new orleans

I have just been glued to the news for the past few days. Checking the Internet every few hours, watching the news channels in the morning and at the gym.

I've been to New Orleans a few times, and always loved it. Yes, it was actually kind of seedy when you scratched the surface; and no, I'm not interested in getting wasted on Bourbon Street with college kids. But still. The food, the music, the architecture, even the accent -- it is so easy to romanticize the place.

That place is going to be a mess for a long time. With Lake Ponchartrain pouring in to the city, I wonder if it will even be habitable. Those poor people up and down the coast who lost family, homes, pets. Not to mention the impact on the economy -- gas prices have already jumped and it is a major port for agriculture exports as well.

Sigh.

customer service -- update

Well, after much frustration, Mom confirms that a new refrigerator was delivered this morning, and yes, it is cold inside. They even paid for delivery and took away the old one. Woo-hoo! Seriously, I am glad this was finally resolved, and that Sears did the right thing.

She actually posted an update over the weekend for anyone interested:

############################

Thanks to all for the advice and interest. The story isn’t over yet, but here's an update:

Aug 25 (day 13) – No word from the Sears store. After multiple calls to customer service, misinformation, lost in hold land, disconnections, and conflicting information – Out of the blue, a salesman from the store calls to tell us to come to the store and arrange the exchange. Husband calls me at work. I drive to the store immediately.

The refrigerator I bought in December isn’t in the store. A slightly smaller unit, somewhat more expensive, is the closest match. Salesman and store manager agree that they’ll call it an even exchange. They seem to think it’s a really big concession. Gee. About $100. I’m thankful, but it doesn’t begin to cover the dorm fridge, the take out meals, the trips to the supermarket every day, the time and aggravation of getting this done. I’m going to pay that much to get the thing delivered and the old one taken away. I want to tell them to stop acting like they’re doing me such a favor. Instead, I say thank you.

Delivery is outsourced. I need to call someone else to arrange delivery. First delivery available is for next Tuesday. 5 days from now. Fine.

Back at work, my department and ‘neighbors’ have been following the saga. They think I’m a wuss not to insist on delivery sooner. “Daughter” calls store. She’s a bulldog. They agree to intervene and try to arrange delivery for Friday or Saturday.

Aug 26 (day 14) – The store folks didn’t call. I knew they were lying. I don’t even care. Worst case is that I’ll get the fridge in 4 more days. I’m tired. I’m worn down. I can’t stand to think of this anymore. I am so sick of talking to these people. They have me where they want me. Do you think it will be delivered on time? I’m taking bets.

Aug 27
Aug 28
Aug 29
Aug 30 (day 18) --- This is the day that my refrigerator is supposed to be delivered. I’m sick of this story. How do you think it will end?

If the fridge isn’t delivered on Tuesday, I am dragging the old one out to the porch, putting a huge, “informational” sign on it, and telling them to come to get it. I want my money back. I’m done with Sears. The DIY superstores offer next day delivery. I will have a fridge before next weekend, one way or another.

############################

Mom was very pleased by the comments and support she received after, um, alerting the media on my blog. Thanks!

I think maybe Mom needs a blog, a blog to call her own. ;-)

1 down

Went to the pool last night. I belong to two gyms, one normal gym (NYSC), and one with a pool owned by a university. The kids are back in full force. Oh joy. It gets very busy during the school year, and they strictly enforce a 25 minute limit on all the cardio machines.

Anyway, I did 6 miles on a stationary bike. Good. If I can do 14 more between today and tomorrow, I'll be set. Then I went to take a shower and get in the pool. At this point I realized I forgot my towel. Annoying. Well, I'm not leaving now.

I was thinking that I would do 1000 meters in the pool, instead of 800, since I had exceeded my planned 5 miles on the bike. While I was there, it got steadily more crowded. The guy I was sharing the lane with left after a few laps, and two boys jumped in the lane with me. They were so annoying! Splitting the lane when I was trying to swim, chit-chatting at one end of the pool. Then they took out the kickboards and were splashing all over the pool.

My swimming was so lousy, until I realized that I was holding my breath the whole way down the pool. Actually, what I was doing was forgetting to exhale/blow bubbles. So I would inhale, stroke, stroke, stroke while holding my breath, then blow out above the water and gasp in a new breath. What the . . ? Who forgets to breathe? Isn't that physiologically impossible? I did this for the first 500, before I realized. Anyway, I haven't been swimming in a while, I was focused on trying to have good form, and I was being harassed by the Annoying Twins, hogging my lane. I really wanted to leave, but I powered through and did the 800 I planned. A lot easier when I started breathing. Good.

Forgetting my towel and the the throngs of college students put me in a bit of a sour mood, but still glad I went. Biked 6, Swam 800, 75 Crunches. (Plus 25 more this morning).

training (or lack thereof)

Crap.

I just looked at my totals for August, and went back to compare them to my goals. First of all, I knew set my goals for August too low. Now I won't even make them!

Month of August:

• Swim: Plan = 3500 meters / Actual MTD = 2700
• Bike: Plan = 100 / Actual MTD = 80
• Run: Plan = 90 / Actual MTD = 68
• Other: Crunches Plan = 1000 / Actual MTD = 500

Shortfall:

• Swim: 800
• Bike: 20
• Run: 22
• Crunches: 500

Damn. Double damn. Counting today, there are only 3 days left in the month. So, what can I salvage?

• Well, definitely the crunches. I could just do them all now. (well, I just ate lunch, so not right now). I'll do 250 today and 250 tomorrow.
• Also the swim. I could do 800 in one long-ish swim session. That's 32 lengths or 16 laps. (note to self: don't count drills)
• And the bike. I could do 10 and 10 at the gym. Maybe 10 before I swim tonight.
• The only thing I can't finish is running 22 miles in the next 3 days, especially with the biking and swimming. (And a job!)

So what happened? Well, there was heat, humidity, a business trip, work-related stress, out of town guests . . . no excuse really. If I had actually done last week's schedule, I would have been able to make it. Crap.

Week of 8/22 Schedule:
Monday - Swim 500m (actual: NOTHING!)
Tuesday - Run 5M (actual: NOTHING!)
Wednesday - Bike 10M (actual: BIKED 5, RAN 2)
Thursday - Swim 500 (actual: NOTHING!)
Friday - Run 4 (actual: RAN 4)
Saturday - Run 12, Swim 500m (actual: RAN 8)
Sunday - Run 4, Bike 25 (actual: RAN 3, BIKED 20)

Plan for week of 8/22: Swim: 1500, Bike: 35, Run: 25
Actual for week of 8/22: Swim: ZERO, Bike: 25, Run: 17

For reference, I looked back at July totals and posted them on the side:
Swim: 3300
Bike: 31
Run: 61

At least I ran and biked more in August than I did in July. Yeah, I'm doing a HALF-IRONMAN in just 33 days. Get on the ball, girl! And off the f%*%*%* couch!

Okay, this week's schedule (also up in the sidebar)
Monday - Bike 5, Swim 800m
Tuesday - Bike 5, Run 5M
Wednesday - Bike 10M
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Bike 20, Run 4
Saturday - Run 18, Swim 500m
Sunday - Bike 25, Swim 500m

Hmm, marathon schedule calls for an 18-mile run on Saturday. That would be my longest ever. This will take me at least 3 hours. There is also a practice bike ride on Sunday for the Mighty Hamptons triathlon (23 miles), which I don't want to miss, and I will probably (ha!) be very tired after my 18 mile run. Planning to take Friday off, so maybe I run on Friday instead.

September will be a big month - probably the peak for all my training. I have an Olympic distance tri on September 18, then the half Ironman distance on October 6. I also have a wedding, 2 business trips, and my birthday. Uhhh . . .

September Plan
Swim: 10,000 m
Bike: 250 miles
Run: 120 miles
Crunches: 3000

This sure sounds like a lot, but I'm sure I shuld actually be doing more. Based on my reading of other blogs, I am a total slacker!

weekend accomplishments

Major accomplishments this weekend:

1. BIKE purchase
2. Tan optimization
3. Harry Potter
4. 8 mile run
5. 20 mile bike

1. I finally bought a bike! Yes, it's quite ridiculous that I have signed up for multiple triathlons without owning a road bike. I have a nice mountain bike, which I used in my Sprint Tri back in July. (That was only last month? It seems so long ago.) Bikes are expensive. I considered buying one on ebay or something, but wanted to buy it locally in case I had any issues. I considered renting a bike every weekend and using that for the race. But I finally bit the bullet. Anyway, I am so excited and I can pick it up on Friday. I just know that I will love my new bike, and my new bike will love me . . . what shall I name it???

2. Tan optimization. Sounds stupid, I know, but I am in a wedding in 2 weeks, and my racerback tan line looks ridiculous with my back-baring dress. Spent some quality time at the beach this weekend, on my belly with full back exposed, while Husband surfed. Much better. For the record, I always wear SPF 30.

3. Harry Potter. Mainly while lying on my belly at the beach this weekend, I read the latest - "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- cover to cover. It was so good! Husband says Harry Potter cast a spell on me. I planned to do a little work this weekend, but HP definitely prevailed.
4. Eight mile run on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, 12 miles were on the schedule. But I ran the whole way, and maintained speed, even on the big hills. I meant to set out around 5:30 PM, but didn't go until 6:30 because, um, I was engrossed in the Harry Potter book. I went out to the lighthouse and back, taking some extra side roads on the way to make it a little longer.

It was still about 80 degrees when I set out, but with low humidity and and ocean breeze, the air felt positively wonderful. The sun was setting as I tooled up to the lighthouse. Pink, purple, gold clouds . . . gorgeous. Then it got dark. Really quickly. I was the only runner out there. No bikers either. A few cars. Some deer and rabbits. I started to get the creeps, and the adrenaline rush made me run faster the last 2 miles toward the house. Whew! I made it.

My heart rate on the hills goes up to 175, and is around 160-165 on the flattish and downhill bits. I ran roughly 10 minute miles the whole way -- good for me. There is a pretty steep hill in the middle up to an ocean-view overlook. This route is part of the bike course for my Mightyman Montauk (MM) race coming up in, gulp, 33 days.

5. Twenty-mile bike. The bike shop gave me a free rental for Sunday, after I ordered my bike of course. I slept late Sunday, and unfortunately didn't head out until around 11:30, at which point it was pretty hot. But it was great! I rode most of the MM course. (it is a 2-loop course; I did about 80% of one loop). I experimented with the gears. I know the course better now, and know to work up speed on the downhill bits, so I have some momentum for the next big hill. I felt like Speed Racer, passing people out there on the road. On your left!

It felt VERY windy alongside the lake, and I had to hunker down to maintain my balance. It tend to get a LOT windier out there in September and October, so I need to be prepared for this on race day. Here is a description of the bike course:

55.6-mile bike.
· Two Laps on a 27.8-mile loop with rolling hills and beautiful ocean and bay views.
· 2200 Total feet of elevation gain.
· One aid station (water and energy gels) at approx. mile 28.
· Leaving Town on Edgemere Rd to Westlake Dr. around the Montauk Light House. And out and back to Gin Beach on East Lake Dr. Back down West Lake Dr. Around Gosmans Dock with a right turn out and back onto Sound View Dr. With loop onto Capt. Kidd’s Path, then back to town by Edgemere Rd. with a little add-on in the Culloden Estates.
· Light Traffic and great Roads view of the ocean and bay, what could be better?
· Plan to bring warm cycling clothes, temperature and wind can be chilly.

Doesn't it sound great?

I was telling Husband that I really felt like a kid yesterday. Reading Harry Potter, bike riding, lazing on the beach. I completed the feeling by buying a rice krispie treat with my lunch. Oh yeah, I ran 3 miles on Sunday afternoon too.

Lovely weekend.

parking, running and rats

Ended up staying late at work last night and skipping my planned run. Oh well.

I'm working from home today (which rocks!). Anyway, when I work from home, the first mission of the day is usually to move the car. In New York City, you constantly need to move the car due to street cleaning, meters, etc. So, one side of the street has cleaning on Monday/Thursday, the other side has street cleaning on Tuesday/Friday. Wednesday is the best day to work from home because there are double the number of legal spaces. Plus, there are meters on the avenues (which run north-south), but not generally on the side streets (which run east-west). Meters in my neighborhood run 8am - 7pm, including Sundays. Anyway, got home late last night and could only get a meter space, which means I had to move the car by 8:00 today. Yes, I am too cheap to put it in a garage. And it is not practical to feed the meter every hour. ($0.25 per 10 minutes and 1 hour at a time max). Just a little lesson on the joys of city car ownership for you non-locals.

So I headed out around 7:45, in my running clothes, to move the car and go for a run. I do circles around the neighborhood until I find one where I can leave it all day. This took almost 30 minutes today - total PIA. Anyway, I saw something really gross on the way. I was behind a big truck at a red light. It wasn't a regular garbage truck, but a construction-type truck filled with demolition-type trash. Sitting at the red light, I watched as first one, then two, RATS scrambled off the back of the truck and ran for their lives on the sidewalk. GROSS! They were bigger than Paris Hilton's stupid dog.

I finally found a space and heading out toward East River Park at a slow jogging pace. On the way, I saw lots of squirrels (rats with furry tails) and pigeons (rats with wings). Sometimes NYC grosses me out just a tiny bit.

But it is a gorgeous day. Parts of the park that have been under construction all summer are open now and look great. Lots of other runners were out. Are they training for the marathon too?

I didn't have breakfast before I went, and definitely felt the difference. Had some cramping in the arch of my foot, which made me stop to stretch and walk a few times. I wore heels to work yesterday - I totally blame them for causing foot/calf tightness and usually avoid them. Without breakfast, I get tired, cranky, various aches and pains. Which is why I don't like to run at the absolute crack of dawn. I like to get up, have breakfast, digest -- I need about a 1/2 hour or so after waking up before I can go out. Of course 8:00 is far from the crack of dawn, and I could have done all this if I had risen just a tiny bit earlier. I also like sleep.

So, I was thinking about running 6 miles this morning. Due to foot cramps and lack of breakfast, I only ran 4. Not so bad though - I was happy just to get out there.

Customer Service

I think everyone has some kind of bad customer service story, and a mental "do not patronize" list of businesses as a result. I refuse to give money to Macy's or Blockbuster because they have wronged me somehow over the years.

Does anyone reading this work for Sears? If so, please help my mom. She sent me the following rant late last night:

Our journey down the rabbit hole:

Aug 12 (day 1) - Our new Kenmore refrigerator and freezer stop working. Find the manual. Contact Sears for service. “Call anytime. Day or night (U.S.A. and Canada)”

We are advised that the "earliest available" service will be Aug 22. That is 10 days from now. There is a service center a couple miles from our house. Can we contact them? Oh no, everything is scheduled through the service center. Okay. Thanks for your help. Unable to accept that we'll be 10 days without a fridge in 90 degree weather, I send an email asking for help. Return email promises a response in 1-2 business days. I'm expecting a call on Monday.

Just an aside, but what does 'business days” mean? The stores and parts centers are open 7 days a week. The call centers are staffed 24/7. How is it that “business days” means Monday thru Friday? Why bother calling at all if it is after 5PM Monday-Friday? Blue laws live?

Aug 13 (day 2) - A morning of cooking during the hottest day of the summer. I cook everything that is still cold. How about a nice hot bowl of vegetable soup? Husband's insulin must be kept cool. Go to Home Depot and spend $100 on a little dorm fridge. Man it fills up fast. We buy ice and think we can put it on the shelves in the big fridge and keep it cool enough to save some of the food.

Aug 16 (day 4) - Still no word from Sears. Another call to customer service. Explained situation and frustration. Call is escalated. Service is scheduled for Aug 18. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It is a losing battle with the “ice box”. We throw away the rest of the stuff. We've lost hundreds of dollars worth of meat and groceries.

Aug 18 (day 6): ~ 11 AM Service person arrives and re-positions a piece of cardboard/insulation that slipped out of position. Advises that we wait a couple hours for refrigerator to begin cooling.

~ 2:30 PM -- refrigerator and freezer are still very, very warm. NO COOL AIR. NONE. Another call to customer service. Ask to have serviceman return to fix the fridge. First available appointment is Aug 27. Ask to speak with supervisor. Put on hold. After a long wait, advised to keep refrigerator closed and call in the morning. When pressed about the refrigerator being WARM inside, rep advises it is because we are opening the door too often. Husband manages not to scream DO YOU UNDERSTAND? THERE IS NOT A BIT OF COOL AIR IN THE REFRIGERATOR. IT IS NOT COOLING. He mentions that we had to buy a new fridge. Rep tells him that's great. You don't have a problem. You have another refrigerator. This is becoming a little hard to describe.

Aug 19 (day 7) - Call to customer service. Request an appointment before August 27. Please. After a little coaxing, representative happily advises that he'll send an emergency email to the repair center and we'd be contacted in 1-2 days. He might be happy, but this is day 7 for me. I tell him this is not acceptable. He explains that he understands that it's not acceptable; that is why he sent an emergency email. I ask him if we could actually speak to someone at the repair center. Somewhat exasperated with me, he puts me on hold and returns to advise that we've be given 'emergency service' and someone will be at the house between 8 and 5 on Saturday.

Thank you for your help.

On impulse, I call the store where we bought the fridge. I still can't believe that this is standard operating procedure. I'm looking for someone who actually wants to HELP ME or at least wants to try. Store manager is not available, but assistant manager is interested, understanding, seems to want to help. Asks us to call the store Saturday when the service person is at the house, just to let them know what's going on. Wow. Hope springs eternal.

Aug 20 (day 8) - Service person arrives around 4 PM. Tells my husband that he doesn't know who we pissed off, but he was told by his supervisor that the word from someone “higher up” than she, was to make sure that our service call was the very last call of the day. Nice.
Another side note: I'm not exaggerating when I say that through all of this, we have been polite, although admittedly frustrated and generally making a nuisance of ourselves. Well, it was the last call of the day. He did what he was told to do; although, to his credit, he was obviously frustrated with his instructions. We live a couple miles from the service center, in a very central location. If he was working in the area, he probably drove past our road several times during the day. Nice.

Serviceman locates source of problem. He doesn't have the part; it's not in inventory and will need to be ordered from the manufacturer. Did I mention that this is a Kenmore refrigerator? Anyway, it's Saturday. He tells us to expect the part to be delivered to our house on Wednesday. He tells us to call them to come out after the part is delivered. Oh dear. I'm anticipating another call to customer service. He tells me we can call the service center up the road. I want to hug him. I'm still not exactly happy, but at least I'm talking to someone who seems to care about our situation.

I call the store where we bought the fridge. Speak with the store manager. He seems uninterested in the situation. I assume that he didn't talk with the assistant manager. I try to explain. He tries to sell me an extended warranty. I'm flabbergasted. I tell him we left a refrigerator that was 20+ years old, and running, in the cellar of our old house (and wishing we'd brought it with us). He tells me they don't make things like they used to. Oh dear. I can barely speak. He's telling me about the extended warranty. I'm asking him what will happen if this isn't resolved. What if it's a lemon? He's telling me that the extended warranty would allow us to return the fridge after 4 unsuccessful attempts to repair it. I ask him if the standard warranty handles that situation the same way.

Oh dear. I seem to have stepped in it again. It really was an innocent question. He's stammering; ahem; well, every case is different; ahem; well, it would all depend; ahem. It's okay. I was just wondering. I've never had a problem with an appliance before. I am not at all confident that our problem will be resolved. Really, I was just curious. Thanks.

What I didn't say: Do you have a mission statement? I thought we had a great warranty: 1 year parts and labor for everything; 5 years on the refrigeration system. I never thought we'd use it. Did I mention our history with appliances? And this is the most expensive, snazziest that we've ever had. If Kenmore appliances are crap now, and you know it, why are you selling it to me? They don't make things like they used to! That's your answer to me?

They don't make things like they used to???!! This makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I worked for an American manufacturing company for over 20 years. We made a good product. I loved selling service contracts. Money in the bank. Isn't Kenmore a good product anymore? I don't know where it's made, but isn't it still the same product? If not, why not? It sure costs enough.

Not that you're asking for my advice, but this has to be hard on Sears employees. I'll bet the good ones are leaving as soon as they can find something else. Pretty soon Sears will be left with the snippy lady telling my husband he doesn't have a problem and the store manager selling extended warranties. Get someone to sell fries with that and you can get through the day.

Aug 23 (day 11) - Well you could knock me over with a … someone from Sears calls us. Wow. Nice. Wants to know if we received the part we were expecting. Not that we've received the part, but she actually apologizes for the delays and inconsiderate comments of her associates. Wow. She's sure we'll get the part tomorrow. Says she'll call back tomorrow to check on the status of the repair. Wow. Still no part or repair; but … did I say WOW?

Aug 24 (day 12) - Still no part delivered. Another call to Sears. Nice lady says she'll check on it and call back. Even though she can't seem to find any record of the shipment, she's sure that it will be delivered today. She calls back (amazing!) We still haven't received the part; there is no record of it being shipped; and we can't schedule a repair without it; but she's going to look into it and get back to us. A little attention makes us feel better anyhow.

Oh yeah. She calls back. That feeling of well-being was short-lived. The part is backordered. If it was ordered at all (who knows?), that order was lost. There is no ETA for the backorder. I'm about ready to cry. I suppose this might be funny someday. Not yet.

I try to call the service center that is a couple miles from our house. They're the ones who ordered the part. Maybe they know something. After 30 minutes on hold, with a repeated message telling me that if I want to schedule a repair or check on a parts order, I should call the 800#, I finally give up and hang up. I just got home from work; it's after 5 PM; I'm tired; I'm hungry; I need to make supper. Actually, I need to go out and buy something to prepare for supper. I can't store enough in the dorm fridge to cook. I'm not going to talk with anyone today. I give up. I give up. I give up.

Around 7PM, I call the store where we bought the fridge. I'm almost pleading. The store manager doesn't try to sell me an extended warranty this time. Says he has “ways” to check on the status of the part. If it will be delivered in a few days, that's one thing. Otherwise, he'll be reasonable; we can arrange an exchange. He'll get back to us tomorrow morning.

Betcha big $$$. Go home this evening and unplug your refrigerator. Call me in 12 days and let me know how you're doing. Let me know how reasonable it seems to wait another week to plug it back in. Any takers?

the pounds

I went to the gym at lunch today. I love when I can do that - the gym is across the street from the office, and I feel like I "cheated" by not cutting into to evening plans or morning sleep. I biked for 20, ran for 20. I need to do more bricks because my lower legs/feet sometimes feel kind of numb when I run after pushing myself on the bike. It was fine.

But that's not what is on my mind. I can't get the POUNDS off my mind this week. Be forewarned, I think I'm about to go off on a rant here . . .

I consistently weigh about 145 pounds. There, I said it. This is the most I have ever weighed in my life. I think (hope) most would guess that I weigh less than that; that I carry it well. I think I am also in better shape than I have ever been in my life.

It's a cantankerous number. 145 is often the cutoff for the "Athena" division in triathlons. For men, there is often a "Clydesdale" division of 200+ pounds. This bugs me. I am not a big girl! I don't want to be in the big girl division!

I shouldn't complain; I'm really not overweight. I'm just toward the upper end of the "healthy" range.

I ran 15 miles on Saturday. On Sunday, I weighed myself, and I had gained a pound. WTF! Am I supposed to run 100 miles? I have seriously hoped that my scale was broken, and weighed myself at the gym to doublecheck it. No, it's not broken.

Calories in, calories out, right? Calories out are WAY up. Calories in are pretty constant. If anything, I eat healthier than ever. Sure, I like good food and wine, but I have cut out sugar and processed crap almost completely. So why haven't I lost any freaking weight?

The obvious answer is that muscle weighs more than fat. Yes, yes, I know. Husband says that most skinny women's arms are "like a sock full of pudding". Funny yes, but also true. My legs used to just be tubes - now there is actually visible muscle, shape, and something to flex.

Once upon a time, I weighed about 125 pounds. For years and years. Slowly added a pound or two a year, then weighed 135 for like, 5 years. I wasn't in shape then. But it was easier to fake. I would be so psyched to see 135 again. Even at 125 I was never particularly skinny.

I've been taking my measurements all this time. Since January, I have lost 3 inches from my waist. I also found detailed measurements from 1995, which show I could lose 3 more inches from the waist. I was 21 in 1995. So maybe this isn't realistic, but still . . . 6 inches!? That's like one of those ads where someone pulls out their giant old pants! How did this happen? I really can't complain, my clothes fit better, my belly is flatter, etc. But here I am, complaining.

Another thing about this is that my weight gain has coincided perfectly with the advent of vanity sizing in women's clothing. So, at 125 pounds, I was a size 6, and at 145 pounds, I am still a size six. Of course, the size 6 pants bought in 1995 don't come close to fitting like the size six bought in 2005. Ann Taylor and Banana Republic --> Enablers, right? My waist has expanded with the popularity of low-rise jeans. I am nothing if not in fashion.

One thing I will say is that I have more empathy for overweight people than I ever did before. Fat sneaks up on you, and it IS hard to get rid of it. I've lost a few pounds before with the Atkin's diet, Slimfast, etc. But I don't like to live that way, and it always came right back, and then some. I'm trying to turn back the tide NOW, before things get out of control.

Finally, I want to add that I did not start running/swimming/biking to lose weight. I did it for my health. And for the sense of accomplishment. And I AM healthier. Body fat is down, heart rate is down, I can run, swim and bike further than ever before. Being healthy feels good. But you know, I did expect to lose a few pounds.

OK. I think I'm done. Just needed to vent.

New Week

Yesterday I was feeling kind of sick and headachey all day. I had some wine Saturday night; maybe I was still dehydrated from my run and had a bad headache as a result. I laid around for much of the day, but wanted to stick to the schedule, so got up and went for my 3 mile run around 5. It was muggy, but I had some shade, and the headache was actually much better when I got back. So I ran 3 Friday, 15 Saturday and 3 on Sunday. 21 miles - not bad for 3 days! I can't believe that my knees don't hurt at all.

Of course, I totally skipped swimming and biking . . . As a result, these races are starting to loom ahead of me. 26 days to my Olympic Distance Triathlon. 40 days to the 1/2 Ironman distance. 76 days until the marathon. My stomach gets a little queasy thinking about it.

Schedule for the week is up. Tonight, we swim.

LSD

For you non-runners out there, that stands for Long Slow Distance. Today was the day.

At some point last night I realized that I was supposed to run 15 miles today, and felt sick to my stomach just thinking about it. But, I did it!

I was slow getting up today, but luckily was not punished by the running gods with heat & humidity. I hit the road at 9:40, with a plan to run to the Mightyman Montauk course. The course consists of two 6.5 mile loops. It's about 3 miles to get to the start. I ran to the start (3), the first full - hilly- loop of the course (6.5), the first half of the course a 2nd time (3.1), then back home (3). I'm going to clock it in the car at some point this weekend, but should be about 15 miles.

I did OK. It was foggy and misty when I started out, but cleared a little after an hour or so. I wore my "fuel" belt, and brought water, a gel, some money for gatorade, and my MP3 player. 30 minutes in, I had some water. A fit-looking guy parked at the transition area when I strolled up. He had a fancy tri-bike on the back of his truck. I knew he was there to run the course too. Yeah, he totally smoked me almost immediately.

60 minutes in, I had a gel and some more water. By this point, I was hitting the hills, which involved some walking breaks. The views are beautiful, and there were almost no cars on the road in this section. Nice. After 2 hours, I was back in town and bought a gatorade, which I drank a little of and poured the rest in my now-empty water bottles. Still feeling pretty good.

Back around Fort Pond. Hmm, a lot of people fishing today. Not a good time to swim the course. Almost back to town. After 2.5 hours, my body started to rebel a little. Hips, calves, hams, feet, even shoulders started to stiffen up and ache. The last 3 miles are about 75% uphill. Ugh. A lot of (slightly painful) walking started happening. But, like I said, I made it. Covered in salt and thinking about the best way to ice my knee, but I made it.

15 miles is far. Some jock-types don't count their warmup, or any walking bits. But I figure that I'll be walking through the water stops at the marathon, and that won't stop me from calling it 26.2 miles. So I count it. Also, the marathon course is very flat, and out here there are a lot of hills. Hopefully that will help me on the big day! [The race materials say there is 806 feet of elevation gain on the run course. That doesn't sound like a lot - I should compare that to the marathon course for reference.]

15 miles is a long way, and I feel pretty good. But I have been totally falling behind on my training schedule, and I can't have another week like this. I jokingly call it "The Lazy Woman's Training Plan", but I need to get just a little more serious. Pushing all my workouts to the weekends increases my chances of injury. Today, I have several minor, but seemingly random injuries like chafing, blisters, and a cut & bruise on my back from my water belt. All practice, I guess.

Not much planned until dinner tonight. The fog is rolling in. Ahhh . . . . .

I'm back!

Finally, I got back out there. I got back from my trip after midnight on Thursday night. And, although I brought my workout gear, it never left my suitcase, and I did NO exercise (a little stretching and that's it) Monday - Thursday. I was feeling a little under the weather and just never found the time. I felt like I gained 5 pounds when I got back.

On Friday, I snuck out of work a little early and was home by 6:15. I was out for a short run by 6:40. I just went around the little park in my neighborhood, but it was so nice. The temperature was around 75 and kept getting cooler. On my 2nd lap around the park, it started to sprinkle. But I would not be stopped by a little rain. (Luckily I was wearing a dark shirt). The rain increased steadily, and by the 6th and 7th lap, I pretty much had the place to myself and was getting soaked. Did the 8th lap and came home, feeling triumphant.

Came home, had some dinner with Husband, and hit the road for the long drive to Montauk. Back in our NY groove.

out of town

I'm on a business trip. I ate a big steak, and had some wine to frink. I mean drink. My meeting starts tomorrow at 7:00 - how the heck am I supposed to exercise? Grrr.

This weekend I did OK. On Saturday, my body felt tired. I ran 8 miles instead of the 10 on the schedule. Later, I took a 2 hour nap. The humidity takes a lot out of me.

Sunday, I ran 4 miles in the morning, starting at 9 am. A reasoanble time, I feel; not the crack of dawn, but early enough to beat the heat, right? While I was running, I was thinking about how the humidity just wraps around me like a blanket. Or a shroud. Or chains around my ankles. The humidity makes me sweat a lot and drains my energy. It's like running through soup. With a mild smell of low tide.

Sunday afternoon, Husband and I went to the swimming beach again. The water = cold. 60ish degrees. Maybe it's because I was tired when I started, but I got very cold and short of breath almost immediately. Also, there was a lot of swell, and birds picking fish out of the water, right by my head, which creeped me out. And I forgot my goggles. Right. So, I didn't last long in the water.

Later Sunday afternoon. We went biking. Unfortunately, that also kind of sucked, because we got separated and I briefly considered throwing my bike off a cliff into the ocean. I am over that now.

Weekend tally = swim: 250m?, bike: 10 miles, run: 12. Whatever.

training schedule

Husband and I went to the pool last night. It's always hard to break out of post-work inertia on the couch, but I always feel better after I go. At the camp, we were told to, "Be your own swim coach", and I am trying hard to get better.

I've been reading Total Immersion and I watched the SwimPower DVD before I left. Did some drills to work on my stroke: 100 of side, 100 of one-arm, 100 of catch-up and 100 of the fist drill. THEN I did10 x 50 of freestyle. Usually I alternate drills with freestyle, and end up losing track of the total, and counting some of the drills. I AM getting better, but still have a long way to go. I am just not a natural swimmer. Am I a natural anything? Sigh.

I've been looking at the Half-Ironman training plan, and comparing with my actual totals and goals. Basically, I have been setting the bar too low. I should try to double my swimming, and increase my biking by 50%. Training schedule for this weekend is:

Saturday: Bike 3.5 hours + Run 30 minutes
Sunday: Run 1.75 hours

Damn! Well, I'll see what I can do.

new gear

I had some serious gear-envy at the camp. Here is my shopping list:

• First and foremost, a decent road bike - $600-900. Maybe I will also check out ebay for this.
• Aero bars – maybe I will skip this until next year
• New bike computer – could skip this, if I move my computer off the mountain bike on to the new bike.
• Bike shorts – I only have 2 pair, another would come in handy and ensure even laundering
• Swimsuit – I like my suit, but I only have one for serious swimming, and the lining got torn up in the drying machine at the gym. It's not obscene yet, but could be headed that way.
• Running shorts – I only have a few pair in good “quick-dry” fabrics, and only one of those has good zippered pockets.
• Socks – always searching for one more pair of cool-max socks

Shoes are ok for now. I rotate 2 good pairs, so I think that will take me right through the marathon. Definitely looking at $1200+ here, and these are just the bare necessities. I also have my eye on one of those GPS things (look away!). Oh well.

Tonight, Husband and I are planning to swim together. This is good, and I am looking forward to practicing some of the drills I learned in my class and that I've been reading about in Total Immersion. But I'm supposed to run 5 miles today according to my marathon schedule. So maybe I'll get to the gym earlier than Husband, run on the treadmill, take a shower, and hop in the pool. He may have to work late anyway. I guess that's a plan.

The picture is the one that will be on the NYC marathon t-shirts. We got to vote on several designs. I like how it matches my blog.

epic weekend IV – tuesday

Slept like a baby Monday night and woke up 10 minutes before the alarm. I love when I do that. Everyone in the class has the latest gear, but I got compliments on my cute sugoi bike outfit. Bike shorts make my butt look funny, but I guess my tri version aren’t SO bad. My joke continues to be that I like doing triathlons so I have an excuse to buy lots of cute sporty gear.

The big thing on today's agenda was the bike ride. The course is basically two 28 mile loops, for 56 miles total. Again, the plan was to do the first loop together, nice and easy, and the second loop as a time trial. Anyone who wanted to drop out after the first loop could, and I figured I probably would.

About 5 miles in, we planned to stop at a deli on the way. One of our group had a serious accident. C, the bike shop guy, came to a quick stop in front of the deli. One of the guys was close behind him, in aero position on a tri bike. He slammed on the brake, but crashed into C and flipped. I think he caught most of his weight on the heel of his hand, but the force of it dislocated on of the bones in his forearm. It didn't break the skin, but the bone was bulging out in a very bad-looking and painful way. This was one of the more experienced guys, at least in terms of cycling. He was hurting, big time. I didn't see the accident because I was one of the last to pull up to the scene. Someone called 911, and the guys went off to the hospital in an ambulance. We found out later that he will need surgery.

This was disturbing, but the rest of us had to finish the ride. We went out to the Point and around to do the rest of the loop. I am not used to riding in a group, and I don't like being so close to people's wheels. Also, I'm not accustomed to going fast, and I tend to touch the brake on the downhill bits so I don't start feeling out of control. We got some tips specific to the course -- there are some rolling hills, and if you really work yourself to get over the first one, you'll have enough momentum to get over the next. Good tip.

On the way back from the Point, my chain popped out in the middle of a hill. Luckily they had sent me out first, so most of the guys were behind me and one of them got it popped back in for me. It seemed normal at first, but the chain was catching in a weird way, and turned out to have a little kink in one of the links. I think "fa-cocked" is the official term. Anyway the coach seemed a little concerned that it would pop, so the two of us headed back together. He kept an eye on me and gave me hints on when to make gear adjustments. Maybe this would come more naturally if I knew how to drive a stick shift.

While we were out there alone on the course, I took the opportunity to ask him if he thought I should be doing this. I was afraid to ask, but I guess I needed some affirmation. Most of me thought he would avoid discouraging me, being a coach/enabler type. But part of me was secretly afraid that he would say, "Half Ironman is not for you, maybe you should stick with the Sprint events," or "You could really hurt yourself, and I don't want to be responsible. Maybe you should try again next year."

What he did say was this. "Listen, this is an aggressive goal. You are going to need to put in a lot of time to make it happen and build your endurance. I've seen you swim, and know you can do it (HA!), but you need to really work on your cycling or you are going to miss the cutoff." He said I needed to work on my cycling! Maybe my swimming is not so bad after all! (Or, maybe he wasn't paying attention that closely.) He also said, "But, what's the worst that could happen? If you don't finish, you'll know what you need to work on, and will be better prepared next year." I liked that answer. After all, I know I won't die out there. If I can't swim, I'll float, float, float my way to shore. If I fall on my bike, someone will probably take me home. If I can't run, I'll walk. I'm still going to go for it.

I felt fine when we got back - I think the bike must be a good fit, because I really wan't sore in the "saddle" at all. We skipped part of the course, so my total was 22 miles.

2 of the guys skipped the second loop. The rest went back out. I went home to pack up the house so I could head home as soon as the class was over. I even had time to wash the car (it was filthy) and take a shower.

When everyone got back, we got an update on the bike accident (ouch!), and went through the training plan. The training plan is a real time commitment, with 2 workouts a day most days. We also got individualized comments on our swimming, and suggestions on drills to work on them. I tend to almost cross my arms, causing me to "fishtail" in the water, and increase drag. The "one-arm" and the "catch-up" drills are supposed to help, so I'll try that.

We went outside for a discussion of the Pose Method of running. It's supposed to reduce injuries and be a more "natural" way to run. We did some drills to help us be lighter on our feet - high knees, butt kicks, etc. This is worth trying for me -- sometimes I run like an elephant.

Then there was one last swim, which I skipped. I had a 3 hour drive ahead of me and didn't want to do it in a wet, pond-y, bathing suit. I said my goodbyes and drove out into the sunset.

It was intense/easy/hard/fun. So glad I did it.

epic weekend III - monday

So Monday isn't really a weekend, but I took 2 vacation days, so I felt like I was playing hooky.

Training Camp!

The word "camp" made me feel all excited and ready to play. I woke up with a smile on my face, like a kid on Christmas morning.

We started out the morning with introductions and the like. There were 2 coaches - Steve, Ironman extraordinaire; and Chris, bike guru and local bike shop owner. There were 11 of us in the class, a small number which I liked. There were 2 other women, a college student who works in the bike shop and competes on the triathlon team at her school, and the sister of one of the coaches, who was an accomplished swimmer, but a little older and trying to get back into the sport. The college student was in and out over the next 2 days, and the sister was only there for the first day.

Several of the guys in the class had competed in the Lake Placid Ironman, and/or were signed up for next year. Although probably one of the youngest, I was pretty much the weakest link. Sigh. But I am used to being the only woman in the room. It was fine.

After the introductions and overview of the course, the RUN was first on the agenda. The course includes a 13.1 mile run - 2 loops of 6.55 each. The plan was to run the 1st 6.55 as a group, pretty slowly; then choose between heading back and doing the second loop as more of a time trial. The first 3.5 miles was a loop around the pond, which is the swim course, and was also a somewhat logical stopping point for anyone who really wanted to head back. I had just run the 12.5 miles on Saturday, so I figured that I would do the 6.55, then hang out while some did the second loop. If I felt really great, I thought I might do the 1st part of the second loop as well.

I didn't last that far. It was hot & humid by the time we left at 9:30, and I started checking my watch only 10 minutes in. Embarassing. The coach's sister hadn't run more than 3 miles lately - although she seemed to be in better shape than me - so we headed back together. I was hot, dehydrated, and slow. Looking back, I probably should have kept going, and finished up the 1st loop. I think it was the peer pressure of being the slowest, and not wanting to hold back the group. I also wanted to conserve energy for the swim -- drowning would really be embarassing, I guess.

We went back so slowly that we were only waiting around 10 minutes or so when the rest of the group straggled in for water and gels. About 1/2 the group went out for the 2nd loop. The rest of us went for a swim to cool off. It was around 90 and humid. I went right in the water in my clothes. Fort Pond is actually a decent-sized lake. There are fish, geese, and sailboats in the water. Hmm, I suppose they won't allow sailboats on race day? The pond water is a little fishy tasting, but definitely clean. Visibility in the pond is actually better than in the Sound, where my Sprint tri was held. Stepped out after 10-15 minutes, and my performance fabrics dried quickly in the sun. Reapplied sunscreen, and was ready and waiting for our stretching session when the rest of the group got back.

We spread our YOGA mats out on the soccer field and did almost an hour of stretching in the sun. I was glad I reapplied that sunscreen. The stretching was actually awesome, with heavy emphasis on the "problem areas" for most runners, cyclists and swimmers, I guess. I learned some new ones, and got the best stretch of calves, hips, hams, etc as I've ever had. I'm definitely NOT a yoga expert, but with a bunch of 40 something macho guys, I felt like a star student. :)

We broke for lunch, and I tried to make the healthy choice with a fresh tuna sandwich at the organic place. As soon as we got back, it was time for the SWIM. Didn't their mothers tell them you are supposed to wait a 1/2 hour?

People kept asking me if I wanted some sunscreen, which is usually a sign that I am getting very red. I felt nervous putting on my wetsuit, but tried to look relaxed and confident. The bike coach headed out to the middle of the lake on a kayak, and we were to swim about 500 m out and have our class there. Um, what? We are going to just hang out in the middle of the lake? Where we can't touch the bottom? Yeah, that's right.

Well, I got there. I hung on to the kayak during the time Steve was talking. I wasn't the only one, so I didn't care. Thank God I wore my wetsuit - not everyone did. We learned and practiced how to:

• tread water (efficiently!)
• sight on every stroke for better navigation (I need this one!)
• shave time cornering around the buoys
• draft off other swimmers

I am still amazed at how relaxed some people are in the water. One guy acted like the buoy and just hung out there, treading water, which we did corners around him. Meanwhile, I spent as much time as possible clutching the kayak. It's not easy to look cool doing this. ;-)

After all that, I was tired and struggling to maintain composure. Our next assignment was to go swim toward the other side of the lake - about a 1/2 mile - and back to shore. Or, we could just go straight back. Anyone who knows my relationship with the water knows my choice. I headed back, and one of the guys went with me. I'm still not sure if he was tired too, or just wanted to prevent me from drowning. I swam beside him, matching stroke for stroke, most of the way. This was actually very helpful - I should definitely try and do this in the race because I covered a decent amount of distance without expending so much mental energy. At some point we got off course a little and had to redirect. I moved onto my back and stayed there the rest of the way. We sat on the rocks on the shore and watched the others race in. The oldest guy (55) was the first one in. Amazing.

We took of the wetsuits, and Steve had us swim out and back 25 strokes, so he could make some notes on our swimming technique. Although I didn't do all the swimming distance, I was still out there, in the water, for about 2 hours. I didn't freak out or drown. I think that is pretty good. My standards are pretty low in this department, I guess.

So that was the swim. But we still had the bike, and we were running behind schedule. We had a discussion of basic bike mechanics and fit. They STRONGLY recommend road bikes over time trial or "tri" bikes for the vast majority of riders. The tri bikes just aren't are stable or safe. I only have a mountain bike, but I borrowed a bike from the bike shop, and we headed out. The bike ride portion was not for distance, but I think we went about 8 miles. We rode part of the course, but headed into a quiet street with a hill and a cul-de-sac. We did some drills:

• emergency stop - pull butt all the way off the seat and back, brake without going over the handlebars, and get out of the pedals quickly.
• power up a hill - adjust gears to make it easier
• power up a hill - move bike side to side for leverage
• sharp turn - bend inside leg, straighten outside leg, and lean

Maybe this sounds ridiculously easy to seasoned riders, but I actually learned a lot! My bike felt so light and comfortable; I guess that means it was a good fit.

I planned to go out to dinner with the group, but was so tired by the time I got home, I had a protein shake and some cereal, watched some tv and went to bed by 10. It was a good day.

epic weekend II - sunday swimming

Sunday I wanted to take it easy, since I knew I had my training camp on Monday. Glad I iced my knees Saturday night. My legs were tired on Sunday, but at least my knees did not hurt. Took one ibuprofin for good measure, but that was it.

I was restless and wanted to get out of the house, but it took a long time to get Husband and I moving.

We rode our bikes to the swimming beach, which we've never done before. Surprisingly, there is no bike rack there, so we just chained them to a sign. We wore our suits under our bike shorts. Husband had a backpack with some towels, sunscreen, swim goggles, etc. Oh, and one of those super heavy bike chains.

The water is around 70 degrees - cold without a wetsuit at first. It was a hot day and there were a lot of people there, but the water is super clean, and there is swell, but no real crashing waves since we are in an inlet. The it a roped off section for swimming about 50 meters wide and 25 meters out, plus a lifeguard. The water gets deep fast - you can't touch the bottom with 5 meters. I tried to swim lengths of the roped off area, but the waves, fish, and fogged up goggles freaked me out a little. Husband gave me some breast stroke lesson - I still don't quite get it, but it was fun to play in the water and practice a little. If nothing else, I am getting used to open water/ocean swimming and even starting to enjoy it.

We had a late-ish dinner at one of the restaurants on the dock. It's a "locals" place, and boats pull up and unload and clean fish right there on the dock. While we were waiting for a table, I noticed a boat pull in and a group of guys pulling and tugging on ropes over by the scales. Turns out they brought in a big shark! It was a thresher shark, which I have bever seen before. It has a long, whip-like tail. This one was at least 15 feet long, and the final verdict on the scale was 425 pounds! Apparently they got it about 40 miles out. I took a picture with my camera phone, but can't seem to get it to come out. Anyway, it was pretty similar to this photo I found on the web. Don't want to swim with those!

Husband went home after dinner and I stayed at the house by myself for my training camp on Monday. It was spooky being there by myself. All the neighbors were gone, and I noticed every car that went by on the road since there were so few. The foghorn went "broo! broo!" as I went to sleep.

Tally for the day - 5.5 mile bike, 750 m swim.

epic weekend - saturday run

I have done so much exercising in the last 4 days, I can't even believe it. Saturday:

Long run on the schedule was 13 miles, more than I have ever run before. Luckily I had a training partner. K and I palnned to go at 7:30, before the heat of the day. A little delayed, but we were out the door by 7:55. I wore my fuel belt for the first time, and brought. 1 samll bottle diluted gatorade, 1 small bottle water, and a gel - I forget what kind. I had peanut butter toast and coffee for breakfast. It's nice to have someone with you on a long run. We did lots of chit-chatting, and the first 8-9 miles of rolling hills flew by. I checked my heart rate intermittantly, and it was steady at 150-160. I sipped the gatorade about every 30-40 minutes.

Then I started feeling hot. And tired. I waved K on and slogged along by myself. At around 10 miles, there is a turnaround point, so I thought that I would get there, and have my gel and remaining water. I was moving really slowly at this point. K was waiting for me when I got there, about 2 hours in. I told K to go ahead, we were close to home and it was going to take me a while. I came to a complete stop, sucked down a gel, and finished off my water. Only 2.5 miles to home. I took a step, and it hurt. Everything hurt. The bottoms of my feet, my hips, my knees, my calves. The bottoms of my feet?! What the heck!? Really hard to even lift my legs. Heart rate was up, way up, around 180, and the road was almost flat at this point. Ouch.

Nothing to do but walk it off. I walked for about 5 minutes, and started to feel better, probably when the gel kicked in. Jogged 5 minutes, walked a minute or two the rest of the way. Felt halfway decent by the time I got back for some stretching, and food.

Husband asked if I wanted to go mountain biking. I counteroffered with some beach sleeping.

I took a nap in the afternoon, and accomplished very little the rest of the day. My knees ached on Saturday night, and I iced them for quite sometime while watching a movie. They felt fine on Sunday morning.

I get really hungry on any run lasting more than an hour. Sometimes I get nauseated when it is hot, but mostly just hungry. My stomach growls. I think I may be a little unusual in this respect - K basically had no idea what I was talking about. Would I have felt better if I had the gel sooner?

Although I felt pretty crappy toward the end, I was pleased with my performance overall. I finished it, and really felt fine for the first 1:45 plus. The route has quite a few hills, and I usually walk at least some of them, but not this time. So that was good. So, improving endurance, which will come, and one more gel would have probaly fixed it. Next time.

goals, improvements

Today I added 2 new features to the sidebar: a weekly training schedule, and compounding mileage totals for the month. (Thanks for the idea, Flatman!) Although I usually lay out some kind of plan at the beginning of every week, I think this will be an even better reminder. Plus, I can brag about how much I ran/biked/swam for the month.

Can't brag yet. Although it is still pretty early in the month, I basically haven't done any running at all. So, although it is already the 5th of the month, here are some goals for August:

- Swim: 3500 meters (2.17 miles). That's 70 laps, or 140 lengths. A lot!
- Bike: 100 miles. Shouldn't be too bad - 25 miles a week seems quite reasonable.
- Run: 90 miles. This is actually taking it fairly easy, since my marathon training plan calls for 124.
- Other: 1000 crunches. I got the idea for adding this from another blog. I hate doing crunches, and unfortunately, it shows. I've also been having a little lower back soreness, and I think strengthening the abs will help. Plus, it would be pretty cool to have a six-pack.

IAlthough I started the blog in June, I started running in January. Really never did more than 2 miles on a treadmill before that. I have a separate paper running log, and running is the only thing I've really been keeping track of regulary. I just looked back at that out of curiosity. I kicked it up a notch when I got into the marathon:

Jan - 35 miles
Feb - 43
Mar - 35
April - 37
May - 39
June - 47
July - 61

One more improvement to my page. I added a link to conversion calculator because I can never calculate meters to miles in myhead, expecially for swimming. (Thanks Chivalry!). I can't remember where I got my coutdown clock, but I stole that from someone's blog too. Gotta love "view source".

Next week should actually be a good one for the books because I have my training camp on Monday & Tuesday. Can't wait!

busted

So, someone was kind enough to point out to me that the Mightyman Montauk is not in 94 days, it is in 58. I was looking at the marathon countdown. Doh! Total freudian slip.

I'm in a better mood today, so I'm just going to wait & see how my training camp goes, and how the Hamptons tri goes. I'll find out if there is more left in me after that event.

On a better note, last night Husband and I went to the "good" pool. It's been closed for a week for cleaning/repairs, so on Sunday we went to the "yucky" pool, which I hate, because it is older, dirtier and usually more crowded. The locker rooms are particularly ghetto. I'm considering reporting them to the Board of Health.

But I digress. We went to the good pool last night. It was awesome! It has been closed for a week, and I think they totally changed the water! It was cool and refreshing, and not too chlorified or worse, salty (that really grosses me out). Anyway, I did 15 laps. Yes, I stopped in between for some. But my swimming is definitely getting better and better. Going to the pool with Husband and sharing a lane is a nice ritual we do together.

I got my Marathon handbook in the mail yesterday! It has all the details about the course, travel arrangements, and of course marathon gear to buy. What a logistical challenge this thing is. The fastest 9,000 women will start the race in a special area. If your number is 18,000 or higher, go to such and such area, and so on. The cutest thing is that there will be "SpongeBob Square Pants" sponging stations starting at mile 19. At least I know something will make me smile toward the end -- I love SpongeBob!

I am totally psyched!

Also, I came across a quote to inspire me:

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)

doubts

Last night Husband said he was concerned that I bit off more than I can chew with the Mightyman Montauk. Maybe he's right. After all, I got terrible cramps and nearly hurt myself after a mere 40 minutes on the bike last night. How am I going to last at a HALF IRONMAN when I'll be out there for 6-7 HOURS? (Good question, eh?)

Husband is not doing the longer Tri's or the marathon with me. But we work out together, so he knows my level/limitations. We did a Sprint Tri together, and I finished near the very bottom of the pack. I think he's concerned that I'll need to be rescued on the swim. Or that he should be out there escorting me on his surfboard.

The countdown clock I added to the side of my blog is a source of motivation, but also stress. I've been scheduling some business trips this week in August and September, when will I have time to train? Also, I have basically been starting with my marathon training schedule, and just substituting some swimming and biking for some of the running. I haven't actually been ADDING the swimming and running. I've been realizing that I've been doing it all backwards, what I should actually do is start with a triathlon training schedule, and add some long runs. Basically, I've been slacking. Big time.

Anyway, I'm trying to make myself feel better. I learned some things from my first (Sprint) tri, and my training since then. I barely placed in that last race, but I felt good at the end, and I could have down more. So I'm going to break it down for myself (and my loyal readers).

Mighty Hamptons: 45 DAYS ("Olympic" distance)

• Swim is 1.5 K (.93 miles)
• Bike is 23 miles (38 K)
• Run is 6.2 miles (a 10 K)

Swim. That's 30 laps/60 lengths. I've never done that before - I stop for 10+ seconds after virtually every lap in the pool. But it almost sounds reasonable. Almost. I could backstroke a little if I lose my breath. 30 laps. 30 laps. 30 laps. In last year's race, it took between 21 - 64 minutes for this leg of the race. 30 laps in an hour at the pool definitely sounds reasonable. Of course, I can't hold on to or push off from the wall, but still. My wetsuit and the salt water make me "floaty". I won't nearly as freaked out by the other swimmers kicking as I was in my first tri. I will swim in a straight line and sight the buoys regularly. I will put anti-fog on my goggles. It's doable. 45 minutes would be nice.

Bike. I *think* I have gone that far on a bike at the gym before, but never on my real bike. I definitely haven't biked the course, but I know the area pretty well, and there are no major hills. There are farms and and a golf course, so maybe some rolling bits, but I think I am more worried about the ticks. Last year it took participants between 1 - 2 hours. That's a long time. Long enough that I need to get coordinated enough to drink from my water bottle while moving. But the good thing about a bike is, even when you aren't working very hard, you are still moving. It took me 31 minutes to go 8 miles in my sprint tri. I had "bike issues" that day and was still getting used to clipless. So maybe an hour and 15 minutes?

Run. I have run 6.2 miles or more at least 5 times, and it should be about 10 times by the time the race is here. I will obviously be tired, but my running is pretty consistent. 65 minutes.

In the race packet, it lists the start time (7:00 am), the estimated time of the first finisher (8:47 am) and the estimated time of the last finisher (11:00 am). So adding up the parts, plus a conservative 10 minutes for the transitions, I should finish the race at 10:15 (3:15). Based on last year's results, that would put me in 500th place, out of 633. Since my goal is to simply finish the race, I consider this to be respectable. Again, my goal is just to finish. Plus, I still have 45 days to do more swimming and biking. The course is pretty accessible and I should get to practice on it at least once. This, I can do.

Next Up --> Mightyman Montauk: 94 Days

• Swim is 1.2 miles (2K)
• Bike is 56 miles
• Run is 13.1 miles (a 1/2 marathon)

Swim. That's 40 laps/80 lengths. Never done that. That's like all the swimming I've done in the past month. Last year, it took participants 29 - 66 minutes to finish this legs, surprisingly similar to the times for the other race, which is 500 meters shorter. I can think of 2 possible explanations: (1) this swim is in a pond instead of a bay, so maybe it is flatter and easier, or (2) only very strong swimmers dare to enter this race. hmm. Also, they CLOSE the swim course after 1 hour. Gulp.

Bike. Haven't done that before either. Last year it took participants between 2.5 - 4 hours. Ouch. They CLOSE the bike course at 11:30. (Race starts at 7:00)

Run. I will have run 13.1 miles and more several times before the race in preparation for the marathon. I run slow in the best conditions. But I train on this course practically every weekend, so I will be ready for the hills. 2.5 hours. They CLOSE the run course at 3:00.

Yeah, this looks pretty hard. I might not make the cut-off times, and be a DNF. But I won't DIE out there. (Always looking on the bright side . . .)

My only hope is my training camp and training schedule. Hope they don't kick me out of camp! I repeat, my goal is just to finish.

Strangely, I'm not really worried about the marathon. My goal all along was just to finish; I don't mind walking through the water stops or whenever I need to. Also, I read somewhere that an Olympic distance tri is considered to be equivalent to "marathon effort". So, if I do these 2 events, it should be a piece of cake. I guess that's something.

This was a long post. Clearly, I am obsessed. But, I feel a little better. After all, my goal is just to finish.

Off to the pool!

cramps!

Last night I hit the gym after work. I thought I would do a little Brick, with 45 minutes on the bike, plus 20 on the treadmill. I hardly ever bike, so I decided to push myself on the bike, and take it easy on the treadmill.

It's funny, the "old me" used to ride the bike at the gym for 20-30 minutes and barely break a sweat. I would take over one of the "reclined" position bikes where you basically sit in a chair while pedalling your legs. I would set it on Level 3 or 4, and read magazines or watch TV. I have taken a few spin classes, but basically avoided those because, well, they were hard.

Not last night. I took the "tall" bike, set it at level 10 on a random course, and set the "race" feature for 40 minutes. I came prepared with good music on my MP3, and a bottle of Vitamin water. I was sweating big time, heart rate was up to 150+ for most of the ride. I had the RPM as high as 100, and speeds of up to 25 MPH. Distance was 12.5 miles, calories burned were over 300. Definitely a lot higher intensity than my normal meandering Sunday bike ride style.

Time for the treadmill. Towelled my sweat of the bike (eww), took a swig of water and hopped on the treadmill. Walked for about a minute just to start, then upped it to 5.5 (11 min mile pace) with a .5% incline, planning to increase to ~6.5 (9.5 min mile pace).

Jogging about 2 minutes when sharp pains hit my left calf, then my right. Oww! oww! oww! It really hurt! Really sharp pain, enough to bring tears to my eyes, and a little embarassing when surrounded by people at the gym. I slowed down the treadmill, walked a minute or two, then tried to speed up again. OWW! Just couldn't do it at all. I walked the rest of the 20 minutes, increasing the incline to 5-6% to help stretch the calves and give me a little better workout. Did LOTS of extra stretching afterwards. Then I did some crunches, and got a cramp in the arch of my foot! Oww!

This isn't the first time I've had tightness or cramping in the calves/feet. My calves have been getting really tight lately, and sometimes I get a sharp cramping pain first thing in the morning. Not a nice way to wake up. Also get cramping in the feet when I swim sometimes. I need to head off plantar fascitis at the pass. I do stretch, especially the calves, usually in the morning, and definitely after running. But, definitely need to do more. Here is my strategy:

- Stretch! Every morning, plus before and after workouts. (I usually only do it after running)
- Hydrate! I think I am constantly in a mild state of dehydration, which definitely makes it worse. Drink more water, drink less alcohol. Today I am hyper hydrating.
- Massage! I have this back massager thing which is about to go right on the calves. I also have one of those foot roller things. Every day.
- Shoes! I'm going to try not to wear heels until after the marathon. They really aggravate it for days. Sneakers and flip flops for me -- so much for my professional image.

Today I'm just planning to do some yoga, and some swimming.

back to training

Last week -- Plan vs. Actual

Monday: swim 1 hour [ACTUAL = NOTHING!]
Tuesday: run 4 miles [ACTUAL = NOTHING!]
Wednesday: rest [ACTUAL = BIKED 45 MIN, RAN 3 MILES]
Thursday: bike 30 min, swim 30 minutes [ACTUAL = NOTHING!]
Friday: run 4 miles [ACTUAL = RAN 4 MILES]
Saturday: run 8 miles, swim 1 hour [ACTUAL = 2 M WALK IN PARK]
Sunday: run 4 miles, bike 10 miles [ACTUAL = RAN 3 MILES, SWAM 30 MINUTES]

OK, that was pretty pathetic. I missed my long run, and only swam 30 minutes out of the whole week. I did have some family in town, but still. I give myself a C-. Bleuh. "It was hot" is turning into a pretty lame excuse.

This week's marathon training schedule is: "off - 4 - 4 -4 - off - 13 - 3". Still considering going to the gym tonight, but actually kind of sleepy today. The most important thing will be my long run on Saturday. Luckily, we'll be back in Montauk, and I already have my training partner lined up for the run. This will be the longest I have done so far. Should I wear my "utility belt" with the water bottles and pocket for gels?

What I'm really excited about is my 2-day training camp which is in 1 week. Being out on the course, and having a real coach look at my running, biking and swimming techniques should help a LOT. I still want to buy a new bike, too. Just dropping $$ left and right.

Still obsessed with my heart rate monitor. Right now it is . . . . 57! On Sunday, I jogged around in the heat, (if I would get up earlier, I wouldn't be out running at noon) and got readings in the 165-175 range. OK, fine. Then went swimming, and got readings of 225-230! Is that possible? Definitely above my theoretical max -- does this mean my max should be higher, that I'm have a heart attack, or that the watch doesn't work when it is wet? (It is supposed to). My heart rate is definitely elevated when I swim, I just didn't think it could be that much.

Man, I need to learn to swim.