Reports From Around And About

Report from my weekend in Phoenix:
The city that gets like 6 rainy days a year - and which had a forecast that said "0% chance of precipitation" was engulfed in a DOWNPOUR for three of the the three and a half days I was there.  Still, it was a sunny kind of rain and I managed to be active even if I didn't get a run in.  (Trails I've never been on in the dark and in the rain - I just couldn't figure that out!! Next time though.  I figure Phoenix owes me.) 

Report from my kitchen:
Have you seen this book?  My fabulous partner Donna picked it up and welcomed me home with an amazing soup from it.  Seriously yummy stuff.  I can't wait to try more recipes! 

Report from my training plan:
If it's not going to be the year of the first marathon (and it isn't), then it's going to be the year I repeat a race.  I've never done the same race twice and I'm looking forward to it.  Of course the race we're going to repeat is the biggie.  I'm wanting to see if the 7 1/2 hours was a fluke or if we can better it!  I don't know that I can improve my swim or my bike much - but I know I have LOTS of room left to better the run.  I'm looking forward to our newly run-focused training plan. 

Report from my dogs:
They like grapes and carrots but really miss the days they used to get the occasional bit of bacon drippings on their kibbles. I'm thinking I ought to get them some of these. 

Is it Spring yet??  Peace.

TODAY I LOVE:  Reading books with my kids!!  Have you read The Hunger Games?   Are you collecting clues?  Don't you want to go to Camp Half-Blood?  You should.

Day One In The Books - Day Two Off To A Shifty Start

Thanks for all the help with the drills! They're on the schedule for Saturday - followed by a three mile run. I'll let you know how they go.

Quick report on our first day of HIM training. Strangely it was neither a swim, bike, nor run workout. It was a strength session. But that totally works for me, as that's what I've been loving the most in this off season. So here's what we did:

Warm up with three sets of these: (When we first started doing these, Donna couldn't remember this guy's name except that it had to do with vegetables. Now we call these Veggie Tales Torture Sets.)


Then our Upper Body dumbbell exercise routine. We have two versions that work slightly different angles of the muscles but the order goes back, chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps. The first two weeks are lower weight, 20 reps, 2 sets. (The next two weeks are higher weight, 15 reps, 3 sets - and done in supersets where you work opposing muscle groups one right after the other as a set instead of resting in between each exercise.) I think I've said it before but I really like The Body Sculpting Bible for Women. (There's a men's version too). There are descriptions of technique and form, understandable explanations about muscle groups, and lots of photographs. (My only complaint about the book would be that the diet information in there is hopeless. The nutrition advice seems solid but the "14-day" diet plan is ridiculous unless you think 14 days of protein shakes, dry chicken breast, green beans, and brown rice is for you. Good thing I bought it for the weight training information! And I should mention I have the 2001 version. Maybe the revised edition is better in the food plan department.)

Then our new core routine called Around The World, from Beginner Triathlete. Cripes, that was hard!! Clearly my core, she needs some work!

Foam rollering ('cause I needed more pain) and Sage's yoga stretches for cool down. I remembered my recovery drink and logged the workout immediately. Total success!

Day Two? Not quite the slam dunk. It's "pretty" here in that it's sunny. But it's cold and windy and tomorrow is supposed to be twenty degrees warmer and still sunny. I don't think there is any way I can make myself run today and swim tomorrow with the weather forecast like that. I'm about to flip flop the two. My rule-following self is frankly horrified and snarky with internal monologue along the lines of, "Couldn't get through the first two days without wimping out?! WTF, ^^? Can't you stick to ANYTHING?!" but my unconventional, rugged-individualist side is all "Yay! Play in the water today and run in the sun tomorrow! Why the fuck not?!" Day Two and the mental landscape is looking familiar. Sigh. At least the physical landscape is changing. The weight, she is leaving slowly but surely and the muscles are sore and happy. How is everyone else this fine day?

TODAY I LOVE (and I'm loving extra today since I forgot to love anything for two whole posts!):
My godson Zevon who's been on this planet 3 years now!! (Wow!)
My half iron training plan that's going to take me where I want to go.
And the complicated forces at work inside of me.

Back When We Were Babies

I found it! This is the picture taken after our very first triathlon workout. (September 1995) After seeing a triathlon in person, Donna and I rushed out and bought the book Triathloning For Ordinary Mortals. We madly copied "key workouts" into our schedules and realized that the next day was a perfect day to start our plan. I don't remember if that first effort was a run or a bike (or a baby brick), but I remember the feeling of accomplishment. We were worn out and damn pleased with ourselves. I love having this picture as a touchstone to remember always the joys of enthusiasm, new challenges, hard work, satisfaction, and partnership.

Book Giveaway

Still working on the post with pictures, but have you seen the book giveaway at Trish's blog?!! Five people could win 14 books each? Which is fun. Especially if I'm one of the five. What's weird is that one of the books that's being given away had to have been written by the father of a friend of mine! (After all, how many "Kip" Gayden's can there be in the world?) If you love books you should check it out. (If you don't love books, you could check it out anyway and maybe even enter and then if you win, I'd be glad to take the books off your hands. :D So generous I am!)

PS - Thanks Running Knitter for the head's up!!

Comeuppance, It's A Good Thing

Donna and I went to Diva Night at our Fleet Feet in Carrboro. "Bra fittings, food & wine, chair massage and much more!" the ad said. "Sign us up!" we said. It was a blast. Reason number one: there was swag. We got a Brooks travel coffee cup, the Moving Comfort "A fit woman is a powerful woman" sticker, a pen, and a sample package of special detergent for washing sports gear - all tied up in red cellophane with racy red shoe laces, topped by a tiny tiara hair comb. Fun! We had an Arbonne hand treatment (sea salt/essential oil goop that left our hands so soft!), macked on fresh fruit, cheese, and wine (well, I'm not drinking but D had a yummy white), got a 15 minute massage (melt!), spoke with an incredibly interesting researcher about risk factors and healthy lifestyles, and tried on gear. We didn't win any of the big door prizes, but we were given zippered, mesh bags for our workout dainties. Donna got fitted for a new sports bra while I (having been fitted the week before) found (and had to buy) a Nike running skirt. I'd had it in my head that I would post about the zaniness of sports bra fittings - but that will have to wait until I can snag a picture of the visual aid from Fleet Feet. For now - don't you love the picture above that they sent out in the email invite to the event? Who wouldn't want to spend all of their cashola with these wacky folks?

There was so much going on. Women everywhere. It was energizing to hobnob with that many athletic women. At one point, I saw a pile of yoga books and a woman in pin stripes signing them. At the very moment I was deciding to avoid that corner of the room like the plague, Donna said, "Oh, yoga! Let's go check it out." I said, "You go right on with your bad self. I hate yoga. I have no patience for breathing through your eyeballs or whatever it is you have to do while playing twister with yourself in yoga class. And yoga people smell weird. Besides - look at her." Donna looked over. "She's looks great! What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" I asked. "She's tall. She's thin and beautiful and sitting like a pretzel - a pretzel in a fabulous pant suit. A pretzel in a pant suit with perfect hair. That's what's wrong. I hate her from afar. And it's YOGA." You see where this is going, right? You would think I would learn! The minute - nay the very second - I am a judgmental ass, the universe hits me in the chops with it. Rightfully so. But still.

Of course this gorgeous creature turned out to be not only gracious, articulate, and nice, but she's a TRIATHLETE (like USA world team or some such). She is also a certified triathlon coach. To top it off, she didn't smell like a yoga person at all. She did end up having a total yoga person name - Sage Rountree. ("Hello, Kettle? This is the Pot. You're black. And? You have a weird yoga person name too. So shut up already.") Naturally we ended up with our very own signed copy of Sage's book The Athlete's Guide To Yoga. Worth. Every. Penny. For one thing she explains specifically how to integrate different types of yoga workouts into a triathlon training schedule. For another, she has some wonderfully helpful core exercises. I know my core needs stabilizing, but I've had a hard time focusing on it.

I want her DVD. (The book came with a sampler short DVD which is great.) Sage also has a podcast too (in the sidebar --> if you want to check it out) - which might help me once I can figure out the basics. One reason I hate yoga (and I really do loathe it even though I practically worship Sage now) is that I SUCK at it. It makes me feel stupid. And clumsy. And rigid. Which I know is what yoga is supposed to help - but I haven't ever been able to stand it long enough to get any benefit whatsoever from it. In fact, the only positive I've ever been able to chalk up to yoga was getting to learn Sanskrit** but after a few classes I've always decided there must be a Sanskrit class I could take without having to put up with this yoga crap! FTR, John LOVES yoga and has wanted to get back into it for years. Donna, while more of a Pilates person in the last while, has also wanted to give yoga another try. I have had ZERO interest in figuring out going to a yoga class with them. Until now. Now I'm practically yearning to go. As long as Sage is the one teaching. And there's no stinky incense. It's absolutely on the to do list as soon as we can coordinate the budget and eight people's schedules. It takes some serious planning ahead to make it alright for the three adults to leave the five children home alone on a school night. It also wouldn't hurt to win the lottery. Then we could go to yoga class and afford real triathlon coaching. Hello, universe? Are you listening? I'm sorry I was snarky. I won't do it again. Please, please, please can there be some magic to help us hire Sage? Pretty please?

P.S. **I know. I'm a language geek. But how can you not want to learn Sanskrit after reading TS Eliot? Datta, Dayadhvam, Damyata did it for me. Give, Sympathize, Control. Not bad words to put in my triathlon obsessed brain.**