THAS Work-out

Yesterday after shopping at Ann Taylor loft for a few winter items I became very aware of the fact that the backside needed some fine tuning. O.k.... a major over haul! I admit I'm not exactly joing the cast of biggest loser but I am 30 now and going to have to put a lot more effort into keeping my ars where it belongs.

I developed a few lower body work-out routines for my WOW class (women on weights) in FL. These are known as my "THAS" work-outs. Thighs and ars baby, and they pack a punch! The girls and I also used to do some parts of them at the park after short runs or sprints on the black top. "POSSUM!"-inside joke.

THAS #1 ( the one I did last night)

3x10 sets each position- squats: wide stance, hip width, feet close

3x10 each leg-single leg squat

3x10 each leg-back lunge to high knee

**30lbs on squat bar**

3x10 each leg-single leg deadlifts(30lb bar)

3x10 each leg-hinge lunges off the tallest bench

3x10 each leg- cross, step ups on the tallest bench

(the last 3 exercises are done in a series burning out each leg at a time)

I ran 2 miles before the THAS work-out. After, I went to the mat(ewww) for planks and bosu crunches. Then I jumped back on the mill for another .5mi run at my max speed.

I didn't stretch afterwards because there were a couple of sweaty dudes practicing their wrestling moves on the mats. They were grunting and groaning and I was not about to get in their way.

I've never seen anyone, other than myself wipe the mats off after abs or stretching so I do my best to avoid contact with them. People give me odd looks when I wipe them and then put paper towels down for "protection". Times like these make me miss the Y and the courteous members that cleaned up after themselves!

What a pain in the neck!

During our stay in GA for the holiday I had planned on swimming at the YWCA and doing a lot of running on beautiful St. Simons Island. However, after my run in with the tractor trailer on I-95 on the way to GA it was immediately apparent that working out was not happening. The ironic thing is that after the accident, once we got to a hotel, I was so hyped up I could of put my shoes on and murdered the treadmill. Maybe if I had I wouldn't of been as sore the next day. The following day I woke up feeling like I was turning 80 instead of 30. I remained extremely sore for the next few days. My biggest complaint was my aching, throbbing neck!

My neck is still sore in the morning when I first wake up but improves as the day goes on. I think I may need to find a chiropractor. The heating pad has become my new best friend.

After almost two weeks of no running or exercise I finally got a work-out in today.

run: 2mi
weights: 4 sets of 10 deadlifts standing on the bosu (20 lbs)
3: 15sec planks
3: sets of 8 bosu push-ups

It felt good to sweat a bit. My plan is to get three more runs in this week, two spin classes or rides on the trainer and two more days of weight lifting.

Jingle all the way...maybe.

I am really missing running and racing with my girls but I didn't realize how much my kids missed it. The other day they started telling me that "we" need some running friends and that we should do some races in MD. Drew added that he even missed "getting up at the crack of dawn" to go to races. That was amazing to me.

They officially motivated me, so I've been looking for a race for us. Ideally I'd like to do the 5k and the fun run for the kids. The Jingle Bell kid run is only $5 and includes a t-shirt!

We've spent a few afternoons in Solomons and it is a beautiful waterfront area. I'm sure the race course will be gorgeous.

Even if I don't get to do the 5k it will still be fun just to be back in the race atmosphere!

Road Running-No honking please!

Yesterday I headed out on Dares Beach Rd for what was supposed to be 3mi with a few intervals. It turned out to be 4mi with a few hill repeats.

The weather was a sunny 52 degrees. I wore shorts for two reasons. 1: I need a little sun on my legs and 2: I really need to invest in some running tights. Thankfully I was wearing a bondi band, which I promptly pulled down to cover my ears. The wind was in my face and I found myself running at a swift pace just to get my blood flowing and to warm up a bit. My Garmin is still out of commission so I'm not sure of my exact pace. I didn't have my phone either. Yes, I was out running on a busy country road with no phone. I promise to never do that again.

In following a tip from my Runners World magazine, I ran facing the traffic and took my time to make sure I wasn't in harms way when crossing roads/driveways. Running on the road alone was not as intimidating as I thought it may be. The shoulder was a lot wider than it looked from driving by and I felt there was plenty of room between me and the passing cars. However, the honking from the occasional passerby was a bit annoying. Especially since I didn't have my ipod. Earphones work as mufflers from the blaring air horns on wheels. There aren't a ton of runners on the road like in FL so apparently seeing a runner out in the cold is reason for celebration.

To all you honkers out there. A wave will suffice.

Halloween Horror....the dreadmill

Last week I was busy preparing for the Halloween weekend and didn't have much time for blogging. We had company coming for the weekend and cleaning this house is no small task. I considered cleaning my cross training for the week. Two of my children had oversized costumes that had to be altered and my 7yr old wanted to be Indiana Jones but hated the "store-bought" costume. Thus, sending me on a wild goose chase for an Indiana hat, jacket, whip and satchel. I'm proud to report I was able to find all of his desired items and they were all happy with their costumes. Whew! Three happy kids is no easy task.

Between my husbands odd schedule and running errands all over Calvert county I atleast got three runs in last week. However, the only cross training I did was cleaning and a little weight training after one of the runs. I'm using "the book" by following the intermediate 5k program. Total miles for last week was 11. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get in my three runs plus a few cross training days. My last few weeks of running have ALL been on the treadmill. Better known as the dreadmill. I've decided that aside from cold + rain, I will do all my runs outside. The leaves are changing, the weather is cool and I am heading outside!

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

With the weather getting cooler I find myself baking more often. Although I am not 100% vegan I love to bake vegan. Why use all the milk, butter, eggs and refined sugars when you don't have to? I have a wonderful book "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz that has some of the best EVER vegan recipes. This book has something for everyone ranging from Tempeh Reuben sandwiches to Fauxstess (like hostess) cupcakes.

These pumpkin muffins come from this book and they are awesome! My kids had them for breakfast, asked if I'd put one in their lunches and later had them for an afternoon snack. Needless to say, the batch didn't last long in our house!

The Best Pumpkin Muffins

13/4 cups all-purp flour
11/4 cups sugar
1 tblspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground/grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease muffin tin.
Sift together dry ingred's.
In a separate bowl combine wet ingred's.
Pour the wet into the dry and mix.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake 18-20mins

You could also add a cup of cranberries or chopped walnuts.

I altered the recipe slightly by using equal parts white and brown sugar, light soy milk and canola oil instead of veg oil.

These muffins come out very light and moist and your house will smell amazing!

Thirsty Thursday

Yesterday, even though Matt was home and I could of ran outside I opted to hit the mill instead. The weather was in the 40's and raining. Is it October or December? I'm confused. I headed to the gym to do my second work out from "The Book" and get a little weights in before picking up the big kids from school.





The schedule called for 1mi warm up. 3mi at 9:56. 1mi cool down. Not bad. Unfortunately, I wrote this off as too easy and only had two cups of coffee and a pumpkin muffin for fuel. I ate at 8am. I ran at 1pm. Terrible, I know. Notice I didn't mention water.





The treadmills are a little wacky and I'm pretty sure they need to be re calibrated. I started off on a treadmill set at 12min pace. However, I crossed the proverbial "finish" line with the clock reading 10min. That was supposed to be my warm-up mile. My "pace" miles were supposed to be at 9:56. I decided to jump on a different mill since obviously that one had issues. The next mill had me at 10:00min pace at 6.0 but at 5.9 it read 9:22 pace. That's a HUGE difference. I opted to keep it at 6.0. I'm not sure if it was the stopping and starting with switching mills or the two cups of joe but my heart rate was thru the roof! I let myself walk .10 to let my rate slow down but by the end of mile 2 it was way up again. I'm all about pushing to 80-90% max but I was feeling bad and I know enough to listen to my body. I allowed myself another .10 walk at the end of mile 3. By this time I had also slugged down my water bottle and would of stolen the bottle of the chick next to me if it wasn't flu season! At this point I was just ready to get it over with and since I figured my pace was off anyway I cranked it up a bit and finished the 4th mi with as much dignity as possible. I was breathing like an asthmatic and my feet hitting the treadmill sounded like a heard of buffalo. I ran the 5th mi at this mills 11:30 pace, which was much more comfortable. Total time on the mill was about 50min. That tells me just how off the treadmills were and no wonder it felt so hard.





I jumped off the mill and headed to the water fountain to fill-up my water bottle. Then I took my sweaty, red-faced self over to the free weight floor to pump a little iron. I started off with alternating sets of bosu dead-lifts with the 40lb bar and lunges off the bosu. After my hamstrings were significantly punished I grabbed the bosu and headed over to the bench press. I continued with alternating sets but this time with a set of bench press followed by a set of bosu push ups. 4 sets of 10 each. I finished with obliques on the ab bench, a quick stretch and then off to get the kiddos.





This work-out was a reminder of just how bad I need to fix my Garmin or invest in a new one. Also, a reminder to fuel better!!

Run Less, Run Faster. Or die trying!

I finally ordered this book that my friends have been telling me about. I won't actually have it for about a week but since my friend Jen started her training program from the book today she sent me hers to follow. That way we can be long distance training partners. I still don't have any races on my calendar. I figure there's probably a few 5k's in the area in the upcoming months so if I'm ready maybe I'll get to run a few. It's a lot less pressure just training for life!

Total time on the mill-67 mins

Total distance-5.25 miles

1 mile warm up at 10 min pace

Schedule called for repeats. 8x400 with 400 recovery

My pace for the 400's varied between 8:49 and 9:22 (by the 6th repeat I was ready to quit, but I didn't)

.25 mile cool down

I stretched for about 5min. I still had to get the kids home, fed, washed and put to bed.

Overall I really liked this work-out, especially the 400's recovery! It was difficult but not undo able. It felt good to push myself yet still feel strong at the finish.

3.1 miles of yuck!

Today was my second run of the week. For the past few weeks I've been running three times a week with one day of hills, one of speed work on the mill and one "longer" run. I lift weights twice a week and try to get at least an hour of cardio in too.

This week I've been feeling like I'm coming down with something. My legs were really achy after my run on Monday. Tuesday I bench pressed followed by bosu push-ups and then finished up with squats and dead lifts on the bosu. Today my chest is STILL sore. I typically recover really fast so the nagging soreness is definitely a sign of me not feeling well. I decided to take yesterday off. Today I planned on doing speed work. I warmed up for a mile and as soon as I started to speed it up a bit I felt really crappy. I decided to let myself walk when I needed to but to increase my speed after each break. I was really thirsty the entire time and since I didn't have my ipod to distract me all I could think about was my water bottle. I was thankful that I only planned on 3.1 miles of this torture.

"Hills are speed work in disguise."-Frank Shorter

With Matt's crazy schedule getting work-outs in is pretty challenging. I only had about 45min to get a run in. I really didn't want to have to hit the treadmill again so I decided to drive over to Prince Frederick Parkway. The weather was overcast and in the high 60's. I planned to run my normal hilly 1.5 mile route with a few repeats on the steepest of the three hills. The hill is about .5mi long. I ran for a total of 30min. As expected the repeats seemed to get harder each time and I took a little extra recovery after each one. Even my "recovery" spot is an incline. I jogged easy the last .5mi of the route that takes me back to my car but since this last portion is a huge hill it was ecspecially challenging after doing the repeats. I cooled down and stretched in the parking lot before heading home.

Two-A-Who? Two-A-Day!

That's right I decided to pull myself out of the funk I've been in and get my butt back in the game. I don't have any races on my schedule but that doesn't mean I should just quit training all together. Of course, I've been doing some running and weight lifting but nothing like I'm capable of so I need to get back in the habit of 5 days a week killer workouts!



I've been hunting for a nearby indoor pool. The closest I found is in Great Mills, which is about 40min from my house. Obviously I won't be able to swim everyday but if I'm hoping to at least get there once a week until February when the Prince Frederick aquatic center is finished.



After driving the 40min, paying the $3 fee I was finally inside the giant bubble aka poolside. The pool was very clean and I had the place to myself besides a water aerobic class going on in the shallow end. The lanes were all in the deep end 7-9 ft. I noticed there wasn't a lifeguard anywhere and that's where my next little story begins
The water was perfect so I got in fairly quickly. I only jump in quickly if someone blows a fog horn at me. Otherwise, I take my time. After doing a little warm up I noticed the aerobics class was over and everyone was leaving. One of the patrons didn't leave but instead got up into the lifeguard chair. I thought it was a bit odd that the guard was in the class instead of watching the pool but whatever no big deal. After attempting to do a sprint I was resting at the far end of the lane when he struck up a conversation with me. This is exactly how it went. The kid was very nice but I found him totally hilarious.
Lifeguard:"Man, water aerobics is tough. I had no idea how hard it was."
Me: "Yeah, looked tough."(i'm a smart ass, I know)
Lifeguard:"So do you swim a lot"
Me:" I'm a wanna be swimmer. Just trying to get back in shape. I haven't swam in a few months"
Lifeguard:"Yeah, me neither. I haven't swam in a while. I was hoping to swim now but that old guy over there just got in so I can't."
Me:" o.k."(trying not to laugh)
I don't know about you but I sure felt safe with a lifeguard that one wasn't even watching me in the pool and two hasn't even swam lately! I seriously laughed the rest of my workout. He was a very sweet kid but I don't think he even realized what he said.

I swam about 1000 yds doing some drills and only attempting a couple sprints. Puking in pools is frowned upon so I didn't push it.

After getting the kids from school we went to the gym where I ran 2mi on the treadmill and did 25min on the elliptical.

Today, I hurt all over and it feels great!

Hallowing Point Park

On Thursday I decided to take Ty to a nearby park for a run/bike. Meaning, I run and he bikes. If all the roads were paved this would of been a bit more successful but we still had a good time! One reason I love this park is the old barns that have been restored and re purposed. They are used for storage, as well as concession stands. It's a beautiful park and I'm really looking forward to spending baseball season here.

Ty was such a trooper. He rode his bike for a little over a mile. After his first MD bike ride he said "Wow, the hills make my legs tired."

Now we just need to find a park with more paved roads. I think it's time to go the next size up on his bike and get rid of those training wheels. Then it'll be him waiting for me and helping me up the hills.

Pitiful Pilates

The figure on the left is me. The one on the right is how your body should be aligned.

In FL I was a pilates instructor. After a summer of slacking and no pilates for months, saying I am out of "pilates" shape is an understatement. I probably couldn't make it through one of my old pilates classes let alone teach it. You can't fake it in pilates. I was sweating bullets at the end of the 1hr class. I know that all the hill running is a legitimate excuse for super tight hips and a sore lower back but my lack of core strength is ridiculous.

I was able to hold the teaser and make it through a few plow series but roll-ups, shoulder stands and anything else that required lower back strength was almost impossible. I had very little control, which is crucial in pilates. Two days later....my abs are still achy! I'll definitely be back to class next week. The instructor was very nice, had a great personality and was very understanding of my inadequacy ;)

Running(Trespassing) the Vineyard

One of the most difficult challenges I've come across moving to MD is that I no longer have a neighborhood to run in. Or my fabulous friends to run with! There is a nice public park down the road from our house that I ran in last week. I plan to take my camera with me next time to take some pics of the beautifully restored historical barns that are throughout the park.

Near our house is a vineyard that I've heard has a gear Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, I haven't made it over there to try the wine yet but I did run through the vineyard twice last week. I ran into the owner and although he reminded me that I was in fact on private property he allowed me to still run on his beautiful property. Here are a few shots I took on what I can only assume was about a 3 mi run. (My Garmin is still out of order and I plan on getting a new one ASAP!)

These gravel hills are intense but I really love the challenge.

At the base of this hill is a lake with geese and turtles.

This is the tasting area. I can't wait to go when they're open and try the wine!

The grapes are so beautiful you forget you're running uphill.

This hill is my north face. I was about half way up when I took this pic. It's a monster!

I just love this picture.



This is the final hill leading up to the exit and the only paved road in the vineyard. Amazingly, I ran on the side of the road instead. After running on asphalt and sidewalks for the past two years in FL I'm really enjoying running on gravel and trail. It makes my legs super sore but I feel like I'm learning to love running after not truly appreciating it in the past. I took for granted how convenient it was to just meet my girls and head out on our perfectly plotted, paved, streetlight lined routes. Running allows me to still feel close to my friends even though I don't live close anymore. Having to run by myself in an unfamiliar place is a big adjustment but I'm deciding to embrace it, enjoy the scenery and run as often as I can!

Secret Service 5k

2009 Secret Service 5k

This weekend was the Secret Service 5k in Tampa. The course is an out and back along the water. My sista-in-law, Shelly was visiting for the weekend so she ran it too. It was her first 5k and she did great! All my girls ran a great race with Barb and Christy placing 2nd and 3rd in their age groups.

To keep the spectators busy during the race there were the Presidential limo's that you could sit in and have your picture taken, an inflatable obstacle course and javelin. The kids had fun running around eating all the free food!

Drew and Ty ready to battle.

Ty was hilarious. Don't tell him he's too small!

week 2 & 3

Ashley is training for her first triathlon and she's doing a great job at not missing any work-outs and giving her all each time. We are super proud of her and she can't wait to join team trialicious!

She wasn't thrilled about heading out for a run on this day because of the cold and wind but the cute new running outfit helped motivate her. As with all runners, she was happy when it was done. It's fun to watch kids tri-training because it's all based on fun and games that are inadvertently training!

Back to my training...or lack there of.

Week 2:

Mon-off

Tues-off (this was a recurring theme this week)

Wed- bike 35min

swim150 wu, 200 buoy, 2x300 free, 150 cool

Thurs & Fri- off

Sat- run 2mi(quickly, the croaking alligators were serious motivation and also why my4mi run was cut in half)

weights:legs

Sun- you guessed it, off!

Sorry excuse for a week, at least I'm honest!

week 3:

Mon: 60min long run-very boring on the treadmill

Tues: swim wu-400, last 50 of each 100 kick

main-8x100 EBEH

cd-6x25 This swim felt all chopped up but at least it wasn't boring!

Wed: 50min bike

Thurs: off

Fri: swim- 4oo

I ran out of time to do my set because I was preoccupied with watching Ash swim in the lane next to me. Also, my shoulder was killing me from all the painting.

Sat: off ( unless you consider spending all day running kids to their activities training)

Sun: 12mi bike

Week 1

First week of "official" training went pretty good. I'm trying to work on my nutrition and get my calories in to support my work outs. I failed pretty miserably the first part of the week but got better as the week went on.

Monday- 3mi run

Tuesday-Taught pilates 1hr

2mi run

Wednesday-9mi bike at 5:30am-This ride was dark and dangerous. Since I'm already nervous on my bike it was a bit stressful.

Afternoon: Taught step 1hr

Swim: 900

My legs felt really heavy in the pool. Step always makes my calves really sore.

Evening: 2mi treadmill run

Taught Bodyflex 1hr

Thursday- OFF

Friday- 5k night race in Ybor

My calves were still sore to the touch from teaching step. I know better than to teach step two days before a race but I wanted to help out a friend. At least my time was still fine. Overall time was 29min by my watch but apparently the "start" was at the end of the first street we ran down and I started my watch when I passed the guy with the airhorn. No worries, it was fun and the weather was beautiful!

Saturday- 1mi fun run at Healthy kids day with Ashley

Sunday- 7mi run with Teresa

I missed a swim this week and I'm not really sure how that happened. The swims on the schedule were easy this week so it's not that big of a deal. They do advance pretty quickly though so I don't plan on missing any in the future.

8 weeks

It's 8 weeks til my first tri of the season. I'd hoped to get a few more races in this season but with Matt's traveling and my shoulder injury it turns out Dunedin will be my first tri of the season.

3mi run yesterday. The battery is dead in my Garmin but my wrist watch said it was 29 mins. Not bad considering it was hot and windy.

I'm doing a night race this Friday in Tampa. It should be a lot of fun. I'm excited about the longsleeve shirt too! I'll be needing a lot of those this time next year.

Iron Girl 2009

Yesterday was the Aflac Iron Girl 5k/10k in Clearwater. This was my second year running this race with my running girls. We had a few new friends with us this year too. We all ran the 5k, which consists of running over and back on the new Clearwater bridge. The entire race is pretty hilly with a hill at the starting line and another hill right at the base of the "curly cue" you run down after climbing the steep side of the bridge. Even though the bridge is definitely a challenge the views are so amazing that you can't really complain. We had perfect weather! Even though I only improved my time from last year by 10 seconds I felt strong and steady the whole time.

I'm sure I could of pushed myself a bit harder but I was too busy enjoying the beautiful views and appreciating the experience since this will probably be my last Iron Girl event in FL. But, I've already got my sights on the Iron Girl tri in Colombia MD next year!

Short yet productive...

This morning after dropping off all the kids I decided to do a short 2 or 3 mile run in the neighborhood and incorporate some kind of speed work.

I ran from my house to the front gate in 8:25. Then I went into the front park for some speed work around the "loop", which we've figured is just under .25mi per lap. I did 3 laps w/ a 20sec sprint each lap. Then I jogged a nice cool down (into the wind) home.

Luckily the rain didn't start til I was on my way out to run errands. Glad I got in a decent run in without too much discomfort in my shoulder.

No Zephyrhills tri

My friend Karen invited me to do the East Pasco YMCA sprint triathlon with her this coming weekend. I found a babysitter and was super excited for the 300 pool swim, the bike route with no sharp turns and the flat 5k course. I was planning on registering this evening.

Today at my massage I found out that the pain in my right arm was more than just an annoyance. Apparently I have a tear in my rotator cuff. My first response was "so you don't recommend racing next weekend?". You can imagine his response. Since rest, ice, and more massage seems to be the cure, that's exactly what I intend to do. I can make modifications in my classes so that I don't further injure myself, yet still kick every one's butts ;) I'm going to take two weeks off swimming, lay off the weights and only ride the spin bike for the next few weeks. He said even running can be bad if I swing my arms too much. No laughing at me when I'm running on the treadmill with my hands in my pockets!

Body Shock

Even though I've considered myself "back in training" for the past few weeks, I don't think my body realized it til yesterday. The run/swim two-a-day work outs are much easier on the body than biking and then racing to the pool to swim for an hour. After teaching my class last night it was all I could do to get the kids home, fed, and bathed. My main goal was to fall face first into my bed.

I officially have a 50% success rate on my new tri bike. Two rides, only one fall. Odds are looking pretty good. The wind yesterday was so unbelievable that T and I were actually late picking our kids up from preschool. Luckily they don't yell at us like the big kids would have. I keep waiting for that "wind at your back" theory I've been hearing about. Instead, it's the dreaded crosswind that is never helping you along. I was so tense on my bike that my entire upper body was sore.

This soreness didn't help much in the pool. We were supposed to swim 1600 but I think I was short. My neck and shoulders were killing me but I think it was all just tension from being in a constant state of panic on my bike. I felt better by the time I went back to teach class and I've been fine all day today. Achy, but fine.

T and I have swam on the coldest days for the past two weeks. The water always feels great but getting out is another story. The people on the treadmills probably think we're nuts. They're right.

I love days like this because they make you the kind of sore you just couldn't get from any other sport. I hate them for the same reason.

Gasparilla 15k

I'm a firm believer in the old saying " you get out, what you put in". In some cases, you put in diddly, and you get squat.

That's the best way to describe my performance at Gasparilla this year. I am not the kind of runner that cannot train and then pull off a great race. Since I knew I hadn't trained properly and woke up with a belly ache ( i was still getting over the virus that ran viciously through my house) I decided to just enjoy the race atmosphere and not get too caught up with my time. I told the girls ahead of time to leave my butt in the dust when necessary. By mile 3 they were out of my sight.

Miraculously I kept my first 6mi at a 10min pace. I drank when thirsty, kept my pace steady and tried not to look at my watch very often. At mile 5.5 I took my shock blocks. By mile 6 it all turned bad. The water stops caught up with me and I had to hit the porta potty. Eeeeek! In the future, I'll opt for peeing myself. The shocks had a lot of caffeine and sodium in them which led to a super high heart rate and VERY swollen fingers. They were like freakin sausages by the time I crossed the finish line. Needless to say my last 5k of the race was not pretty and I really had no clue of my pace at this point. I was just hoping not to crawl across the finish line.

In the end I was a little slower than last year, which I had expected. Thankfully it wasn't 10min slower!!

This race is such has beautiful scenery, great support and an overall fun and exciting atmosphere. We could not have asked for better weather. The free beer is another nice bonus. Even though, this wasn't my most successful race it was a total blast and I was grateful to share the morning with two very good friends.

Back in training

With tri season just around the corner I'm officially back in training. Eventhough my first race of the season will be a relay, which I'll be biking. I'm happy to say I've whipped out the old swim cap and have been back in the pool for a few weeks. I've been "training" for the upcoming 15k so my running is pretty much back on track. I say "training" because I've only really gotten two long runs in so I'm a little nervous about how I'll do this weekend. I'm just going into it as another chance to spend a nice morning with my running girls. No pressure. PR or not. I don't really care. I have not been on my new tri bike since the "incident". But, next week I'll be putting on my football gear and heading out for another go at it. As long as I stay away from my tri-bars I should be fine.

Monday was the beginning of the two-a-day workouts. Mon and wed. will be our 2-a-day schedule with wed also including my bodyflex class. This is actually an easier schedule for me from last season. Last season I also taught 2hrs in a row (spin & bodyflex) on monday nights after training in the morning. This bit of a break will hopefully allow me to fuel better, thus recover faster.

First 2-a-day wrkout:
10:30am -8mi run
The weather was 70 degress without a cloud in the sky. It was perfect running weather. I ran our regular route twice. I probably did a little over 8. First 4 miles were about 5min faster than the last four. I wore the wrong shoes (thinking I'd save my good ones for sat). Big mistake, I now have two huge blisters on my feet. Good thing I have a few days for them to heal before race day. I'm not sure of my pace since it was frequently disrupted by cars, the crosswalk and a family of ducks. Guessing I was around 10min miles.

2:00 pm- 1500 swim
5x100 easy
4x50 kick drills (these felt great after my run. ouch!)
4x50 drills: buoy, finger drags, one arms, touch-ups
500 steady
100 cool down
Good thing the swim was easy because my legs were already hurting from the run. The swim was actually a great way to work out some of my soreness. I did get a charlie horse in the pool. That was a fun experience. Thank god we weren't in the deep pool. I don't think I could ever live down a rescue at work ;)

Gasparilla 15k

I'm officially registered for the Gasparilla 15k on Feb. 28th. While in Sports Authority on Saturday buying cleats for Drew I found out they were also doing early registration for Gasparilla. Plus, by purchasing $75 of Nike merchandise you can run the 5/15k for free. Since I was already there I figured I might as well buy some running clothes and take advantage of the special.

Last week I ran 5 days in a row with speed work in my 2-3 mi runs. There's 26 days til the race so that should give me plenty of time to get my mileage back up and get some long runs in.