get your motor running

Up at 5:45 this morning for a nice run around town. Literally. I run around my town. It ain't that big. Out along the trail along the quarry pond, past the cemetery, along the creek, over behind the ball field, across the tracks, beside the college and back home past the high school. A long coal train came through around 6:30 and I got to run over it on the little ped bridge. If you stand on the bridge and wait for the train, the shock wave nearly knocks you over. Bu loves it. Lots of walkers out this morning. The cherry and apple trees are in bloom and the lilacs are coming on. The whole place smells like L'Occitane.

really nice sunrises in this part of the world

I'm getting in on a lot of them lately. You first start to see light about a quarter to six, so I hop on the bike and head out the road to the north of town, the quietest one around here. There are a few people coming into town early, but not much traffic going out. Peaceful. Sightings this morning: Red-wing blackbirds, doves, robins, sparrows, rabbits, squirrels and a massive dead raccoon. I just got a new floor pump so it was all systems go, keeping a great cadence and climbing more easily on the hills, feeling stronger. The drivers are nice, and maybe it's partly the early hour. Everyone gives me a full lane at 6 a.m.

This Saturday is Ride the Ups and Downs over in Illinois, getting a little pack experience. I'm thinking about which other tris to register for this summer. There are enough just in Iowa that I can do a few a month, although they're pretty expensive (about $50 each). I'm thinking about doing four this year, including the Iowa Games. I've been looking at the times and I'm reasonably competitive, but I'm going to have to kick it up a notch if I want to win anything. The cycling's going well, so I think a little speed work on the track is probably the thing.

Also this week: extreme lawnmowing, running and weights. This time the weight workout didn't kick my butt quite as badly. I've really got to work on getting to the pool more often.

big weekend

I really need to do more swimming, but it's so fantastically inconvenient without a pool nearby. This weekend I had a long run, a medium-ish cycle, dancing, softball, and generally so much physical activity that it's now Monday morning and I need a nap. Next weekend is Ride the Ups & Downs in Illinois and I'm going over with the local bike gang. Sounds like fun and we're praying for good weather.

ouch

Went for a run this morning to loosen up my sore legs. That weight workout definitely hit the right muscles - I could feel them every step. Plus I had a blister from wearing stupid girly shoes yesterday. Even in my compromised state, though, I saw the sun rise over open fields and all was well.

ommmmmm

Yoga again this morning. I was planning to run but it was nasty cold wet windy awful out and my legs were still hurting from weights yesterday, so I got out ye olde yoga dvd and followed along with Philip, who is apparently Gumby's long lost white boy twin. I do feel better. Maybe I'll get that run tonight. I also got a nice long walk in high heels while running a few errands this morning. That must be good for some part of the body, but it's not my back.

chasing lightning

Little Bu is taking off on his little Lance Jr. Trek bike. He still has the training wheels on but he hardly needs them. He uses them to corner hard. I have to wear my running shoes to keep up with him. We did a few miles last night, with breaks to watch the high school girls tennis match and to race all over the grade school playground. When he goes up hills he doesn't slow down or get off, although he has only one gear. Instead he growls. When it gets steeper, he growls louder. On the straightaways he shouts "Woohoo!" repeatedly and pedals as fast as he can. I think he gets it from me.

This morning was weights, moving on to the Power Endurance phase where I do lighter weights at insanely high reps. I did 40 of everything this morning, which sounded easy conceptually and hurt a lot by the time I got done. A new workout is always good. It keeps you thinking.

full force gale

Okay, I exaggerate, but it was a lotta wind. I was doing so great this morning, record speed, incredibly strong, until I turned around and headed south into this big bitch of a headwind coming straight at me across the less-than-mountainous Iowa landscape. You know it's bad when you have to keep pedalling to maintain speed going downhill.

Biking into the wind was this morning, Saturday was a rest day if you don't count hiking all over town with Bu hunting The Last Basselope, pulling a wagon full of supplies. We found the basselope, in case you're wondering. It was under a picnic table at the park.

Friday was a bike/run brick that went really well. It didn't hurt much at all going to the run. I didn't worry about transition, just sat down and put on my running shoes. I'll work on that part later. Plus - I've signed up for my first triathlon of the season! It's the Pigman sprint in Palo on June 6.

Still geeking out with the bike maintenance. I'm going to practice on our old bikes while tinkering very very carefully with my precious. I gave her a name today, while on the tailwind joyride: Ananda, the joy without which the universe would collapse.

en famille

So yesterday evening little Bu rode in the babyjogger, Andy rode his bike and I ran. We did a nice loop through town and wound up at the big playground where we all played until we started to get really hungry. Bu got out of the stroller a few times and wanted to run and push it himself, which was fine except that he couldn't see over the top and kept running into trees. He got enough of a workout that he nearly passed out in his burrito and didn't object to having his face washed and putting on his jammies. You gotta love spring.

still here

Sorry for the long disappearance. The new job kicks my butt sometimes, but I'm still training. I did about 40 miles on the bike this weekend, half of it into a nasty headwind. A good run, yoga, the weekly weight workout (Power Endurance phase, for those of you who follow the Triathlete's Training Bible), a track workout yesterday, and tonight I'm going out running with the whole family. This doesn't mean everyone runs. Probably I'll push little Bu in the babyjogger (he weighs over 40 lbs/18kg so it's a workout in itself!) and my husband will probably get out the in-line skates and cruise around. It's gorgeous here. No normal person could stay inside.

I'm getting out on the bike a lot more, and getting geeky about maintenance. I've been reading Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, hanging out at the bike shop on my lunch hour, you know the signs. Mastering my cycling computer was a major triumph. Now I'm getting all the bikes in the house cleaned up and tuned. There are many excuses to buy more tools. Heh heh.

open road

I've been battling a stomach bug but felt good enough Sunday morning to ride about 35k (20+ miles), lots of hills, not too much wind, felt great. Did yoga again this morning. It takes care of all the little sore bits.

breakthrough at the gym!

It was a big day. I ran over to the gym for weights, and today I actually had a conversation with both Big Arms and her buddy Even Bigger Arms. I still don't know their names, but we're making serious progress. It's a small local gym so it was a little weird when the only other early morning lifters were total strangers. Now I feel more comfortable. The weight regime is coming along fine. I'm doing lots of core and tri-specific exercises (as recommended in the Triathlete's Training Bible). I feel very strong and haven't had a serious injury in ages.

The first (sorta) race is coming up May 1. It's a cycling tour, not for prizes, but still. Go hard or go home.

running warm

This morning for the first time since maybe October, I felt warm running. I almost wanted shorts instead of tights, but not quite. Got a little excitement too: some meathead in a monster truck nearly ran me down and shouted at me bravely - from behind his tinted windows - to run on the sidewalk. If he ever got off his fat ass long enough to run a mile, he'd know that sidewalks are murder on your knees. And if he hadn't slept through whatever minimal education he has, he might know that I have as much right to that road as he does. These were the thoughts running through my mind as I finished up my run, which is too bad. There are lots of things I'd rather think about, but I tend to get hung up on things like the wetlands being destroyed for the new McMansion subdivision west of town. Gotta have that 4-car garage to park the SUVs, the boats, the ATVs, and of course, that monster truck.

like Lance - not

I was all set for a good ride this morning but woke up to a pounding thunderstorm. Chicken or prudent not to go out on the open roads on a metal machine in the pouring rain during an electrical storm? You be the judge. I went to the gym instead and did the cross country bike training program. Average rpms: 78, including the hills. I can't wait to get on my bike.

tried to ride

The wind Sunday morning didn't know I was there. It went through me without stopping, through the miracle fabrics like a miracle on its way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. I rode into it until I felt naked like a chicken under plastic down at Gary's. Then I went home. The computer is kewl.

working for a living

What with it being slightly dark at both ends of the day (what is UP with this planetary rotation?) and my requiring a certain amount of sleep to function, it's a little tough right now to get in the workouts. I ran a little over half an hour at the field house yesterday (Wednesday), did a lot of footwork drills and sprints and felt fine, maybe a few twinges in the knees from running in circles. It's slowly but surely getting warmer, and as soon as I can be out running, skating, cycling in the fresh air things will be fine. Unfortunately, the thought of dragging my butt out of bed in the dark to go bounce around the gym does not fill my heart with joy. I'm a pure outdoorswoman. It's also important to see little Bu during the few hours a day we get to spend together while we're both awake.

On the Road again

It dumped snow yesterday, so the road's not looking so good. I also started a new job last week, which has me exhausted and struggling to keep up with everything. I got in a swim workout Sunday evening, was sick yesterday, and did yoga this morning. I'm trying to get back on the very regular schedule I had before the bar exam, but it's hard to get up that early and I'm knackered at night. It would help a lot to have some nice weather for inspiration! On the bright side, little Bu loves the snow and got to wear his bright red snowsuit this morning. Sophie the Large lies in the snow and eats it in delicate, drooly mouthfuls, percolating with delight.

like the wind

Got out the in-line skates for the first time this season and pushed the baby jogger + 43 pound "baby" around for about an hour and a half. What a blast! It got into the 50s here yesterday, gorgeous spring weather on the last day of February. I could have danced all night. By the time I got home my feet were a little sore from doing something unaccustomed, but not blistered. Little bu got cold but really enjoyed waving and shouting hi to everyone as we blew past. We went down one of the steeper hills in town flying with no brakes and he shrieked and laughed. Later he got on his little bike and wanted to go "fast like Mama goes." Heh heh heh. I'll make a skier out of him yet.

slack

Today was the first day of the bar exam, so excuse me if I can't be doing no hour and a half psycho triathlon workouts this week.

Lord almighty, spring at last

It was something very much like warm today, so much so that I went out and ran for an hour in only one pair of tights (and a shirt, etc.). It felt great to be outside and I got covered in mud, partly due to an overenthusiastic UPS guy who sprayed me out on a dirt road that had recently become liquid rather than solid. Fun fun fun! On the last half mile or so I outsprinted a high school cross country runner.

Yesterday was yoga. The bar exam starts on Monday. If this exam doesn't drive me to drink, I do not have the true alcoholic propensities that I've always believed I possess. Perhaps this is not a good thing to know for sure, one way or the other.

Kill the bike

I did an hour on the stationary bike over lunch, including this really hard "fit test". Afterward, the display turned off before giving me my results. Bloody technology. This week I'm supposed to be doing 6.5 hours of training and I'm up to 5 with 2 days to go. The cycling today was meant to be an easy day, except for the semi-accidental killer fitness test. Those things are usually so easy. My HR monitor thinks I'm excellent after the walk test I turned in. I ran through all the cool functions - now it knows my BMI (20.3) and everything else about me so it can tell me exactly how I'm doing and what I ate for lunch. If the monitor falls into the wrong hands I'm in big trouble.