Apparently this is to be the year of Never Ending Winter here in The 'Boken. Every time the snow finally starts to melt, we get pummeled again and this is making it a teeny bit difficult to run outdoors. I'm not opposed to running through some snow or slush, but once we are taking snow drifts and knee-deep puddles, well, I'm out. If I had me some waterproof running shoes with ice-proof tread, I would brave it, but as it stands, I am running in the same old Asics I've been using for the past year (gonna have to invest in a new pair before the race, but can't quite bring myself to do it yet) and they are not immune to winterified sidewalks. In all fairness to me, it hasn't even been possible to see the sidewalks the past couple of days and I am not willing to risk breaking an ankle while running on sidewalk-hiding glaciers. And so, it's been off to the gym for me.
The gym...how I ever used to think running on a treadmill was preferable to running outside, I will never know. Now I go to the gym and after three miles of going NOWHERE, I am ready to poke my eyes out. But, I am trying desperately to stick to the training schedule, so run on the treadmill, I do. This is part of my learning to go with the flow. It is becoming readily apparent that I am going to have to be flexible and not be too hard on myself about sticking precisely to the training schedule. I am going to have to accept that some weeks I'll need to trade days and do cardio on a run day and a run on a cardio day. I'm going to have to accept that occasionally there will be cardio days where I never make it to the gym and I'm going to have to accept that I am going to have to do the occasional run in the gym rather than out on the streets. Does it count? Does running on the treadmill count in terms of training? I'm going with yes. Having been a runner for awhile, I certainly know that running on a treadmill is not exactly the same as running outside. I would say it's a good 10% easier. That said, it's better than not running. And it's still the act of running, easier terrain or not, so, for now, it's going to have to do.
This Week:
Sunday - Rest Day. Okay, not really a rest day because the Steelers were in the Playoffs and if you think I watched that without a lot of cardiovascular activity, you are sorely mistaken.
Monday - This was supposed to be a cardio day, but due to the fact that I had meetings in DC Tuesday, I switched up and did my 5 mile run this day. Went well. Actually, really well. I was thrilled to see that maybe working up to longer runs is really going to payoff!
Tuesday - Nothing. I should have done some sort of cross-training, but I got up at 6am to drive down to DC, spent the entire day in the office, grabbed a quick dinner with a friend and then drove right back up to NYC. Longest. Day. Ever.
Wednesday - Okay, I admit it...more nothing. I know...Bad Erin! I was exhausted from the day before and it dumped snow literally all day long and, it's not excuse, but I simply couldn't get my arse in gear.
Thursday - Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. And yet, I slacked. Again. K and I had commitments all afternoon and between feedings and naps and needing to run errands in the morning, I didn't get to the gym before the afternoon 'o' commitments started. Then, though I had planned to go in the evening, by the time we got back home at 530, I crashed. Do you ever have days like that? Days where you're exhausted with no tangible explanation? I do. I hate them. They are miserable days where everything feels wrong somehow...tiring...cloudy...I hate those days, but I have them. This time, I couldn't convince myself to work it out vs sleep it out.
Friday - FINALLY back on the horse. I made this my 3 mile run day (it should have been a 5) since I didn't run the day before and got in a good Myrtl and Back workout as well. Felt, not surprisingly, blech. That's what I get for slacking. But, I made it through and once it was over, felt SO much better. Of course, because I have a baby, nothing is easy. I tried to plan the run so that it wouldn't interfere with any of K's feedings or naps, but it seriously isn't possible, no matter how perfectly I try to plan. K was having a tough day...When I took her to the gym's daycare the week before, she leaped right into the nanny's arms without hesitation. This time, she was NOT happy to be there and after only about 10 minutes, the daycare provider came out to get me off the treadmill because K was inconsolable. I spent the next 15 minutes getting her calmed down, distracted by the toys and happy enough that I could slip back out the door without her freaking. Needless to say, the delay meant that our timing was completely thrown off and she not only missed breakfast (Only the solids, not the bottle; I'm not starving her), fell asleep in the car on the ride home and then refused to go back down. This means she had a 10 minute vs a 1-2 hour morning nap. Never bodes well for the afternoon. The best laid plans...
Saturday - TGIS. Chris took Kayla in the morning so that I could get up and for a run. I did a 5 mile hill run along with the Myrtl, Pedestal and Lunge routines. I felt awesome. Doing 5 miles on the treadmill makes for a long 5 miles, but it was great to get through the workout and feel like those few days of slacking off haven't totally sabotaged my workout routine. And it was also nice to get to workout without worrying about timing and schedules and whether or not K was happy in the daycare center...sometimes a mama needs a break.
Sunday - Rest Day. Theoretically. I was going to do some cross-training today to make up for my slacker performance the rest of the week, but as I'll be running 3 miles Monday, followed by 5 miles on Tuesday, I'm sticking with the rest day instead. I'm still worried about overdoing it and pissing off my knee pre-race, so I'm trying to take it easy (as easy as you can take it when you're now running 16+ miles a week...). Right? Wrong? Who knows. But here's to getting back on track next week what with having no travel plans or other schedule-impeding weirdness. I am thinking of making the change from doing the longer run on Saturday vs Friday permanent though. It's really nice to be able to do that when Chris is here and I don't have to worry about K. I figure this will be especially true as that run gets longer and longer. I'm not sure how trying to do 10 miles with K either in tow or in daycare would work. Shouldn't be too hard to switch the schedule around hopefully. Again, gotta go with the flow.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Challenges
Week Two has proven that maintaining a training schedule is going to be a challenge. I'm doing it, but it's definitely tough finding the time to work out six days a week and finding a way to get in workouts in the midst of travel, other commitments, and the ever-changing schedule-o-baby.
Sunday: Rest Day. Ahh...although it actually felt a little weird not to do ANYTHING all day. Apparently once you're back in the swing of things, it then feels strange to let yourself take a day off. I'd almost forgotten that in my multi-month hiatus from a serious workout schedule.
Monday: I had to travel down to DC that morning. I had an 11 o'clock train, so my plan had been to get in my 30 minutes of cardio before leaving for the station. I needed to leave by approximately 930am, so my plan was to get up around 7, get to the gym, swim, be out of the gym by 830 or so, come back, shower and rush out the door. Of course, as is too frequently the case, this meant that Kayla chose Sunday night to have a tough time getting to sleep and I was wiped the next morning. So, I scrapped the plan to get to the gym and instead spent the morning trying to pack, get ready and, at the same time, feed, change, play with and appease the baby. Not so easy. I finally rushed out the door at a little past 930, getting to the station with just enough time to grab coffee and a bagel and hop on the train. By the time I got to DC it was 2pm and I had to run a couple of errands and then meet a friend for dinner. No time for a workout there. By the time I got back to the hotel from the friend's house, it was 11pm and I had fought my way through an ice storm that had the roads so slick my little rental car basically had to crawl its way home. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly feeling like a workout at that point, especially knowing I had to be up in about six hours if I was going to get in a run before work, so...
FAIL
My first day of not getting in the required workout. I tried to comfort myself by accounting for all of the walking I had done and the carrying of suitcases up and down flights of stairs, but I'm sure I didn't get in enough strenuous cardio to really make up for not getting to the gym. But, Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This, and so I just let myself let go of the guilt and I refocused on the next morning's goal. And I ate some Neuhaus chocolate from the train station because if you're gonna slack, you might as well SLACK.
Tuesday: Tuesday I ran my required four miles and then followed the run with Coach Jay's Back Routine. This was the first time I'd had to run indoors (the ice storm from the night before had the roads and sidewalks looking like one big skating rink, so...pass on running outside). Blech. Blech, blech, double blech. I don't know how people do it. I hate running on the treadmill. Other than the fact that it is easier on my joints, it is the most painful experience. Yes, there was a TV I could watch, yes it was nice and warm in the gym, yes I was able to just wear normal running clothes and didn't have to bundle up like an Eskimo before starting my run, but listen...no matter how many pluses there were, the big minus of running for 30minutes and going NOWHERE far outweighs them. Plus, I don't know why they position treadmills in front of a mirror. I like me and all, but I get pretty darned tired of looking at myself during a four mile run. Oh, so tedious. But, I did it, I survived, and I now complain less about those 15 degree runs outside; at least I don't have to stare at myself while doing them.
Wednesday: Wednesday I got up early and got in a 30 minute swim before work. The last few times I've gone down to DC I've managed to get great deals on the Westin. I love the Westin. Most importantly, they have the most comfortable beds in the history of the world (I want to be buried on Westin sheets with a big old fluffy Westin pillow under my head) and they have a dual headed shower that, good for the environment or not, is so amazing. Ah, the sweet sweet soothing feel of the Heavenly Shower Head - head massage and back massage at the same time - sigh. More in line with this blog though, they also have a pretty good gym and a pool that is actually deep enough for you to be able to swim laps. I used to stay at another hotel down the road and their pool was so shallow at one end that you actually had to switch to a breaststroke if you didn't want to be scraping the bottom of the pool as you completed your laps. The pool at the Westin is a little short, so you have to do twice as many laps as you would normally to get in a good workout, but it's nice, it's quiet and it's usually totally empty in the morning.
Thursday: Got up early with Kayla and then went for a 3 mile run while she was down for her first nap (Chris was working from home, don't worry. I do not just lock the doors and go for a run while she's sleeping, although if I could...no, I can't. But, maybe...But, no. But, so tempting...grumble. Grumble.) Felt dead on my feet. I don't know what it is this week. I think maybe it's just my muscles getting used to being used again. Or maybe I'm not hydrating enough. That is a distinct possibility since I'm always dehydrated, even when I'm not working out and when I am drinking obscene amounts of water. I'm also thinking that drinking wine the night before a run...probably not a good idea. But wine is good and sometimes it just cannot be ignored. Anywho...so I did manage to complete the run, felt lethargic and crappy the entire time, plus it was so cold that my eyes started to water, those tears froze into little glaciers across the fronts of my eyes and I basically ran with a set of ice glasses (in the wrong prescription no less) across my eyeballs. Finished off the workout with The Myrtl Routine, this time unencumbered by Kayla hanging off of one leg. Result? Easier.
Friday: It is now 230pm and I have yet to get in my required 4 mile run, but I will. I will! I'm waiting for Kayla to get up from her nap and then we're either headed to the gym (another 4 inches of snow last night, so no running outside; both the roads and the sidewalks are a mess) or we'll be waiting for Daddy to get home and then Mommy will be doing an evening run at the gym (boo on being there during peak hours). Tomorrow I have to figure out what kind of cardio I'll be doing since it WON'T be swimming (can't face Special Time again...). Then Sunday is rest day. Of course, I'll be getting a good cardio workout on Sunday regardless of my schedule because the Steelers are playing the Jets and God knows my heart will be racing like no spin class has ever made it race before. And then next week we start the 5 mile runs. 5 miles...GULP!
When you run through the storm (or just down the pothole infested roads of Hoboken),
hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark (or the terrible drivers or the roads that randomly crumble to reveal gigantic sinkholes).
At the end of the storm is a golden sky (if you can see it above the skyscrapers...)
And the sweet silver song of a lark (HA! Birds in NYC. HA! I hear the sweet silver songs of ambulances...some drunks late at night...if I'm lucky maybe some poor pigeon...).
Run on through the wind,
Run on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Run on, run on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never run alone, (unless your husband's a big wuss who won't run with you)
You'll never run alone (because your baby will be clinging to your leg demanding to be taken along).
Sunday: Rest Day. Ahh...although it actually felt a little weird not to do ANYTHING all day. Apparently once you're back in the swing of things, it then feels strange to let yourself take a day off. I'd almost forgotten that in my multi-month hiatus from a serious workout schedule.
Monday: I had to travel down to DC that morning. I had an 11 o'clock train, so my plan had been to get in my 30 minutes of cardio before leaving for the station. I needed to leave by approximately 930am, so my plan was to get up around 7, get to the gym, swim, be out of the gym by 830 or so, come back, shower and rush out the door. Of course, as is too frequently the case, this meant that Kayla chose Sunday night to have a tough time getting to sleep and I was wiped the next morning. So, I scrapped the plan to get to the gym and instead spent the morning trying to pack, get ready and, at the same time, feed, change, play with and appease the baby. Not so easy. I finally rushed out the door at a little past 930, getting to the station with just enough time to grab coffee and a bagel and hop on the train. By the time I got to DC it was 2pm and I had to run a couple of errands and then meet a friend for dinner. No time for a workout there. By the time I got back to the hotel from the friend's house, it was 11pm and I had fought my way through an ice storm that had the roads so slick my little rental car basically had to crawl its way home. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly feeling like a workout at that point, especially knowing I had to be up in about six hours if I was going to get in a run before work, so...
FAIL
My first day of not getting in the required workout. I tried to comfort myself by accounting for all of the walking I had done and the carrying of suitcases up and down flights of stairs, but I'm sure I didn't get in enough strenuous cardio to really make up for not getting to the gym. But, Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This, and so I just let myself let go of the guilt and I refocused on the next morning's goal. And I ate some Neuhaus chocolate from the train station because if you're gonna slack, you might as well SLACK.
Tuesday: Tuesday I ran my required four miles and then followed the run with Coach Jay's Back Routine. This was the first time I'd had to run indoors (the ice storm from the night before had the roads and sidewalks looking like one big skating rink, so...pass on running outside). Blech. Blech, blech, double blech. I don't know how people do it. I hate running on the treadmill. Other than the fact that it is easier on my joints, it is the most painful experience. Yes, there was a TV I could watch, yes it was nice and warm in the gym, yes I was able to just wear normal running clothes and didn't have to bundle up like an Eskimo before starting my run, but listen...no matter how many pluses there were, the big minus of running for 30minutes and going NOWHERE far outweighs them. Plus, I don't know why they position treadmills in front of a mirror. I like me and all, but I get pretty darned tired of looking at myself during a four mile run. Oh, so tedious. But, I did it, I survived, and I now complain less about those 15 degree runs outside; at least I don't have to stare at myself while doing them.
Wednesday: Wednesday I got up early and got in a 30 minute swim before work. The last few times I've gone down to DC I've managed to get great deals on the Westin. I love the Westin. Most importantly, they have the most comfortable beds in the history of the world (I want to be buried on Westin sheets with a big old fluffy Westin pillow under my head) and they have a dual headed shower that, good for the environment or not, is so amazing. Ah, the sweet sweet soothing feel of the Heavenly Shower Head - head massage and back massage at the same time - sigh. More in line with this blog though, they also have a pretty good gym and a pool that is actually deep enough for you to be able to swim laps. I used to stay at another hotel down the road and their pool was so shallow at one end that you actually had to switch to a breaststroke if you didn't want to be scraping the bottom of the pool as you completed your laps. The pool at the Westin is a little short, so you have to do twice as many laps as you would normally to get in a good workout, but it's nice, it's quiet and it's usually totally empty in the morning.
Thursday: Got up early with Kayla and then went for a 3 mile run while she was down for her first nap (Chris was working from home, don't worry. I do not just lock the doors and go for a run while she's sleeping, although if I could...no, I can't. But, maybe...But, no. But, so tempting...grumble. Grumble.) Felt dead on my feet. I don't know what it is this week. I think maybe it's just my muscles getting used to being used again. Or maybe I'm not hydrating enough. That is a distinct possibility since I'm always dehydrated, even when I'm not working out and when I am drinking obscene amounts of water. I'm also thinking that drinking wine the night before a run...probably not a good idea. But wine is good and sometimes it just cannot be ignored. Anywho...so I did manage to complete the run, felt lethargic and crappy the entire time, plus it was so cold that my eyes started to water, those tears froze into little glaciers across the fronts of my eyes and I basically ran with a set of ice glasses (in the wrong prescription no less) across my eyeballs. Finished off the workout with The Myrtl Routine, this time unencumbered by Kayla hanging off of one leg. Result? Easier.
Friday: It is now 230pm and I have yet to get in my required 4 mile run, but I will. I will! I'm waiting for Kayla to get up from her nap and then we're either headed to the gym (another 4 inches of snow last night, so no running outside; both the roads and the sidewalks are a mess) or we'll be waiting for Daddy to get home and then Mommy will be doing an evening run at the gym (boo on being there during peak hours). Tomorrow I have to figure out what kind of cardio I'll be doing since it WON'T be swimming (can't face Special Time again...). Then Sunday is rest day. Of course, I'll be getting a good cardio workout on Sunday regardless of my schedule because the Steelers are playing the Jets and God knows my heart will be racing like no spin class has ever made it race before. And then next week we start the 5 mile runs. 5 miles...GULP!
When you run through the storm (or just down the pothole infested roads of Hoboken),
hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark (or the terrible drivers or the roads that randomly crumble to reveal gigantic sinkholes).
At the end of the storm is a golden sky (if you can see it above the skyscrapers...)
And the sweet silver song of a lark (HA! Birds in NYC. HA! I hear the sweet silver songs of ambulances...some drunks late at night...if I'm lucky maybe some poor pigeon...).
Run on through the wind,
Run on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Run on, run on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never run alone, (unless your husband's a big wuss who won't run with you)
You'll never run alone (because your baby will be clinging to your leg demanding to be taken along).
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The End of Week One or Why Saturday and The Pool Don't Mix
Week One ended with a bang. I made it through every day of mandated training, including a trip to the pool on Saturday morning.
Here's a little note on going to the pool on Saturday morning. Prior to now I had been fortunate enough to be able to hit the gym pool in the middle of the day on weekdays (yay for working from home). I had never braved the gym on the weekends because I was convinced that the Weekend Warriors would be clogging it up. Turns out that is not true. Saturday is not Weekend Warrior Day at the pool, it is Special Ed Day at the pool. Okay, that is not PC. I need to think of a politer way to express this, but...since it's already out there...let's just go with it. I get to the pool Saturday and there are only two lap lanes open since the majority of the pool is being taken up by kiddie swim class (PS this is the kiddie swim class Kayla should be in, but she about froze to death the first couple of times we took her and since then has strategically napped right through class each and every Saturday - *flush of money down the toilet*). The center lap lane is being used by a woman who is swimming laps (You're thinking "Duh...", but wait for it...) and the outer lap lane is being occupied by a woman who has her back pressed up against the far wall and is languorously "kicking" her feet up and down. So, I start walking toward her, planning to ask if she is going to be in the lane much longer, because clearly she must just be cooling down, when a man jumps up from one of the chairs by the side of the pool and walks over to her.
Man: "Excuse me, do you mind if I share your lane?"
Woman: "Nope. I'm actually about to get out."
Man: "Oh good. I'm only going to swim a couple of laps anyway."
So, I think, "Perfect!" I walk over, take my mandatory pre-pool shower, come back out and "couple of laps" guy is literally doing a Dead Man's Float in the middle of the lane. ???? Ready to grab the lifesaver and leap to his rescue, I start to rush over, but then he rotates onto his back and proceeds to float, just float, as though he somewhere in the Caribbean with a palm tree in the background, in the dead center of the lane. Erm... Trying to be patient, I walk over and start getting my swim cap on, my goggles on, stretching, biding time, thinking "Surely, he must be about to get out. He can't possibly be planning to occupy one of the only two lap lanes like this." Oh, but he was planning exactly that. After five minutes of watching this guy float in the middle of the lap lane, I finally walked over to him.
Me: "Excuse me, are you planning to swim in this lane?"
Him: "No, I'm just stretching."
Me: "..." (externally); "Are you F&^*ing kidding me??" (internally)
Me: "Do you plan to stretch much longer?"
Him: "Well, I've only been in a few minutes, so I'm not really sure."
Me: "Well, do you mind sharing the lap lane since you're only stretching?"
Him: "Well, you can certainly see if there's room for you to swim in it while I'm stretching."
Me: "...I...yeah, okay, great. I'll need half of the lane of course..."
Him: "You can see if it works out."
Me: *very affected smile* (externally); "I am so going to swim right over you, aiming a few key kicks at a few key places, if you don't move over to your half by the time I get to you." (internally)
Him: *very affected smile* (externally); I can only imagine...maybe just a never ending chorus of circus music? (internally)
And so I started to swim and, luckily for both of us, Couple Laps Guy did manage to move over and only take up half the lane each time I got to him. Of course, in between, he would spread himself like a big glob of long-dead jellyfish, over the entire lane...seriously...who does this?
So, after about 10 minutes of this, Couple Laps Guy finally gets out of the pool. PHEW. Of course, this is when the fact that it is Special Time at the pool really gets driven home. I am down at the far end of the pool when I see a woman come in. She sits down at the opposite end of my lane and starts kicking her feet in the water. She does not stop. Not even when I arrive at that end. Helpful...So, I turn around and head back to the other end of the pool (as normal people who swim laps are wont to do). In the meantime, Kicker Chick lowers herself into the pool and starts to "swim". I say "swim" because she literally has her arms out at a 90 degree angle from her body and is essentially doing some kind of enlarged form of the doggy paddle. May I mention that no one, NO ONE, has joined the normal swimmer in the middle lane yet. I apparently look friendlier. I am so not. Anyhow, so now she is coming toward me. The Jaws theme music is playing in my head. As we pass one another in the lane, I brace myself for the inevitable impact which, thankfully, never comes, because I am so terrified of her flailing fists that I have practically begun straddling the lane divider, desperate to escape from what was clearly to be my untimely demise. And so we continued, for another 15 minutes (Thank God I only had 15 minutes left to go). Oh, and might I mention that in the midst of this, one of the lamps that are fixed into the side of the pool has come loose and is now bobbing in our lane? Special. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Special.
Sigh...
So now I have to come up with a new plan for this Saturday, because I am not at all looking forward to reliving my experience from last week. What other low impact cardio activity would make a good swimming substitute (and have no potential to turn into a scene out of some bad comedy flick)?
Here's a little note on going to the pool on Saturday morning. Prior to now I had been fortunate enough to be able to hit the gym pool in the middle of the day on weekdays (yay for working from home). I had never braved the gym on the weekends because I was convinced that the Weekend Warriors would be clogging it up. Turns out that is not true. Saturday is not Weekend Warrior Day at the pool, it is Special Ed Day at the pool. Okay, that is not PC. I need to think of a politer way to express this, but...since it's already out there...let's just go with it. I get to the pool Saturday and there are only two lap lanes open since the majority of the pool is being taken up by kiddie swim class (PS this is the kiddie swim class Kayla should be in, but she about froze to death the first couple of times we took her and since then has strategically napped right through class each and every Saturday - *flush of money down the toilet*). The center lap lane is being used by a woman who is swimming laps (You're thinking "Duh...", but wait for it...) and the outer lap lane is being occupied by a woman who has her back pressed up against the far wall and is languorously "kicking" her feet up and down. So, I start walking toward her, planning to ask if she is going to be in the lane much longer, because clearly she must just be cooling down, when a man jumps up from one of the chairs by the side of the pool and walks over to her.
Man: "Excuse me, do you mind if I share your lane?"
Woman: "Nope. I'm actually about to get out."
Man: "Oh good. I'm only going to swim a couple of laps anyway."
So, I think, "Perfect!" I walk over, take my mandatory pre-pool shower, come back out and "couple of laps" guy is literally doing a Dead Man's Float in the middle of the lane. ???? Ready to grab the lifesaver and leap to his rescue, I start to rush over, but then he rotates onto his back and proceeds to float, just float, as though he somewhere in the Caribbean with a palm tree in the background, in the dead center of the lane. Erm... Trying to be patient, I walk over and start getting my swim cap on, my goggles on, stretching, biding time, thinking "Surely, he must be about to get out. He can't possibly be planning to occupy one of the only two lap lanes like this." Oh, but he was planning exactly that. After five minutes of watching this guy float in the middle of the lap lane, I finally walked over to him.
Me: "Excuse me, are you planning to swim in this lane?"
Him: "No, I'm just stretching."
Me: "..." (externally); "Are you F&^*ing kidding me??" (internally)
Me: "Do you plan to stretch much longer?"
Him: "Well, I've only been in a few minutes, so I'm not really sure."
Me: "Well, do you mind sharing the lap lane since you're only stretching?"
Him: "Well, you can certainly see if there's room for you to swim in it while I'm stretching."
Me: "...I...yeah, okay, great. I'll need half of the lane of course..."
Him: "You can see if it works out."
Me: *very affected smile* (externally); "I am so going to swim right over you, aiming a few key kicks at a few key places, if you don't move over to your half by the time I get to you." (internally)
Him: *very affected smile* (externally); I can only imagine...maybe just a never ending chorus of circus music? (internally)
And so I started to swim and, luckily for both of us, Couple Laps Guy did manage to move over and only take up half the lane each time I got to him. Of course, in between, he would spread himself like a big glob of long-dead jellyfish, over the entire lane...seriously...who does this?
So, after about 10 minutes of this, Couple Laps Guy finally gets out of the pool. PHEW. Of course, this is when the fact that it is Special Time at the pool really gets driven home. I am down at the far end of the pool when I see a woman come in. She sits down at the opposite end of my lane and starts kicking her feet in the water. She does not stop. Not even when I arrive at that end. Helpful...So, I turn around and head back to the other end of the pool (as normal people who swim laps are wont to do). In the meantime, Kicker Chick lowers herself into the pool and starts to "swim". I say "swim" because she literally has her arms out at a 90 degree angle from her body and is essentially doing some kind of enlarged form of the doggy paddle. May I mention that no one, NO ONE, has joined the normal swimmer in the middle lane yet. I apparently look friendlier. I am so not. Anyhow, so now she is coming toward me. The Jaws theme music is playing in my head. As we pass one another in the lane, I brace myself for the inevitable impact which, thankfully, never comes, because I am so terrified of her flailing fists that I have practically begun straddling the lane divider, desperate to escape from what was clearly to be my untimely demise. And so we continued, for another 15 minutes (Thank God I only had 15 minutes left to go). Oh, and might I mention that in the midst of this, one of the lamps that are fixed into the side of the pool has come loose and is now bobbing in our lane? Special. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Special.
Sigh...
So now I have to come up with a new plan for this Saturday, because I am not at all looking forward to reliving my experience from last week. What other low impact cardio activity would make a good swimming substitute (and have no potential to turn into a scene out of some bad comedy flick)?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
In The Beginning
Life is short...running makes it seem longer. - Baron Hansen
This week marks the beginning of my training for the More Magazine Women's Half Marathon, which will take place on 3 April 2011 (http://www.nyrr.org/races/2011/more/index.asp). Having been mostly out of the running world for the better part of a year, this might be a lofty (and potentially stupid) goal, but after months of bemoaning the sorry state of my workout routine, I decided that I need to get my butt in gear and a goal (a $75 goal) is a good motivator. I had intended to start training last month, working up so that I wouldn't be starting the official "Training Plan" with nothing under my belt, but between my illnesses, the baby's illnesses and some pretty miserable winter weather, my goal got pushed a little bit, so, sadly, it is only now that I'm really starting to get my run on. I've decided to follow the Nike 1/2 Marathon Training Plan and though I am super excited about it, I have to admit that my heart does a little panic-stricken squeeze whenever I see how fast those mileage numbers are going to start increasing.
Week One:
This week marked the official beginning of my training regimen with a Tuesday start.
Tuesday - Ran 4 Miles and did the Coach Jay "Back Routine" post-run. My times weren't great (approx. 9.5mins/mile), but that isn't exactly a shocker. The more important factor is that I was able to complete the 4 miles and my knee was only a tiny bit sore afterward.
Wednesday - Cross Training Day. I did 30 minutes in the pool - mostly freestyle with some board work. I was pretty pleased with myself for being able to go 30 minutes non-stop after not having swam in at least 6+ months. There is hope after all!
Thursday - Ran 3 miles followed by the Coach Jay "Myrtl Routine". Trying to do the Myrtl with a 9 month old clinging to your leg...little bit of a challenge. A) It's about 19lbs of added weight when you're doing leg lifts and B) It's a major obstacle when you're trying to do lateral kicks. That little noggin is not exactly tough enough to withstand a sharp kick to the head, so...the routine gets slowed down a little and instead of going swing, swing, swing, rest, it turns into swing, swing, move baby, block baby, swing, swing, pick up baby, move baby...If I was really tough, I would just hold her through the entire routine like a little medicine ball, but this is only Week One people...I am not there yet.
Friday - Kayla slept through the night (she's been going through a rough streak lately - teething??) so I woke nice and refreshed. Chris wound up being able to work from home, so I could actually wait to go running until 930am when the sun was up and the temperature had risen a couple of degrees. Today I ran 4 miles, part of that being up a snow covered hill over a highway. Ah, Jersey running...I then followed the run up with the Coach Jay Back Routine again. I took another look at the instructional video this time and realized that I had totally confused two of the moves last time and had, in essence, made up my own special little exercises. Oops. Did them all correctly today (mea culpa, Coach Jay). Most importantly, no knee soreness today! There is hope! Oh and I managed a pace of 9.06min/mile despite having to stop at a few lights, wait at a few crosswalks and run up a hill of snow (Have I mentioned that I had to run up a hill of snow?).
Saturday is supposed to be a cross training day and if I get through that, I will have officially succeeded in completing week one of my training. It may not seem like much, but 11 miles and 5 days of working out in one week is feeling pretty damned impressive to me right now and really, isn't this all about me?
This week marks the beginning of my training for the More Magazine Women's Half Marathon, which will take place on 3 April 2011 (http://www.nyrr.org/races/2011/more/index.asp). Having been mostly out of the running world for the better part of a year, this might be a lofty (and potentially stupid) goal, but after months of bemoaning the sorry state of my workout routine, I decided that I need to get my butt in gear and a goal (a $75 goal) is a good motivator. I had intended to start training last month, working up so that I wouldn't be starting the official "Training Plan" with nothing under my belt, but between my illnesses, the baby's illnesses and some pretty miserable winter weather, my goal got pushed a little bit, so, sadly, it is only now that I'm really starting to get my run on. I've decided to follow the Nike 1/2 Marathon Training Plan and though I am super excited about it, I have to admit that my heart does a little panic-stricken squeeze whenever I see how fast those mileage numbers are going to start increasing.
Week One:
This week marked the official beginning of my training regimen with a Tuesday start.
Tuesday - Ran 4 Miles and did the Coach Jay "Back Routine" post-run. My times weren't great (approx. 9.5mins/mile), but that isn't exactly a shocker. The more important factor is that I was able to complete the 4 miles and my knee was only a tiny bit sore afterward.
Wednesday - Cross Training Day. I did 30 minutes in the pool - mostly freestyle with some board work. I was pretty pleased with myself for being able to go 30 minutes non-stop after not having swam in at least 6+ months. There is hope after all!
Thursday - Ran 3 miles followed by the Coach Jay "Myrtl Routine". Trying to do the Myrtl with a 9 month old clinging to your leg...little bit of a challenge. A) It's about 19lbs of added weight when you're doing leg lifts and B) It's a major obstacle when you're trying to do lateral kicks. That little noggin is not exactly tough enough to withstand a sharp kick to the head, so...the routine gets slowed down a little and instead of going swing, swing, swing, rest, it turns into swing, swing, move baby, block baby, swing, swing, pick up baby, move baby...If I was really tough, I would just hold her through the entire routine like a little medicine ball, but this is only Week One people...I am not there yet.
Friday - Kayla slept through the night (she's been going through a rough streak lately - teething??) so I woke nice and refreshed. Chris wound up being able to work from home, so I could actually wait to go running until 930am when the sun was up and the temperature had risen a couple of degrees. Today I ran 4 miles, part of that being up a snow covered hill over a highway. Ah, Jersey running...I then followed the run up with the Coach Jay Back Routine again. I took another look at the instructional video this time and realized that I had totally confused two of the moves last time and had, in essence, made up my own special little exercises. Oops. Did them all correctly today (mea culpa, Coach Jay). Most importantly, no knee soreness today! There is hope! Oh and I managed a pace of 9.06min/mile despite having to stop at a few lights, wait at a few crosswalks and run up a hill of snow (Have I mentioned that I had to run up a hill of snow?).
Saturday is supposed to be a cross training day and if I get through that, I will have officially succeeded in completing week one of my training. It may not seem like much, but 11 miles and 5 days of working out in one week is feeling pretty damned impressive to me right now and really, isn't this all about me?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
I Don't Believe in New Year Resolutions
I don't believe in New Year resolutions. I've definitely made them before but the older I get, the wiser I get and the more I realize that making a resolution in the new year is just a sad way to try to make yourself feel better about all the crap you didn't accomplish the year before. That's right, I said it. If you hadn't slacked on your workouts last year, you wouldn't have to resolve to work out more this year. If you hadn't been a mean schmuck last year, you wouldn't have to resolve to "live and let live" this year. Sorry, but I call 'em like I see 'em. So, this year I have resolved not to resolve because yes, last year I made some ridiculous promises I couldn't keep (a zen "let bygones be bygones" promise that ended as soon as the first Jersey driver almost ran me off the road). I have resolved to quit thinking I am so imperfect that I require 50 New Year resolutions just to be an acceptable human being. I will let myself work out a little less, I will let myself go without make-up a little more. I will eat a little more ice cream and I will let myself laugh a little more freely. I am making anti-resolution resolutions (which are really still resolutions which makes this whole resolving to not resolve thing a little confusing), but regardless, this year I just plan to be happy being me.
Along those lines, I am getting back into some of the things I love. The problem with having a baby is that the baby is all consuming. They are adorable and entertaining, demanding and time-consuming, sweet and distracting, tiring and complicated. You have them and they take over so much of your life and yet, a few months on, when you're actually getting some sleep and the baby haze clears, you remember that YOU existed before baby and YOU have wants/needs/goals and that's when YOU reclaim some independence.
For me, that independence is first manifesting itself in the simple form of running. Before Kayla was born, I was becoming an avid runner. In fact, two days before
I found out I was pregnant I ran the farthest I had ever run in my life. As those of you who've read my other blog (flockinprogress.blogspot.com) know, I then kept in shape throughout the entire pregnancy, running, walking, lifting weights and swimming. I felt amazing the entire ten months. But now, keeping up with the exercise post-baby has proven a significant challenge. Between the sleep deprivation early on and the baby's non-stop schedule now (bottles, naps, solids, baths, playtime, diaper changes...) it is really hard to find an ideal time to get in a workout. And now that the weather has turned cold, taking Kayla out for a run is almost impossible. I just feel mean running her up and down the snow-crusted roads while her little nose turns red and her eyes tear up. Yes, I know she'll survive, but it just doesn't feel right. I could go to the gym. I definitely could. I am even paying extra each month so that Kayla can hang in the gym daycare center while I workout. But, the problem with the gym is that by the time I get Kayla fed, dressed and ready to go, get myself dressed and ready, get to the gym (either a 20 minute walk or a 10 minute drive) and get K settled in daycare, it is, without exception, about time for another feeding or nap and now our whole day is guaranteed to be thrown off. And so, my workout routine has definitely suffered. As time has gone on though, I've realized that I miss it. I miss it so much. I need to workout each day; it gives me energy, it gives me endorphins...I need it. And so, in order to force myself to get back on the horse, I signed up for my first Half Marathon last week. When I get back on the horse, I get back on the horse. So far, training is going well. Of course, this is week one. I've been getting up early so that I can get in my runs before Chris goes to work and I've been hitting the gym for cross-training either with Kayla or when Chris is around in the evening. I'm already wondering how this will all go once the runs start to get longer though. It is a whole lot easier to steal 30 minutes to run than it is to steal an hour and a half. It's also, frankly, overwhelming to think that in just 12 weeks I should be able to run 13 miles. 13 M-I-L-E-S. That is a long long way. And realizing that I'm going to have to train during travels (DC trips, a ski trip out west...) and potentially so early in the morning that it is still pitch black and a whopping 20 degrees or less outside...oi, but, part of me is also relishing the challenge. Part of me is relishing the fact that I now have a goal for me and only me.
Along those lines, I am getting back into some of the things I love. The problem with having a baby is that the baby is all consuming. They are adorable and entertaining, demanding and time-consuming, sweet and distracting, tiring and complicated. You have them and they take over so much of your life and yet, a few months on, when you're actually getting some sleep and the baby haze clears, you remember that YOU existed before baby and YOU have wants/needs/goals and that's when YOU reclaim some independence.
For me, that independence is first manifesting itself in the simple form of running. Before Kayla was born, I was becoming an avid runner. In fact, two days before
I found out I was pregnant I ran the farthest I had ever run in my life. As those of you who've read my other blog (flockinprogress.blogspot.com) know, I then kept in shape throughout the entire pregnancy, running, walking, lifting weights and swimming. I felt amazing the entire ten months. But now, keeping up with the exercise post-baby has proven a significant challenge. Between the sleep deprivation early on and the baby's non-stop schedule now (bottles, naps, solids, baths, playtime, diaper changes...) it is really hard to find an ideal time to get in a workout. And now that the weather has turned cold, taking Kayla out for a run is almost impossible. I just feel mean running her up and down the snow-crusted roads while her little nose turns red and her eyes tear up. Yes, I know she'll survive, but it just doesn't feel right. I could go to the gym. I definitely could. I am even paying extra each month so that Kayla can hang in the gym daycare center while I workout. But, the problem with the gym is that by the time I get Kayla fed, dressed and ready to go, get myself dressed and ready, get to the gym (either a 20 minute walk or a 10 minute drive) and get K settled in daycare, it is, without exception, about time for another feeding or nap and now our whole day is guaranteed to be thrown off. And so, my workout routine has definitely suffered. As time has gone on though, I've realized that I miss it. I miss it so much. I need to workout each day; it gives me energy, it gives me endorphins...I need it. And so, in order to force myself to get back on the horse, I signed up for my first Half Marathon last week. When I get back on the horse, I get back on the horse. So far, training is going well. Of course, this is week one. I've been getting up early so that I can get in my runs before Chris goes to work and I've been hitting the gym for cross-training either with Kayla or when Chris is around in the evening. I'm already wondering how this will all go once the runs start to get longer though. It is a whole lot easier to steal 30 minutes to run than it is to steal an hour and a half. It's also, frankly, overwhelming to think that in just 12 weeks I should be able to run 13 miles. 13 M-I-L-E-S. That is a long long way. And realizing that I'm going to have to train during travels (DC trips, a ski trip out west...) and potentially so early in the morning that it is still pitch black and a whopping 20 degrees or less outside...oi, but, part of me is also relishing the challenge. Part of me is relishing the fact that I now have a goal for me and only me.
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