Back To The Gym

I have been starting to feel a little guilty about not going to the gym as often as I had in the Spring...but really, who wants to train indoors when the weather is so nice out? Today was my first weekday back in the gym...that just means rising early two or three days a week and hoping to get into the pool before too many others show up or hoping that my preferred treadmill is available.

Today's swim wasn't all that great. I had a little open water action on Saturday (however brief) and then back into the pool on Sunday. I felt a little sluggish and my body just didn't feel like doing the swim action - and moving forward seemed more like a theory than actual reality. So I kept it brief and kept at it for 15 minutes and then out of the pool to get changed to get onto the treadmill.

Oh yeah, the treadmill...not exactly my favorite piece of gym equipment, but that's not a surprise, I'm not sure anyone really likes running on a treadmill. It's been a few months since my last run on the treadmill so I decided to keep it brief, knowing that I'll be able to get on the road later this weekend. I will need to get a radio tuner that is easy to clip to my clothes so I can enjoy the news or whatever is showing on the monitors while I'm running. Anyway, today I ran probably about 15 minutes on a treadmill that had a weird noise so I kept focusing on that instead of just ignoring it. I hate it when there is an odd noise - can't concentrate on the task at hand. I should have known, I should have just gone to the treadmill that I usually use at the gym...next time!

Less than two weeks and Stumptown will be here! So excited...but also, just wanting to get done with this so I can move on to my next goal.

So much to do...so little time (sigh).

collect the whole set!

Alliance Durafast Splice Maxback Training Suit

Okay, so there are just two colors, but at $70 it's hard to justify getting two suits at a time...but with the sale price at $49.99 a much more pocket-book friendly! My other 2 year old suit has finally decided to become not so pool friendly and seems to be losing it's shape over time. So, since I already own the black w/red I decided to go ahead and order the navy with white. I'm pretty sure it will fit!

Shipment from teamestrogen.com arrives tomorrow...woo hoo!!!

Very Profound Words

A comedian once claimed that all running does is allow you to die in good health. Okay, I'll buy that. - Hal Hidgon

Enough said.

Counting Down the Days

 
At this point I'm counting down until I do StumpTown - once I am done with this event, my second tri this year, I will start training for Run Like Hell. I won't have much time, but I think I can eke out the 10k distance if I stay consistent.

The sun is rising a little later each morning and the opportunities to run out on the road will become less frequent...so we'll have to go back to the gym on a regular basis to run on the treadmill. If you have been following me here, you know that not only is running something that I'm continually trying to embrace and learning to appreciate, but that running on the treadmill is not my favorite thing to do.So, that just makes the enjoyment of running even harder.

Right now I can picture myself lugging myself upstairs at the gym and going to the far end so I can at least check the happenings in the weight area and at the entrance. That's the only thing that keeps me somewhat engaged and not watching the console...ugh.

It's going to be a long fall and winter season....oye.

Body says STOP

So, last night we went and rode the Vancouver Bicycle Club time trial...the last time we went was June 30 and my time that night was a very disappointing 34:19. I don't know why, but even though it's a decent time, I know I know that I can do better. My best time from last season was 32:25 an excellent time! Last night I finished the 10 mile course in about 33:08 or so. I'll have to check out my official time on the website later.

This morning I got myself out around 6am for a run. It seems that this week has been short run week. I haven't done anything over 2 miles and threw in some hill repeats one day just because I know I need to do them! So, today, the day after going almost all out during the time trial, my legs were feeling a little tired. I wanted to stop so bad, but since I knew my run wouldn't be long, I had to continue on to get the maximum benefit from running and to win the internal battle of wanting to STOP. I know if I stop, starting up will be that much harder and the reality is, I really don't enjoy walking. Running is SOOO much quicker!

My morning runs will be coming to an end soon as the sun rises later each morning. That just means I'll have to go and run on the treadmill at the gym. Ugh. It's so hard to keep going on the treadmill stopping on the treadmill is so easy, just push a button! My motivation - the fact that we are going to run the Run Like Hell 10k in October! So that means I gotta...

run, Run, RUN!

Registering

I have decided to mail in my registration for Stumptown - the processing fee is $6.20!!!!That's a lot of coffee money in my eyes...they don't need any more of my money!

I've got Open Water swim on the brain today...maybe I'll get out and get into Klineline (shudder)...I need the practice!

Klineline doesn't look so bad from this side ;)

So, What's Next?

This has been a light event year, training seems to take up a lot of time, but we do have a couple of other events that we have chosen to do. Leaving lots of opportunity for other events that look interesting...but here are the ones we have picked so far. Actually, the tri is for me and the run is kind of Tom's choice (per my suggestion), but we'll both run it :) I am still looking to try to do a half marathon late this year - if that doesn't happen, there are plenty in the spring that we could train for, but for now I'm going to train as if I'm doing one in December!

I'm shooting for a better Novice distance finish

October 23 - 10k

2011 Team Felida Cycling...

is soooo DONE!

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This year wasn't the greatest year...my running has been waaaay down and I guess Robin hadn't been training much either. At least we were both in the same predicament. We both knew the event was coming up and still just going along our business until race day. Actually, I like to think that I "crammed" a little the week before, but that's silly...I was just getting out to get out of the house!

So, my big observation is not about how I raced or how Robin raced, but how we COULD HAVE placed if I had a chance to apply my logic to the teams that were signed up.

Hopefully I don't get lost in my thinking...for I AM thinking clearly now...

Okay, there were a total of 6 teams. Out of those teams, one of those teams was registered for the 70 and Under division - yay, no competition there. From the 5 that were left, one of those teams should have been in the 70 and Under division, unless new math dictates that 32+34=over 91. So in my mind, that would be an automatic DQ for not being able to ADD. Now we are down to 4 teams - two of those teams had 3 people each. Another automatic DQ - not fair having 2 different runners to run each leg. That's cheating. In the end that would have left 2 REAL teams in the 91 and Over Division. And with our minimalist training performance we STILL could have placed! Which is kind of funny because we would have STILL been LAST!

First or Last...we still could have gotten a medal ;)