This has been a week full of struggles and setbacks for me. It is always hard for me to start over. Partly because I am mad at myself for losing ground. I don't make that much ground so I really shouldn't put myself in a position to lose any. And partly because my body really likes being lazy and complains loudly when I go back to convincing it that lazy isn't an option.
I have also added a new activity to my cross-training activities. I am riding a bike. My plan is to do a Sprint Triathlon next October. Yikes! I don't know why I start thinking I can do these things. First problem with this plan, I don't have a bike. Second problem with this plan, I haven't ridden a bike in over 20 years. The mental picture I have of me on a bike is an overweight woman, one with a significant derriere, that is wobbling all over the road. Isn't that a great mental picture for someone to have before trying something new? It didn't exactly make me brimming with confidence.
I didn't want to buy a bike until I was a little more confident about the activity. It would suck to spend a couple hundred dollars and then have the dumb thing sitting in the garage all the time. My husband would just give me that look. lol I don't like that look. So we borrowed a bike from our friends since D is traveling for work and won't be using his for a few weeks. A couple of weeks ago I walked over to their house with a bike helmet in hand and then rode the bike home. I was a little wobbly at first but then I smoothed out. Made it home without crashing into something or falling down. That's a good start.
A week ago my husband looked at me and said, "Let's go!" He took me for a bike ride. We had to have a lesson on stopping cause the seat is so high that I can barely touch the ground so he showed me how to slow down and then slowly come off the seat and then stop and put a foot down at the same time. It takes a bit of coordination that I'm pretty sure I did fabulously, when I was 14. I'm a little bit wobbly when I stop but I'm getting better. We did a loop that is about 5 miles and I played with gears and just got used to being on a bike again. It was pretty fun. I totally could remember what it was like to be a kid and be riding my bike with my brother and sisters. We used to love riding our bikes around the neighborhood and would go around this big block that had a hill on the way back to the house. Now I would have imagined that my derriere had enough padding that sitting on a bike seat wouldn't bother me too much. I mean, I rode my bike all the time when I was a kid and I was a twig then. No padding at all and I never remember my behind hurting. I definitely could feel it by the end of our ride. I was trying to imagine sitting on a bike seat for 112 miles like Joe did for the Ironman. No thank you!!
But I did it and I now know that I can do it again. Gotta start upping the miles so that I will be ready for the triathlon. :-)
So Sunday was the day of getting back into the routine of working out. I went on a great hike with friends and my youngest goober. We ran here and there but mostly walked but it was fun to be out doing something. I enjoyed the friends, my kiddo and the beautiful Oregon scenery on the hike. That's a pretty good way to start out a week of working out. We went about 6.5 miles and had a great time.
Monday I got back in the pool and swam for 30 minutes. It took awhile to get the rhythm back. I snorted and sneezed water up my nose for quite a while. I think I was trying to go to fast. When I finally settled down and took my time it went much better. I don't know how swimming is for most people but for me it is about the rhythm of my strokes and my breathing. Overall the swim wasn't too bad but I could tell that I hadn't done laps for a few months. Again with the starting over. Grrrrr.
Tuesday I ran. I went for a four mile run. I went in the morning but evidently not early enough. I was hot. Everything hurt. I wasn't breathing very well and I was going SO slow! Starting over sucks! Have I mentioned that yet? My average pace was 14'02". So slow compared to how I was doing in April. I then walked another mile so that I could get the miles in that my training plan called for. Wasn't going to be able to run that last mile. It just wasn't going to happen.
Wednesday was the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" 5K. This is my fourth time doing this 5K. It is the first race I ever did and I have done it every year since. I was not looking forward to it this year at all. I knew that I was not where I wanted to be in my running and that would make it a frustrating race for me. Also, this race starts at 5:30 p.m. and it was hot. This year it was about 85 degrees. I really hate running in the heat. The race started and took off WAY to fast! My first half mile the Nike app informed me that I was running at a 10'30" pace. Uh oh. I can't maintain that speed on a good day. I slowed down. At the one mile mark I was going an 11'30 pace. Well, I slowed down. Just not enough! Still going to fast and now I was having a hard time breathing. I slowed down even more and used my inhaler. I kept a more reasonable pace for mile two. During mile 3 I started feeling nauseous. I had about a half a mile left when I had to start walking. I would run a bit and then walk a bit. It sucked! The race finishes in Goss Stadium, which is the Oregon State University baseball field. We run around the outfield and then run down the third base line and finish on home plate. I ran the entire time I was in the stadium. Finished in 41'43". Not my worst time but not anywhere close to my best time either. I was hot, I didn't feel good and I was grumpy with myself. I know I can do better! I did a 33 minute 5K in May for Pete's sake!
Thursday I went and did Water Aerobics. In the summer they have a class at the outdoor kids pool in the current pool. I did it a lot last summer and loved it and this was the first time that I could go this year. My friend Maureen joined me and we had a blast. The class is outside and the instructor plays music the whole time. So I get to play in the water, listen to good music and work on my tan. Pretty sweet way to get some exercise. I like being able to do lunges and squats in the water. I can work on doing them better than I can at home because if I fall down then I will just be in the water. If I fall down at home it will hurt! lol
Today I decided to do my longer run. I am supposed to do it on Saturday but we are picking Goober #3 up from camp at 9:00 a.m. and I would have had to get up ridiculously early to make that work. And if I waited to do it after we picked her up it wouldn't happen. I would find excuses not to do it.
I was out the door by 6:45 a.m. which meant it was much cooler than the runs I had done earlier in the week. I made sure that I was starting out slow. My goal was to get negative splits. I do much better when I start out slow and work on getting faster every mile. The first couple of miles didn't feel great but didn't feel awful either. About mile 3 I felt it. That really good rhythm that feels like you can just maintain that pace forever. I haven't felt that for awhile so I was excited. I was concentrating on my breathing and my posture and just enjoying the summer morning. Every mile I was trying to go just a bit faster. I reached the 7 mile point just around the corner from home. I had a very good run and did a great job with the negative splits.
When I got home I had a water bottle and Nugo bar. Then I went for a bike ride with Joe. We did the same route as last time, just a bit further. It was pretty good. I could tell that I had just done a seven mile run though so towards the end my legs were complaining loudly. But I did it! I'm using Runkeeper to track my bike rides and swimming. I like that it has more activities than just running. :-)
Then I took a very long nap! A very, very long nap. I had sat in the recliner at first but I couldn't get comfortable. And I also had gotten chilled. I have that sometimes after a big workout. It's really hot but I'm shivering. I even had taken a hot shower. I finally went and laid down in bed with all the covers and snuggled in. Three hours later I emerged. That felt soooooo good. I love summer vacation!
So after a week of working out and lots of frustrations and complaints I finally had a good run. (Thank you Joe for putting up with my whining!) I feel like I've got my groove back a little. I am a little worried about how I will do at Cascade Lakes Relay, not because of the distances I have to run but because of the heat. I run my best at a temperature under 55 degrees. Even 60 feels hot to me when I'm running.
Joe shared this video yesterday on Facebook and I wanted to share it here. After a week of basically feeling sorry for myself, this video reminded me, once again, that I have it pretty good.
I had tears running down my face as I watched this. What an amazing example of love and sacrifice. I can do all things through him who strengthens me!
I have also added a new activity to my cross-training activities. I am riding a bike. My plan is to do a Sprint Triathlon next October. Yikes! I don't know why I start thinking I can do these things. First problem with this plan, I don't have a bike. Second problem with this plan, I haven't ridden a bike in over 20 years. The mental picture I have of me on a bike is an overweight woman, one with a significant derriere, that is wobbling all over the road. Isn't that a great mental picture for someone to have before trying something new? It didn't exactly make me brimming with confidence.
I didn't want to buy a bike until I was a little more confident about the activity. It would suck to spend a couple hundred dollars and then have the dumb thing sitting in the garage all the time. My husband would just give me that look. lol I don't like that look. So we borrowed a bike from our friends since D is traveling for work and won't be using his for a few weeks. A couple of weeks ago I walked over to their house with a bike helmet in hand and then rode the bike home. I was a little wobbly at first but then I smoothed out. Made it home without crashing into something or falling down. That's a good start.
A week ago my husband looked at me and said, "Let's go!" He took me for a bike ride. We had to have a lesson on stopping cause the seat is so high that I can barely touch the ground so he showed me how to slow down and then slowly come off the seat and then stop and put a foot down at the same time. It takes a bit of coordination that I'm pretty sure I did fabulously, when I was 14. I'm a little bit wobbly when I stop but I'm getting better. We did a loop that is about 5 miles and I played with gears and just got used to being on a bike again. It was pretty fun. I totally could remember what it was like to be a kid and be riding my bike with my brother and sisters. We used to love riding our bikes around the neighborhood and would go around this big block that had a hill on the way back to the house. Now I would have imagined that my derriere had enough padding that sitting on a bike seat wouldn't bother me too much. I mean, I rode my bike all the time when I was a kid and I was a twig then. No padding at all and I never remember my behind hurting. I definitely could feel it by the end of our ride. I was trying to imagine sitting on a bike seat for 112 miles like Joe did for the Ironman. No thank you!!
But I did it and I now know that I can do it again. Gotta start upping the miles so that I will be ready for the triathlon. :-)
So Sunday was the day of getting back into the routine of working out. I went on a great hike with friends and my youngest goober. We ran here and there but mostly walked but it was fun to be out doing something. I enjoyed the friends, my kiddo and the beautiful Oregon scenery on the hike. That's a pretty good way to start out a week of working out. We went about 6.5 miles and had a great time.
Monday I got back in the pool and swam for 30 minutes. It took awhile to get the rhythm back. I snorted and sneezed water up my nose for quite a while. I think I was trying to go to fast. When I finally settled down and took my time it went much better. I don't know how swimming is for most people but for me it is about the rhythm of my strokes and my breathing. Overall the swim wasn't too bad but I could tell that I hadn't done laps for a few months. Again with the starting over. Grrrrr.
Tuesday I ran. I went for a four mile run. I went in the morning but evidently not early enough. I was hot. Everything hurt. I wasn't breathing very well and I was going SO slow! Starting over sucks! Have I mentioned that yet? My average pace was 14'02". So slow compared to how I was doing in April. I then walked another mile so that I could get the miles in that my training plan called for. Wasn't going to be able to run that last mile. It just wasn't going to happen.
Wednesday was the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" 5K. This is my fourth time doing this 5K. It is the first race I ever did and I have done it every year since. I was not looking forward to it this year at all. I knew that I was not where I wanted to be in my running and that would make it a frustrating race for me. Also, this race starts at 5:30 p.m. and it was hot. This year it was about 85 degrees. I really hate running in the heat. The race started and took off WAY to fast! My first half mile the Nike app informed me that I was running at a 10'30" pace. Uh oh. I can't maintain that speed on a good day. I slowed down. At the one mile mark I was going an 11'30 pace. Well, I slowed down. Just not enough! Still going to fast and now I was having a hard time breathing. I slowed down even more and used my inhaler. I kept a more reasonable pace for mile two. During mile 3 I started feeling nauseous. I had about a half a mile left when I had to start walking. I would run a bit and then walk a bit. It sucked! The race finishes in Goss Stadium, which is the Oregon State University baseball field. We run around the outfield and then run down the third base line and finish on home plate. I ran the entire time I was in the stadium. Finished in 41'43". Not my worst time but not anywhere close to my best time either. I was hot, I didn't feel good and I was grumpy with myself. I know I can do better! I did a 33 minute 5K in May for Pete's sake!
Thursday I went and did Water Aerobics. In the summer they have a class at the outdoor kids pool in the current pool. I did it a lot last summer and loved it and this was the first time that I could go this year. My friend Maureen joined me and we had a blast. The class is outside and the instructor plays music the whole time. So I get to play in the water, listen to good music and work on my tan. Pretty sweet way to get some exercise. I like being able to do lunges and squats in the water. I can work on doing them better than I can at home because if I fall down then I will just be in the water. If I fall down at home it will hurt! lol
Today I decided to do my longer run. I am supposed to do it on Saturday but we are picking Goober #3 up from camp at 9:00 a.m. and I would have had to get up ridiculously early to make that work. And if I waited to do it after we picked her up it wouldn't happen. I would find excuses not to do it.
I was out the door by 6:45 a.m. which meant it was much cooler than the runs I had done earlier in the week. I made sure that I was starting out slow. My goal was to get negative splits. I do much better when I start out slow and work on getting faster every mile. The first couple of miles didn't feel great but didn't feel awful either. About mile 3 I felt it. That really good rhythm that feels like you can just maintain that pace forever. I haven't felt that for awhile so I was excited. I was concentrating on my breathing and my posture and just enjoying the summer morning. Every mile I was trying to go just a bit faster. I reached the 7 mile point just around the corner from home. I had a very good run and did a great job with the negative splits.
 |
| Love it when the last mile is the fastest! |
 |
| Bike ride! |
So after a week of working out and lots of frustrations and complaints I finally had a good run. (Thank you Joe for putting up with my whining!) I feel like I've got my groove back a little. I am a little worried about how I will do at Cascade Lakes Relay, not because of the distances I have to run but because of the heat. I run my best at a temperature under 55 degrees. Even 60 feels hot to me when I'm running.
Joe shared this video yesterday on Facebook and I wanted to share it here. After a week of basically feeling sorry for myself, this video reminded me, once again, that I have it pretty good.
Good for you. I want to come cheer you on for that Sprint!
ReplyDeleteThanks Barb! I'm getting kind of excited about it. :-)
DeleteGo Mom! I need to start running and training with you if i want to get a better time in the triathalon or even beat you! Haha love you, Goober #3
ReplyDelete