Training Day 17

3/15/11 I'm trying to get caught up here... I just started a new job, so I don't have as much free time anymore, and this week I will be in Simi Valley, CA., so training is a challenge.

Today is a 3.5 mile run, and I was really looking forward to running in California. I hit the road around 7 p.m. It was really dark, and any direction that I could go there were hills, hills, and more hills. It's a good thing that I regularly run hills on my training runs at home. I headed off in the direction of a shopping center that was near my hotel & set my Nike + for a distance run of 3.5 miles, having no idea of what lay in the direction that I was headed. I have a bike light that I like to use on my runs; I think it works better and is easier to wear than a lot of other "running designated" lights.

This clips onto my clothing and I can set the strobe on it to three different flashing modes; it's much brighter too.

My route started out downhill for the first half of my run; I encountered a couple of traffic lights (boo), but I really enjoyed breathing the nice moist air, and running at sea level is always a plus for me when it comes to breathing. At the turn around which happened at a Von's I realized exactly how steep my descent was, but like I said before what goes down must come back up....I tried to just keep an even pace, and running back up all of those hills was actually not that bad of an effort. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire run, and I haven't felt that great in a long time. I guess the sea air agrees with my body better than the desert does. I'll have to look into scheduling more events in California, and now I am even more excited to run the Napa Valley Ragnar in September. There will be plenty of moist ocean air up San Francisco way!

Training Day 16

Yeah! The beginning of week 3 of training. Time is flying by. Today (3/14/11) is a strength and stretch day, so off to the gym I go.
I started off with the yoga class; I've had this instructor before, and she is not too bad. I really have a love/hate relationship with Yoga. It feels good, and I appreciate the stretch, because I know that it has helped me be a better runner/cyclist, but it is just so passive. I can usually make it ok through most of the class, but by the time they are doing the cool down, I am ready to jet out of there. So, I rolled up my mat while everyone is doing some fetal baby pose, and hit the weights. Today is back and bicep workout, which I have posted here before.

Time for a tip........
Bandana's are my favorite underutilized and cheap athletic piece of gear.

They come in every color under the rainbow, and they cost $1.00 at Walmart (the Harley one was a little more expensive.) But, they have a multitude of purposes. Here are just a few that I utilize.
In the winter I put one around my neck to help keep warm, and when I am riding my bike I pull it up bandit style to keep my face from freezing; my breath keeps me warm. I use one around my neck when I run in the winter too. In the summer I soak one in cold water, tie it around your neck (you can also roll ice cubes in them) to help keep cool and wipe sweat out of my eyes. I wear them on my head under my helmet to keep warm, and to keep my hair out of my face when I'm running. If you ever have an injury, it's good at soaking up blood, or becoming a tourniquet. They also work well as a cute headband if you roll it up. And, finally they make a cute accessory for matching your athletic gear. Enjoy!

Tri Tri Tri

Here is a photo of one of the triathlons that Laurel and I have competed in. I believe this was the Lake Las Vegas Tri, which is held here in Las Vegas. After looking back at the cycling photo's that I posted yesterday, I realized how bad an extra 25 pounds looks on someone who fancies them self an athlete. In the past two years I have put on the weight, and like most people, I struggle to get it off. It is not for lack of exercise, but rather that I am a sugar junkie! I love sweets. Too many factors contributed to adding the weight (work, stress, economy, having a teenager, etc.), but the underlying problem is that I quit working out 6 days a week with weights. So, back to the weight room for me, as that is the most effective way of getting rid of the pounds for me. So, for now - bear with me that I look like a chipmunk and my clothes look a little tight. I am not about to succumb to weight gain by purchasing larger clothing. The FAT must go!

Day 15 Training

Two weeks down! Today (3/13/11) I decided to get in a bike ride instead of a run since I switched week 2 and 3 out on my schedule. I had a great time with the 5k event yesterday, and was just really feeling a bike ride today. After church my friend Laurel and I grabbed the bikes and hit the road.


 A beautiful day for a ride

 Laurel invited me a few years ago to do a triathlon with her, and I didn't have a bike, so I rode a Schwinn bike that she had on a ride with her and a few other people to see if I was really interested in cycling. When I ended up lagging far behind the rest of the group (who were all on road bikes), I decided that the competitive spirit in me would never be happy with "just finishing," so I decided to take my tax return and invest in a road bike. I thought it would be another alternative cardio choice to running, especially since I have had so much knee trouble and it just seems to be getting worse the older I get. I love cycling and am very grateful that I have an alternative to running. I've had some memorable experiences on my bike.

Laurel & Me ready to ride...

We have a regular loop that we ride all the time that is 23 miles long. I am looking to add two more miles to it, so we have a good 25 mile route. It's a perfect route in that it has some downhills, a few uphills, and some quick flat areas. We can get a pretty good cadence going for most of the route. And, the best part about it is that there is a Chipotle's on the final leg home. We stopped today and grabbed some dinner and then finished out our ride. What a great day!