Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Happy Anniversary!

What a beautiful day!  We are celebrating our 19th anniversary today.  We got to sleep in.  Yes, our four children slept in so we got to sleep in!  It rained early this morning so we didn't feel compelled to get out of bed.  We let our bodies wake us up.  :)

We went out for an easy 5 miles, the Ethanol Loop backwards.  I feel like we have been in a rut running the same path for months now.  Never much more, never less.  We run to be together.  We run to release stress.  We run just to run.  It's routine.  sort of.  I feel like Grug, the dad in the Croogs, "Different is bad." Today I wanted to run it backwards for a new path.  Let's mix it up.

I think it worked.  We didn't talk about stressors, we didn't talk about school, about life, about nothing that bothers us.  We just spent time together.  Year 19 has been a stressful year to no exaggeration, the most trying we have had yet in our lives.  Maybe today starts a better year for us, a new stage for success!

Cheers to a fit mind and body!

Temperature: 70 degrees
Weather: scattered clouds, winds SW 8
Motivation level: 9
Energy level: 9
Today's Quote: "Runners come to appreciate early in their running careers that a fit body won't travel very far if there isn't a fit mind traveling along with it."

today's mileage: 5 miles running; 8 mile walking
weekly mileage: 5 miles running; 8 mile walking
monthly mileage: 9 miles running; 34 miles walking; 11 miles riding; 1650m swimming
annual mileage: 139 miles running; 208 miles walking; 53 miles riding; 1.03125 miles swimming
TOTAL mileage: 395 miles

Friday, June 21, 2013

An Unexpected Ride

We did our nightly walk after supper.  The dog was quite hot and tired so we brought her home and continued our walk, about 10 feet more.  We decided to get on the bikes.  Funny thing, we took out the crappy mountain bikes that sit outside all year and don't get any maintenance attention.  We were just going to bop around town, but it turned into something bigger.

We didn't have the Garmin, didn't have the HR monitor, didn't have a watch of any kind.  We just rode.  We rode fast, we rode slow, we rode together, we rode in a line.  We just went out on the road.

We started going out on our usual path, then decided to do the bike path (our road bikes don't like the limestone so well).  Bill asked if I wanted to do an Ethanol Loop, just to make it a real work out.  We came to our senses and given that we didn't have helmets on and the bikes were really not worth of anything outside of 1/2 mile from the house, we went to the Ethanol turn, about a mile out of town, and came back.  On the way back into town the bikes registered on the digital speed machine to warn drivers of their velocity.  We were only putzing around 8mph.  Had we known we could be registered on the machine, we would have gone faster!  Now we have a mission for later....

Temperature: 86 degrees
Weather: scattered clouds, winds SE 25
Motivation level: 9
Energy level: 9
Today's Quote: "There's a fine line between locating a satellite and starring at your wrist like an idiot."

today's mileage: 5 miles biking; 1 mile walking
weekly mileage: 1650m swimming; 20 miles walking/hiking; 1 mile running; 10 miles biking
monthly mileage: 4 miles running; 26 miles walking; 11 miles riding; 1650m swimming
annual mileage: 130 miles running; 208 miles walking; 53 miles riding; 1.03125 miles swimming
TOTAL mileage: 391 miles

Thursday, June 20, 2013

TriHawk #1

We completed the first mini tri today.  Loved it!  I stayed with Bill and Rachael so I didn't push my limits, but enjoyed every minute of it.  Of course swimming was the most difficult and I was a little surprised how some of the participant finished that portion of it.

The winds were awful but we pushed through it.  Rachael was first out of the water among us, but had a crappy mountain bike so she had the hardest time on the bike.  We stayed with her, giving her some blockage from the wind on the way back into town.  She was also huffing and puffing on the run.  I was a little surprised.  She really felt awful, but hasn't done any training for it, either.

I knew the BRick would be bad so I just kept telling myself s.l.o.w.  I'm sure we started out too fast, but I felt awesome and just wanted to keep going!  We decided we weren't out for medals or any kind of finish so we all just stayed together, motivating each other along the way.

The swim was about 15 min, the bike was about 17 min, and the run was about 8 min.  Not bad for first-timers who can't swim!  We are definitely runners!  Can't wait for the next one.  We'll be better yet!

Temperature: 87 degrees
Weather: scattered clouds, winds SW 23
Motivation level: 10
Energy level: 10
Today's Quote: "Inspire someone.  Pass it on.  Pay it forward.  While your running is personal, it is also something that you can give."

today's mileage: 400m swimming; 5 miles biking; 1 mile running
weekly mileage: 1650m swimming; 19 miles walking/hiking; 1 mile running; 5 miles biking
monthly mileage: 4 miles running; 25 miles walking; 6 miles riding; 1650m swimming
annual mileage: 130 miles running; 207 miles walking; 48 miles riding; 1.03125 miles swimming
TOTAL mileage: 386 miles

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Mixed up days

What?!  That was my first reaction this morning about an hour after I woke up realizing today was NOT the day of the tri; it's tomorrow! DOH!  Good news: we got another training swim in today.

Another chance to swim is good since this is only the second day of the year we have been in the water.  Bill is still very nervous, but I think he is gaining confidence so that's good! :)

Again, my focus was on breathing and rotating in the water.  I think I did a better job of this today, but had problems taking in water and also with water getting in my ears.  I don't know if it was just the day or what was going on, but I also noticed I rotate more on my left side breathing than I do on my right.  I'm closer to 90 degree on my left and more like 45 on my right, at least that's how I feel I am doing.  I just might need another training session with Mr and Mrs Vardotrichic.

I also woke up this morning, weighed myself for the first time in 2 weeks and discovered that I lost about 6 pounds.  This is almost shocking as I really ate a lot of junk food.  The last week I tried to eat less and do a plank a day.  Last night Rachael started up her core exercises again.  Good to start getting back in the swing of things.  I hope this momentum lasts!


Temperature: 84 degrees
Weather: scattered clouds, winds SSE 16
Motivation level: 9
Energy level: 9
Today's Quote: "In life we need to hold on tight and let someone else carry us for awhile."

today's mileage: 750m swimming; 1 mile walking
weekly mileage: 1250m swimming; 19 miles walking/hiking
monthly mileage: 3 miles running; 25 miles walking; 5 miles riding; 1250m swimming
annual mileage: 126 miles running; 207 miles walking; 43 miles riding; .78125 miles swimming
TOTAL mileage: 357 miles

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

11th hour

Well, tomorrow is my first tri of the year.  I finally got in the water for my first swim since last fall!  The tri is very, very small, through the school's wellness program, and I convinced Bill to do it with me.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute to see how much the swim legs remember.

Bill told me on the way home from our 5900 mile vacation that he has never in his life swam a lap in the pool!  He never even had a swimming lesson until after our first year of marriage.  Woah.  This will be some true motivation tomorrow.  We went to the pool and tried to help him get from one end of the pool to the other.  I think we have a strategy to get through the swim.  The pool here has free adult swim from 12:00-1:00 daily so I have wanted to work on that this summer.  Tomorrow is only 4 laps so I think we can do it!

After he got comfortable with the water and swimming on his own, I took off and worked on my swim stroke.  I tried to focus on the breathing again and rotating.  I think both went well for the first time out and I got better the longer I was in the water.  I do need to work on making it all more proficient.  I still get tired at the end of each lap.  That improved as I swam, however.  I will keep working at it.

Good luck to me tomorrow and I won't stop moving forward!


Temperature: 74 degrees
Weather:  calm, scattered clouds
Motivation level: 9
Energy level: 9
Today's Quote: " The race belongs not only to the fastest and the strongest, but to those who don't stop running."

today's mileage: 500m swimming
weekly mileage: 500m swimming; 18 miles walking/hiking
monthly mileage: 3 miles running; 25 miles walking; 5 miles riding; 500m swimming
annual mileage: 126 miles running; 207 miles walking; 43 miles riding; .3125 miles swimming
TOTAL mileage: 357 miles

Monday, June 3, 2013

Bonding

One thing I love about running is that my daughter enjoys it too.  This night she asked if I would bike with her.  It wasn't a hard work out, just she and I biking casually through town, up and down the streets, chatting.  I love these times and miss marathon training with her.  She talks about anything and everything and I really get to see who she really is.  I love this time together.  It makes me happy!

The next day Bill asked if I wanted to do a quick Ethanol Loop on the bike.  Rachael wanted to join too.  This was another time to enjoy quietly with the family.  Bill and I were on our road bikes and Rachael was on her mountain bike.  We didn't put on biking gear (other than helmets) and just headed out.  We went slowly, but she was keeping up quite well!  At about mile 2 she said, "I realize now why bike shorts are important!"  I love my family and really just want to be this happy all the time!


Temperature: 64 degrees
Weather:  winds S 15, overcast
Motivation level: 9
Energy level: 5
Today's Quote: "Believe in yourself and all that you are.  Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle."


today's mileage: 3 + 5 mile biking
weekly mileage: 8 miles biking
monthly mileage: 0 miles running; 7 miles walking; 8 miles riding
annual mileage: 126 miles running; 207 miles walking; 38 miles riding; 0 miles swimming
TOTAL mileage: 357 miles