The Plan

I have devised a relatively aggressive plan for 2006. I used my wealth of information about training from books, websites, and blogs. The result is a spreadsheet with schedules, pivot tables and charts. I think it rocks.

Here are my fitness goals for the year:

- Live a balanced, healthy lifestyle
- Improve my athletic performance
- Improve my aerobic endurance
- Stay injury-free
- Complete another marathon
- Complete a 1/2 Ironman (or longer) distance race

I am purposely avoiding any weight loss goals. I lost fat (but no pounds) in 2005, and I'll be happy just to continue the trend. If I just do all the running in my plan for 2006, I'm pretty certain I'll lose pounds too.

Other goals, while I am at it:
- Nurture relationships with Husband, family and friends
- Kick a** at work
- Reduce clutter at home and in life

Here is my strategy:

- Line up a ton of races. The races definitely keep me motivated. Living in NYC, I am finding plenty of races which won't require travel, and don't cost much. (Well the tri's are $$$, but the road races are cheap). Even if I occasionally miss one, having a goal for a Saturday morning gets me out of bed. I also picked a few challenging "biggies" early in the season - the Liberty to Liberty Triathlon and the Montauk Century Bike Ride.

- Plan & schedule workout time. Experience has taught me that I need to mark my calendar, pack my gym bag, sign up for a scheduled class, etc. to make it happen. So that's what I'll do every week, for the following week.

- Eat well. In general, I think I do pretty well. I avoid fast food and sugar for the most part. Next year, I need to eat MORE vegetables, protein and whole fruits, and LESS carbs (especially refined) and sweets.

- Be flexible and do something active every day. I can't always get to the gym or the pool or get outside in a blizzard. But I can do a core workout, yoga routine, or workout video at home or in my hotel room.

- Push myself. I really don't most of the time. My goals have always been just to "finish", which is definitely the way to go at the beginning. If I want to run faster in races, I need to run faster in workouts. So there you go.

- Attend group workouts. I found a swim class on Sunday nights that starts in late January. I found a group bike rides on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I think I may get Husband to come along for these - an added bonus. I am a little afraid to ride my bike in city traffic (crazy cab drivers, etc), but I think being in a group will give me more confidence.

- Keep up the blog. It helps! The comments are really supportive, and the act of writing things down really helps me visualize success, stay motivated and stick to the plan.

To make the plan, I put all my races in a spreadsheet. Then I worked backwards and added the training plan for my April marathon. Added my swim class that starts in late January. Added the group bike rides almost every weekend. Throw in a spin class, some weights, and some core exercises, and it gets pretty challenging!

I know I need to stay flexible, so I will release my goals one month at a time. Also, I set goals for both distance and time. Time has little relation to speed - I know I want to spend at least 7.5 hours on the bike, for example.

January:

- Swim. Distance goal = 2000 meters / Time goal: 2+ hours (low, but I know I have some trips scheduled which will make it hard to get to the pool)
- Bike. Distance goal = 115 miles / Time goal: 7.5 hours (25-30 mile group bike rides are key to achieving this goal)
- Run. Distance goal = 90 miles / Time goal: 15 hours
- Core. Time goal = 2 hours. That's my 10 minute core workout, 12 times.

So there you have it. I feel ready. I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow, so I feel good about getting this done before I leave. Also, my posts may be pretty limited while I am away, but I will have my running shoes and schedule in hand!

Happy holidays!

I need a plan

I've been kind of intentionally slacking since the marathon. First, I wanted to give my body a break. Also, the cold weather seems to encourage me to curl up on the couch, covered in blankets and cats - not exactly a healthy lifestyle. The less you do, the less want to do, and so you do even less. I am trapped in a downward spiral of slothfulness. A den of sloth.

It's the end of the year (Christmas is on Sunday already!), and I think a good time to reflect and plan for next year. In 2005, I ran, biked and swam farther (and faster) than I ever have before. I ate better. I'm still wearing the skinny pants. I learned a lot about nutrition, athletes and the human body. I read a lot of blogs. I'm a beginner. It was a good start. For me.

For the rest of triathlete society (I guess there is such a thing), it was pretty weak. I've been keeping better track of my running than anything else. Here is a chart of my mileage by week:



Umm, not exactly consistent. And far from the recommended mileage for a marathoner. My average weekly mileage was only around 10. That's the bare minimum base to start training. Yes, there was swimming and biking, but that was pretty minimal too.

I'm still going to have a laid-back approach to training in 2006. I have a pretty demanding job and I like sleep. I just need to kick it up a notch (or seven).

So, I'm working on a master plan. I've got multiple books and training plans, so I am trying to create a blend that will work for me. Gotta love the spreadsheet. A few things I thinkI will try:
- focusing on time (minutes/hours) instead of miles
- added intervals to my training instead of pounding out the laps or miles
- adding strength and core training
- spinning class (I don't like to bike ride in the city or in the cold)
- group rides (I found these great group bike rides here)
- a bike race (I think I will sign up for this)

Stay tuned for the plan.

The strike is on

MTA workers are officially on strike - that means no subways or buses for the 7 million commuters who use them every day. I really didn't think it would come to this.

I decided today would be a good day to work from home. Go figure.

But I was out this morning to move my car to a legal space. With no buses, there was actually very little traffic. I didn't see any taxis - I'm sure it will be impossible to get one today. I did see people out on foot, bike, skateboard and razor scooter. Windchill is 8 degrees today - too cold to be out for a long walk. Husband has a long walk today. Cover your ears!

One thing I will say is that I feel like a real New Yorker. I have been here for:
- the Transit strike
- the Blackout
- the Marathon!
- Times Square on New Year's Eve
- the Village Halloween Parade
- Ice skating in Central Park
- Graduation in Washington Square
- the Internet boom
- the Crash
- And of course 9/11. Sigh. I still miss my pre-terror city.

There's also the little things, like:
- Seeing a friend's band at CBGB's
- Buying stuff on Craig's List
- Bagels (they really are better here)
- Pizza
- Roomates (glad that phase of my life is over, but actually it was fun)
- Tipping big
- After hours clubs (not in years and years)
- Celebrity sightings
- Street Meat
- Various protests and demonstrations
- Walk ups
- Brooklyn
- the B&T crowd

Riding the subway is one of those little things that makes it New York.

I'm feeling kind of been there, done that. Time to move? I'll miss it.

don't know my own strength

On Saturday we went to a party at a friend's. Midway through the evening, I tripped on a step, fell in the hallway and . . . knocked a HOLE in the WALL of their nice new house. What the . . . ?

These kind of things happen more than I care to admit. Pulling a doorknob off, tugging on something until it breaks, that kind of thing.

I'd like to think it's due to my super-human strength, but sadly I know I am just kind of a klutz. Sigh.

Went to the gym yesterday - 50 minutes on the elliptical. Felt good to be back.

Races

I missed my race this morning. A 15K in Central Park. I have a wide variety of excuses. My knee has been bothering me since last weekend. I am fighting a cold. We were supposed to go to brunch with some friends. Ended up sleeping until 10:30 - very unusual for me; I am usually up around 7 even on the weekends.

But I like the races. Crossing the finish line makes me feel good. They usually motivate me to get up and at 'em on a chilly weekend morning. There are many running races in Central Park - very convenient. Triathlons are a little harder to find.

I just signed up for a ton of races in January and February. Coming soon:

January 8 - Fred Lebow Classic (5M)
January 22 - Frostbite 10-Mile
January 28 - Manhattan 20K
February 5 - Gridiron Classic 4M
February 25 - Al Gordon Snowflake 4-Mile

Of course, I would do a lot better in these races if I actually did more running in between them. So, I am about to go out for a run by the river.

Feeling Christmas-y today . . . .

Registration Time - Message to Mom

My mother came to watch me do the NYC marathon last month. She was feeling "all inspired" and agreed to do a race with me. However, she has put off commitment to any kind of training schedule until after the first of the year. OK. Fine.

The More Marathon is a women only, 40+ only marathon and half marathon in Central Park on March 26, 2006. It's super-convenient for me, being here in NYC and all. Mom likes having an excuse to come see her daughter in the Big Apple for a weekend. What could be better?

I (being under 40) can only participate as part of a 2 woman team. Ahem. I think we all know who my partner is.

Well, now it's time to commit. Mom, you need to register here for both of us. Then we'll talk.

Tough love, my friends. Tough love.

On the Road

I've been doing a lot a travelling for work lately. Last week I went to Minneapolis and South Dakota. I've never been to Minneapolis before - I liked it. Sure, it was cold, but we stayed right downtown, and I like how they have a "Skyway" that connects all the building so you can walk, like 10 blocks, without going outside. I guess this makes life a lot easier when you live and work in a cold place. I was there for 3 days, so I got to see a little more than usual. It seems pretty cool. (Don't worry, Husband, I'm not campaigning for a move.)

South Dakota was like the North Pole. They had an ice storm recently, and all the roads still had black ice. I had to drive about 75 miles and everything was white - the sky, the snow, the road. It hurts your eyes. No thank you.

This week I'm in Seattle. One of my favorites. Staying at my regular hotel, and even went to the gym at 6:00 am. 30 minutes on the bike - my knee is still bothering me. The best thing about travelling to the West Coast is that I am finally a morning person!

I've noticed that French people pronounce it "See-tle". Kind of cute. Off to dinner!

Race Report: Joe Kleinerman 10K

Well, I can hardly believe it myself, but I hit a personal record today. Nice!

It's funny. I haven't done anything since my 4 mile race last Saturday. I got up late. I considered not going. Husband gave me a shove. I forgot to wear a watch. I stopped and went to the bathroom - during the race. My knees hurt worse than on marathon day.

I was travelling this week, and never even looked up my times for previous 10K races. I've run two; both were pretty lousy:

- June 11 - Circle of Friends 10K in Central Park. Net time was 1:17:33. It was one of those really hot, humid days. I remember that the humidity was killing me and I walked a lot. Anyway, my pace was 12:30/mile.

- September 17 - Mighty Hamptons Triathlon. Net time was 1:18:25. Pace was 12:39/mile - pretty much the same as my other 10K, even though I did it after a somewhat traumatic swim and a 23 mile bike ride.

Anyway, here are today's results (drum roll, please):

Net time: 1:14:41
Pace/mile: 12:02

So, I cut almost 3 minutes off my best time! Hey, I'd like to cut off another 15-20, but it a start. In a universe of sucky times, this one sucks least. Yay!

Seriously, I am pretty happy - and so glad I dragged myself uptown this morning.

It's me

Race Report: Holiday 4 Mile

Well, I didn't get the PR I wanted. Guess I'll just get that out of the way. But here's what happened.

First of all, it was freezing! It was 32 degrees, cloudy and windy. I gues that isn't really that cold, but I haven't been running in anything less than 50 in almost a year. I got really chilled before the race.

I had to pick up my number between 8:00 and 9:00 am, at the New York Road Runners office on 89th Street. I got there at 8:25. There was a crowd, so you couldn't wait around inside. The race souvenir was a long-sleeved t-shirt, and I was happy to have the extra layer. I pinned my number on my shirt and attached my chip to my shoe outside in the cold, and walked briskly to the race start, about 3/4 mile away. I was at the race start by 8:45, but the race didn't start until 9:30. I tried to stretch and jog around a little to stay warm, but I was basically standing around for 45 minutes. Brr! In the past, I usually picked up my number the day before, so I could just show up 5-10 minutes before the race. A few people were wearing shorts - how do they do it?

Finally, the race started. I was at the first mile marker in just under 10 minutes. Then there were hills. There were some walk breaks. By the 3rd mile, I knew there would be no catching up to meet my 40 minute goal. Damn. Anyway, here are the numbers:

Net Time = 43:28:00
Pace/Mile = 10:52

As I mentioned the other day, I have run 2 other races at this distance.
- Feb 26. Net time = 43:36 , Pace/mile = 10:54
- April 24. Net time = 42:58, Pace/mile = 10:44

So I was in between my other 2 times. I really though I would do better. :(

In all fairness, however, I have to admit that I have done very little running since the marathon on November 6th. I left the house without stretching and got a sharp pain in my shoulder during the race. My knees are freaking killing me.

I thought I would walk home (about 4 miles) after the race just to get a little more exercise, but quit after about 5 blocks. Freezing wind + sweat = Instant misery. Sigh.

So, what did I learn from this?
- Consistency is key. I have been taking it easy for a month. Too easy - I have definitely lost some of my hard-won conditioning and endurance.
- Easy street is over. I need to set some goals - weekly and monthly - to get back on track.
- I need to learn to pace myself so I don't need walk breaks. I would have easily made my goal if I hadn't walked 3-4 times.
- If possible, avoid race day number and chip pickup. This was no problem back in the Spring. Big problem today.
- Get a hat that covers my ears!

I've got 2 more (longer) races this month (actually, I may have to miss one). Maybe I'll get a new PR yet.

Trips

I have trips this month to Minnesota and South Dakota.

Northern Quebec is on the schedule for February.

I get cold just thinking about it.