And with that, I need to get back to my Training Peaks log. I finally broke down yesterday and purchased the self-coaching online plan. Last year, it was just too much work to create my own schedule from Friel’s book. I started out well — but after a few weeks of messy, labor-intensive excel spreadsheets, I gave up and followed a canned plan. It worked. It was fine. But I really do want to train with A races in mind and true build and peak phases supporting them. So, I spent a few hours yesterday inputting all my stuff (race dates, yearly training load, etc.) and now, today, I’m going to attempt to break out the durations for my weekly workouts. I’m not sure how I feel about the Web site yet, but it does seem to make the planning a little easier. That said, I wish it could do the latter for me. I’m a little surprised that it can tell me that I need to train 8 hours next week and give me specific workouts — yet not tell me how long those workouts should be ?!?
Sunday December 31st 2006, 10:06 am
Filed under: random
So, we’re drinking our coffee on a casual Sunday morning. A quiche is in the oven and we’re listening to NPR. And as a farewell to 2006, they featured an editor from US Magazine to talk about celebrity news of the past 12 months. This, in of itself, is a little odd considering NPR seems to be the only media outlet that doesn’t force Brangelina down our throats. But it’s interesting and comical and then they mention the below video of Justin Timberlake on SNL:
The wish is a little late, but we’ve been busy enjoying the time off with family. This year has seemed way more busy with holiday madness than I remember in other years. The week leading up to Christmas alone saw us home maybe one evening. It’s all been fun stuff. We saw the Santaland Diaries at the Bryant Lake Bowl. We enjoyed the Holidazzle Parade
with a girlfriend. There was the evening spent dancing to the country twang of Trailer Trash at their Trashy Little Xmas Show. There were holiday parties, too. And happy hours. And honestly, my liver probably needs a little break. Not to mention my intestines. Sugar and fat anyone? I’ve been partaking!
So, today is my last day off before returning to work and I need to clean up my house and get things in order. My workout schedule has been wonk and I really need some consistency and nutrition right now. At least I’ve been good and have managed to workout every other day. On Christmas Eve, I went out for a beautiful 7.5 mile run that was stunning and felt absolutely fantastic. So, I’ve not been slacking — I’m just out of my rhythm. And now that I’m finally putting my 2007 racing plans down on paper, I need to get my training schedule on paper as well (and my ass back in the pool). I’m looking forward to racing this year and getting into fierce shape.
Other than that, there is not much else to say besides the fact that I keep procrastinating my answers to Marjie’s tag.
download Into the Sun dvd
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday — whatever you celebrate. I leave you with this image that James and I compiled for our holiday cards. A much nicer, hard-copy version was sent out — but here’s an idea of what was sent. And why 2006 was a very good year for us.
Monday December 18th 2006, 4:33 pm
Filed under: triathlon
So, I totally have to post a short one here because, at my dental appointment this afternoon, my dentist was all about the triathlon talk. It was so funny. I can’t even remember how we got into it now… Oh yeah, I know. I mentioned I was from the Madison, WI area and we talked about how pretty it was and I mentioned that I missed the cycling down there and somehow triathlon and Ironman WI came up and he was a total chatty-cathy talking about the bike he purchased for $200 in dental school and how he completed his first tri on it with the wheel out of true (tru?). Then he’s telling me about his buddy who has completed IM-WI every year running 2:30 marathons. He’s also talking about his friends with their fancy Kestrel bikes. He didn’t know what a TT bike so I had to explain the difference.
It was so funny. All the while, he’s drilling my tooth down to apply a crown. Eeck. Even the tri talk didn’t make it better. I hate those appointments. But at least he made me laugh.
And now I know who all those doctors are on their fancy bikes who I pass because they don’t train, just have fancy equipment and show up on race day. ;)Beverly Hills Cop II hd
Sunday December 17th 2006, 10:44 pm
Filed under: random
Okay. So, I totally didn’t get a quarter done today that I’d planned. The list was: xmas shopping, grocery shopping, cleaning the bathroom, laundry, xmas cookies, xmas cards, xmas CD, workout, work, bill paying, checkbook balancing, dog walking.
Now, it’s past 10:30. I usually try to get to bed at 9pm. And all I managed was Christmas shopping (which went okay), a start on holiday cards, a photo-insert thing for said cards and grocery shopping was complete. There’s still hair on my bathroom counter. There is still laundry on my basement floor. There are still candy cane Hershey kisses on my counter that did not make their way atop chocolate cookie kisses. Oh well.
I guess that’s what one gets when they stay out on Saturday until 1am dancing to Trailer Trash at Lee’s Liquor Lounge. Or when they spend the Saturday afternoon shopping for birthday presents for the boy. Or the Saturday morning spent at the hairstylist’s getting yet another new ‘do. There was also a 2-hour spin class in there, too. Too much to do, too much do do.
It’s all random and unnecessary shit — but it manages to eek out every minute of my schedule. And tomorrow night, I’m having dinner with the Birchwood riding girls to talk about Winter training. I was supposed to have my tri schedule planned out — and I have nothing. Nothing. It’s a sad, sad thing.
So, I’m going to go to bed now. But I’d thought I’d share with ya’ll how woefully behind I feel right now. And, why? Because I shopped and partied too much. I’m a bad, bad girl.
Tuesday December 12th 2006, 9:33 pm
Filed under: random
So, in a quest to figure what in the heck to write about when nothing is going on except getting over my horrible cold, I decided to share a little secret with the blogosphere.
Go ahead. Click the link. Behold the lovely photo with a woman holding a tea pot up to her nose.
Then imagine the woman is me.
It’s crazy. It sounds gross. But, honestly, it works and during times like these when I’m desperate to breath and clear the mucus out of my head, I’m thankful for my pot.
Of all people to recommend the thing, it was my doctor. Sure, I shop at the co-op. Sure, I know my fair share of hippies. But it was actually my family practitioner who recommended the practice to me last year when I was suffering from a massive sinus infection. The truth is, I hate cold medicines. I can’t sleep when I’m on sudafed. Cough syrups make me gag and want to vomit. Afrin works pretty well — but I have to limit my usage to three evenings max. So, in a quest for relief, my doctor recommended the pot a warm saline solution.
The first time, I almost freaked out. I couldn’t believe I was supposed to pour warm salt water through my nostrils. But after some practice (and a fair share of both gagging and spitting up water), I got the hang of it. And now, when I’m sick, I use the pot nightly before going to bed and I’m alway surprised at how good I feel afterwards. Like today, after a day of coughing and sneezing up crap, I feel fairly mucus-free now at night — and I haven’t touched a drug since an antihistamine yesterday.
Who knew? Well, you do now.
- – - -
In other news, I’m just getting back to working out after the cold. Spin class this morning felt good even though I could have stayed in bed longer. Tomorrow, I run for the first time in over a week (since my 5k, I think). Recovery is on its way.
My plan is over the weekend to start on my 2007 training schedule and plan out the racing season. I’m a little slow to get to it this year — but I’ve kind of enjoyed this time off. I know it’s been quiet here as a result. But that will change. Trust me, kids. I have a new carbon-bike on its way.
Friday December 08th 2006, 10:23 pm
Filed under: random
Sure, it’s boring ’round here because it’s the off season. And, honestly, not much has been happening. I did do a fun run, 5k on Saturday. I think I ran it in 25:45. It was hard. I pushed it. It was also cold. Good times.
Unfortunately, I got sick shortly afterwards. It came on Sunday evening / Monday-morning-ish, but hit HARD on Tuesday. I actually stayed home from work both Tuesday and Wednesday (aside from the fact that I continued to work from home). I returned yesterday but sounded like a hoarse seal. Then, today, as vacation, I drove home to Wisconsin while also working slightly from home. How pathetic am I?
That said, I am starting to feel better. I’m still congested out the ying-yang — but it doesn’t feel like shards of glass in my chest anymore when I cough, so that has to be progress. Right?
