Back to Training

I went out for a 11k run yesterday after being off for 2 weeks. I'm so glad to be able to get back to my training schedule. It just feels so strange to not be out for a run or a bike or a swim. It wasn't the best run I've ever done, but it was pretty solid. (and I was lucky enough to have the rain stop just before I headed out for the trail.) Although I'm feeling much better I was still coughing and choking up muck. Because of that I kept my run to 11k rather than the 20k I had planned and I chose to hold off one more day for Master swim club. I just don't want to set myself back.

I'm feeling a bit better about slow. I timed my run and it took me 75 min to complete the 11k which gives me an average of 6.8 to 7 min per km. So while this makes me less than speedy it's respectable enough and I think by next week as I start to feel even more healthy and recovered that this might even speed up a bit. Furthermore I know that I can keep up this pace over the full 21k so that's all right. I think as part of my training plan next season I will incorporate more speed work. (Not too much.) To date my focus has been almost exclusively on endurance work so I know that I can keep up a nice steady pace and go and go and go. Not super fast but I know that I could keep up that pace over a whole race. And this is true in the swim, bike and run. Well the swimming I actually have done intervals and worked some on speed. So I think considering that I only began seriously considering triathlon racing last year this is pretty good. I have told myself all along to not push so hard that I burn out or get injured because I would like to see myself continue training for Triathlons for years and years rather than it be just a one year or two year goal. Today I'm okay with slow and steady because in the end I will win my race in my heart and in my spirit and that's really what it's all about anyway.

Oh to be training again.

So it turns out flu has turned to bronchitis. This has been the biggest setback in my Training to date. Although I'm glad that it's not an injury because soon I will be well again and should suffer no long term chronic difficulties. I am really itching to get back to my training schedule. But I haven't just been sitting around on my duff feeling sorry for myself. (Okay I have done that at moments but not the whole day.) I've used the extra time to do some extra reading up on Triathlon training both in books/magazines/on line sites and other bloggers. I've also used the time to get extra rest so that in theory I should recover faster. I also have been doing some stretching to keep things limber.

It's not too much longer before I begin my taper for my half marathon. I plan that after the half marathon I will take kind of a training break. I'll keep going to my Masters swim club throughout Dec but I think I might keep the runs and bikes kind of low key. Dec is such a wonky month for me in terms of training. Christmas Parties and family visits throw everything off. Notice that I said I would keep things low key which does not give me a license to sit on the couch and indulge in irrational consumption of Christmas goodies. I also plan at the end of Nov to do some strength training, along with the spin classes. I really enjoy the spin classes that they have at the recreation center near my home. Then come January I will follow a 20 week training plan. I hope to race in the same Aqualathon as I did this year (1k swim/ 10k run), it's very local but it was fun and I just would like to see how my race time has improved as I'm certain even now only 6 months after that I would see a difference. That race is in April and then there is a Sprint that I'd like to do in May and possibly an Olympic in Aug or this could be a Sprint if I don't think I'm ready for the Olympic. My biggest fears about any race is always that I will be so horrifically slow that everyone else finishes long before I even come close to the finish line. Why that bothers me, I'm not sure. I guess no one wants to look foolish or embarrass themselves. It's funny that most people wouldn't even attempt any race so why I should think I look foolish when I'm at least out there...I don't know.

So I pray to the training gods that in the next few days I will be strong enough to do even some light training. I think if I'm not totally ready to run, I might at least go for a brisk walk. I'd just like to be out there, I really miss it.

On the Mend

Slowly I'm starting to feel better. This had been one doozy of a flu. My lungs are still very congested and I still can't really breathe out of my nose. I've had to sit out on two particularly beautiful days that would have been perfect for a ride. I hope to get back to my regular training schedule early next week. I'll have to play it by ear.

When you get really sick it's easy to doubt what you're doing. I started to wonder if I was crazy. Everything is relative. I've been hanging around more active people, others who train for marathons and triathlons, ironmans so when you talk about training hours, 10 hours of training a week can sound like nothing. Then this weekend I went out with friends of mine, they were asking me about what event was coming up and I told them about the Fall Classic half marathon that is in November. They almost fell over when I explained that I'd be running 21k. It doesn't seem like a biggee to me, I think about it, plan it, train it. worry about it but I know that I'll do it even if it's not that fast. They just couldn't believe it. When I talk to other average joe family's I realize that what I do is unusual. It's just a part of who I am now, it's incorporated into my regular day and into my regular being. I wouldn't want it any other way and I know I question myself sometimes...about whether I'm crazy or obsessive but when I think of the alternative...sitting around being a couch potato it's not that appealing so I bumble along with my training plans and strive to be the best me I can

NOooooooooo.... Sick Again

I can't stand this. I'm sick again. For the last year and a half my training has made me more resistant to flu bugs and viruses but in the last month I've been hit twice and been knocked back a peg or two. This time I seem to have some sort of flu/chest cold thingy. I've had a temperature and I feel like I'm coughing out both my lungs. It's hard to imagine at this point that I'm actually capable of running a half marathon when I can barely get up the stairs without passing out.

This has been very discouraging. I think I am going to have to take a very close look at my training schedule because this is ridiculous I hate being sick. The hard thing too is that it doesn't just affect my training it affects everything in my life. I've had to miss school. (My youngest was sick first.) I can hardly look after myself let alone my kids. My kids are pretty good though, they do what they can to help out and they haven't complained about having kraft dinner for supper.

Although just before I got super sick I went on the most amazing bike ride. I met this fella that had done several ironmans (Ironman Canada and ironman Florida) and he had invited me out for a ride with him. He was super patient with me as obviously I'm nowhere near as strong as he is. He showed me a cool place to ride and gave me all sorts of advice from how to train to good ways to stay warm on winter bike rides. I hope I get to go out for a ride with him again but I may have got more out of our ride than he did so perhaps I may not get to go with him again. It did make me realize that I really need to get out with a group more often. It was really nice riding with somebody else and it was such a fantastic day out.

Now if I can shake this flu....

More hoorah's for swim club

Had a great swim this morning. I really am enjoying the swim club. I know that I've said that one more than one occasion, I just can't help it. I guess I had been swimming on my own for awhile and it's just kind of cool to be hanging out with other people who are working towards the same thing. I also like that I get some stroke correction and the different drills alleviate some of the boredom. There's a real sense of accomplishment to get yourself up and out of the house at 4:45 in the morning and get in a swim and arrive back home before most people are even out of bed. I was quite pleased with myself this morning because I had a midterm exam today at 9:30 and I still went ahead and had my swim. At one time I would have been concerned that it would tire me out too much, both the getting up early as well as the hard swim. I actually found it quite invigorating and it helped with the anxiety level. (I always get all freaked out and worked up before an exam.)

Yesterday I did my scheduled run. The weather was overcast and about half way it started to rain. I was quite slow and my legs felt stiff but I did what I had planned so I guess that's good. Today I did my swim but I'm jamming on my bike, it's absolutely pouring and I could go to a spin class but I actually need to spend a bit more time studying for my second midterm. Ugh.

Other than school, my training and school I haven't done too much socially lately. I need to plan in some fun time because sometimes when I just put my head down and go go go I get lots accomplished but I get down and grumpy because everything is just so serious. I wish I had more friends that were active. I have too many sedentary friends. But even just getting out from time to time to eat good food and have a drink or two or just socialize with someone over the age of 12. I love my kids and I love doing stuff with them but it is nice to just talk about adult stuff sometimes. Ya know.

Blah, Blah, Blah

I am not in a good mood today. I'm tired and grumpy and I don't feel like doing much of anything. I don't want to study for my midterms, I don't want to clean my house, I don't want to grocery shop. It doesn't help that it is a gray pouring with rain type of day. What I would like to do is loaf around on the couch doing nothing...except maybe sleeping. But as a single Mom I can't afford that kind of luxury. Although I am planning to take a nap on the couch later this afternoon after I make lunch and get back from grocery shopping and putting my lil monkey down for her nap. Augh! I don't know if it's just that I'm a bit overtired from training or if it's just that sometimes my life is kind of tough. Wah wah me. Whatev.

Something funny did happen last night though. My daughter (the oldest one) and I went out on a Mother/daughter date. I got a sitter for lil monkey and my son was out with his Dad and step Mom. The plan was to go shopping, go for dinner and then see a movie. The shopping was fun, we bought some cute boots for her and some girly nail stuff. Then we went for dinner. Unfortunately we picked a restaurant (near the theatre) that was soooo packed. We looked for a spot at the lounge and this what I thought was a nice couple invited us to sit with them. So we sat down and then a third gentleman sat down. Well it turned out that the woman and the third guy were a couple and the other fellow spent I guess was on his own. We ordered our dinner and drinks. (My daughter had a smoothie and I just had pop) but it was quite funny cus the single guy kept flirting with me and near the end of dinner he discreetly slipped me his phone number. Just seemed so funny to me to get picked up when I was out with my daughter. My daughter who is only 11 (almost 12 she would insist) thought it was quite humorous. Her comment as we left the restaurant to go to the movie was "Gee Mom I think that guy liked you." Ya think. This whole dating in your late thirties is just weird.

Attack of the Grumpy-Grumps

I had a very hard training week and by Friday I had a serious case of the grumpy-grumps. Honestly I was irritated with EVERYTHING. When you have 3 kids this is not a good scenario. I'm certain my kids wondered who had taken over Mommy because it took all my willpower to not yell my head off. I even allowed myself to just flop and watch t.v. for most of the evening. I did make something for dinner but it didn't require much more than open, place in oven, serve. I just was so not into making anything more complicated than that.

I did really enjoy my Master's swimming. I find it challenging and interesting and I'm learning a lot right now. Hopefully in the next few weeks my body will be more adjusted to this challenging early morning swim. I like that I have been able to stick to my training plan but I've obviously pushed it slightly more than I'm able to handle. I did get adequate rest and after today (I'm going to do an easy recovery swim today) I have a rest day.