November Totals

So I've not been very active for a few weeks.  Blame it on a cold or a sinus infection or a cough.  Or Thanksgiving.  But tonight I went back in.  Ran on the endless track of a treadmill.  3 miles.  Low 11min/mi. pace.  Didn't feel like doing it, but glad that I did.

So, for the totals:

November 1-30
Biking:  7.6 miles
Running:  12.31 miles
Mileage totals:  19.91 miles
6 days total for all three disciplines

Ugh.

How to Get Massive Thighs . . .

. . .  Ride the stationary bike and do spinning for 30 minutes.  Ended up doing 7.6 miles.  When I got off, I made my fat, heavy thighs stomp over to the treadmill and run a half mile.  Talk about hilarity!  I seriously felt like I had a 50-lb weight strapped around each thigh.  My legs felt like they were slamming down into the treadmill like a giant's legs might do.  Oh, this will take some getting used to!

First PR

Small milestones are worthy of note, I do think.  :)  So, here's one:  I just set a new PR (personal record) tonight:  a (nearly) 11-minute mile!  It felt GOOD.

I discovered that I am slow to warm up, and that is what has damaged my runs.  So tonight I warmed up for half a mile on the treadmill, got off, stretched, and then started my run for real.  I began the pace at 12 minutes/mile, and then after the first half mile I bumped it up one level every quarter mile.  By the time I had finished 2 1/2 miles, I began to wonder if I could run a sub-11-minute mile, so I started to increase my level a bit more frequently, and the last 1/8th mile, I nearly stayed on the buttons.  Ha!  That last 1/8th mile, I could totally see the "finish line":  that green ball sailing smoothly around the track to "the line".  I truly felt the adrenalin rushing through me.  It was great!

A side note to share:  this exercise is encouraging other good habits to develop.  I have always been a fair-weather water drinker.  I just don't think to do it; don't crave it.  It's not that I hate water.  I'm just not thirsty that much.  But I am realizing my body's need of water with all this exercising, so I am trying to listen.  My first goal was to get exercising.  I see my next goal is that of increasing my fluid intake.  All for a healthier me!  It's awesome!

My cat is curled up in my lap right now, having just got her fill of salt from my skin.  So now I am off to drink some water and help balance those electrolytes in my body.  Excuse me, Lily.  :)

Treadmill

My knee was feeling better after several days of not exercising it, so I went to the gym to run.  I find that after several days of no exercise, my anxiety levels start to rise.  Exercise is doing me a world of good in helping to control that, and I am starting to find myself craving the exercise in order to release that anxiety.

Today I had no knee pain after running 3 miles.  Yay!!!  The last little bit of it I ran a 10-minute pace, too, which was good to see.  At this point, though, it's hard to believe that, with practice, this pace could be maintained.  But, it CAN be done.

I had issues with the release cord, and yanking it off accidentally, which of course did its job and stopped the track under me.  I am so not techy, so spent a solid minute or two trying to figure out how to rectify the problem.  I eventually did, but not after turning the machine all the way off and starting over.  Ugh.

The first 1.06 mi was at a pace of 13.69min/mi.  The last two miles were at a 11.15min/mi pace, averaging out to 11.75min/mi.

Knee Grief

In the past, I have had issues with my knees having some serious pain from strenuous running or hiking, to the point of nearly needing to be carried down the mountain.  I've thought I escaped this, as, following a month of training I hadn't experienced any pain.  Well, let me tell ya!  Today it caught up with me!

I ran on the treadmill, and over the course of my run, I could feel that creeping pain coming into the outer side of my knee.  And I learned a lesson:  when the pain starts, quit running!  But do you think I did?

Thirty-eight minutes and 3.25 miles after starting my run, I got off the treadmill, stretched, and then hobbled to my car.  Got home, poured in the ibuprofen, and sat down.  The rest of the day has been fine until I move from my chair.  Gasp!

The up side of this is that I will not be running or biking for awhile, as these disciplines do not help the problem knee heal.  But swimming?  Ah, and I am so lacking in devoted time on this venue.  So, it's not all bad, right?

~Faster by forty!

First Month Totals

For the fun of it, I'm going to enter my mileage totals for each month of training.  So far for swimming, I've not kept track of anything except that I spent time doing it, as I'm just learning the basics and not swimming laps yet.  Regardless, here are the stats:

September 30-October 30
Biking: 29.78 miles
Running: 19.11 miles
Mileage totals for the two disciplines are 48.89 miles
15 total days logged for all three disciplines.


I'm thinkin' that sounds piddly.  

On Being a Fish: There's Hope

1970's.  Living in Western Canada, where the only outdoor pool was a rare heated pool.  I was terrified of it, and sat (in cold weather) on a cement thing in the middle of this pool, steam rising all around me.  I vividly remember this scene at probably three years of age.

Late 1970's.  Attending grade school in Michigan, we occasionally took a bus load from my school to a local YMCA.  I ALWAYS got stomach aches from anxiety pre-swim, and then near-drowned on the pool water, resulting in a worse-ever stomach ache afterward.

1980's.  Lived near a summer camp that had a pool.  Rode my bike to the pool and paid $1 to swim for the afternoon, once or twice a week during summer months.  Actually taught myself how to keep myself afloat and "swim", although there was zero form or style.  I floundered, and that was about it.  Attempted crawl stroke, but couldn't figure out how to breathe while stroking, so this was what happened:  DEEP breath, push off from pool and swim like mad till ran out of breath, then tread water while breathing, then continue on.  That hasn't changed over the years, except that it's embarrassing when someone is watching.

1990's.  Attended college, and made use of the free pool at my university.  Didn't learn anything new.

1996.  The year of my first and only full triathlon.  Husband and I were "just friends", and he was a former lifeguard.  In an attempt to help me prepare for the triathlon, he volunteered to teach me how to swim properly.  Major fail on my part.  I swam the entire triathlon 1/2 mile side stroke.  Nearly the last one out of the lake.  Made up for a poor swim with a decent bike and run.

October 26, 2011.  Husband swam beside me in the pool while I swam for the first time doing a crawl stroke AND breathing.  VICTORY!!!  Husband feels like he finally completed his job, and I am knocking down major barriers.  It feels incredible!  All the moves still feel robotic and calculated, and my brain is struggling to process and act out what I know I am supposed to do.  But it is happening!  I'm actually looking forward to my next swim, in anticipation of seeing this barrier be totally knocked out.  At 39 years of age, I am actually learning to swim!  Woohoo!!!

~Faster by Forty

* * *

Today I experienced some serious back issues.  I couldn't exactly call it pain, but it totally knocked the breath out of me, over and over again.  If I hold still, there is no pain, but twisting movements of any kind just made me catch my breath and gasp.  Husband thinks this may be because of the stretching of my back during biking.  I hope this is what it was.  Regardless, I wanted to swim today, hoping that a counter-exercise would help this problem.  I'm not sure that it made a difference, but I'm still going.  :)  Sitting in the hot tub after swimming couldn't have hurt things.  And truly, I do find it curious and encouraging that the different disciplines of triathlon training help my body.  One venue will create sore muscles in my legs, while another activity erases that pain.  It's all good, I tell you.  :)