It finally happened

My workouts have been going great over the last week. I've felt really blessed to be out there, having fun swimming, biking or running. I live in a small town, and my rides take me out in the country. I've gotten to ride beside running baby cows, goats and playful gophers. It's been pretty fun. I'd fallen off the "I enjoy this sport" thing, but I think I'm getting back on! I have a tri in less than two weeks, so I'm trying to give it my all before I leave on vacation on Wednesday/Thursday!

Yesterday, I had a bike/swim planned. It was great! First, I went on a 12-mile bike through Norman, eventually planning to end up at the OU Pool for an OUTDOOR swim! Along the ride, it finally happened! I fell for the first time with my clipless! It was one of those times where I didn't get the second foot out in time and just sort of fell over stopped at a stop sign. I scratched up my knee a tiny bit, got a small bruise and pulled the chain off the gears. There were two cars at the intersection to watch my graceful fall, but it really wasn't too bad. I made sure to clip out extra early the rest of the ride!

So many times when I work out, I think, how great would it be to jump in a pool right now...and this time I got to! It was the first time all season the outdoor pool had been open...and the first time I've done lap swims outside since the first few classes of my Beginning Swimmer class four years ago! Let me tell you...it was amazing! It was so much better than being inside. I'm not really sure why, but I really enjoyed it. Because I don't live in Norman and there's a pool where I work, I won't get to use the outdoor pool much, but it was a great swim!

I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! I plan to run today, bike tomorrow...then travel Wednesday and Thursday. I'll be on a camping/float trip with Nick's family. I hope to get a run in along with swimming in the river, canoeing on the river and hiking through the hills. And plenty of relaxing! Should be a great trip!!!

More uplifting...

I don't really feel like writing out a long post, I just don't want my lame last post to be the one up...

Friday I got to go into work a few hours late, so I slept in, and then decided I'd run. Time kept me from getting much of a workout in, but I did three sprints up this short hill. I cut four seconds off the second one as compared to the first. Then, determined to be just seconds faster, I did the last. Cut another SIX seconds! Awesome. The short work out got me thinking about my previous post. I have a tri in three week -- there's no room for excuses! And that's honestly what they are. If you're committed to training, you overcome those things.

Of course, then I didn't work out again until today, so maybe I was full of it!

But I am committed for the next week and a half. I have a fairly intense (but doable) workout plan. Next Wednesday evening, Nick and I leave for a little trip with his family. We're heading out to a river and cabins. I'm super excited, and hoping to get an open-water river swim in as well as a run. I think I'll be able to have to motivation -- especially now that Nick's working out. Plus, we'll do some hiking, and of course, an all-day canoe trip. I should stay active, but still relax. My next tri is the following weekend! Eek!

I've had a really difficult time motivating to work out this week. First off, I'm scared that if I push myself, I will get sick and throw up all over! I know it's silly, but it's real...

I did go swimming on Tuesday. The swim was fine, but I had a horrible headache after! It died down to just an annoyance, and last for 12 hours or so...

Here's the deal. I've been really tired and had some waves of nausea since I started the antibiotics. Yes, it's likely mostly in my head, but it's hard to overcome. I'm hoping the problem will resolve itself this weekend. I don't know if my lack of motivation is from being tired because of the meds or because I haven't really worked out...

Today I did convince myself to go outside for 30 minutes. The plan was to just be outside for 30 minutes. I could walk, run if I wanted, or even sit down. I hoped the beautiful day, the sun and the exercise would help. I loved it and had a great half hour! I did try to run a bit. I got a little motion sickness. Even looking far in the distance, everything was moving up and down...Does that normally happen? It doesn't usually bother me...

I don't really like this post because it sounds like I'm whining. Maybe I am. I'm hoping I feel way better after I get off the meds tomorrow night...

5k Race Report: Well, that didn't go well

Title says it all!

Previously unplanned, but I started taking antibiotics late Friday night. I don't like antibiotics. Anyway, I was feeling nauseated on race morning and barely ate any breakfast. I wasn't sure if it was the race anxiety, getting up early (which often makes me feel that way) or side effect of the antibiotics. The course was neat because the turn around was basically right next to the house I grew up in! We actually walked half the course (from our house to the start) to get to the race. I got my shirt, number and chip and got in line. I was nervous and feeling "off," but determined to push myself.

Off we go! The course wasn't too terribly interesting or tough. But it was where I grew up, so that was new for me to race, I guess. Anyway, I struggled, but I tried to push myself. I actually had forgotten my watch, so I had no way of knowing how well I was doing. I just kept telling myself I couldn't slow down. About k number 3, I started really getting hard.

To get to the finish line, you had to go under a bridge, and then do a twist and turn or two before making it. It appears closer than it really is because of the turn. I didn't try to kick it, though, because right after crossing under the bridge, I got really nauseated again. Still, I tried to push through it and maintain a speed. I couldn't see the time, so I didn't know where I was still. All of a sudden, I dry heave and run off to the edge. Then again. And then the half a bowl of cereal...in the last 50 yards, I threw up four times, but I kept running. I feel bad for all the people who had to watch it! Thank goodness Mom's camera stopped working right before I got up there, otherwise, we would have seen a beautiful picture of one moment NO ONE wants to remember! After the fourth time, I saw the time: 33:18. One minute slower than I was hoping. I gave up and walked the last 10 yards...

For lack of a more polite way to put it, it's hard to run and throw up at the same time, so I can't say I was particularly clean at this point. Plus I was sick and disappointed. Lame. I'm still not sure if it was the meds (I was nauseated all the next day too...) or just simply pushing myself too hard.

I'm proud that I gave it my all. I kept pushing, even after I got sick and totally embarrassed myself in my hometown. I can, for once, say I tried my best in a race. It's disappointing, however, that it just wasn't enough for a PR.

The kicker? The results don't even show me! According to them, I never ran it! I would have come in 21 of 36 in my age group, it looks like. Not bad.

Saturday's race

I just ran two miles in 19:40! Hell ya! I'm really happy with the time -- you know I struggle with speed -- and I'm happy with the way I pushed myself to maintain my speed when it got hard to do so.

I've got a 5k on Saturday. I'm hoping for my PR. (32:30 is the time to beat!) It would be great if I could do it sub 30, but I don't think I'm there yet. 32 would be a great race!

Oh the humidity!

Well, my tight calves kept me from running until last Thursday, when I finally got a short run in! But I struggled a lot with the run, partly because of the calves and partly because of the ridiculous humidity! Yup, it's that time in Oklahoma again...

The weekend...well, working out didn't happen. Then Monday, I did a long, sweaty bike trainer/ab workout. (Tornadoes and wind in OK kept me inside.) It was great to get in a workout like that, and my legs were nice and tired the next day! And then, on Tuesday, I went out for a run. The humidity must have been 150%, no joke. If you've ever spent any spring/summer time in Oklahoma, you know I'm NOT exaggerating! It seems I forgot just how much it zaps your energy and hinders you exercise. My dad's always said you run through the summer so you can fast in the fall. I'm definitely looking forward to that. All in all, I managed three miles, but it took 36:33...not quite ideal! I hope to race faster on Saturday morning for my 5k. It's at 7:30, so I hope the humidity will stay a bay, but we're supposed to get stormy weather, so we'll see!

On a happy note, after the two days of workouts, my legs feel GREAT. I've been slacking off a ton throughout the winter, etc., and my legs didn't feel quite like this. It's like their a little tired, but great. I don't really know how to explain it, but it feels like I work them out regularly! Like slightly tired is normal and how they should feel! Maybe it doesn't make sense...but I love it!

Climb for the Cure

Yesterday, I participated in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Climb for the Cure. I had never done anything like that, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but we were climbing up and down the south end zone of the OU football stadium. I'm guessing there's about 150 steps to it. They had three options: twice, five times or eight times. I thought we'd just be able to decide as we go, so I decided I'd do five for sure and then shoot for eight. I had no idea how hard it would be! Well, we had to decide before we started because we lined up according to the distance! Eek! Three-quarters of the way up the first time, I couldn't believe I had committed myself to eight (of course!)...it was so hard! My legs were burning, my lungs were burning...it was much harder than I expected. Well...I did all eight! My legs were shaking after and I couldn't really breathe (my throat was constricted), but I did it in 17 minutes.

I got to see Nick for about two hours after (he's studying for finals!), and my legs were shaking as I was trying to drive to his place. The weird thing is, I had to take two flights of stairs to get back to my car, and my legs didn't feel too fatigued, but I couldn't straighten my leg in the car, whether on the clutch or the gas pedal, without uncontrollable shaking! It made the drive...weird.

And today, my calves are so tight I can barely walk! I was supposed to run 3 miles today, but it quickly became apparent I probably wouldn't. Anytime I sit for any extended period of time, I hobble when I try to walk again. I rearranged my weekly schedule so today was a rest day and decided to walk two miles instead. I hoped walking would help loosen my calves a bit. It did while I walked, but it doesn't seem to have had any long term effect on them...Cross your fingers I can run tomorrow!

On a side note, today was supposed to be my first day of the eat smart, exercise intensely, lose weight thing. As sad as it is, I didn't remember until I was leaving work after 5 p.m.! Horrible right? The good news is, I didn't eat horribly! I had two pieces of chocolate at lunch instead of one and then Randy brought a bag of this new type of chip to our afternoon meeting. Seven of us split it, but I'm sure I had more than the nine-chip portion...and I went back for seconds! I'm telling you, I didn't even think about how I was supposed to be eating right...even after a co-worker wrote down the calorie content because she's watching her calories! Guess bad habits die hard...fortunately, I'm starting off pretty well. :)

Ideal body weight

I had decided after the Memorial Marathon, I'd watch what I ate and try to lose about five pounds. I think what happened is I just kept eating like I did when I was training for the Olympic distance, but I haven't been burning off nearly as many calories. Plus, I'm not doing core work. All in all, I figured I could lose a bit.

Well, then, I was reading about juice diets in Triathlete. Years ago, my mom and I did a juice fast for seven days. While it was painful at the time, it was a great experience. I lost 10 pounds and only gained five back when we started eating solid food. And, I was detoxed...somewhat at least. Plus, everything we ate tasted absolutely amazing! We tried again the following year, but I had no success that time. It's been in the back of my mind to do again, but Triathlete brought it up again. I decided I was going to do a three-day juice fast to sort of kick start the weight loss/leaner thing. I had it planned for next week, but then I remembered we're having a ice-cream social thing for my boss on Thursday (what would be day 3), and I just don't want to have that sort of will power. It's tough to plan this around my racing this month (I have a climb tomorrow and a race on the 15th) because I expect it to hinder my workouts, etc. I could do MTW, but I'm not sure ice cream sandwiches are great the day after the fast. So I'm deciding when I should do that...thoughts?

Today, I was also reading Triathlete and it had an article about ideal race weight. So I did all the calculations, and it says I need to be at 123.5...about six pounds from where I am today. Well, actually, six pounds puts me in the 80th percentile in body fat percentage. And I didn't like knowing that I wasn't already at least in the 80th percentile. So that's my goal weight. No crazy diets (besides the juice thing, but I actually believe in them), just portion control and making sure I'm eating mostly whole foods. And continuing to work out, which isn't too big of a problem these days. Wish me luck!