Fighting the demon and my new goal..

Well , i thought it would be a good idea for Hartley and I to get with the tri buds this AM and go for a bike ride. These folks do NOT have retirement hours. We are talking 6:30 AM starts on the bike. BUT I know how HOT it is after 10:00 AM in ABQ these days (90s) so I set my alarm at 5:15 and off we go. We meet on Alameda for a nice 60 mile ride. Looked flat, I have been training/racing all summer. I should be on track to keep up. WELL, the first sign that may not be so is that my legs hurt all over as soon as we started. i have had this wierd leg pain for about a year now, even when not working out-I can only describe it as "lactic acid buildup" feeling. Dr.s think it is my back issues but who knows? Today was particularly bad. I have trained at the gym 2 days this week, including squats (no weights) yesterday. I kept thinking this would pass but no-it only got worse. I pulled out the drugs-Tylenol, Advil (a no-no I know), ate a goo, drank water-nothing helped. I just "didn't have it" today-everyone has those days I guess...
I started to think bad thoughts like "what the hell was I thinking signing up for an Ironman again? I can't even keep up with Hartley today!" I forced myself to stay positive, even when the guy with the sprained ankle (still has egg sized swelling on it) passed me. Then there was the girl with a torn hamstring and had not worked out for a month-zoom-she was gone..the others are just animals-averaging I would say 20 MPH. Hartley was kind enough to stick with me, especially the last 15 miles while I told the rest to just go without me (they had been waiting for me at intersections of the ride-every 10 miles or so. I always feel bad about this). Then as if my ego was not bruised enough, here comes Dread Pirate WHIZZING by me saying hi. Tried to keep up with her but couldn't. We finally got back to the cars. All in all about 54 miles. Took 4 hours including stops. We had coffee with a few that were still at the coffee shop. I really wasn't too down on myself-something new for me. I am an athlete-I am female and "over 50". Most wouldn't even try what we triathletes do. I am not giving up on IMCDA at all. Once I make up my mind to do something, I do it. Speaking of which, my goal is to lose that 7 lbs by my birthday-September 17th-this year. Another new goal-to keep up with these folks training for IMCDA. Oh, that is on the bike. The run is a different story..
We stopped at the 7-11 on the way home and got a bag of ice. I did it! I drew myself a nice cold bath, got in, and poured the whole bag of ice in the water. I shivered a bit but made it 10 minutes. My legs still hurt and are fatigued but should feel better tomorrow for that 80 minute run..Oh goody!

Second Day of food structure and other rambling thoughts

OK, so I am writing down everything I eat, plugging it into :
http://www.fitday.com/
I can also plug in workouts and find out how much I have burned today..very cool!
It shows me how much fat, protein, carbs I am getting. Just the process of remembering what I ate 5 min. ago is exhausting! I am hoping this gets less time consuming as time goes on..I did the first of Josh' workouts in the gym yesterday and it went OK. Just core stuff. Had a horrible 45 min. run this AM. Trying to keep my HR below 132 (zone 2). I ended up getting really nauseated and felt like doggy doo-doo so walked part of the way. I think I should know by now that it is too much to eat breakfast right before running..I averaged about 16 min/miles for 45 min. Thank goodness I had my Garmin on to tell me that great information!

But alas-I was redeemed when my neighbor Kathy and I went out to Cochiti Lake afterwards and swam about a mile in 35 min. Why can't triathlon be all swimming? Oh, that's right-then it would be Master's Swimming...Anyway, it was fun, the lake was not crowded and we got done just before the really bad heat started..

Other news-hubby and I have decided to check out Defined Fitness for our new workout gym-YEAAAAA! I like the facility at the JCC but there are SCADS of little ones in the pool all the time. The lanes for lap swimming are frustrating and crowded. Then there is the guy that has a very strange swim where he pulls, then kicks with only one foot (he is not handicapped). Geez-not very inspiring..Of course I have heard some not so great things about Defined Pool too. I think Balance One-our alternative pool will never make it..There are so few people there and it must be sinking rapidly-great pool though.. We use to go Del Norte S&W until a year ago- Hartley had his car stolen there by someone who got his keys out of his locker, beeped the car and took it! Along with his wallet, cell phone, all our credit cards, etc..I guess there is some sense to the sign "Don't leave valuables in car" I also saw 3 days later someone break a window, get into some one's into a car at the same gym, in broad daylight! We got the car back, but all the stuff taken of course..He is traumatized and doesn't want to go back. OK-time to find new gym! That is how we ended up at the JCC-a nice family place with a police car parked in front for deterrence-seemed like a good safe option after the car theft incident a year ago but think it is time to go back to the grownup's gym. So Defined Fitness may be our choice starting in August-we are going to check it out this week..

Note to self: NEVER leave a locker unlocked with your car keys in them!

New Goals and Plan..

Every time I get back from vacation I have a renewed energy to make a plan to have a goal. Usually dietary/health related. I just get a new vision after taking a break from the old routine. I have been looking at Josh Hillis' book "Stubborn Seven Pounds" for a couple of weeks now (http://www.joshsgaragedenver.com/ ). He is out of Denver..my son-in-law told me about him. He works with mostly women athletes on getting that "last stubborn seven lbs off". Well, that would be me. I also read a book called the "Healthy Burn" by Kevin Koskella that discusses dietary changes, etc. I know i am not overweight-I just want to lose that elusive 7 lbs that seemed to come in the night about 2 years ago and wrap itself around my midsection and just will not leave. I don't eat sugar (usually), I eat pretty healthy, train alot and still the tire stays. So this is going to be my effort to get rid of it. In a nutshell, it is more weight training, more protein, less carbs. Not Atkins, just less of the carbs I usually eat. Lots of vegetables :(

One of the main focuses is the dreaded food diary...somehow recording what I eat makes me more mindful and really takes the fun out of eating..

So this morning, I woke up and weighed myself and measured my waist and hips. Seems my "waist to hip" ratio is high (duh) so that is the number to keep track of. Now I have always had my issues with the scale and eating. Had some form of eating disorder at a point in my life, so the scale is a dangerous place to be for me. Once a week is all-I am committed..

Back to the training schedule today after an invigorating 6 days off. It is very hot here I noticed as I got out of the airport yesterday-sure wish I could take that ocean air with me (not the pollution-just the ocean)... Plan for today: Bike 2 hours, swim 2000 plus meters..Weights at the gym..

OH and regarding bedbugs i was discussing, I saw this article yesterday in USA Today-YIKES! http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/07/theyre-back-cre.html?csp=34

Recovering In CalifornIA!

You know that great deal we got online for the flight and hotel? Well, here I sit in my bargain hotel room-you get what you way for I guess. It is clean but looks about 100 years old. I pray every night there are no bed bugs. The beds are comfortable I must say but probably a bit dated too. I have slept better here than at home for the last several months actually. Must be the hum of the bedbugs lolling me to sleep. This takes nothing away from the great visit we are having with daughter and granddaughter. Lane (3 year old) doesn't care about anything but the pool here. It is clean and we have had fun "swimming" in the pool with her. That is the extent of my exercise for the last 5 days. Oh, and walking around the Orange County State Fair, which is a step up from the State Fair in ABQ. Is alot more fun to go with grandchildren i have decided. No limits on sugar or rides for the grandkid..very cool...I have 2 more days of "recovery". My body finally has no aches or pains at all. My hair and skin thrives in the ocean/polluted air. No allergies except the occasional cough from LA pollution. Husband & I are off to a Dodger game tonite and then back to Abq tomorrow where the laundry and training awaits. It has been a great break from life at home (I know it is such a hard life)..:) Hey I have that serious laundry job! And then there is yardwork and flower care..and errands..hey maybe we will stay in the not so "Quality Inn" for a few more weeks!

We found out today that we need at least a new well pump at our cabin in northern NM, which had a serious flood this spring. We may need to go back to work just to get the place fixed up! Well, not really-we are hoping insurance pays for most of it....you know-that thing you pay in case of home disaster-well, this is one of those. We still may need a new heater, we are replacing all the floors, furniture, some walls and probably more as the flood result problem seems to be growing. We have learned a thing or two about MOLD-that really bad thing you get with musty water damage. It takes Chlorine to bleach the stuff out-gross! Thank goodness we don't have to live there full time but looks like trips to the cabin for this summer at least are suspended...But next year training for IMCDA in the spring will be great especially getting ready for those Idaho hills!