Closing up shop?

Clearly I've neglected this blog unconscionably.  But I do have a whole 5 followers (Hi, SmoFit!) so rather than just closing up shop I'll redirect you to the blog I have been updating more recently.  It's about food, which I'm much more consistent about than exercise. ;)  Say hello to me at eatingwhilefeminist.blogspot.com!

Midnight blogger!

Well I got an iPhone for my birthday and there really is an app for everything, so here I am blogging during my baby's night feeding. After all, I'll be up half an hour and what else is there to do?

Last I blogged, I was apparently still at work. That means it's been about sox months! In the meantime, I had a baby (for anyone who didn't gather that from the nursing discussion above). She is four months old now, adorable, and a lot of work. She does sleep pretty well, for which I am thankful. But for a baby, getting up only once per night is very good, so I usually have one bleary-eyed session or maybe two.

My neglect of blogging spared you graphic description of the labor and ensuing stitches; suffice it to say that I got back on my bike just a few weeks ago and I don't think I waited too long at all. Bit I did start walking right away and at six weeks post partum became an official, not long-distance Mermaid!

So now my life goes something like this: nurse 8+ times per day, try to eat healthy and have enough to keep up the milk supply but not so much that I keep holding onto the last ten lbs of baby weight, and try to get some exercise. Maybe a shower once in a while. ;) Mermaids is twice a week, there is a mom & baby fitness class I try to get to once a week, and I found a yoga class I can afford with a teacher I love.* The mom class is a lot harder than you might think! And I met some great new mom friends through it so it is the winner of surprise activity I actually like. Swimming and biking are still tough, and I'm really not sure what I will be able to do when I go back to work, but I'm taking it one day at a time.

Mermaid workouts are extra awesome because my friends are there and Coach H (and everyone else) has welcomed baby to attend. Not that C wouldn't take her, but on Tuesday evening its faster to bring her since baby plus me equals carpool! I am running more comfortably than before and actually doing core work for a change.

Oops, time to go! Adios blogging buddies.

* if you live near Mountain View and can make a noon workout on Wednesdays, I'll let you in on the secret!

Already off the plan

I love to make lists and plans, but sometimes I forget to go back and read them to make sure I am following. :)

Last night I thought I should do the elliptical, so I did, but now I am looking at my last post and seeing that I was supposed to do yoga. Oh well! Part of the problem is that my prenatal yoga dvd is BORING. Not that slogging my way through 35 minutes of walking in place is a thrill, but I look at magazines (no real reading) and it's familiar. The yoga dvd is somehow simultaneously hard and very boring. I think it's because I am used to a particular style (Anusara, often with an emphasis on flow) and this is a much more limited range of poses without any real flow from one pose to the next. And I miss arm balances and inversions. Maybe I don't like yoga so much as Anusara's inclusion of many back bends, arm balances, and inversions satisfies my inner aspiring gymnast.

In any case, it's not like I skipped a day of exercise, I just skipped yoga in favor of the elliptical. And M and I made it out for a ~2 mile walk this morning despite the drizzle. (Yes, I am made of sugar Molly! And walking in the rain isn't as badass as running.) So we're 2 for 2 on exercise so far this week!

Tonight is the team meeting/info night for Team Mermaid! I am excited that I will be on leave during the majority of the season, because that means I will not have to be a Distance Mermaid this year. Last year I was technically on the team (Coach H gave me a calendar of workouts and I came to all the weekend clinics etc.) but my work schedule made attending workouts in San Jose unrealistic. I already talked to C about making time for me to go to workouts once the baby arrives, and he is on board to make sure he covers childcare so I can make the 30 min. drive each way. I'm hoping I will feel much more integrated into the team, as well as getting more help on things like my running, which has never been comfortable and probably needs a lot of adjustment. I loved having a coach and being on a team last year, so it can only get better if I can be part of the team workouts, right?

If anyone is interested, come to Sports Basement in Sunnyvale at 6:30 for Coach H's spiel and discounts on purchases tonight!

Swim Time!

I swam! Finally! I've been meaning to hit the pool regularly since I found out I was pregnant, and I could probably count on one hand how many times since then I've been swimming.

But today, despite the chilly weather, I made it to the pool. 40 minutes and 1200 s.l.o.w. yards later, my arms are a little tired and I feel much better. I usually use a workout off of swimplan.com, but today I wasn't sure how I would feel so I made it up as I went along. I got new pool toys for Christmas so I played with those.

100 free
100 kick with fins
100 free with paddles
100 breast
100 kick
100 free
100 kick
100 breast
100 free with paddles
100 kick
100 free
100 breast

That's a long list for only 1200 yards, but I kept pausing after every 50 and thinking "why am I so out of breath?" and "what should I do next?" I may bring a workout next time just to avoid the latter thoughts.

So far this week has looked like this:
Monday: 35 min on the elliptical
Tuesday: 40 min walk outside
Wednesday: 40 min yoga
Thursday: walk rained out, wandered around a mall for a while
Friday: NOTHING. I felt like a slug all day.
Saturday: Tried on many pairs of maternity jeans, wandered around Old Navy and a few more stores. Seriously, this was so exhausting that even though I had planned to either swim or do yoga afterward, I just couldn't drag myself off the couch.
Sunday: 40 min swimming

Next week how about this plan:
Monday: yoga
Tuesday: walk
Wednesday: elliptical
Thursday: walk
Friday: yoga & swim
Saturday: rest
Sunday: swim

Hmm. Looks good, but must execute! Honestly, after doing nothing for several weeks, four days this week felt great, and pretty much like enough.

Adventures in Baby Shopping, Part 1

Or, how to furnish a nursery for under $500. By request!

I have always loved a bargain. Thrift stores, clearance racks, and of course online sales (with free shipping!) are my bestest friends. I don't actually like shopping that much in the way that most of my girlfriends did growing up (trying things on, hanging at the mall), but give me an item to scout and a percentage off retail and I'm on it.

One of my favorite things to do when I'm bored, or waiting for something to happen at work, or trying to avoid doing some other thing that is less fun, is to surf Craigslist. I look for apartments and houses months before my lease is up, or anytime a friend is thinking about moving, or in cities that I might someday move to but have no current plans to even visit. I look for furniture that I think I might need 5 years from now. I look for sports equipment and accessories that I don't really need but are cool. Sometimes I'll really score something awesome on a whim, like the brand new bike trainer I got before I even had a nice road bike because it was half-off and I felt like taking a break from work to drive somewhere. Other times I'll search off and on for what seems like forever until it finally pays off, like the pair of Bombay Company lingerie chests I stumbled upon after 18 months of searching, for $150, made of real wood and matching our bedroom set!

So now that I'm pregnant, it's a Craigslist bonanza! So much stuff to buy, at bargain basement prices. It has taken me months, but I have amassed a pretty decent nursery for less than half what I would have paid new. I tell myself it's also environmentally responsible because I'm not adding to demand for plastics and new wood furniture. But mostly it's a hobby.

Here is what I've learned about looking for baby stuff, specifically, though a lot of this is also good advice for Craigslisting generally:

1. Make a list of things you want. Sometimes you know there is a particular brand or item you want that's awesome, so look for that. But generally you should try to be flexible about the brand/model because it may be too new or just not popular among parents in your area.
2. Search Craigslist for that category of items and get an idea of the general price range and specific brands/models that are out there. While there will be overlap, what's on Craigslist is not going to be the same as what's in the stores--certain items will be easy to find, and others impossible. This round of Craigslisting is not about buying things, it's just about soaking up the atmosphere.
3. Research the products that look nice to you to find out their retail price, read reviews, and check if there are any safety concerns that you should be aware of in narrowing it down. Things like what materials are safe, what features are essential, and whether any particular models have been recalled or are big no-nos for some other reason.
4. Once you're ready to buy a particular thing, search Craigslist obsessively. I won't say hourly, but certainly daily. If you have a long lead time till you'll need it, be patient and watch prices until you find one that is in like-new condition, in the color you want, and for a price you know is in the low- to mid-range for Craigslist. If it's already at a price you like, you won't have to haggle.
5. Don't wait to call or email. Being eager to buy on Craigslist makes you a good customer.
6. If you've seen an item you want listed several times over a few weeks or month and it's not selling because the price is too high, contact the seller and offer a lower price. Base your offer on comparable items on Craigslist and explain your reasoning to the seller. The worst that can happen is s/he says no.
7. Ask lots of questions. Are they the original owner? How old is it? How many kids was it used for? Any flaws or missing pieces? Do they have the owner's manual? Did they like it? Why are they getting rid of it?
8. Find out the model and year and check again to make sure the piece has not been recalled or otherwise rejected by the zillions of mom and dad bloggers who review baby gear.
9. Once you are meeting the seller, inspect carefully and be ready to walk away if it is not as described.
10. Buy! Give it a good cleaning and enjoy your new-to-you baby stuff.

I don't actually go through this whole rigamarole separately for every item I buy. I have a running mental list of stuff I'd like and after I have exhausted brand-specific searching (step 4 for items that I know I want), I just look at everything on sale in my immediate area for ideas (steps 1 and 2 for new items). I also get a lot of stuff in bulk. It's not worth my gas money to drive 30 miles for a $10 baby bathtub, but if the same person selling that bathtub has an exersaucer and Baby Bjorn that they are also selling dirt cheap, it's suddenly a bargain. Mostly we've bought the really big stuff on Craigslist: crib, strollers, bassinet, high-chair, glider, and even a breast pump (which I'm cleaning thoroughly and buying new tubing for, of course). The smaller things just don't tend to be worth the effort, or are better to buy new.

Last tip: I usually bring a little extra cash because I've found that once I'm at someone's house, surveying their garage for the jogging stroller they are selling, they tend to pick up a box of BPA-free bottles and a Pack 'N Play and say "actually, I don't need these either. Would you take them off my hands for another $20?" Yes, ma'am, I will!

Pass it on to your pregnant friends, or those who like a good thrifting how-to. :) Part 2, which will come sometime later this week, will address the part I'm not so good at: The layette and registering for stuff!

back on the beat

It's not quite two weeks since my realization that I should maybe post here if I want people to read what I have to say, and here I am actually posting again!


Today I am committing to good, moderate exercise in my third trimester. In my first trimester exercise was erratic because I was exhausted all the time and the spikes in my heart rate sort of freaked me out. Then my second trimester was taken over by a busy time at work and so except for a very few prenatal yoga classes exercise sort of went out the window. But it became clear to me over the last month or so how much moving around for at least 30 minutes a day really helps my stress level and my energy, so I'm announcing here for all the world (or at least Melissa and Molly) to see that I will do something at least 5 days a week.

Tonight I hopped on the elliptical at work for 35 minutes. I put it on the weight loss program just because I like the way the intervals are set up in that one, on the lowest level, and tried to pace myself so my heart rate stayed under 150. It was harder than expected--I felt really slow--but at the end I was mildly sweaty and pleased with the experience.

Tomorrow I have a walking date with my running buddy M (seriously, are all my friends named M____ now?) at 8 a.m. It's getting late, but there are documents to review. My trouble with the exercise is this: between work and exercise and obsessing about baby gear, when do I sleep?

oh crap, I have a blog

How did I forget about that halfway through last year?

Well I'll catch you up quickly.

In July, I visited my hometown with the intention of doing an Olympic-distance triathlon, but totally freaked out and bailed at the starting line because the waves were huge and I had no team support (I did have my totally supportive dad!). I learned from that that I am a team player, even in individual sports, and I need to know I have company out on the course. I also turned 30, which I celebrated with a party at my house with family and friends.

In August, I did the Vineman Aquabike Half and then immediately after learned that I am pregnant. The Aquabike was the opposite of the Oxnard fail-fest: a huge Mermaid contingent was racing Barb's Half or Aquabike, and it was a great weekend of supporting each other. I also did the last Splash and Dash at Stevens Creek Reservoir.

In September, I spent the whole month feeling tired and queasy but not actually sick, which is better than my fellow pregnant Mermaids fared (there are three of us!). DH and I celebrated our third anniversary with a fondue feast and sparkling cider. I did the Santa Cruz Mermaid Sprint as a relay, and matched last year's bike time. That's pretty good since on the one hand I have a much better bike but on the other I walked most of the big hills because my heart rate and stomach were acting strangely. All part of a healthy pregnancy, apparently.

October flew by without me really even remembering anything significant. Hmm. I did go to a great Halloween party with Melissa, at which I was a pirate and she was a wench. I drank a lot of non-alcoholic champagne with one of our hosts who was also abstaining, and Melissa drank whatever we put in front of her, which was entertaining since she rarely drinks at all!

In November I ate a LOT and did the Mermaid San Francisco 5k. My walking partner G asked me what pace I was hoping for and, like a great teammate, pushed me to jog just enough at the end to make my 15:00/mi goal. Thanksgiving was delicious as always and delightfully uneventful. Mostly in November I worked a lot!

Last month continued the whirlwind pace at work and I was only too relieved to escape at 5:30 p.m. on December 24 and only return today. While I was not working I celebrated Christmas with my in-laws and my extended family, spent a few days with my parents and close friends in Oxnard, and did some serious furniture rearranging/reorganization at home.

So that brings us to January 2010!

These days my belly is an entity all to itself. It sticks out, it moves, it makes demands. For the most part it doesn't make me ache anywhere else and I'm still mostly unaffected except for my clothes not fitting anymore. (TMI for some, but totally essentially information [TEI?]: I have gained less than 10 lbs. but 3+ bra cup sizes!) Others tell me that the backaches, constant need to pee, and other fun stuff is imminent!

I am hoping to survive the busiest parts of two cases (the last few months pretrial) while in my last trimester. That may or may not be possible. There are childbirth prep classes to take, baby stuff to register for, and hopefully some swimming and some spending time with DH and friends and family to fit in before April.

Hopefully also some posting, if only for Molly who told me today that I should blog more. :)

Race Report!

I got up at 5 this morning and drove down to Quarry Lakes in Fremont so that I could do the Mermaid Sprint Triathlon. This is the same race that I did for my first triathlon last year, so it was exciting to see what has changed since then!

My times:
1/4 mile Swim: 10:04 (last year 13:38)
11 mile Bike: 36:38 (41:07)
2.5 mile Run: 34:34 (38:31)
Total: 1:27:55 (1:39:03)

More than 11 minutes faster! That makes me really excited, anyway.

I got a pretty good kick to the chest at the beginning of the swim. I don't care if people want to breaststroke as long as they stay to the sides/back of the pack, but swimming in a huge tangle is difficult enough when it's freestyle and there are no explosive kicks involved! I managed not to suck up any water, though, so it was more of an annoyance than anything.

The bike was awesome. I maintained 16.4 mph the whole time, which is not amazing considering it's a relatively flat course, but there are a lot of turns and one overpass that isn't so bad until you realize that it's a looped course and you have to cross it 3 times in each direction!

The run... always the run is difficult. At this point, it has to be psychological. I know I can run 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. I do it all the time. But I walked a little, which slowed me down considerably.

But it didn't slow me down too much! Much to my own shock and amazement, I placed 3rd among the Athena group 29 and younger (Athenas are women over 150 lbs--you can opt into this group instead of the regular age groups, which are in increments of 5 years. Athena isn't necessarily less competitive, but it's usually a smaller field).

I really had a great day, and now I'm going to do a bunch of cooking and some laundry so I'm ready for the week ahead...

Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Hidey-Ho Blogging Neighbors!

So yesterday I raced. It was an exciting day, and a really hard day--some of those things combined.

It actually started on Saturday with packet pickup, then hanging out with Melissa the rest of the day. She was the best sister-in-law anyone could ask for, as she made dinner, soothed my nerves with good conversation and a Veronica Mars marathon, and even let me have the bed so that Jemma wouldn't be trying to roust the intruder from the air mattress at all hours of the night. I was really nervous about the heat, but by 9 we had eaten a light dinner and drank enough water to ensure many midnight bathroom trips, if not a perfectly hydrated race the next day.

We were up bright and early and arrived at the course by 5:30 a.m. I futzed around with my stuff for a while and was just settling in to chatting with the other Mermaids (some of whom were even earlier than we were and saved us a great spot in transition!) when they announced that everyone would have to leave transition and be race-ready when the first wave started. Our wave was the last of 12, so I had mentally planned to be lounging and pondering putting on my wetsuit for at least another 20 minutes! But of course we'd been there for hours by then, so I pulled on my wetsuit and headed down to warm up in the water and take photos until our wave started. By the time our wave started, I had scoped out that there was very little competition in the Athena category and was feeling pretty good in the water.

The swim was LONG but actually quite enjoyable! The longest open water swim I'd done previous was only 400 meters, and this was about 3 times that (3/4 mi). But I just concentrated on sighting the next buoy and didn't get too off-course. While I was definitely in the back of the pack for my wave, I did pass at least one person from the wave ahead of me. I told myself I was slower than everyone else because my wave was full of relay racers (including Melissa, who totally killed her personal goal time!) and therefore better-than-average swimmers.

Knowing that I was not the last one out of the water made the next leg all the more confusing. I headed out on the bike, nearly taking out Chris "Macca" McCormick (Molly would have been so upset!) as he turned right in front of me into the chute to finish his race. Don't worry though, he won. I headed out on the bike and pep talked myself into a nice 12-15 mph pace on the flats, climbing the small hills steadily and racing downhill as fast as I dared, given that most of the downhills ended in sharp turns. I ate my moons and didn't freak out too much when my favorite water bottle bounced right off the bike, despite the fact that I had opted for a cage inside my frame and not a back-mounted cage to avoid bounce-outs. I got to the nasty hill at mile 11 and felt decent. My goal was to stop once. I made it about half way, stopped and recovered, then headed up some more.

That's when things got weird. A motorcycle cop rode up behind me, and I was flustered and decided to stop and catch my breath again. He asked if I was okay, and I said yes, and he said something about me being last out. I couldn't believe it, and said that was impossible. He said "you will be soon, there's one lady coming up the hill right now." Sure enough, another woman gritted her way past us, swearing her way up the hill. I tried to get back on, but I was distracted. It didn't help that when I tried to go back down to a flatter part of the hill to get a little momentum, there was a full-size police car in the way. I walked the last hundred or so feet to the top of the hill, where I stood wheezing for a full minute or more. Note: I don't have asthma. I do, however, have panic attacks. I wanted to cry and yell at the cops to go away. Instead, I did some yogic breathing, thanked the awesome people who were cheering for me at the top of the hill, accepted a full bottle of water from a non-racing biker who was stopped at the top and offered when he saw I was out, and got back on the damn bike. I managed to pull it together and when the motorcycle officer who followed me for the last 5 miles joked about throwing me a rope to get us back faster, I did not swear at him. I gritted my teeth, smiled, and said "No thanks, I think that would get me DQ'd."

At transition Melissa was great--she could tell I was upset but she just yelled (cheerfully!) to get my shoes on and spritzed me with more sunscreen. They were announcing over the loudspeakers, "The last cyclist has come into transition! Look out for number 808, our last racer headed out on the run!" Oh, great, thanks. Just what I needed. I mean, I love the spotlight--I'll play just about anything for attention and laughs--but I felt more like they were saying "thank god, that slowpoke is finally getting somewhere" than cheering me on. It didn't help that I could see them breaking down the bike course behind me.

I started out jogging, but by then it was almost 10 a.m. and it was really hot. My breathing went ragged and wheezy again, and I walked most of the first 2 miles. I saw my friends heading in and they all yelled encouragement. Paige gave me the best advice of the day, which was "I'm running two cones and walking one, and it's working! Find a strategy!" But there was also a new motorcycle cop following me. When I let out an exasperated "are you going to follow me the whole run?!" he gave a kind but misguided reply of "yep, I'm your guardian angel!" I was distraught, and I could feel tears (a little hotter than the sweat, but otherwise indistinguishable) rolling down as I thought, "This is a stupid waste of hydration. Stop crying and run." Every time I started to run though, it reminded me that I needed to pee and my stomach was churning in a scary, might have an accident kind of way. Mercifully, the cop leapfrogged ahead of me and then pulled over for a few minutes at a time, so he wasn't directly behind me the whole way, but there was no way I could relieve myself roadside with the cop following me.

Finally, as I passed the second water table at mile 2, I was bored with feeling sorry for myself and the stomach churning had passed. I looked at my watch and decided to set a new goal. I thought I could maybe make it in by 11 if I started following Paige's advice. Once I turned around, I saw a blue blob up a head that seemed to be getting closer. I ran one cone and walked one, throwing in an extra cone-length of running when I could. As I passed a guy who looked more miserably hot than I was, the cop called out to me "I can't follow you anymore! Good job!" Along the way back I started to feel stronger, and I passed two more hot, tired guys. I spied an older woman (I think she was in her 70s) up ahead as I reached the last half-mile and decided to pass her before the finish. She didn't let up--I'm pretty sure she ran the entire 5 miles--but my legs were a lot fresher, or at least younger, and I passed her as we crossed the parking area and headed toward the finishing chute. Melissa was out on the road to run me in, and I sprinted as best I could across the finish at 11:03 a.m. I was not last, and as stupid and petty as it sounds, that was all that mattered at that moment.

As it turns out, I took third in the Athena division (in a field of three, but I get prizes regardless!) and had okay times except for the run:

• 3/4 mi Swim and T1 0:38:38 (stupid broken sensors!)
• 16 mi Bike 1:15:15
• T2 0:03:02
• 5 mi Run 1:12:50
• Total 3:09:45

And Melissa managed to get a good picture of me racking my bike in T2, despite my foul mood:

After waiting around for awards and collecting our gear, Melissa and I hit her place for showers, then quelled the gnawing hunger with Sonoma Chicken Coop (mmm, rotisserie chicken and grilled artichoke!) and Baskin Robbins. I dragged myself the rest of the way home and veged out while sipping ice water, but didn't end up napping. I guess the hydration and sunscreen strategy worked well, because normally I'd be zonked after 3+ hours laying around in the sun, much less doing relatively intense exercise.

I learned a lot about myself and about racing this weekend. I definitely need to work on letting it be about my own race and not how I'm doing versus others, especially since in the end I wasn't nearly the slowest overall--it's just that I was in the last wave. I also need to trust my training and push harder. While I did push on the bike, I think I could have gone faster in the swim and I definitely could have run more. Hell, I'm not even sore today. But don't tell Coach Heidi that. :P

Food and exercise log

I am starting a detailed log for my trainer. Because I'm a little lazy, and because I'm sure everyone wants to know my life to the smallest detail, I'm posting it here for you, too! Possibly informative and/or entertaining commentary is in italics.

Saturday 5/9:

• Breakfast: organic frosted shredded wheat with 1% milk, water
• Workout #1: ~500 m swimming at open water clinic--swimming felt good and I think I understand better what sighting means. I need to work mentally on being able to do the distance without counting laps and knowing exactly how far I've gone/how much farther to go, but I know I can do the distance.
• Snack: Tootsie pop, peanut butter & honey on whole wheat, big bottle of water, small bottle of G2
• Workout #2: 90 min bike at Uvas course--M and I rode at moderate exertion, so I could get to know the course. We took a few breaks to adjust shoes, etc., then ate some Luna Moons before the big hill. We stopped twice on the hill to catch our breath but did not walk. My goal in the race is to make it up with one or no breaks--I started way too fast this time. I'm feeling better about next week now that I've at least done that once. My legs are going to be sore tomorrow because with the new bike fitting I'm using different muscles (more glutes, less quads, different knee muscles because of the cleat adjustments), but I felt like I had more power and stamina than before so I think it's a good fit!
• Snack during bike: Luna moons, water
• Lunch: In N Out cheeseburger, 1/2 order fries, 1/2 chocolate shake, more water, more G2
• Dinner: 2 fajita-size (small) pepper jack and avocado quesadillas, roasted asparagus with peppercorn vinaigrette, 1 glass white wine, sliced strawberries & cream
  

Sunday 5/10:

• Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 veggie sausage patties, sliced strawberries (no cream), water
• Lunch: 1 slice whole wheat bread with mayo, provolone, and salami, water
• Snack: banana, chips & salsa
• Dinner: cheeseburger w/ guacamole, fries, 1/3 oreo shake (Fuddrucker's for Mother's Day, no veggies in sight unless you count pickles and lettuce for the burgers)
• Workout: rest day--played on Wii Fit for a little while but not enough to really count.

Monday 5/11:

• Breakfast: steel cut oats made with soy milk, maple syrup, and cranberries; Odwalla Superfood, water
• Snack: hot cocoa (a substitute for the morning coffee ritual since I gave up caffeine almost a year ago), more water
• Lunch: chicken makhani over basmati rice, yellow dal, farmer's paneer, naan, chutney, mango lassi, and water. Buffet for a friend's birthday--I probably still overdid it but not as bad as usual because I didn't want to be uncomfortable for my run.
• Snack: sugar cookies and hot cocoa, more water. I need to leave the free work cookies alone--they're not that good.
• Workout: 50 min running outside--about 4 miles, felt pretty good, actually. I get very nervous and pessimistic about running. I'm working on enjoying it and letting go of the anxiety. I promise not to say "I hate running" until at least after the race on Sunday. I promise not to say "I can't run" anymore at all, because that is demonstrably false.
• Dinner: turkey & provolone on whole wheat with mayo, apple, water
  

Tuesday 5/12 (planned):

• Pre-swim: yogurt, water
• Workout: Swim 1800
• Breakfast: steel cut oatmeal (same as Monday--it's my fave and I make it 10 servings at a time in the crock pot), hot cocoa, water
• Lunch: turkey & provolone on whole wheat with mayo, banana, water
• Snack: apple w/ peanut butter
• Dinner: teriyaki chicken breast with pineapple over brown rice, broccoli, glass of white wine

T-minus 6 days until race day!

In which the blogger questions her sanity

My first triathlon of the year is in 12 days, and I have hit a wall. Not physically, but mentally. I have all these workouts from Coach Heidi, and I'm letting life get in the way, then beating myself up about it.

This weekend I missed 2 runs and a bike because I went to Yosemite and it rained all weekend. Wait, stop, amend that. This weekend I chose not to run on Friday morning because I was tired and had work to do. I chose not to run on Saturday because I didn't want to leave my friends (I did take a ~3 mile hike). I chose to nap instead of running on Sunday because I was sleepy and, yes, hung over. I chose not to do the bike workout I missed over the weekend on Monday because I am afraid of riding on the road by myself in the rain.

I didn't get my workouts in and, even if I'd stayed home, I had enough work that I probably wouldn't have done all three. Bleh.

Today I did this Friday's swim workout (1350) instead of today's (2050) because I got to the pool with barely enough time to do 2000 yards, then got stuck swimming circles with one guy doing sidestroke and a woman who would swim 10 yards, then deadfloat, then walk the rest of the way to the end of the pool. I finally got to switch lanes to a faster group when I had 700 yards under my belt and only 15 minutes till the pool closed for the night, so I made the executive decision to just do the 1350 and come to the pool in the early morning on Friday, when it won't be so crowded.

Tell me this will all be okay, please?

btw, Yosemite was gorgeous in the rain. Bridalveil's path was completely covered with water, but we went up anyway (yay water resistant boots and thick socks!). We also hiked up to the bridge below Vernal falls, which was mostly dry but the trail was closed because of ice and too much water beyond the bridge! So it wasn't a good weekend for hiking, but every fall we knew to look for and lots we couldn't name were running, all over the park. I'm not sad I went, even if I'm upset about the interruption in my training.

Big Sur 5k 2009

A story in pictures.

Warming up with the children of a photographer involves more posing than stretching:


At the starting line. Smile, Jack!


Was I leaping for joy or wincing in pain? I don't even remember.


We run for the view:


Coming across the finish, where C beat me in and was waiting with the camera:

Lessons learned for next time:

• Wake up 30 min earlier so you don't have to pee 5 min into the race
• Don't try out a session with a personal trainer the day before a run, and if you do, flat out refuse to do that second set of lunges. My quads are killing me!
  
• Wear shorts that don't slide down and create a belly overhang. I swear that doesn't exist except in those shorts. Well, at least my other shorts hide it better.

We had a great time!

News Flash

I am WHITE. Not just caucasian, or fair-skinned, or a little bit honky. Full on Northern European, never meant to see the light of day white.

One would think I would be aware of this. And most of the time, I am. I don't inflict my bare midsection on anyone but my spouse, lest someone be blinded. I own many lightweight long-sleeve shirts for days when I would like to go sleeveless but I will be outdoors for more than, say, 10 minutes. I own no fewer than 6 different kinds of sunscreen.

And yet, every spring, my incurable whiteness escapes me in the form of small mistakes in the application of SPF 1,000,000 and UV-blocking clothing. There are chinks in my armor, if you will. And that, dear readers, leads only to misery and stripey red patterns across the neglected body part. Let's survey the damage:

There is a 1-inch stripe across each thigh where my shorts rode up after sunscreen application. I have matching crescent-moons on my shoulder blades and my chest where my jersey pulled down. This reminds me that I usually put on sunscreen before putting on my clothes, and again after. Yes, I have to slather up nekkid, plus put on more once I get where I'm going.

I also think I burned my scalp. This is interesting because I was wearing a helmet for most of my time outside today.

My face, there's nothing more to do. I'm not interested in adopting the (probably very smart from a skincare perspective) face-covering customs of desert-dwelling women in the Middle-East and North Africa. So it's just sort of pink all summer long.

The rest of me (or at least the parts that were exposed to the sun) is a pretty shade of pink, which hopefully will fade soon lest my father see it and give me a lecture on how some kid in Australia sunburned his whole face off.

I guess I should stop whining, though. I rode my bike 20 miles today, including one big-ass hill, and the worst injury I have is stripey legs. :)

Mermaid 10k Race Report!

I am fried! But happy.

This morning was COLD and WINDY. Yes, that requires shouting. But I was out there at 7:30 a.m. to meet M and the Smofit crew, plus MK, the Team Mermaid folks, and the other 900-odd women who were planning to run, walk, wog, or otherwise make their way through the 5k, 10k, and half-marathon courses. We prayed it would not rain during the race, and for me that was mercifully true. The half-marathoners were not so lucky.

So MK and I set out to hit 80 minutes or fewer, since we managed the practice run at 85. I thought going in that it would either be a breeze, because I'd be running so fast to keep my toes from falling off, or it would be miserable and slow. It ended up somewhere in the middle--my toes finally defrosted as we passed the 2-mile marker, but I can't say it was a fun race as these things go. What was fun was all the company we had out there! Most of them are people I've met through M, but have now become my friends. It was great to cheer as Heather, Molly, Chris, and Justine blew by me on their way in, as I was nearing the turnaround. Once MK and I hit the turnaround, we got to cheer for M--she was right on our heels!

MK is really hitting her groove these days and honestly is much faster than I am, but she insisted on keeping our 8 min/2 min interval and waiting for me to catch up on the walking intervals. Once we got to the 5k turnaround--3/4 through our race--I insisted she should go as fast as was comfortable and finish strong. She had a great last mile and a half and finished at 74:32. I came in not too long after, at 78:07, which means we both hit our time goal! M also blew hers out of the water, by quite a large margin. Yay all of us!

I thought I was going to Sonoma for a much-deserved wine tasting adventure, but last night my friend E, an old buddy from my camp counselor days, called and said he was in town for one day only. A graciously offered to postpone the drinking trip, and so C and I met E and his girlfriend to wander around North Beach and catch up. Hopefully all the walking (from Washington park to St. Mary's Park in Chinatown and back) stretched out my legs well enough that I won't be hurting tomorrow.

Want pictures? Go see Molly's race report and Facebook.

You may notice that I updated my list of races--it's an ambitious schedule, but it should keep me on-track all summer. I haven't signed up for anything past UVAS, just because circumstances can change so quickly, but I hope to complete them all.

Happy Sunday! I'm going to collapse now. :P

Happy Day!

This morning I was up bright and early and headed to Shoreline for my long run so I could see the course we're going to run next weekend. M, MK, and some awesome Smofit buddies all did the course, though we all went different speeds since we're at different stages in training and have different goals. MK and I left the parking lot with my watch set for 8 min run/2 min walk intervals and the goal to run for 80 minutes and hopefully cover at least the 5.5 miles that we were scheduled to run today.

Here's Shoreline (it was cloudy today):


We started out strong and when my watch beeped for 40 minutes, MK pointed out that we were just short of the turnaround for the 10k! So we kept going, and made it all the way back at 84:30!!

Our friends were waiting for us in the parking lot so we stretched and then went to Tied House Brewery for lunch. I had the steak taco salad, which is MUCH better than most taco salads because it has tri tip, avocado, and lovely fried flour tortilla triangles instead of that soggy bowl that most places have. Yum!

Another minor miracle: my new bike is ready! I'll pick it up tomorrow and blog about it then!

This is not a swimming blog

But this is another swimming post! (If you want to read a swimming blog, go read I'd Rather Be Swimming.)

Tonight the heater in the pool was out, which means the water was a somewhat chilly 71 degrees when I hopped in and started. I did 2100 yards in under an hour, including a set of 6 x 200 free on the 6:30, which I'll have to tell Swimplan was too easy--I kept coming in at 4:15 and having another 2:15 to wait around, which normally would be lovely but was mostly just cold.

The lifeguard was amused by my jumping up and down while waiting for my watch to beep for 6:30, so I started talking to him and found out he does sprint triathlons. I'll have to remember him and talk more, because by the time I got out the guards had changed places and, anyway, I was focused on taking the shortest way to the hot showers.

Tomorrow I run 3 miles--we did 2 this morning because we missed Tuesday. This weekend is the last long run before the race!

I bought a bike!

This weekend ended up great, though the ride was a little bumpy.

Saturday I did my loop around Lake Merced with practically no problems--one running interval in the middle was interrupted because my foot was falling asleep, but after a little bit of walking and a pep talk to myself, I ran the rest of the intervals and finished the 4.5 miles in just barely under an hour.

Sunday I went to ride bikes with M and my father-in-law (her dad). He just got a bike for the first time in many years, but he loves riding so we were excited to get him back into it. Unfortunately, I'm not very coordinated with my clipless pedals (still) and I tipped over. Normally, no biggie, right? Wait though--I managed to break my seat! Far beyond repair, in fact. So my mother-in-law (M's mom) very graciously played SAG wagon and picked me up, taking me to the bike shop where I wanted to buy a new bike anyway.

Once I was there, I learned that the bike I've been drooling over was sold--sad, but to be expected when it's a closeout at a great price. Instead, I got this year's base model Specialized Roubaix--a full-carbon frame with Shimano 105 derailleurs and a Gossamer crankset. In short, a really nice bike. I had to order it in my size, so I won't actually have it for another week or two. I can't wait!

Running Scared

Today I am supposed to run 5 miles, and I'm scared. I've never run that far before, ever. I think I'm going to head out to Lake Merced--it's a 4.5 mile loop, and I'm familiar with the course form biking it (to think a year ago, that was a tough bike workout!) and walking with M. If I do a little extra at the end I'm going to call that 5 miles because the last two weekends I've missed my long runs--it was so rainy, and I hate driving to work to use the treadmill there on the weekends. So I'll go out with my watch set to beep at 5 minutes and 2 minutes, run my intervals, and hope for the best. It's a beautiful day out, so even if I end up walking a lot it should be enjoyable at least.

Last time I went to the doctor she was concerned about my weight. To wit, it has not really changed from the all-time high I hit a few months ago. In October I lost about 10 lbs, but they reappeared over the holidays. So she suggested that rather than count Weight Watchers points, which I have been doing, I should try calorie counting instead. I signed up for the Daily Plate and tracked this week, and it's okay so far. Amazingly (to me), I've actually been undereating on my "good" days. Obviously on days when I binge on bagels, doughnuts, or (and?) cookies, that's a different story. I now have to weigh myself and recalculate my calorie allotment every day. At any rate, I lost a pound over the last three days. One down, 27 to go till my doctor is happy. I am pretty much happy now, but I'd be even happier if more of my clothes fit.

I want my California tax refund to come so I can buy this:
That is all.

swim success!

I have a bit of catching up to do, as I had a blog-worthy weekend and it's a new month, but let's start with the swimming!

This was the workout for today:

Duration 45-60 mins Distance 2000yd Pool length 25yd

Warm up
•	8 x 25yd Any Stroke (even pace), rest 0:10 / 25yd
Build up (repeat 4 times)
•	1 x 50yd Front Scull and Kick, rest 0:15 / 50yd
•	1 x 50yd Freestyle Push & Glide, rest 0:15 / 50yd
Core
•	12 x 50yd Freestyle Swim, target time 01:30 / 50yd, rest 0:15 / 50yd
•	4 x 50yd Freestyle Kick with kickboard, rest 0:15 / 50yd
•	6 x 50yd Freestyle Swim, target time 01:30 / 50yd, rest 0:15 / 50yd
•	2 x 50yd Freestyle Kick with kickboard, rest 0:15 / 50yd
Warm down
•	2 x 100yd Easy Any Stroke, rest 0:20 / 100yd

I finished in 50 minutes--not too bad, I guess. I did all the 50 frees on 1 minute (plus 15 seconds rest) instead of 1:30! I have never timed my swimming before except to note the total time, so it's neat to find out that I go faster than the plan required. That means I have to get a tougher workout for next week, right?

No rude swimmers this week--had the lane to myself for a long time, then had 2 different people split the lane with me for short periods. I may be spoiled from when I was a lifeguard and could have the whole olympic pool to myself, but I can certainly handle splitting. As long as there aren't 3+ swimmers--I despise swimming circles. I know, I have to get over that. I will.

Swimming fail

So I finally tried to implement the swimming workout that I got from Swimplan.com forever ago. This is what I was supposed to do:

Duration 45-60 mins Distance 1600yd Pool length 25yd

Warm up
•	2 x 25yd Freestyle Easy, rest 0:10 / 25yd
•	2 x 25yd Backstroke Easy, rest 0:10 / 25yd
•	2 x 25yd Freestyle Easy, rest 0:10 / 25yd
•	2 x 25yd Breaststroke Easy, rest 0:10 / 25yd
Build up (repeat 4 times)
•	1 x 25yd Streamline Kicking, rest 0:10 / 25yd
•	1 x 25yd Freestyle Push & Glide, rest 0:10 / 25yd
Core
•	8 x 25yd Freestyle Swim, rest 0:10 / 25yd
•	4 x 100yd Freestyle (25yd Easy, 25yd Effort), rest 0:30 / 100yd
•	4 x 50yd Freestyle Swim, rest 0:10 / 50yd
•	8 x 25yd Freestyle Swim, rest 0:05 / 25yd
Warm down
•	2 x 100yd Easy Any Stroke, rest 0:20 / 100yd

Unfortunately, I didn't exactly finish all that. I swear I tried! I studied my workout before I hopped in the pool. I had it in a plastic sleeve so I could drip on it when I checked my progress. My warm up was stellar and the build up was easy. But I somehow missed that I should have repeated the "build up"4 times. No biggie, right? I'll fix it next time.

I got into the core of the workout and was having fun with the 4 x 100 free, thinking about checking what was next, when I realized my workout sheet had disappeared! I couldn't figure out what had happened--had it fallen in the pool and floated away? Had someone decided they should use it and walked off with it? Had a gust of wind taken it into the grass? I never did find the damn thing. I guessed that after the 100s I should do some long distance, since I had no memory of the actual workout, so I set off to do 400 at a moderate pace. No problem, right? I still get the distance even if I'm missing my drills.

Only then the lifeguard interrupted me at 175 yards to inform me that I had company in my lane. Not just one person, but three people who neglected to alert me to their presence. There I was, merrily swimming in one half of the lane in case someone arrived, and they were swimming circles and apparently on a collision path with me when the lifeguard noticed (thanks for doing a good job, lifeguard!).

The new swimmers were slow and discourteous. That's a lot coming from me, because I'm slow and not that well-versed in pool etiquette. That means they were even slower and ruder than I am, whether intentionally or not. I heaved a sigh--no swim plan, suddenly crowded lane, errant arms and legs threatening my well-being. I did another 225 slow breaststroke to cool down and then gave up. That means I did 1250 yards (in about 40 min? next time I need my watch) instead of 1600, which really annoys me.

I do like the Swimplan workouts though--I will print out another and hope it doesn't up and disappear next time.