Indoor training...

Indoor training can really be a drag, especially if you enjoy getting outside. However, this winter I've been forced indoors quite a bit. I decided to make the most of it by sort of decorating - or maybe inspiring - my treadmill room. I put up the sign boards my friend Lisa made for me for IMUSA, plus I put up a poster from my Moms on the Run (MOTR) group from our trip to New York City last year. I also have the cardboard guitar I made for the "Elvis is in the Building" day at the National Portrait Gallery on January 23 with my friend and fellow Elvis fan, Nanette. I can watch movies on my laptop or listen to music from my iPod. It's a perfect training room!

Anyway, I've been sick for the past week or so and have not worked out in a week and two days. I am getting ready to venture onto my treadmill for another indoor run, just 30 minutes or so. Maybe tomorrow I'll actually go outside. We'll see. I would like to run about 8 miles. On Wednesday I am off and will do my long run (12 miles) for the week early before I head down south...where I'll probably do one or two 3 mile runs. They also have a 'state of the art' fitness center where I'm going so there is always that. :)

Tomorrow I also plan to get back into the pool (again) and start my weight lifting again. I'd better get back in the water - I just signed up for the Colonies Zone 1000 yard race on April 23!

And in between all of this I will be working on clearing out and cleaning up my dad's house to be a rental. We have a nice family planning to move in who actually used to be my dad's neighbor and who he really liked. If I can't live there now it is nice that someone he liked will be. And it will be nice to have someone back in the house.

Happy Training!

My weekend...

My weekend is not starting early, as I had originally planned. I was supposed to be off tomorrow and heading out of town to New Hampshire to ski/snowboard with my cousins. Needless to say, this will not be happening. I will be at work tomorrow. But maybe this is a good thing. I'm sick with another sinus infection as confirmed by my ENT on Monday afternoon. *sigh* So, spending the day outside on the ski slopes probably would not have been a smart thing.

I have now not worked out in over a week...unless you count the boxes I've moved and shifted and carried. We are prepping my dad's old house to be a rental property and there's lots to be done. And now it seems I'll have this weekend free to do lots more work over there.

This afternoon I hope to get a little/easy run in - outside if it is not too windy or cold. But there is always my trusty, old treadmill. Which is in the basement of my house. Which may have mold issues. Which may be the cause of my sinus problems. But I am looking into diet changes, too... And I will have someone out to test the basement. Just in case. So where was I? Oh yeah, I hope to swim on Sunday morning and get a long run in this weekend. I think I'm only supposed to go about 11 miles. I'll be happy if I get 8 miles in. And maybe I'll spin using my new tri bike shoes that arrived on Tuesday. I fitted the cleats to them last night and they are now ready to roll. Or to help me roll. In place.

Anyway, I have not settled on a race for June yet. I have a ? by one that is a team Sprint tri race. And it is a long way away. But I am sort of thinking about doing a somewhat local 10K that day. The Zooma Women's Race Series. There is a Half Marathon or 10K option. The 10K is two weeks after Columbia and I was going to be training for that distance (10K) anyway. So...I think I might sign up. Plus, I have only done I think two stand-alone 10K's and this event looks like it would be a lot of fun. And I always say (to myself) that I want to do the Pikes Peek 10K in Rockville, but every year I don't. Of course, this event probably is not a downhill event like that one.

Wow - only 3 weeks and 3 days till the Shamrock Half!

Happy Training!

I'm really glad...

I'm really glad that it is Friday...and a recovery week of sorts. On Monday I actually took the night off instead of shifting Tuesday's run there (because of the spin class on Tuesday). Tuesday I went to swim...Wednesday I did a short, easy run... I was calibrating my new foot pod because I was excited to get more Garmin data thanks to this post - thanks, DC Rainmaker! First, I goofed on my calibration - by using 800 meters but going a half mile. Hopefully I will be up to doing that again tonight, but using the half mile measurement. Second, I just did not feel all that great. I had a bit of a sore throat. Ack. Also, I had an appointment at 7:00PM and was running out of time to get there on time, so I was a slacker...figured I'd run an extra mile on Thursday and Friday nights and add a couple on Saturday to get in all of the 'required' miles this week. But now I'm not sure about that...

Thursday morning I woke up on time for swim practice and my throat was still sore. But I went swimming anyway. And it was good - I felt great after. However, my throat continued to bother me...and I did not run last night. I rested and went to bed early - hardly watched any Olympics. But I did get my younger son applied for the US Air Force Academy's summer session! (He is planning to try to get IN to the Academy!)

Now it is Friday morning, and my throat still hurts. And I have a little fever. Boo-hoo. If nothing else, I will recalibrate my foot pod tonight. I'm sure I can handle a half mile on the treadmill... Maybe this summer, when the track is no longer covered with over a foot of snow (and it looks really wild, by the way), I will recalibrate the foot pod yet again, but at 800 meters - which is the recommended way. We'll see. So, maybe by Saturday morning I'll feel better and will actually go *outside* and run! My miles this week are actually way down, but as I said, it is a recovery week, so I do not feel too bad. Well, maybe just a little, because things have been going well with my training. Maybe I've gotten sick because of all the late nights this week staying up watching the Olympics!! I think I'm getting at least two hours LESS sleep a night. That can't be good!

So...TGIF and Happy Training!

--

Oh, one really cool thing: My father was a Physical Education teacher for about 30 years at Kramer Junior High (now Kramer Middle School) in South East DC. He did a lot of coaching during those years - baseball, basketball, track, etc. The year he retired, I think it was 1974, his school/team won yet another city championship and the team presented him with the championship trophy. It's a pretty huge trophy and he has had it all these years! Anyway, my father passed away a little over a year ago and I am finally in the process of going through all of his things. I looked at this trophy and wondered if the school still had these sports teams and maybe had a trophy case the would want to display it in. I decided to write the principal. Tuesday I received a message back! He thanked me for thinking of them and they would consider it an honor to accept the trophy back. Plus he said the track team won the championship again last year. I'm happy that the trophy is going back 'home'. Now I just have to coordinate getting it there. Yikes!

Two in two months...

Two race cancellations in two months, that is. One of my 2010 goals was to work on my 5K. I did a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, with little training, followed by the Blue & Gray 5K on December 13 (and Carol's birthday), with slightly more training. However, after that, I really got started on my run training. I've been following a training plan from Runner's World based on my Blue & Gray 5K time and the level of effort I wished to put into it. I had scheduled a New Year's Eve 5K, which was cancelled (not sure why) and I got my money back. Then I semi-planned to run a 5K in January, but did not because I needed to drive my son to a track meet. Next up was the Potomac Valley Track Club's By George 5K, last Saturday. Of course, due to the lovely weather...the course was covered in snow. The organizers tried to have it moved, but their request was denied... So, no 5K last Saturday. However, while I was not given a refund this time, I do get a free entry into another local race this year. If my schedule works, I will likely do one of those.

So, next up is the Shamrock Half Marathon, one month from this Sunday! I've managed to get most if not all of my workouts in thanks to my friend, the treadmill. I did get my Yaktrax in the mail yesterday, actually, they were delivered by UPS, since USPS was closed. I hope to actually run outside this weekend. I never did make those screw shoes...but might just for fun.

Tonight is another spin session with Margie Shapiro at =PR=. We have had a rough time with these due (again) to the weather. Stupid snow...

As for swimming. Sunday morning I finally got back into the pool after a week and a half, with the JCC Masters. It felt great! I will go again on Thursday morning with Team Z. I will have a couple of Sunday sessions I will need to reschedule due to my upcoming ski trip with the cousins and trip to the Keys with the MOTRs...I also need to fit in a long run on the day we leave for the Keys because I know I won't do that down there. I may make time for a short run, because it would be a shame to not run in such a nice location.

Then there is my t-shirt quilt. I did start the ironing process. Boy is that ever boring work. (I never was much of an iron-er.) But my (new) goal on that is to have all of the sections ironed by the end of the Winter Olympics! Then I need to start trimming down the squares to their final size and cut the facing...but one step at a time.

Happy Training!

Snow…and more snow…

Well, this weekend I had scheduled to run 8 miles with Doug, a Team Z Challenged Athlete. Doug is vision impaired. Plus I of course wanted to do some spinning… Mother Nature had other plans, as you all know.

The snow started right on time (when the meteorologists predicted) on Friday. My office closed two hours earlier than the normal two hour closing time! My boss was out by about 11AM even, I was there till about Noon-ish.

As soon as I got home Jeff and I braved the snow that was falling down and went for a four mile run. We ran a mile to the school and did two miles on the track and ran the mile home. It was a little slippery and slushy going to and from the school, but not too bad. The school/track itself was covered but there was a section, maybe the 3 outside lanes that had been previously plowed almost the entire way around. Of course, at least an inch had fallen by the time we got there. Anyway, we did it and it felt great to have gotten it done – and outside at that. At this point, who knows when I’ll run outside again!

The weekend run was cancelled per my e-mail from Doug. Saturday I did a lot of nothing… Watched TV and stuff like that. Watched the snow fall. I did finally bake the cookies I had wanted on Friday. Just one batch. Jeff actually did most of the shoveling…I took a few pictures. It appears that we got at least 2 feet of snow!

Sunday morning I got up and we had pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Then I had my skinny latte and watched a movie. Finally around 11AM I got going on my 10 mile treadmill run. I had a movie going that was to last about two hours, so I figured I’d be good. I kept the pace at a tenth of a mile per hour faster than my target pace for the work out and as I went along I adjusted the incline from 0-2, every half mile or so. I planned a break at that half way point, too. I have to say after about an hour and a half I was tired of the treadmill…but I did not give up. All-in-all, I got it done! I made one more batch of cookies again on Sunday after my run.

Sunday night was the Superbowl. I won’t say much but I was happy that the Saints won. It was pretty awesome for them, considering they’d never even gotten that far before. Very cool.

Today…I worked from home for about six hours. (I will go into the office tomorrow!) After ‘work’ I relaxed for a bit, then got ready for yet another treadmill run. This time it was only four miles. And I must say, it was a really great run. I felt good during the entire thing and did some great stretching after. The treadmill IS my friend! (And really, I am so happy I have one. A treadmill that is. It was free to a good home, and all!) I never did make the screw shoes, but will probably try them out. I did order Yaktrax though…Carol said they rocked, so…I wanted to try them. Maybe this weekend I will get the chance to try an outside run...

Hmm, today when I was treadmilling I realized I had not done a thing with my t-shirt quilt! So after I post this to my blog I will be headed to my basement to iron as many of the squares in one night as I can stand.

And on a final note: I cannot BELIEVE we are going to get even MORE snow! Oh. My. Gosh!

Snow and Spinervals!

Since Patrick's Virginia Tech meet for Friday / Saturday was cancelled he was going to run in the local meet. On Saturday morning I dropped him off at the school at about 6:00 or so, then went home to think about going running myself. I had 10 miles to log.

Finally, after watching a movie, at about 8:30 I started preparing to leave. Right before I got ready to walk out the door it started snowing. Very lightly, teeny little flakes. So pretty! I grabbed a visor to keep the flakes out of my eyes and set off. I planned to run out to where I could to two loops of some hilly-ish streets before heading home, figuring I'd need to swing by the track at the high school to make up any additional mileage. The track is then a mile from home. It was snowing pretty 'nicely' as I was finishing up the first loop. I figured it was only going to keep snowing - and probably harder - and decided to head straight for the school to do some laps at the track then head home. I could not see the lines on the track as I ran around it. Right after I got there Jeff showed up for his run and we finished the first mile at the track about the same time. He was headed home, so I decided to follow him there, for a total of 6.6 miles outside. Once I got home I went on down to the basement for another 3.4 miles on the treadmill. I sure wished I started an hour earlier...I could have done it all outside! Oh well...

On Sunday the snow kept me from going swimming. I did however shovel some snow...I guess that was a bit of a workout. Must have been - I have a ache in my back. :-/

Anyway, after shoveling the snow I decided I would spin...so I picked one of the three Spinervals DVDs and got started. I used the one called "Big Gear Strength" and a lot of the time was spent in the big ring! About 2/3 or so of the way through it Coach Troy Jacobson had 'us' get off our bikes for lunges... Um, I never do lunges...and after the first set of 10 on each leg probably won't do them again for a while. The left leg was fine, it was when I moved to the right leg that I got a funny little twinge in my left knee. So back on the bike I went to just spin during the remaining lunges. Once everyone else (from the video) was back on their bikes it was time for a little more big ring work before the cool down. I must say, this was fun! Not quite as fun as being at =PR= with Margie and other people in real life, but I definitely worked hard!

In the afternoon I went to my dad's house to sort of 'take inventory' and start the mucking out process. I need to empty it out and get some work done so that I can see about getting a tenant in there. :-( Anyway, I brought home six large bags of trash. My friend Lisa came over the help...it was nice. Patrick came too but he only shoveled the snow there...

Last night it was concert time.... We saw Trace Adkins (for the second time in 5 months) and Martina McBride. They were awesome! It was at the Patriot Center and I really liked the venue - much smaller than Nissan Pavilion (now called Jiffy Lube Live!?) or Verizon Center, but I really liked it. And it was still quite loud! Bonus: we got out of there without a problem and were home in 15 minutes!

Tonight is more lifting fun and a 4 mile easy run. I might try the nice, new treadmills at my gym this time!