That's Sick...

**Warning...Don't read if you're easily disgusted.

This morning, I was talking with Karen, my sister in law, and I learned that I had missed a very eventful family dinner last night. I got the scoop, called the parents to confirm, and laughed so hard I was crying. Because the story is so funny, I figured it needs to be shared and documented for posterity.

First...some background...awhile back, Eric (my brother) and his wife Karen came over for dinner. I'm not sure what we ate, but Eric sort of choked or something and ended up spewing dinner all down the front of him and onto the french doors. He was trying to get outside. Karen and I totally cracked up because he was frantically trying to not spew and it was so funny. (I'm giggling just thinking about it.)

On to the story...last week, my parents tried lettuce wraps for the first time and loved them. My dad, being the outstanding cook that he is decided to try his hand at them. Apparently, he invited the family over to try them out as well. My mom was in charge of making the spicy mustard. It comes in as powder in a can and you just add water to it. It's not tricky or anything, you just have to make sure its stirred up well.

So, everyone sat down to eat dinner and my dad, who loves spicy mustard, piled it up on his lettuce wrap and took a bite. Well, I guess the mustard stirrer (nice job Mom...) didn't do a good job, because my dad got a huge chunk of powdered mustard in his mouth which caused him to choke and gag. Apparently, it didn't stop there. He started to blow chunks of lettuce wraps and rice out of his nose. Karen said that everyone paused...and my poor little nephew just looked horrified that grandpa had rice and lettuce and chicken coming out of his nose.

Well, Simon the dog, ran over to where my dad was standing and started licking up the chunks. John, my cute nephew, said, "Look, Simon's licking it up!" My brother, Travis, John's dad, said very wisely, "Well, it's a good thing that Simon is grandpa's dog."

Yes, this is what happens at the Hansen's dinner table. I, of course, am totally cracking up about this. In fact, I wish I would have been there to join in the fun. I talked to John this morning and he told me that yes, grandpa did in fact blow chunks of rice and chicken out of his nose. Definitely completely totally vile and disgusting and sick, but very very funny in my world...

2009 NATA Educators Conference

Every other year, I have the opportunity attend a professional conference that focuses on athletic training education. This is my very most favorite conference to attend because it focuses so directly on my profession as an athletic training educator.

This year, the conference was held at the Gaylord National Harbour Resort in Washington, DC and was focused on reaching the millennial student. I submitted my dissertation as a poster presentation and since the abstract was accepted, I had the chance to share my results and discuss them with colleagues and experts from across the country. As the conference approached, I became more and more nervous because I truly despise my dissertation. I'm embarrassed of it and there are many really not great experiences that contribute to my feelings about my dissertation. However, because my abstract was accepted, I needed to do the presentation.

I worked on the poster and got it looking very sharp and clear. I reread my dissertation, found lots of errors, and refreshed my memory of what it is I actually did and found. I also started stressing. You know, the whole knots in the stomach thing... By the time it was time to fly to Washington, DC, I was dreading the conference and wondering what in the world I had been thinking to submit my dissertation and have to discuss it in a public forum...

We arrived in DC on Friday evening after some flight issues. If you've every traveled with me, you'll know what I'm talking about. The flight to Atlanta was fine, but when we boarded the flight to DC, the problems began. There was no room for luggage. The flight attendant told me to put my bag somewhere, but a woman had her bag of crystal (who brings crystal on a plane?!) and didn't want my bag near hers. I finally got to sit down and the pilot came on and said we had to deplane because there was a hydraulic leak in the wing. We got off the plane and then waited for another plane. By the time I got on that plane, they had to check my suitcase and I was the last one to sit down...in between 2 grumpy women. Of course, when we arrived in DC, my bag was the last one to come off the belt. Who knows how the last bag you put on the plane is the last bag to get off the plane? Anyone?!

We arrived at our very nice hotel after a scary cab ride with a driver suffering from extreme road rage. The rooms were nice (should be for over $200 a night) and we had dinner at the sports bar. After wandering around for awhile, I finally found the fitness center and proceeded to run for 45 minutes, which is a very very bad idea after eating a cheeseburger. Yikes... I fell asleep around 11pm and was wide awake at 2am. Oh happy day...

Breakfast was at 7am and then it was off to meetings. The morning sessions were okay, except that I'm pretty sure I heard them 5 or so years ago at ISU. In fact, I think I may have heard the same presentation at least 4 times over the past few years. This was a bit frustrating, but did remind me that I work at a very forward thinking institution that was prepared for millennial students long before now. We had lunch and then some breakout sessions that gave me some good ideas for my teaching, as well as some new things to think about. We grabbed dinner and then headed back for the poster presentations.

I should probably mention that I only rented my dinner for maybe 30 minutes because I threw up before heading back down to stand in front of my poster and be grilled. I was dreading it. Well, it actually turned into a very positive situation. I was so surprised because my colleagues thought it was a good study and said that I asked some questions that really need to be addressed. I had several long conversations about the topic and only felt like a moron once. The smartest athletic training educator in the country asked me a question that I couldn't really answer and I truly felt like an idiot, except that after I admitted my dumbness, he said that he's struggled with the same question so then I didn't feel quite as dumb. I actually felt like maybe I need to get this stupid (still despise it) dissertation published because there are some people who are interested in what I looked at and there is a need for the information to be shared.

Sunday morning was a couple of open sessions that had the potential to be really good, but some not good thinkers asked some really dumb questions and reminded me how nice it is to work with reasonable, intelligent people who think before they open their mouths. I went to a really great breakout session and learned some really cool stuff that I'm planning on using in my classes next year. i spent the rest of the afternoon discussing research ideas and issues and feeling glad that I went to the conference.

So, my takeaways from the conference...and maybe even action items. I need to get my dissertation written up. I think I can get two articles out of it and I need to just get it done and get it out there. I have a few research ideas that I want to start developing and maybe even complete. I want to look into qualitative research and grants and see what's out there. One more thing...although, I was traveling, I did get my workouts in and done and that makes 3 weeks in a row of getting all workouts done.

Everything I Do Affects Everything I Do

Each week, Chris, my tri coach, sends out an e-mail to address any questions or issues, to motivate and to remind us, his clients, of our goals. This week, the title of his e-mail was "Everything I do affects everything I do." He went on to discuss the important elements of maintaining balance during training and to remind us to keep the big picture in mind.

He talked about the importance of sleep and that now is the time to get in the habit of sleeping more than 6 hours a night. Now, if you know me, you know that I'm not a good sleeper. I have a hard time staying asleep and I always wake up early. In my world, sleeping in means sleeping until 7am....lately 6am...

I've talked to Chris about my sleeping and am working on some strategies to sleep more and sleep better. Sometimes I feel like I'm actually sleeping better and sometimes I wake up feeling exhausted. However, I'm working on it and I feel like I might be making progress. Training for a 1/2 ironman definitely brings fatigue, but hopefully I can manage that fatigue to some degree and use my sleep as good recovery time because my sleeping and nutrition and training and stress all affect each other.

While I was reading Chris' e-mail, was thinking specifically about my triathlon training, but I was also thinking about the topic of his e-mail as a real-life principle. It's true. Everything I do does affect everything I do. I don't think my life is circular at all. In fact, I'm a very linear and analytical person. However, all of the decisions and actions I take in my life, directly impacts all areas of my life.

For example, my job, my family, my racing, and my personal life are all affected by the choices that I make. When I wake up in the morning at 5am to train, I've started my day by working towards a kind of big goal. I'm starting my day with some quiet personal and spiritual reflection because I truly feel closest to God when I am training. When I go into work and teach my classes, I share my training experiences with my students which in turn may promote and encourage some sort of physical activity in their lives. This blog allows me to share my racing and training experiences with my family and friends and give them some sort of insight into what inspires me to participate in the madness of endurance training. My family and I race and train together. My training helps me to feel like me.

So, it's true. Chris is right. Everything I do does affect everything I do and will continue to because that's the way life goes.

Week 6 Training - Boise 1/2IM

February 23, 2009 - BIKE
VO2max workout - I did this workout after getting off of a plane. I had a burrito waiting for me to finish so it was pretty good incentive. The intervals were tough, but I eked them out.

February 24, 2009 - SWIM
2600 yds. - This swim had lots of kicking, like 400+ yds of kicking and 300 yds of drills. I was in the pool for an hour and of course turned nice and red since the water is so toasty warm. It went well and I think I worked out some of my lower leg soreness with all of the kicking.

February 25, 2009 - RUN + YOGA
45 min. pickups - I took 30 minutes to talk myself into getting out of my warm bed and going for this run. I ran in the fieldhouse this morning and actually had a nice run. I was really glad that it was only 45 minutes and was surprised at how fast the time flew by.
Yoga was tough last night. I struggled with the balance postures and my shoulders were nice and tired, but I'm not sure why. I was glad that I did it though. Also, I got to eat dinner with the Hills and they had yummy yummy yummy chicken enchiladas. So, that was a bonus!

February 26, 2009 - SWIM
2700 yds. negative splits - The workout went well and I enjoyed the intervals. It took forever but only because all of the people in the pool this morning were chatty. I mentioned the tri camp to one guy. Another guy wanted to talk about using paddles. Another woman wanted to discuss the drills I was doing. So, it took a long time. But I felt good. My 50s were 51s, 49.87s, 49.30s, and 45s. I didn't keep track of my 100s...that was when the chatting really got going. My 200s were all around 3:50-3:54.

February 27, 2009 - BIKE
1:30-1:45 long endurance ride - This workout went fine for about an hour, but then I bonked. It's my own fault for not eating before. I grabbed a gu and finished out the workout, but this was a good reminder to eat before these workouts. That means 2 poptarts before my run tomorrow. I did watch Casino Royale though so the time passed by fairly quickly.

February 28, 2009 - RUN
90 min. long run - This was my best long run in months. I felt great doing it and was so glad to be out there in my own running zone enjoying the cold. Actually, I was hating the cold and apparently it was hating me because when I got home, I had a major cold allergic reaction. It was lovely. In spite of the giant hives all over my legs, I was really glad that I talked myself into going out and getting this run in.

March 1, 2009 - REST

Undy 5000

I just found a new race to do and I'm totally excited about it. It's called the Undy 5000 and is a fundraiser for colorectal cancer. You get to run 5000 meters in your underwear. How incredible is that! So, on March 28, I'll be running in St. Louis in something very fun!

If you'd like to make a donation, click the link! Oh, and check back for pictures and a race report.

Donate here!

Changing a Tire Part III

Since I posted the beginning of the story and the middle of the story, I needed to post the end, so here goes...

After work on Friday afternoon, I headed to the bike shop. I had my wheel in the backseat and carried it inside. The guys there said, "What do you need?" I explained the situation and expressed my frustration at my inability to get this stupid tire to stay inflated. He said, "You've probably pinched the tube." I actually said out loud, "Really...3 times in a row. Is that even possible?" (I was still angry and frustrated.) He invited me to the back to watch and proceeded to teach me (again) how to change a tire.

He fought and fought and fought to get the tire off. I gloated. He said, "Wow, these are the tightest tires I've ever seen. Did you put the wrong size tire on the rim?" I gloated some more and said, "Nope, they're the tires that came with the bike." He fought and fought and finally got the tire off. He was sweating. I was feeling very vindicated. At least I'm not the only person who can't get the blasted tire off.

He pulled out the tube. It had, get this, 3 holes in it. One in the middle of the tube and one on each side. The bike guy looked at me and said, "I've never seen a pinch like this." I didn't know what to say. He went and got another tube (the 4th one in a week) and put it in and proceeded to explain to me that I should always blow up the tube slightly before I put it in (I do that) and that I have to make sure that the tube is inside the tire (I thought I was doing that as well).

Once the tube was in the tire, he started wrestling the tire back on the rim. I gloated. He fought and fought and fought and sweated and fought. He said, "Make sure you don't just use your thumbs, because this tire is tight." I thought in my inside voice, "You think?!?" After much wrestling and gnashing of teeth, he got the tire on, pumped up the tube and walked me up front.

He charged me $12 for the tube and labor, which in my world, was totally worth it. I felt completely vindicated that I wasn't the only person who struggled with the blankety blank wheel. He also said, "Your tires are good for another 2 years." I just looked at him and said, "I will be buying new tires as soon as I start riding outside. I will also NEVER buy these tires again. I want tires that come off and go on easily without the whole wrestling match."

So, there's my tire changing story. I'm fairly certain if I have another flat anytime soon, I will be taking Oscar's wheel into the bike shop and paying the $12 to let them fight with it. I will also be buying new tires that don't require adult words, sweating, throwing things and anger.

Week 5 Training - Boise 1/2IM

February 16, 2009 - BIKE
60 min. recovery ride - I forgot the pool was closed yesterday so I got to do my bike workout instead. Oscar's wheel is happily inflated and rolling well. However, while I was doing my one legged pedaling drills, the pedal fell off. I was totally flummoxed! Who knew a pedal could fall off. I put it back on (I'm gaining many mechanical skills) and finished up my ride. Apparently, Oscar is unhappy about something and keeps having mechanical issues...I thought he would be happier I was spending more time with him. I'm just wondering what's going to happen next...

February 17, 2009 - REST
I woke up this morning not feeling good at all. That continued on throughout the day, so it turned into a rest day.

February 18, 2009 - SWIM + YOGA
2650 yds. - I felt surprisingly good during the swim. I should probably mention that the pool I'm swimming in is REALLY warm...like 80 degrees warm. I'm always warm when I hop in and am red and hot after a few laps. A man actually asked if I'm sunburned.
Yoga was tough. I struggled with the last few vinyasas and was ready to fall asleep when I finished the stretching. It was fun and funny though. Oh, and I also managed to do toelock for a few seconds. That's new and different.

February 19, 2009 - SWIM + BIKE
1700 yds (YAY!) - I did this workout this morning in 43 min even with visiting with some of my swim friends I haven't seen since I changed my workout times. It was ALOT of drills which I was fine with since my shoulders were tired from swimming yesterday. The pool was hot again and people kindly kept commenting on how red I turn.
65 min. ride - Big Gear Work

February 20, 2009 - RUN
45 min. Intervals - I did this run after eating a cheeseburger. YIKES! That will definitely remind me not to eat cheeseburgers before a run.

February 21, 2009 - REST

February 22, 2009 - RUN
45 min. easy run in Washington DC - I actually did this workout on an elliptical, mostly because I had just eaten at McCormick and Schmicks and absolutely didn't want to lose my dinner. That's 3 weeks in a row of hitting all of my workouts.

Changing a Tire Part II and the Lactate Threshold Bike Test

Last week, I changed my rear tire and was very proud of myself. Apparently, when I changed it I pinched the tube and had a very slow leak. I rode on it on Tuesday night and decided that I needed to change the tube again for the lactate threshold bike test on Friday. So, Wednesday afternoon, I picked up a couple of tubes from the bike shop. I headed home and started to change the tire again, for the second time in a week.

Well, let's just say that changing the tube didn't go well again. I got the tire off and the tube out. I even located the hole. I pulled the new tube out of the box, got it into the tire and started putting the tire back on the rim. After about 45 minutes of frustration, bad words, throwing things, and a phone call to my dad I got the tire back on. Phew...

I pulled out the pump to inflate the tube but, the stem was too short. I was furious! I threw my tire levers. I tried to force the pump onto the stem (it didn't work). I considered throwing the wheel, but decided that wasn't an option. I stepped away from the bike, ate some chicken and squash (yummy) and made my plan.

I took the tube out, folded it back up, which was really hard, and then put it back in the box. I put the two tubes and the receipt in my bag and was prepared to exchange the tubes for tubes with longer stems.

Thursday, after work, I rushed over to the bike shop to exchange the tubes and to buy some new tire levers. My other ones were completely trashed from my previous three removals of my tight tire. The throwing probably didn't help either... I got home, replaced the tube, and even got the tire back on with minimal stress. Apparently, I'm becoming somewhat proficient at tire removal and replacement.

I put the pump on the stem and started pumping. No air was going in. I tried about 17 different times and ways to put the pump on and get air in the tube and NONE of them worked. Once again, I was furious. I had a bike threshold test to complete in the morning. How was I supposed to complete it with a flat tire? Why in the world will air not go into this tube? What is wrong with me that I can't get the flipping tire to hold air? Perhaps, irate is a better word. After much frustration, and more bad words, I put the wheel back on the bike, decided I was going to ride on the flat tire, and went to bed.

This morning when I woke up, I set the bike up on the trainer with its flat tire, and did my bike lactate threshold test. I started my 15 minute warm up which went fine. I started my lactate intervals (also part of the warm up) when I dropped my chain. I hopped off the bike, and tried to get the chain back on; however, it was stuck, so I had to take the bike off of the trainer, flip it upside down, take the wheel off again, get the chain unstuck, put the chain back on, and then start riding again. I finished the lactate intervals and started my 5 minutes of easy pedaling.

Then came the hard part. I had to pedal as hard as I could for 2o minutes. I also had to keep track of my average heart rate for those 20 minutes. I did it. My average heart rate was 156. I have no idea if that's good or not, but I do not I was working hard. My mat under the bike was soaked with sweat. I did my 10 minute cooldown and hopped off the bike. I took the bike off of the trainer, put the trainer away, cleaned off the mat, and grabbed a shower.

The workout was tough, but I'm not sure it was as tough as changing my stupid blasted tire. Riding on a flat tire was not a good idea, but I reasoned that I'm planning on buying new tires before I start riding outside, so who cares if the tire is shot. Plus, its just a trainer tire, so no worries. Oh, I should also mention that the rear wheel is now in the back seat of my car. I'm going back to the bike shop for the third day in a row, to figure out why the stupid tire won't hold any air. Yep...I'm still angry about that.

Virtual Age

Here's a fun link to try. Apparently my virtual age is 7.7 years. I'm not sure how I feel about that...

What's your virtual age?

My Running Friends

I have been involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program since January of 2005. Over the course of the past several years, I've had the opportunity to meet and run with some pretty incredible amazing wonderful people. Last night, we had our winter season victory party at Coach Terry's home and I was able to see the team that trained for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and the PF Changs Rock n' Roll Marathon in Arizona. I was definitely looking forward to going and was really excited to see the team and see how their races went.

The party was fun and it was so exciting to hear about everyone's race weekend experiences. It was also very inspiring to hear that Team in Training runners from across the country raised over $10 million dollars between the two races. Those millions of dollars will go to support cancer research and more importantly, patients and their families who are suffering from this devastating disease. How incredible to be a part of something with such an impact.

As we were sitting around the table last night, talking and laughing, I started looking around and pondering the wonderful people that I was surrounded by. I have been so incredibly blessed to know and run with so many fantastic people.

There was Coach Terry, who is out running with us every Saturday morning or whenever we need to get a training run in. His dedication to his teams inspires me, touches me, and reminds me of the type of person that I hope to become. His wife Susan graciously let us invade her home and I'm so grateful that she supports Terry in his efforts to help all of us achieve our goals.

There was Coach Paul and his wife Tammy, who started running in 2005 and have since become regulars at training and races. Coach Paul always has a smile on his face and a funny comment to make which keeps me running. Tammy is always so positive and happy to be out running. She always has a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.

Coach Julie was also there, with her princess earrings. Coach Julie is the walk coach and while I don't get to walk with her very often, I do love seeing Julie and talking with her. I love her quick wit and sense of humor. It was so AWESOME to see her completing the Disney World Marathon and to add that awesome Mickey Mouse medal to her Disney Room. She truly is the Disney Diva!

Carolyn and Danny Trancoso were there as well. These two are my prison warden friends and I was so glad to see them. I love to hear their stories and to run with them. Both of them have made a substantial impact in fundraising, but have also reminded me of how important it is to follow your dreams and to enjoy life.

And, then there were the Hills... Howard Hill was my first introduction to Team in Training. He is so passionate about this fight against cancer and his passion shines through in almost every conversation with everyone. He has run with me during times when I've struggled and he inspires me to continue to be a part of this great program. Plus, he's funny...always funny. Who wouldn't want to run with someone who makes them laugh?

Sherry Hill is one of my good friends. I was totally intimidated by the legend of Sherry because I had heard alot about her before I ever met her. She is training for Ironman Wisconsin. She is running the Boston Marathon in April. She is a life coach. She is simply incredible. I hope that one day, I might be half of the person that she is because she makes me want to be the best person I can and she inspires me to change the world.

I was talking to a friend last night about the party and he asked me why it was so fun. I told him that it was because of these incredible, amazing, fantastic, wonderful, fabulous people. Who wouldn't want to wake up on a Saturday morning to run with people who inspire you, who make you laugh, and who make you want to become a better person.

Week 4 Training - Boise 1/2IM

February 9, 2009 - SWIM
Sprints 2550 yds - I really struggled with this workout. I'm not sure if its because I'm operating on 3 hours of sleep or if I'm just super slow. I felt like I was swimming in mud today. However, I did finish it. I think I even did the workout correctly.

February 10, 2009 - BIKE
VO2 max workout 62 min. - I actually talked myself into doing this workout right after work and I'm glad that I did. It totally wore me out. My HR peaked at 174 bpm, and I was definitely working at puke pace. That is hard to get to on the bike...

February 11, 2009 - RUN + YOGA
Intervals 50 min. - When the alarm went off this morning, I didn't want to get up. In fact, I decided to go back to sleep. However, I didn't go back to sleep, so I thought I would watch tv and saw that it was raining. Yay...I don't have to run. Well, at 5:07am, I decided to just get my act together and head over to the fieldhouse to run. I actually did it...and am really glad that it's done for the day. Yoga Wednesday is not happening tonight due to happy baby news, but I may decide to actually do yoga on my own...we'll see...

February 12, 2009 - SWIM
2600 yds. negative splits - This workout was one that I had a hard time mentally getting through. I just wanted to be done and felt like it was taking forever. I ended up just talking myself through each section of the workout and then finally finished. I feel like I'm swimming really slow right now and I'm not sure why. Hopefully, that will improve.

February 13, 2009 - BIKE
Lactate Threshold Test - I did the workout this morning. I'll write more about it a bit later. My average HR for the 20 min test was 156. I have no idea if its good or not, but at least I have a baseline to start working from.

February 14, 2009 - RUN
Easy 30 min run. YAY! - I ran on Saturday morning with the team. My legs were feeling heavy from the hard bike workout the day before and running in the snow wasn't especially fun. However, it was very nice to be able to turn around and finish in 34 min instead of running 6-8 miles. I considered running longer, but decided (with the advice of a very wise friend) to use the day as a short workout and allow my body to recover.

February 15, 2009 - REST

Lactate Threshold Run

When I looked at my training schedule for the week, I saw that my key workout was a lactate threshold test for my run. Basically, a lactate threshold test is a test to determine how hard you can work. By knowing that, you can then work on improving your speed. I'm not a fast runner, so this was an important test for me to do. However, it also meant running at a faster pace than I prefer and was going to be tough. I was pretty much dreading it.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up to do the test and saw that the windchill was -17. Yeah, running outside was so not happening. I e-mailed Chris (my coach) and he said I needed to do the test indoors anyway, so I scheduled it for this morning. I figured if I came over to the ISU track at 5am, it would be empty and I could get the test done with no audience. Of course, I continued to dread the test.

This morning, my alarm went off at 4:30am. I hit snooze, laid there, hit snooze again, and literally had to talk myself into getting up and going to the track to run. I didn't want to at all. I was dreading it, but I finally got up, got dressed and headed out the door...still grumbling in my head.

When I arrived, I ran into Steve, a man I used to swim with so I chatted with him for a few minutes. I turned on the ipod and started running. The workout was a 10 minute warmup, followed by some intervals, and then the thirty minute test. The fieldhouse was empty so I was thinking maybe this won't be so bad. However, once I started my intervals, the football team started showing up.

Now, I run in spandex because my legs are fat and rub together and chafing sucks. I'm fairly certain that none of my students should ever see their professors in spandex because I remember seeing one of my professors in spandex and it scarred me. It could have been because he was a male professor and he was running in white spandex (BLECH), but still... So, here I am running around this blasted track with the whole football team, as well as some of my athletic training students for an audience.

I wanted to quit. I wanted to just be done and go home, but I hadn't even started my actual test. So, I turned up the ipod, continued the internal dialogue and kept running. I tried to remind myself that the audience was there doing their own thing and not watching me at all. I told myself that I was doing something good for me that will absolutely help me become a better triathlete. I enjoyed my music and remembered how much I love to run while listening to music. I watched the clock and my heart rate and reminded myself that I absolutely would not yack in front of anyone. And, I finished the test...

The results of the test weren't that great. I'm a little disappointed, but it was my first LT test and maybe it will make me a better runner. My right soleus is nice and tight with a big fat knot in it, but I did the workout. I talked myself into doing something that I was dreading and it turned out to be okay. In fact, I may have to start running on the track for the rest of the cold days...especially since I seem to be doing my runs at 5am.

So, lessons learned today. I have a much better attitude for the day when I get up and get my workouts done first thing. Doing workouts when I'm dreading them and have to talk myself into doing them makes me mentally tougher. I'm not a fast runner, but at least I have a baseline to work from. Oh, and running in spandex in front of my students is still awkward. :)

**Oh, I figured out what the deal is with the blisters...apparently, its a certain pair of socks. No blister today, but definitely a hot spot. The socks are already in the garbage, never to be worn again for running.

Inspiration and Fear

This morning while I was eating my peanut butter oatmeal (the only way the oatmeal goes down), I was reading my Bicycling magazine and came across blurb on a man named Burke Swindlehurst. The first thing that caught my attention was that he was from Utah (yay!), but as I kept reading through his quotes, he said something that really resonated with me. He said,

"Don't be afraid to attack and give everything. You have to push yourself to the limit to learn where that limit is. In every race I've ever won, I took a risk."

Wow...What a statement! So, I gave it some thought and I think this statement applies to so many things other than racing. It applies to life and work and relationships and racing and everything. If you know me, you know that I have a fault or strength depending on who you ask. When I decide to do something, I do it with my whole heart. So, I'm totally okay with giving everything. I'm not so great at taking risks though, so I think this quote has given me some new inspiration and drive to strive to be a better, faster, wiser person. Hope it inspires you all too!

Oh, and since we're on the inspiration topic, check out this link for a really great video!

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

Week 3 Training - Boise 1/2IM

February 2, 2009 - SWIM
2500 yds - moderate pace - I just finished this workout and it felt really long. I only did 300 yds of drills, but lots of moderately paced 100s, 75s, 50s, and 25s. I was definitely ready to be done when it was over. My time for today was 57:19.

February 3, 2009 - RUN + BIKE
Lactate Threshold Test - Key Workout - I woke up to do this workout and checked the weather to see what to wear. It said -19 with the windchill, 1 was the temperature. 1 degree. That's not even a real temperature!!! So, I did not run outside at 5am. However, I'm waiting to hear from Chris on when to do this workout, perhaps this afternoon when its up to 14. It's a heat wave!?! I' m moving this workout to Friday or Saturday.
VO2 max workout - Last week when I did this workout, I didn't work hard enough, so when I hopped on the bike, I had every intention of busting my butt. I think I did. My HR peaked at 168, which rarely happens on the trainer. I felt like I was going to yak during the intervals. Yay puke pace. But, it was a good workout and I feel like, hopefully, I worked hard enough.

February 4, 2009 - YOGA
Tonight is the first yoga Wednesday in quite awhile. Yoga went better than I thought it would. I was pleasantly surprised at my ability to do tree pose. I think the best part though was when it was over. It will definitely be good to get back into the yoga mode.

February 5, 2009 - REST

February 6, 2009 - RUN + SWIM
VO2max Workout - Well, I did this workout this morning and I'm not at all pleased with the results. I also ended up with an upset stomach, so...but it's done.
2550 yds. Ladders and Sprints - Apparently, I need to learn how to read a swim workout. I did 750 yds of warm up, and then ladders, and then realized I'd been in the pool for an hour, so I did a few 25s and then my legs cramped up really badly. I guess running and swimming on the same day doesn't work so well...especially when the calves were crampy from the run.
**These two workouts wiped me out.

February 7, 2009 - BIKE + RUN
Big gear work - I did this workout in the afternoon with the ipod and really enjoyed it. It was 90 min of intervals on the trainer, but the music helped pass the time.
45 min. with ramp ups - I ran with the team for this workout. It was nice and warm and sunny and glorious. I actually had shorts on and got a little bit of sunshine on my legs which made me happy. It was windy, but I'll take the wind if I can wear shorts.

February 8, 2009 - REST
I got all of my workouts in this week (HOORAY) so I truly rested today without feeling any guilt about training or missing any workouts or anything. I also spent alot of time sleeping which was also quite nice.