This morning I met Drew for a ride in the park. I was a little embarrassed because there I was wearing my (new) Terrier biking vest and there were all the Terriers doing their brick workouts ... and I wasn't. I'm too nervous to do them with the group right now because I feel like I'm too slow and I also really want to try it on my own and see how the jelly legs are before I do it with the group.
I'm really, really happy because my speed seems to have increased a little bit from last weekend, so that seems like I'm on the right track. I'm hoping if I just keep working at it, it'll just get better little by little.
This was the ride:
Ride to the park: 1.60 miles / approx. 10 minutes to get there / 9.6 MPH (average)
First loop around the park: 6.17 miles / 24:09 minutes / 15.3 MPH (average)
Second loop around the park: 6.08 miles / 25.02 minutes / 14.6 MPH (average)
Ride from park home: 1.64 miles / 9:28 minutes / 10.5 MPH (average)
Total ride: 15.49 miles
Not surprising that my first loop was faster. I knew the second time (especially on the Harlem hill) that I wasn't going as fast. I also am now seriously considering the investment into shoes and pedals since I have to keep reminding myself to "push and pull, push and pull". It's really easy to forget to do that, but it makes it a lot easier when I do remember.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Short Morning Workout
Last night I used one of the coupons from the yoga book and went to Exhale Yoga for a Level I class (teacher Marcy). The class ended up being really small - I think there were 10 of us - so that was really nice. The class wasn't too strenuous, although I did work up a bit of a sweat somewhere during the middle of the class. There was a lot of stretching at the beginning and end of class, which I thought was like heaven. I'm really glad because I've now been to 4 different classes with passes from the book, which means that from now on the classes I go to are all free (since the 4 classes more than equate to the amount that I paid for the book).
This morning I went to the gym with Drew. We got a bit of a late start due to our laziness and my tiredness. I realized that I've planned this week so that I have a morning workout every day and I think next week I'd like to break it up a little bit more. At least give myself one morning to sleep in for that extra hour or two.
Because of our late start, my workout wasn't really all it could have been. However, I'm going to operate on the theory that going and doing something was much better than doing nothing at all. I started with a quick 5 minute treadmill walking warm-up at 4.0 (speed 5% incline/distance 0.32 miles). I discovered yesterday (after trying to run a couple minutes too soon on my way to the group run) that it's going to best for me (and my heel) if I walk for a while before I start running to make sure I'm all warmed up.
Then Drew and I headed upstairs to do some weight lifting. I was doing my normal lifting routine and Drew decided to do it along with me. This was the workout:
Leg Presses: 3 sets of 10 reps each (90 pounds)
Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps each (90 pounds)
Lat Pull Down: 3 sets of 10 reps each (50 pounds)
Seated Row: 3 sets of 10 reps each (50 pounds)
Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps each (45 pounds)
[To clarify, Drew did lift a lot more weight than I did].
We finished up with 10 more minutes of cardio. I decided to use the treadmill again. I broke up the 10 minutes into three sections: 3 minutes walking at 4.0 (6% incline), 5 minutes jogging at 6.0 (1% incline), and 2 minutes cool down walking at 4.0 (1% incline). The total distance was 0.83 miles.
I then headed over to the stretching area and did 3 sets of crunches and finished up with a short stretching session.
This morning I went to the gym with Drew. We got a bit of a late start due to our laziness and my tiredness. I realized that I've planned this week so that I have a morning workout every day and I think next week I'd like to break it up a little bit more. At least give myself one morning to sleep in for that extra hour or two.
Because of our late start, my workout wasn't really all it could have been. However, I'm going to operate on the theory that going and doing something was much better than doing nothing at all. I started with a quick 5 minute treadmill walking warm-up at 4.0 (speed 5% incline/distance 0.32 miles). I discovered yesterday (after trying to run a couple minutes too soon on my way to the group run) that it's going to best for me (and my heel) if I walk for a while before I start running to make sure I'm all warmed up.
Then Drew and I headed upstairs to do some weight lifting. I was doing my normal lifting routine and Drew decided to do it along with me. This was the workout:
Leg Presses: 3 sets of 10 reps each (90 pounds)
Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps each (90 pounds)
Lat Pull Down: 3 sets of 10 reps each (50 pounds)
Seated Row: 3 sets of 10 reps each (50 pounds)
Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps each (45 pounds)
[To clarify, Drew did lift a lot more weight than I did].
We finished up with 10 more minutes of cardio. I decided to use the treadmill again. I broke up the 10 minutes into three sections: 3 minutes walking at 4.0 (6% incline), 5 minutes jogging at 6.0 (1% incline), and 2 minutes cool down walking at 4.0 (1% incline). The total distance was 0.83 miles.
I then headed over to the stretching area and did 3 sets of crunches and finished up with a short stretching session.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
73 Is Warmer Than 28 Or 38
This morning was the group Terrier run. The weather has vastly improved since the last time I went! I walked about half of the way to the meeting spot (0.8 miles) and jogged part of the way (0.6 miles). When I got there I could tell that my heel wasn't 100% comfortable so I was really going to play it safe and only do the strides work-out and skip the main workout.
Right away we got a talking to by the coach saying that we need to be doing a long run once a week and use that as a foundation for the Tuesday runs, not the other way around. The Tuesday workout is not the most important workout of the week for running. After that, we headed over to do the strides. I think they were somewhere around 0.8 miles total, although I could be a little off on that. I didn't keep track of how many we did exactly, so that's my best guess. I really tried to listen to all of the tips about form and incorporate them into the drills.
After the drills, the coach again gave us a mini-lecture saying that a lot of us are lacking flexibility and core strength. He said that we need to make sure we get into the gym and work on our lower abdominals and lower back strength. Although I didn't make it to the gym yesterday, I do feel good about the pilates workout since that is the main focus. It also makes me realize that I need to get back to yoga as well.
The main workout for the group was a hill run. After listening to the description, I really wanted to try the work-out, but I knew that I shouldn't push things and I just headed home. I jogged most of the way home (0.7 miles) and walked from Columbus Circle home (0.5 miles). The jogging part on the way home I completed in 7 minutes, so if I'm doing about a 10-minute mile pace right now, that seems okay with me.
Total, I think that the running portion for today was 2.1 miles and walking was 1.3 for a grand total of 3.4 miles.
Right away we got a talking to by the coach saying that we need to be doing a long run once a week and use that as a foundation for the Tuesday runs, not the other way around. The Tuesday workout is not the most important workout of the week for running. After that, we headed over to do the strides. I think they were somewhere around 0.8 miles total, although I could be a little off on that. I didn't keep track of how many we did exactly, so that's my best guess. I really tried to listen to all of the tips about form and incorporate them into the drills.
After the drills, the coach again gave us a mini-lecture saying that a lot of us are lacking flexibility and core strength. He said that we need to make sure we get into the gym and work on our lower abdominals and lower back strength. Although I didn't make it to the gym yesterday, I do feel good about the pilates workout since that is the main focus. It also makes me realize that I need to get back to yoga as well.
The main workout for the group was a hill run. After listening to the description, I really wanted to try the work-out, but I knew that I shouldn't push things and I just headed home. I jogged most of the way home (0.7 miles) and walked from Columbus Circle home (0.5 miles). The jogging part on the way home I completed in 7 minutes, so if I'm doing about a 10-minute mile pace right now, that seems okay with me.
Total, I think that the running portion for today was 2.1 miles and walking was 1.3 for a grand total of 3.4 miles.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Getting My Cadence Back
This morning I went and met Nicole for my pilates session. I don't feel like it's getting any easier, which is probably both a good and bad thing. I'm definitely having trouble keeping my abdominals tight and my back/pelvis in the proper position, but I'm going to keep working on it. I'm hoping that that part will just become more natural over time.
After work I headed home to take my bike to LBS so that they can look at the cadence sensor for the bike computer. I tried reading the directions for the computer (and I'm pretty sure they're in Latin) and I had no luck at all. I was pretty sure that it would be an easy (and quick fix). Easy, yes. Quick, no. I waited there for an hour for them to replace the cadence magnet.
I didn't really mind the waiting part, but it was the fact that it took longer than I expected, which meant that by the time I got home I was too tired and hungry to go to the gym for the optional strength workout for today. I am slightly disappointed in myself for not going, but since I am getting up early tomorrow it's probably better to get a good night's sleep and worry about the weight lifting later.
After work I headed home to take my bike to LBS so that they can look at the cadence sensor for the bike computer. I tried reading the directions for the computer (and I'm pretty sure they're in Latin) and I had no luck at all. I was pretty sure that it would be an easy (and quick fix). Easy, yes. Quick, no. I waited there for an hour for them to replace the cadence magnet.
I didn't really mind the waiting part, but it was the fact that it took longer than I expected, which meant that by the time I got home I was too tired and hungry to go to the gym for the optional strength workout for today. I am slightly disappointed in myself for not going, but since I am getting up early tomorrow it's probably better to get a good night's sleep and worry about the weight lifting later.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Being the Fastest
This morning I went for a walk with Drew that included a stop at Modell's (sporting goods store) where I got some new moisture-wicking socks. I ended up walking for 2 hours, which was helpful in trying to get in the amount of hours I needed in my orthotics. (Total distance was 3.1 miles, but that included some window shopping in the time).
After the walk I headed home and took a little nap. Luckily, this time I woke up in time to make it to swimming with the Terriers. I was hoping that it wouldn't be as crowded today as it was the last time because I was thinking that several people would be at the St. Anthony's triathlon in Florida. I was right about that. It also look like a lot of people have signed up for the race-specific training for the NYC triathlon, which practices right before us in the pool. That also thinned out the pool for my session.
This time the swimming coach, Megan, was at practice, so that was better than last time. I decided that I would swim in the middle lane instead of the faster lane where I was the slowest person last time. That turned out to mean that I led our lane for the majority of the time. This was the work-out:
500 warm-up
6 x 150 drill
5 x 150 drafting drill
150 cool-down
Total 2300 yards (1.3 miles)
The warm was free-style, but every third length was backstroke.
The first drill was 50 swim, 50 3-3-3 drill (3 right arm stokes, 3 left arm strokes, 3 swimming strokes), 50 kick with no board. I found the kicking part to be really tiring. I started out doing the first four on my stomach and just turning my head to breathe, but the last two I had to do on my side and keep my head out.
The drafting drill was that we reversed order and swam slowest to fastest, trying to pace (and draft) off the person in front of us. I was the last one to go and the first 4 150s had seemed pretty easy because I guess I didn't realize how much I was using the person in front of me. When it got to my turn to lead, I was exhausted after the first 100. The last 50 was definitely a struggle. It's interesting to me that they would teach us how to draft in swimming when it's illegal on biking. But I can definitely see its benefits!
I only did a short cool-down because everyone else was getting out right away. I would have liked to do a bit more, but felt self-conscious.
After the swim, I headed to LBS to pick up my new bike pump. In case you were worried, I chose a color that matches my bike better so there can be no excuse for Drew to steal this one to want to trade. Speaking of Drew, he told me that he went for a ride today and did one loop in the park in 21 minutes and about 17.35 MPH. Makes me feel very, very slow. The only thing I can do is keep practicing and get better. While I was at LBS, I did ask about the cadence and they said that the magnet might be out of place. I'm going to try to look at it myself right now to try to figure it out, but it probably will require me to take it in tomorrow after work.
After the walk I headed home and took a little nap. Luckily, this time I woke up in time to make it to swimming with the Terriers. I was hoping that it wouldn't be as crowded today as it was the last time because I was thinking that several people would be at the St. Anthony's triathlon in Florida. I was right about that. It also look like a lot of people have signed up for the race-specific training for the NYC triathlon, which practices right before us in the pool. That also thinned out the pool for my session.
This time the swimming coach, Megan, was at practice, so that was better than last time. I decided that I would swim in the middle lane instead of the faster lane where I was the slowest person last time. That turned out to mean that I led our lane for the majority of the time. This was the work-out:
500 warm-up
6 x 150 drill
5 x 150 drafting drill
150 cool-down
Total 2300 yards (1.3 miles)
The warm was free-style, but every third length was backstroke.
The first drill was 50 swim, 50 3-3-3 drill (3 right arm stokes, 3 left arm strokes, 3 swimming strokes), 50 kick with no board. I found the kicking part to be really tiring. I started out doing the first four on my stomach and just turning my head to breathe, but the last two I had to do on my side and keep my head out.
The drafting drill was that we reversed order and swam slowest to fastest, trying to pace (and draft) off the person in front of us. I was the last one to go and the first 4 150s had seemed pretty easy because I guess I didn't realize how much I was using the person in front of me. When it got to my turn to lead, I was exhausted after the first 100. The last 50 was definitely a struggle. It's interesting to me that they would teach us how to draft in swimming when it's illegal on biking. But I can definitely see its benefits!
I only did a short cool-down because everyone else was getting out right away. I would have liked to do a bit more, but felt self-conscious.
After the swim, I headed to LBS to pick up my new bike pump. In case you were worried, I chose a color that matches my bike better so there can be no excuse for Drew to steal this one to want to trade. Speaking of Drew, he told me that he went for a ride today and did one loop in the park in 21 minutes and about 17.35 MPH. Makes me feel very, very slow. The only thing I can do is keep practicing and get better. While I was at LBS, I did ask about the cadence and they said that the magnet might be out of place. I'm going to try to look at it myself right now to try to figure it out, but it probably will require me to take it in tomorrow after work.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Going Around Twice
This afternoon I walked from my apartment to Drew's apartment (55 minutes/2.5 miles) because my bike was still at his apartment from last weekend. I had to carry my bike floor pump over because he didn't have one and I knew our tires would need air. Of course, he somehow claimed that the pump, "matches his bike perfectly" and so I'll now have to buy another bike pump for my house.
Once I got there, I filled up our water bottles and we headed out to the Park. I was thinking that it wouldn't be that great of a ride because of all of the traffic, but by the time we got into the park (4:17 pm) it had probably thinned out a bit and wasn't horrible. There were still a couple of near misses of crazy bikers who weren't riding in a straight line, but over all it wasn't too bad. Drew only had time to go once around the loop because he had to go back to work, but I decided that I would go around twice.
The weather was extremely nice today - in the mid 80s, which was nice but made me really thirsty. I think that it would be a good investment to get another water bottle and cage for my bike. The second time around the loop was a little bit harder than the first time, although I think that I actually might have gone a tiny bit faster the second time. Not too hard to believe since I did spend part of the time on the first loop chatting a little bit with Drew. On the second loop, I really tried to concentrate on pulling and pushing the pedals. I can definitely feel the difference and will have to try to keep that in mind more often in the future.
The biggest problem with today was that my cadence wasn't registering on the bike computer. Everything else was working fine (MPH, distance, time) but not the cadence. I was really frustrated in the beginning, but then told myself that I would just do my best to keep pedaling and even if it wasn't perfect or as high as it should have been, it was still better than not going on the ride.
My time for just the riding in the park was 53 minutes for 12 miles total. Average speed of 13.58 MPH. I'm really going to have to work on getting that up, but it's a good starting point. The other thing that I'm going to have to do from now on is keep the park riding and the street riding times and distances separate. For instance, my total riding time today was 1 hour, 23 minutes for a total of 15.94 miles, which makes the average speed 11.52 MPH. Big difference. Counting the street riding is really bringing my average down. Mostly because I'm too chicken to ride faster in the street.
I'm hoping I can squeeze in a visit to LBS tomorrow and ask them about the cadence issue on the computer as well as getting a new water bottle cage. Oh, and of course, buying a new floor pump. I didn't quite get in the total 3 hours of breaking in the orthotics today, but I wore them for at least 2.5 hours, so that's probably close enough.
Once I got there, I filled up our water bottles and we headed out to the Park. I was thinking that it wouldn't be that great of a ride because of all of the traffic, but by the time we got into the park (4:17 pm) it had probably thinned out a bit and wasn't horrible. There were still a couple of near misses of crazy bikers who weren't riding in a straight line, but over all it wasn't too bad. Drew only had time to go once around the loop because he had to go back to work, but I decided that I would go around twice.
The weather was extremely nice today - in the mid 80s, which was nice but made me really thirsty. I think that it would be a good investment to get another water bottle and cage for my bike. The second time around the loop was a little bit harder than the first time, although I think that I actually might have gone a tiny bit faster the second time. Not too hard to believe since I did spend part of the time on the first loop chatting a little bit with Drew. On the second loop, I really tried to concentrate on pulling and pushing the pedals. I can definitely feel the difference and will have to try to keep that in mind more often in the future.
The biggest problem with today was that my cadence wasn't registering on the bike computer. Everything else was working fine (MPH, distance, time) but not the cadence. I was really frustrated in the beginning, but then told myself that I would just do my best to keep pedaling and even if it wasn't perfect or as high as it should have been, it was still better than not going on the ride.
My time for just the riding in the park was 53 minutes for 12 miles total. Average speed of 13.58 MPH. I'm really going to have to work on getting that up, but it's a good starting point. The other thing that I'm going to have to do from now on is keep the park riding and the street riding times and distances separate. For instance, my total riding time today was 1 hour, 23 minutes for a total of 15.94 miles, which makes the average speed 11.52 MPH. Big difference. Counting the street riding is really bringing my average down. Mostly because I'm too chicken to ride faster in the street.
I'm hoping I can squeeze in a visit to LBS tomorrow and ask them about the cadence issue on the computer as well as getting a new water bottle cage. Oh, and of course, buying a new floor pump. I didn't quite get in the total 3 hours of breaking in the orthotics today, but I wore them for at least 2.5 hours, so that's probably close enough.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Smaller Shoes or Bigger Orthotics?
Today I was supposed to walk in my orthotics for two hours. I figure the first hour of that was walking to and from work. Walking to work, I was wearing my new running shoes and still having the same problem as yesterday. The orthotics are sliding around in the shoes and I'm walking on the back edge, which isn't very comfortable.
When I got home from work, I decided to change shoes and wear my older shoes that are a 1/2 size smaller than the new shoes to see if that would remedy the problem. It worked like a charm. The only problem is that in general the new shoes are more comfortable than the old shoes. I'm guessing that I might need bigger orthotics so that they don't slide around in my new shoes. I have another appointment in three weeks, but I might call on Monday to see if I can go in before that to have the doctor look at it and let me know what she thinks.
I decided to hit the gym for the other hour of walking that I was supposed to get in. I did something pretty similar to yesterday, I just extended it for a full hour. This was the workout:
8 minutes walking at 4.2 speed, 1.0 incline (0.50 miles)
5 minutes running at 6.0 speed, 1.0 incline (0.50 miles)
30 minutes walking at 4.2 speed, 5.0 incline
10 minutes walking at 4.0 speed, 1.0 incline
7 minutes walking at 3.5 speed, 1.0 incline
The total distance was 4.2 miles. About half-way through I was definitely getting bored, but luckily Jeopardy and Family Feud helped with the boredom. It was sort-of frustrating to be inside because the weather was nicer today, but it is easier to be able to have a consistent speed and not have to worry about other people or the crosswalks. I finished up with some stretches and headed home for a post-workout smoothie. Now it's off to the shower so I can enjoy the rest of my Friday night!
When I got home from work, I decided to change shoes and wear my older shoes that are a 1/2 size smaller than the new shoes to see if that would remedy the problem. It worked like a charm. The only problem is that in general the new shoes are more comfortable than the old shoes. I'm guessing that I might need bigger orthotics so that they don't slide around in my new shoes. I have another appointment in three weeks, but I might call on Monday to see if I can go in before that to have the doctor look at it and let me know what she thinks.
I decided to hit the gym for the other hour of walking that I was supposed to get in. I did something pretty similar to yesterday, I just extended it for a full hour. This was the workout:
8 minutes walking at 4.2 speed, 1.0 incline (0.50 miles)
5 minutes running at 6.0 speed, 1.0 incline (0.50 miles)
30 minutes walking at 4.2 speed, 5.0 incline
10 minutes walking at 4.0 speed, 1.0 incline
7 minutes walking at 3.5 speed, 1.0 incline
The total distance was 4.2 miles. About half-way through I was definitely getting bored, but luckily Jeopardy and Family Feud helped with the boredom. It was sort-of frustrating to be inside because the weather was nicer today, but it is easier to be able to have a consistent speed and not have to worry about other people or the crosswalks. I finished up with some stretches and headed home for a post-workout smoothie. Now it's off to the shower so I can enjoy the rest of my Friday night!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tempting Fate & Trying Something New
This morning I went to the podiatrist and picked up my orthotics. The doctor said that I have to break them in for about a week before I started really running in them. She also said that I might experience some discomfort/pain when I do start running, but that doesn't mean that they're not working. It just means that my foot isn't used to them yet. So, to start breaking them in, I'm supposed to wear them for an hour today, two hours tomorrow, etc. until I get to 6 hours.
Because I knew I had this appointment this morning and I have plans this evening that prevent me from going to the gym later on, I decided to try out the gym at lunch time. I decided to go right at 12:00 to see if it was too busy or how I thought it would be. It actually wasn't bad at all. I'm guessing that the elliptical machines were pretty packed, but I was heading for the treadmill since it's been quite a while since I have been on one!
I started out walking for a half mile, which took me 6:55. I started at 4.5 but bumped it down to 4.0 after a few minutes. Then, I decided to tempt fate. I ran for a half mile. I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it. But I really wanted to see how the orthotics felt and if they would really help me off the bat. I did the running half mile in 5:30 at 5.5 speed on the treadmill. Then I pushed it back down to 4.0 to complete my half hour. My total distance was 2.2 miles and the whole thing was done at 1% incline.
What I learned is that I think they did help as I'm not feeling any worse than I was this morning (and the doctor did give me another prescription for Celebrex, so I will fill that if I do have any further pain). The other really important thing that I learned is that I need to make sure that they are pushed all the way against the back of my shoe because they were definitely uncomfortable because I was stepping on the edge the whole time. It wasn't as noticable while I was walking, but it was uncomfortable while running.
Because I knew I had this appointment this morning and I have plans this evening that prevent me from going to the gym later on, I decided to try out the gym at lunch time. I decided to go right at 12:00 to see if it was too busy or how I thought it would be. It actually wasn't bad at all. I'm guessing that the elliptical machines were pretty packed, but I was heading for the treadmill since it's been quite a while since I have been on one!
I started out walking for a half mile, which took me 6:55. I started at 4.5 but bumped it down to 4.0 after a few minutes. Then, I decided to tempt fate. I ran for a half mile. I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it. But I really wanted to see how the orthotics felt and if they would really help me off the bat. I did the running half mile in 5:30 at 5.5 speed on the treadmill. Then I pushed it back down to 4.0 to complete my half hour. My total distance was 2.2 miles and the whole thing was done at 1% incline.
What I learned is that I think they did help as I'm not feeling any worse than I was this morning (and the doctor did give me another prescription for Celebrex, so I will fill that if I do have any further pain). The other really important thing that I learned is that I need to make sure that they are pushed all the way against the back of my shoe because they were definitely uncomfortable because I was stepping on the edge the whole time. It wasn't as noticable while I was walking, but it was uncomfortable while running.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Reminder: No Pools at Night!
First, I got a great telephone call this afternoon - my orthodoics are ready! I'm going to pick them up tomorrow morning. I'm really hoping that they are a bit of a miracle cure for the tendonitis in my heel. I'm definitely going to take it slow when starting to run again. Laura suggested that I start by running a 1/2 mile every other day and then bump it up to a mile and keep increasing from there.
Tonight I couldn't get until the gym until 8. I did consider making a reservation at the pool, but knew that even if I had to wait there would still be enough time for a half-hour in the pool. When I got to the pool, the pool was packed. I keep forgetting to factor in the hotel guests taking up a lane, leaving only 3 lanes for the rest of us.
I had to wait about 15 minutes for a space to become available. The pool only allows 2 people per lane (and doesn't encourage circle swimming) and doesn't give any regard to speed. It's just first come first served. These facts were actually pretty frustrating tonight because I was stuck in a lane with a girl who was content to swim breast stroke down the center of the lane. Meanwhile, in the lane next to me was a guy who was swimming at my pace and he was sharing with another slow person. Why the lifeguard doesn't regulate that is beyond me!
Now that I seem to have reclaimed my lungs from my cold, I was really trying to get a good swim in. I really wanted to see how quickly I could swim the (Olympic) triathlon distance. I swam 88 lengths of the pool (0.9 miles) in 27:51. I was really happy with that time, especially since I got a weird toe cramp somewhere around length 60 and it stuck with me until the end. I know that I definitely slowed down a bit once I got the cramp, but I knew that if something similar happened during the race that I'd have to keep going and push through. I will say that I just kept thinking that if it does happen it seemed like biking would be a bit easier than running, so I wouldn't have to panic right away.
As a side note about the pool, it actually was good triathlon practice. The water was really warm, which was okay, but it was also really cloudy and had a lot of stuff floating around, which made me keep my mouth shut. I'm guessing that's another negative of swimming at night. I'm really going to try to remember that swimming in the morning is better from now on.
Tonight I couldn't get until the gym until 8. I did consider making a reservation at the pool, but knew that even if I had to wait there would still be enough time for a half-hour in the pool. When I got to the pool, the pool was packed. I keep forgetting to factor in the hotel guests taking up a lane, leaving only 3 lanes for the rest of us.
I had to wait about 15 minutes for a space to become available. The pool only allows 2 people per lane (and doesn't encourage circle swimming) and doesn't give any regard to speed. It's just first come first served. These facts were actually pretty frustrating tonight because I was stuck in a lane with a girl who was content to swim breast stroke down the center of the lane. Meanwhile, in the lane next to me was a guy who was swimming at my pace and he was sharing with another slow person. Why the lifeguard doesn't regulate that is beyond me!
Now that I seem to have reclaimed my lungs from my cold, I was really trying to get a good swim in. I really wanted to see how quickly I could swim the (Olympic) triathlon distance. I swam 88 lengths of the pool (0.9 miles) in 27:51. I was really happy with that time, especially since I got a weird toe cramp somewhere around length 60 and it stuck with me until the end. I know that I definitely slowed down a bit once I got the cramp, but I knew that if something similar happened during the race that I'd have to keep going and push through. I will say that I just kept thinking that if it does happen it seemed like biking would be a bit easier than running, so I wouldn't have to panic right away.
As a side note about the pool, it actually was good triathlon practice. The water was really warm, which was okay, but it was also really cloudy and had a lot of stuff floating around, which made me keep my mouth shut. I'm guessing that's another negative of swimming at night. I'm really going to try to remember that swimming in the morning is better from now on.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A Cloudy Day for Biking
Well, although it was really cloudy and gross all day long, I lucked out and was able to go biking after work. I was supposed to be swimming today according to the workout plan, but I hate going to the pool at night (although tonight I was going to go to Drew's pool) so riding the bike seemed like a better idea.
According to the plan, tomorrow's workout was supposed to be an hour-long bike ride, which I was hoping to get in today. However, the sky didn't want to cooperate with me. I did one loop around the park (7 miles total) in 30 minutes. When I got back to the 90th Street exit, I really wanted to keep going, but was too concerned about the sun going down. I think I made the right decision because I was wearing all black and it just seems much safer to be riding in day light than dusk. There was a decent amount of running/biking traffic in the park, but not too many actual cars, which was nice. That made it a lot easier for me to pass the people who insist on running in the biking lane!
Although my heel was hurting all day today at work, it wasn't bothering me at all on the bike, so that's good news. I am a little frustrated about this tendonitis because I haven't been running at all in the past 3 weeks and for it to just flare up again from me just walking to and from work seems like a bad sign. I also haven't heard back from the podiatrist about the orthotics, even though I left a message last week inquiring about the status.
The good news about today is that even though I was coughing a lot on the bike, my lungs in general are feeling a lot better and I don't seem to have the same congestion that I was feeling over the weekend. I'm hoping that this cold is now over with.
According to the plan, tomorrow's workout was supposed to be an hour-long bike ride, which I was hoping to get in today. However, the sky didn't want to cooperate with me. I did one loop around the park (7 miles total) in 30 minutes. When I got back to the 90th Street exit, I really wanted to keep going, but was too concerned about the sun going down. I think I made the right decision because I was wearing all black and it just seems much safer to be riding in day light than dusk. There was a decent amount of running/biking traffic in the park, but not too many actual cars, which was nice. That made it a lot easier for me to pass the people who insist on running in the biking lane!
Although my heel was hurting all day today at work, it wasn't bothering me at all on the bike, so that's good news. I am a little frustrated about this tendonitis because I haven't been running at all in the past 3 weeks and for it to just flare up again from me just walking to and from work seems like a bad sign. I also haven't heard back from the podiatrist about the orthotics, even though I left a message last week inquiring about the status.
The good news about today is that even though I was coughing a lot on the bike, my lungs in general are feeling a lot better and I don't seem to have the same congestion that I was feeling over the weekend. I'm hoping that this cold is now over with.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Pilates
Well, first of all, I'm really disappointed with myself. Yesterday I was supposed to go swimming with the Terriers at 4:30 and although I was nervous that my lungs wouldn't be quite ready for an hour-long swim, I was really looking forward to the workout. However, I fell asleep on the couch and slept through it. When I woke up a little after 5, it was also too late to get changed and head to the gym on my own because the pool closes at 5:45 and I would have literally gotten in, gotten wet, and gotten out.
I'm trying to put that behind me and start fresh this week. This morning I met Nicole for our pilates lesson. This time we did reformer, Cadillac and high chair work. Some of the exercises aren't too bad, but my stomach in general feels really tired at the moment. I know that's good for me. Ironically, there was one exercise that I was supposed to pedal my feet like a bicycle and I was horrible at that. I hope that doesn't reflect poorly on my actual biking skills.
Tomorrow morning is the group Terrier run. It is supposed to rain tomorrow and I might use that as an excuse to skip it. However, I think it might be good for me to just go and do the drills (and just jog to and from the park). I don't want to push it too much with my heel right now, especially since the orthotics aren't in yet. I'm going to let the weather determine whether or not I go to the group workout.
I'm trying to put that behind me and start fresh this week. This morning I met Nicole for our pilates lesson. This time we did reformer, Cadillac and high chair work. Some of the exercises aren't too bad, but my stomach in general feels really tired at the moment. I know that's good for me. Ironically, there was one exercise that I was supposed to pedal my feet like a bicycle and I was horrible at that. I hope that doesn't reflect poorly on my actual biking skills.
Tomorrow morning is the group Terrier run. It is supposed to rain tomorrow and I might use that as an excuse to skip it. However, I think it might be good for me to just go and do the drills (and just jog to and from the park). I don't want to push it too much with my heel right now, especially since the orthotics aren't in yet. I'm going to let the weather determine whether or not I go to the group workout.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Another New Bike!
Today I met Drew at Toga (LBS) where he was picking up his new bike! He copied me and got a Specialized, but his red so we're not too matchy. He didn't get any supplies for his saddle bag yet, so I guess right now he's relying on me to fix any flats that he gets.
We didn't have time for a long ride today since we were going to the Yankee game in the late afternoon. We just went from Toga half-way around the Park loop and exited at 90th Street on the East side.
I hope that I never ever have to ride in the Park on a Saturday afternoon ever again. It was horrible. It was a bunch of leisure bike riders who are zig-zagging back and forth in the lane. Not to mention all the walkers, runners and pedi-cabs.
When we were getting to 90th, Drew asked if I wanted to go around the loop again. Although I wanted to mentally my lungs said no. It is pretty amazing how a cold just lingers in your chest for quite a while.
My total distance today was 4.71 miles.
We didn't have time for a long ride today since we were going to the Yankee game in the late afternoon. We just went from Toga half-way around the Park loop and exited at 90th Street on the East side.
I hope that I never ever have to ride in the Park on a Saturday afternoon ever again. It was horrible. It was a bunch of leisure bike riders who are zig-zagging back and forth in the lane. Not to mention all the walkers, runners and pedi-cabs.
When we were getting to 90th, Drew asked if I wanted to go around the loop again. Although I wanted to mentally my lungs said no. It is pretty amazing how a cold just lingers in your chest for quite a while.
My total distance today was 4.71 miles.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Rubber in the Pool
This morning I met Laura at the pool for a swim. She had mentioned last night that she was going to bring her wetsuit and wear that while swimming, so I figured that I might as well don my suit as well. At least we would look funny together.
I got to the pool first and started putting on my suit. I had some thoughts running through my head that if she didn't show up that I might actually do her physical harm if I got into that thing and then had to swim by myself. Luckily, she got there just a couple minutes later. The other very lucky thing was that she had made a reservation for us this morning, otherwise we would have been stuck on the pool deck since it was very crowded this morning. As it was, the lifeguard had to kick some people out of the pool so that we could swim. The problem really was that there was a family from the hotel using one lane. If they hadn't been there, I think everything would have worked out okay.
I definitely learned a couple things today about my suit. I think the first is that I need to pull it up a bit higher into my crotch. I thought it was pretty good but once I got in the water I could tell right away that it should have been more snug. The second is that since it's sleeveless there is a lot of water that is coming in the armholes. Laura suggested that this might be because the suit is actually too big for me, which I find very hard to believe.
I definitely felt more buoyant in the water and I'm not going to worry about the water getting in through the arm holes for now. At least for this first sprint triathlon, this wetsuit is going to be more than adequate.
In total, I swam 60 lengths in 26 minutes. That's equal to 0.61 miles. I could tell that I'm still not over this cold and I wasn't going as hard as I have been in prior swims. I think that's probably okay as I'd prefer not to over do it.
I got to the pool first and started putting on my suit. I had some thoughts running through my head that if she didn't show up that I might actually do her physical harm if I got into that thing and then had to swim by myself. Luckily, she got there just a couple minutes later. The other very lucky thing was that she had made a reservation for us this morning, otherwise we would have been stuck on the pool deck since it was very crowded this morning. As it was, the lifeguard had to kick some people out of the pool so that we could swim. The problem really was that there was a family from the hotel using one lane. If they hadn't been there, I think everything would have worked out okay.
I definitely learned a couple things today about my suit. I think the first is that I need to pull it up a bit higher into my crotch. I thought it was pretty good but once I got in the water I could tell right away that it should have been more snug. The second is that since it's sleeveless there is a lot of water that is coming in the armholes. Laura suggested that this might be because the suit is actually too big for me, which I find very hard to believe.
I definitely felt more buoyant in the water and I'm not going to worry about the water getting in through the arm holes for now. At least for this first sprint triathlon, this wetsuit is going to be more than adequate.
In total, I swam 60 lengths in 26 minutes. That's equal to 0.61 miles. I could tell that I'm still not over this cold and I wasn't going as hard as I have been in prior swims. I think that's probably okay as I'd prefer not to over do it.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Yoga, Pilates & a Cold
So, I've been a bad blogger this week because I've been bad at working out. This cold that I got has pretty much knocked me out. On Tuesday I ate dinner right after work, went home and changed into my work-out clothes, sat down on the couch to digest a little bit and woke up at 7:57 am on Wednesday morning. Obviously, I must have needed the rest, but it was a little frustrating to wake up so late on Wednesday that I couldn't even use the work-out clothes I had been wearing all night!
Wednesday evening I decided to "embrace my sickness" and not push myself too much. I'd rather get over this than drag it on any more. So, instead of going to the gym, I just went ahead and did my yoga DVD at home.
This morning I met Nicole for our first pilates session. I didn't really know what to expect since I had never done pilates before (well, that's not entirely true - I did do a mat DVD with my mom a few times before, but nothing with the reformer). I think the space was more of a surprise to me than anything else. I just thought that there would be several small rooms with the equipment more individualized, but everything was pretty much out in the open. Because there was a pretty full house, we didn't get to do everything that Nicole wanted to teach me on the reformer, but I think I got a fairly good overview of most of the equipment (reformer, tower & chair). We're going to start meeting on Monday mornings, which is absolutely perfect for me. Mondays are supposed to be my cardio off-day, so that will fit into my schedule and should be a pretty good substitute if I don't always make it to the gym for the optional strength workouts.
After today's workout, my abs are still in shock from the whole thing, but I they'll get over it. I learned that with this one-on-one workout stuff it's almost impossible to cheat, which is a good thing.
Wednesday evening I decided to "embrace my sickness" and not push myself too much. I'd rather get over this than drag it on any more. So, instead of going to the gym, I just went ahead and did my yoga DVD at home.
This morning I met Nicole for our first pilates session. I didn't really know what to expect since I had never done pilates before (well, that's not entirely true - I did do a mat DVD with my mom a few times before, but nothing with the reformer). I think the space was more of a surprise to me than anything else. I just thought that there would be several small rooms with the equipment more individualized, but everything was pretty much out in the open. Because there was a pretty full house, we didn't get to do everything that Nicole wanted to teach me on the reformer, but I think I got a fairly good overview of most of the equipment (reformer, tower & chair). We're going to start meeting on Monday mornings, which is absolutely perfect for me. Mondays are supposed to be my cardio off-day, so that will fit into my schedule and should be a pretty good substitute if I don't always make it to the gym for the optional strength workouts.
After today's workout, my abs are still in shock from the whole thing, but I they'll get over it. I learned that with this one-on-one workout stuff it's almost impossible to cheat, which is a good thing.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Back In The Saddle
After a fantastic week of not so much athletic activity, it was time for me to get back to it today. Today should really have been a strength workout and cardio off-day, but since it's supposed to rain tomorrow, I decided to switch days.
I just went for a quick loop around the park on my bike. I will admit that I was not as comfortable in the seat as I was two weeks ago, so maybe my rear end was getting used to bike riding before. I also didn't really trust my tube-patching handiwork, so I stopped twice to double check that everything was okay (and it was!). The total time from walking out the door to walking in the door was 40 minutes and I rode 7.53 miles.
I did pick up a little bit of a cold (just a slight cough and general chest congestion) on the way home from Mexico, and I could definitely tell when I was breathing on the ride that I was breathing harder than normal. Of course, a part of that could be that I had the last week off, but I'm just going to go ahead and tell myself that it's mostly the cold.
Because of my heel tendonitis, I'll be missing the Terrier group run tomorrow morning, but there will be plenty more. Plus, with the impending rain, I'm not sure how much I'll really be missing. The other exciting news is that Nicole has started her pilates training program and I'm going to get to be one of her students! Right now we've scheduled sessions on Fridays right after work, so I'm really looking forward to starting that on Friday!
I just went for a quick loop around the park on my bike. I will admit that I was not as comfortable in the seat as I was two weeks ago, so maybe my rear end was getting used to bike riding before. I also didn't really trust my tube-patching handiwork, so I stopped twice to double check that everything was okay (and it was!). The total time from walking out the door to walking in the door was 40 minutes and I rode 7.53 miles.
I did pick up a little bit of a cold (just a slight cough and general chest congestion) on the way home from Mexico, and I could definitely tell when I was breathing on the ride that I was breathing harder than normal. Of course, a part of that could be that I had the last week off, but I'm just going to go ahead and tell myself that it's mostly the cold.
Because of my heel tendonitis, I'll be missing the Terrier group run tomorrow morning, but there will be plenty more. Plus, with the impending rain, I'm not sure how much I'll really be missing. The other exciting news is that Nicole has started her pilates training program and I'm going to get to be one of her students! Right now we've scheduled sessions on Fridays right after work, so I'm really looking forward to starting that on Friday!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Importance of Wearing a Wetsuit
On Thursday we went snorkeling out on the reef. It is about a mile out from the shore (we took a boat). The time spent snorkeling was 50 minutes. We saw some really great things: a huge eagle ray, squid, sea turtle, and many colorful schools of fish.
As great as that was, I spent more than half of the time wishing I was wearing my wetsuit. I had goosebumps the entire time we were in the water. I had strongly considered bringing it with me, but my suitcase weighed in at 53 pounds as it was (and yes, I needed all those shoes). I was also reminded how the waves can really push you around (even when wearing flippers). Too bad we can't wear those during the tri.
I know it would have been a great opportunity to test it out, but I'm almost glad I didn't have it, since I now realize how important it is. I'll just have to test it out later on my own. I'm think a day trip to the beach (maybe Coney Island) is in my future. Although since it snowed at home this week, I might have to wait a while.
As great as that was, I spent more than half of the time wishing I was wearing my wetsuit. I had goosebumps the entire time we were in the water. I had strongly considered bringing it with me, but my suitcase weighed in at 53 pounds as it was (and yes, I needed all those shoes). I was also reminded how the waves can really push you around (even when wearing flippers). Too bad we can't wear those during the tri.
I know it would have been a great opportunity to test it out, but I'm almost glad I didn't have it, since I now realize how important it is. I'll just have to test it out later on my own. I'm think a day trip to the beach (maybe Coney Island) is in my future. Although since it snowed at home this week, I might have to wait a while.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Testing the Open Waters
This morning I really wanted to test out my swimming abilities in open
water. I felt more than a little silly putting a cap and goggles on,
but it seemed like the best way.
I have to figure out how big the swimming area is at our hotel, but I
swam there and back. I swam the first leg in 5 minutes and the way
back in 4. The funny thing about that is that I actually felt stronger
swimming the first part.
I found out that when I swim and breathe on the left side (the 2nd
length), I tend to also veer left. I'm guessing it will be a bit
easier to swim in a straight line during the tri since there will be
lots of other people there.
The waves today are definitely something new to contend with. I wonder
how today will compare with the actual tri. The worst part of the
ocean is the salt. The entire time - since the first stroke I took -
all I could think of was how thirsty I was.
water. I felt more than a little silly putting a cap and goggles on,
but it seemed like the best way.
I have to figure out how big the swimming area is at our hotel, but I
swam there and back. I swam the first leg in 5 minutes and the way
back in 4. The funny thing about that is that I actually felt stronger
swimming the first part.
I found out that when I swim and breathe on the left side (the 2nd
length), I tend to also veer left. I'm guessing it will be a bit
easier to swim in a straight line during the tri since there will be
lots of other people there.
The waves today are definitely something new to contend with. I wonder
how today will compare with the actual tri. The worst part of the
ocean is the salt. The entire time - since the first stroke I took -
all I could think of was how thirsty I was.
Friday, April 3, 2009
I Shouldn't Have to Google How to Pump Up Tires
Last night I went home and was determined that I would figure out what happened to my bike tire. Thanks to the wonder of Google (seriously, what did people do before the internet?) I was able to figure the whole thing out. It was a very small piece of glass that was the culprit of the hole. I put a patch on and it seems to have held because this morning the tire was still fully inflated.
Speaking of inflating, I now understand why some people I know might have fought about pumping up the jogging stroller wheels. I was so frustrated last night when I couldn't get my new floor pump to actually pump up the tube. Turns out that it was all user error and once again, thanks to the wonder of Google, I was able to actually inflate my tires. I mean, who knew that you had to release the valve on the valve to get the air to go in? All these fancy bike parts are hard work.
I will say that the hardest part of the whole operation was getting the tube and tire back onto the wheel. If that wasn't hard, it was also pretty difficult to get the chain to go back on the same gear as it was before. I'm not sure if that's critical, but it seemed like it might mess up the indicators on the handlebars that show what gear you're in if I didn't put it back on where it was.
Today I had a minor issue with the alarm clock (as in I thought that I had set it, but I apparently didn't). I had really wanted to get up early and test out my tube-patching handiwork and go for a ride, but both the alarm and the weather conspired against me. Since I got up later than I wanted to, I just did my yoga DVD as it would have been cutting it close time-wise to get to the gym and back and to work on time. It's really not the workout that I was hoping for today, but it's the best that I could do and I will just have to accept that.
Speaking of inflating, I now understand why some people I know might have fought about pumping up the jogging stroller wheels. I was so frustrated last night when I couldn't get my new floor pump to actually pump up the tube. Turns out that it was all user error and once again, thanks to the wonder of Google, I was able to actually inflate my tires. I mean, who knew that you had to release the valve on the valve to get the air to go in? All these fancy bike parts are hard work.
I will say that the hardest part of the whole operation was getting the tube and tire back onto the wheel. If that wasn't hard, it was also pretty difficult to get the chain to go back on the same gear as it was before. I'm not sure if that's critical, but it seemed like it might mess up the indicators on the handlebars that show what gear you're in if I didn't put it back on where it was.
Today I had a minor issue with the alarm clock (as in I thought that I had set it, but I apparently didn't). I had really wanted to get up early and test out my tube-patching handiwork and go for a ride, but both the alarm and the weather conspired against me. Since I got up later than I wanted to, I just did my yoga DVD as it would have been cutting it close time-wise to get to the gym and back and to work on time. It's really not the workout that I was hoping for today, but it's the best that I could do and I will just have to accept that.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Two Weeks With No Weight Bearing
This morning I got a chance to ride my real bike again, which was nice. I just went around the loop in the park and worked on keeping my cadence up at 80 or above. I have to say that on those hills on the north side of the park, that's a bit harder than it sounds. I definitely got more used to shifting this time and am getting the hang of that. I still like to coast a little bit on the downhill, but I'm also working on shifting to a higher gear and pedaling.
Because it was wet outside, I had to give my bike a mini-bath when I got home, which wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done. The good news was that I didn't really get dirty on the ride. I did learn today why bike shoes don't have laces (since mine almost got caught in the gears). After tucking them into my shoes I was fine for the rest of the ride. The bad news is that when I was hanging up my helmet and getting ready to hit the shower, I noticed that my back tire is flat. I didn't have time to really inspect anything this morning, so I'll have to take a closer look when I get home. I guess the upside of this is that I might learn how to change a tire sooner than I was thinking I would.
I also went to the doctor this morning and found out that the pain in my left heel is due to some tendon not being happy with me running and also has something to do with the way my foot is shaped. The doctor said that I need to take an anti-inflammatory and also not to do any weight-bearing activity for the next 2 weeks. Biking and swimming are fine, but no running. She's also having new custom orthotics made, which should be ready in about 2 weeks as well. I guess it's nice because I don't have to feel too bad about taking it easy next week on vacation, but I'm also going to have to try to swim and bike a little bit more while there.
Because it was wet outside, I had to give my bike a mini-bath when I got home, which wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done. The good news was that I didn't really get dirty on the ride. I did learn today why bike shoes don't have laces (since mine almost got caught in the gears). After tucking them into my shoes I was fine for the rest of the ride. The bad news is that when I was hanging up my helmet and getting ready to hit the shower, I noticed that my back tire is flat. I didn't have time to really inspect anything this morning, so I'll have to take a closer look when I get home. I guess the upside of this is that I might learn how to change a tire sooner than I was thinking I would.
I also went to the doctor this morning and found out that the pain in my left heel is due to some tendon not being happy with me running and also has something to do with the way my foot is shaped. The doctor said that I need to take an anti-inflammatory and also not to do any weight-bearing activity for the next 2 weeks. Biking and swimming are fine, but no running. She's also having new custom orthotics made, which should be ready in about 2 weeks as well. I guess it's nice because I don't have to feel too bad about taking it easy next week on vacation, but I'm also going to have to try to swim and bike a little bit more while there.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
How to Tell if a Wetsuit Fits?
The big news from today is that I got a wetsuit. It's a used one that I was able to get at an amazing price from one of the Terriers. I have no idea if it "fits", but I can get it on, which seems like a good start. There is definitely a good seal around the neck and legs (it's sleeveless), which also seems like a good thing. I'm going to have to get some body glide because it was not the easiest thing to get on. I'm also a little worried about getting it off when wet, but that's something I can practice later.
Workout-wise today...I'm still not really feeling it. I think part of it was that I skipped going to the gym with Drew this morning. Another part was that I was really hoping that the rain would hold off tonight and I would be able to ride my bike, but it didn't. So, instead I went to the gym after the spin class at my gym was over and rode the spin bike for a half hour. After the 30 minutes were up, I was really ready to get home and start packing for Mexico! I'm really hoping that a week of vacation will help me get my motivation back. I'm also hoping that I don't let myself completely slack off while I'm there.
Workout-wise today...I'm still not really feeling it. I think part of it was that I skipped going to the gym with Drew this morning. Another part was that I was really hoping that the rain would hold off tonight and I would be able to ride my bike, but it didn't. So, instead I went to the gym after the spin class at my gym was over and rode the spin bike for a half hour. After the 30 minutes were up, I was really ready to get home and start packing for Mexico! I'm really hoping that a week of vacation will help me get my motivation back. I'm also hoping that I don't let myself completely slack off while I'm there.
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