Ok, so I may never eat again. Either that, or I am ready to begin my winter hibernation. I think I gained about 10 pounds in saturated fats and alcohol this weekend - who knew I would drink exponentially more with my family than I would as a young adult in Dallas?
Oh, yeah, and my training went absolutely to hell last week.
Aaron told me a few weeks ago to get all of my screwing around out of the way now, because the serious training for Worlds starts in January. So in case you've been wondering why my training blog for a world championship looks more like a bad example of a Biggest Loser contestant, there's your answer. Trust me, I know things have been, well, kind of a joke the last couple of months. My thought is that if I can become so mentally exhausted of laziness and poor eating habits that I just can't stand either one of them by the time the new year rolls around, I'll be in a great position to start what Coach Jeanne has affectionately referred to as "the nun plan" in January. Granted, I'll be ever so slightly behind physically, but for me, the correct state of mind is crucial for good training, so I'll take a setback early on, rather than burnout three months before the big race.
So anyways, Ken and I spent the last 4 or 5 days in Austin with the fam, eating and drinking way too much, and not really working out enough. We slept in, watched bad TV, napped with Lester the cat, and finished planning our trip to Europe (when we weren't surrounded by family and food). It was a completely lazy and wonderful vacation and I loved every second of it. Our evenings were on a set itinerary - Thursday was Thanksgiving Dinner, Friday was Cheese Fest (classier than it sounds), Saturday was Trattoria Lisina at the Mandola winery, and Sunday was Chili and Movies Night. We had free, delicious food and expensive wine every night we were there - though by Sunday, I had about had it with the eating and drinking, and all I really wanted was a giant bottle of Tums. Ken and I spent one night just laying around and listening to the interesting sounds our stomachs were making. But it was still a great time, and so relaxing.
We drove back yesterday, and I spent last night catching up on work and putting up my small (but still real!) Christmas tree in the living room, and forcing Chuck to pose for pictures in his Santa costume. (He is sooo glad I'm home...). We stopped at the Collin Street Bakery for fruit cake on the way, so of course in addition to my already substantial over-eating from last week, I have a heavy chunk of candied fruit, butter, nuts and eggs to eat my way through as well. But I'm not complaining. And then Thursday is the Denton Wassail Fest... I love the holidays.
Now I just need to work off last week's over-indulgence in time for the weekend...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Half Marathon by the Sea...
Mission accomplished! One half marathon in 2 hours on very little run training - aside from my feet screaming at me by the end, definitely a successful day. The weather in Galveston was really perfect on Saturday morning - 60's and 70's, no wind, blue skies, humidity but hey - it's Galveston so what do you expect? It was a beautiful day for a run, and after catching the very first shuttle to the start line (my mom does not like to take chances on missed start times - well, I can't blame her), we got to wake up while watching the sun come up over the Gulf. For a first time event, things were extremely well-organized, minus the lack of, um, "facilities" at the start and finish lines. That's going in my post-race survey for sure... But anyhow, aside from that oversight, everything went as smoothly as could possibly be expected. There were pace groups for the 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:15, etc. runners - I latched on with the 9:15'ers, hoping to hit the two hour mark. I can truthfully say that if it hadn't been for that pace group, there is no way I would have made it to the finish in two hours. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The first 4 miles of the race went by pretty easily. I got to know my pace leader, and was feeling very comfortable with the speed. The roads were nice and flat, and there was a surprisingly big turnout for the event (around 1500), so there was definitely a party atmosphere happening - aided by the live music at the aid stations. My first obstacle came around mile 4.5 when there was no more denying that I needed a port-o-potty stop (thank goodness they at least had them at the aid stations). I had to stop and wait to use the facility, and by the time I got in and out, my pace group was long gone. So I had to catch them. I didn't all out sprint, but I definitely picked up the pace until I at least had them in my sight. After about a mile, I was back with them, but I paid a price for that fast mile early on. By mile 6, my feet were starting to give me negative feedback - but nothing I couldn't handle. However, it got continually worse with each mile. By mile 8, each step was painful, and by mile 9, I had to revert to heel-striking - something I haven't had to do in about a year and a half. I felt it in my knees the next day, but my feet could no longer take the front-loaded impact that morning. So by mile 10.5 when we finally turned off of what by then seemed like the never-ending seawall, I was feeling pretty shot - definitely the worst I've ever felt at that point in a half marathon, including the XTERRA Trail Running Worlds and those who know me know that that's saying something. My cardio felt fine - I was barely breathing heavy, but my legs felt like lead. Now, my original plan was to save a finishing kick for the last mile and hopefully break 2 hours, but by the time we got there, I realized my finishing "kick" was going to have to be used to keep me on pace for two hours... oh well, the best laid plans.
In the end, the course was long, so my final time was something like 2:01:00, but according to all the Garmins around me, I finished my 13.1 in 2 hours, so I'll take it. There were stuffed BBQ baked potatoes and Bluebell ice cream at the finish, so I very magnanimously forgave the race it's shortcomings and proceeded to stuff my face. It was a very lady-like 20 minutes, I can tell you that.
After I refueled, I headed to the finish hoping to catch my mom coming through. I saw her trotting up about 10 minutes after I found a shaded spot to stretch out in the grass. She looked great! She had beat her goal time by over 20 minutes, and said she felt even better than she did the last time she did a half marathon. We took off as soon as she got some of the post-race eats, and headed home for showers and naps. Now that was a great nap.
The rest of the weekend in Galveston was a blast - getting to see family and friends, going out to eat, going to the movies, sleeping in every day - but it was also very nice to come home to Ken and Chuck this morning. I have today off from training, so later I'm headed to the dog park with Ken and Jake to watch Jake terrorize all of the other humans there, and probably try to undress me in public. ...Don't ask.
We leave for Austin Wednesday night, and then I can't believe that Thanksgiving (and the Austin Turkey Trot) are the next day!!! I am ready for a hard run, and then the delicious, all-you-can-eat, gourmet food-and-wine fest that is Thanksgiving with the Hawk/Walker/Johnson clan. And napping during the football games. And then more food. Oh I love holidays.
Until next time...
The first 4 miles of the race went by pretty easily. I got to know my pace leader, and was feeling very comfortable with the speed. The roads were nice and flat, and there was a surprisingly big turnout for the event (around 1500), so there was definitely a party atmosphere happening - aided by the live music at the aid stations. My first obstacle came around mile 4.5 when there was no more denying that I needed a port-o-potty stop (thank goodness they at least had them at the aid stations). I had to stop and wait to use the facility, and by the time I got in and out, my pace group was long gone. So I had to catch them. I didn't all out sprint, but I definitely picked up the pace until I at least had them in my sight. After about a mile, I was back with them, but I paid a price for that fast mile early on. By mile 6, my feet were starting to give me negative feedback - but nothing I couldn't handle. However, it got continually worse with each mile. By mile 8, each step was painful, and by mile 9, I had to revert to heel-striking - something I haven't had to do in about a year and a half. I felt it in my knees the next day, but my feet could no longer take the front-loaded impact that morning. So by mile 10.5 when we finally turned off of what by then seemed like the never-ending seawall, I was feeling pretty shot - definitely the worst I've ever felt at that point in a half marathon, including the XTERRA Trail Running Worlds and those who know me know that that's saying something. My cardio felt fine - I was barely breathing heavy, but my legs felt like lead. Now, my original plan was to save a finishing kick for the last mile and hopefully break 2 hours, but by the time we got there, I realized my finishing "kick" was going to have to be used to keep me on pace for two hours... oh well, the best laid plans.
In the end, the course was long, so my final time was something like 2:01:00, but according to all the Garmins around me, I finished my 13.1 in 2 hours, so I'll take it. There were stuffed BBQ baked potatoes and Bluebell ice cream at the finish, so I very magnanimously forgave the race it's shortcomings and proceeded to stuff my face. It was a very lady-like 20 minutes, I can tell you that.
After I refueled, I headed to the finish hoping to catch my mom coming through. I saw her trotting up about 10 minutes after I found a shaded spot to stretch out in the grass. She looked great! She had beat her goal time by over 20 minutes, and said she felt even better than she did the last time she did a half marathon. We took off as soon as she got some of the post-race eats, and headed home for showers and naps. Now that was a great nap.
The rest of the weekend in Galveston was a blast - getting to see family and friends, going out to eat, going to the movies, sleeping in every day - but it was also very nice to come home to Ken and Chuck this morning. I have today off from training, so later I'm headed to the dog park with Ken and Jake to watch Jake terrorize all of the other humans there, and probably try to undress me in public. ...Don't ask.
We leave for Austin Wednesday night, and then I can't believe that Thanksgiving (and the Austin Turkey Trot) are the next day!!! I am ready for a hard run, and then the delicious, all-you-can-eat, gourmet food-and-wine fest that is Thanksgiving with the Hawk/Walker/Johnson clan. And napping during the football games. And then more food. Oh I love holidays.
Until next time...
Monday, November 15, 2010
Oh Yeah... I'm Doing a Half Marathon This Weekend...
Most people don't exactly forget when they have a half marathon coming up... the same could not be said for me as it really just occurred to me last week that I would be doing one on the 20th. This Saturday. The really fun part is, the most I've run at one time in the last, mmmm... 6 months or so, is probably about 6.5 miles. Yeah... This should be interesting.
This will be my mom's second half marathon, and my... yeah right, like I remember what number this is. And really, timing-wise it's perfect because I'm right at the beginning of my base training for Worlds, and this will be the Winter of the Half Marathon (as I have named it in my head), where I will do, it seems like, at least one a month in order to build the strength I need as a foundation for the speed work I'll be doing come next summer. As aforementioned, my only (mild) concern is that I haven't been doing the "traditional" half marathon training by any stretch of the imagination. Of course, I can't be too worried - this won't be the first time my Playtri coach has put me in a half marathon with only a fraction of the running time that most folks would consider an appropriate amount of training for the event. At the Seabrook Lucky Trail Half last March, I hadn't even run a full hour in the three months before the event, and I crossed the finish with a smile on my face, and was recovered within two days of the event. I have to say, I do love a coaching system that allows me to be a fabulous runner without actually... well... running. Obviously I do run, just not as much as one might think. When I think about it, I've actually run more in preparation for this half than the last one (not counting the one at the end of the Lonestar 70.3). So I should be feeling pretty comfortable about this weekend.
But onto blogging about things that have already happened - Ken and I relayed the Bronda's Du yesterday morning at the Texas Motor Speedway, and it was a blast. Granted that it was freezing outside and it took Ken 20 minutes to wake me up and make me realize that, oh yeah, we had a race that morning. We'd spent the previous evening in Fort Worth with Aaron P. at the Flying Saucer, with me trying quite a few selections from the menu, then sobering up with black coffee at Barnes and Noble down the road before we headed home. We got to bed around midnight, and had the alarm set for 6:00 the next morning. Yeah... so obviously that was going to be a challenge. But we got there just in time, only to realize that I had a flat tire, which I quickly changed, then realized it was completely impossible for me to put the wheel back on the bike!! After much laughing, Ken stepped in and saved the day, and we got our packets (oh, yes, we missed packet pick-up the day before, which we all know Jack and Ester love) and got our transition set up, then we hung out in the cold for an hour waiting for things to get going. Ken had an incredibly fast first run leg, I was blown away when I saw him coming into transition right behind some of the fastest guys. What a stud! My bike was about what I expected it to be - 19 mph - considering I haven't been doing any speedwork recently, just hills and training pace rides. My hamstrings were shot afterwards, not having had a chance to warm up, but no after-effects today so all's well that ends well. The UNT Triathletes took first place in the collegiate team competition, making me an extremely proud coach, and all of my youth athletes, past and present, who competed did extremely well. It was so fun seeing all of them in one place, and having Ken get to see that part of my life (after all, it's a pretty big part).
Post-race we hit Le Peep for breakfast - belgian waffles for me, omelet for Ken - and then it was nap-time, chore-time, work-time... the usual Sunday.
Scheduled training is pretty sparse this week, since the half will constitute a lot of my workload. I'll be taking it pretty easy. I leave for Galveston on Thursday night, and will return Monday morning. But I'm sure there will be more updates before then...
This will be my mom's second half marathon, and my... yeah right, like I remember what number this is. And really, timing-wise it's perfect because I'm right at the beginning of my base training for Worlds, and this will be the Winter of the Half Marathon (as I have named it in my head), where I will do, it seems like, at least one a month in order to build the strength I need as a foundation for the speed work I'll be doing come next summer. As aforementioned, my only (mild) concern is that I haven't been doing the "traditional" half marathon training by any stretch of the imagination. Of course, I can't be too worried - this won't be the first time my Playtri coach has put me in a half marathon with only a fraction of the running time that most folks would consider an appropriate amount of training for the event. At the Seabrook Lucky Trail Half last March, I hadn't even run a full hour in the three months before the event, and I crossed the finish with a smile on my face, and was recovered within two days of the event. I have to say, I do love a coaching system that allows me to be a fabulous runner without actually... well... running. Obviously I do run, just not as much as one might think. When I think about it, I've actually run more in preparation for this half than the last one (not counting the one at the end of the Lonestar 70.3). So I should be feeling pretty comfortable about this weekend.
But onto blogging about things that have already happened - Ken and I relayed the Bronda's Du yesterday morning at the Texas Motor Speedway, and it was a blast. Granted that it was freezing outside and it took Ken 20 minutes to wake me up and make me realize that, oh yeah, we had a race that morning. We'd spent the previous evening in Fort Worth with Aaron P. at the Flying Saucer, with me trying quite a few selections from the menu, then sobering up with black coffee at Barnes and Noble down the road before we headed home. We got to bed around midnight, and had the alarm set for 6:00 the next morning. Yeah... so obviously that was going to be a challenge. But we got there just in time, only to realize that I had a flat tire, which I quickly changed, then realized it was completely impossible for me to put the wheel back on the bike!! After much laughing, Ken stepped in and saved the day, and we got our packets (oh, yes, we missed packet pick-up the day before, which we all know Jack and Ester love) and got our transition set up, then we hung out in the cold for an hour waiting for things to get going. Ken had an incredibly fast first run leg, I was blown away when I saw him coming into transition right behind some of the fastest guys. What a stud! My bike was about what I expected it to be - 19 mph - considering I haven't been doing any speedwork recently, just hills and training pace rides. My hamstrings were shot afterwards, not having had a chance to warm up, but no after-effects today so all's well that ends well. The UNT Triathletes took first place in the collegiate team competition, making me an extremely proud coach, and all of my youth athletes, past and present, who competed did extremely well. It was so fun seeing all of them in one place, and having Ken get to see that part of my life (after all, it's a pretty big part).
Post-race we hit Le Peep for breakfast - belgian waffles for me, omelet for Ken - and then it was nap-time, chore-time, work-time... the usual Sunday.
Scheduled training is pretty sparse this week, since the half will constitute a lot of my workload. I'll be taking it pretty easy. I leave for Galveston on Thursday night, and will return Monday morning. But I'm sure there will be more updates before then...
Friday, November 12, 2010
I Think it's my Psoas...
I angered the triathlon gods this week by saying that my weights workout with Ahmed on Wednesday morning "wasn't really that hard." So now I am suffering from ridiculous soreness in the most awkward parts of my body - lower abdomen, inner thighs, and (almost) everything in between. The triathlon gods always get me for stuff like this.
So yesterday, when I burst out laughing over something Ken says at breakfast and then immediately want to die because it feels like some place behind my abs is on fire, I start wondering what it could be. I've had sore abs before, and I've had sore abductor muscles (not fun, but I can deal with it) - this, however, was a whole new level of pain I'd never felt before. And then I remembered the one (unfortunately) memorable time I had a masseuse who decided to work on my psoas muscles, and right away I knew - it was my psoas. Psoases? Psoasi? I'm really not sure about the plural here, but they're definitely there, and it definitely sucks. If it wasn't equally painful on both sides, I'd be worried I had appendicitis. I'm blaming it (and, I think, rightfully so) on the new "suspension trainer" Ahmed recently installed in the Playtri gym, making it look not a little bit like a medieval torture chamber (well, maybe just to me, and I am biased at the moment).
For those of you wondering, the psoas muscles (psoas major - the psoas minor, interestingly enough, is only found in less than half of the human population) is a part of the hip flexor group (curse those knee abductions on that cursed suspension trainer!), and connects to the iliac muscle to create the iliopsoas (still there? or have you zoned out by now?). The muscles actually start behind the abdominal muscle on either side of the belly button (approximately), meaning it can cause what feels like abdominal pain or soreness. When it is heavily massaged, it can make you want to puke (that's my own scientific addition - from some personal research I've done).
I've never had a sore psoas before - it is acutely uncomfortable. Laughing is particularly painful, as is straightening my legs. And having Ken jab at my stomach saying "so is this where your psoas is??" An unforeseen consequence!
But enough about my psoas-es.
It's friday, thank God, and the weekend is almost here! I'll be spending all day at work today proof-reading the BRAND NEW Playtri website and making sure it is in top shape before we announce it to the world. It is going to be super sweet - you can actually view it now, but I'd go ahead and wait until we finish with our edits. I'm taking a break to run before lunch (I missed my run yesterday - whoops), and then after work I'm going to go kick Ken's butt at the bowling alley. He maintains that he'll win because as a triathlete I have no coordination, but then, he's a runner - and that isn't any better. So it's on. We'll probably both get our butts handed to us by his classmates who are unencumbered with endurance athlete status, and the resulting lack of grace and coordination.
Then, on Sunday, it's the Brondas Duathlon, where we will smash the relay competition to a messy pulp. Because we're awesome.
See you all on Sunday! (Unless you're doing Clearwater - in which case, GOOD LUCK!)
So yesterday, when I burst out laughing over something Ken says at breakfast and then immediately want to die because it feels like some place behind my abs is on fire, I start wondering what it could be. I've had sore abs before, and I've had sore abductor muscles (not fun, but I can deal with it) - this, however, was a whole new level of pain I'd never felt before. And then I remembered the one (unfortunately) memorable time I had a masseuse who decided to work on my psoas muscles, and right away I knew - it was my psoas. Psoases? Psoasi? I'm really not sure about the plural here, but they're definitely there, and it definitely sucks. If it wasn't equally painful on both sides, I'd be worried I had appendicitis. I'm blaming it (and, I think, rightfully so) on the new "suspension trainer" Ahmed recently installed in the Playtri gym, making it look not a little bit like a medieval torture chamber (well, maybe just to me, and I am biased at the moment).
For those of you wondering, the psoas muscles (psoas major - the psoas minor, interestingly enough, is only found in less than half of the human population) is a part of the hip flexor group (curse those knee abductions on that cursed suspension trainer!), and connects to the iliac muscle to create the iliopsoas (still there? or have you zoned out by now?). The muscles actually start behind the abdominal muscle on either side of the belly button (approximately), meaning it can cause what feels like abdominal pain or soreness. When it is heavily massaged, it can make you want to puke (that's my own scientific addition - from some personal research I've done).
I've never had a sore psoas before - it is acutely uncomfortable. Laughing is particularly painful, as is straightening my legs. And having Ken jab at my stomach saying "so is this where your psoas is??" An unforeseen consequence!
But enough about my psoas-es.
It's friday, thank God, and the weekend is almost here! I'll be spending all day at work today proof-reading the BRAND NEW Playtri website and making sure it is in top shape before we announce it to the world. It is going to be super sweet - you can actually view it now, but I'd go ahead and wait until we finish with our edits. I'm taking a break to run before lunch (I missed my run yesterday - whoops), and then after work I'm going to go kick Ken's butt at the bowling alley. He maintains that he'll win because as a triathlete I have no coordination, but then, he's a runner - and that isn't any better. So it's on. We'll probably both get our butts handed to us by his classmates who are unencumbered with endurance athlete status, and the resulting lack of grace and coordination.
Then, on Sunday, it's the Brondas Duathlon, where we will smash the relay competition to a messy pulp. Because we're awesome.
See you all on Sunday! (Unless you're doing Clearwater - in which case, GOOD LUCK!)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A One-Man Tent Built for Two...
So the tent wasn't actually built for two... it was definitely built for one. But we still fit!
Ken and Jake and I went camping this past weekend (Ken was amazed I hadn't already blogged about it by Sunday night) at the Chickasaw National Park in Oklahoma (Ken's choice - it was beautiful). We've been talking about going camping pretty much ever since we met, but this was the first weekend we didn't have anything else going on - not to mention that the weather was absolutely perfect.
I told Aaron about the trip ahead of time so we worked it out where I had short running workouts on Saturday and Sunday so I could get them in before/after the trip. We left after my run and a quick Wal-Mart trip (and Starbucks) on Saturday morning, and drove the two hours to Sulphur, Texas where the park is. If you've never been to this park (I hadn't), you need to put it on your list of places to visit - it is incredible and the trails are very well maintained, and not crowded at all. We got a great camping spot right up against some woods, and after we set up the tent (with lots of help from Jake, until we shortened his leash), we hit the trails. It was a beautiful hike, and Jake was so ecstatic I think he about ripped Ken's arm off a few times. That part was more fun for me than for Ken. We saw some incredible views, and a few of the natural springs that Sulphur is (apparently) known for. And yes, they smell like sulphur. They looked much prettier than they smelled. Supposedly we were supposed to be able to see bison as well, but I guess they were in hiding. Still, it was a great hike - we stayed out for about 2 1/2 hours, then headed back to the campsite for dinner.
We actually gathered wood for our fire, and Ken built a great fire for us, and I cooked some cheeseburgers (again, Jake really wanted to help, but was denied that privilege - however, he did get his own burger). We sat by the fire (in the awesome REI chairs Ken got for us) as the sun went down and the stars came out, and listened to Bob Marley and Stevie Ray Vaughn and watched Jake slowly pass out from all the excitement and activity of the day. The only thing missing was the marshmallows - we won't forget those next time... and I considered stealing some from the boy scouts a few sites over but it just felt too wrong. Though I'm sure they had like 30 bags. Anyways. It was a completely relaxing evening, and by the time we were ready to hit the tent, I could have fallen asleep standing up. It was nice.
Things got a little chilly in the tent when I "Bogarted" (Ken's term) the sleeping bag we were sharing in the middle of the night, but Ken went out into the cold to get my sleeping bag so we could both zip up, and things were much better after that. We're still not positive if Jake got any sleep - I think he spent the whole night standing guard. He is surprisingly territorial.
In the morning I cooked breakfast over the fire (and the propane stove), which we enjoyed with ice cold cans of Coke since I forgot the Nalgene coffee maker (as Ken reminded me no less than 20 times during the course of the trip). Jake also got his first taste of bacon, and I think he's hooked. We hit the Sulphur McDonald's for coffee, and then headed to the other hiking trails. We did about a two hour hike on Sunday - it was in a much more open area than the previous day's hike, but there were some beautiful views. Jake was definitely a little worn out, which made life easier for Ken since he wasn't trying to drag him all over the place.
Then we headed home - Ken drove, Jake and I slept - until Ken woke me up for Dr. Pepper and gummi bears. It was basically heaven.
Sunday night was the Playtri coaches/coordinators dinner at Ahmed and Staci's house where we had mediterranean food and I tried to get Ken to get a Playtri tri top for the Bronda's Du on Sunday - he said he isn't wearing anything that tight unless he's swimming or cycling, and since we are relaying the race and he's doing the run, we went with a tech shirt and a visor. At least he's still representing!
Last night I bought my plane ticket for Germany... so that trip is really happening! Now we get to plan our itinerary and hotels and everything else. We're going to be in Garmisch, Germany for Christmas, and I am so excited. This trip is going to be such a great adventure.
Now I just have to get through work today, then I have a bike ride and UNT's swim practice.
Until next time...
Ken and Jake and I went camping this past weekend (Ken was amazed I hadn't already blogged about it by Sunday night) at the Chickasaw National Park in Oklahoma (Ken's choice - it was beautiful). We've been talking about going camping pretty much ever since we met, but this was the first weekend we didn't have anything else going on - not to mention that the weather was absolutely perfect.
I told Aaron about the trip ahead of time so we worked it out where I had short running workouts on Saturday and Sunday so I could get them in before/after the trip. We left after my run and a quick Wal-Mart trip (and Starbucks) on Saturday morning, and drove the two hours to Sulphur, Texas where the park is. If you've never been to this park (I hadn't), you need to put it on your list of places to visit - it is incredible and the trails are very well maintained, and not crowded at all. We got a great camping spot right up against some woods, and after we set up the tent (with lots of help from Jake, until we shortened his leash), we hit the trails. It was a beautiful hike, and Jake was so ecstatic I think he about ripped Ken's arm off a few times. That part was more fun for me than for Ken. We saw some incredible views, and a few of the natural springs that Sulphur is (apparently) known for. And yes, they smell like sulphur. They looked much prettier than they smelled. Supposedly we were supposed to be able to see bison as well, but I guess they were in hiding. Still, it was a great hike - we stayed out for about 2 1/2 hours, then headed back to the campsite for dinner.
We actually gathered wood for our fire, and Ken built a great fire for us, and I cooked some cheeseburgers (again, Jake really wanted to help, but was denied that privilege - however, he did get his own burger). We sat by the fire (in the awesome REI chairs Ken got for us) as the sun went down and the stars came out, and listened to Bob Marley and Stevie Ray Vaughn and watched Jake slowly pass out from all the excitement and activity of the day. The only thing missing was the marshmallows - we won't forget those next time... and I considered stealing some from the boy scouts a few sites over but it just felt too wrong. Though I'm sure they had like 30 bags. Anyways. It was a completely relaxing evening, and by the time we were ready to hit the tent, I could have fallen asleep standing up. It was nice.
Things got a little chilly in the tent when I "Bogarted" (Ken's term) the sleeping bag we were sharing in the middle of the night, but Ken went out into the cold to get my sleeping bag so we could both zip up, and things were much better after that. We're still not positive if Jake got any sleep - I think he spent the whole night standing guard. He is surprisingly territorial.
In the morning I cooked breakfast over the fire (and the propane stove), which we enjoyed with ice cold cans of Coke since I forgot the Nalgene coffee maker (as Ken reminded me no less than 20 times during the course of the trip). Jake also got his first taste of bacon, and I think he's hooked. We hit the Sulphur McDonald's for coffee, and then headed to the other hiking trails. We did about a two hour hike on Sunday - it was in a much more open area than the previous day's hike, but there were some beautiful views. Jake was definitely a little worn out, which made life easier for Ken since he wasn't trying to drag him all over the place.
Then we headed home - Ken drove, Jake and I slept - until Ken woke me up for Dr. Pepper and gummi bears. It was basically heaven.
Sunday night was the Playtri coaches/coordinators dinner at Ahmed and Staci's house where we had mediterranean food and I tried to get Ken to get a Playtri tri top for the Bronda's Du on Sunday - he said he isn't wearing anything that tight unless he's swimming or cycling, and since we are relaying the race and he's doing the run, we went with a tech shirt and a visor. At least he's still representing!
Last night I bought my plane ticket for Germany... so that trip is really happening! Now we get to plan our itinerary and hotels and everything else. We're going to be in Garmisch, Germany for Christmas, and I am so excited. This trip is going to be such a great adventure.
Now I just have to get through work today, then I have a bike ride and UNT's swim practice.
Until next time...
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Ouch
Ouch indeed. This triathlete did weights this week for the first time in 3 months, and now, two days later, everything hurts. Emphasis on everything. This is where it actually starts to get hard - it's not really hard when you just have to make time to do everything. That's just an issue of motivation. This is actually an issue of pain tolerance - as in, how much of it do I have? Do I have enough to go run an hour's worth of hill repeats when my whole body feels like somebody pounded it with a meat tendurizing mallet like I was a piece of steak? When it hurts to laugh/sit/stretch/stand/bend/walk/breath? I wish I was exaggerating, but there's something about doing weights that gets me more than any other workout. It just destroys me for some reason.
So really at this point I'm wondering if this is discipline, or just plan masochism. I mean, who really thinks to themselves "Yeah, my body is completely battered right now, so I think I'll go run up a hill repeatedly,"? I know as triathletes, we all have to deal with this question at some point, because it always gets to a point where we need to do something downright painful to reach our goals, and any sane person has to question that. (Not that I'm labeling anyone here - I know most of us don't really fall into the "sane" category). I mean, why? Just... why? And why is it that after I finish running tonight (as I inevitably will), and I'm feeling even more beat up, and even more tired, that I will feel so darned pleased with myself?
Is this some weird American thing?
I've asked myself lots of times why I really like doing triathlons - I mean, in the end they almost all become massive pain fests where I push myself to the limit for a little piece of medal on a ribbon that might not even make it to the wall. More likely, it gets lost at the bottom of a transition bag. I even spend money to work with a sports psychologist form the OTC who can make me push through the pain even more. And I'm still not sure why.
Anyways, I don't have any answers for you today. Ha! And you were probably expecting some philosophical explanation about how we use pain metaphorically to overcome emotional insecurities... no. I have no idea why I still think this is so wonderful. If I have any insights, I'll let you know. Until then, it's time to finish up at work, then take my tired body out for an uphill run in the rain.
And then, at least, I get to see Ken. Massage? I'm thinking yes.
So really at this point I'm wondering if this is discipline, or just plan masochism. I mean, who really thinks to themselves "Yeah, my body is completely battered right now, so I think I'll go run up a hill repeatedly,"? I know as triathletes, we all have to deal with this question at some point, because it always gets to a point where we need to do something downright painful to reach our goals, and any sane person has to question that. (Not that I'm labeling anyone here - I know most of us don't really fall into the "sane" category). I mean, why? Just... why? And why is it that after I finish running tonight (as I inevitably will), and I'm feeling even more beat up, and even more tired, that I will feel so darned pleased with myself?
Is this some weird American thing?
I've asked myself lots of times why I really like doing triathlons - I mean, in the end they almost all become massive pain fests where I push myself to the limit for a little piece of medal on a ribbon that might not even make it to the wall. More likely, it gets lost at the bottom of a transition bag. I even spend money to work with a sports psychologist form the OTC who can make me push through the pain even more. And I'm still not sure why.
Anyways, I don't have any answers for you today. Ha! And you were probably expecting some philosophical explanation about how we use pain metaphorically to overcome emotional insecurities... no. I have no idea why I still think this is so wonderful. If I have any insights, I'll let you know. Until then, it's time to finish up at work, then take my tired body out for an uphill run in the rain.
And then, at least, I get to see Ken. Massage? I'm thinking yes.
Monday, November 1, 2010
November Already?
How is it already November? I feel like August just happened, and now Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Not that I'm not excited, but time is moving so fast! As it does, when you're having fun : )
Training went so well last week - some of my swims got cut short, but otherwise I did everything religiously, and even logged my nutrition for a day! Pretty amazing. Aaron has me riding up lots of hills on my bike, and this week we start doing weights again - yay! I'm ready to get my six pack and my triceps back, thanks very much. I'll do weights on my own this week to prepare for doing them with Ahmed (eek) next week. Time to get on the pain train. I'm starting to feel a little more confident about Worlds - back in September, I thought, you know, I'll just go to say that I've been and to visit China, but now, well, who knows? I've honestly been doing better with my training than I expected to, and if my body can handle the recovery aspect then maybe I'll see some big results by next year... How absolutely amazing would it be to podium at a world championship? I hardly even want to think about it because I don't want to jinx anything! But let's just say that I'm going to set my sights high.
I've also been having a lot of fun with my new training partner (Ken) over the weekend - we went to the movies, the DMA, a new Dallas restaurant (funny story there but you'll have to ask me in person - it isn't for general consumption), and to Le Peep on Sunday morning (which I think is now officially our Sunday breakfast spot because, well, it's awesome and they serve breakfast late). Tomorrow we're getting together to plan our Europe trip - I'm so excited. I've already bought a new coat and everything. (For the trip, not for tomorrow night). It's going to be an amazing adventure. This weekend, we're going camping (Jake is coming along, too) somewhere TBD in Oklahoma (Ken's responsible for figuring that out - I'm just providing the transportation). Then Sunday night is the Playtri coaches end-of-year get-together at Ahmed and Staci's house.
For those of you who haven't gotten to meet him yet... make sure you come to the Bronda's Du on November 14 because we'll be there doing our first race together! We're going to relay - he's doing the runs and I'm doing the bike. He thinks he's going to carry our team, but obviously he is sadly mistaken. I don't want to crush his spirit beforehand, though.
Tonight, I have to squeeze in a bike ride before a) the sun goes down and b) I have to coach the UNT guys and girls. Really, it all depends on the rush hour traffic. Which isn't really something you can depend on, per se, so I guess we'll just have to see what happens. Hopefully the traffic gods will smile on me. (This has not proved to be the case in the past, however, so everyone please keep your fingers crossed that I actually get to train today). Either way, it's going to be a loooong day. I'll be getting done just in time to go to bed - which is just fine with Chuck because all he sees me as is a giant, food-dispensing pillow anyways. Cats have it so good.
Adios, amigos
Training went so well last week - some of my swims got cut short, but otherwise I did everything religiously, and even logged my nutrition for a day! Pretty amazing. Aaron has me riding up lots of hills on my bike, and this week we start doing weights again - yay! I'm ready to get my six pack and my triceps back, thanks very much. I'll do weights on my own this week to prepare for doing them with Ahmed (eek) next week. Time to get on the pain train. I'm starting to feel a little more confident about Worlds - back in September, I thought, you know, I'll just go to say that I've been and to visit China, but now, well, who knows? I've honestly been doing better with my training than I expected to, and if my body can handle the recovery aspect then maybe I'll see some big results by next year... How absolutely amazing would it be to podium at a world championship? I hardly even want to think about it because I don't want to jinx anything! But let's just say that I'm going to set my sights high.
I've also been having a lot of fun with my new training partner (Ken) over the weekend - we went to the movies, the DMA, a new Dallas restaurant (funny story there but you'll have to ask me in person - it isn't for general consumption), and to Le Peep on Sunday morning (which I think is now officially our Sunday breakfast spot because, well, it's awesome and they serve breakfast late). Tomorrow we're getting together to plan our Europe trip - I'm so excited. I've already bought a new coat and everything. (For the trip, not for tomorrow night). It's going to be an amazing adventure. This weekend, we're going camping (Jake is coming along, too) somewhere TBD in Oklahoma (Ken's responsible for figuring that out - I'm just providing the transportation). Then Sunday night is the Playtri coaches end-of-year get-together at Ahmed and Staci's house.
For those of you who haven't gotten to meet him yet... make sure you come to the Bronda's Du on November 14 because we'll be there doing our first race together! We're going to relay - he's doing the runs and I'm doing the bike. He thinks he's going to carry our team, but obviously he is sadly mistaken. I don't want to crush his spirit beforehand, though.
Tonight, I have to squeeze in a bike ride before a) the sun goes down and b) I have to coach the UNT guys and girls. Really, it all depends on the rush hour traffic. Which isn't really something you can depend on, per se, so I guess we'll just have to see what happens. Hopefully the traffic gods will smile on me. (This has not proved to be the case in the past, however, so everyone please keep your fingers crossed that I actually get to train today). Either way, it's going to be a loooong day. I'll be getting done just in time to go to bed - which is just fine with Chuck because all he sees me as is a giant, food-dispensing pillow anyways. Cats have it so good.
Adios, amigos
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