Walker Runs...

Closing Statements

2010-02-15T14:01:00.002-07:00

Ahem...
'Scuse me for taking a short break :)

After injuring myself and not being able to do the marathon, I was just too bummed to write about the experience. I took several months off of running, in which I cycled, started doing a lot more strength training and PT, and got my leg healed up.

Then I started running again, starting slowly and working my way back into it. Within a month or so I was running a full 3 miles again, and in November I ran a 10k (the Huffing For Stuffing in Bozeman on Thanksgiving Day). I was feeling pretty good about running at that point, having fun with it, working a bit on speed and a lot on trail running.

And I was starting to dream of my next goals (a fast half marathon in July? the SnowJoke half marathon in February? more trail running, and perhaps eventually the Double Dip?) There were lots of options, and I just couldn't make up my mind.

And then Fate made it up for me. My next goal wouldn't be a particular race or technique. But it would be something that would take dedication, commitment, adaptability, and a concerted effort to work on the mind-body-spirit connection, as have the other races I've trained for.

The new goal is to have a healthy pregnancy, to keep running as long as its safe and comfortable, and to stay in good physical, mental, and spiritual health throughout. And then to get back to running as soon as I can afterwards!

I am due in August, and since I've recently gotten married and no longer have the last name Walker, I am officially retiring the WalkerRuns blog. BUT, I'm not leaving cyber-space for good-- you can now follow my adventures on http://beansprouts.weebly.com/.

Thanks for all of you who have read my words and supported my efforts over the last few years. This blog was a great spot to share and to reflect.

Happy Trails,
WalkerRuns

WalkerRuns is Busted

2009-06-29T23:05:00.003-06:00

I won't be running the marathon. Long story short-- tendonitis in my hamstring has gotten bad enough to prevent me from running much. PT is helping a little, but still pretty painful, and not worth risking further injury.

Call me if you want more details. I'll write more about it soon-- just kinda bummed out about it right now and trying to find other things to think about.

Fresh Blood

2009-06-18T09:25:00.002-06:00

I had a nice run last night (yay). I ran with my co-worker Lisa who's been learning to run (using the Couch-to-5k plan) and is doing her first 5k this weekend. It was a big run for her-- 30 minutes.

It was awesome to run with a non-marathoner for a change-- someone to help put things in perspective and remind me how far I've come in the last few years. I remember clearly when a 30 min run was a huge accomplishment. When a 5k was really pushing the limits of what I could do. It made me stop and appreciate what I've accomplished with my training this spring. To even think that I can attempt 20 miles this weekend is huge, and I need to take time to be proud of that, to live in the moment, not to just be thinking of it as another step towards the ultimate goal. Doing so takes a little of the pressure off.

Oh, and it was raining, which was really nice. There's something about running through the forest in a light spring rain that feels so cleansing and natural. A great way to wash away the stress and expectations that I've been hanging on myself.

Dude, You'd Cry Too

2009-06-16T07:35:00.003-06:00

if your feet looked like this:

Weekend Run Report

2009-06-15T08:58:00.001-06:00

“The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals”
-Hal Higdon, famous marathon coach

This weekend was a step-down, just 8 miles. It was tough, though. I was just so tired. Tired from a 40 mile bike ride the day before. Tired of having my (fill in the blank with whatever body part you'd like) hurt. Tired of wondering if my body is actually going to hold up for this. Tired of not enjoying my run.

There I was on one of my favorite trails, on a beautiful Sunday morning, and I wasn't appreciating it at all, because I was running through there, not taking time to stop and enjoy the scenery, to smell the forest. So I just sat down on a log and cried. I just let it out, whatever pent up stress and worry was in there. Not a big sobby cry, just a little weep. But it felt good to just stop. To not have to run. To enjoy the smell of the trees. And then to get up and finish my run.

It felt good to have that little moment, and I felt stronger for the rest of my run. But apparently I didn't get it all out of my system. I got home and made myself and egg sandwich, and was barely able to keep my head up while eating it. I just wanted to crumple up and sleep forever. Jim was waiting for me to eat and change so we could go ride horses. I told him I needed 5 minutes to lay down. So I plopped my legs up the wall and took a few deep breaths... and started to cry again. It was just all too much. I needed rest badly. So he went on without me, and I stayed on the floor with an ice pack and watched Biggest Loser re-runs for an hour or so, and cried some more.

And then I was better. He came back and picked me up, and went for a great ride. And then I came home and had a relaxing evening at home, watched a light-hearted movie, ate lots of good food, and was in bed by 9.

It amazes me how emotional this training has been. I don't quite understand it.

TUNES

2009-06-10T12:14:00.004-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, my music really helped give me some much-needed energy on my long run this past weekend. And, I recently got a cool cd in the mail from Cathy that has lots of good tunes for running.

My plan for the marathon is to run the first half or so without music, so that I can enjoy the sounds of others' footsteps and breathing, as well as the birds that will be singing that morning, the fans shouting encouraging words (if there are any fans up and out in the country at 6am). But I'll have my music with me so that when things start to get tougher and I'm less interested in talking, I can pop in my earbuds and get some fresh energy thru music.

I currently have about 40 songs on my mp3 player. You can now enjoy a subset of these tunes as you read my blog-- further bringing you in to the WalkerRuns experience! The Playlist at the bottom of this page will play songs from my running mix in random order-- you can play with it to change the settings, etc. Have fun with it.

Some of my running mix songs are upbeat, hip-hop songs that make me want to turn my legs over faster. Some are slow and thoughtful, helping me to reflect on the cool experience I'm having. Some remind me specifically of some of you or of specific times in my life that have been really great. These really seem to be the best-- for instance, every time Closer to Fine comes on, I think of Robyn, and can feel her good thoughts, and know that she's running with me in spirit. And "Stronger" takes me back to rockin' out with Amy on the way to ski the OSCR; the song gives me a little bit of her "can do" spirit.

I'd like to add more songs to my mix for marathon day, and I need your help. It's okay that you can't run with me on July 12. But, you can run with me in spirit by dedicating a song to my mix. Just do it like you did with radio dedications back in middle school (if you grew up in the '80's, don't even pretend like you never did that!)!

Leave a comment here telling me what song you think I'd like to hear-- so that when it comes on during my run I'll get some good energy from you! (If you're technologically impaired, call me or email me and tell me what song it is.) I'll download the song and add it to my mix for marathon day.

THANKS!

Good Advice

2009-06-08T08:58:00.002-06:00

Another long run down.... 18 miles yesterday. It was pretty great, really. Not easy, but not impossible. Of course there were some aches and pains along the way, but nothing serious. Luckily my stomach issues have cleared up; my stomach still wasn't HAPPY about running, but it didn't revolt, either. Oh, and my second toes on both feet are less than thrilled-- one is especially bruised/blistered, and I'll likely lose that nail. And for a while I had a sore/tight spot in between my shoulder blades, but I did some stretching and consciously tried to relax my upper body, and that seemed to work.

I hooked up with a couple of gals that I haven't run with before, and talked with them from miles 4-ish to 10-ish. We were all going at a pretty similar pace, so it was nice to have some company. For the last several miles we weren't really into talking, but still stayed pretty close together for the rest of the run.

The last few miles took some mental strength. I gave myself rewards-- walk breaks every mile or so. And I found energy in my music (a special thanks to Cathy for sending me some new running tunes!!!). I noticed that my moods and energy levels really changed quickly-- I'd find some gumption when a new song would come on, but after a few minutes, I'd be tired again. But then a new song would come on, and I'd get a little perk again.

So, it was a successful run. I learned a little more about what it takes to just keep on going. I got another huge confidence boost knowing that I can go that far. But I was very ready to be done when I got back to the start point. The following 20 minutes of cool-down were actually more painful than the running. And actually for the next several hours my body was basically in shock-- it didn't want to eat, didn't want to stretch, or walk around, or sit in a tub of cold water (though I did all of those things).

So I can kind of imagine, but can't fully grasp, what the full marathon is going to feel like. I don't know if I can imagine going another 8.2 miles! I mean, that's about an hour and a half more. Where is that energy going to come from?!? What kinds of sensations/emotions is that going to evoke?

I called Robyn, who's been my best friend since we were 12, and who's run several marathons and 1/2 Ironman triathlons, and who's been my inspiration and source of wisdom/experience, and left a message to the effect of my ponderings above. Here's her email response:

Congrats on making it through your 18 mile run!! That's HUGE. Here's what I thought when I heard you say "I'm not really sure how in the world I will be able to run another 8.2 miles":

1. I suspect that you will get through the first 10 miles of the race purely on adrenaline. You'll be so excited and ready that it will take you that long to really settle in. That's a quick 10 miles down before you know it.

2. Yes, this is going to be hard. You knew that when you signed up. In fact, that's part of the reason you signed up. You wanted to experience the hard. The last 6 miles will be particularly difficult. Find a way to be o.k. with that NOW.

3. I encourage you to invite the pain in. The pain you will feel will be your signal that THIS is what you signed up for, THIS is why you're doing this, THIS is why so many other people do not do this, THIS is why crossing that finish line will feel so, so, so good. The pain tells you that NOW you are running a marathon. Get clear on your reasons. They are what will get you through the pain.

4. Walk breaks are your friend in your first marathon. Think relentless forward motion. Consider walking before you NEED to so that you will WANT to run longer in the latter part of the race. Focus on your goal: Crossing that finish line. Period. Walk breaks take nothing away from that goal.

5. When you find yourself getting cranky (and there's a very high chance that you will be cranky at some point.) , remember what you can control: Do you need to eat? Do you need to drink? Do you need to walk? Do you need to refocus your form? Do you need to go external and focus on the crowd, etc? Do you need to go internal and focus on a mantra? These are all things within your control that will keep you moving forward.

I have no doubt that you can do this. It will be one of the hardest, but one of the simplest things you will ever do: Just keep moving.

Love,
r.

Thanks for the advice! You're right-- I want to know what hard is. I want to explore just how strong I can be. This will be a great opportunity to do that.

I'll be writing out my invitions to the race here soon, and will make sure to extend a special one to PAIN. :)

TOTALLY Unrelated to Marathon Training

2009-06-04T13:29:00.002-06:00

(but interesting anyway):

When I'm not training (which, really is like 99% of my life, though I think about training way more often than that!), I spend a good bit of time (say, oh about 8 hours a day) sitting at my desk.

Yesterday I was doing just that, quietly working on comments on a land use plan. I heard a faint rustling from above. And, since anything can distract me when I'm trying to think hard, I took a moment to rhetorically ponder "What was that?" But I quickly re-focused, back to my work. Then I heard the rustling again-- little scratching noises from above. It became louder and more persistent, sounding like it was coming from the air vent that's above my desk. I looked up a few times, but saw nothing.

Then a few minutes later some debris floated down onto my keyboard and desk from above. I looked up once again, and there he was-- a squirrel!

Apparently he's trapped in the ducts of our central air system. I called our admin. assistant and said, "Hey Addi, who should I call if there's a squirrel in the air system?"

"Oh my gosh!," she replied, "A squirrel?! What are you going to do?"

"Uh, I called you," I said, stating the obvious. That was the extent of my plan.

So she called the building maintenance guy Larry, who apparently called Animal Control. This was yesterday afternoon.

A little while ago I returned to my office after being out for a few hours, and noticed paint chips, duct insulation-type material (probably asbestos, as this building is really old), and other non-manmade materials (if you get my drift) scattered about my desk. Apparently my visitor had returned.

My boss decided he should get involved, use his Department Head status to help expedite the action plan. So here's his letter to Maintenance:

Larry:
The squirrels are, as we speak, shoving "stuff" through the ceiling vents onto Carly's computer and desk on the second floor. Her office is becoming uninhabitable to humans. Anything we can do to speed up Animal Control? Or should I just bring in a .45 automatic and ventilate the ceiling (after evacuating the third floor, of course)?
Thanks.
Pat

This could be an opportunity to show off my wildlife capture & handling techniques. Too bad most of my experience is in trapping large carnivores in remote mountainous settings.

What goes up...

2009-06-02T13:37:00.006-06:00

... must come back down.

After a few weeks of enjoying a Runner's High, I had a yucky run Sunday and have felt kinda cruddy since.

According to my schedule, I was supposed to run just 6 miles on Sunday. But I was feeling pretty good, decently rested, muscles felt good, and so I decided to run 12 miles with the Advanced Marathon Plan folks. My justification was something along the lines of 12 is still shorter than 16 or 18, so it's a bit of a break, not increasing my distance from last week, and thus giving me a bit of a rest week and since I missed the 14 miler a few weeks ago, it sure wouldn't hurt to do 12 this weekend and we're running the trails on up into the Rattlesnake Recreation area, and so it'll be a fun route and totally gorgeous, so I want to run farther.

All good rationale. And I felt decently good for the first 4-5 miles (except for being bummed that Patricia wasn't there to run with (turns out she showed up late)). But around 5 miles in my stomach started feeling yucky. And continued to feel bad the rest of the run.

Which began a whole host of other issues to whine about, including (but not limited to) the following thoughts:

this trail's really rocky and uneven and I'm not used to this and my hips are getting sore and ow, I just stepped on another damn rock! and who the hell puts trails in rocky places anyway?

it's 9:30 in the morning and already friggin hot; we should start our runs earlier; who are the whiny crybabies who don't want to get up early on a Sunday morning so we don't have to run in the heat?

I could just get up and run by myself earlier; not like I'm running with anybody right now anyway, 'cause they're all faster than me

why do I do this anyway? so I can get constantly reminded of how slow I am? why am I so slow? how come I can't run faster? how do those other people run so much faster? this sucks.

i'm cranky. i'm having a bad run. i hate having bad runs, they make me cranky. maybe i'll listen to music to cheer me up (turn on music; flip through several songs) all these songs are stupid. i'll just listen to the birds. oh wait, no good birds anymore becuase it's too damn hot, and all i can hear is my breath and my footsteps running over these stupid rocks anyway.

crap, I have to poo again. third time on this run (fourth time for the day), and I used all my tp on the first one. so yay, more wiping with leaves. did I mention that this run sucks?

I hope Anders isn't still waiting there at the 3 mile mark with the aid station. I'm so far behind everyone, it's embarassing. I'm always one of the last ones, which is bad enough, but I'm especially slow today what with my poo breaks, rolling my ankle on a stupid rock and having to walk for a while, having to walk up the stupid hills 'cause they're kicking my butt, and having to walk down the other side 'cause running down jostles my stomach too bad and makes it more upset. yeah, I hope he's given up and gone on back to the trailhead.

oh but he better still be there, I want some cold water.

okay, there he is. (grab some water, say thanks for waiting, continue on) just 3 more miles to go. that's not far. no big deal, Self, you can do that. oh, but if someone were to offer me a ride back to my car, I'd totally take it.

oh really? would you? is that what training for a race is all about-- getting a ride when things get tough? why don't you quit whining and dig down and find some guts and keep on running.

oh, I have guts. they're about to come right up. Yeah, I think I'd feel better if I could puke. at least then I wouldn't feel so bad about being whiny, I'd have a legitimate reason for feeling like a wuss.

(no puking occurs, but I contine to walk/run the remaining 3 miles, feeling like crud the whole way) okay, almost back. go grab some snacks and chat with the other runners. oh, but look, they're all leaving right as I get here. probabaly better-- now I don't have to pretend I like running.

Ah, what the mind can do when the body is slightly unhappy. And vice versa, in a very circular way that's hard to discern which is driving which.

All I know is that the run sucked. But an hour after I finished it, I was at the running store turning in my Marathon Registration Form and money.

Yep, I'm sick.

No really, I am kinda sick... my tummy's still not really happy. I left work early yesterday and went home and slept a lot, and I still don't feel great today. Not bad, but not great. Like I have a little bug that I'm fighting. (is it a bug, or is it the Grumpy Worm?)

Who knows. Luckily, in my world of Funky Fysics, what goes down must eventually come back up. So hopefully I'll be able to get fully rested and recovered this week, and be ready to rock out 18 miles (on a gravel road, not a rocky trail) this coming Sunday.

What's to Come

2009-05-27T08:28:00.004-06:00

Wow, I just looked at the schedule and realized I only have 6 more weeks of training for the marathon. Holy cow-- I can't believe how quickly this thing is coming up!

After my big 16 this past weekend, I ran 3 yesterday and am headed out for a 10 mile run this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll bike to work (16 miles), and Friday morning bike about 20 miles with Eleanor. Friday at noon, when I have a massage appointment, is the official start of a Rest Week for me!

We've been building every week for quite a while, with rest weeks interjected every 3-4 weeks. But from here on, the training shifts to adapt to the higher mileage and try to avoid burnout (or injury). Instead of building for several weeks at a time, we'll be alternating build and rest weeks.

So what does the rest of my training look like? Well, I'll show you below. I've posted my general schedule-- what the week will typically look like. And below that is the break-down of the long runs and mid-distance runs.

General Schedule:
Sun: Long Run
Mon: Rest, or short recovery bike ride
Tues: 3-5 mi run OR 1 hour bike PLUS Yoga For Runners class
Wed: Mid-distance Run
Thurs: 3-5 mi run OR 1 hour bike ride
Fri: 1.5 hour bike ride
Sat: Rest

Long-range Plan:
WEEK: Long Run/ Mid-Dist. Run
May 31: 6 mi/ 4 mi
June 7: 18 mi/ 8 mi
June 14: 8 mi/ 4 mi
June 21: 20 mi/ 8 mi
June 28: 8 mi/ 6 mi
July 5: 6 mi/ 4 mi
July 12: 26.2 mi

Amazingly Recovered

2009-05-26T07:57:00.003-06:00

Seriously, I'm amazed at how good I feel after Sunday's run. I'm not sore or tight anywhere! I spent yesterday totally chilling-- an easy half-hour bike ride, followed by a nice drive to St. Ignatius, an afternoon of lounging in our friends' yard (they live at the National Bison Range-- so a rather nice yard!), and an evening at home watching "Australia." We went on a short walk mid-afternoon, and I realized going up the hill that I was kinda tired (granted I was carrying a 14-lb baby in my arms), but not sore or stiff at all.

Whatever I did for recovery worked! Was it the soak in the ice-cold river? Was it the Aleve I took immediately after my run? Or was it the beer and fried chicken I ate that evening? Don't know which it was-- so I guess I'll have to do all three again after the 18 miler (weekend after this). ;)

Sweet Sixteen

2009-05-25T07:53:00.002-06:00

Yesterday's run was monumental in building my confidence for the marathon.

Not that I can really imagine running 10 more miles than what I did-- but I can imagine running 2 more, or even 4 more. And they say that if you can run 20, you'll finish the marathon.

I was pretty nervous starting out, and it took me the first few miles to relax and get into the groove. Then just as I was getting into it, we hit The Hill. We were running the last 16 miles of the marathon course, and the one big hill in the course comes around mile 12-13, so we got to experience it yesterday.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I liked it. It's a great hill-- not too steep, not too long. It'll go up for a few minutes, then a little plateau to catch your breath, then on up again. It's gorgeous scenery, winding up above the Clark Fork River. I felt really strong running it, and hope to remember that good feeling on race day when I meet The Hill again.

Other than that, the run was pretty uneventful. Patricia and I ran together for all but the last half mile or so. We had great conversation and story telling for the first 10 miles or so, and then started tapering off our talking as we got more tired. But it was still nice to have a buddy to hang with. She's a riot, and a total trooper. We're probably the slowest people training for the full marathon (we got passed by most all of the folks who ran 20 miles yesterday), but that's okay with us. We're not in it to win it!

I'm still experimenting with nutrition, and don't think I've got it down yet. I decided yesterday to go with just PowerGels, plain water, and Endurolyte tablets. Seems like if I mix any electrolyte drinks (Gatorade, Heed, etc) with gels, my stomach has a tendency to revolt. So I'm thinking that gels will be my source of calories, and the tabs can help with electrolytes. But, I have to find a better solution for carrying my pills-- the back pocket of my running shorts on a muggy day isn't the answer-- they dissolved in my pants!

My stomach wasn't psyched about the run. After just 4 miles or so I was feeling sloshy, and I really hadn't drank much water at all. But I often get this yucky feeling in my belly, and it makes me worry that it'll turn into a horrible cramp-- sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Luckily yesterday it didn't. But I didn't take in much for the run. In all I think I had:
- less than 2 full PowerGels (100 calories each)-- about 3/4 of one at the first aid station (mile 4), then another 1/2 of one after the second aid station (mile 8-ish), and another 1/4-1/2 of one in the mile or so after the last aid station (mile 12-13)
- one Endurolyte tab
- maybe 20 ounces of water (max)

When I look at that I wonder how in the heck I finished. But I did. And I never really felt like I was "bonking" or running out of energy. I did get a side cramp at the very end, though, and a bit of a headache after we were done, which could've been due to lack of electrolytes. My face and skin definitely felt very salty, so I know I was losing some. But I wasn't hungry at all for many hours after the run-- I forced myself to eat a part of a bagel and some watermelon when we got back, but that's all I had for several hours afterward.

It's odd for me to not have any appetite! I guess when I run I just turn into a camel! This week on my 8-mile mid-week run I think I'll try some solid fuel-- ClifBlox or something like that. See if those work for me better than the liquids. Who knows. Running is such a personal thing, and there's no set formula for what will work-- just have to figure it out for yourself.

One thing that did work, though: after cooling down and stretching and driving back to the starting point to get my car, Patricia and I soaked our legs in the cold river. Ice baths are supposedly a great tool for recovery. They hurt like heck, but I for one believe in them. When we got out of the car, we were both walking around like a couple of old ladies-- stiff, stiff, stiff. But after just 5 minutes or so of plunking ourselves in the river waist-deep, the stiffness wasn't quite so bad. And today I feel great-- I'm not really sore or stiff anywhere, which I think is incredible!

Okay, enough writing-- time to go out for a short easy bike ride in the beautiful morning sun. One step closer...

9 AM

2009-05-22T09:13:00.004-06:00

and I've been up for nearly 4 hours already. Morning looked like this:

5:00- alarm went off; hit snooze bar

5:10- got up, got dressed (this took a while 'cause I had to dig thru the dirty laundry to find the perfect shirt... laundry day tomorrow)

5:20- made tea, ate 1/2 a granola bar, grabbed my already-packed bag of clothes, food, etc

5:30- drove in to Missoula

6:00- got to my friend Eleanor's house; got my bike out and pumped up my tires

6:02- broke a valve on my tube

6:20- with Eleanor's help, finally finished changing my tire (the first time I've had to do it on McDreamy, took a little while to figure out)

6:21- took off on our ride (a 20-ish-mile loop from town out to Blue Mountain, up Big Flat road (for those who aren't from around here, Big Flat is a total misnomer!), over the Kona Ranch bridge, up Mullan, across Reserve, and back into town to Eleanor's house)

7:50- ran thru the shower

8:00- ran out the door with promises to do it again next Friday morning

8:15- got to the Chiropractor's office for a much-needed adjustment

8:45- grabbed a bagel sandwich (egg, tomato, sprouts) and a cup of coffee

9:00- sat down at my desk to work

9:01- busted! decided to blog for a while instead of work

now- seriously, better get some work done today!

Redemption Run

2009-05-21T08:44:00.002-06:00

After my last post, I took off for my 14 mile run. I met up with Kevin after a mile or so, and was already huffin' and puffin', and my heart rate was at about 90% of its maximum-- something I usually only achieve if running up a super steep hill or doing sprints or in the last half mile of a fast 5k... not a heart rate zone that's ideal for the first few miles of a 14 mile training run!

Kev ran a mile & a half with me, then headed for home so he could go kayaking (much nicer activity on a hot day!). This was my response to his email asking "how was the rest of your run?":

terribly. i didn't go much farther than where you peeled off before deciding to turn around. too hot. and not just from a whiney perspective but from a there's-a-real-chance-i-could-get-seriously-ill-if-i-continue perspective. so i jogged as slowly as possible the way back, but still was quite queasy, totally drained of energy, and with a way-too-high heart rate.
lesson learned= when cooking with high heat, the object is merely to sear the meat, not to cook all the way thru. slow-cooking requires low heat so as not to burn.

Ugh, so overall, my long run this past week didn't happen. I'm realizing that I can't keep doing the things I usually do and still train for a marathon-- I have to really pay attention to rest and recovery, more so than ever before. And I can't go from running in (max.) 60 degree weather to running in 87 degree late-afternoon heat without some consequences!

It was just a series of bad choices that were making me really wonder again WHY am I doing this? Do I REALLY want to run a marathon? Is this worth having at least one body part hurting at all times? Is this goal more important to me than being able to work on the ranch all weekend? Is it worth not being able to hang out and drink beer on my back porch on a Saturday night because I have to run the next morning?

I had a few days of uncertainty, but then in a parallel train of thought with a project I'm doing at work (in which I'm realizing I need to narrow the scope and really clearly define my goals, and not try to accomplish too many things with one project), I decided that YES, I am going to keep trying. I'm going to dedicate myself to the goal of crossing the finish line of the marathon, and not try to simultaneously lose weight, get in overall-body shape, improve my riding, etc. etc. I'm going to focus on the goal, and do what it takes to reach that goal. And then 7 weeks from now, I'll be done, and I can set some new goals that may include being more well-rounded. But for now, I'm going to go out and have a good run.

So that's what I did.

It was a beautiful afternoon-- sunny, blue skies with white ploofy clouds, a perfect temperature (maybe 60?)-- and I ran with my training group for the first time in a few weeks and was able to grab some good energy from being around a lot of other runners. And I had a few gals to chat with as we jogged along, including my new best running buddy P.

And it was a perfect run. Everything felt good the whole time. I had fun.

Now I look forward to 16 miles this weekend. I look forward to making plans to do some mellow activities on Saturday-- rather than "give up" the opportunity to work with Jim on the ranch, I'm "taking" the opportunity to go to the Farmer's Market for the first time this year, to hang out with my friend (and former running buddy) Amy for a while, and to spend a nice relaxing day tootling around.

I'm sure the pendulum will shift again... but for now, I'm going to enjoy the upswing!

Poor Planning

2009-05-18T16:18:00.002-06:00

I worked on the ranch too much Saturday and wore myself out, so decided not to run on Sunday (a few other factors went into that decision, too, but I'll spare you the details of a sore knee, a seriously bad mood, and a strong desire to not HAVE to do anything for just one day in several weeks).

Then last night I started feeling bad about skipping a run, so I decided to make it up today after work. Now it's 87 degrees and sunny and windy.

At least by 8pm when I'm getting done with my 14 miles it should be cooling off quite a bit.

Update

2009-05-15T15:28:00.001-06:00

I just got a massage. Much better than a rolling pin.

I think I might have to make that a regular part of training-- every other week, maybe?

Not just for pies anymore

2009-05-15T08:49:00.003-06:00

Last night after my run my legs were tight. Imagine that-- after running 23 miles in the past 6 days, my poor little muscles were a little whiny.

I did some stretching, but that wasn't getting me the relief I needed. So I started rubbing my quads, doing a bit of self-massage. Which was okay, but still, I needed something... more.

Something hard... Something to dig into my muscles... Something I could roll down my leg...

I had just the thing.

In the kitchen drawer, with the measuring cups and flour sifters, was my new best post-workout tool: my ROLLING PIN.

It works great-- just roll out your quads like you're making a pie. Then think of those calves as biscuit dough-- you don't want to completely flatten it, but you want to get it into a workable form.

Oooh, it hurt in a good way. But I couldn't quite get my glutes and hamstrings myself.

So I employed Jim to run the rolling pin. I laid down flat on my tummy, and he helped work the backside for a while. Not without some snarky comments about using kitchen utensils on myself ("what, are you going to start using the fork to comb your hair now, too?"). But I didn't care. I just laid there and drooled as he rolled up and over the tight spots.

Maybe we should open up a new shop-- C&J's Pie Shoppe and Massage Parlor

Running on Empty

2009-05-12T19:57:00.002-06:00

Saturday morning I did my 12 mile run. I had lots to do that day, so I got up decently early (for a Saturday, at least), but not early enough to eat breakfast and let it settle before running. So I just ate a few bites of a banana and hit the road. It was totally gorgeous-- sunny, mid-50's, green grass and lots of tulips in peoples' yards. Good running.

But after about 4 miles I was famished. I ate 1/2 a PowerGel, but didn't have any water with me (my "aid station" was at the Scheffer Ranch at mile 6), so I couldn't really choke down the rest until I got to mile 6.

I had my second PowerGel at mile 9.5 or so, at the Frenchtown Pond State Park, where I could get some more water. There was a Subaru parked there handing out water and snacks to cyclists who were participating in a 50 mile charity ride. I stopped to say hi, and was hoping they'd offer me some of their orange slices... but the old guy didn't get the hint. So I continued on for home.

Once I got home, of course, my stomach was too tired/jostled to be hungry right away. So I made an easily digestable source of calories-- a mango/yogurt smoothie-- for a quick recovery meal.

I was never super weak or feeling under-fueled for my run. Gosh knows I have enough reserves to keep me from starving out there. But I learned that I really do need to make time to eat something a little more substantial before heading out on a 2+ hour run. Lesson learned.

Must See

2009-05-06T14:22:00.002-06:00

If you haven't heard of Team Hoyt before, you must check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecwcq7FwHeY&feature=related

(warning: have tissues handy)

It's all in my head

2009-05-06T11:22:00.002-06:00

This past weekend I ran 10 miles.

It was the 3rd time in my life I've done a 10 mile training run.

The first time was in Oct of 2007 when I was training for my first half marathon. My friend Katie rode her bike alongside me to keep me company and give me sports drink as needed... but mostly to help give me the moral support I needed to get thru the run. And again, last June I did another 10 miles with Amy while training for the half marathon, and again it seemed like "whoa, this is the big one."

For both of those 10-milers, they were the longest training runs I'd do in prep for my race. So it was a big deal. I knew if I could do 10, I could complete my goal of 13 miles.

This past weekend, however, the 10 mile run wasn't a big deal. It was a mere step towards the goal, nowhere near the longest training run I'll do. So in my head, I didn't make it out to be anything special. And it wasn't. It was easy. I didn't feel like I had to schedule nothing else for the rest of the day. I wasn't overly tired or sore afterwards (unlike the last two 10 mile training runs I've done). It was just another Sunday run. No big deal.

So what's different? Am I in better shape? Maybe a little, but if so, not much. Was the run route easier? Nah. Was it that I had it in my head that the 10 miles wasn't a big deal. Yep. That was totally it.

Distance running makes me realize how much I can change reality by changing my perception of it. If I tell myself it's going to be a hard run, it's going to be hard. If I tell myself, though, that it's no big deal, just a nice long fun run... that's what it turns out to be.

The same applies for other aspects of life. Giving work presentations, for example. If I get myself psyched out, thinking "this is a turbo-important meeting; everyone's going to be critical of me; I hope I don't screw up and say the wrong thing; what if they ask questions at the end that I can't answer..." then I typically don't do as well as if I walk in with the attitude of "well, I'm just going to give this a shot and hope everyone appreciates that I'm trying hard, and hopefully they have some good ideas and compelling questions for me at the end."

It's really empowering to realize that I can control a situation by controlling my perception of it. Of course there are always external factors that are beyond my control. But there's a lot I do have a say over.

So this weekend I'll be doing a nice, easy 12 mile run. By myself. It'll be just shy of half the distance of my goal. No big deal, right?

First Marathon Dream

2009-04-30T09:51:00.002-06:00

I had my first dream about the marathon last night. I say "first" because I'm sure there will be more to come as my anxiety about the event grows and my training intensifies.

In my dream I was running along just fine for a while, but then there was a mandatory part of the course where you went into a school gymnasium and had to grab a basketball and make three shots before you could continue the race. I was totally upset, not knowing that this was part of the requirement. I've never been good at basketball (or any ball sports, for that matter), and thus was anxious about making my shots, which made me shoot worse.... Oh, it was terrible. Much angst. Many missed shots while other runners continued on past me.

I won't spend too much time psycho-analyzing that dream (though there are several themes/sources for the images). But as I'm here in this rest week before a big month of building longer and longer runs, I do have some anxiety, and it's obviously creeping into my subconscious.

Will I be able to run these distances? Will my body hold up? Are there unexpected obstacles? How will I deal with them?

How Many Miles?

2009-04-22T10:15:00.003-06:00

When I first started marathon training, Amy asked me "SO, how many miles will you run in training to run 26.2 miles?"

Good question. But one that's maybe a little dismal to think about! But curiosity finally got to me, and I did the math.

If I include what I've already run (since starting training on March 8), and then follow my schedule exactly between now and July 11, I will have run a total of 319 miles.

Thus far I've run 69 miles. That means I have about 250 miles yet to run in the next 11 weeks.

Oh my. (I knew I shouldn't have done those calculations!)

Sweet Run

2009-04-20T08:11:00.003-06:00

Yesterday's run was kickin'. I felt terrific, my form was great, running felt good, the sun was shining.... all in all just terrific! And for some reason, my pace was amazing, too-- I averaged 10 min/mi for 8 miles. That's fast for me! It just felt great. I even had some good conversation with a gal in my running group for about 2 miles ('til I had to veer off for a potty break).

Better look back at my journal to see what I did the previous few days, and see if I can try to replicate that run. Next week is a rest week, with just a 5 mile "long" run. Then the miles really start to climb in May: 10-12-14-16! So anything I can do to get that good feeling again will be appreciated.

Weather Report

2009-04-16T14:26:00.006-06:00

I just found this picture on my computer. It's from my birthday, when several of us went to Lolo Pass to x-c ski. When we started out it was -5 degrees. We warmed up fairly quickly once we started moving, but brr those first few minutes.

Today, however, is a gorgeous spring day, about 50 degrees and sunny. I just woke up from a nap in the sun-- I drove back to Missoula from Seeley Lake after a meeting, and got kinda sleepy on the drive. So when I got off the interstate near my office, I pulled into a trailhead, turned my car so the sun was shining in the back window, put the back seats down, and crawled in the back to nap for 30 min in the sun. It was terrific! Now I'm ready to face the rest of the day!

The weekend promises to be stellar, with sunshine and temps in the low 60's Fri and Sat, and up to the 70's by Sun and Mon. Holy cow! I'll have to swap out my running tights for shorts!

I'm headed out this afternoon to buy some clipless pedals for McDreamy (my road bike). I got shoes a few months ago, and have been practicing on the spinning bikes at the gym. This weekend will be my virgin voyage out with the real deal... scary! Jenny's going to go with me, and she'll be trying a road bike for the first time. So it could be quite the clown show. That'll be Saturday. Then Sun. a.m. is an 8 mile run. Should be a fun weekend! Yay SUN!

Make-up Day

2009-04-13T09:15:00.002-06:00

After riding (horses) hard on Saturday and not feeling like I got a good rest day... and being how it was Easter and there was no group run yesterday, I decided to postpone my long run til this afternoon. So I'll be heading out solo, on this route:
Duncan Dr 7 Miler
Find more Runs in Missoula, Montana
If anyone wants to join me, come along!

Brrr..

2009-04-10T10:20:00.002-06:00

Thoughts during my 16 mile bike ride in to work this morning mostly centered around the prefix "Brrr":

Brrr...rrr. My toes are cold. 39 degrees may be a bit cool yet for an hour-long ride.

Brrr... akes. Easy does it riding across the gravel patch at the bottom of a downhill stretch.

Brrr... eakfast. Man, I'm looking forward to a turkey bagel once I get to work.

Brrr... ave. Yep, it takes a bit of courage to commute this far on my bike.

Brrr... eak. Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow!

22 more to go

2009-04-09T11:14:00.003-06:00

Alright, the knee's cooperating pretty well these days. Yay. On Sunday I made it thru 6 miles using a run/walk plan (ran 5 min, walked 2 min), and did just fine. Yesterday I ran a full 4 miles without walking at all. I started getting a little knee twinge a time or two, but then I'd fix my form and it would go away.

So I'm now running 4 miles straight again. Just add 22 more miles to that, and the marathon's over-- no sweat, right?

Uh, right.

The one thing I have decided, based on my learning experience with the knee thing, is that I really need to focus on recovery as much as on the running. That way hopefully I can make it without any more over-use issues. It's influenced my plan-of-attack a good bit. Here's what I'm doing these days:

I'm running just 3 days a week-- Sunday long runs, Wednesday mid-distance runs, and a short (3-5 mi) easy run on Fridays.

Other days of the week I'm spinning and/or swimming, plus trying to stick with my PT exercises to balance out the strength in my legs. And making sure I have good core strength. So I'm plenty busy, but letting myself have good recovery from the runs.

The runs are taking top priority, and the other workouts are meant to be "active recovery" sessions, and/or intended to help better prepare my body for running. For example, this morning I went to a spinning class, but instead of really pushing it hard with high resistance, I just ignored the instructor and continued to spin at a high rpm but low resistance, helping to work out my legs without asking too much of them. It felt good (and the instructor didn't mind me doing my own thing!)

This weekend's long run is 7 miles, and I'll try running the whole thing. Or perhaps I'll just hop...

Training Log

2009-04-03T10:36:00.002-06:00

I've been keeping a pretty good training/eating log for the last month or so, jotting down what I've been eating and what workouts I've done, along with some notes about how I feel physically and emotionally. The hope is that
1. writing things down will make them more real (like when I eat 10 malted easter eggs at work in the middle of the afternoon), and
2. I can start to see some trends in how I feel relative to what I've eaten or how I've trained in the past few days

Today's a good example. I'm beat. Ever since I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed at 7am, I've felt like I could easily just lie down and go straight back to sleep. My brain's not fully functioning at work. I'm just not all there today. And I know that my run and strength training this afternoon will take a lot of effort to get through because I just don't have much energy.

So why might that be?

Well, let's look at the past few days: Wednesday I swam in the morning, then ran that evening. And I only got about 6.5 hours of sleep (but ate pretty well all day). Yesterday I did a spinning class and big upper body workout in the morning. I had yogurt & granola for breakfast, pretzels for a snack, a salad with tuna for lunch, a whole wheat roll for a snack. Then I went for a 2 hour hike. Then out with girlfriends to a shi-shi wine bar for a delicious bottle of wine (split 3 ways) and fru-fru appetizers for dinner (savory cheesecake, spicy pork lettuce wraps, and vegetable napolean). All were delicious, but maybe not a complete meal. So then I got home late, got to sleep a little before midnight. And wonder why I'm lethargic today. Is it the slight lack of sleep? Is it the slight lack of calories after workouts yesterday? Is it the wine? Is it a case of the Fridays? Or is it a combination thereof?

I suspect the latter. But it's good to notice and evaluate the proximal causes. I definitely don't want to feel like this on race day. Or before long training runs. So I need to figure out what makes me feel good and energetic, as well as what makes me feel like all I want is my blankie.

Catching up

2009-04-02T13:23:00.003-06:00

Golly, didn't realize it'd been this long since I last wrote. There's so much to catch up on. When I last wrote, my knee was bothering me a bit. So I didn't run for a week, and it was still somewhat swollen and sore, even with the rest and just walking. So last Thursday I talked with the coach for the marathon class I'm in, and he suggested I see a Physical Therapist about my issues. So I did. Here's the gist of things since:

basically, I don't have any serious injury, just irritation under my patella
the PT suggested that I do some strength training to increase my quad and glute strength, some drills to get me used to landing on my mid-foot or balls of my feet while running instead of landing on my heels (which puts a lot more of the shock of impact on my knee), and a return-to-run program for the next few weeks (similar to the Couch-to-5K plan I did a few years ago)
the irritation and swelling have decreased a bit, but not all the way yet; I'm itchin' to run, but being careful not to push too fast thinking that I'm better when I'm not
so I've been doing a lot of cross-training-- swimming and biking, mostly (indoors for both... it's still snowing here)
I even tried a water aerobics class. I had some preconceived notions going into it, but thought I'd give it a try-- "who knows, it could be a good workout," I told myself. Uh, no. 'Twas not a good workout. 'Twas little more than me and a bunch of severely overweight and/or over-aged ladies bobbing around in a pool for an hour. It sucked. I tried quite hard to get my heart rate up, which mostly just got me some bad looks from others because I was making too much splash. At the end the instructor asked how I liked the class, to which I said that it was okay but not nearly the intensity of workouts I'm used to. "Oh," she said, "it's deceptive-- you actually burned 20% more calories doing a workout in the pool than you would have on land." Bull$*#! You can't tell me that splashing around in the shallow-end with my heart rate not over 120bpm burns as much as an hour long run in which my heartrate is around 165bpm and I burn about 500 calories. Nope, I don't believe it.
So no more water aerobics for me. But I'll continue to swim laps and spin, and run every other day (low miles, high frequency is the prescription for the next few weeks).
By mid-April I'll have to decide if I'm better enough to go for the full Mary or to shoot for a good half. I'll keep you posted.

That's What Friends Are For

2009-03-19T11:28:00.002-06:00

The following is an email conversation I had this morning with my good friend Sally*

(*actual names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent!)

WalkerRuns:
"i'm in a sad funk today. don't know if it's hormonal or build-up from all the relationship stress this week (not mine, other peoples'), and/or my knee is hurting and swollen from a run yesterday... whatever the cause, all i want to do today is go home and go back to bed. and cry. it wouldn't take much to get me to bawl today.

that's not what i need help on-- this funk will pass. but while i'm in it, i know i'm vulnerable, and there's a bagel store right across the street. and chocolate shouldn't be hard to come by, either. i could totally binge.

remind me that i don't want that stuff. i don't need it. my yogurt and granola will make me feel better than 3 bagels will."

Sally:

"Sounds like all of the above and I can totally empathize - I had a super hormonal day last Thursday and this Tuesday a super emotional day where I did come home after work and cry super hard - but it was GREAT and cleansing - sometimes it is just really really good to cry and feel your emotions. We had a tea ceremony in my meditation class and we have been working on opening your heart - so I am spouting "feeling"

AND you are right, you will feel much worse if you binge on a bunch of stuff - take my burger episode last Thursday when I was hormonal - I felt full and heavy and not better at all. Maybe this afternoon you can treat yourself to a really nice piece of chocolate - not alot, but a fancy one - because it is also okay to be good to yourself and giving yourself a break and chocolate is a really nice treat in small doses (I am not doing a very good job here, am I). My point is, for me, I do better when I am not as strict and let myself have the small treats here and there. But, do not just eat a bunch of crap or crappy hershey's chocoloate - go spend a bunch of $$ on a really small piece if that is what you are going to do - and wait until much later to do it - because then if you really want it you will still want it. And NO BAGELS - they are stupid, empty crappy carbs and really not that great. LIKE MY BURGER Everyone has days like this and you should not be too strict with yourself. Sorry about your knee - what happened. Did you guys make spin this morning??"

WalkerRuns:
"Thanks-- you're the best!

I'll keep the chocolate option open for the afternoon and see if I need it. Good suggestion on getting really good stuff (plus, I'd have to walk to Worden's to get it, so I'd burn some calories doing it, rather than waddling across the street to get a pack of M&M's).

We did go to spinning this morning, but I only span (is that a word?) for a minute or so, and decided not to do it. My knee was still swollen inside, and I didn't want to push it. I don't know what happened to it-- probably just over-use. Although I've been running 2-4 miles 2-3 times a week (so about 5-10 miles per week) throughout the winter, I didn't run much at all in mid-Feb/early March after my wisdom teeth and such. So I was only doing 5 or 6 miles a week for a month or so, and then jumped it up to 17 miles last week. Too much too fast, I think. Even though it felt good cardio-wise, that jump might have been a bit much for the joints. I started getting a pain in my knee last Wednesday on a run, but shrugged it off to getting-back-into-it pains. It didn't get any worse, but didn't go away for my next 3 runs. Then last night I did a big hill run, and it definitely started feeling worse and I got some internal swelling. So rather than push it right now, I'm going to rest a few days, then start back in slower-- do the beginner marathon plan, which has shorter mileages and smaller jumps in the amount of miles each week. And on the "optional" days, choose to cycle rather than run most of the time-- to keep my cardio and leg strength up without putting so many hard miles on. Hopefully that will help. It's tough not to get immediately discouraged when something's not right physically, but I need to be smart, take the rest, and remain hopeful that it'll get better.

So here I sit with an ice pack, and a couple jars of glucosamine and ibuprofen. Let's heal!"

Checking In

2009-03-18T09:15:00.003-06:00

Just a quick check in to say training's going well so far. Last week I ran a total of 17 miles (over the course of 4 days). Crazy to think that in a few months I'll be running 17 mile in one day!!!

I also did some cross-training (spinning class) on two days, and also did some strength training (mostly core and upper body) on those days. And I took one day as a rest day.

I'm trying to plan ahead for my meals, so that I make sure to always have good, healthy foods on hand, and avoid getting super hungry and pigging out on crap. For the most part that's been going well-- but beer can sure put a kink in a plan. I've shed a few pounds already, which is nice. I have quite a few more to lose to get back to where I was last summer at the peak of my triathlon training. So more work to go. But if I stay pretty smart about what I shove in my face, those pounds should shed pretty quickly as the mileage starts to increase.

I'm looking forward to my mid-week mid-distance group run this week (5 miles). The cool thing about these group runs is not knowing where we're going... makes it a little exciting, something to look forward to. It's a sunny day and supposed to get decently warm (after a dusting a snow last night), so should be a good evening to run.

I'll check back in soon.

Thinking Ahead

2009-03-10T12:45:00.002-06:00

Right now, the thought of running 26.2 miles is fairly unfathomable. But, as I begin slowly increasing my miles, it's never too early to start thinking about strategies for getting myself across the finish line.

I've heard experienced runners say that in a marathon you run the first 10 miles with your head, the second 10 miles with your legs, and the last six miles with your heart. So what does running with your heart mean? What strategies will I use to push thru those last 6 miles?

I found an article on Runner's World that reported some tips used by a marathon pacer-- (pacers are experienced runners who'll run a set pace for the whole race to help others run their goal time.) Here's what this one gal said to help keep runners focused in the last 6 miles:

"Okay, everyone, this is where we start taking the race one mile at a time. For each mile, I'm going to ask you to focus on something. For mile 20, your focus is on the reason you're in this race. Is this a Boston qualifier, a personal best, a dare from a friend?"

"Five miles left. Now for this next mile, I want you to focus on all the work that you've done to be here, and how it's all paying off now."

"For this mile, 22, we focus on the personal support system, on our families, friends, children, parents? -everyone who has helped you over the past few months. Give them a silent shout-out of thanks."

"Three miles to go. We all have a personal hero, someone who has been through something so much harder than a marathon. Let's think about what they got through, and use that strength."

"Just two miles left, guys. Remember a time in your life when you demonstrated great strength in some other arena. Tap into that strength now. Only one tenth of one percent of the U.S. population finishes a marathon every year, so you're about to achieve something special."

"Last mile, everybody. You are going to do it! Every step at this point is erasing that distance to the finish line."

I like the idea of a new focus point for each mile. What about you? What strategies have you used-- in a marathon or in other situations where you've had to rely on more than just your mind and/or your body to get you thru a situation? I'd love to hear them!

I'm Back!!!

2009-03-08T13:38:00.002-06:00

Whew, that was a nice 2-month break from blogging. I honestly was running out of things to write about, and just needed a break from training and blogging.

Now I've had my break, and I'm ready to be WalkerRuns again. This year I'll be taking my running to a whole new level-- shooting for a full marathon in July, and then perhaps a speedier half in November (but we'll cross that bridge after July).

Unlike last year where I had lots of races and lots of goals and new activities (swimming, biking, triathloning), my non-workout life is just too complicated now to handle multi-sporting. And so I've decided to have one clear and simple goal: to run the Missoula Marathon on July 12.

Because I can't imagine running 15+ miles on my own, I've joined a training class that's organized thru the local running club, Run Wild Missoula. Over the next 18 weeks we'll meet twice weekly for group runs-- a mid-distance run on Wednesday nights, and a long run on Sundays. The routes will be pre-determined (and chalk marked!), and there will be aid stations along the way! We'll have guest speakers come and talk about various aspects of training-- PT, nutrition, etc-- and will have access to several seasoned marathoners for advice. And everyone was given a training schedule that will at least lay the framework for the training-- with options for modifying based on personal needs/schedules. But Sundays and Wednesdays are the group runs.

I'm psyched for the class. It takes a lot of the thinking & preparation off of my plate. I don't have to worry about taking time to map out a route, drive around and drop of water bottles, beg friends to run part of it or ride their bike along with me for company... I just show up and run with other folks who are crazy enough to want to run a marathon, too! I don't know anyone doing the class yet, but am looking forward to making some new running buddies as time goes on.

I'll write more in the coming weeks about why I've decided to do a full marathon (I'm sure that question will run through my mind more than once!), and the experiences I have along the way. So stay tuned!

Hiatus

2009-01-01T10:11:00.004-07:00

New Year's Resolution #26: Take a break from blogging for a while.

For the past few months the blog has seemed like yet another chore on my overly-busy to-do list. What with everything else I have going on these days, I just haven't been finding the time or energy to write much.

The blog was a great tool to use to keep me on track and keep me connected to friends when I was in Kalispell, where I didn't have much of a life going on besides work and working out. But these days, I'm finding plenty of other social fulfillment. Instead of having to write about my workouts with my friends, I just go and meet them for a Pilates class and a soak in the hot tub after my spinning class. Or I go for an after-work cross-country ski with them. Or whatnot.

Plus, I'm finding it hard enough to find time to get my runs in, much less write about them! So I think it's time to lift the BlogBurden off my shoulders for a bit and focus on other things that are important.

If you're really missing the blog, you can read back through the archives-- there are 152 posts from the past year or so... that should keep you busy for a while! Or you can look for me on Facebook. Or email me. Or call. Or stop by and go for a run.

Thanks for reading, and I'll return soon...

Archived stuff:
For the last decade or so I worked as a field biologist, at times doing some pretty intensive hiking, backpacking, etc, but at other times spending several months relatively sedative. At all times I ate pretty much the same way--mostly decently healthy foods (or so I thought), but lots of them! Within a given year, it wasn't unusual for my weight to fluctuate 10-15 lbs.
Over the last year or so I've determined to make my own health and fitness a high priority, above jobs and potlucks and whatever else. I've learned to run, learned more about good nutrition, have lost nearly 15 lbs (and kept it off for 6 months!), and am feeling much stronger and more confident in my athletic abilities.
It's taken deciding to dedicate myself to myself. Sounds selfish, I know. Which is why I started this blog. I know I’m not the only one who’s had lifelong struggles with fitness, self image, weight control, etc. Hopefully others can learn tips, empathize, and perhaps be inspired by my experiences. Join me as I work towards some personal health-related goals and train to complete several local endurance-sport events in throughout the year.

Weigh-Ins
Aug 1: 135.8
July 25: 135.4
July 18: 136.2
July 15: 138.6
July 3: 140.0
June 27: 138.4
June 20: 139.4
June 4: 139.8
May 23: Weight= 139.6
May 9: Weight= 141.4
Apr 18: Weight=140.6
Apr 11: Weight=141.1
Mar 28: Weight= 140.0
Mar 21: Weight= 139.8
Feb 14: Weight= 139.4
Feb 7: Weight= 137.4
Feb 2: Weight= 138.6
Jan 18: Weight= 139.2
Jan 11: Weight=139.6
Jan 4: Weight= 141.4
Dec 28: Weight=144.6
Dec 21: Weight=144.2
Dec 14: Weight=141.0
Dec 7: Weight=142.6

Training in a Winter Wonderland

2008-12-22T10:49:00.003-07:00

Whoever decided to start a training plan 3 weeks before Christmas?!?!

I suppose I did. Doh.

Please pardon my silence on the blog of late... I've been scurrying around like mad trying to fit in my runs with all the other social events and whatnot that make this time of year so busy.

But so far I've been able to stick to my schedule (for the most part). Here's the whole plan, plus my progress for the first two weeks (the top row for the week shows what I'm supposed to do, the bottom shows what I ACTUALLY did):

Christmas Poem

2008-12-22T10:22:00.005-07:00

Christmas is coming, there’s so much to do:
Wrap up the presents, deliver a few
Get ready for family, make bed with clean sheets
Crank up the oven, bake Santa some treats
Hang stockings by chimney, send last Christmas card
Hang lights on the house and out in the yard
Straighten the tree, and check on the trim
Then lace up my shoes and head to the gym!

2008-12-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

This week starts my training plan for the Snow Joke.

Hard Core

2008-12-05T08:58:00.003-07:00

Over the last several weeks I've developed a new core routine that really seems to work me over good. I thought I'd share:

For each move, you'll do 3 sets. Ideally, you'd do 15 reps in each set. I started with 15-10-5, then 15-12-9, and today did 15-12-12. So I'm getting there.

Move #1: Hanging Leg Lifts
If your gym has them, hook up the arm holsters onto a pullup bar. Otherwise, just hang on to the bar (this is a bit harder). Let your legs hang, then think about tipping your pelvis forward, then lift your knees, toes straight down. For more advanced move, straighten legs out parallel with the ground. Slowly return to hanging. That's one rep.

Move #2: Seated Ab Crunch
Sit on the edge of a stable chair or bench. Place your hands next to your butt and grip the front of the seat. Lean back slightly and extend your legs down and away, keeping your heels 4 to 6 inches off the floor. Bend your knees and slowly raise your legs toward your chest. At the same time, lean forward with your upper body, allowing your chest to approach your thighs. For more challenge, focus on squeezing your knees together as you bring them up.

Move #3: Medicine Ball Twist
Either sit on the floor, knees bent so that your upper body is at about a 45 degree angle, or lie back on a stability ball. Grab a 5- to 10-pound medicine ball and hold it straight out from your chest. Rotating from your upper hips/lower wiast, twist your upper body as far to the right as possible, keeping the ball in line with your chest. Then immediately rotate to the left. That's 1 rep.

Move #4: Pushups on the Ball
Place your lower legs on a stability ball and get in a pushup position. Keeping your back straight, do a pushup. That's one rep. For more challenge, add a pike in between pushups: use your core to pull the ball toward your face. Hold for a second, then roll back out until your body is straight.

Move #5: Arm Pull Over Straight Leg Crunch
Grab a pair of 2- to 10-pound dumbbells and lie on your back with your arms behind you. Extend your legs at a 45-degree angle. Bring your arms up over your chest and lift your shoulders off the mat while raising your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor. Return to start (don't let your legs touch the floor). That's 1 rep. For more challenge, really concentrate on going slow, and make sure you're touching the floor behind you with the weights.

Give it a shot, see what you think. I think it's a pretty well-rounded routine that works all parts of your core-- including the lower back. But I might be missing something. So give it a try, see what you'd add!

Yogahhh

2008-12-02T09:48:00.004-07:00

Started off my morning with my favorite yoga class. The class is similar to Bikram yoga, though the room isn't as hot (more like a comfy 80 F than a sweltering 105 F). And it's a bit less rigid. But in essence, the class starts with a breathing exercise that gets your body generating heat and gives you an opportunity to really start focussing on the breath. Then there's a series of postures that are held for up to a minute each, done in the same order each time. Some days we'll repeat a posture twice, some days just once. The first half of the class is standing postures, then the second half is lying or seated postures. All of the postures have multiple health benefits.

I love starting off my day with yoga. It helps me set an intention for the day (today it was to work on my posture-- drop my shoulders/lift my chest-- rather than slouching which makes me feel more lethargic and decreases the amount of oxygen I take in, especially while running). And it's a great way to get mentally focused first thing in the morning.

But perhaps it ws too much of a good thing.... After the final relaxation pose (savasana, or "corpse pose," in which you lie on your back, close your eyes, slow your breathing, and release any thoughts), I headed to the shower and proceeded to wash my hair with conditioner. Oops. ;)

Dear Santa,

2008-11-26T09:19:00.003-07:00

I don't know if you're in the habit of reading blogs, but if so, I'd sure like to have this for Christmas!

Love, C

PS- I promise to leave you carrot sticks & non-fat ranch dip instead of cookies & milk :)

Thanksgiving Plans

2008-11-26T09:07:00.002-07:00

For the past few years, we've gone hunting on Thanksgiving Day, and then done a big potluck Thanksgiving dinner with friends in Seeley Lake. This year, however, most of our friends have other plans, so there's no potlucking to do. It seems that everyone either has family coming in or is going elsewhere-- there aren't any young family-less folks floating around looking for a good meal.

So, I figured we had two options: either stay home and make a turkey dinner for ourselves, or say screw it and forego the pig-out tradition. We opted for the latter.

So tomorrow morning we'll get up and feed the cows, then head for the mountains, rifles in tow. (I shot a young deer the other day, but other than that, we still have several tags-- for bull elk or for either sex whitetail deer or buck mule deer. It's the last weekend of hunting season, and so it's time for us to stop being so picky. Instead of only going after elk, at this point in the season anything legal will most likely come home with us.)

Anyhow, rather than sitting around all day and pigging out, I figured it'd be much more fun and healthy to spend the day hiking around in the woods. I mean, Thanksgiving is really all about giving thanks for the blessings that you have, right? I count among my best blessings:

the opportunity to live in a land where I'm free to choose how to spend my holidays,
to ability wander through vast amounts of publicly-owned forested mountains
to provide food for myself because wildlife are abundant and we still have the right to hunt and fish, like our ancestors did to provide their food for the first Thanksgiving (I mean, if they'd had an elk, I'm sure they would've chosen to eat that over a stingly ol' wild turkey!!!)

So for me, a burger and a beer when we get done for the day will be all the feast that I need to help me have a great day of giving thanks.

Why My Legs Were Sore Earlier This Week

2008-11-20T08:01:00.015-07:00

Not all hunters sit in the back of their pickups drinking beer, listening to Nascar, and waiting for the deer to walk by...

Jim and I spent the weekend hunting with his dad out on the MT/ID border. We put on some good hikes, traveling at least 6 miles each day over steep, rough country... mostly off-road/off-trail. We didn't fire our rifles at all, but still got some good shooting done (pictures, that is):

Me hiking the last little stretch up to the top of Taft Mountain. Jim and I started hiking at 6:30am-- about an hour before sunrise-- and bush-whacked our way up, up, up the ridge so that we were on top of the country early in the morning (trying to catch some elk crossing over the ridge).

I don't take this hunting thing TOO seriously!

Jim smiling because we're almost to the top!!! (early morning hikes make for good lighting!)

Back down into the woods for a while... "Heeeere, elky elky elky... come out from behind the tree-eee...."

Ahh, soaking in sun after our post-lunch nap :)

We saw lots of sign, including elk tracks, scat, and rubs... but no elk. (Here I'm demonstrating how a bull in the rut scraped his antlers against this small tree to mark his territory).

At the top of the ridge I laid my tracks on top of wolf tracks on top coyote tracks on top of elk tracks... I see where I stack up on the predator ranks-- need to get up earlier, I suppose!

All in all a great weekend. Saw lots of cool places, got good and tired so that I slept great and woke up slightly sore. And came home to a nice warm house on a ranch full of cows that we can eat if we don't end up shooting an elk next weekend :)

Last Race of the Year

2008-11-19T09:42:00.002-07:00

On December 6, I'll be running the Freezer Burn 5k in Frenchtown.

I haven't been doing much speed work lately, so I definitely don't have my sights on a fast time. But, since I'm revving back up the running in preparation for the Snow Joke, I'll use this as a fun "long run" for the week:
I can jog the mile-and-a-half to the start line, run the race, then jog home, for a total of 6 miles.

It'll be a good way to get in a long run with a harder-than-usual push in the middle, and to support a race in my "backyard."

Anyone want to join me? (There's also a 1/2 marathon if you're really motivated).

New Shoes

2008-11-11T08:17:00.002-07:00

Did you know that shoes wear out on the inside much faster than on the outside? I never knew this until I really started running some longer miles. The interior cushioning takes a big hit every time my foot hits the ground, and can only handle ~250-300 miles worth of supporting my ~140 lbs before it starts to wear out.

Last fall (while training for my first 1/2 marathon) was the first time I'd put enough mileage into a pair of shoes to wear them out. They still looked fine on the outside. But I was starting to feel the difference-- my shins would burn a bit, my hips felt weird, my toes would ache after a run. Who'da thunk that running shoes could make such a difference?

Well, I went to my local running store, and the folks there helped me out. They looked at the wear patterns on my old shoes, watched me walk, analyzed how my feet were shaped and how they moved while I ran, and suggested several shoes for me. The pair I really liked was the Asics GT-2130. I bought a pair and loved them... so much that when it was time to buy a new pair of shoes this past spring, I went in and bought the exact same pair.

For the last month or so now, I've been starting to feel things again-- shins hurting, hips feeling stressed... signs that my shoes were on their way out. Again. (I try to only use my running shoes for running, and wear older pairs for doing other activities like walking or biking.) As I always seem to do, I first thought that it was me. Maybe I just haven't been running enough. Maybe I'm not stretching enough. I must be out of shape... But then it dawned on me-- it'd been about 6 months since I'd gotten new shoes. (Dang, could it have been that long?!)

Since we're headed into the winter months when conditions can be kind iffy-- slushy or slick roads and trails-- and because I've been enjoying trail running a bit more, I thought that maybe I'd branch out and try a trail shoe. I was a little nervous, though, about giving up on my 2130's, though, because they're such a great fit.

So imagine my delight when I went to the running store this weekend and told the guy what I've been wearing and that I'd like to try a trail shoe, and he said, great, Asics just came out with a trail version of the 2130! It's built to the same dimensions and everything as the shoe I've been wearing, but has a more aggressive sole (good for gripping) that's a little stiffer (good for running over rocks and branches), and has a water-resistant material on the upper (good for slush and mud).

I tried them on, and they felt perfect. "Do you want to try a few other kinds of trail shoes?" the salesguy asked? "Nope," I said, "these will work."

I tried them out on the treadmill yesterday, just to make sure they fit well (they do, and nothing hurt in my legs for the first time in several weeks!). And now this afternoon I have plans to take my new shoes for a spin on a 5-mile loop on trails in the Rattlesnake. Whooppee!

Let's run on Public Lands!

2008-11-06T11:05:00.002-07:00

How often do you run on trails that are on public lands? For me, the answer is QUITE OFTEN. Here in the Missoula area we are blessed with numerous trail systems that let us run for miles through scenic grasslands and forests, uninterrupted by No Trespassing Signs-- the Rattlesnake, Blue Mountain, Pattee Canyon, the Frenchtown Bike Trail....

It's truly a gift to be able to run or hike or play on publicly owned lands and trails, but one that we often take for granted. These public lands, though, come at a cost. Everyone must share in the cost of purchasing and maintaining public lands or lands that allow, through conservation easements or other frameworks, public access.

In 2006, voters in Missoula County approved a $10 million bond to assist in the purchase or protection of Open Spaces that allow for resource protection and public access. The Montana Legacy Project will soon purchase 320,000 of private timber company lands in western Montana (for a mere $520 million) with the goals of protecting natural resources, maintaining public access, and sustaining a timber economy (as opposed to a trophy-home economy). And this week Lewis & Clark County (Helena area) also passed an Open Space bond.

Indeed, all across the nation folks decided this week that, even in the face of poor economic times, that having open space or public lands to play on, look at, and enjoy were worth a lot.

See the re-cap below from the Trust for Public Lands:

On Tuesday, November 4, voters across America backed 62 of 87
conservation finance measures, generating a single-day record of
$7.3 billion in new conservation funding. The results capped a
record-breaking year in which voters approved 88 measures,
totaling nearly $8.4 billion in new public funding for land
conservation. TPL, and its lobbying affiliate, the Conservation
Campaign (TCC), played integral roles in the success of many of
these ballot measures.

Among the other significant measures yesterday:
* East Bay Regional Park District, CA: a $500 million bond
measure received 71% support
* Hillsborough County, FL: a $200 million bond measure received
78% support
* Hunterdon County, NJ: An extension of the county's 3-cent
property tax for 20 years will generate $152 million
* Community Preservation Act, MA: 7 of 8 measures approved,
bringing the total of communities statewide that have adopted
CPA to 140
* Blaine County, ID: a two-year property tax for open space will
establish the first county conservation program in the state
* Johnson County, IA: a $20 million bond will establish Iowa's
first county conservation program

Complete details of this year's measures--and all conservation
finance measures since 1988--are in TPL's LandVote online
searchable database, a service of TPL's Center for Conservation
Finance:
http://ga0.org/ct/Fp_cJjs1er2T/landvote

The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as
parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable
communities for generations to come.
The Trust for Public Land depends on the support and generosity
of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve our
land-for-people mission. For more information please contact us
at (415) 495-4014 or on the web at www.tpl.org.

Now, go out and enjoy some public lands. And encourage your community to financially support the places you love!

NOW RECRUITING

2008-11-05T13:15:00.003-07:00

Late February probably seems a long ways off to most folks. And, well, to me too. But I'm already looking ahead to it, as the Snow Joke 1/2 Marathon lands on Feb 28 this year.

For the past two 1/2 Marathons I've done, I've followed Hal Higdon's beginner training plan. This time around, I'm going to do the Intermediate plan, which incorporates some intervals and tempo runs to work on overall speed, and increases the weekly mileage to work towards better endurance. All-in-all it's a more aggressive plan than what I've done in the past.

While I hesitate to say that I want to improve my time on this race (since snow conditions can often alter abilities on this course), I'd at least like to train to be able to do better than I have before.

And since my running has been fairly unstructured since August or so, I'm looking forward to getting back into training mode.

The Plan I'll use has a structured schedule for 12 weeks, which means I'll officially start following it on Dec 7. That's a month from now, I know. So for the next month I have two main goals:

1. Start running on a regular basis and slowly start increasing my weekly mileage so that the first week of the Plan doesn't knock me out with a 17-mile week. I won't be working on speed per se, but will be working on re-building my endurance for the next month, running at least 3 times per week and starting to build from a comfortable 10 miles per week to 16 miles per week. This doesn't seem too challenging, as I'm plenty comfortable running 5-6 miles at a time. But I need to work on my consistency in my training and start running more than I have been (aka get off the slightly easier elliptical machine in the morning and get on the dreaded treadmill!)

2. Find a training buddy (or two, or three...) to train for this race with me. Having someone else to talk with and share stories about training, and to have run the race with me (or at least at the same time) is so great. The last two 1/2 marathons I've done, I've run with Robyn and Amy, and they were great accountability partners. Although Robyn was training from NC and me from MT, we still chatted about how training was going and had made a promise to each other to run the race, and thus helped keep each other on track. And with Amy, it was great to have company for doing the longer runs on the weekends-- we had great times chatting while running. So for this race, I'd at least like to have someone else who I know is going to do the race and wants to be an "accountability partner." And beyond that, it would be terrific to have someone to do longer training runs with... even if we don't end up doing the race together (if we have different paces or whatnot).

So... who's interested? If not you, do you have friends who may be? If so, have them get in touch. They're welcome to use the plan I'll be using, or use their own. It's tons of fun (well, okay, sometimes it's fun... other times it's just hard). But it's a great way to meet people, get in shape, and have a goal that's non-work-related.

Oh yeah, and one other goal: find new shoes. Mine are starting to wear out (again), and so I need to get a new pair before I start upping my mileage very much. I'm thinking of trying a more trail-running-type shoe for these winter months, as much of my running may be on snow-covered roads or trails. Any thoughts?

It's a Family Affair

2008-11-05T12:57:00.002-07:00

Two weeks ago Mom & Kurt ran their 5k. Last weekend Robyn (who's like a sister to me) did her 1/2 IronMan. And this weekend my cousin Deb is running the Outer Banks 1/2 Marathon.

It used to be that only my dad and brother, who are into motor sports, were the only Racers in the family. But now many others are starting to set their own race goals. Cool.

What I Was Going to Do Before I Got Sick

2008-11-04T17:50:00.004-07:00

Bah humbug. I caught a cold. Crud. Sunday evening, all was well, and then *hugh hgh hgh*, a cough. Then another. And another. And by 3am I was up making hot tea and not able to sleep for my sore throat and cough. Drats.

But I slept a lot yesterday and stayed home from work (I did get a little work done, but mostly rested). And after sleeping another 12 hours or so last night, I'm feeling much better today, and am looking forward to going to the gym in the morning.

Of course, I probably won't be up for this workout quite yet. But soon. I did this one a few times last winter (Amy shared it with me), and it was a great cardio workout that kept me from getting too terribly bored while running on the treadmill. Basically it combines some speed intervals and tempo sections and keeps you switching things up enough that the hour goes by fairly quickly (especially if you can watch tv while doing it, like you can at my gym!)

Give it a try sometime... hopefully I'll be back on the 'mill by the end of the week:

Try this running workout from Robert Pennino, a certified USA triathlon coach. Be sure to keep the incline of your treadmill at 1 percent throughout the workout. If the pace seems too fast, modify to suit your fitness level.
Minutes Pace
0:00–10:00 Warm-up jog; 5.0 mph
10:00–10:20 Sprint at 7.5 mph
10:20–11:20 Jog at 5.0 mph
11:20–14:00 Repeat minutes 10:00–11:20 twice
14:00–17:00 Jog at 5.0 mph
17:00–27:00 Run at 6.5 mph
27:00–31:00 Jog at 5.0 mph
31:00–35:00 Run at 6.5 mph
35:00–39:00 Jog at 5.0 mph
39:00–55:00 Repeat minutes 31:00–39:00 twice
55:00–60:00 Gradually slow pace to cool down at jog/walk

Walker('s Mom) Runs

2008-10-27T08:26:00.002-06:00

On Saturday evening, my mom and her husband Kurt participated in their first ever 5k. They've been working up to this distance for the past 6 months or more, doing a combination of walking and jogging. So when the gun went off at the start of the race in Brevard on Saturday evening, they followed their plan-- walked slowly to start, then began picking up the pace little by little until they were nice and warmed up, and then did intervals of walking quickly, then running a bit, then walking quickly, then running... all the way to the finish line. On the last hill Mom's lower back was aching and she wanted to walk, but when she looked over her shoulder and saw another couple closing in on them, she took a deep breath, found some race-induced adrenaline, and pushed on to the top of the hill and across the finish line... ahead of the competition. Go Mom! Go Kurt!

I'm so proud of them for doing this race, but more so for the work they've put into getting into shape. Mom turns 60 this week-- how many 60-year-olds can cover 3.1 miles in 49 minutes?

Instead of kicking backing and relaxing in their retirement, these two whipper-snappers are actually more active now than they ever have been. With increasing health issues arising in the past few years, they've realized the importance of getting good exercise. So now, unlike ever before, they work out daily, going for walks or hikes or jogs around the mountain they live on, or doing a kickboxing video and ab work. Service is extremely important to them, and keeps them on their toes. In the last few months they've helped a disabled friend move into her own home, have escorted a group of folks who are blind on a fishing trip to the Outer Banks, and have worked with middle and high school-aged boys at a residential school. That's in addition to working closely with the church youth group, and lots of other activities.

It's great to see these two making and living the mind-body-spirit connection. They set a great example, and I've enjoyed watching them act on the realization that God gave us these bodies to house our spirits while here on earth. If we want to do good things in His honor, we have to take care of our physical selves as much as our spiritual selves.

So a big congrats goes out to Kay & Kurt for their race on Saturday and their young-at-heart spirit!

Lunch Break

2008-10-24T15:09:00.003-06:00

It's Friday. No meetings. No deadlines. Brisk, sunny late October day. Perfect for a long lunch break. Say about a 2 hour break!

I hopped on my bike, rode a few miles over to the trailhead at the University, then headed up the switchbacks towards the "M," running every third switchback and hiking the others. Then I hit the service road and ran it out for a few miles as it parallels the valley bottom. Gorgeous views of town with the leaves all orange and yellow (actually they're fading and falling off already), and blue skies forming the backdrop for the golden grassy hillsides. Listening to Merle Haggard sing about my favorite state, thinking how nice it was to be so close to an open area and trails like that, so that I could "walk off my steady job" for a few hours and run on bare earth, as I'm tired of running in town on the "dirty old sidewalks."

It was about a 5-mile loop, then I biked back to work, showered, ate some soup for lunch, and now I'm trying to get back to work. It's one of those days where I "haven't got a thing to show for anything I've done," but I got a great workout and am happier than I was before. So that counts for something, right?!

Okay, back to the grindstone.

New Look

2008-10-23T09:25:00.002-06:00

As my "new look" is getting increasingly softer and rounder, I've realized that I need to go back to using my good friend FitDay to help with my food-to-workout balance.

For the past few months I've basically been eating what I want when I want-- well, at least sometime. The good news is that my "default" foods-- those I pick up when I'm grabbing a snack or my standard dinners & lunches that I make-- have been foods with whole grains, lots of vitamins and lean protein, and all that good stuff. The bad news is that my "treat" foods have been too numerous, and I'm feeling the results. My energy level is lower, my mid-section isn't as tight (not like it was ever trim to begin with!)... ugh. It's frustrating that all of my hard work can be reversed so easily with a bit of mindless eating.

So, I need to be mindful again. I need to re-instate my habit of tracking my intake in relation to my output. And the best way I've found to do that is to use FitDay-- an online food & exercise journal.

I haven't used it in several months now, and so when I signed in this morning, I was suprised to see that they've gotten a new look, too. So if it's been a while since you've used it, or if you've never used it at all, check it out. You have to register, but it's free. And a great tool, I think, for tracking your progress.

And tracking my progress. I've made my journal available to be viewed by the public. So check it out if you'd like: http://www.fitday.com/fitness/PublicJournals.html?Owner=mtcurls

New Moves

2008-10-14T08:54:00.004-06:00

If you're looking for some new moves, Women's Health magazine offers several one-page 20-minute workout ideas-- nice to try after a run or spin class.

I tried the "Rock Solid Abs" workout this morning (after spinning for 50 min and running for 20). While not all of the moves were ones that I'll keep in my repertoire, a few were-- namely #3- the "arm pull over straight-leg crunch." That move is NO JOKE.

It's always nice to find new moves that really challenge your body, rather than sticking with the same old routine. Doing so will help you grow stronger and develop even more depth to that strength.

Similarly, confronting issues that make us uncomfortable will ultimately lead us to growing stronger as citizens and adding depth to our personalities. Thanks to those who've responded to my last post. I hope to address some more issues here in the future.

How homelessness affects me... & what I do about it

2008-10-12T10:19:00.003-06:00

Homelessness has never been one of my top "issues" or "causes." There are lots of other social or environmental concerns that seem more pressing to me, or get my attention more. These are things like the poor health care system we have in this country, in which folks like my good friend "C" can't get health insurance because of his diabetes-- the exact reason he NEEDS health insurance.... or the lack of adequate streamside protection measures, so that folks with big money can come and build their McMansion right in the river corridor, remove all riparian vegetation that helps stabilize the soil and filter out pollutants and provide habitat for numerous wildlife species, and fertilize their finely manicured lawn right up to the water's edge.... or the fact that Montana still allows the trapping of wolverines, although there are estimated to be fewer than 500 individuals in the whole country, and no other states allow trapping...

These are all issues that I'm faced with on a personal and/or professional level on a near-daily basis. These are the causes that get my attention... and my limited lack of extra cash when I have it to donate to charities or campaigns.

So when Robyn started talking with me about her TriToEndHomelessness campaign-- an effort to raise awareness about homelessness and generate funds for the Genesis Home shelter in her hometown of Durham, NC-- I thought it was a nice sounding cause, but didn't really relate at a personal level, except in the fact that my friendship with Robyn has spanned nearly two decades, and I respect that anything she does is worth supporting..

But over the last two years-- and the past two months, in particular-- I've started thinking more about the issues of homelessness, and realizing that it DOES affect me.

Through reading Robyn's blog, I've learned more about the diversity of homeless people. My uninformed stereotype has always been that homeless folks are bums who are too lazy to get jobs and take care of themselves. And you know, for some, that might be the case. But definitely not for all homeless people. I've learned about single moms who have had major medical issues that have led to them losing any savings... then losing their job... then losing their house... and thus being forced to live out of their car, bathe their kids in the gas station bathroom before school. Those moms aren't homeless by choice. And a similar scenario isn't all that far-fetched for many that I know. I'm fortunate enough now to have decent health coverage through my job, and a family who I know would do all they could to help me out if times got tough. But not everyone has those things... and it's not likely their fault.

I've opened my mind to the fact that not everyone who's homeless is a "junkie" or a "bum." Some are, for sure. But many have gotten to where they are because of a series of bad luck or poor choices. Who am I to judge?

And yet, I do. I judge them for making bad decisions. And I judge myself for wanting to turn my head to the issue.

Homelessness is not a "pretty" issue. Not like "save the whales" or "protect the panda." But, as I've learned throughout my career as a wildlife biologist, saving cute animals isn't really a pretty job, either. The issues are complex, multi-layered. They have much to do with politics, with money, with competing social values. Dealing with homelessness is the same way-- complex. Homelessness doesn't just happen. It's the result of many socio-economic falterings. It's the culmination of many problems: poor health care, lack of affordable housing, cracks in the education system, abundance of substance abuse...

But regardless of how much I can rationalize that homelessness is a cause worth supporting, there's still something deep within me that doesn't want to.

So I've been trying to figure out WHY do I have such negative feelings towards homelessness as a cause.

To do that, I've been thinking about how homelessness affects me. Here are some examples from the last few months:

One morning I rode my bike into town, and as I was just a few blocks from work, I saw a homeless man fall down face-first onto the sidewalk and go into convulsions. His friend flagged down a passing car, and the driver used his cell phone to call 911. I stood there, straddling my bike, paralyzed with the lack of knowledge of what to do, and watched as the two men tried to stabilize their friend and pad him from further hurting himself on the concrete. I didn't know what to do. Other homeless folks started coming to the scene, consoling each other, and helping to flag down the ambulance when it arrived. But I did nothing. I felt helpless to help the homeless man.

In the mornings I love to run on the Kim Williams trail along the river. There are two parks along my route that have bathrooms. And running in the morning usually makes me have to use the bathroom. But, the City locks these bathrooms at night, to prevent homeless folks from taking up residence there. And they don't open the bathrooms until after I'm done running, usually. So, I have to either change my route to include a place with an open bathroom, or (what happens more often) use the bushes. When I'm squatting over my freshly dug hole, I'm often perturbed that homeless folks indirectly inconvenience me.

For the past many years, I've lived and/or worked in more rural areas, where you just didn't ever see homeless people. Now that I work downtown in one of the larger cities in the state, I'm faced with homelessness on a more regular basis. In fact, it's so regular that I've shifted some of my habits to deal with it. There's quite the culture of homeless folks who panhandle on the streets downtown. They often sit on a wall in front of the courthouse, or on a bench near a particular street corner, and ask for money as people pass. I don't like being asked for money. It makes me mad. "I've been at work all day earning my money," I think, "while you've been sitting here bumming it. Hell no, I'm not giving you any spare change." That's what goes through my mind. What comes out my mouth is usually, "No, sorry," as I avert my eyes and walk quickly by. I've started looking ahead as I walk downtown... if I see panhandlers along one side of the street, I'll cross to the other. Avoidance like this is the only way to not get asked. Walking along talking on the cell phone or having conversation with a friends is apparently not a detractant, as panhandlers will interrupt my conversation to ask for money. These people anger me-- they break my rules of common courtesy and respect. And that makes me uncomfortable.

So to sum up, Homelessness makes me feel:
uncomfortable
inconvenienced
helpless

No wonder I don't like thinking about the issue. No wonder it's not on my list of "causes that I care about." It's NOT warm and fuzzy. I DON'T like it.

So I should ignore it, right?

Ugh, wrong. That's not the right answer. Or at least not the answer for a socially conscious, well-educated, responsible citizen. Not the right answer for someone who believes that problems are to be addressed head-on, not to be pushed to the side for later.

So what do I do? Do I give a few dollars to the folks that ask for it? No, that definitely doesn't help the cause.

I can make financial contributions to organizations that are helping to end homelessness-- either for one person or one family at a time, by helping them get back on their feet and learn to manage their lives, or by working within the political realm to change some of the policies and programs that make it more difficult for people to provide for themselves. This morning I've donated to both the local Poverello Center here in Missoula, and the Genesis Home in Durham, NC.

And I can help spread the word. I can talk to my friends about some of the root issues regarding homelessness. I can talk out my feelings and my stereotypes, and try to become a less judgemental, more tolerant person. And I can write about the cause on my blog, and refer folks to Robyn's blog for much more information.

And I can give thanks to the people in my life who have supported me, making it possible for me to provide myself with a good life in which I have the time to run, to think about larger causes, to donate money to help those who aren't so fortunate.

And I can vote. I can research the candidates who are running at local, state, and national levels, and I can cast my ballot for those who will work on mending some of the problems that lead many Americans into a life of poverty and/or homelessness.

What can you do?

Week In Review... And Look Ahead

2008-10-06T14:35:00.003-06:00

Last Week:

Monday- 40 min run + strength exercises
Tuesday- Mt Sentinel trail run/hike (4.8 mile loop)
Wednesday- 45 min swim (first in ~6 weeks!)
Thursday- 50 min spinning class + 30 min weights
Friday- 60 min run
Saturday- 1/2 day horsing around
Sunday- full day horsing around

And the plan for this week:

Mon: 6:30am run; 5:30pm yoga
Tues: 6:00am spinning + weights
Wed: 7:00am run on Mt Sentinel
Thur: 4:30pm spinning; 5:30pm The Lift (weights class)
Fri: 6:30am swim; 4pm short run

Diva Day

2008-10-06T14:23:00.002-06:00

Here's an email that I sent to Jenny last Wednesday:

"I just found out that a work-related event on Saturday that I thought was "optional" is decidedely NOT optional for me. I have to be in Potomac from 3-7pm. The hitch is that I promised Jim that I'd help him vaccinate cows in Ovando that afternoon after the race. There's no way I can do all three.

Given our concerns about the "Diva Day" race (e.g. congestion, stupid name, etc.), plus my scheduling difficulties, I was wondering if you'd consider an alternate race to do in a few weeks. Then I could do cows in the morning and work in the afternoon. Here are some upcoming races:

Sunday, Oct 12:
Goat Pursuit 9 AM
Mt. Helena Ridge Run, 6.6 miles point to point time-trial format. The trolley shuttle will leave the Helena Public Library at 8 am to carry runners to the top.
"The course starts with switchbacks up to the Helena Ridge, the rest of the course is primarily downhill on moderately technical singletrack, finishing at Dump Gulch Trailhead. This race is run as a time trial format - a runner will start every 30 seoconds, starting with the slowest runner. If this is your first race in the series, please send a recent 10k or 12k time."

Saturday, Oct 18:
(NOTE: I THINK this will work-- I have a wedding to go to later in the day, but I think I could make the race and then get to the wedding. But I'll have to double-check)
Pumpkin Run • Missoula
400 meter kids run & 5K, Proceeds benefit the Missoula Food Bank. 400 meter kids run (12 years old and under) at 9:45 am and 5K race at 10 am. Cost is $3 for the 400 meter run and $8 for the 5 kilometer race. Race is located at Maclay Flats on Trails in the Lolo National Forest.

Sunday, Oct 19:
Marshall Mountain Scramble--Choose Your Challenge, Pick Your Pain! • Missoula,
11:00 am start, race day registration/packet pick-up starting at 9:30 am at the Marshall Mountain Lodge. Choose your course to the top of Marshall Mountain (2000' gain)--0.75 miles up the lift line? 3.2 miles around the access road? Something in between? Then cruise the access road down to the finish. Prizes for fastest guy and girl, as well as door prizes and best costume! $20 entry fee before October 13 guarantees you a long sleeve shirt; after that you take your chances.

OR

"Goat Grind" at the Elkhorn Endurance Retreat... Helena South Hills Trail Series • Race #4 - 10AM One series champion referred to this course as a "meatgrinder." It has steep hills, a creek crossing, and some technical singletrack. Race is followed by a pancake brunch and awards ceremony.

Whaddya think?"

Uh, so she laughed at me for even suggesting all but the Pumpkin Run. But I think the others sound pretty fun, too. Different challenges than your standard road race. Plus, it's getting to be pretty slim pickings finding a race anywhere in the Northern Rockies this time of year. (I have no idea why...) ;)

So, no, I didn't end up doing the 5k for "Diva Day." Which is okay by me, given that the t-shirts were kinda dorky... and that I got to spend the morning riding my horse and working cows with Jim, and the afternoon worked at a landowner's BBQ learning about conservation/land management tactics for ranchers & rural landowners.

But Jenny & Liz ended up running, and Jenny came in close to her goal time (really close, considering she was doing tequila shots the night before!)

I'll keep you posted if we do any of the runs...

Biker Bums

2008-09-30T07:54:00.002-06:00

If you get a chance today, say a little prayer for my buddy E. She had a bike wreck on Sunday-- nothing too bad, it didn't seem-- just a few scrapes and a raspberry on her abdomen where the handlebars jabbed her. But then several hours later, after being kinda tired and run down all afternoon, she started vomiting.

A trip to the ER resulted in numerous tests and finally an exploratory surgery in which they found a tear in her colon. The surgeons repaired the tear and then put her on numerous antibiotics to help stave off infections that can arise when internal fluids mix in unprecedented fashion.

She'll be recovering in the hospital for about a week.

E is eight years old.

Weigh-Ins (or the lack thereof)

2008-09-30T07:26:00.002-06:00

A faithful reader who would likely prefer to remain annonymous recently sent me a message inquiring as to why I haven't posted any weigh-in information in over eight weeks now. "Is that because you've been hanging around a different 'jim?'"

Well, yes and no.

First off, the main reason for the lack of weigh-ins is that I just haven't had a chance to collect the data. I used to weigh myself every Friday morning (and other mornings when I thought of it). I noticed that my weight would fluctuate a good bit during the day based on how hydrated I was, what I'd eaten, etc., but it seemed to be a pretty consistent measurement if I hopped on the scale first thing in the morning.

Since I moved back to Missoula, I've only been around a scale a few times in the mornings, and I just haven't thought to weigh myself. Although I've been working out at least 3 mornings per week, I just meet my friend Jenny at a park where there's no locker room or scale. Twice I've been to the gym to do an early morning spinning class... and haven't thought to weigh in (the scale's in a weird place where I don't walk right by it).

So sorry, but I just don't have any numbers for you.

But, I can tell you how I feel, and what I've noticed. First, I definitely have not continued on the LOSING streak since I moved. And I know I've gained back some of the pudge that I got rid of during my mid-summer crunch to diet and train hard. I have one pair of pants that were just starting to fit well in early August, and now they're a bit snug again. Everything else is still fitting fine-- just not the "honesty pants."

I'd say I'm probably back in the 139-141 range again, where I was most of the past year.

So is that because I've been spending more time with Jim and less time at the Gym?

No, I definitely can't blame him. Here are a few things I can blame:

impulsively eating bagels that are so easy to acquire from the bagel shop across the street from my office
making lunch dates to get Thai food in the park instead of just having a bowl of soup or a salad for lunch
drinking beer on weeknights as well as on weekends (okay, we'll let Jim take some of the blame for that... )
once having consumed said beer, making poor choices for dinner (e.g. scarfing down a frozen pizza instead of making fresh stir-fry)
scrambling around trying to figure out my new schedule, trying to juggle work, workouts, social life, commuting, etc., and letting meal planning fall down on the priority list... and thus not being as conscious of what I'm eating and often finding myself in the "I'm hungry. Must eat. Now. Don't care what it is" situation
taking too much advantage of the "treats" that people sometimes bring to the office (so cruel... just because you get the urge to bake doesn't mean that you can bring it to the office to get it out of your house!)
shifting my workouts from hard training-specific workouts to more fun, and slightly less hard-core workouts
decreasing my weekly workout time by at least a few hours because of said juggling challenges

HOWEVER, I've now been in Missoula for eight weeks. The thrill of the good bagel shop and other restaurants is wearing off. I've "caught up" with many of the friends I wanted to visit with, and no longer feel quite the urgent need to hang out with folks every night. I'm getting into a new routine of workout times. I've started making meal planning a higher priority again.

And I think that I'll buy a scale to have in my bathroom at home. That way I don't just have to rely on my britches to tell me how I'm doing-- I can do check-ins as often as I want.

For the next few weeks my goal is to just get myself reined in-- not necessarily to diet to lose weight, but at least get back on a good maintenence routine. No beer drinking during the week. Stock up on salad makings, and eat that for lunch. No going out for lunch, or grabbing breakfast from a nearby bakery. Making eating out a special occasion, not a normal thing.

Once I get those habits re-established, then I can work on re-losing what I've put back on!

So, dear reader, I hope that answers your question. Thanks for asking!

This Weekend's Race

2008-09-29T12:19:00.003-06:00

My, it's been nearly two months since I've done a race. And mentally I'm not in race-mode, as I haven't been in training-mode. But I'm going to do this race anyway, as it's an annual all-women's run here in Missoula.

I'm not a huge fan of the name. And I'm a little bummed that there's only a 5k offered-- in previous years the Blue Mountain Clinic hosted the race and offered a 5k, 10k, or 1/2 Marathon. Last year I did the 10k, and would've liked to do that distance or the 1/2 this year. But I suppose I'll be forced to suffer a 5k this year! (in my experience, shorter races are tougher because you have to go faster-- rather than slow and steady for a longer time)

Jenny and I will be running this, but not together. She's going for a PR, so I'm leaving her alone to do it (if we run together we'll talk the whole time and not run fast enough!). I haven't been doing much speedwork lately, so don't have any illusions of setting a PR. But I do have a secret time goal (I'll let you know what it is if I make it!) I'm going to go as hard as I can go given where I'm at right now. That's my goal.

And, this will be a great Anniversary celebration. This is the first 5k that Jenny or I ever ran-- back in 2006, after we'd learned to run together. It's hard to believe sometimes that I've only been running for 2 years! Who'da thought back in Oct '06 that I would be whining this year that I couldn't do a 10k or 1/2 Marathon this weekend?!

Anyway, if any ladies in the Missoula area or within a reasonable driving distance want to join, please do! See you there!

Earning Friendship

2008-09-24T09:13:00.002-06:00

For the past few weeks my friend Jenny and I have been meeting at McCormick Park (near downtown, along the Clark Fork River) at 6:30am (yes, it's still dark) to run and then do some strength training.

Jenny was my first ever running partner, back when we started doing the Couch-to-5K plan together back in August of '06. And she remains one of my favorite running buddies-- she has some grit-- she always shows up, no matter how hard it is to get out of bed or how tired she is from the day before-- which really helps motivate me and keeps me accountable on those mornings when I could easily just hit the snooze bar just a FEW more times! Also, Jenny has a great sense of humor, and we always have something to talk about-- whether it's work/school-related, what we ate last night that's sitting heavy in our stomachs this morning, where we fantasize about going on vacation, what new scores on clearance-rack shoes we've found.... on and on we chat, until the time has flown by and we're done with our run.

But today we paused in the conversation for a bit. The annual Missoula Women's Run is coming up in a few weeks. This will be Jenny's 4th 5k, and for the first time her goal is not just to finish, but to finish under a certain time. She just shared this goal with me on Monday, and asked me to show her what the pace would be like to do the race in that time. So this morning we headed to the track-- a little graveled track along the river trail about 3/4 mile from our starting point. So we jogged to the track nice and slowly, and then kept our easy pace for one lap. 2:51, or about an 11:24 min/mile pace.

Then we kicked up the pace to Jenny's goal pace. No talking on this lap. I was concentrating hard on trying to hit the pace right on. I've realized that since I've started doing pace work, I've gotten pretty decent at "feeling" a pace. My breathing is the best indicator of how fast I'm going, but I can also tell by the turnover of my legs. So I concentrated on those signs, and checked my watch at the half-way point. And when we got to the end, I looked at my watch again: exactly on our goal, which was 2:34, or a 10:17 min/mile pace.

We walked a bit to recover, then did another lap at this pace. This time I had a little better sense of what we needed to do, so I was able to chat. Jenny focused on her breath, and concentrated on what it felt like to maintain that pace for a 1/4 mile.

We walked again, and then did 2 repeats of 2 laps at race pace, again with me talking about race strategies, about how to be okay with the less-than-comfortable pace, about my strategy to focus on my form when things get tough and I want to quit. And Jenny worked on breathing, keeping her legs turning over steadily, and not chewing me out for being such a perky early morning coach :) She did great!

On our slow jog back to our starting point, she told me about how she was at a dinner party with several gals the other night and told them about our morning workouts and how I always come prepared with a plan for the day. "Wow," one of the girls said, "Carly should charge people like $5 a day to come work out with her."

I laughed! I come with my own workout plan every day, anyway. Having someone there to do it with me just adds that much more motivation and fun. But, then again, $5 would add up after a while, and I could buy another pair of shoes...

So Jenny and I started joking about how her friendship MUST be worth the $5 a day that she would pay me for my workouts. So my pseudo-coaching is really just how I'm earning her friendship :)

But you know, the real vale of our friendship is completely priceless.

Week In Review

2008-09-19T08:42:00.015-06:00

Been busy. But amongst juggling a busy work schedule, household chores, cooking, and sleeping, I managed the following:

Monday-
6:30 am: run workout w/ Jenny: after a 10 min warmup, do walking lunges for 1 min, run for 5, and repeat 5 times; then situps, pushups, and hamstring/glute presses

after work: groundwork/training with our 2-yr-old horse (getting him ready to start riding)-- this is fairly active work

Tuesday-
6:15-7:30am: bikram-style yoga class
5:30 pm: hour-long mountain bike ride up the Rattlesnake with Kevin

Wednesday-
6:30 am: a Women's Health track workout with Jenny
5:30 pm: biked home from work (15.5 miles), then 1 hr of work with my horse

Thursday-
doh- got lazy and had Jim drive me to work instead of riding my bike; was nice, though, since we've both been busy and haven't seen each other this week-- so we had coffee and a bagel, then both went to work; the rest of the day I was busy-- thought I'd have time to sneak in a run in the afternoon, but ended up being gone to the Swan until 5:30, then had ameeting from 6-9pm. so no workout today. lesson learned-- get it in first thing in the morning, 'cause you may not always have time later

Friday-
6:30 am: 40 min run with Jenny, followed by 15 min arms & abs work

and the rest of the week's plans:

this afternoon- ride my bike home, then work with my horse

Saturday- ride bike back to town to the Farmer's Market; then meet Mamie, Jenny, Megan (and others?) for a hike up Squaw Peak (7 mi round trip, ~2000' elevation gain... I see this peak from my house every day but have never hiked it, so this will be fun!)

Sunday- ??? help Jim work cows, or find something else fun to do if he's still finishing haying

Yep, a nice week with fun activities. It's nice not to be in full training mode right now, and to just enjoy doing a variety of random activities. But never fear... I'm already starting to set some new goals for races in 2009, including the Snow Joke 1/2 Marathon in Feb!

Sometimes Walker Rides

2008-09-19T08:42:00.014-06:00

A few photos from last weekend...

Sunrise over our horse pasture as I headed out to catch our trusty steeds early Saturday morning.

Jim and our friend Charlie heading out to gather the cattle that were pastured at the High Meadow Mountain Ranch in Ninemile. 60 cows and their calves, plus 2 bulls, all needed to be gathered, sorted, hauled home to get shots for the calves, and then taken out to fall pasture.

Charlie in the distance pushing along his little bunch of cattle. who was moving my bunch while I was taking pictures?! ;)

Early Sunday morning, gathering pairs at home to take to fall pasture.

Jim watching intently as his "girls" filed through the gate into to the corrals.

We successfully accomplished the mission. But there are still 3 more little groups of cattle that still need the same treatment-- gather, sort, vaccinate, move to fall pasture. So that's what we'll be up to over the next few weekends... once haying is done!

Planning for the Week

2008-09-15T08:28:00.004-06:00

Since I started my new job, every Monday morning, I've sat down and typed out my intended work plan for the week. This is something that's done by all 7 people in my office. We cc each other, and thus have a good idea of what everyone is working on, what we need to discuss as a group in our Tuesday staff meetings, etc.

It's also the time that I schedule my workouts for the week. And since I'm now entering Week 6 of my new job/new lifestyle, I'm starting to (hopefully) get a better idea of what's going to work and what isn't, in terms of my time committments, energy levels, and the likes.

One thing I do when figuring out my week is to check the weather forecast to see if some days will be better than others for biking (e.g. no wind!), or for doing yoga (e.g. rainy afternoon), etc. This week's forecast: friggin' gorgeous. Every day. Highs will be in the low 80's, lows in the low 40's. Clear skies. Calm. Fantastic. This weekend was the same-- stunningly beautiful blue skies, crisp cool mornings where sweatshirts feel oh so good, starry nights. This morning on my run I started a little before daybreak, but my path was lit by the full moon. When I turned around and headed west, I got to watch the moon sinking over the western hills as the sun creaped up and lighted them from the east. Incredible.

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR IN MONTANA!!!

I'm so excited for this week, and psyched that opportunities for great outdoor fun abound. I haven't gotten the schedule fully figured out yet, but one thing is for sure: Jenny and I have committed to meeting at 6:30am Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for a 30-45 min run followed by some strength training for 15-20 minutes. Other things I'd like to do this week: bike to work (~16 miles), and run/hike a 5.5-mile loop that goes up Mt Sentinel to the M, then across the face of the mountain on an old dirt road, then down a gentler grade back to the University district. The weather will be perfect for whatever I decide.

Hooray for stupendous weather! Horray for lots of options in my "workout plan."

Non-Race Report... The Weekend I DIDN'T Do Garden City

2008-09-10T08:38:00.016-06:00

Oh, what a glorious non-race weekend it was! I was so incredibly glad that I got to use my fitness and training and apply it towards an activity that was decidedly un-stressful: backpacking!

Here's my report, in the style of a race report:

Pre-Trip:
We had originally talked about leaving on Friday afternoon after work, heading up to Holland Lake to car-camp for the night, then packing up and backpacking in to Upper Holland Lake on Saturday morning. Well, Jenny had to work til 6 or 7, Kristina had to run home and get her dog, we still needed to get some last-minute things, and it was starting to seem a little stressful (oh no!). Then it started raining. Which, to me, was a clear message from the Universe: Don't go camping tonight.

So we decided to all sleep in our nice warm beds on Friday night, then pack up our nice dry gear on Saturday morning, drive to the trailhead, and start hiking all nice and fresh and dry and non-stressed. Good call.

First Leg:
We hit the trail at about 10:30 am. It was quite chilly at the trailhead, and we all had on our fleeces over top of long-sleeve polypro and t-shirts. Jenny outfitted her dog Lucky with his own backpack (containing the dog food and her lunch), and Kristina donned her dog Maggie with a matching pack (containing the dog bed and some food). Jenny's other dog Dallas lucked out and was the only one in our 6-member party who didn't have to carry anything. So she officially got to be our Lead Scout.

The trail was flat for about 1/4 mile, but then started its climb. By the third switchback or so we were stripping off layers. The trail winded across the face of the mountain for a while, giving us great views of Holland Lake and the Mission Mountains to the south, then headed into a deep canyon where we were blessed with the roar of a rushing river and glimpses of lush vegetation surrounding us.

The trail criss-crossed the creek a few times as it wound on up the mountain, and in a few spots passed by some spectacular swimming holes. But alas, swimming was not a part of this endurance adventure... it wasn't THAT warm!

Eventually we reached the lake and wandered around for a bit looking for the perfect campsite. We found a nice big spot on the northern end of the lake, and decided it looked like a great place to spend some time.

"T1":
We dropped our packs and began pulling out gear. Tents went up in a flash, we set up our beds and unloaded our gear, and then, all set up, sat down for a snack.

And got cold.

As long as we were moving, the low-60's temperatures were great. But being still damp from sweat and inactive, it was just not tolerable to sit around. And it was only a little after 2pm, so we decided to go for a "day hike" up to Gordon Pass, about 2.5 miles up from the lake.

But in order to leave our camp unattended, we had to hang our food. Bears are abundant in the area, and we'd even seen fresh bear tracks on the south side of the lake. So to keep them out of trouble, and to make sure we'd have dinner when we got back, we knew we had to get our food out of their reach.

The recommendations are to have your food at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet away from the trunk of a tree. Well, that's all fine and easy to do if you're in a forest with great big trees with great big sturdy branches. But we were in an area with smaller trees, most of which were subalpine firs, which have smaller-diameter branches that swoop to the ground. They're beautiful trees, but not so hot for hanging food. And so we decided to deploy a method that I used to use when working in Glacier:
1. climb up Tree A, wrap the rope around the trunk about 15 feet up, and tie it off
2. climb down the tree
3. find a rock, tie your rope around it, and pitch it over a branch that's about 15 feet up in Tree B, about 10-12 feet away from Tree A
4. wrap the rope around Tree B
5. now you have a rope stretched between two trees; pull the rope down enough so that you can tie your food bag onto it about 4-5 feet away from Tree A
6. tug on the loose end of the rope to hoist the bag into the air
7. tie off the loose end on a nearby branch, log, etc

Sounds simple, right? Yeah, not so much. Read this for an idea of how the process REALLY goes.

So, we finally got our food hung, packed our day packs with water, snacks, jacket, cameras, etc, and set off for the pass around 4:00.

Second Leg:
This round was much faster than the first! With only about 10 lbs instead of 45-50, we were able to hike faster and enjoyed the lightness that we felt. The trail went uphill, but at a nice easy grade. We were able to walk pretty quickly and still have good conversation.

As we wound up the canyon, we began to see signs of higher elevations-- most notably some whitebark pines, which only grow in subalpine areas. I love seeing these trees, as they're signs that good views abound!

At the pass we ran into two gentlemen who had been backpacking since Tuesday, and were spending their last night there. They took our picture at the wilderness boundary sign. We also had Kristina pose for a "Baby on Board" shot, as she's 4.5 months pregnant! Then we wandered around looking at the views for a while. It was surprising warm at the pass-- the sun was shining, the wind was calm, and it was warmer than where we'd come from!

But alas, our bellies were urging us to make haste for camp, and so we soon scampered back down to the lake, yakking and cackling all the way (note: we did NOT see any bears or other wild critters... they could've heard us coming for MILES!)

"T2":
This tranisition was between camp and hiking again. Let's just say we took our time :) As it had rained most of the night and was pretty cool in the morning, none of us were extremely motivated to leave our toasty sleeping bags and step out into the dampness.

But finally I'd had all the laying in the tent I could stand, so I got up, retrieved our goods from the tree, and began boiling water for coffee and breakfast. The other gals got up shortly thereafter, and we all huddled around the stove drinking coffee and eating oatmeal and chatting. Dallas took a morning swim... brr! That dog LOVES the water.

Eventually we made our way towards the tents to start packing up. We shook off as much rainwater as we could, stuffed our bags full again, and finally hit the trail at the early hour of 11am.

Third Leg:
From Upper Holland Lake, we hit a trail that took us through a series of switchbacks for about a mile as we wound up, up, up the mountain. We stopped for a few photos along the way, but mostly kept chugging up, enjoying the chance to get warm (I, obviously, was plenty warm, and stripped down to my tank top, despite the 50 degree weather-- I don't wearing sweaty shirts!)

After a while the trail mellowed out, and we followed a winding path through subalpine forests and rocky outcrops. Kristina and Jenny, who are both bird biologists, were excited to hear and see some white-winged crossbills. These birds, I learned, are rather nomadic in nature. They typically stay in larger flocks and travel around to find the best food sources. They may breed at varying times of the year, depending on the resources available, rather than just in the springtime like most birds. Cool.

After birdwatching for a bit, we rounded the corner and headed down to Sapphire Lake. Again, Dallas raced ahead to make sure she could get a good swim in (see photo). The rest of us, deeming 50 degrees and cloudy inappropriate weather for swimming, opted to just find a good spot for lunch. As we were dining, the clouds rolled in a little more, and it started graupling on us (graupling? yes. see #8 here) Brr, chilly. 50 was a high estimate, I think. Good thing our lunch consisted mostly of sausage, cheese, crackers, nuts, and dried fruit-- get some fat in us to stay warm!

We didn't tarry too long at the lake, as it just wasn't all that pleasant. Again, we were thankful to get to hike uphill for a while to get warmed back up. Soon, however, we came to The Notch-- a place where the trail shoots through a notch in the mountainside. All of the sudden, we left the cloudy, precipitous backcountry, and found ourselves on a south-facing slope speckled with sun and overlooking the Swan valley. La-ahhh!

The trail stayed high for a few minutes, and then started its plunge down the face of the mountain. It was steep and winding for several miles, and by the end we were really looking forward to not having to walk downhill anymore-- especially with packs on. But no one got cranky, or had to stop, and we reached the car in good spirits. The sun was shining on us, and we enjoyed losing our loads.

We ran into the fellows we'd seen at the top of the pass the day before, and they offered us their last beer-- a tall can of Coors. Yes, banquet beer! Since Kristina was pregnant, and Jenny was driving, I took one for the team and accepted the gift graciously. They got their just rewards, though, in the form of chocolate milkshakes at the Ice Cream Place in Seeley Lake on the way home.

So all in all it was a terrific weekend. Great to spend time with friends. Awesome scenery and by-golly-we'll-take-it weather. Fun laughs, good exercise, and no stress. Just what we all needed.

Juggling

2008-09-04T07:24:00.003-06:00

I haven't written a post in a while. Quite a while. As you may guess, it's because I've been struggling with juggling.

I'm now in Week 4 of my new job. The work is terrific, and I'm so tickled that I got this position... but there's a lot to learn, and my brain has been feeling very full of new information of late. It's made "extra curricular" thinking much more difficult. i.e. I've been finding myself not at all interested in sitting down at a computer to compose a blog post when I get home in the evenings. Plus in the past few weeks I've had several evening meetings that have lasted until about 9pm.

And with this career change has come a change in many other parts of my life. I'm no longer living the "bachelorette" life I was during the week when I was in Kalispell this last year. No, now I have a boy to come home to (and also to tempt me into snuggling and sleeping in rather than getting up early to work out). And with someone else to eat with, I've been more motivated to cook meals besides just a bowl of soup or cereal for dinner. Then add to the mix all the great friends I have here in Missoula, who are terrific to hang out with, and I've been enjoying the chance to be social-- even on weeknights. For example, I've recently gone to an African Dance class with friends, had a picnic down by the river one evening, have met friends to go to Out To Lunch in downtown, etc. It's been so nice to get re-connected to several folks who I've only seen sporadically for the past few years.

And then add into this mix the fact that getting to work now includes a 20 min drive plus a 5-10 minute walk, rather than the 5 min drive I used to do.

Oh yeah, and for some reason at the end of the first week of this new melee, I thought it would be a good idea to add an Olympic Distance triathlon into the mix. So I've also been trying to do some last-minute long rides, runs, and swims.

So, yeah, I've been a little busy. Thus the lack of blogging.

That and, well, I've really been re-thinking my decision to do the Oly Tri, and hadn't until this weekend made up my mind about it.

Here's my thinking, in a nutshell:

I considered this race earlier in the spring/summer, and thought it might be something I'd want to do. But, I looked at my schedule and the fact that August is usually a busy fire season in MT (which, thankfully this year it wasn't; that, and my new job doesn't involve fire work)... but I decided that I couldn't commit to training for the race given the timing. I'd kind of kept in my mind the thought that maybe I could try it, though, if fire season wasn't too bad.

So when Roni prodded me (again) after the Whitefish Tri (when I was super high on endorphines after finishing the race), I said "sure, I'll do it." And you know, I could do it. I physically could complete the race, I know it. And like I said before, it might be good just to gruel through that distance this fall so that next year I'll have a better sense of what it's like and I can train better for it.

But here come the "cons": I haven't trained for that distance! Thus I know it would be a slog. I'd be mentally unprepared, if not physically, and compared with times from folks the last few years, I'd definitely be near last. Now, I'd be okay with that position IF I knew it was the best that I could do. But being last or near last because of lack of preparation just isn't acceptable for me.

So the thought of the race, and the pressure to keep training has really been adding a disproportionate amount of stress to my already stress-full situation. (Not that stress is a bad thing, necessarily... I do best with a moderate amount of pressure!) But I just haven't been looking forward to my workouts, because they're geared toward an event I don't want to do.

That and, well, there've been too many other fun things to do besides do some last-minute training for an event I don't want to do.

So the last straw came last Thursday night when Jim said, "hey, I have a 3-day weekend, too" (he RARELY gets days off, especially not 3 in a row!), "so do you want to take the horses up to the Mission Mountains and go camping & fishing this weekend?"

My first thought was YES! That's one of the things I enjoy most in life... riding horses. in the mountains. with Jim.

Followed by, oh, but I have to do a Swim/Bike Brick on Saturday and a long run on Sunday.

So I decided not to do the Oly this year. The reason I race is to have fun, and to give myself good goals to work towards. This race just wasn't shaping up to be fun, and definitely hadn't served the purpose of being a long-term goal to help keep me on track with exercising.

So this weekend, I'll instead be going backpacking with two of my girlfriends. I was really glad to be able to say yes, I'll go! when they asked, instead of no, I have a race this weekend.

I'll send a "Backpack Report" rather than a race report. And I'll do some thinking along the trail about what my next longer-term race goals will be. But for a while, I just wanna have some fun and let exercise be a little less structured and regimented while I make some life transitions.

Note To Self

2008-08-20T15:00:00.002-06:00

Running gets easier, or at least more comfortable, after I do it for a while. Namely about 20-30 minutes.

Case in point: today on my lunch break I had a run workout planned in which I would warm up for 10-15 minutes, then do three cruise intervals (run for 8 min at tempo pace, then recover with a slow jog for 3 min). I started out at a nice slow jog, and all felt good. For about 5 minutes.... then I wanted to stop. Nothing hurt. I wasn't tired. But for some reason my body and mind both said, "this is silly. can we just walk somewhere instead of trying to run there?"

But I kept on jogging, and then after ten minutes picked it up to tempo pace for my first interval. It sucked. Not only was I sucking wind, but my whole body felt just out-of-sync and gangly, like I'd never run before. It wasn't smooth. It wasn't comfortable. And again, nothing was WRONG, but it just wasn't RIGHT. I wanted to stop.

And you know, the first 10-30 minutes of my runs are often like this. ESPECIALLY in a triathlon. In the two that I've done now, I really haven't felt good running until the last mile or less, but then things come around and it's okay. And on my run today, the second interval felt better, and by the third it was feeling pretty darn good to crank along at a quickened pace. I even went for a slightly longer-than-prescribed cool-down jog, just because it felt good (and I was digging listening to the live music playing at the park along the river where I was running).

I'm not sure why it takes me so long to get into the running groove, even when I run on a regular basis. But it does. I guess I'm just made to be a distance runner?!

Regardless of the reason, I'll be trying to remember this fact when I do the Olympic distance triathlon in a few weeks. Instead of the 5k/3.1 mile run that I've done in the last two triathlons, this one will be a 10k/6.2 mile run. I know the first few miles will be tough. But I'll be working hard to remind myself that IT WILL GET BETTER. I know that I have the cardio strength and endurance to keep going. I'll just have to have the mental strength to push myself through the first few miles of awkward discomfort on the run, working towards that slightly smoother feeling that comes once my legs and core get used to the feel of running.

Wacky Weather

2008-08-19T11:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday's high was 100. Ugh. Too hot for nearly anything (except swimming!)

Today I had planned to do a 50 min run with cruise intervals, then an hour-long bike ride tomorrow. When temps are so high, I have to run in the early morning. I hate doing any speed work in the mornings. So I really wasn't looking forward to this morning.

But then last night I watched the news and saw the weather forecast. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be a mere 74. And 67 the next day!

So I decided to flip-flop my workouts. I'll do my bike at lunch time today, and do my run tomorrow at noon when it's much cooler (I have evening meetings both tonight and tomorrow, so I'm taking 2-hour lunch breaks to work out).

Now that's what I call adaptive management:)

Getting My A@! Handed to Me

2008-08-18T13:34:00.003-06:00

I thought I had a great idea. Since I just competed yesterday, and running and biking might be a little rough, I thought a swim workout would be good.

So maybe a little easy recovery swim would've been nice. But did I do that? Noooo. I had the bright idea to try a Master's swim class.

The day after a race.

In a 50m pool full of turbo-fasties.

Yeah, good thinking there, C.

Race Report: Whitefish Triathlon

2008-08-17T20:02:00.010-06:00

I raced in the Whitefish Sprint Triathlon today. It was fantastic. I went fast, had fun, didn't crash. Cool. Then I came home and started cooking dinner and proceeded to chop the end of my thumb nearly off (it looked like the eggplant I was chopping, I guess). So I now have a giant wad of maxi pad and 1st aid tape wrapped around my left thumb. (Goes to show you can be a triathlete and still be a clutz!)

Pre-race:
A gorgeous morning. Beautiful lakeside setting (see picture below of the end of the swim course). Cool set-up. Fun taking pictures with others from the Triathlon Flathead group. Most are turbo-fasties. Then there are about 5 of us that are allowed to sport the colors to represent the club's openness to back-of-the-packers ;) Thanks, Ted, for designing and ordering the suits and let us newbies join the club!

The Swim (1/2 mile or 880 yards):

I got suited up, pulled on my cap and goggles, and jumped in. Crap. Goggles leak. Screwed around with goggles for a few minutes, to no avail. So I made a last-minute sprint back to the transition area to get my backup pair. Made it back to the lake just in time to start. Winded. 130-some people all started swiming at once. Turbulence. But I pushed on through. I got a little caught up in the hey-we're-racing melee, but soon found my rhythm and churned towards the first buoy.

I had a great line going into the turn and passed several folks who were wadded up next to the buoy. Passed Teresa in the turn (short dark-haired gal who's one of my best training buddies), and since she and I usually swim a pretty similar pace, it was good to see her there and know I was on-track with how fast I needed to be going. On the long back stretch I had a race/clobber-fest going on with some girl. She'd breast stroke for a while and I'd pass her, then she'd switch to freestyle and pass me. Back and forth every minute or so. We bumped into/kicked each other several times, and I kept trying to lose her, but just couldn't get away! Finally we rounded the last turn and headed in for the beach, and one of us finally pulled away from the other-- not sure who. I finished nice and strong, perhaps a little faster than last time.

T1:
Smooth. Didn't biff running up the stairs. Slid my wetsuit right off thanks to the help of Pam. Noticed that Roni was putting on her second shoe as I was getting my suit off. Way to go on the swim, Roni, I thought. But then "Durn, she'll probably beat me. Maybe I'll catch her on the run if her knee is hurting." (Being competitive with your friends is kinda fun!) Washed the sand off my feet, popped on shoes, glasses, helmet, all as planned. Took off up the stairs to start the bike leg.

The Bike (20K or 12.4 mi):

I started off in my smallest ring but quickly worked up. First few miles were flat and fast. Sped through a 90 degree turn past the cops who were working the traffic light. Giggled at speeding by cops ;) Reminded myself that my intention was to give 'er hell on the bike and really see what I could do. So I did. And I had a blast. The course was hilly, but the hills were just right-- as soon as I'd really start wishing the hill would end, it would! Then I'd zip down the other side, thrashing through my super-cool gears. McDreamy was a champ-- didn't let me down, didn't drop the chain, didn't ask for brakes. And that's what helped me pass Roni a mile or so before the turn-around. A big turn was up ahead, and I'd had her in my sights for the last few miles. She braked hard going around the turn, and after a moment's hesitation ("does she know something I don't?!), I just kicked it. I'd driven the course the day before and knew what this turn looked like, and figured I could hold my speed through it. So I pedaled hard, felt the G's, and kept cranking as I flew past and hollered "Go Roniiiii!" It was fun to pass someone, although I felt a little bad passing my friend! But it's all friendly competition, and I knew that I had to put some quick distance between us, or she'd catch me. So I kept gearing up, pushing hard, huffing a good sigh now and then. I soon reached the turn-around and was a bit bummed that I didn't get to keep going on this awesome windy mountain lake road. But, the way back proved to be just as fun as the way out. I had a great game of cat-and-mouse going on with a guy in a blue jersey. I'd pass him on the uphills (all the hill work I've been doing was greatly beneficial!), then he'd pass me on the downhills or flats. Back and forth we went, for the entire 12.4 miles. I finally passed him on the last uphill stretch about a mile before the end. As I made the turn back towards transition, I saw the overall race winner coming in for the end of the run. I beat him back to the transition area by 30 seconds or so! Another notch in my finisher's belt: I finished the bike before the first person finished the whole thing!!! Anyhow, I was bummed the bike was over because I'd had so much fun with it.

T2:
I quickly popped McDreamy back into the rack, grabbed my visor and a sip of water, took a deep breath, then rubber-legged it out of transition.

The Run:
Ugh. First thing: a hill. Then a small flat/slight downhill. Then a friggin steep 200 yard hill. I remember thinking "this is just rude. who sticks hills right in the beginning of a run, anyway?!" Yes, I was whining. As I experienced in my last tri, my legs were whooped. But unlike the last time, I was at least expecting it. I walked a few steps up the hill so as not to de-wind myself too much, then took off again. Guy in the blue jersey that I'd bike raced with passed me (easy to do when you're >6 feet tall!) and gave me an encouraging thumbs-up. My legs began to come around more and more, and I appreciated the heck out of the two aid stations that offered ice-cold water to dump on my head. I definitely wasn't running fast, but I was running. Another training pal who injured her neck recently and couldn't race was working the run turn-around spot. "Looking good, Carly," she said, "you're going strong." Thanks, Krista! I felt like a weakling, but took your encouraging words and let them boost me along.

I high-fived Roni and Teresa and Kristy as I passed them and shouted whoo-hoos, and knew that if I stayed as I was, I'd have them all beat. Yay. About 2 miles in, I was really feeling more up for running. My legs were a little tired, sure, but were just starting to feel like this running thing wasn't all that bad an idea. I lifted my chest a bit to get more air, and tried to stay positive in my thinking. Less than 1/2 mile from the end, I heard footsteps fast approaching, and then a gal passed me sporting a 32 on her right calf. Crap! Passed by someone in my age group. I tried to pick it up and chase her, but just didn't have any more speed in me. So I hollered "go get 'em, way to go!" and watched as she pulled away from me. Not seconds later the same thing happened-- but this gal was 30. Who are these freak women who can pick it up so strong at the end?! Oh well. Those were the only two that passed me, besides blue shirt guy, the whole run. (Oh, and there were two people who were running it as part of a relay team, but they don't count, since they were fresh!)

As I neared the finish, I saw Ted putting his stuff in his car (he, of course, had been done for about half an hour!). "Aren't you going to cheer for me?!" I teased as I passed him. He did. As did lots of other strangers who were lining the last few hundred yards. I love spectators who cheer! I finished with a little micro-kick thanks to the cheers, and didn't puke at the finish. Good things. I did huff and puff for a minute or so, and then remembered to run up and grab my camera to take pictures of the other gals finishing. Roni was just coming in as I got back down to the finish, and Teresa was in hot pursuit. We all walked it off together, grabbed water, posed for a quick picture in which we were instructed to show off our numbers and "look tough," and then we headed back to the lake to splash around and cool down. (pictured left-to-right, Roni, me, Teresa)

Post-race:
It was while chillin out in the lake and re-hashing how things went that Roni once again brought up the Garden City Triathlon, an Olympic-distance race in Frenchtown a few weeks from now. I've kinda secretly been considering this race all year, but not wanting to commit to it in case I got sucked into firefighting or other things this summer. I haven't specifically trained for that long of a race, but know that I could at least finish it, albeit slow. Well, in my post-race elation, I let her help me convince myself that it's worth giving it a shot, so I decided to do so. More on that later...

The post-race party was good, with burgers and such and cold water and beer, prize drawings (I won a new bike helmet; although it doesn't clash with McDreamy like my pink helmet does, and I briefly considered keeping it just for fashion's sake, I ultimately decided to trade it in at the store it came from for a t-shirt and a few new pairs of running socks, which I actually need as some of mine are getting pretty non-cushiony). It was fun to chill out and talk about the ups and downs of the race with a bunch of folks. Triathletes are in general just really good people and really interesting folks. I guess you have to be, in order to be nuts enough to want to put yourself through such an ordeal yet organized and Type-A enough to figure out how to balance all the workouts, gear, and real life. I'm glad to be a part.

Okay, it's beer-thirty. My thumb actually has held up better than I thought. Good. Before I go, here are the times:

Total: 1:36:10 (8:35 faster than the one in June!!!)

Swim: 18:34 (avg. 2:10 min/100 yards... about what I expected)
Bike: 46:20 (time includes both transitions? or just one? waiting for official splits; avg. of at least 16.1 mph, including transition times)
Run: 31:16 (avg. 10:05 min/mi)

Tevas On My Drops (a tale of alternative transportation)

2008-08-13T16:36:00.003-06:00

It's 7am, I'm riding past fields of irrigated alfalfa. An occasional sprinkler splashes out into the road and I swerve to avoid it, looking first to make sure no one is behind me. It's a cool 48 degrees, the sky is still sleepy with early morning clouds.

A great morning to be out for a bike ride with McDreamy. But this is no regular ride training ride. No, this time I have a khaki skirt on over top of my bike shorts. My hair is freshly washed and brushed under my helmet. And my Teva sandals are hanging by velcro from my drops (the curved part of my handlebars).

I'm on my way to work. But today instead of hopping in my car and driving the 16 miles from home to my office, I'm exploring options for alternative transportation.

Missoula's public transit system is called the Mountain Line, and the farthest-reaching stop is about 3 miles east of my house. So McDreamy and I are on our way to the bus stop. I have plans to ride McDreamy home this afternoon (I typically do a 16 mile ride after work several days a week, so might as well kill two birds with one stone and make driving home and working out one and the same event).

The bus pulls up to the stop at 7:10, I load McDreamy on the front rack, swipe my ride-for-free pass that I get from the County, and take a seat on a cushioned bench in the front. The ride takes about 35 minutes, or about 15 minutes longer than it would take for me to drive on my own. But I watch the scenery go by, and enjoy people-watching as more folks get on closer to town.

At 7:45 the bus pulls into the central station, I unload McDreamy, and we walk across the street to my office. I fluff up my helmet hair, slip off my bike shorts, swap out my sneakers for the sandals, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down to start work by 8:00.

I did a little number-crunching and realized that if I can bike/bus to work two days a week, I'll save about $8 in fuel. Over the course of a year, that's >$400 saved. Five days a week aren't really realistic-- I often have night meetings or need to do grocery shopping or socializing in town that require a car-- but two to three days a week is a reasonable goal. With the savings I could buy:
a bike computer
bike shoes and clip pedals
a portable radio so I can listen to NPR on the bus
lots of americanos
etc, etc

So while $400 in savings isn't that much, given my current wish-list, there are other benefits, too:
1. I save wear-and-tear on my car
2. I get a little bit of wake-me-up exercise first thing in the morning
3. I save fossil fuels and thus do my little part to make less of a footprint
4. I get to explore new adventures in wardrobing:)

LAST Weekend's Adventure

2008-08-08T23:15:00.010-06:00

Some pictures from last Sunday's adventure... I hiked Great Northern, an 8700' peak just south of Glacier National Park. The ~4 mile hike takes off from Hungry Horse Dam (3500'), making for a 5200' elevation change over ~4 miles.

Tabitha, an acquaintance from grad school whom I hadn't seen in several years, invited me to join her and her friend on this hike. I read the description and immediately said "sure, I'll do it!" I was sure that I was in good enough shape to handle all that climbing. (little did I think, however, that it would be the decending that would lick me)

The friend bailed out the night before, but Tab and I agreed to continue with our plans to meet at 7am to start hiking. It was a gorgeous morning-- cool enough that a light fleece felt good to start off, and still and quiet, with blue skies dotted with my favorite white ploofy clouds. I lbeing in the woods early in the morning! Good thing, because the glorified goat trail we set off hiking was not at all friendly. Had it been super hot, or raining hard, I would've easily bagged the trip. But there was no excuse not to walk. My lungs were working well, my legs felt strong, the day was gorgeous, and I was psyched to catch up with Tabitha, since we hadn't seen each other in several years.

Our trail shot up. Straight up. No switchbacks. No gradual gains. Nope, it was tougher than any StairMaster workout I've tried! We took a nice steady pace, though, and just continued to put one foot in front of the other for about an hour, until we popped out of the trees and got our first glimpse of how much elevation we'd gained. A few minutes later and we got our first good view of Great Northern. Holy cow, that's a big hunk of rock!!!

After the first mile and a half or so, the trail seemed to mellow out a little bit as we started following a rolling ridgeline that led to the base of the behemouth's treeless face. But we were still hiking up, continuing to feel the burn in our calves and lungs, but realizing that the views were worth every bit of work.

After another few miles we finally left the treeline behind and began a trek up the rugged ridge and across shale-y sidehills. All along the trail were piles of mountain goat poo, and clumps of rubbed-off hair hung in several of the thigh-high branches of trees. A golden eagle circled right at eye level. This was definitely the high country! Stanton Glacier hung below to our left, and a steep rocky face dropped off to the right. At times the trail was no more than a few feet wide. For the most part the footing was good, save for a few tricky places that made you slightly question your sanity.

At last we made it to the top, where 2 other pairs of hikers were already enjoying the view. We chatted with them for a bit, trying to identify the peaks of Glacier Park, then ate some lunch and took pictures. As has been my experiences hiking most any peak, the view at the top is gorgeous and you'd love to stay all day, but it's always chilly up that high, so hanging out for long is never feasible. So we started our descent, picking our way back down the rocky path we'd come up.

All was well until the last mile and a half or so-- the steepest part of the trail. My legs were getting tired. All that downhill was putting a hurtin' on my quads and knees, and I had to stop a few times because my legs were quivering so bad (luckily there were abundant ripe huckleberries along the trail, so rest breaks also turned into mini-snack breaks). We finally reached the car, and walked around a few minutes playing with the new sensation of walking on level ground. Weird. After a few minutes of yoga, we made a side-trip to the Packer's Roost for a beer before parting ways.

It was a stellar day-- great mountain, terrific company, perfect weather. If only there'd been a chair-lift to get me back down off that darn hill! As it turned out, my legs were insanely sore for about three days, then just reasonably sore for another two. So I didn't get any running in last week, and my biking was pretty lame, too. I did do a few good swims, and danced a bunch at a wedding on Thursday. But I don't regret having to take the few days off of training because of doing the hike. The trek gave me the opportunity to put things into perspective and to realize that I don't run so that I can do races. No, the

running is so that I feel good and so that when someone asks, hey, do you want to go hike X mountain, or ski Y trail, or paddle Z River, I can confidently say sure, you betcha, without having doubts of whether or not I'm in good enough shape to go along. And if doing such expeditions make me sore and take away a few days of training, oh well. I'd gladly trade a chance at climbing mountains to running around neighborhoods, if time and circumstances allowed. The running races and triathlons are a good way to get/stay in shape in a quick and convenient manner, but they're not the most important ends to the means.

You Know You're Half-Nuts When...

2008-08-04T08:26:00.003-06:00

... you think of an 8-hour office day as your recovery period between workouts.

Today's Schedule:
5:30 am= 1/2 mile swim in Foy's Lake (air temp= 46 F, water temp= ? much warmer, sunrise= 6:17 am)

4:30 pm= recovery spin + upper body weight training

in between= 8 hours of sitting down... ahhh

Week In Review

2008-08-02T15:01:00.002-06:00

Monday:
Exercise= none :( (unless you count those bicep curls i did to get the beer from the table to my face)
Food= okay, save for the several pints of beer
Sleep= ~6 hours

Tuesday:
Exercise= none. again.
Food= terrible... 2 bagels, pasta salad, hamburger, etc... way huge on the calories today, especially carbs
Sleep= ~5 hours

Wednesday:
Exercise= 25 min swim in the pool
Food= okay, within the calories for the day
Sleep= ~5 hours

Thursday:
Exercise= biked ~30 min to the lake, swam ~20 min (had lots of goggle issues, so was actually in the water longer), then biked another ~30 min
Food= pretty good, not a big deficit but definitely not going over
Sleep= ~7 hours

Friday:
Exercise= 1 hr Power Pump cardio/weight class in morning (am sore! today, especially in pecs and hams); 25 min run (10 min tempo pace) in evening
Food= good, lots of veggies, within calorie range i was shooting for
Sleep= 2 hr nap in afternoon then 9 hrs at night!!!

Saturday:
Exercise= Brick workout-- 6 mile bike, 1.5 mile run, 6 mile bike, 2 mile run
Food= great so far... though I'm getting hungry so best go home and eat something healthy very soon before I get super hungry and head for something not-so-good
Sleep= don't know yet...

So, after a rough start to the week, the rest of the week has been getting much better in terms of overall health (food, exercise, sleep, stress levels). Funny how when it rains, it pours. The busier and more stressed I am, the less sleep I get, the crappier I eat, the less I workout...

The next several weeks will be tough, with lots of travel and transitions. I'll be relying on my blog-readers to keep me accountable and keep me honest.

But for tomorrow, I'll definitely get some calorie burn in on this hike. Yippee! Big mountains. Hard hiking. 3 girls on a mission. I'll get pictures up asap.

Appease The Readers With a Back-dated Race Report

2008-08-01T10:08:00.003-06:00

Oi, this has been a super busy week, what with starting a new job while trying to finish another, doing a little extra socializing, and still trying to get in some workouts. Sleep has been scarse. Blogging has been non-existent. Sorry.

I was digging thru old files and such on my computer, trying to organize and clean out things so that the next person in my job can take over somewhat smoothly, and I came across this email that I wrote back in November '07 after my first Half Marathon. Since it was written before I published my blog, I thought I'd stick it on here for posterity's sake.

I'll try to write a post this weekend. But just looking ahead, I can promise you very few posts over the next few weeks. But I'll be back....

OUTER BANKS 1/2 MARATHON RACE REPORT
(Race was on Nov 9, 2007 in Manteo, NC)

A few stats, thoughts, memories, etc:
Race day was gorgeous—a bit chilly starting off, as the wind was brisk and the air temp was around 50. Once we started running, though, we warmed up to a nice temperature, not too hot, not too cold. The sun was bright on the Sound by the time we got there. The wind was fairly stiff, but it was at our tails a good portion of the time. However, around miles 8-11 we were running side-ways to the wind, and running straight into it for the last 2 miles… felt like we were going nowhere!!!
I ran the entire race with my friend Robyn, who’s been one of my bestest buds since 7th grade; she’s a turbo-triathloning whiz these days, and has completed several halfs and a few full marathons over the last five years since she started running. It was great to run with someone who I knew would have no problems finishing, and who could definitely keep me company along the way. It was also a great chance to spend some alone-time with her and talk about boys, babies, bodies, jobs, yoga, and more.
Our total race time was 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 9 seconds
There were 2176 finishers of the Half. I placed 1315th among them, and 664th out of 1314 women. It was amazing to see so many people running at the same time!!! (By the way, the winning male finished in 1:02:32 and the winning female finished in 1:13:53. Holy crap! Most of the elite runners were from Kenya, including the winners from last year and this year).
The spectators along the way were great. Folks had music blasting from houses and vehicles at various spots. Lots of folks were holding posters with encouraging messages, my favorite of which was one about a mile from the finish that said “Unleash your inner Kenyan!”
We kicked ass in the second half, passing nearly 175 runners (many on the big hill—aka a bridge over the Albemarle Sound). Our average pace for the first 6.9 miles was 11:16 min/mile, and for the remaining miles was 10:33 min/mi (yes, we sped up quite a bit in the second part!), for an average pace of 10:56 minutes per mile over the 13.1 miles. I was shooting for around 11 min/mi, so, right on. Could I have sustained the 10:33 the whole time? Probably. Next time…
I felt great and had a blast from Mile 0 to 11.2 or so. Then my body revolted. It thought “enough of this nonsense!” and communicated its thoughts to me by sending an excruciating pain into my abdomen along the bottom of my right ribcage. Now, I’ve had a few side cramps before, but never one that made me wonder if my appendix was about to rupture! All systems were screaming “stop! Just walk! Bend over and clutch your stomach!”… but I didn’t heed. Instead, I grunted an occasional f-word, focused my eyes straight ahead, and ran. Robyn piped in with some excellent advice, “Remember your yoga.” So I concentrated on letting each inhale go to the point of pain, then pick it up and send it out on the exhale. Within a few minutes, the pain subdued, and Robyn noted “You’re almost there… I can hear the finish line!” I learned that a half-marathon is not just a 13 mile race, it’s a 13.1 mile race—and that 0.1 mile makes a difference! It was the longest .1 mile I’ve ever run, but I ran it. I finished the line in true fashion (i.e. I headed for the grass, gagging and spitting and wondering if I was going to show the crowd my lunch… no, I didn’t!)
My dad, his wife Cathy, my brother Trav, and Jim all met us at the Finish, where they snapped a few pictures and gave us congrats. It was the first race any of them had ever spectated, so they all seemed dazed and amazed at all the runners
Post-race we wandered around taking off our timing chips, grabbing Gatorade and bananas, and getting our dry bags with warm clothes. It was a bit chilly at the finish, what with the wind, but nothing a dry sports bra didn’t help. Then we stumbled into a little cart selling cups of clam chowder, and Robyn and I rushed for a bowl. I must say, that was the most amazing clam chowder I’ve ever had. Fresh from the sea, right beside the sea, after running 13 POINT ONE miles along an island in the sea. Mmmm, it hit the spot
The eating pretty much continued non-stop from there. We left the race area and headed back towards our beach house, stopping at Sam and Omie’s, a local restaurant, for lunch. I dined on steamed clams and coleslaw. Then we went back to our beachside bungalow, where I spent the afternoon taking the dog for a stroll on the beach and sticking my sore toes in the cold Atlantic, then joining Robyn and Jim for a soak in the hot tub, where we drank margaritas from coffee mugs. We then returned to Sam and Omie’s for dinner, since lunch was so great. This time I had broiled shrimp and scallops with more coleslaw, and to my delight the side dish was Fried Okra!!! Who could ask for a better meal? I washed it all down with a glass of Blue Moon Belgian ale, then returned to the house for an evening of board games.
Just a little more on the rest of the week: Robyn had to return to her world on Monday, while the rest of us traveled south down the islands to Ocaracoke, stopping to see lighthouses, fishing boats, bars, etc. along the way. We returned to the beach house after dark, and cooked a steamer bucket of red potatoes, corn on the cob, and fresh shrimp, spiced up with Old Bay and beer. Tuesday we went touring around downtown Manteo, went to the Aquarium, and then Trav, Jim, and I went out for all-you-can-eat crab legs and shrimp for our mid-day meal. Those two guys ate non-stop for over an hour an a half! (I obviously am not the endurance athlete that they are, seeing as how I dropped out of the race after a little less than an hour!) Then we spent the afternoon walking it off on the sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Wednesday morning I had coffee and read my book while sitting in the sun on the “crow’s nest” atop the beach house, where I watched several dolphins swimming in the calm sea. Then we headed back to Raleigh to catch our plane, but made a quick stop at Smithfield’s for some authentic eastern NC BBQ. Nothing better.
So here I am, back in chilly MT, a good 3 pounds heavier than I was before I left. Ha! It was a great time—good to see family and friends, good to accomplish the goal I’ve been working towards for 6 months or so now, good to chill out and have no agenda for a few days, and good to see the coast
What’s next? A few new goals are in the making:
o Learning to swim better (I want to try to swim at least 2 days a week this winter, working on getting more comfortable with it and getting good form).
o Losing the pounds I gained on vacation, plus a handful more. Should be a good challenge what with the holidays approaching
o Maintaining running shape and then training for the Snow Joke half-marathon in Seeley Lake in February
o Perhaps skiing some (25K) or all (50K) of the OSCR (pronounced “Oscar”)—the Ovando-Seeley Cross-country Race—in late January
Anyone interested in joining me on any of the next adventures? Let me know!
Finally, thanks to all of you who gave me words of encouragement, ran with me, sent me care packages (Wendy, you rock!), and generally supported me in my training for this race. I’m especially grateful to Jim; although he sometimes questions my sanity when setting such goals, he supports me fully, helps plan our weekends around my workout schedule, makes me pancakes after long runs, and gives me late-night pep-talks before big scary races. Thanks, babe.

Impulse Buy

2008-07-25T13:14:00.003-06:00

I just got back from a lunch-break walk across the street to Sportsman's and Ski Haus for a new pair of goggles.

Damn store WOULD have to put all the cute women's clothing right as you walk in the door.

So, I took a little stroll through to see if there were any nice looking t-shirts that I could get to wear for my new job. I found a few to try on, and while I was in the dressing room, a slightly large gal about my age was trying on a dress. It was just a little too tight in a few places, and really didn't look very good on her. Oh, how disappointing that is. I TOTALLY know the feeling.

I found a plain taupe tee that will look nice with a pair of nice jeans or chinos, and decided to get it. Then as I was putting back the other shirt I'd tried on, I spotted the same dress the aforementioned girl had been modeling. There was just one in a cool rusty brown color (not the banana color the girl was trying on or the of the one shown here... the photo just shows the style). Oooh, that's nice, I thought, checking the tag to see if what size it was.

Medium. Hmmm. I wonder...

So I headed back to the dressing room. I slipped it on and...

Oh my gosh. It fit. In fact, it fit great. It looked great. It felt great.

The sales gal actually called over to another co-worker, "hey, come look at this dress. It looks great!" "Finally," the other one said, "several people have tried that on and it just didn't look good on them, but that looks perfect on you!"

Yeah, they were right. This dress was made for me. So, I now own it.

I tried to justify the expenditure... well, I DO have a wedding to go to in a few weeks. I don't NEED a new dress for it, but this one would be really appropriate to wear there, and fun to wear something new. Plus, I could wear this for my new job.

But the real kicker was: I just walked in, tried on a Size Medium dress, and it fit perfectly. No gut popping out. AND it shows off my shoulders and upper back, which are becoming more and more toned and fit looking.

See, Self, the hard work of keeping food journals, skipping "extras," and working out a little extra every day DOES pay off :)

Me & McDreamy

2008-07-25T08:19:00.006-06:00

No, not him!

My new bike. I call it McDreamy. For the Dreamsicle color (orange and cream), and for the Dreamy feeling I have when riding it :)

We had a nice afternoon yesterday, just the two of us. We started out at Salvation Army and rode up Airport Road to Foy's Lake, an eight mile stretch in which you gain about 530 ft elevation-- not a whole lot, in the grand scheme of things, but it makes for a steady climb almost the whole way up.

We stopped at Foy's Lake to take a potty break, then continued our upward motion, up a 1.3 mile stretch in which we gained another 220 ft, taking us to the top of Lone Pine State Park (observation: when you're riding and you turn into a neighborhood with any of the following words in the title, "Lone Pine," "Eagle" anything, whatever "Ridge," or something "Heights," go ahead and shift down to Granny Gear and get ready to burn!)

We enjoyed the scenic vista for just a moment, then took off for a fun downhill ride. Fun for McDreamy, that is. Perhaps a little scary for me! Over the next 2.5 miles we lost all 750 ft of elevation we'd gained. Whee! Good things those brakes work well! Then a short, fast 3 miles took us back to the start.

It was a nice ride on a gorgeous not-too-hot afternoon, under bright blue skies with white fluffly clouds.

And today I'm sore. My glutes are feeling all that climbing. Not bad-- just a little extra sensation that says "you did something yesterday." Myback, on the other hand, is really feeling it.

You see, I did a lot of practicing yesterday of riding in a more aerodynamic position. My friend Regina mentioned to me a few weeks ago that when cycling, you're really using your core a lot. Huh? I thought you just sat on the seat and let your legs do all the work. Apparently not. I stumbled across this article that talks not only about bike positioning, but also your body positioning while riding.

So apparently, to get more aero, you should tip forward from the hips, keep the back flat, and keep the head and chest up, and enjoy the feel of wind whoosing OVER you instead of INTO you.

As I rode yesterday, I experimented with this new idea of positioning. My muscle memory harkened back to yoga class that morning where we'd worked on the same tipping-from-the-hips-with-back-straight in Padangusthasana and Parsvottanasana. It definitely does take a lot of core strength to hold that position, especially while riding. So yeah, my middle back is a bit sore today from the ride. Cool. I love being sore in unexpected places-- it's a good way to find areas that need more work!

McDreamy and I have one more appointment tomorrow morning for a Brick workout, then it's time for him to go in to the shop for his One Month Check-up :) And then just a few more weeks til we Tear. It. Up. on those hills at Whitefish in a new & improved riding position!

My B.F.A. (body fat analysis OR big fun afternoon)

2008-07-24T07:23:00.004-06:00

Nothing like getting a body fat analysis to make you want to do a tempo run!

That's right, yesterday I had an appointment with a trainer at my gym to get a body fat analysis done. If you've never had one, I'll tell you, it's a delightful experience. They take measurements with calipers from three points on your body: the flab on the back of your arm, the flab on your belly mid-way between your hip bone and belly button, and the flab on the front of your thigh. The person measuring you has to squeeze up as much fat as they can without grabbing muscle, then measure the width. Then you add all those numbers together and use a chart that has age and the fat number to figure out your percentage of body fat.

Lucky for me, they were training a new trainer at the gym yesterday, and asked if I'd mind letting them train her on me. Sure, why not. I was the first one she'd ever measured. So she would take a pinch and get a measurement, then the teacher would grab some more and get a higher number. Then the first gal would have to come back and try again. Then after doing all the measurements, they decided to run through it again.

So here I am standing in a room with two ladies pinching and grabbing as much flab as they can off my arm, stomach, and thigh. Lovely. What a great body-image builder. NOT!

When they finally were satisfied with their numbers, they ran the calculations and determined that I have about 29.7% body fat. Holy crap!!! You mean nearly a third of ME is fat?!?! Yikes.

So after that experience, plus after having sat at my desk working on a very mundate, rote report all day yesterday, I was ready to RUN. I had an easy 30 min run scheduled, with a tempo run scheduled in for this morning. But I couldn't wait. I felt The need. for speed.

It was all I could do to keep it slow and easy for my one-mile warmup. Then I hit the watch and started running laps around the track (yeah, I opted for the A/C of the indoor track rather than the 80 degree sun outside... I'm not THAT tough!). Twenty minutes of lap after lap at 1:09. It was terrific. Just what I needed. I did a great job of keeping my pace steady (I only varied between 1:08 and 1:10 per lap). When after the first mile or so I started getting tired, I thought of how fortunate I was to be here on the track rather than at my desk working on that report some more. And I thought about how in a few more minutes I'd be out of easy-to-reach energy, and my body would have to start digging into some of those fat reserves to keep me going. That was all the motivation I needed to bust out another mile. It was the perfect tempo run-- comfortably hard, but I could have kept going at that pace for a good while longer if I'd needed to.

It was the first tempo run I've done in probably two months or more. While I focused a lot on my running this spring, especially working on speed in preparation for the Run for the Trees 5k, I've since shifted my focus away from speed, exchanging it for distance work in prep for the Missoula 1/2 Marathon. And becuase I've been so slap-happy for cycling since getting my new bike, and since swimming is so much nicer to do in the heat than running is, I just really haven't spent much time or focus on running in a while now.

So yesterday's tempo run was actually refreshing. It felt good to go fast. It felt good to push myself on the track. It felt good to know that I haven't really lost anything-- I still comfortably ran at the same T-pace I was running back in the spring. In short, Walker can still Run!

After being pretty disappointed with my run at the end of my first triathlon, I'm determined to have a better run at Whitefish in a few weeks. Yesterday was a good confidence booster. Yes, it will be hard. But yes, I can have a stronger run this next time around. Because, heck, I have enough stored energy to call upon when things get tough, right?!

So after finishing the tempo portion and then jogging slowly for several minutes to cool down, I ran a few strides, then went to a Power Pump strength training class, then headed home for a super great supper. I had a big spinach salad with thinly sliced cucumbers, chicken breast, green pepper slices, and strawberries. Then I made a dressing with 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt, 2 strawberries, 1 Tbs lemon juice, and salt and pepper. I blended it in my blender, then poured it over the salad. Yum! Add in a few crackers, and it made for a fully filling dinner that was chock-full of protein and vitamins, and satisfied my sweet tooth, as well. All for about 400 calories, and hardly any of those were from fat.

Okay, so back to talking about the fat. What does that body fat analysis mean in terms of my goals? Well, being the math geek that I am, I did some calculations. Right now at 136 lbs and 30% body fat, I'm packing around 40 lbs of fat and 96 lbs of lean body mass (muscle, guts, bones, etc). So assuming that I'd like to keep all that muscle, bone, and whatnot, but just lose some fat, what weight might I shoot for to get to a certain percentage?

Well, to get to 25% body fat, I'd need to lose 8 more pounds, making me 128 lb. At 120 lb I'd have 20% body fat. According to this chart from the American Council on Exercise, at 120 lb I'd finally be considered an Athlete! :) But, hey, I don't really need to be an athlete. I'd settle for "Fitness," or a 24% or less (meaning 127 lbs or less). So, I think that's a pretty reasonable goal to shoot for in the next six months-- to get down to 127. That's just nine pounds from here. Oh, but those are going to be some tough pounds to shed.

In an effort to jump-start my downward trajectory, I've issued a self-imposed injunction against the following items for at least the next 4 days:

Chocolate, Cookies, Pizza, Beer, and Tortilla Chips

In reviewing my food journal over the last month, those are the 5 biggest offenders. They're the foods that give me the toughest time with portion control and can quickly wreck an otherwise good day of eating. With all, I have a hard time just having a little bit. So for the next few days, I'm going to have none, and really focus on getting a few solid days of negative calories. On Monday evening, though, I'll have to make an exception for beer, as folks from work are planning to take me out. So that'll be a good reward for 4 days of abstinence (and luckily will be a Monday night, and I'll have to drive home, so portion control goals will be easier to attain).

Ha! And now I don't even have to do a tempo run today-- I can go for an impromtu extra bike ride on McDreamy instead :) Life is good.

Buoyancy vs. Freedom

2008-07-23T14:06:00.009-06:00

This morning I met my friend Patty out at Foy's Lake at 6am for a swim to the island and back. I noticed on the way there that the air temp was 57 degrees-- a few warmer than my first time swimming at the lake. Once I hopped in, though, I noticed what a difference a few months can make. The water was just plum pleasant. Not yucky I'm-going-to-catch-some-funky-disease-in-this-bathtub-water warm, but not holy-crap-I'm-nearly-hyperventilating cold, either.

I wore my wetsuit because I want to get more practice in it. I'll be doing the Whitefish triathlon in a few weeks, and wetsuits are legal for that race. I'm not sure what the temperature is in Whitefish Lake these days, but it's definitely a larger, deeper, cold river-fed lake, so most likely it's still a bit chilly. But I've seen kids out there swimming around for extended periods of time with nothing more than shorts or bikinis, so it can't be that bad, right?

So the big question is: should I wear my wetsuit for the Whitefish tri or not?

I've heard that wearing a wetsuit increases your buoyancy and thus helps your time, and so if it's legal to wear one, you should. But I'm having a hard time believing that my suit makes me faster. It always feels like I can't reach as far as when I swim in just a regular swimsuit. And it seems super slow if I try to sidestroke or breaststroke. And I feel so big and bubbly.

Which, I guess, is what the suit's supposed to do-- add a little extra layer so that you can trap a layer of water between you and the suit. Which in turn makes you more buoyant. Which in theory helps you stay higher in the water and thus be able to swim faster with the same amount of effort. But, oh, it just feels so odd.

Can the wetsuit really make a difference? Maybe for the pro's and top-of-the-pack age groupers-- those folks who have like 2% body fat and thus don't float worth a darn on their own. Those folks to whom a 20 second increase can make or break their results.

But what about for little ole me, who has plenty of "bouyancy" around the mid-section, and to whom 20 seconds doesn't mean much at all. I mean, heck, it takes at least 20 seconds to get the darn thing off once I get out of the water.

So is the wetsuit really worth it? Worth feeling weird to gain that much more speed? Or should I ditch the suit and go all natural (er, I mean, with just a swimsuit!)?

Being the good scientist that I am, I've designed an experiment. I'll mark out a 200 yd portion of lake shore and, after warming up a bit, swim it twice-- once with the wetsuit, once without. I'll record my times for each, then extrapolate to what my 880 (1/2 mile) time would be. It'll be interesting to see how much time difference the suit may or may not make. Once I see the results, I'll decide whether or not it's worth it to wear it.

Stay tuned...

Shrinking (a weight-loss status report)

2008-07-20T08:42:00.005-06:00

Someone must've put ME in the dryer on High, because I've been the one getting smaller than my clothes here lately.

Yay!

Friday's weight was the lowest yet-- 136.2. And I'm feeling a difference around the mid-section, a little more firmness in the tummy area. Plus I've generally felt better and had better energy as a result of eating well. I get hungry a lot, sure, but I'm not deprived by any means!

Keeping the food journal is really helping me to track and be conscious of what I'm putting in to my body. Just like athletes need to keep training logs to help keep track of what they've done and be able to assess what works and what doesn't, I guess dieters need to keep a food log. It makes sense. It just takes a little more effort. Tend minutes a day, maybe. I've typically been writing in it twice a day-- in the morning I'll write down what I Plan to eat for the day, and in the evening I write what I Actually ate. Sometimes those match up fairly closely. Other times, things come up. Someone says let's go for a beer. Or I decide that I'd rather have a tuna melt for dinner than a bowl of soup. Or I goof and eat a whole chocolate bar at 10:00 in the morning (ugh!) In any case, writing down the plan for the day lets me know how much latitude I have to make choices throughout the day.

I've been using FitDay to calculate my calories eaten as well as calories burned. I've been aiming to eat about 1500-1600 calories a day. My basal metabolic rate (what I'd burn if I just stayed in bed all day) is about 1400 calories. Add in a few hundred for daily movement (walking around the house and office, washing dishes, etc), and we're up to 1600. So with no exercise, 1600 calories/day would mean I'd break even. Add in exercise, and I can burn anywhere from 300-700 extra calories in an average day of workouts, and a few more on weekends when I do longer runs (yes, running burns the most calories of any of the triathlon activities).

I've been shooting to have a negative calorie deficit at least 4-5 days a week, of 300-500 calories a day. Then 1-2 days a week I'm okay to break even (on lighter workout days, or on days when I'm extra hungry, or if I opt for beers or chocolate). It's been working pretty well, I think, though there have also been some days when I've gone over. But on average I'm burning more than I'm taking in, because shrinkage is happening.

I have a long ways to go, but it's nice to see, at the halfway point to my goal, that I'm progressing along nicely.

Race Report... Missoula 1/2 Marathon

2008-07-14T17:40:00.006-06:00

When the alarm went off, I'd already been awake for 10 minutes. I tip-toed around the house putting on my outfit I'd set out the night before, gathered up my water bottles and PB&J, and snuck out the door.

It was chilly enough that a sweatshirt felt good. I hopped in my car and headed for town, driving over the Start line for the full marathon in Frenchtown. As I cruised down I-90 in the early morning silence, a song popped in my head and I started humming it to myself. Not satisfied with my rendition, I grabbed my music player and cued it up: Eye of the Tiger. I played it twice as I drove, singing aloud at 4:30 a.m.

Arriving downtown, I caught glimpses of reflective running shoes in my headlights. Parking was already tight, as runners were arriving to catch the shuttle buses out to their respective starting lines. I parked and found the bus stop on Main Street, and stepped up on the stairs of the first bus in line. "Is this going to the Half Marathon start?" I asked the driver. "Nope, this is the Full." So I stepped down. Not this year, at least.

I found the right bus, and took a seat in the dark next to a stranger. The passengers were pretty quiet, sharing a few muted comments about the weather or wondering when the last time they were on a school bus at 5:00 in the morning. But for the most part the ride out to Blue Mountain Road was pretty quiet. And long. Were we really going to run all the way back into town from out here?

I got off the bus and started walking around, partly to try to warm up (the temps were in the high 40's and I had on just a sweatshirt over my running shorts and tank), and partly to try to warm up my bowels so that I could get things moving before the race started. Amy arrived shortly thereafter, and caught up with me in line for the porta-potty.

I tried and tried to make myself need to use the bathroom. Tried being nervous, but I wasn't. Tried thinking about running. Nope. When I finally reached the blue box, nothing happened. Durn. I knew I'd have to stop somewhere along the way. Oh well, can't force Mother Nature.

We lined up at the start and took of at a slow jog when the cannon started. A lot of folks passed us in the first half mile or so, but that was okay. We were taking our time, enjoying the beauty of the river of colorful runners winding around the base of the freshly sunlit hills. It was stunning. And a bit chilly for that first mile or so, but we started to warm up after a while.

The course followed the Bitterroot River for the first few miles, which was just stunning. We jogged along at an easy steady pace. Nice and comfortable. Around mile 3 or 4 we ran over a bridge crossing the river, and cheesed it up for the photographer. Around mile 5, we were beginning to get into more tightly-spaced houses, and of course, that's when I began having urges to go. We passed a porta-potty, but there was a line, so I decided to hold out for the next aid station.

By the time we reached the aid station at the half-way point, there was no holding it any more. Amy decided to eat her Sport Beans while I waited in line for the potty. There were 4 girls in front of me!!! I waited for over 3 minutes, uncomfortably dancing around trying to hold it. Ugh! Finally I got my chance, did my duty, and popped out of the box ready to go.

Bummed that we'd taken so much time out to wait in line, I decided to pick up the pace a little bit. We started taking 10 seconds or so off each mile, which actually felt good. But I was hesitant to push our pace too much, knowing that the 6.5 mile marker isn't actually the half-way point in a half marathon-- it's the 9 mile marker that really marks the split between two parts of the run. The first nine miles are pretty comfortable; it's the last 4 that can really test your preparation.

We were winding through tree-lined neighborhoods in the early morning hours. At several houses, folks were sitting on their porches having coffee, watching the runners pass. Some shouted encouragement, some just smiled and nodded. Some had music blasting. And one house was even wafting the smell of bacon out into the streets (for once, bacon didn't smell good-- not after running for so long!)

All was going well until right after the 9 mile mark, when my side cramp reared up its ugly head. It wasn't too bad, so I kept running and breathing, hoping it wouldn't get worse. At the same time, Amy's knees were starting to pain her a bit. Yep, this is where it begins to get hard. Do we run faster and hope this all ends sooner, or do we keep it slow and not risk increasing the pain?

Well, we decided on a little of both. We kept increasing our pace ever so slowly, and by mile 10 were doing better. It's just a 5k now! We started noticing how many people we were passing... one or two every few minutes. Folks we'd been following the whole time were starting to slow, or at least weren't picking up the pace like we were. Others were tiring and starting to walk.

Around mile 11 it began to get fun. We started running through the University district, where more fans were out and more folks had music playing. Gold's Gym had parked their Hummer along the route and it was blasting out "Groove is in the Heart." Whoo hoo. That music really got me going. We cranked up the pace a good bit more, walked through our last aid station to revive ourselves for the final push, and then let loose.

Well, as loose as we could given that we'd already run over 11 miles. But we went hard enough that we weren't able to chat easily anymore. Conversation was limited to "you're doing great," and "wheww..." and "almost there."

The finish line was terrific. The last 0.3 miles or so took us down Higgins Ave, one of the main streets in Missoula, which had been closed off for the occasion. We could see the arch of baloons, hear the announcer in the background. Fans lined the bridge across the Clark Fork River and cheered us on as we ran strong to the finish. We High-Fived each other as we crossed the finish line, and I appreciated my second-in-a-row race finish in which I didn't immediately fold over and gag!

Craig found us at the water/PowerAid tank, and gave us a congrats. We spent the next half an hour or so wandering around in a semi-daze, our minds clouded by the exhaustion of the long run and the buzz of the crowd. The Good Food Store had a food tent set up, so after my stomach calmed down a bit and I got my appetite back, I grabbed a small plate of pasta salad and a couple slices of watermelon.

After a quick photo shoot, Amy and I parted ways. I returned to the bridge to watch the marathon runners and half-marathon walkers coming in. As I sat there, the river running below me and the mountains filling the background, I got a little misty-eyed. I thought of how fortunate I am to live in such a beautiful place, to have good supportive friends and family, and to have a body that can take me nearly anywhere I want to go. And I also welled up with pride for the perfect strangers who were running by-- what great accomplishments they'd made.

Looking back now, it was a good run. Definitely felt easier than the first half I ran-- probably because I knew what to expect! It actually felt pretty good to run faster for the last few miles, and made me want to go out and see how fast I can really run a half. And made me ponder more about whether or not I'll ever want to do a full. We'll see...

Race Report... the Appetizer

2008-07-13T14:09:00.003-06:00

Okay, sports fans, another race report is due. I'm excited to write it, but at this point it's 2pm, I've been up since 3:45am (after getting a whopping 4 hours or so of sleep last night). I've been out in the sun since the sun came up. Oh, and I ran a half-marathon. So right at the moment I'm ready for some food and a nap. There's a pizza and a movie waiting for me in the living room.

But I know some of you are DYING to know how it went, so here's a little teaser....

We finished.

Okay, okay, a few more tidbits. We finished super strong, and neither had too many pains or problems, save for a few minor incidents. Here's the mile-by-mile breakdown of time splits and my average heartrate (and rough % max):

Mile 1: 9:45***, 158 (76%)
Mile 2: 11:37**, 160 (77%)
Mile 3: 11:28, 153 (74%)
Mile 4: 11:20, 160 (77%)
Mile 5: 11:07, 160 (77%)
Mile 6: 11:06, 163 (78%)
Mile 7 & 8: 21:17***, 165 (79%)
Mile 9: 10:54, 171 (82%)
Mile 10: 10:41, 171 (82%)
Mile 11: 11:16, 169 (81%)
Mile 12: 10:40, 172 (83%)
Mile 13 (plus .1): 10:08, 174 (84)
* all agreed the first mile was marked incorrectly
** second mile marker made up ground for mile 1
*** didn't see the mile marker

Total time: 2:25.18
Total time spent running: that minus a 4 minute bathroom break and walk breaks through each aid station
Pride level: high
Number of people we picked off as we increased our speed in the second half: lots
Certainty that we can go faster next time: very high

I hope that gets everyone their fix for now. I promise to write more after food, a nap, and some chores (laundry, dishes... yay).

Therapy Run

2008-07-12T08:40:00.002-06:00

As aforementioned, this week has been rather stressful and busy. I haven't gotten much good sleep. Had a lot on my mind. (more on this later, I promise)

So by yesterday afternoon I was tight, tired, a bit dazed. Mamie said I looked "shell-shocked."

I needed to run. I was hungry. It was warmer than I usually like. I was tired. Usually I could use any of those excuses to talk me out of a run, or at least make it feel more like a chore than something I really wanted to do.

But yesterday afternoon, the one thing in the world that I KNEW would make things better was a nice run.

Mamie joined me, and we took off at a nice, slow pace. Really slow. Like when I first started running.

I left my watch behind. Didn't bother with a heart rate monitor. Didn't have a route planned and pre-mapped ahead of time to know how far I needed to go. Nope, this wasn't a workout. This wasn't training. This run was all about running because running is good to me.

We jogged along, chatting about some lighter topics (I've written before about how hard it is for me to think or talk about heavy subjects while running). So we talked about buying shoes, about our new toys (my bike, her kayak), about how pretty the neighbor's flowers were. And we just ran around.

After a while, my nicely-tapered body was ready to rock. I did a few bursts of speed, and enjoyed the feeling of my legs turning over smoothly and quickly. But there was no intended purpose to this. It just felt good.

With each step my mood brightened. The heaviness on my mind lightened. I became more human again. I smiled a little bigger. And I gave thanks for the fact that running can fulfill me in so many ways.

Ahhh.

(Tomorrow I'll try to remember that feeling as I go out for 13 miles of "therapy"!!!)

And now the rest of the story:
How was my eating for the day (especially after the run, when I was super hungry and headed out for Thai food?)
First, I'd done fairly well earlier in the day: a bowl of cereal for breakfast; half a bagel with light cream cheese mid-morning; a half roast beef sandwich (no cheese, no mayo) for lunch when I went out with co-workers; and a 12 oz skim iced latte mid-afternoon. Good mix of good carbs and protein. Very low on the excess sugars/fats end of the spectrum. Good portion control.

So for dinner, 4 of us went to Sa-Wa-Dee for Thai. We rode our bikes there from Kev & Mamie's house, which was fun. We decided to order 4 different entrees and swap around family-style. So I had a small portion each of: Pad Thai, MaSaMan curry with chicken, Curry fried rice, and Red curry shrimp. I probably ate a total of 1/2 cup of rice (rather than the full cup that I could've easily shoved down). And I didn't dig in for seconds (except for grabbing one more shrimp!). Oh, and I had one glass of white wine.

We got done, and I felt satisfied (and slightly warm and fuzzy from the wine), but definitely not stuffed. It was a nice feeling. Then someone said Ice Cream, so we hopped on our bikes and rode down to Big Dipper. I ordered a kid-size cup of El Salvadore Coffee ice cream. I ate it slowly, savoring the flavor, and didn't even want more. The half-scoop was plenty.

So, a successful day. Even though I went out twice, for lunch and dinner, I was able to maintain good portion control. And as a result, I felt so much better at the end of the day than I would have if I'd done my usual tact of eating double the portions. And instead of waking up this morning feeling fat, I feel flat (in my tummy area, that is). So I'm going to put on a skirt and tank top, and head down to the Expo to pick up my race packet, then wander over to the Farmer's Market, and perhaps stroll around downtown looking for new shoes... basically dawdle around all day and enjoy the "calm before the storm"!!!

Blow Me

2008-07-11T10:38:00.001-06:00

Weather forecast for Sunday:
Sunny, with a high near 86. South wind 5 to 13 mph becoming west. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.

Let's hope that's a Tail Wind!!!

Still Here...

2008-07-11T09:59:00.004-06:00

My, where has the time gone? I can't believe it's been over a week since I've posted anything on the blog.

This week has been super busy with work, considering new opportunities (more on this soon), and doing some good socializing while in Missoula for the week. A few highlights:

* Riding my bike to or from work a few days this week (a 17 mile one-way trip through the countryside!)
* Swimming laps in Missoula's new 50m pool with Jenny

* Enjoying the taper before this weekend's race

* Watching Mt. Sentinel burn while enjoying a margarita and delicious veggie salad with sashimi tuna at the Iron Horse on Wednesday evening

* Getting a goodnight kiss from Jim every night for the last week

* Feeling The Gut begin to recede a little bit more every few days :)

The next few days will be devoted to hydrating, eating some good carbs, and taking it easy before the 13.1 miler on Sunday. Amy and I are both a little nervous about how we'll be able to perform-- she's had some dental issues in the last few weeks and is on antibiotics and other meds to get the swelling and infection out before her root canal next week. Ugh. And I've been getting sharp, stabbing pains in my right lower ribs area every time I've run lately. Not really sure what that's all about; hope it decides to subside a bit for the run on Sunday. So we'll just have to try our best to do the run despite our freakishly failing bodies. We know that we've put in some good training and that under ideal circumstances could run a good race. So all we can do is hope and pray for good health, but accept whatever conditions may come on race day.

Goals for the race:

* ME: get a second 1/2 M under my belt, and further build my confidence in my distance-running abilities
* AMY: complete her first real 1/2 M (she did the Snow Joke a few years ago with two other gals, but they walked much more of it than they ran, so she's hoping to truly run a 1/2)

* BOTH: Have fun; Appreciate the fact that Missoula now has its own Marathon/Half-Marathon event; Run as well as we can given our physical conditions on Sunday; Thank the volunteers and spectators who'll cheer us on; Cheer on our friend Regina who'll be running her first full Marathon!!!

Cross your fingers for us... and if you're in Missoula, come out and cheer everyone on. The finish line is at Caras Park, along the river in downtown. We hope to be there around 8:15-8:30 a.m. (after a 6am start!)

(Photos of fire on Mt. Sentinel behind the UM clock tower on Wed night; and of the burned area on Thursday morning... both gotten from Missoulian.com; check the archived stories for more articles and cool photos!)

The bestest, raddest, funnest weekend!!!

2008-07-03T08:34:00.008-06:00

Boy, this week has sure flown by. I meant to get this post done on Monday... Anyhow, last weekend totally rocked. Here's a re-cap:

Friday night: Margaritas! And super-humongous nachos at the Iron Horse with Jim, Jenny, Liz, Dan, Kevin, Mamie, and Chris. Sat on the patio, chatted, lounged. It was great. Those ‘ritas hit the spot!

Saturday early morning: Thanked myself for only having 2 drinks :) Felt great, got up early, enjoyed hanging out in the house with the windows open and a sweatshirt on, enjoying the cool morning before the onslaught of the sun. Washed dishes, did laundry, etc. Appreciated quiet time.

Saturday mid-to-late morning: Did some more bike shopping. Rode several different makes and models at several shops. All seemed “okay,” but not great. Even the higher-end ($2200) Ruby Elite I test-rode just didn’t seem as great as I remembered the Trek being last weekend. So I returned to Open Road bike store and asked to ride the Trek 2.1 again. As soon as I hopped on, I knew. It was my bike. I giggled the whole ride, and went back to the shop with wallet in hand.

Saturday afternoon: Headed up the Blackfoot to go kayaking with Kevin and Mamie. Had a blast! It was my first time in a kayak since 2002, and it was great. I really felt like I was better than I was before! Perhaps the arms and abs are useful for something besides just triathloning!

Saturday evening: Kev and Mamie joined Jim and I for a cookout at our house. On the menu was grilled BBQ chicken, fresh corn on the cob, a big green salad, and lima beans. De-lish. Made even better by the fact that Kev and Mamie did most of the work while I sat on the porch and got toasty off of two light beers :)

Sunday morning: Met Amy for a 2 hour (approx. 11 mile) run in the Rattlesnake. The first part of the run was pretty nice, but by the end it was really getting hot (like, oh, 80 or so). Ugh! I got a super painful side cramp for the last few miles, which put a damper on things. But otherwise the run was okay. Hard, though. Nice to have that over with. It was our longest run before our ½ mary on the 13th.

Sunday mid-day: Went to the Good Food Store for salad bar and bread after the run. Then went back to Open Road to meet my awesome bike salesman Arthur who came in on his day off to help me get acquainted with my new ride. We spent a little over an hour going over the mechanics, ideal gearing, maintenance, tire changing, brake care, etc. It was totally cool of him to help out like that (new bike, dubbed “McDreamy” for it’s dreamcicle colorations and dreamy feeling, wouldn’t fit in the car the day before, so I had to pick it up on Sunday).

Sunday afternoon: Joined Amy and Jenny for an afternoon at the water park! We had a blast riding water slides, lounging around the “Lazy River” on inner tubes, and even doing a few laps in the 50m pool. A great way to spend a hot afternoon!!!

Sunday evening: Tracked Jim down in the hay fields. Took him a much-appreciated bottle of COLD water and rode around with him for a bit while he baled hay. It’s a little loud, but at least the tractor’s air-conditioned, so it’s not a bad place to hang out and chat on a hot evening (okay, so not really, but it was the only chance to get to see him, as he was going to be working til after my bed time).

Whew, what a great weekend. Exhausting, though!

And, as a note, I did really well with my “mindful eating” program this weekend. While Friday was an intentional splurge night, I planned well the rest of the weekend and ate well, enjoying good, tasty foods, but watching my portion control. For example, on Saturday for dinner I had just one piece of chicken (rather than the two or three I would’ve normally eaten), and shared an ear of corn with Mamie, used a smaller than normal amount of dressing, and had just one serving of the delicious limas. No seconds. No dessert. Two beers. I went to bed feeling satisfied but not overly full, and felt great the next morning. Yay.

This coming weekend’s agenda:
Fri: Get up and run 8 miles, shower, then hit the road for Livingston. We’ll meet up with Jim’s mom at the rodeo grounds in Livingston, where his brother David will be working the rodeo as a pickup man. I love rodeos on the 4th of July—what better way to be All-American?! It’ll be nice, too, to spend some more time with David’s fiancé Sarah, whom we’ve only met once. We’ll share a model room with Jim’s mom that night (ooh, yeah, romantic, I know— we all decided that with gas prices and such, saving $100 on a room would be worth it for one night).

Sat: Drive down to Red Lodge and tool around for the afternoon, then attend Jim’s cousin’s wedding that evening. It’s at a super nice looking lodge, and we’ll have our own room for the night (no, we’re not TOTAL tight-wads), so that’ll be fun.

Sun: Head back to Missoula. Be glad to be home.
Then the next week I’ll be in Missoula for work the whole week, which will be nice. What will Jim and I do with all this time together?!?

The travel and weddings and such will present some challenges to the diet goals. Anyone got tips or suggestions for how to stay reasonably on track when out of your normal element? I’d love to hear them!

Anita

2008-06-27T15:04:00.003-06:00

As in "Anita, anita, anita Margarita!"

It's been one of those weeks. I'm ready to toss in the sobrero and have a cold one.

Update on Runner Girl

2008-06-26T12:02:00.002-06:00

Just looked out the window and saw the same gal running that I talked about a month or so ago. She's still at it, and I can tell she's getting faster and has built up some endurance. I'm tempted to yell words of encouragement out the window, but afraid that might seem a bit odd. Perhaps sometime I'll just go out and join her for a lap or two... but not today-- I just have sandals on!

Correlations?

2008-06-26T07:33:00.002-06:00

Had a great solo bike ride yesterday afternoon. Trying to do some speed intervals mixed with some hills, so it was a tough workout. But I had a blast with it. I kept harkening back to Bolder’s story and imagining I was the jungle cat and It was ON.

I didn't have anyone to race, but imagined there was someone creeping up on me and I was pulling away from them. It worked-- I really cranked up a few hills.

Then I nearly crashed coming back down. But saved it. So no gory story to tell... whew!

I'm having a very good feeling week. I've felt stronger and fitter in my workouts than I have in several weeks (including the week of my race... in fact, I rode waaay better-- meaner, tougher, more aggressive-- yesterday than I did a few weekends ago). My swim on Tuesday kicked butt-- I rocked out 2050 yards in less than an hour and noticed improvements in my strokes-per-length. And this morning my run felt much better and smoother than it has in a while. I was even starting to enjoy it by the time I had to stop :)

So, why such the great week? What's changed?

I'm going to blame my diet. Since I've been keeping my food journal, I've definitely thought twice about a few of the binge or junk-fest urges that have come up. I even "just said no" to grabbing a taco or a sno-cone at the outdoor concert I went to the other night! Basically, I've been getting full but not over-full. And I feel good.

I don't know if that's the only reason for my badass workout mode, but I'm going to tell myself it is. And I'll bookmark this post so that I can look back at it at times when I'm struggling.

the Gut has Got to Go

2008-06-24T13:44:00.003-06:00

Seriously. I'm sick of the flab. Everything's been shaping up pretty nicely from about mid-chest up and knees down. It's just that mid-section that still keeps holding on to what it's got.

I'm sick of it. Sick of feeling my belly jiggle when I run. Sick of having to move extra thigh flab out of the way when I cross my legs in yoga twists. Sick of not looking like I work out as hard as I do. Sick of wondering if maybe I'd be faster if I weighed less. Sick of whining to my friends that I just can't seem to get thinner.

Unlike other sicknesses, this won't just go away with "plenty of fluids and lots of rest." Nope, this is going to take some serious work to cure. But I think I'm finally ready to face the fact that I'm not going to get any smaller unless I work hard to do so. And unfortunately, "work hard" for me means I have to watch my diet.

Dammit!

Obviously I'm doing fairly well at balancing my intake/output, as I've been right around the same size/weight for over a year now. Even though my workouts and thus calorie expenditure have increased quite a bit, I haven't shed much if any of my excess body mass.

Body mass? Who'm I kidding. Call it by it's right name: Fat. Ugh, I hate that word. But that's what it is-- Fat. And it's got to go.

So here's the deal-- I need your help.

One of the main reasons I keep signing up for races is because it gives me a concrete goal-- something to work towards, to prepare for. It takes away the chance for excuses (oh, I'll exercise NEXT WEEK doesn't work when trying to prepare for a race). And with a race, I know that my friends and family will be checking in with me to see how my training's going, and will not feel afraid to ask me how I'm doing. So there's a little peer pressure there that definitely helps keep me on track.

With a race, I develop a plan, I implement it (with minor adjustments as necessary), and I share my experiences, my ups and downs, with everyone.

Until now, though, the weight loss goals have been taboo. I haven't made any concrete goals, just I hope I can start looking trimmer. And I don't talk about it much. And you guys don't ask me about it. So I don't feel the need to be accountable.

Well, no more.

I have a goal. And you guys get to help me stick with it.

My next triathlon is August 17-- eight weeks from now. I'll go into my race goals later. But for now, I'll set some body goals for that same date:

I currently weigh around 139-142, depending on the day. By Augst 17, I want that range to be 134-137 (roughly five pounds lighter). But no muscle is to be sacrificed. So I'll continue my strength training, but work to get rid of the fat.
I currently fit comfortably into size 10 jeans. By August 17, I want to need to go shopping for size 8's.
My circumfrences for the narrowest part of my mid-section, right around my belly button, and around my hips are: 30.5", 34.5", and 39.0", respectively. By August 17, those numbers will be smaller.

I've been willing to make lifestyle sacrifices to train for races. I've been willing to endure pain. I've pre-meditated weekly plans and stuck to them.

Now I'll be doing that with my diet, too.

Yesterday I had a good long talk with my favorite instructor from the gym, Rose, who's PowerPump class I go to every Friday (and sometimes go to her Boot Camp class on Mondays). She empathized with my situation, but also told me, in nice-but-not-too-nice terms that if I really want to lose some weight, it's gonna be hard. Tough. If you want it, you have to work for it.

So next Monday she'll be expecting a Food Journal from me, in which I've written down everything I've eaten for the last week, with estimated calories eaten. And estimated calories burned. And she'll scrutinize it with the eyes of someone who knows me well enough to be perfectly honest with me, but who doesn't know me well enough to be afraid to be honest and tell me what I don't want to hear.

The rest of you will be expecting a report on how I did at meeting my goals for the week. And you'll no longer tell me nice little things like "oh, I think you look fine" or "I'm sure you've just gained muscle, not flab." Thanks, but I don't need those boosters. I need you to help me stop making excuses, to be tough on me.

To lose 5 lbs in 8 weeks will take an average loss of 0.625 lbs per week, or 0.09 lbs per day. A totally healthy rate of weight loss. That takes an average calorie deficit of 312 calories per day-- approximately two beers. Or one large scoop of macaroni and cheese. Or one pre-dinner binge on chips and salsa.

Sorry, Chuck, but it ain't gonna be easy. I'm going to have to eat good, healthy, nutritous foods to keep your energy up for all the training I'll still be doing. But I just can't keep eating "extras" just because I worked out hard that day. Sorry, I'm going to have to be anal about tracking what I'm eating. I'm going to have to say "no" sometimes when there's something really tasty in front of me. I'm going to have to report in to my friends and family about how I'm doing, and honestly answer their questions.

And if I work hard and I REALLY want this, it'll happen.

What's Next?

2008-06-18T09:08:00.002-06:00

The Missoula Half Marathon is in 4 weeks. So I'll be shifting my focus a little bit more towards running for the next few weeks. But I still have my sights on the Whitefish Lake Triathlon in late August, so I'll need to keep up with the swimming and biking, too.

Given that, here's what I have planned. Basically I'll be sure to get in my 3 runs each week-- at least one speedwork day, one easy shorter run, and one long run. Hopefully I'll still get in two swims and a long bike, and I'll be biking to work.

Week of June 16-22:
Mon- rest
Tues- 4 mi run + yoga
Wed- swim + weights
Thurs- long bike
Fri- run (easy 2 mi) + weights + swim
Sat- rest
Sun- long run (10 mi)

Week of June 23-29:
Mon- swim + hiking for work
Tues- run (tempo)
Wed- swim + strength + light hiking
Thurs- long bike
Fri- run (easy 5 mi) + strength
Sat- long run (11 mi)
Sun- rest

Week of June 30-July 6:
Mon- swim (intervals) + hiking for work
Tues- run (speedwork) + yoga
Wed- swim + strength + light hiking
Thurs- long bike
Fri- run (easy 4 mi)
Sat- long run (8 mi)

Week of July 7-13 (taper):
Mon- run (easy 4 mi)
Tues- bike (45 min easy) + yoga
Wed- run (3 mi easy)
Thurs- swim
Fri- rest
Sat- run (very easy 2 mi)
Sun- 1/2 Marathon Race

More Race Results

2008-06-17T12:28:00.003-06:00

This just in... http://www.summithealthcenter.com/pdf/events/triathlon/2008/triathlonsplits.pdf

Bummer that the equipment wasn't working well enough to get splits for the swim or for transition times.Guess I'll have to do another one!

More Weekend Pictures

2008-06-16T17:15:00.015-06:00

Me posing with my bike, who this weekend was finally named: "Mellow Yellow."

Mellow Yellow with Craig and Amy's bikes, propped up against cedars in the campground we stayed at in Glacier this weekend. On Friday afternoon I tossed my tent and pack in their truck, then dropped my car off in West Glacier and rode my bike in to camp. It was a flat, scenic 10 miles, and a good chance to loosen up my legs while gawking at the gorgeous views. We had a great evening hanging out in camp chatting and cooking s'mores over the fire (hence the smoke hanging in the trees anove the bikes). Then Saturday morning I rode back out, while those two went for a super cool ride up the portion of the Going to the Sun road that's plowed, but not open to motor vehicles yet. It sounds like they had a beautiful day and a great ride. I was jealous I couldn't join them, but that would've been too much the day before a race!
Left: Me heading into the transition area after the bike.
Right: The transition area, with Foy's Lake in the background. By this point it was in the mid-60's and just plain stellar. Mellow Yellow is lying by the fence in the foreground since someone else was parked in his spot!

Walkerruns, about half-way through the run, heading up the slight grade towards Heron Park. I was having my own race at that point, with no one a good ways in front or behind me. Just spectators walking up the other side of the road... ahh, strolling along was looking so nice at that point.

And finally, the Finish Line!!! Note the smile and the "Victory!" arms. (okay, this picture was actually posed... Amy's camera froze up on her during my actual crossing of the finish line... so I had to take off my number and run back through a few minutes later. but this it a really good approximation of what my real finish looked like!)

Summit Solstice Triathlon Race Report

2008-06-16T16:11:00.005-06:00

Well, I did it. A triathlon. Whodda thunk?!

Okay, the setting: Sunday morning, clear blue skies with a few scattered white fluffy clouds. Gorgeous. Green grass and trees shining in the sun. Temp on the way there: 43 and rising.

My nerves: totally calm.

Arrived at the race site. Found a spot for my bike and gear. Learned to use a bike rack ;) Checked out the new swim course and transition areas. Talked to other folks from my class. Got body marked with my race number. Smiled while getting marked—ha! now I look like a triathlete! Stood in line for 10+ minutes to use one of the two bathrooms at the start.

Warmup: rode my bike a mile or so up the road to Heron Park. Hopped off and ran for about 10 min. Returned to my bike and had no wait for the bathroom there! Poo #2. Rode back to the starting area, racked my bike, and suited up while at the pre-race meeting. Feet were cold walking around on the bare ground, but rest of me was plenty warm.

At the start, the men went first. It was sweet to watch some of the faster guys. They looked like they were swimming so effortlessly, so smooth! And sweet, too, to see a few guys doing a doggie paddle or breast stroke. Women were supposed to start 10 min after the men. So once the guys took off, I hopped in, peed in my suit to warm it up!, reluctantly stuck my head in and swam around a few strokes. Warmed up okay. But then we waited, waited, waited. Got cold waiting. It was a long 10 min.

THE SWIM
Finally the gun went off. Splish, splash, 80 or so women took off swimming. Bodies here, bodies there. Got swam over. Swam over someone else. Was totally cool about it all. I just hit my rhythm right off the bat, took a good pace, and ignored everything else. Just as I’d planned. 123-breathe-456-breathe-789-sight, 123-breathe-456-breathe-789-sight… Turned the first buoy in a mid-pack group. Started off for the 2nd buoy. Had a bit of a hard time getting something to sight off of, was a little disoriented watching the sea of bobbing pink caps ahead of me (all women were issued pink swim caps with their number written on it). So I doggie-paddled a few seconds to get my bearings, swam a bit more, and repeated the doggie-paddle another time or two until I neared the buoy. Turned, and kept it steady towards the swim exit. Passed several people at the end. They stood up and tried walking/running out of the deeper water. I just kept swimming past their legs, touching bottom with my hands, until the water was barely deep enough to float in, then stood up and ran out of the water (don’t remember where I picked up that tip, but was glad the others hadn’t!)

T-1
Ran up the hill out of the lake and across a freshly-mowed lawn. Unzipped my suit and took off my cap and goggles and was taking my first arm out before I got to my bike. Sat down and took off the rest of my suit in the methodical order I’d practiced, and used a bottle of water to try to wash the grass clippings off my feet. Put on socks, shoes, shirt, then sunglasses and helmet (I’d worn my tri-shorts and a sports bra under my wetsuit). Ran with my bike out of the transition area. Hopped on smoothly and started pedaling.

THE BIKE
First little bit was flat. Started spinning fast, gearing up, passed two girls in the first half mile. Then a climb up a good hill. Good gearing, legs were working. Then began the downhill. Pedaled fast and got up some speed. Or so I thought. But then I started getting passed. On the downhill! Several people. People I’d beat on the swim were now passing me going downhill, and I was pedaling. Not cool. That’s it, I’m buying a road bike. Cruised along, not at all-out, but at a pretty good clip. About 15 minutes in ate a Hammer Gel. I’d taped it to my handlebars with masking tape and had written my theme for the day on the tape: “Celebrate!” Ripping it off reminded me to look up and appreciate where I was. Cruising down a winding mountain road, with wooded hillside on my left and on my right a pasture of tall green grass and black cattle in front of a little farm house. Gorgeous. Other bikers in the other lane headed back up the hill. I’d been worried I’d be cold on the first part of the bike, but the sun just felt great. Only my feet were cold. They felt weird, and I tried wiggling them around to warm them up. To no avail.

Hit the flats and cruised along, geared down for the 180 turn, powered thru it. Then started back up the hill. Tried keeping the gears low and the revolutions high. But before long I was getting passed. By yet another group of folks. One couple encouraged me “Way to go on the mountain bike… You’re really gutting it out!” And that’s exactly what I was doing—gutting it out. I just couldn’t hang with the road bikes. “We did our first one on mountain bikes a few years ago; we know how much harder you’re working,” the road-biking couple continued as they gained ground on me.

I hit the one flat spot and gained a little ground on the group in front of me. But the big hill came up quickly. I geared down. And down. And down some more. Not the granniest gear, but the second lowest possible. I tried to focus on spinning, making good circles, not mashing. Passed one lady, which felt good. But my legs were getting tired. And all the getting passed had me feeling a little down.

Crested the top of the last hill and enjoyed a short downhill spin-out, then cranked along the flats to the transition area. Spun it out for a few seconds right before dismounting. Didn’t biff the dismount! Then heard “Go Carly!” from friends Craig and Amy, who’d left their cozy camp in Glacier early that morning to come watch me race. Thanks guys, you rock!!!

T-2
Ran down 5 racks to where my spot was supposed to be, but it was full of bikes. I must’ve miscounted. So I stopped, counted again, and realized Crap, someone put their bike in my spot. Screw it! I said, partly to myself, partly to Craig and Amy who were photographing me from the other side of the fence. I dropped my bike along the fence, then located my pile of gear, tore off my helmet, popped on my visor, and took off at a pretty good clip out of the transition area.

THE RUN
For the first hundred yards or so, running actually felt kinda good. I was glad to be off the bike. And glad to get the chance to finally warm up my feet, which had been cold the whole race.

But the good feelings soon left. As my feet started to thaw, I got the sensation that two large sticks were running lengthwise down the bottoms of my shoes. Ow! It hurt! And I also realized that I was breathing pretty darn hard already. Slow down a bit—you’ve got three miles of this! But I soon hit a small hill, and the heart rate soared. The gal in front of me started walking, and I followed the siren’s call. But upon reaching the top of the hill, I took off running again. I made the first turn and headed up through a neighborhood of high-dollar lakeside houses. My feet continued to thaw, and reached the stage in which they started sending sharp pains from my toes all the way up my legs and into my hips. Mother-f-er! This hurts! Additionally, my chest felt a little tight, and there was a pain in my back between my shoulder blades. Owww! And then to add injury to insult, I was hit with a super steep hill to run up for 200 yards or so. This time, though, when the siren started walking, I resisted the urge and just kept grueling. At the top, we turned a 180, and headed back down. She passed me, though, when I stopped to walk a few steps to catch my breath. That hill got me. I never caught her again.

After winding back down out of the shi-shi neighborhood, I hit the main road, and was just out on my own for a while. I saw Amy and Craig walking up the road towards the finish line, and chatted with them as I passed. This is the hardest 5k I’ve ever run, I reported. Everything hurts! They just took pictures. Thanks—I’m sure those are stellar…

More uphill. Not steep, but up. Another turn, and yet more uphill. At this point I could see the finish line. People gathered all around. Runners hauling down the last hill. How easy it would be to hop the fence and run down there and be done! Yet I still had a little over a mile to go—out farther up the hill, then looping around the park. Ugh!

One last quick walk break towards the top of the hill, then I hit grass. The softer footing felt good, and my legs finally started feeling okay. The pains were subsiding, I finally got a rhythm. Two girls sped past me, but I didn’t mind. I was enjoying feeling halfway decent at last. Not fast, but not in pain. I even started to look around and appreciate the scenery again. The sound of the finish line grew nearer, and I made up my mind not to push it hard to the finish. My goal for the day was to Celebrate, and I knew that if I pushed hard, I’d finish feeling pukey, and wouldn’t be able to smile and raise my arms in a cheer like you so often see people do. So when I heard footsteps approaching behind me, I turned my head and shouted encouragements to the girl who was about to pass me, rather than try to outrun her. There’ll be other races for being competitive… I’m just going to enjoy myself. Finally, there it was. The final 100 yards to the finish. I spotted Amy standing right behind the finish mats, camera in hand. Finally—I’ll be able to smile at the finish! Then folks started calling my name… “Way to go, Carly! Whoo hoo!” Folks from my tri class, from the gym, and Craig and Amy were all rooting me on. I crossed the line with a big grin and hands in the air. I’m a triathlete!, I hollered.

CONCLUSIONS
So it’s official. I’m a triathlete. That feels great to say.

So how was my first triathlon? Hard. I’m not gonna lie. It was harder than I’d imagined—harder than any of the single workouts I’d done in preparation. Duh, you say. But for some reason, I just didn’t expect it to be quite so hard. I expected the run to be my strongest part. But instead, it was way, way tougher than I’d mentally prepared for. And obviously tougher than I’d physically prepared for. Damn. I see more hill workouts in my future.

The swim, however, exceeded my expectations. Again, it wasn’t fast, but it was smooth, calm, and confident. Go figure. Looking back, I know that I was out of the water before 4 of the girls that I'd trained with, plus several others (who all went ahead and passed me on the bike). So that was cool.

And I supposed I shouldn’t be so disappointed in the bike. But I kind of am. It was disheartening to get passed by so many folks. I felt like I did much better on some of the practice rides of equal or longer distance and similar difficulty. But, of course, I hadn’t done a swim before those. And I wasn’t filled with race-day jitters. So maybe I should just take it and be proud for now. I really only started doing bike workouts in Feb or so, but only on the open road in April. So I’m very much a rookie. And I’ve always taken it for granted that anyone can ride a bike. Apparently they can… but not anyone can crank out a fast ride on a very hilly course. Again, I see some more hill climbing on the horizon.

There were definitely a few highlights of the day:
- Hanging out in the water with girls from my tri class before the swim, and starting the swim knowing I was amongst friends.
- Hopping out of the water feeling strong, and keeping my planned method for the transition.
- Seeing so many face I knew on the bike, and cheering folks on by name. I probably hollered out for 20 people throughout the bike, including my instructor Ted who was in 3rd place when we crossed paths (about two miles into the bike for me!)... he subsequently won the whole thing!
- Getting "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" stuck in my head once Nikki (one of the gals from my class) sang it to me when we crossed paths on the run
- Smiling across the finish line… so much nicer than puking!
- Giving and getting congratulatory hugs at the finish line. Yay, I was psyched to see several of the girls I knew already there, and had fun cheering on others who were behind me.
Running across the finish line a second time with Kip, a gal from my class who came in nearly last, after most folks had left. Amy, Craig, and I were already heading back to the car, but then I noticed Kip rounding the last turn. So I ran down the hill and joined her for the last leg. “Thanks!” she said, “I think I’m the last one.” Who cares, you still just completed a triathlon. Woo hoo!!! I was super proud of her!!!

After loading up my gear and slipping into my hot pink cotton sundress, Amy, Craig, and I headed to McKenzie River Pizza for lunch. We shared some cheesy breadsticks, and I had a giant "Taos salad"—mixed greens, carrots, green onions topped with ranch dressing, chicken chili, and crushed blue corn chips. Yum! I’d never had chili on a salad before, but it was most excellent. Yeah, I love post-race meals... they're always SO good, regardless of what you'd think on any other day.

I spent the next few hours shopping for an outfit to wear to a wedding in a few weeks. It was a great day for shopping. I’m usually not much of a clothes shopper, but was having a great body-image day, so it was actually fun to try on lots of dresses. It was also fun to have other ladies in the store give sideways glances at the big black “”119” written on my right upper arm and left calf. Yeah, that’s right, I’m a badass triathlete, I wanted to say. But said nothing and just kept searching for the perfect shoes. Which I found. And accessories. Yes, folks, I bought a dress, heeled sandals, AND accessories. I guess being a triathlete makes you do crazy things. Yeah, I’m a triathlete. Tee hee. I can’t get over saying that.

I got home and cleaned off my bike and hung my gear out to dry. Then I popped on my swimsuit and headed down to the pool at my apartment. I dove in, and was amazed how much warmer it was than Foy’s Lake! I floated around for a few minutes, enjoying the lack of gravity on my legs, then plopped down on a lounge chair to read a magazine and soak up the sun for a few hours. Ahh.

Now I’ve showered, eaten, and spent the last hour or so typing. It’s time for bed, dear friends. Thanks to all of you who’ve supported me in my training for today’s race. And Happy Father’s Day, again, Dad!

In retrospect, the race was great. I went there to experience my first triathlon, and to celebrate my accomplishments. So in that way, I won.

Now here are the stats (drum roll, please......):

Total Time= 1:44:45

Overall Rank Amongst Females: 52 of 79
Rank in Age Class (30-34): 11 of 14
Rank Amongst Girls I'd Trained With: 6 of 12
Those Who Beat Me Did It On The: Bike=4, Swim=1
Amount of Money I Now Need to Raise for a New Bike= $500+
Donations Can Be Sent To= ha ha!

They haven't posted the break-down yet, but here's my approximation:
I forgot to start my watch for the swim. Oops.
I remembered to start it sometime between T1 and the first 1/2 mile of the bike... don't remember when exactly. But pushed it going out of T2, so total bike and some transition time= 50:31; so that would mean a MINIMUM average of 15.7 mph
Run time (ugh,) was 31:39, an average of about 10:12 min/mi (not so bad, I suppose, given that a year ago I was pushing to do 10 minute miles in regular 5k's)

I'll post the break-down times when I get them. This should give you enough to chew on for now, though. And more pictures, too-- for some reason they're not uploaded for me right now.

Tomorrow's Goal: Be like a bee

2008-06-14T16:03:00.003-06:00

Well folks, it's almost here... my first triathlon. Luckily, the gods have taken pity on us poor Montanans and thrown some sunshine and 70 degree days our way, after beating us down with 4" of snow and 30-degree temps earlier this week.

So, as Jimmy B would say, "the weather is here."

I took my bike by the shop today for a lube job. My gear is all laid out on my living room floor where I've practiced my transitions a few times today. I went for a beautiful super easy-paced bike ride in Glacier Park this morning (not hard to resist going faster when there's such great scenery to gawk at!). And I'm on my way to pick up my race packet in just a few minutes.

Everything's in order. I'm ready to roll. And for a little extra information, I re-read one of my favorite stories this morning. I'll share:

"A few years ago, the story goes, scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an interest in the bumblebee. The lab folks reckoned that the little insect held some secrets of flight that may provide answers to questions about operating in space. After all, they asked, how could such small wings produce efficient lift for a relatively large and hairy torso? And how could a round body and flight position that violated many principles of aerodynamics move so effectively through the air? Indeed, there was much to learn from the little hummer.

So the scientists set about studying the bumblebee to discover its flying secrets. As scientists always do, they hypothesized about, scritinized, examined, dissected, measured, timed, filmed, observed, compared, quantified, thought about and debated the bumblebee. After weeks of study they came to one conclusion: Bumblebees are not capable of flight.

Fortunately, no one told the bumblebee. The silly insects go right on believing that flight is normal for them despite what the best minds in the scientific world know as fact.

We can learn a lot from the bumblebee. The single most critical piece of the multisport puzzle is believing in yourself and your capacity to succeed. "If you thin you can or think you can't," automobile manufacturer Henry Ford said, "you're probably right." The bumblebee thinks it can fly. Actually, the thought of anything else never even crosses its tiny mind. It just keeps on flying."

(from The Triathlete's Training Bible, by Joe Friel)

Stay tuned for a race report...

The Taper Week Blues

2008-06-11T16:05:00.003-06:00

TAPER (\'tā-per\): v/ 1: to become progressively smaller toward one end 2 : to diminish gradually

Yeah, right. Who becomes progressively smaller during a taper week?!?!

I feel like a blob! It's hard to adjust my diet to fit the lack of 2-hour workouts. And I'm finding it easy to skip workouts this week, rationalizing "well, it's supposed to be a restful week, so since it's cold and I don't really want to, I'll skip my swim tonight."

Ughhhh!

According to Wikipedia, "a review of fifty studies on tapering indicates that optimal levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants, and hormones, which are significantly depleted by intense endurance training, are achieved during a taper." Pretty much any endurance sport training plan, article, book, or whatnot will talk about the importance of tapering before a race.

Sounds great, right? You get to ease off on the workouts, have more time to do non-training things (work in the garden, go shopping, watch a movie...) So why is it that so many athletes have a hard time with the taper?

Well, folks who have been training for a big endurance event just simply aren't used to not going full-bore. They're used to working out hard, following a routine, and eating enough calories to replace the hundreds or thousands they burn during workouts. Then all the sudden they're supposed to just change up the whole routine...

For a day or two, tapering is a nice break. But after a few days, it sucks. The body starts to feel unused, unloved. And it's darn tough to not feel like a total blob if you're eating "normally" but not working out as much!

Okay, I'm off to the pool. For real this time!

Weekly Wrap-Up

2008-06-06T08:13:00.003-06:00

Here's what this week has looked like thus far:

Monday- Rest day after last weekend's rough riding; enjoyed strolling around Home Depot & Lowes looking for yard/garden toys

Tuesday- 45 min swim workout w/ some longer sets in which I worked on building speed, followed by a 45 min steady-paced bike ride

Wednesday- 3 mile run and pushups, situps, and pullups in the morning; 20 min open water swim (to the island and back) in Foy's Lake (it's getting easier and less scary every time!)

Thursday- 1 hour Iyengar yoga class in the morning; brick workout in afternoon (after a short warm-up ride and jog, we began: ride a very hilly 3 mi loop, then hop off your bike and run a 1/2 mile; then hop on your bike again, then run... rinse and repeat for 60 minutes at race pace.
(holy camoly, what a workout. my heart rate was UP... averaged 173 (~83% MHR) for 60 minutes, with a peak of 190 (93% MHR). I was one tired puppy after that. But it was good-- I felt strong and tough, and ready to rock next weekend's race)

Friday- 1 hour Power Pump class this morning. Workout went like this:
~10 min step aerobics to warm up
1 lap (200 m) of walking lunges on the track with two 5-lb weights
2 min wall-sit
first set (x3): 16 pushups, 16 rear delt flys, and 32 one-legged deadlifts (16 per leg)
second set (x3): 16 tricep extensions from a plank position, 16 bicep curls paired with a plie squat, 16 knee crunches from a plank position, and hold a side plank for 30 seconds
finally finished up with about 8 minutes of crunches, oblique crunches, and leg extensions
(whewee, my legs were doing the Elvis-shake thing after that workout!)

What does the rest of the weekend hold in store? More fun torture ;) I'm hoping to get in a 20-30 minute easy swim this afternoon, then a 9 mile run tomorrow, and a 16-20 mile bike on Sunday. Then it's TAPER TIME next week-- a few short, low-intensity sessions, but basically resting up and staying loose for the race on Sunday

Pre-Race Thoughts

2008-06-05T14:05:00.007-06:00

A lot of my thoughts these past few weeks have been on my upcoming triathlon. Some intentional, some not.

I've been intentionally doing some visualization exercises to help mentally prepare myself. I imagine myself starting the swim. Running up the hill to the first transition. Hopping gracefully onto my bike. Spinning up the hills. Gracefully dismounting my bike. Beginning the run. Finishing the run. SMILING as I cross the finish line (I always forget to do this in races!)

But there's another strain of thoughts that keeps creeping in unintentionally. Especially during workouts.

Last week in the pool I started worrying: "What if the swim takes me over 30 minutes instead of just over 20 minutes... What if I freak out and have to float on my back for a while... What if I get off course..."

Then on my crappy run yesterday morning I was again laden by negative thoughts, by fears of failure. "I haven't been doing as much speedwork as I meant to do... This cold I've been battling has sure slowed me down... I don't feel as well-trained or as ready as I'd like to feel... What if I get a side cramp during the race... What if I have to stop and walk... What if I don't finish the run in less than 30 minutes like I want to..."

All these what-ifs. All these self-doubts. Where do they come from? Why do they keep bubbling up during my workouts here lately? Usually I enjoy my workouts because they help free my mind of all the stress, the negative thoughts, the worries of everyday life.

But with a race on the horizon, some of my recent workouts haven't been so freeing.

From reading other triathlete's blogs, I'm not alone in having these thoughts. (see here and here... It's kind of comforting, actually, to see that folks who have been triathloning for several yaers and are tough enough to be attempting half and full Ironmans are having the same sorts of doubts about themselves.)

So the rational side of my brain has been having to work overtime, and I've had to conjure up that little cheerleader inside of me to say "Shut up, stupid, you can do this!" (Okay, so she's not the nicest cheerleader... but she gets the point across).

The rational side is counteracting the What-ifs with some of these affirmations:

- Remember that not two years ago, you couldn't run a full mile. And just 6 months ago you could barely swim a full lap. Now you'll be swimming 1/2 mile, biking 13, and running 3. And you know, at the very least, you can complete all of these activities. So be thankful that you have the strength and the courage to even sign up for such an event.

- Remember this great quote: "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." (John Bingham, running speaker and writer)

- The race is not a test. It's a celebration. A celebration of the training that's gotten you to where you are. A celebration of your dedication to be active. A celebration of the fact that your body is able to respond to the challenges you put before it.

- You've never done a triathlon before. Thus, you have nothing to compare this one to. Thus you can't let yourself down. You're guaranteed a PR. Whatever your time is, be happy about it. Worry about improving on it next year!

As race day approaches more, I'll continue trying to keep my thoughts positive. And I'll continue my visualizations to help me get as mentally prepared as possible. And as much as I feel like I should keep pushing hard to get in several more great workouts, I know rationally that I'll benefit more from a week of short, easy workouts, good nutrition, and lots of sleep. So I'll reluctantly taper. And I'll keep repeating to myself my overall goal for the race:

Survive the Swim, Bust out the Bike, Rock the Run

A Little Consistency, Please

2008-06-04T07:53:00.002-06:00

Dear Body,

Why can't we just have good workouts all the time? I mean, yesterday we were SO GOOD together. We hit the pool with a vengeance, and knocked out those 1600 yards like champs. We breathed well together, we did well keeping our strokes per length at the lowest we could do. We even stuck to the plan of doing a 500 yard with the odd 100's at hard effort. It was great-- the heart was pumping good blood around, the lungs were filling up quickly, the arms were strong, and the legs kept the hips up. It rocked. Then we hopped on the ol' bike and went for a good strong, steady ride. We even extended the ride from 30 to 45 minutes because you were willing to come along when my curiousity got to me. Good thing, too, because we discovered a cool new loop to ride. Ahh, you and me, we were really clicking.

So WTF was up this morning? I mean, all I was asking for was a nice steady-paced 3 mile run. At this point, that should be just about as easy as breathing. But noooo.... you had to go and rebel. I'd planned a port-a-potty stop at 1.5 miles. But you had to get all antsy and want to go before that, making for a pretty uncomfortable stretch between the 1.0 and 1.5 mile marks. But alas, I gave you your pit stop and thought we'd be all better. Wrong. You decided to grace the rest of the run with a nice sharp pain under the right rib. What was that all about? When was the last time we had to stop and take walk breaks on a 3 mile run?! When was the last time it took us 34 minutes to do 3 miles?

Please, dear body, tell me what I need to do to keep you happy. I love it when we get along well.

Sincerely,
WalkerRuns

This Darn Cold

2008-06-03T14:23:00.004-06:00

Ugh. I've had this darn cold for going on three weeks now, and just don't seem to be able to shake it. It made me miss my race a few weekends ago when I was really sick with body-racking coughs. Then it simmered down for a while and I just had the occassional coughing fit as I tried getting all the phlegm out of my lungs. Then towards the end of last week it seemed to rare up again. My head got all stuffy, my sinuses full, and I started having runny noses and sneezing again. That continued all weekend and yesterday. Today seems to be a bit better, knock on wood. But I just haven't felt WELL in several weeks. Not exactly ideal for my last few big weeks of training before my first triathlon :(

I've tried taking a few good rest days, have been taking my vitamins and drinking plenty of fluids. Eating soup. Gargling with hot water. Washing my hands. What the heck else do I need to do? An exorcist?

I'm wondering if I could mount such a contraption to my bike helmet?...

Week In Review

2008-06-02T08:07:00.003-06:00

Monday: 60 min bike ride early in the morning, immediately followed by a 50 min easy-paced run

Tuesday: 60 min swim workout, followed by a 30 min bike ride

Wednesday: 35 min run in morning followed by 20 min yoga; 20 min open-water swim in afternoon (much better than the first attempt!)

Thursday: 30 min yoga in morning; 80 min bike ride in afternoon

Friday: REST DAY

Saturday: ~9 hrs riding my horse working cattle (which involved lots of leg work-- my inner thighs were quivering they were so tired by the end of the day!)

Sunday: another 3 hours on my horse

So the weekly totals turned out to be:

BIKE- 2 hr, 50 min

RUN- 1 hr, 25 min

SWIM- 1 hr, 20 min

YOGA- 50 min

OTHER- ~12 hours horsin' around

I had planned on doing a 9 mile run on Sunday, but was so spent after Saturday, plus we had more cow work to do. I'd also thought that if it was nice out (which it totally was on Saturday) that I'd go for a short swim in Frenchtown Pond. But alas, Saturday's work was much more extensive than I had thought it would be! But all in all, I got at least 2 workouts each in swim, bike, and run, plus some yoga. Plus all the work on my horse. So I'm pleased.

What was all that horse work about?, you may be wondering. Well, we had roughly 200 mother cows and their babies and 8 bulls all in one 300 acre pasture. We had to gather them all up and herd them to a 2-acre pen. From there, we had to find the baby calf and its mother (a "pair") and move that pair up a short hill into the corrals where we wrote down the eartag number of the calf, then put the pair in one of 4 holding pens. We had 4 different leases to send the pairs to-- in Superior, Ninemile, Frenchtown, and Ovando. And we wanted pairs of the same sex to all go together. (So for example, we needed 30 pairs to go to Superior, and we wanted them to all be larger girl babies.) Once we got a pen filled up with the requisite number of pairs, we then had to sort off the cows from the calves, then load them into trailers to get shipped to pasture (it's better not to stick little calves in a trailer with bigger cows, lest they get squished!)

The whole process just took a long time to do. But it was a lot of fun. It's kind of like playing a giant board game-- find which mama goes with which baby, all in a pile of black or black and white cows (hint: they have numbered eartags!) And it's a pretty good workout to be riding a horse doing all of that-- you're definitely not just plunked down in the saddle going along for the ride. My legs were constantly moving, steering my horse this way or that. My arms were usually up or out to the side guiding the cattle. I was bending over to get gates. And I got off and back on my horse dozens of times-- quite the feat for a short girl with a tall horse!

Overall the horsing around was a great workout and a ton of fun. The weather was gorgeous (though I forgot my sunscreen, so today my neck is reminding me how sunny it really was... ouch!) Most importantly, working with the horses and cattle is something Jim and I love doing together. It's nice to have an active activity with your partner-- it's often easy to sink into a routine of just hanging out eating, watching movies, or whatnot. But doing things together really helps strengthen the bond, give you shared experiences, and keep you healthy-- all plusses!

So that's my week in review. Otherwise titled "The Varied Life of a Triathloning Cowgirl" :)

(PS-- I didn't get a chance to take any pictures this weekend... but here's one of Jim when we were working in the corrals earlier this spring)

Ammendment

2008-05-28T07:35:00.005-06:00

Okay, I'd like to make a slight ammendment to yesterday's profession of love for morning workouts:

I love running in the morning. As long as it's a nice, slow, easy-pace run. Speedwork in the morning? Sucks. Bad.

This morning I got up at 5:15. The sun wasn't quite peeking over the mountains, but it was providing a good backlighting for the peaks of Glacier Park that I can see from my bedroom window. The birds were singing, the air was cool but not cold. Fresh. Aaah.

I strapped on my shoes, started my watch, and took off at a slow jog. The plan was to warm-up for 12-15 minutes or so, then do a fartlek session for 20 minutes, then finish up with a 10 min cool-down (non-runners, see description of a fartlek here).

The warm-up went well. I realized once I started running that perhaps it was a little chillier than I'd thought. I should've gone for the pants instead of shorts. And some light gloves would've been nice. Oh well. It was a bit chilly, and even though my core warmed up and I was starting to sweat, my legs never really felt like they got warm.

So I decided to extend my warm-up a little longer... then a little longer.... then some more.

Okay, so I "warmed up" for 25 minutes. That's when the mind versus matter debate really set in:

Brain: I said I was going to do fartleks, so I'd better do some. Run fast to that green mailbox down there.

Legs: nuh uh.

Brain: Yeah, come on.

Legs: nope. we're cold. not gonna do it.

Brain: Oh come on, pleeeease. Just one little speed burst. Then you can have a break.

Legs: nah... we're already on break.

Brain: Fine, we'll run slow for a few more minutes, then go fast.

Legs: okay, sure, whatever.

(a quarter mile later...)

Brain: Okay, you deadbeats. Get to movin'.

Legs: nope. still don't wanna.

Brain: Jeez, you guys. It's only a mile back to home. Can't you eek out a few little speed bursts in there?

Legs: what, so we can get home 60 seconds faster? nah, we'd rather go slower and have it take a little longer. hurts less that way.

Brain: Okay, I'm getting sick of you whiners. Let's go. Come on, hustle.

Legs: (grumble, grumble)

Brain: Pick it up, a little faster... come on, stay with it...

Legs: arghh!... ragga-schmagga.... this (bleep) sucks

Brain: Okay, you can slow down now.

Legs: thanks. that wan't fun.

Brain: Suck it up. You gotta do it again when we get to the end of this street.

Legs: slave driver.

(a minute or so later)

Brain: Time to go, guys. Get a move on.

Legs: yeah, yeah, we're going.

Brain: See, this isn't so bad, is it?

Legs: yeah, sure... you're not the one working here.

Brain: You think this isn't work getting you guys up and moving first thing in the morning? I daresay it's much tougher on me than on you. Then you get to just hang out all day at the office while I have to keep working. So no, I don't have much sympathy. Just shut up and run.

Legs: hmm.. Brain has a point there. still...

Brain: Now would you look at that? We're almost back home. Let's do one more little burst, then we'll go stretch it out with a short yoga dvd. Come on, now-- hup to!

Legs: golly, this going fast stuff isn't all that bad now. but, you know, if Brain says it's time to quit, we won't argue!

And thus went my morning. It seems that Legs and Brain are usually a little more in-sync later in the day. So maybe I'll try leaving speed sessions for afternoons, and just stick with slow runs in the a.m. for now. I can't handle all that bickering so early in the day!