I procrastinate so much and I get distracted by anything. -- Zach Braff
It has been a busy couple of days - I've been at a work conference, which is very interesting and intellectually stimulating, but I've sadly found myself to be very distracted. I am a little concerned about this, because in order to STRIVE, I will need to FOCUS. Usually my mind only gets tired of these conferences at the end of the second day...my head is full and I'm just done. But for some reason, I feel like I came into this conference already full and done. I hope it isn't because of my training - because that is not going to be sustainable over the long run. Exercise is supposed to aid my focus, not ruin it. I'm really hoping it's something else - the changing weather, the crazy busy at work before I left, etc. It is something I'm going to need to keep an eye on.
OK, enough psychobabble. I started my 20-week training program for the HIM today with a 40-minute run on the hotel treadmill. Whoo whooo! It's exciting to finally be on the plan - I feel like I've just been treading water (ha! pun intended) until the plan started. Now I just need to hit my workouts consistently and I will be able to succeed in September.
Sunday 4/7 - 120 minute cycle (29.45 miles)
Monday 4/8 - 2.66 mile run, masters swim
Tuesday 4/9 - 51 minute cycle (13.36 miles)
Wednesday 4/10 - 80 minute cycle (19.61), 30 minute swim
Thursday 4/11 - REST (travel day)
Friday 4/12 - 2.61 mile run (hotel)
Saturday 4/13 - 3.42 mile run (hotel)
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Freyja
The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage, dignity. -- Ruby Dee
My new bike has a name - Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and war (among other things). She rules over half of Norse heaven...she gets half of those who die in battle, the rest go to Valhalla. She also is alleged to be the most beautiful of all Norse goddesses. And, as the quote above notes, there are all different sorts of beauty...and I want to be strong and courageous (and I guess dignified too).
It took me a while to choose this name. But I like the name and I know the bike will like it. I'm excited for next week when we'll get to start to know each other.
My new bike has a name - Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and war (among other things). She rules over half of Norse heaven...she gets half of those who die in battle, the rest go to Valhalla. She also is alleged to be the most beautiful of all Norse goddesses. And, as the quote above notes, there are all different sorts of beauty...and I want to be strong and courageous (and I guess dignified too).
It took me a while to choose this name. But I like the name and I know the bike will like it. I'm excited for next week when we'll get to start to know each other.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Taking a Really Big Bite
What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds. -- Wayne Dyer
So I just took a really big bite, in the sense of biting off more than you can chew. I registered for a local century ride, Cap2Cap, in May. (This is the decision that I've been putting off, but being frugal mostly, I needed to decide before the prince bump.) It will be a stretch, but I know I can do it within the time constraints. And doing it will be a huge boost for me mentally. Besides, it's not as hilly as the rides that I've been doing from home. Well -- correction -- it has the same total ascent as some of the rides I do from home, but stretched over 100 miles rather than 20.
This idea of pushing myself is really powerful. It makes me look at things differently - and not just with respect to my "athletic" endeavors. (Some day I will fancy myself an athlete.) I have a sense that there are many things I can accomplish if I put the effort and focus into what I'm doing. This is important because I'm not very good at focus. (Oooh. Something shiny! Where was I again?) It also seems to have helped clarify what matters. Rearranging my schedule and my life to balance family, work, and training has forced me to make some choices recently -- and I think I'm choosing well.
So what happens if the century is not a success? Not really my game plan. I have a long time (plenty even at pokey speed) to complete it in with support (and worse comes to worse, without support). If it really ends up being the wrong day for me, I can loop back and make it a 50 mile ride. But that's not what I want to do. It's a safety valve, not an option.
And besides, the ride will give me a quality day with Baby, who will undoubtedly start getting jealous as I'll need to be getting used to the tri bike. (Fitting scheduled for next Wednesday! Yeah!)
So I just took a really big bite, in the sense of biting off more than you can chew. I registered for a local century ride, Cap2Cap, in May. (This is the decision that I've been putting off, but being frugal mostly, I needed to decide before the prince bump.) It will be a stretch, but I know I can do it within the time constraints. And doing it will be a huge boost for me mentally. Besides, it's not as hilly as the rides that I've been doing from home. Well -- correction -- it has the same total ascent as some of the rides I do from home, but stretched over 100 miles rather than 20.
This idea of pushing myself is really powerful. It makes me look at things differently - and not just with respect to my "athletic" endeavors. (Some day I will fancy myself an athlete.) I have a sense that there are many things I can accomplish if I put the effort and focus into what I'm doing. This is important because I'm not very good at focus. (Oooh. Something shiny! Where was I again?) It also seems to have helped clarify what matters. Rearranging my schedule and my life to balance family, work, and training has forced me to make some choices recently -- and I think I'm choosing well.
So what happens if the century is not a success? Not really my game plan. I have a long time (plenty even at pokey speed) to complete it in with support (and worse comes to worse, without support). If it really ends up being the wrong day for me, I can loop back and make it a 50 mile ride. But that's not what I want to do. It's a safety valve, not an option.
And besides, the ride will give me a quality day with Baby, who will undoubtedly start getting jealous as I'll need to be getting used to the tri bike. (Fitting scheduled for next Wednesday! Yeah!)
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
She's Here!
After a little bit of FedEx drama (OK, the drama was mine...FedEx was awesome), my bike arrived today. Here's the box it came in, right after the FedEx guy left. Yes - I had my camera out before he pulled out of the driveway. I'm excited like that.
Believe it or not, I didn't immediately crack into the bike. It's gorgeous here today and I wanted to get a ride in before the girls got home, so I went for a quick ride on Baby before I opened the box. After I got back, I opened the box. Hmmm. Somewhere in here there is suppose to be a bike?
After taking out all the brown wrapping paper, I found all of the bike pieces. The bike pieces were covered in white foam wrapping, cardboard sheets, and other fun stuff. It was kind of like Christmas - paper and tape were flying all over the room. (There were no bows or ribbon, but that's OK...it was exciting!)
After I got it all unwrapped, I went to work putting it together. Here is the unwrapped, but not-put-together-version. (Thankfully it ships mostly put together, but still - it took me some work and multiple sizes of Allen wrenches.)
Here she is put together before I unwrapped the aerobars.
And now, the aerobars unwrapped.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Training 3/31 - 4/6...and ready for dropback week
If there is time to reflect, slowing down is likely to be a good idea. -- Daniel Kahneman
The way most training programs are set up is that you build for 3 weeks, then drop back for a few weeks -- lighter training volume, less intense training, sometimes both. I've just built for the last three weeks, so this coming week is a drop back week - which is convenient, since I'm traveling the end of the week. Short workouts are easier to squeeze in on the road.
I felt really strong this past week, particularly my running. I'm actually starting to see glimpses of my old younger, faster self. I'm pretty excited about this. It almost makes up for the disappointment I have with my slow progress on the bike.
I guess part of the deal with the bike is that I'm riding some really hilly routes and for some reason, it is really flipping windy right now. Ridiculously so. Maybe if I was riding a more rolling route or on a calmer day? Or a flatter course on a calm day? That would be awesome, but what about race day? OK, so I will know the routes for the races/rides beforehand - and none are supposed to be terribly hilly (except for the sprint tri I'm doing in July which has one idiotic stupid hill at the turnaround point - I've done that race before and am well aware of the hill). But it could very well be crazy windy? (Or rainy, since I bring the rain when I race!)
I realizing I just have to keep at it. Just keep swimming. Just keep riding. Just keep running. Strive.
Sunday 3/31- 5.16 mile run
Monday 4/1 - 62 minute cycle (stationary)
Tuesday 4/2 - 2.54 mile run, 33 minute swim
Wednesday 4/3 - 75 cycle (stationary), masters swim
Thursday 4/4 - REST
Friday 4/5 - 3.38 mile run, 35 minute swim
Saturday 4/6 - 4.18 mile run, 63 minute cycle
The way most training programs are set up is that you build for 3 weeks, then drop back for a few weeks -- lighter training volume, less intense training, sometimes both. I've just built for the last three weeks, so this coming week is a drop back week - which is convenient, since I'm traveling the end of the week. Short workouts are easier to squeeze in on the road.
I felt really strong this past week, particularly my running. I'm actually starting to see glimpses of my old younger, faster self. I'm pretty excited about this. It almost makes up for the disappointment I have with my slow progress on the bike.
I guess part of the deal with the bike is that I'm riding some really hilly routes and for some reason, it is really flipping windy right now. Ridiculously so. Maybe if I was riding a more rolling route or on a calmer day? Or a flatter course on a calm day? That would be awesome, but what about race day? OK, so I will know the routes for the races/rides beforehand - and none are supposed to be terribly hilly (except for the sprint tri I'm doing in July which has one idiotic stupid hill at the turnaround point - I've done that race before and am well aware of the hill). But it could very well be crazy windy? (Or rainy, since I bring the rain when I race!)
I realizing I just have to keep at it. Just keep swimming. Just keep riding. Just keep running. Strive.
Sunday 3/31- 5.16 mile run
Monday 4/1 - 62 minute cycle (stationary)
Tuesday 4/2 - 2.54 mile run, 33 minute swim
Wednesday 4/3 - 75 cycle (stationary), masters swim
Thursday 4/4 - REST
Friday 4/5 - 3.38 mile run, 35 minute swim
Saturday 4/6 - 4.18 mile run, 63 minute cycle
Friday, April 5, 2013
Anticipation!
You usually have to wait for that which is worth waiting for. -- Craig Bruce
According to FedEx, my bike will get here Wednesday of next week. I'm nearly giddy with excitement - I'm thinking of cancelling my work obligations so I can be home and sign for it right away. Gotta have your priorities in order, that's what I think.
And speaking of priorities, she's going to need a name. I realize that Baby is not the coolest name for a bike, but now that I'm getting a really cool bike, she's going to need a better thought-out name. I don't know if I should wait until she's here, so that I can look at her and a perfect name will just jump out at me or if I should struggle to think of a good name now so I can welcome her home appropriately.
Bet you didn't realize what silly things I could waste brain space on.
According to FedEx, my bike will get here Wednesday of next week. I'm nearly giddy with excitement - I'm thinking of cancelling my work obligations so I can be home and sign for it right away. Gotta have your priorities in order, that's what I think.
And speaking of priorities, she's going to need a name. I realize that Baby is not the coolest name for a bike, but now that I'm getting a really cool bike, she's going to need a better thought-out name. I don't know if I should wait until she's here, so that I can look at her and a perfect name will just jump out at me or if I should struggle to think of a good name now so I can welcome her home appropriately.
Bet you didn't realize what silly things I could waste brain space on.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
One Decision Made, One Decision to Make
A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. -- Tony Robbins
So I made my decision on a bike. I'm so excited! I'm getting a Cannondale Slice Women's 3 Ultegra - it's so pretty. I know, I know, that's not the important thing. It's all fit, fit, fit...but it does help that it's pretty. We ordered it via mail, so it will be a while before I get it, but I can hardly wait. I'm giddy!
(credit - Cannondale website)
Plus it takes a load off my mind to have the decision actually made. Doing the research, agonizing over the choice - it was a big decision. But I feel good about the decision I made. Now I just need to wait.
Now I have another little decision that's making me nuts. (Have you noticed that I'm not good at decision making?) There is a big supported ride in town that I've never been able to do because it conflicts with an annual event at my job. But I'm planning on skipping the work event this year -- just this year -- to do the supported ride. That's not the decision. I was planning on the 50-miler, but hubby brought up the possibility of doing the full century. Now, I haven't trained extensively nor specifically for the full century - but I know I can do it in the time provided (don't want to miss the beer at the finish). I may be a bit sore for a bit afterwards, but it would be so cool to do. It sounds like I'm rushing things - but I don't know when or if I'll ever be able to do this event again...so it's attractive to do the full to say I've done it. I need to decide in the next week or so. Ugh.
So I made my decision on a bike. I'm so excited! I'm getting a Cannondale Slice Women's 3 Ultegra - it's so pretty. I know, I know, that's not the important thing. It's all fit, fit, fit...but it does help that it's pretty. We ordered it via mail, so it will be a while before I get it, but I can hardly wait. I'm giddy!
(credit - Cannondale website)
Plus it takes a load off my mind to have the decision actually made. Doing the research, agonizing over the choice - it was a big decision. But I feel good about the decision I made. Now I just need to wait.
Now I have another little decision that's making me nuts. (Have you noticed that I'm not good at decision making?) There is a big supported ride in town that I've never been able to do because it conflicts with an annual event at my job. But I'm planning on skipping the work event this year -- just this year -- to do the supported ride. That's not the decision. I was planning on the 50-miler, but hubby brought up the possibility of doing the full century. Now, I haven't trained extensively nor specifically for the full century - but I know I can do it in the time provided (don't want to miss the beer at the finish). I may be a bit sore for a bit afterwards, but it would be so cool to do. It sounds like I'm rushing things - but I don't know when or if I'll ever be able to do this event again...so it's attractive to do the full to say I've done it. I need to decide in the next week or so. Ugh.
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