In many ways training has been going great. Except biking, which is sad because I have had a new bike since Christmas and nothing to show for it. (except a new bike of course)
That will change!
Although that change didn't start out as planned. I went out on the bike Friday and at 9.8 miles had a flat. Not a big deal right? Well, except I wasn't prepared for it. No spares, no repair kit, no pump. I should have been prepared. But I thought maybe, just maybe I could get away with a few local rides. Not!
Swimming is getting better all the time! (Singing), "I believe I can breathe, I believe I can touch...". Never mind, I am a horrible singer.
It's kinda strange but running is what I have enjoyed the most lately. I never would have thought that a year ago. Yesterday was a true LSD day. For the benefit of my body and my mind, I purposely kept my heart rate down for the whole 10.7 miles. Some of you could have crawled just as fast. Regardless, I truly enjoyed it! I had worked 12 hour nights on Friday and Saturday so after sleeping from only 8:30 to 1pm (and 6 hours the day before), so I was tired. But I knew I needed to put my run in and I also knew that I have been poor at keeping my base lately. The weather sucked. But I was not running inside for 10 miles, I've had enough of that. So I step outside from the club and its pouring. I had a jacket on so it was only my shorts that became wet rather quickly. It was 48 degrees, so not too bad and due to the fact that I was running, I never really felt cold. It is a little weird, running in the rain, in shorts, next to snow.
So this is what I did.
Mile 1 - 11:39 Avg Hr 141
Mile 2 - 11:17 Ahr 145
Mile 3 - 10:51 Ahr 148
Mile 4 - 10:44 Ahr 152
Mile 5 - 10:38 Ahr 151
Mile 6 - 10:15 Ahr 156
Mile 7 - 10:30 Ahr 156
Mile 8 - 11:14 Ahr 157 (started some hilly area)
Mile 9 - 10:57 Ahr 153
Mile 10 - 10:21 Ahr 161
+ .7 mile - 10:43 Ahr 161
Now, I don't want you thinking that I am always taking it easy.
On Thursday, I ran 5- 800m repeats with the running club.
I ran them pretty well, timing them at 3:40 - 3:55, which is an average pace of 8:17 minute miles.
I also ran just about 9 miles the week before with an average pace of 9:34. To be fair there was an hour break after 4.81 miles as I ran that with the club, stretched and talked for a while, then went home and finished the rest of the run. Still, I am running faster for a longer amount of time. I have also been doing 5 minute intervals with @ 8 - 8:15 pace.
Did I tell you that I ran my first sub 8 mile? Yep, on mile 3 of an 8 mile run (though I did have to walk for a few minutes after that mile) I ran a 7:54 mile. I know that technically I could have attained this a while ago but it was never in my plan, so it hasn't happened. I expect that I will see a sub 8 mile in my next 5K!?
So that was cool! But this post has got to be boring for you (if your still here)!
I've recognized that I am being a little negative lately. Part of that you can read in my last post but there is more. Generally, I think I accept change pretty well, but all the podcasts and some blogs have really slowed down lately. These are something that I have looked very forward to and had a lot to do with the excitement of starting this new thing to me called Triathlon. I remember listening to GYGO and SimplyStu podcasts hour after hour when I first discovered them.
Take this past week. I was a little disappointed about not having planned for the SimplyStu world triathlon with my kids. Last year, I listened about it, was frequently updated about it visiting his website, etc. This year, it was just here all the sudden, with what seemed like little warning. Also GYGO, podcasts have been seemingly few and far between with their episodes. Then add all the EvoTri voting (and voting and voting), there just seemed to be a whole different vibe to our little blogosphere. And I didn't like it.
But you know what. I am the one that didn't calendar the SimplyStu triathlon. It's hardly his fault. And why should I expect GYGO to broadcast any more than they do? If we're going to be friends in our little part of the world, the friendship can't be based on filling some quantitative expectations of each other. Friendship is just being there for each other, period. And I, for one, plan on being a friend. I hope I am forgiven for straying from that a little bit.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Monday, April 7, 2008
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Flexibility!
Piriformis, Tibialis and IT bands oh my!
I ran eight miles on Monday. My longest run yet. Problem is my longest run prior to that was 5.5 miles (with stops).
I had to! The TC 10 is only 19 days away. I want to run that distance at least once before the race and I need to take it easy the week before so I really only have about 12 days to get up there. (You see, I am in such a rush, I have to do run on sentences)
I realize that eight miles may be petty for some of you! But I am still amazed at 1) How happy I am to be at this point and 2) How much I want to do better! Both are equally true.
Anywho, as I was walking on the last bit of slowdown, the outer aspect of my left leg just clamped down and froze. What a strange looking walk home that must have been for anybody that looked out their window. I am not sure why it specifically happened. I always have some pain on my run. It usually starts on my shins then I feel like I have kind of a foot drop type pain on my anterior left ankle. But today both of those went away @ mile 4.
Negative thoughts entered my head! "I can't do this", "You're pathetic"! "You ugly red-headed step child" That last one was from the past. Those little suckers sneak in their even though I don't believe them anymore.
In fact I did a good job of kicking all the negative thoughts out! I told myself that this will happen again but at higher distances. Your body is just not use to it. You couldn't run .2 miles just 5 months ago. Deal with it, Tim
I made it home! The stairs were hell but I immediately took some ibuprofen and placed ice packs all over my left leg. And I evaluated. Really it's pretty simple. I have been really good at doing my pre workout stretching but I haven't been too good at my "regeneration" day stretching. In other words I need to stretch on my non run days.
As I suspected, I was able to get around just fine last evening and today I only felt any hint of pain on stairways, especially going down.
I want to do this right!
So I tried three yoga moves. Cow face, Frog legged and Square (page 53 on the October 07 Inside Tri mag). Then I did an arch roll with a tennis ball (which feels as good as err, um, well it feels really good), stretches with a rope like the calf stretch, straight let hamstring, adductor and abductor. Then I proceeded to use a foam roll and tennis ball for deep tissue massage. Man those tennis ball pressure points hurt at first.
Flexibility, that is what I have to work on.
When I was doing those exercises, I was thinking, "What about my mental flexibility?"
What if I wasn't able to run again? Could I handle that? Am I so inflexible that I feel my overall value as a person would be diminished by not running? Of course, I wouldn't think that way about anybody else, but would I be so flexible regarding myself?
What about other aspects in my life?
On Monday, it was easy to get rid of the negative thoughts. I honed in on what is true and what is real. One of my favorite artists to listen to are the Indigo girls. (I know, I know, but I am still all man:-). I think that they have a lot of beliefs that I may not agree with, but they really know how to put some truth into words.
"Darkness has a hunger thats insatiable, and light has a call that's hard to hear". It is so easy to get hung up on the negative that we see! What was probably just a warning to me, my body telling me I needed to do something different, was temporarily viewed by me as much worse.
In this world, we get so much thrown at us! War, crime, finances, family and friends that we care about being sick (one with cancer, one with gestational diabetes and one with heart problems). It's easy to see the world as suffocating us, restricting us, impinging upon our rights to happiness!
But I won't let it! I will listen for the call of the light!
I will be flexible!
I ran eight miles on Monday. My longest run yet. Problem is my longest run prior to that was 5.5 miles (with stops).
I had to! The TC 10 is only 19 days away. I want to run that distance at least once before the race and I need to take it easy the week before so I really only have about 12 days to get up there. (You see, I am in such a rush, I have to do run on sentences)
I realize that eight miles may be petty for some of you! But I am still amazed at 1) How happy I am to be at this point and 2) How much I want to do better! Both are equally true.
Anywho, as I was walking on the last bit of slowdown, the outer aspect of my left leg just clamped down and froze. What a strange looking walk home that must have been for anybody that looked out their window. I am not sure why it specifically happened. I always have some pain on my run. It usually starts on my shins then I feel like I have kind of a foot drop type pain on my anterior left ankle. But today both of those went away @ mile 4.
Negative thoughts entered my head! "I can't do this", "You're pathetic"! "You ugly red-headed step child" That last one was from the past. Those little suckers sneak in their even though I don't believe them anymore.
In fact I did a good job of kicking all the negative thoughts out! I told myself that this will happen again but at higher distances. Your body is just not use to it. You couldn't run .2 miles just 5 months ago. Deal with it, Tim
I made it home! The stairs were hell but I immediately took some ibuprofen and placed ice packs all over my left leg. And I evaluated. Really it's pretty simple. I have been really good at doing my pre workout stretching but I haven't been too good at my "regeneration" day stretching. In other words I need to stretch on my non run days.
As I suspected, I was able to get around just fine last evening and today I only felt any hint of pain on stairways, especially going down.
I want to do this right!
So I tried three yoga moves. Cow face, Frog legged and Square (page 53 on the October 07 Inside Tri mag). Then I did an arch roll with a tennis ball (which feels as good as err, um, well it feels really good), stretches with a rope like the calf stretch, straight let hamstring, adductor and abductor. Then I proceeded to use a foam roll and tennis ball for deep tissue massage. Man those tennis ball pressure points hurt at first.
Flexibility, that is what I have to work on.
When I was doing those exercises, I was thinking, "What about my mental flexibility?"
What if I wasn't able to run again? Could I handle that? Am I so inflexible that I feel my overall value as a person would be diminished by not running? Of course, I wouldn't think that way about anybody else, but would I be so flexible regarding myself?
What about other aspects in my life?
On Monday, it was easy to get rid of the negative thoughts. I honed in on what is true and what is real. One of my favorite artists to listen to are the Indigo girls. (I know, I know, but I am still all man:-). I think that they have a lot of beliefs that I may not agree with, but they really know how to put some truth into words.
"Darkness has a hunger thats insatiable, and light has a call that's hard to hear". It is so easy to get hung up on the negative that we see! What was probably just a warning to me, my body telling me I needed to do something different, was temporarily viewed by me as much worse.
In this world, we get so much thrown at us! War, crime, finances, family and friends that we care about being sick (one with cancer, one with gestational diabetes and one with heart problems). It's easy to see the world as suffocating us, restricting us, impinging upon our rights to happiness!
But I won't let it! I will listen for the call of the light!
I will be flexible!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Mileposts and Milestones!
Wow, What a weekend!
I have been home about 24 hours now from my little trip to Madison! I volunteered and watched what I consider the "Greatest Show on Earth". Although I did see a clown, I am of course referring to IronMan!
Saturday was relatively relaxed. I love getting up early in the morning, so waking up at 5 to be picked up at 6 by Ironmomjenny and her adorable daughter Ally is a great way to start a weekend and meet new friends. I also met Steve who is a local triathlete and is quite likable even though he isn't a blogger ;-)
I started blogging on May 17th and I was immediately hooked (for reasons I will share in a future post). One of the fun things about blogging and triathlon was "watching" people that have been blogging for years finally meet up with each other at a triathlon or other race event (Wildflower is a great example)
I am incredibly blessed by 1) that many bloggers live in Minnesota and 2) after blogging only 4 months, I was able to meet and/or see many others for the first time already. What an incredible group of people: 21stcenturymom, Laura and Greg, Laurie (who is utterly terrific), another non-blogging, I forget their name, couple at the Hojo, IronNick, Robert, T-Storms and her husband, Kona Shelley and then of course TriMama and the tribe. I was also fortunate to fleetingly meet other blog rockstars like Bolder, Greyhound, TriDummy, TriBoomer, Taconite Boy, RunBubbaRun and the list goes on. Then there are those that I cheered for but they had no idea who I was, IronWil, SimplyStu, RuralGirl, Chris, John Shelp, Dan Cohen, Pharmie and hairless Steve.
I am not name dropping above for the sake of name dropping, I am seriously excited about this group of people.
And I am seriously excited about what I learned from everybody. Dedication, effort, heart, faith but also not taking everything too seriously! What is the sense of all the training and achievement without life? Life with friends, family, God, good food and beer!, intentionality (an explanation of that ahead) and of course more.
Which brings me to an important milestone of my own!
It's really interesting. I am sitting in the front lobby of the Hojo on Washington Street in Madison and TriMama asks me, "Do you like football?" The conversation ended up being about how her and Taconite Man watch Sunday Night football together as just their time. It's an easy time to spend some alone time and talk!
It is intentional time together.
Later, I get home and my wife is a little upset. Had I talked to her all weekend? Did she know when I was going to get home? Did she know with whom I was staying and where?
Anybody that knows me will say that I practically worship Angela. I love her and adore her beyond any description! In return, I give her Soooo much. Yep, so much grief, frustration and probably stress ulcers.
Angela knows I love her, my kids know I love them, but the relationship(s) can't just happen (and in many ways, I don't let it just happen). It needs to have that same kind of intentionality as training for triathlon does.
When it comes to intentionality, triathlon is easy! You have goals, so you intentionally reach for them.
But relationships need that same intentionality. TriMama and TaconiteMan understand that, as evidenced by setting up time together and how proud she is on how, then known as Taconite Boy, he handled his training and family.
This weekend, I realized that I have many people to look up to and not just because of their endurance achievements!
But it also made me wonder!
Where did Taconite Boy get his super powers? After meeting all these incredible people and thinking about my wonderful family and friends, I see where I do and I will get some of my strength!
P.S. One other smaller milestone, I was able to stretch and touch my toes today with legs fully straight. Woohoo.
I have been home about 24 hours now from my little trip to Madison! I volunteered and watched what I consider the "Greatest Show on Earth". Although I did see a clown, I am of course referring to IronMan!
Saturday was relatively relaxed. I love getting up early in the morning, so waking up at 5 to be picked up at 6 by Ironmomjenny and her adorable daughter Ally is a great way to start a weekend and meet new friends. I also met Steve who is a local triathlete and is quite likable even though he isn't a blogger ;-)
I started blogging on May 17th and I was immediately hooked (for reasons I will share in a future post). One of the fun things about blogging and triathlon was "watching" people that have been blogging for years finally meet up with each other at a triathlon or other race event (Wildflower is a great example)
I am incredibly blessed by 1) that many bloggers live in Minnesota and 2) after blogging only 4 months, I was able to meet and/or see many others for the first time already. What an incredible group of people: 21stcenturymom, Laura and Greg, Laurie (who is utterly terrific), another non-blogging, I forget their name, couple at the Hojo, IronNick, Robert, T-Storms and her husband, Kona Shelley and then of course TriMama and the tribe. I was also fortunate to fleetingly meet other blog rockstars like Bolder, Greyhound, TriDummy, TriBoomer, Taconite Boy, RunBubbaRun and the list goes on. Then there are those that I cheered for but they had no idea who I was, IronWil, SimplyStu, RuralGirl, Chris, John Shelp, Dan Cohen, Pharmie and hairless Steve.
I am not name dropping above for the sake of name dropping, I am seriously excited about this group of people.
And I am seriously excited about what I learned from everybody. Dedication, effort, heart, faith but also not taking everything too seriously! What is the sense of all the training and achievement without life? Life with friends, family, God, good food and beer!, intentionality (an explanation of that ahead) and of course more.
Which brings me to an important milestone of my own!
It's really interesting. I am sitting in the front lobby of the Hojo on Washington Street in Madison and TriMama asks me, "Do you like football?" The conversation ended up being about how her and Taconite Man watch Sunday Night football together as just their time. It's an easy time to spend some alone time and talk!
It is intentional time together.
Later, I get home and my wife is a little upset. Had I talked to her all weekend? Did she know when I was going to get home? Did she know with whom I was staying and where?
Anybody that knows me will say that I practically worship Angela. I love her and adore her beyond any description! In return, I give her Soooo much. Yep, so much grief, frustration and probably stress ulcers.
Angela knows I love her, my kids know I love them, but the relationship(s) can't just happen (and in many ways, I don't let it just happen). It needs to have that same kind of intentionality as training for triathlon does.
When it comes to intentionality, triathlon is easy! You have goals, so you intentionally reach for them.
But relationships need that same intentionality. TriMama and TaconiteMan understand that, as evidenced by setting up time together and how proud she is on how, then known as Taconite Boy, he handled his training and family.
This weekend, I realized that I have many people to look up to and not just because of their endurance achievements!
But it also made me wonder!
Where did Taconite Boy get his super powers? After meeting all these incredible people and thinking about my wonderful family and friends, I see where I do and I will get some of my strength!
P.S. One other smaller milestone, I was able to stretch and touch my toes today with legs fully straight. Woohoo.
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