle swimming). Maybe I should be in the next lane up, but that lane is all guys and they are definitely faster than me, so maybe not. Better to be the fastest in a slower lane, I think.
***
Work wasn't good today. It was one of those days in research where nothing worked right. That happens. You just suck it up and go on. But I am not in the best frame of mind lately, so it's hard to do that.
***
My foot hurts. It is actually hurting a bit on the ball of the foot. I am thinking that maybe the cortisone shot is finally wearing off. Ugh. I need to call my orthotist and try to get the metatarsal pads changed. They might not be in the right location, according to a guy I chatted with at the running store. I also am debating making an appt with a podiatrist while I wait to talk with the foot/ankle orthopedic guy. Can't hurt to have more input, but it does cost $ to go see someone, plus my time. I don't know if I'll do it or not.
Coach Michaela (spelling?) had us warm up with 300 free/200 choice, and then we did 12x75 yds, in 4 sets of 3: 75 kick, 75 drill (the drill we did was kicking on side, then rolling to other side and repeating), 75 free. Finally, 8 x 50 yds with 25 easy and 25 fast, on the 1:20 (yeah, I was in a slow lane). I was in the slowest lane, so did fewer yds than other lanes; they all had longer and harder workouts. And yeah, i could have done more yards by myself, but this was vastly more entertaining and I got some good coaching too. It was good to chat a little with the other women in my lane. A couple of them were triathletes. One of them actually asked me if I was a swimmer! Hahahahaha! How did I fool anyone? Anyway, I ended up leading after a bit because I kept passing some of them, and that worked out well (there were 4 of us, so we were circle swimming). Maybe I should be in the next lane up, but that lane is all guys and they are definitely faster than me, so maybe not. Better to be the fastest in a slower lane, I think.
***
Work wasn't good today. It was one of those days in research where nothing worked right. That happens. You just suck it up and go on. But I am not in the best frame of mind lately, so it's hard to do that.
***
My foot hurts. It is actually hurting a bit on the ball of the foot. I am thinking that maybe the cortisone shot is finally wearing off. Ugh. I need to call my orthotist and try to get the metatarsal pads changed. They might not be in the right location, according to a guy I chatted with at the running store. I also am debating making an appt with a podiatrist while I wait to talk with the foot/ankle orthopedic guy. Can't hurt to have more input, but it does cost $ to go see someone, plus my time. I don't know if I'll do it or not.
Monday, January 18, 2010
hanging in there
I've been doing all right mentally the past few days. Ups and downs, yes, but overall OK. I am a bit surprised by this, given the circumstances, but I'll take it. I have been telling myself that I've just got to keep moving on and keep exercising, finding other things to do, because the alternative is not acceptable. I do not want to go back to the way I was! And I will be able to racewalk again someday. It just might be a while.
I've been working out a good amount. Saturday morning I did 65 min: 30 on bike, 35 on elliptical. Sunday morning I did racewalk 3.9 miles, because the gym is not open until 10 am - not acceptable!. I went around Liberty Park and managed a 10:46 pace. The foot actually felt totally fine. That's the evil thing about this - the pain is not too bad because of the cortisone shot in September, so even though I am not better, I feel pretty good. Later in the day I hit the gym with my mom and we did some time on the stationary bike - she did 30 min and I did 42 min. Only stopped because the gym was closing! I needed to make up for the Sunday brunch Loren and I enjoyed at Zermatt Resort. Oh, how I love their dessert spread. Chocoholics' heaven. But it was a planned indulgence, and as long as I work out hard and eat well the rest of the week, I should be OK. I did lose 1.6 lb last week :) but still have about 4.5 more to go to get back where I like to be for racewalking.
This morning I still felt the need to atone for the excessive chocolate consumption, so I did a "triathlon". 30 min swim, 30 min stationary bike, 30 min elliptical. The swim was my usual lately: 250 yds free, 100 yds kick, 150 yds pull, and repeated that, ending with 250 yds free. It takes me just about 30 min to do those 25 laps. Yeah, I know, I'm a slow swimmer. But it's good exercise and non-weight-bearing. The bike and the elliptical were at my usual intensity - ave HR 140. I got some more reading done on my latest Michael Connelly thriller "The Last Coyote". I'm tearing through a pile of these my parents gave me. They're light enough to read while working out and engaging enough to keep my mind occupied.
I've been working out a good amount. Saturday morning I did 65 min: 30 on bike, 35 on elliptical. Sunday morning I did racewalk 3.9 miles, because the gym is not open until 10 am - not acceptable!. I went around Liberty Park and managed a 10:46 pace. The foot actually felt totally fine. That's the evil thing about this - the pain is not too bad because of the cortisone shot in September, so even though I am not better, I feel pretty good. Later in the day I hit the gym with my mom and we did some time on the stationary bike - she did 30 min and I did 42 min. Only stopped because the gym was closing! I needed to make up for the Sunday brunch Loren and I enjoyed at Zermatt Resort. Oh, how I love their dessert spread. Chocoholics' heaven. But it was a planned indulgence, and as long as I work out hard and eat well the rest of the week, I should be OK. I did lose 1.6 lb last week :) but still have about 4.5 more to go to get back where I like to be for racewalking.
This morning I still felt the need to atone for the excessive chocolate consumption, so I did a "triathlon". 30 min swim, 30 min stationary bike, 30 min elliptical. The swim was my usual lately: 250 yds free, 100 yds kick, 150 yds pull, and repeated that, ending with 250 yds free. It takes me just about 30 min to do those 25 laps. Yeah, I know, I'm a slow swimmer. But it's good exercise and non-weight-bearing. The bike and the elliptical were at my usual intensity - ave HR 140. I got some more reading done on my latest Michael Connelly thriller "The Last Coyote". I'm tearing through a pile of these my parents gave me. They're light enough to read while working out and engaging enough to keep my mind occupied.
Friday, January 15, 2010
bad news
MRI results are in. What I expected is the case. My sesamoiditis looks just as bad as ever, despite the 2 months off. The doctor agreed that my hypothesis might be correct, that the cortisone shot is masking the pain, which is referring to the arch of my foot. They had their best radiologist look at my MRI, and they found nothing else wrong at all with my foot. They pored carefully over it for quite a while as a team, and were collectively mystified at the location of my pain, given what they see on the images. In any case, the diagnosis is unchanged from 4 months ago. Sesamoiditis. My doctor is a sports medicine doc and not a foot doc, so she now recommends that I go to see a foot and ankle specialist (who, incidentally, I saw in 2001 for a badly broken ankle from snowboarding).
The soonest he can see me is February 25th. Gotta love that. I have a race entry for the Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon on March 20th. Guess I'm not doing it. Or maybe I will anyway. Whatever.
I'm pretty upset and not taking this too well at the moment, so I think I'll stop now.
The soonest he can see me is February 25th. Gotta love that. I have a race entry for the Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon on March 20th. Guess I'm not doing it. Or maybe I will anyway. Whatever.
I'm pretty upset and not taking this too well at the moment, so I think I'll stop now.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
injury update
First, some mileage, etc.:
3rd week back from injury - only did 11.7 miles, because my foot started to hurt and so I backed off a lot.
4th week back from injury ended today; I did just 15 miles this week. My foot has been achy/crampy on and off all week. Seems worst on the exercise bike, but it does hurt when I'm on the treadmill; the elliptical (so far) doesn't bother it. All my mileage this week except Sunday's 3.9 miles was on the treadmill, because I wanted the option to stop any time if my foot hurts too much. Boring, but safer.
***
I visited the doctor on Tuesday afternoon for my foot problem. I wanted to ask her about my piriformis too, and even though I told them on the phone when I made the appointment that I had 2 questions for her, the nurse told me she would only address the foot and that I'd have to make another appt for the piriformis. Why couldn't they have told me that on the phone? It's aggravating. Never mind that it's a $30 copay each time I go in, plus my time away from work, OR having to find a sitter for the kids. Grrrr.
Anyway, she took X-rays of my foot and they are still negative. It all looks fine. So, she ordered another MRI. Oh yay. She said she really has no idea what's going on, since I have pain in a different spot than last time. My guess is that the sesamoiditis is back, but that I feel it in a different spot (referred pain) because the cortisone shot is still helping to deaden the pain in the joint. But that's only a guess. We'll find out tomorrow when I get the MRI. I'm just frustrated and I want to be better. I want to train hard for my half marathon March 20th.
***
A funny kid story. Michelle said to me tonight: "Mommy, you have a big bottom!". Um, yeah, kid, thanks. Someone needs to tell her that you never say that to a woman ;). Actually, I thought it was really funny and didn't take it wrong at all. And yes, I suppose that is my biggest part, but after losing all that weight I'm happily at a size 8, which is not that big at all. Just big compared to HER :).
3rd week back from injury - only did 11.7 miles, because my foot started to hurt and so I backed off a lot.
4th week back from injury ended today; I did just 15 miles this week. My foot has been achy/crampy on and off all week. Seems worst on the exercise bike, but it does hurt when I'm on the treadmill; the elliptical (so far) doesn't bother it. All my mileage this week except Sunday's 3.9 miles was on the treadmill, because I wanted the option to stop any time if my foot hurts too much. Boring, but safer.
***
I visited the doctor on Tuesday afternoon for my foot problem. I wanted to ask her about my piriformis too, and even though I told them on the phone when I made the appointment that I had 2 questions for her, the nurse told me she would only address the foot and that I'd have to make another appt for the piriformis. Why couldn't they have told me that on the phone? It's aggravating. Never mind that it's a $30 copay each time I go in, plus my time away from work, OR having to find a sitter for the kids. Grrrr.
Anyway, she took X-rays of my foot and they are still negative. It all looks fine. So, she ordered another MRI. Oh yay. She said she really has no idea what's going on, since I have pain in a different spot than last time. My guess is that the sesamoiditis is back, but that I feel it in a different spot (referred pain) because the cortisone shot is still helping to deaden the pain in the joint. But that's only a guess. We'll find out tomorrow when I get the MRI. I'm just frustrated and I want to be better. I want to train hard for my half marathon March 20th.
***
A funny kid story. Michelle said to me tonight: "Mommy, you have a big bottom!". Um, yeah, kid, thanks. Someone needs to tell her that you never say that to a woman ;). Actually, I thought it was really funny and didn't take it wrong at all. And yes, I suppose that is my biggest part, but after losing all that weight I'm happily at a size 8, which is not that big at all. Just big compared to HER :).
Monday, January 11, 2010
sleepy
So tired I can barely keep my eyes open, so I guess I'm headed for bed.
***
This morning, I started off on the exercise bike. Big mistake, I guess, because my foot hurt right away. I did 10 minutes anyway, and then gave up and switched to the elliptical. That felt OK, so I continued for 45 more min, and then did 10 min on the treadmill, racewalking. That felt all right too, at the time. The rest of the day my foot really hurt - not sharp pain, just achy, sore, irritated foot pain. I'm frustrated. I guess I'm swimming tomorrow. Fortunately, I am also going to the doctor, so hopefully will get some answers.
***
This morning, I started off on the exercise bike. Big mistake, I guess, because my foot hurt right away. I did 10 minutes anyway, and then gave up and switched to the elliptical. That felt OK, so I continued for 45 more min, and then did 10 min on the treadmill, racewalking. That felt all right too, at the time. The rest of the day my foot really hurt - not sharp pain, just achy, sore, irritated foot pain. I'm frustrated. I guess I'm swimming tomorrow. Fortunately, I am also going to the doctor, so hopefully will get some answers.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
testing the limits
I really want to know what I can do right now without pain. So, I decided to do the 3.9 miles to Liberty Park, around the park, and back home. I was pretty fast (10:39/mile; 6:37/km) with an average HR of 146 (yeah, I was pushing it a little bit, because it was fun to be outside). My foot didn't hurt, but it did feel suspiciously warm.
It's been feeling OK the rest of the day, but I am noticing it - it feels a bit crampy and not quite normal. Tomorrow I will do something else and give it a rest. Tuesday I will see the doc and hopefully get an idea of what is going on.
It's been feeling OK the rest of the day, but I am noticing it - it feels a bit crampy and not quite normal. Tomorrow I will do something else and give it a rest. Tuesday I will see the doc and hopefully get an idea of what is going on.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
quick update
Racewalking: Managed 1 mile pain-free on treadmill yesterday; then did elliptical and bike for the rest of the 65 min I'd planned. Oddly enough, had pain while doing recumbent bike. Actually, it's not pain so much as a crampy feeling in the plantar fascia in my L foot. Maybe the RW got it going? Or maybe not. Today I threw caution to the wind because I am sick of tiptoeing around this injury. I RW 3 miles on the treadmill at 5.5 mph (10:54/mile). It felt totally fine, and still does despite walking around on it a lot today (we later took the kids to the awesome museum of ancient life at Thanksgiving Point). AND I did 30 min on the bike after RW. Go figure. I'm not sure why it's feeling better, but I'll take it. I'm still going to the doc on Tuesday to try and sort it all out; I'm sure it will continue to be a problem for a while.
***
Copper: We got the pathology report. It's a malignant fibrosarcoma. Median life expectancy is 4 months, and at 12 months there is an 80-100% mortality rate. :( :( :(.
***
Copper: We got the pathology report. It's a malignant fibrosarcoma. Median life expectancy is 4 months, and at 12 months there is an 80-100% mortality rate. :( :( :(.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
feeling down
This morning was ugly. I felt so lousy (mood) that I just stayed in bed, and skipped my workout entirely. That was probably a good thing from the standpoint of recovery for my foot, so I guess it could be worse. However, that did not benefit my mood at all. I felt rotten from the time I awoke until about 10:30 am. Getting some stuff done at work helped lift the dark clouds, and I'm feeling all right now, but not great. I haven't had a mood this black in quite some time. I'm a little concerned, but hopefully it's only temporary. And, there are lots of reasons for me to feel down, so it's understandable. Foot injury, weight gain (about 149-150 right now) and Copper's illness top the list, though there are some minor things going on as well. Anyway, I'm hoping that a good night's sleep and some exercise in the morning will help.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
another trying day
Today was at least better than yesterday. But it was still not easy.
I got in only 45 min of working out because I got up a bit later than I intended; not much, but enough to delay me. I did 25 min on the bike and 20 min on the elliptical. The foot felt fine.
I wore a different more cushiony pair of shoes today to work. I think that helped. I was on my feet a fair amount but the foot still felt fine.
Work was fairly stressful. Some rather icky interpersonal crap of the kind that happens to me quite rarely. I get along very well with most people, but now and then, something happens to disrupt that. Today was that kind of day. The good news is that the situation is resolved, and I feel like the relationship will be the better for it in the long run. Still, it was icky, and I wish I hadn't had to deal with it today.
I had to leave about 45 min early to pick up the dog before the vet closed. We are quite happy to have Copper home. The kids were really happy to see her, and I was too. She looks quite well now - much better than yesterday, despite the surgery. Believe it or not, she was bounding up and down the stairs tonight. Crazy dog! I guess she is feeling all right. Our wallet is a lot lighter though...oh well.
Oh, and I did have time to call my doc today. I am going in to see her (the sports med specialist) next Tuesday to get some answers. Until then I'm going to racewalk sparingly, on the treadmill only, and quit at the first sign of ANY discomfort of ANY kind. I would say that I am not going to RW at all, but I'm not sure that is the answer either. I want to have something to tell the doc regarding what seems to bring it on. The first time it bothered me was last week at WORK, not while RW. And it might be nothing serious. Anyway, we'll see. I figure I am also going to ask about my piriformis pain; it hasn't been too bad but the RW does seem to aggravate it.
I got in only 45 min of working out because I got up a bit later than I intended; not much, but enough to delay me. I did 25 min on the bike and 20 min on the elliptical. The foot felt fine.
I wore a different more cushiony pair of shoes today to work. I think that helped. I was on my feet a fair amount but the foot still felt fine.
Work was fairly stressful. Some rather icky interpersonal crap of the kind that happens to me quite rarely. I get along very well with most people, but now and then, something happens to disrupt that. Today was that kind of day. The good news is that the situation is resolved, and I feel like the relationship will be the better for it in the long run. Still, it was icky, and I wish I hadn't had to deal with it today.
I had to leave about 45 min early to pick up the dog before the vet closed. We are quite happy to have Copper home. The kids were really happy to see her, and I was too. She looks quite well now - much better than yesterday, despite the surgery. Believe it or not, she was bounding up and down the stairs tonight. Crazy dog! I guess she is feeling all right. Our wallet is a lot lighter though...oh well.
Oh, and I did have time to call my doc today. I am going in to see her (the sports med specialist) next Tuesday to get some answers. Until then I'm going to racewalk sparingly, on the treadmill only, and quit at the first sign of ANY discomfort of ANY kind. I would say that I am not going to RW at all, but I'm not sure that is the answer either. I want to have something to tell the doc regarding what seems to bring it on. The first time it bothered me was last week at WORK, not while RW. And it might be nothing serious. Anyway, we'll see. I figure I am also going to ask about my piriformis pain; it hasn't been too bad but the RW does seem to aggravate it.
Monday, January 04, 2010
cuddling with Grandpa
Calvin and my dad enjoying a cuddle together. One of the better moments of my day was watching them :).Hard day
It's been a rough day in more than one way. Before I even knew Copper was sick, it wasn't good.
Sunday night I popped on the treadmill and did 1.77 miles with the Wii Fit Plus on the running mode. It actually worked pretty well, and I was having a good time, until my foot started aching in the plantar fascia behind my big toe joint. Not good. It may be unrelated to my earlier problem...but seems to me it's more likely that it is connected. Especially because I had this same Charley-horse type pain as my first symptom back in August. Ugh. I had a twinge on my walk Sunday morning around Sugar House Park (which I forgot to blog about - a walk with Copper, nice and speedy, and felt good except for that small twinge in the muscles), too, but the pain Sunday night was worse. I took some anti-inflammatories right away and this morning I did the bike & elliptical and did not RW at all on it. I was already feeling lousy at the gym - felt pretty sorry for myself with the foot problem cropping up again despite all the rest and the care I have exercised in returning to RW.
I decided to call the doc today and try and get in to see her soon, but with Copper getting sick and a rushed vet visit, etc., it just didn't happen. I guess I'll call tomorrow, but I'm working all day and will probably be so busy I'll forget or something.
I'm feeling a bit down, I must confess. Between my foot and the dog, it's been a hard day.
Oh, and now TCU lost to Boise State. Bummer. Was hoping they'd win big and make the MWC look good. Oh well. Icing on the cake of a crappy day.
Sunday night I popped on the treadmill and did 1.77 miles with the Wii Fit Plus on the running mode. It actually worked pretty well, and I was having a good time, until my foot started aching in the plantar fascia behind my big toe joint. Not good. It may be unrelated to my earlier problem...but seems to me it's more likely that it is connected. Especially because I had this same Charley-horse type pain as my first symptom back in August. Ugh. I had a twinge on my walk Sunday morning around Sugar House Park (which I forgot to blog about - a walk with Copper, nice and speedy, and felt good except for that small twinge in the muscles), too, but the pain Sunday night was worse. I took some anti-inflammatories right away and this morning I did the bike & elliptical and did not RW at all on it. I was already feeling lousy at the gym - felt pretty sorry for myself with the foot problem cropping up again despite all the rest and the care I have exercised in returning to RW.
I decided to call the doc today and try and get in to see her soon, but with Copper getting sick and a rushed vet visit, etc., it just didn't happen. I guess I'll call tomorrow, but I'm working all day and will probably be so busy I'll forget or something.
I'm feeling a bit down, I must confess. Between my foot and the dog, it's been a hard day.
Oh, and now TCU lost to Boise State. Bummer. Was hoping they'd win big and make the MWC look good. Oh well. Icing on the cake of a crappy day.
having fun
Calvin's having fun with his erector set, and I'm having fun with my new camera. I have a lot to learn about it, and haven't had much time at all to play with it since I got it, especially with Copper getting sick.Copper
Copper is very sick :(. She didn't eat last night, and this morning she not only wouldn't eat, but she also wouldn't move. At all. We were alarmed and took her to the vet. First I had to carry her up the stairs and then Loren carried her out to the car. The vet checked her over and found that she had blood in her abdomen. Not good. He recommended surgery, because though some of the items on the differential diagnosis were terminal diagnoses, some weren't. We opted for the surgery. He found a 2-lb tumor on her spleen, and no metastases. He removed the spleen and the tumor, and sent the tumor to pathology. We'll get the report on Friday. It will be a long wait, as Copper is a wonderful dog and we love her to pieces. She is my constant racewalking companion, and can keep up with me even when doing a fast 5K. Hopefully it will be benign, and we will have her with us for a few more years (she's only 8 1/2). By the way, this is one of the first pictures I took with my new digital camera. Looking at it, I miss her. She's staying overnight at the vet's tonight and we'll pick her up tomorrow.Saturday, January 02, 2010
totals for 2009
I racewalked 1340 miles in 2009.
January: 81 miles (IT band injury)
February: 140 miles
March: 129 miles (Canyonlands 1/2 marathon)
April: 146 miles (SLC marathon)
May: 159 miles
June: 152 miles (Seattle RNR marathon)
July: 164 miles (Deseret News 10K)
August: 185 miles (Portland-to-Coast relay; injured foot)
September: 85 miles
October: 69 miles (Portland Marathon; Nike Women's Marathon)
November: 0 miles (foot injury rest period)
December: 30 miles (foot injury rest and begin rehab 12/18)
Here's hoping for an injury-free 2010 :)
January: 81 miles (IT band injury)
February: 140 miles
March: 129 miles (Canyonlands 1/2 marathon)
April: 146 miles (SLC marathon)
May: 159 miles
June: 152 miles (Seattle RNR marathon)
July: 164 miles (Deseret News 10K)
August: 185 miles (Portland-to-Coast relay; injured foot)
September: 85 miles
October: 69 miles (Portland Marathon; Nike Women's Marathon)
November: 0 miles (foot injury rest period)
December: 30 miles (foot injury rest and begin rehab 12/18)
Here's hoping for an injury-free 2010 :)
overslept!
I overslept today, until 7:05 am. That never happens to me, so I guess I really needed the sleep. Plan was to get up at 5:30, hit the gym at 6:00, and go to my 8:00 Weight Watchers meeting. Oops. Instead I just went to the gym.
At the recommendation of my friend Gordon I tried the Expresso stationary bikes. It was a lot more fun than the regular bikes. I tried a "challenging" course called Sleepy Hollow, after warming up on a much easier course. The challenging course took about 30 min, and there was a pacer I had to try to stay with the whole time. It kept my HR about 150, and I was really sweating. It lived up to its name, and I was pretty glad when I finished the course. I did stay with the pacer, and I liked watching the other bikers & the fake scenery. It was fairly entertaining for an indoor cycling course, and definitely worked me harder than the regular stationary bike.
I followed the biking up with about 30 min on the elliptical. Home now and plotting my day. I think we might take the kiddos ice skating :). Could be fun!
At the recommendation of my friend Gordon I tried the Expresso stationary bikes. It was a lot more fun than the regular bikes. I tried a "challenging" course called Sleepy Hollow, after warming up on a much easier course. The challenging course took about 30 min, and there was a pacer I had to try to stay with the whole time. It kept my HR about 150, and I was really sweating. It lived up to its name, and I was pretty glad when I finished the course. I did stay with the pacer, and I liked watching the other bikers & the fake scenery. It was fairly entertaining for an indoor cycling course, and definitely worked me harder than the regular stationary bike.
I followed the biking up with about 30 min on the elliptical. Home now and plotting my day. I think we might take the kiddos ice skating :). Could be fun!
Friday, January 01, 2010
Happy New Year!
Started the new year with some seriously great orange sweet rolls. Um, yeah, I know, I need to watch that stuff. But I also need to be realistic. Yeah, my weight is up a little again. I do seem to fight this last 5 lbs over & over, but I think it's mostly because I have a wicked sweet tooth. The good news is that I'm quite optimistic that I can get it back off again, rather than being depressed about it. The scale said 149 this morning.
The Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon is my next race, on March 20th, and I want to be back at 145 by then. I'd also like to have a shot at a new PR, but that depends on how my foot is doing. It's also really not a PR sort of course, but considering that my last PR for the 1/2 was set there last year, I think it's not unreasonable. But also not a lock.
So, this week has been pretty good. I think my recovery is progressing well. After the 8 miles Christmas Day (in two separate 4-mile walks), I took 2 days off racewalking. Saturday I did the bike & elliptical at the gym for an hour, and Sunday I went snowshoeing with my mom. Monday I decided to do 30 min on the treadmill, for 2.8 miles (more on this later), along with 30 min of biking, and 30 min of elliptical. Tuesday I decided to do 2.2 miles on the treadmill to make 5 miles total between Monday & Tuesday. I did that in about 24 min or so, and then biked for 40 min. In general, the treadmill went better than last week - I was able to do 5.5 mph (about an 11-min mile) fairly comfortably. However, on Tuesday night, after a long day at work on my feet, my left foot was a bit achy. It didn't ache in the joint where I had the pain previously, but rather in the plantar fascia right behind the ball of my foot. Not sure what it was about, but on Wednesday I skipped any thought of RW and did the bike & the elliptical. It felt fine, but hey, I wasn't going to take any chances. Thursday I decided to RW for 3 miles (took 33 min) on the treadmill, followed by a 1-hr swim with some friends.
More on Tuesday's workout: I actually did a little speed work! I am hoping that was not the cause of my pain, in retrospect. But it could have been. Still, things are fine now, so we'll just keep watching it and see how it does. Anyway, on Tuesday I was bored at the prospect of 30 min straight on the 'mill, so I opted for a 10-min warmup followed by 4 x 2 min at 6.5 mph. That got my HR up to about 160 on each one, and it felt great. I rested 1 min in between each with some slower walking, and then cooled it down. Felt good to do some speed work, but I kept it to 4 intervals because I didn't want to push things.
Total for the week: 16 miles. This week I think maybe 18 miles if my foot is still feeling OK.
So back to today...I thought I was ready to try 10K racewalking, the longest since my 2-month layoff. I got out there a couple hours after the aforementioned sweet rolls. It was overcast but relatively warm (mid-30s?), and I did a very hilly route in 1:10:13 for 11:18/mile. Yeah, it was slow, but considering the hills and my stomachache from the rolls, I think it was an acceptable effort. It was one of those days when it doesn't come easily, but you just push through it, and later you are glad you did. It's great to be back.
Happy New Year!
The Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon is my next race, on March 20th, and I want to be back at 145 by then. I'd also like to have a shot at a new PR, but that depends on how my foot is doing. It's also really not a PR sort of course, but considering that my last PR for the 1/2 was set there last year, I think it's not unreasonable. But also not a lock.
So, this week has been pretty good. I think my recovery is progressing well. After the 8 miles Christmas Day (in two separate 4-mile walks), I took 2 days off racewalking. Saturday I did the bike & elliptical at the gym for an hour, and Sunday I went snowshoeing with my mom. Monday I decided to do 30 min on the treadmill, for 2.8 miles (more on this later), along with 30 min of biking, and 30 min of elliptical. Tuesday I decided to do 2.2 miles on the treadmill to make 5 miles total between Monday & Tuesday. I did that in about 24 min or so, and then biked for 40 min. In general, the treadmill went better than last week - I was able to do 5.5 mph (about an 11-min mile) fairly comfortably. However, on Tuesday night, after a long day at work on my feet, my left foot was a bit achy. It didn't ache in the joint where I had the pain previously, but rather in the plantar fascia right behind the ball of my foot. Not sure what it was about, but on Wednesday I skipped any thought of RW and did the bike & the elliptical. It felt fine, but hey, I wasn't going to take any chances. Thursday I decided to RW for 3 miles (took 33 min) on the treadmill, followed by a 1-hr swim with some friends.
More on Tuesday's workout: I actually did a little speed work! I am hoping that was not the cause of my pain, in retrospect. But it could have been. Still, things are fine now, so we'll just keep watching it and see how it does. Anyway, on Tuesday I was bored at the prospect of 30 min straight on the 'mill, so I opted for a 10-min warmup followed by 4 x 2 min at 6.5 mph. That got my HR up to about 160 on each one, and it felt great. I rested 1 min in between each with some slower walking, and then cooled it down. Felt good to do some speed work, but I kept it to 4 intervals because I didn't want to push things.
Total for the week: 16 miles. This week I think maybe 18 miles if my foot is still feeling OK.
So back to today...I thought I was ready to try 10K racewalking, the longest since my 2-month layoff. I got out there a couple hours after the aforementioned sweet rolls. It was overcast but relatively warm (mid-30s?), and I did a very hilly route in 1:10:13 for 11:18/mile. Yeah, it was slow, but considering the hills and my stomachache from the rolls, I think it was an acceptable effort. It was one of those days when it doesn't come easily, but you just push through it, and later you are glad you did. It's great to be back.
Happy New Year!
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