Saturday, July 28, 2007

Training at Cochiti..

went really well yesterday. We met up with Geek Girl, Lisa Try-ing, Mark T. and of course hubby was with me. GG, Mark & I swam the 2.2 mile distance across the lake and back. Longest distance at one time since IMFL 3 years ago. It felt great!! I feel really good when i swim because it is my best sport in the the tri-so far..The water was calm, there was a few clouds, not hot. Like the perfect day. Like the one you wish for at Ironman. Mark asked me what i was training for and I said well nothing long in particular, I just like to swim these days..Makes me feel strong! Hartley and Lisa did about a mile and did great also..

Our friends are in from California but we will sneak away for a run today and long bike tomorrow. My asthma/allergies are acting up-thank goodness for drugs! And friends who understand our compulsions..

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Busy Days, sleepless nights..

After 2 bad nights, I finally slept for about 9 hours straight last nite! It has been a few nights since that has happened so i feel great this AM! We did a speed workout on Tuesday on the track and I felt good, finally. Ran again yesterday after a long drive to Las Cruces for a Memorial Service for Hartley's Aunt. She was a very special lady. I hope I am as gracious and generous when i get older as she was. The run was at 5:00 P.M. Did I mention that is the heat of the day? It was a slow, zone one run so H & I went through about 6 of those little water bottles. I have discovered Nuun, the portable electrolytes you just put in your water for Lytes. They are awesome! And makes water taste better! Sweated like a pig but run went well. I love those slow runs!!

The weight loss challenge/healthier eating continues. My weight/conditioning program so far is easy but interesting-mostly conditioning. I feel better eating every 2 hours and have lost a pound in a week. Someone asked me why i wanted to lose weight. I know I am at a normal weight, normal body fat, etc... but my clothes do not fit me around the waist. It is literally like 7 pounds of a tire attached itself to my waist. So I: a) would like my clothes to fit b)would like to run faster-they say that is the only way to get faster once you are an "older" athlete as myself..

Lastly, I think the Physical Therapy conditioning is helping my back. Yesterday,no sciatica/back pain in the car, which was the real test.. Juan, the torture massage therapist, is really helping my muscles. Juan: "You have the tightest hamstrings i have ever felt." Me: "OWWWW!!!" Kind of like getting a pain shot. It really hurts when they give it to you, but feels much better afterwards. I think I will keep Juan to torture me after P.T. ends. I have never had this kind of muscle work done before but it really seems to help..I really want to take up yoga too-just need to fit it all in.

Now I have to get my butt out the door for a bike ride. It is getting later and later-I am going to pay the price!

Monday, July 23, 2007

On to another great week!

It's hard to complain about anything when you wake up and realize you slept until 8:00! There is a grand baby here-Avery, who is an adorable 13 month old along with her mommy and daddy Heidi and Jack. We are having a great time. I babysat while they all went to see Bob Dylan last night (is he still alive? yes and had a good show). Avery and I played baby games and wore grandma out and she had to get her beauty sleep this AM..

I felt much better yesterday running. We went in the foothills, was a slow 5+ miles but I ran out of water so had to go back to the guard shack and ask the very cute guard if he had any water. He OF COURSE shared some water from his fridge with me. Then i ran back to my wonderful husband, OF COURSE and ran the rest of the way. It was HOT in them thar foothills! Then on the way back, had to walk the last mile because as usual I had to go the the BR not in the hills, where there is plenty of space, but just as we get into the neighborhoods again. Like Pavlov's dogs, I have to go. I saw an oasis in the dessert on the side of the street-a PORTA POTTY-just as I was really getting uncomfortable-YEA!! As I approach the miracle porta potty, A MOUSE scurries under it. Oh, no thank you-i will just walk to my nice, rodent free toilet at home.

The keeping track of food thing is really hard! I spend alot of time plugging in food to the computer program and it analyzes everything. I am learning alot about food content, I really thought I knew much more than I do about some things! So far there are more calories going out than in but we will see on weigh-day Wednesday. Other than my melt down on Saturday, I actually feel better I think in general. We went to a Japanese Restaurant last night which made it easy-I discovered the very nutritious Udon Soup and of coursed my favorite-Edamame. Very healthy!
Today-I am going to rest! But if i change my mind, I may do a swim..