Waiting for the end (of Daylight Savings Time)

Situating a house in a dip between two mountains makes listening to the radio almost impossible. Our alarm clock gets two stations - one is NPR (Vermont's version, not the local station that transmits from two towns away) and the music on the other one instantly starts my head pounding. While I like NPR, I don't like to start my day with bad news, so I use the "nature sounds" option on the clock for my alarm. 

At this time of year, when the simulated birds start chirping and I open my eyes to the pitch blackness outside my window, I curse the extension of daylight savings time. Any real birds out there would still be curled up in a tree, heads tucked under their wings. Already an early riser, this week I've been up extra  early to allow time for the Insanity workouts in addition to my normal morning routine. I want some light.

I'm only on Day 3 of the program, but I've already noticed increased energy during the day. I've also been enjoying uninterrupted sleep until about 4:30 am, when I find myself wide awake and ready to get up - if I could see anything.

There are no streetlights here to light up the wee hours. There is very little traffic. When I lay awake in the middle of the night, as happens often, it is my mind's fault. It seems that the time between midnight and dawn is self-examination time, time to review failures, things I let slide, bank balances and all the other things that trigger stress. 

Now it seems that the cure for my nightly contemplations is Insanity. I've always suspected as much.

I'd still like my hour back.

* * * * * *

I almost made it through day 2's workout, leaving out only the last set. There's quite a bit of jumping and my calves are very sore, which I discovered in downward facing dog when I tried to reach my heels down. Since it's my day off from teaching we could put our workout off until 7:00 am, after I post this. Wish me luck.

Insanity

When my daughter said she was going to order the latest P90X program and asked if I would do it with her, I agreed. Honestly, I didn't think she would actually go through with it. Now I find myself with "Insanity" on my to-do list six days a week. With a mess of continuing education credits to complete before the end of the year, a new group of yoga teacher trainees starting in five days and countless home and garden projects already on the list, perhaps "insanity" is most likely to get checked off daily.

Today, day 1, was a fitness test. I made it through the warm up feeling confident. Halfway through the second test exercise I had paused the DVD and was sprawled, panting, on a deck chair. I'm pretty sure it was cold outside, but I couldn't feel anything except a very, very rapid heartbeat.

I went back and finished the test, pacing myself better, having acknowledged my lack of cardiovascular fitness. I've never been comfortable at a high heart rate, which is one of the reasons my half-marathons and triathlons were always slow. And, with a history of cardiac events on both sides of my family, I have a some fear around pushing too hard.

At least I felt good during the warm up and cool down stretches. Perhaps I'll be doing Insanity in half-time. Does that make me only half-insane?

Love, Hope and Warm Loneliness #BostonMarathon

I hold my face in my two hands.  
No, I am not crying.
I hold my face in my two hands  
to keep the loneliness warm -  
two hands protecting,  
two hands nourishing,  
two hands preventing
my soul from leaving me  
in anger.

Thich Nhat Hanh



On Saturday I went to a kirtan festival which, despite an underlying sadness after the loss of Shyamdas in January, was incredibly uplifting. My heart was open with joy and love. I was on a blissed-out Bhakti high. I was going to write all about it.

Nope. Four months ago my planned post was preempted by senseless tragedy. And here I am again.

The Boston Marathon began this morning just as I started teaching a yoga class. It ended abruptly minutes after I finished my last class for the day. Since my own marathon training begins in a few weeks, I was eager for race updates and, therefore, I got news of the bombings almost instantly.

I wasn't there. What I knew of people who were there came from 140-character snippets. But this felt personal. I was angry, I was sad, and I couldn't believe this had happened during the sanctity of the Boston Marathon.

Amateur runners and triathletes make up a diverse but incredibly benevolent clan. Immediately my twitter and Facebook feeds were overrun with people who felt just like I did. While the citizens of Boston took care of the runners and each other, the rest of the running community banded together in cyberspace.

As news reached me I saw, despite underlying sadness, an amazing outpouring of love. I watched footage of acts of bravery and kindness. I heard reports of people opening their homes to runners who could no longer get to their hotels, offering food, bathrooms and even lodging. I read that some runners who had finished the race went to the nearest hospital to donate blood. And those I follow retweeted and shared important information as well as countless "I'm ok" messages. I am again uplifted.

My heart is open with love and the joy of being part of humanity. In the banding together after tragedy I see the hints of the awakening we were promised at the end of 2012. There is suffering and horror but there is also compassion and hope.

I am still sad, but not angry. And I am no longer afraid. And until the day we realize we are all one, I'll keep the loneliness warm.

Two miles at a time

This morning I got up early and jogged on the treadmill for almost forty minutes. My cat kept me company and we both stared longingly out of the basement windows, wishing it wasn't too dark and too cold to be outside. (We both may have also given some thought to the bears and coyotes we might encounter in the dark.)

I slowly covered two-and-a-half miles according to the display, which was about a half mile longer than yesterday's jog, but not quite the four mile run my spring training plan called for. I am grateful for two-and-a-half miles, however.

It's more than I was able to do two weeks ago, and much more than I could do a month ago.

The time on the treadmill has been an experiment in coming back. I've never torn a ligament or had plantar fasciistis. I've never had an injury that kept me from running if I chose to, but my inner ear problem might as well have been. As much as I dislike the treadmill and wish I could get out on the road, it has given me an opportunity to find out how high I can get my heart rate before my head starts to drain and the equilibrium changes. I'm glad to have the hand holds when the room spins.

I must begin my marathon plan next month to be ready for the Adirondack Distance Festival and my first attempt at a full marathon. I am grateful for this time to work my way back. I am grateful for Dr. Schwerman at the Schroon Lake Health Center for figuring out what was wrong and helping me fix it in time to start training.

I am also grateful that, despite a relatively inactive winter, I am not sore after my runs and not far from my "race weight" thanks to Isagenix. I'm grateful for my family and friends who saw me through and picked up my slack. I'm grateful for my yoga students, who gave me a reason to get out of bed when I felt like I could have slept forever. And I am grateful that my own yoga mat was waiting for me when I was ready to unroll it again.

Onward to marathon training...two miles at a time.

Sometimes They Listen

Photo by Noah Hamilton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last evening, after some small miracle occurred and a movie I chose made it to the top of our Netflix queue, we watched Soul Surfer. This movie is about Bethany Hamilton, a surfer who lost an arm to a shark then went on to compete as a professional surfer.

After Bethany did poorly at her first attempt at competing after losing her limb, she was surprised to get a bunch of fan mail. When she asked why, her wise movie-mother said "because you tried."

And my son, snuggled next to me on the couch, said, "and DNF is better than DNS."

My husband and my daughter both replied, "huh?" but I understood perfectly, because months ago, on Thanksgiving, when my son and I were running our own 5K turkey trot, I had said those very words to him. They're words I read often on the forums of the site that got me through my first triathlon. The phrase is one of those endurance athlete cliches.

Did not finish is better than did not start.

Sometimes things happen. We get injured, we lose a bike tire, we hit the wall. We might not finish. That's why every time I race, there's one line I strive to make it to - the starting line. After that everything's gravy. What matters is that I tried.

Racing, like yoga, teaches me lessons that apply very nicely to life. I try to share those lessons with my children. Most of the time I'm pretty sure they ignore me. But then there are moments, like the one last night, when they let me know that sometimes they listen.

A Change of Plans

It's an ill plan that cannot be changed.

-Latin proverb

Supermoon over our house May 5, 2012

Seven days ago I would not have written this post. Actually, seven days ago I couldn't find an uncluttered horizontal surface on which to put my laptop, so I couldn't have written this post even if I'd had a mind to. Which just goes to show how much can happen in a week.

Something's been wrong for awhile. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what was wrong, but I've had the overwhelming desire to hide under a blanket in a dark room. Physically, I'd recovered from the flu except for a lingering cough, but my neck and shoulder had seized up for no apparent reason and my cervical vertebrae were painfully out of alignment. Plans for the yoga studio came together, and then fell apart, then came together again. My father was hospitalized briefly. The house fell into disarray. I napped. I blew off almost all my triathlon training but daily played with the training plan in my calendar trying to find a way to fit 4 hour bike rides in between the other things I wanted to do this summer.

Then, this week, the universe sent the perfect storm of self-care. I had an incredible first experience with acupuncture at the Acupuncture Studio in Glens Fall, New York. The physical release enabled my chiropractor to do a really good adjustment a couple of days later and I am now almost pain-free. That, plus a Reiki session, followed by a Reiki share with a great group of practitioners at the studio, created a big energetic shift. I feel like I can think clearly for the first time in months.

The storm kept building. I finished the inspiring book Wild by Cheryl Strayed, a Women's Adventure Magazine book club suggestion. I watched the equally inspiring movie The Way with Martin Sheen. I had a great talk with my life coach. I cleaned the house. And, last night, I stood outside at 11:30 pm while my husband tried to get a perfect picture of the big full moon, soaking in all the energy flowing down.

When I came inside I laid my moonstone pendant on the windowsill to absorb some of that energy - the pendant I had been wearing when I labored and gave birth to my son - and as I held it I realized that the training required to complete a 70.3 mile triathlon conflicted with other things I valued: freedom, adventure and time with my boy. By the time I woke up this morning the decision was made: I would switch to the Olympic-distance triathlon and enjoy my summer.

A huge weight lifted off of me. I shed a few tears for a dream that I was letting go. I felt like a quitter, briefly, but when I made the plan to do that race at the beginning of the year I didn't know what was coming: changes to the yoga studio's business plan and a flurry of activity around that, weeks of illness and injury, a new venture, and, most recently, the decision to homeschool my son beginning in September and the preparation that would require.

The Yoga Sutras tell us that we must practice compassion toward the suffering (1:33) and I often remind my yoga students that we must begin with compassion towards ourselves. I've been forgetting to apply that to my own life lately. Dropping the race is the most compassionate thing I could do for myself right now, even if it means feeling a bit foolish because I told so many people I was doing it.

Oh well. Sometimes the best plans are plans that change.

One Week of Not-Quite Thriving

Salivary Stones (Ewww!) Image via Wikipedia

It's 60 degrees in early March in the Adirondacks! Yay! But it's pouring rain. Boo.

And that weather report sums up the last week quite nicely.

First off, I am happy to report that I have not eaten any cheese all week. As a matter of fact, I have stayed completely vegan except for one small little thing:  My favorite local bistro just reopened after a two-month winter break and didn't have any soy milk when I went in for a chai latte. I couldn't wait any longer for my chai fix, so I settled for skim milk. For the record, chai is better with soy milk.

The recipes in Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optiminal Performance in Sports and Life include a number of smoothies, which turned out to be handy when a sinus infection spread into my salivary glands and made swallowing difficult. I'd never known it was possible to get infected salivary glands, but at least they seemed free from stones. I'd never known salivary glands could get stones. I suppose I can look at the bright side and say that my cold turned into a learning experience. But I'd rather it just went away.

Saturday afternoon was warm (and rain-free) and I met a friend for a run. Yep, I ran outside. Heck, I actually ran, for the first time since mid-January. Although I was a bit sore on Sunday, I didn't regret any of the almost-four miles. We've got another running date this Saturday.

I've really been struggling energetically thanks to the cold and subsequent infection so all the amazing inspiration coming from the Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit is feeling a bit overwhelming at the moment. I'm finding myself holding back instead of jumping into the multitude of projects that I've been creating in my head, which is unlike me but also probably a good thing since I would most likely drop them all in a week anyway. Not that I need any more projects right now.

Remember the Adirondack Women's Empowerment Retreat? Anne and Beti put together a series of Saturday workshops to go deeper into the topics they covered at the retreat, which is very exciting and, I believe, the birth of something BIG! Yesterday I put together a website for them. It's still being edited and added to, but if you are interested in the Spring Empowerment Workshops you can get the dates and details and even register online with PayPal. Go to www.BonaFideButterflies.com and have a look. (Don't you love their name?)

I'm heading into the second week of the 30-day vegan challenge with only one small slip-up. I haven't missed cheese at all. But I would like a nap.

Thriving: Day 1

Cover via Amazon

After a fun food shopping trip during which I got to play for thirty minutes in the bulk natural food aisle in Hannaford, I had everything I needed to start following the meal plan in Brendan Brazier's book Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. I had said I wasn't going to give up cheese, but after reading more of the book I decided I would try "cheese-free" for a week and see how I feel.

Besides, Amanda Brooks issued a 30-day vegan challenge on her blog Run To The Finish, and I can't pass up a challenge. 

Snow closed the kids' school today so I canceled my morning yoga classes. With the extra time I was able to prepare a bunch of quinoa and wild rice, make some energy bars and grind flax seed, which will make the next few days easier. 

The first day went really well. I was only hungry once, then I realized I had missed the afternoon snack and that was quickly remedied. I made Almond Flaxseed Burgers from the book for dinner and they were really good. Even my teenager daughter, whose vegetarian diet normally consists of french fries and things that come out of a box, liked them.

The only "failure" was zucchini chips. I couldn't get them crunchy. I have the same problem with kale chips, so I think it will just take some experimenting with my oven. They taste good, despite being a bit soggy.

I started the day on my bike - on the trainer, of course, because it was snowing. This marks my return to training after the seemingly endless string of illnesses. I'm glad that's over and I'm looking forward to the first 5K of the season, just 35 days away.

I came across another race that I might be adding to my race schedule, just because it looks like fun: the Glens Falls Urban Assault.

And while I've been working on diet and race season plans, I've been participating in the Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit. If you are a creative type who is self-employed, or hopes to be someday, and you haven't joined the summit, you should. It's free, and there's still a week to go. Each day there is a video with a different guest speaker and so far they have all been amazing. There is so much good business information plus lots of creative ways to deal with the mundane business stuff. It's really be helping me to see how other people manage their time; perhaps even more so than the marketing, legal and financial tidbits. The summit is hosted by Jennifer Lee of Artizen Coaching, author of Right-Brain Business Plan.

One cheese-free day in the bag!

Why Not Dream?

I was wondering...After a long Christmas night in the fog and cold, did Rudolph's nose crack and peel? Or is there a reindeer moisturizing secret? Because after three days of nearly continuous nose-blowing, I look like Rudolph and I can't find a remedy that doesn't burn when I put it on. And I've suffered enough.

Just when I was feeling better after a month of yuckiness, I got "the cold" that seems to be going around the entire Northeast. It's nasty and sneaky. I, like others who've had it, got a "little touch of something" that started to go away after a week, then, "bang," the real germs attack. The ensuing running nose was so bad that I took a day off from teaching yoga.

Image via Wikipedia

Needless to say, the training drought continues. I am doing some strength training in preparation for and while teaching a new yoga and weights class I added to the yoga studio's schedule (The class is called Yoga Body Shop and for those in the area you can find it on the schedule if you're interested in trying it.), but the treadmill and bike trainer are gathering dust while I spend time in bed, snuggled under the covers with my humidifier and a jar of VapoRub.

Since I'm in bed anyway, why not dream? I've been dreaming of the upcoming race season. It's going to look like this:

Saturday, April 7th:  Glens Falls Rotary 5K at SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, NY. Just to shake out my legs and give me an incentive to get back to training. (There's a good article at Beginner Triathlete about getting out of training droughts here.) This race, coincidentally, marks the end of the winter training plan that I have been neglecting to follow and, after an unstructured easy week, the start of my half-ironman training plan.

Sunday, May 20th:  The New York/Vermont Champlain Bridge 5K in Crown Point, NY. This is the coolest 5K I've ever seen. As part of a weekend celebrating the opening of the new Champlain Bridge, we get to run 5K over the bridge, from New York to Vermont. How many 5Ks take you from one state to another? Plus we get to run on a brand-new bridge that was designed by an engineer who grew up in Schroon Lake.

Saturday, June 30th:  North Country Triathlon in Hague, NY. I'm returning to the scene of my very first triathlon for a third go at the sprint-distance race. I considered the olympic-distance race, but I don't think I can get enough swim time after the lake melts (and warms up to a reasonable temperature) to be ready for the longer swim. Besides, there is a hill in the sprint bike course that needs to be taught a lesson.

Wednesday, July 4th:  Montcalm Mile in Ticonderoga, NY. Just for some Independence Day fun during the summer when I normally can't take time off from teaching yoga to race.

Sunday, September 2nd:  BIG George Triathlon in Lake George, NY. My first half-ironman distance triathlon! 70.3 miles! Enough said.

Sunday, September 23rd:  Adirondack Distance Festival Half-Marathon in Schroon Lake, NY. Third year in a row for my hometown race, this time on my 45th birthday. Finishing under 2:10 would be a nice birthday present, and a nice end to my race season.

I've also been dreaming about the new road bike I'm going to buy when our tax refund arrives. My 1970's Schwinn 10-speed is retiring from triathlon. I haven't made the final decision on a bike yet, but I'm close. Pictures will be posted.

During rare moments when I'm not spending my bed rest dreaming of riding 56 miles on my new bike, I'm thinking about my ongoing battle with nutrition. I've decided to follow the plant-based nutrition plan in Brendan Brazier's book Thrive, almost. (I get very spacey without any animal protein and I'm not sure I can live for long without cheese, so I'm going to have some occasionally.) While I know what foods I should be eating, like training I eat better when I'm following a specific plan so I don't have to think too much. What Brendan suggests is close to the diet I followed when I did a week-long cleanse with Leslie Hadley of EveryBODY Wellness last fall, only geared towards supporting endurance sport training. After that week I felt great, so I'm excited to see how it works long-term.

The biggest dream? An entire season of feeling good and staying healthy. I plan to start on that dream right after I stop coughing.

Bathing Buddha

Image via Wikipedia

Were you looking for a large man in a speedo? Sorry, that's not what this post is about. But I appreciate your imagination.

The yoga studio is closed this week, and I am on vacation. No, I haven't gone south to get out of the snow or to some exotic yoga destination. I'm having a "stay-cation" at home. It's just a week to catch my breath, catch up on some projects and permit myself a day or two of laziness.

Today I was in the studio, not practicing asana but washing the floor, scrubbing the toilet and, yes, giving Buddha a bath. All the statues got washed, rinsed and dried before they went back to their places of honor, dust-free. I also touched up the paint and had an in-depth discussion with my father about how to fix a sagging curtain rod.

Yes, this is a yoga studio owner's vacation.

No, I haven't spent my entire vacation scrubbing floors.

Last week I took, and passed, the ACE personal trainer certification exam. My personal training services will focus on at-home training for outdoor activities - running, hiking, cycling, kayaking - and will, of course, incorporate lots of yoga.

Since I'm on the topic of at-home training, I have to admit that my own training suffered before the exam. I was getting up early to study rather than to train. Then I was having those lazy days I mentioned earlier. I am back on track, though.

I've made an addition to my training schedule this week. After having a long sit-down with my calendar, counting back from the planned half-ironman distance triathlon that I have decided to attempt, I realized that I really don't have enough time to build to a 1.2 mile swim if I can't start swimming until the lake melts. There is no pool, so that's not an option. I'm sure I could finish the swim - eventually - but I don't want my day to start pathetically slow.

What I decided to do was design a dry land workout that would strengthen all the arm, shoulder, back and hip muscles that are used in freestyle swimming. By doing lots of reps with fairly light weights, I can build up the endurance of those muscles so when I do finally get into the water I'll be able to focus on form and speed without getting too tired (hopefully).

I'd been doing some resistance training already, but the additional moves tapped muscles that haven't been worked in awhile. It may not have been the best timing to start that the day before my studio cleaning frenzy. My shoulders reminded me of the workout with each circle of the rag on the floor.

During my vacation I also got to spend a lovely evening with my dear friends life coach Anne Gregson and freelance writer Beti Spangle while they put the finishing touches on their plans for this weekend's Adirondack Women's Empowerment Retreat. I'll be teaching yoga classes to a full house, because the retreat is sold out! Anne and Beti will be helping the participants to create a plan for their lives based on their values and inspirations. It's going to be an amazing weekend and I am so happy to be spending the end of my vacation watching an incredible group of women transform their lives.

A Tale of Two Spoons

First, a very quick training update. I did a workout this morning on the bike trainer. It was my first workout in ten days. Having my husband and kids home for Christmas week really messed with my routines. Excuse? Not really. But the new year is a clean slate and I'm back on track after a 240-hour rest day.

Now, on to today's adventure...

This morning's 31 Days of Adventure email asked me to consider going to work by a different means of transportation or a different route. If these adventures had started on the first of May, I would have happily ridden my bike to work, but with January temperatures creeping down towards zero my bike is staying on the trainer in the basement. I could have bundled up and walked, but, again, it's really cold and I'd have to walk really fast to beat the school bus home after my afternoon yoga class.

Another route? Honestly, there is only one way to get from my house to the yoga studio without turning a 1.7 mile commute into a 15+ mile drive, and I can't do that to the environment.

View Larger Map

But the purpose of today's adventure wasn't really to find a new way to work. It was to get out of the rut of doing the same thing, day in and day out. And so we come to the spoons...

On Christmas morning my stocking was stuffed with, among other things, new wooden spoons. Nothing fancy; they're just the basic wooden spoons for stirring stuff. After Christmas they were put in the appropriate drawer.

This morning I had to stir waffle batter, so I opened the drawer to look for .... my old spoon. I've had it forever. I'm not sure if it was mine originally or a hand-me-down from my mother or grandmother. The handle has worn smooth and the spoon part is cracked. It's dark with oil and age. I use it every time I make pancakes or waffles. It feels good in my hand and is just the right size for the small mixing bowl.

This morning my old spoon wasn't in the drawer. (I found it later in the drying rack.) What was in the drawer was one of the new spoons, which happens to be the same size and shape. But the new spoon was, well, new. The handle was rough and the edges sharp. It didn't have the same weight.

I remembered today's adventure and used the new spoon. The waffle batter mixed up just fine, my son had his breakfast and my day went on, although I was left wondering how many other ruts I've gotten myself into without knowing it. I thought about how I couldn't get my workouts done during Christmas week because the routine changed. And I realized just how badly I needed some adventures.

December 17 - Bhakti (Devotion)

Image by Mat McDermott via Flickr

What did you devote yourself to in 2011? How will you devote your energy in the coming year?

Oh, Michelle at Yoga Freedom used on of my favorite yoga words! Some Sanskrit words feel good in my mouth. My students will tell you I teach the half moon balance just because I like to say "Ardha Chandrasana." "Bhakti" is another word I like to say. I like it even better when Jai Uttal says it when he's leading kirtan. It's a feel-good word.

This year I devoted myself to my new yoga studio. I poured energy into bringing yoga to an expanding group of students in comfortable, sacred space. I tried to work in devotion to my family, friends, volunteer work and home, but I know the studio got most of my attention in 2011.

I've already given a good deal of thought to the coming year. The yoga studio will continue to be a priority, as will incorporating my new personal training business into the studio's services. But I am striving for a better balance in 2012. I've spent time with my schedule to make sure I have time to spend with my family. Giving back to the community which supports my business is important, so in addition to the work I do for the Schroon Lake Association, I've signed on as a volunteer with the Red Cross and will be training to respond to disasters.

My half-ironman distance triathlon goal has already been mentioned in an earlier post. I've picked a race in early September and set up my training plan. I plan on devoting a good deal of energy to making my body as healthy and strong as it can be. When I turn 45 later this year (on the day of the Adirondack Distance Festival Half-Marathon, coincidentally) I want to be in better physical shape than I've ever been.

Mid-life crisis? Maybe. But it's healthier (and less expensive) than remaking myself at the mall.

And I think I'll say "Bhakti" lots and lots in 2012. Try it. I bet you can't say it without smiling.

December 5 - Sueno (Dream)

What was your dream come true in 2011? What is your wildest dream for 2012?

Ah, my dream come true is easy to pick out. Last spring I moved a pile of yoga mats out of a church basement and into a rented storefront - my very own yoga studio. It had been my dream for 2011 to find new space to teach yoga, space that was mine, decorated as I wanted it to be. And I did it.

My wildest dream for 2012? That's tougher. The universe has been pretty kind to me the last few years so I know if I put something out there it just may happen. That means making sure my wildest dream is something I really want.

Okay, here it goes...

My wildest dream for 2012 is for the Adirondacks to get a sudden influx of yoga teachers, one or two of which will settle in Schroon Lake and teach at my studio. More teachers would mean more time for me to focus on private clients and personal training, spend time with my daughter before she goes off to college, and train for a wild dream from 2011 that didn't happen because the yoga studio dream came true - a half-Ironman distance triathlon.

There, I said it. It's out there. On mile 40 of the bike, when my legs feel like they're going to fall off, I'll remember this post...

Having the Heart to Go Faster

Image via Wikipedia

After I abandoned the 10K Turkey Trot I had planned for Thanksgiving Day, I decide to participate in Daily Mile's virtual 5K. We got almost a foot of snow the day before, so my 3.1 miles was on the treadmill. If you've been following my progress, you know the fastest per mile pace I'd been able to sustain on the treadmill is 11:07. Not particularly impressive, but I worked hard for that (or so I thought). My goal for last week was to get below 11 minute miles.

I completed my treadmill 5K in 33 minutes, making my new pace to beat 10:33. Still not particularly impressive, but better.

I am not a fast runner. In fact, I'm pretty darn slow considering I've been working on it for three years. Outside I could blame my slow pace on the Adirondack hills, but on the treadmill there is no excuse. I've just never really challenged myself to go faster.

It's hard for me to judge exactly how much effort I should be putting into my runs. I've been estimating my intensity on how I feel and, honestly, I can be a bit of a wimp.

When I first started my triathlon training I asked for, and received, a heart rate monitor for Christmas. It's been a cool toy to have, but I had no idea how to use it effectively and I ended up just wearing the watch part for the stopwatch.

To prepare for my triathlon comeback year, I decided it's time to stop being a wimp and figure out how to get faster. Most of the training plans I checked out were heart rate based.

Hmmm.... Could it be time to put that monitor to use?

After doing some research, I ended up selecting a plan that combined heart rate training with other skill-building stuff. Just a few days in, I have to admit that I've surprised myself. I can train faster and harder than I believed I could. Yesterday's run included six 30 second strides, during which I pushed the treadmill speed higher than it has ever gone. For the last 30 seconds I ran a 7:36 pace. I had no idea I could do that.

And my heart rate monitor said I still had more to give. Yipes.  

Resistance

I am determined to get back to triathlons next year, so I've started mixing some bike workouts into my week's training. (Swimming is out of the question since the lake will soon be frozen and there's no pool nearby.) I've also decided it's time to really dedicate myself to some strength training.

I'm not a big fan of weights, although I do pick up my 2- or 3-pound dumbbells occasionally. What I do like is my resistance bands. They are easily portable so I can do my workout at the yoga studio if I need to, and, unlike dumbbells, don't hurt when I drop one on my toes.

One part of my body seems to resist getting stronger, and that's my quads. It takes four or five days for my quadriceps, and particularly my right quad, to stop being sore after a fast run or a targeted workout. The four muscles that make up the quadriceps, rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis, are responsible for knee extension. They are important muscles for yoga, running and cycling, so I've been trying to get them stronger and better able to recover. Lunges with a resistance band are now a strength-training staple for me.

To do lunges, stand with your right foot on the middle of the resistance band, holding the ends of the band in each hand with your arms by your sides. Step your left foot back far enough so that your right knee will stay behind your toes when you lunge. You should be on the ball of your left foot. Bend your right knee a bit. Bend your elbows, lift the ends of the resistance band to almost shoulder-height and hold them there.

Keeping your core strong, back straight and chest lifted, slowly lower your left knee towards the floor. Your knee might lightly touch the floor, but don't put your weight on it. Make sure your right knee stays behind your toes and try to get your right thigh parallel to the floor. Then slowly lift up to the staring position.

Do two or three sets of 12-15 reps on each leg. You can build up by increasing the repetitions or switching to a heavier resistance band.

What I didn't resist was doing all of my planned workouts last week. I was on the treadmill or the bike trainer for 4 hours and 11 minutes, running 13 miles and pedaling 12 miles. The week included a run when I ran 11:07 minute miles, my fastest treadmill run so far.

No Excuses, Just Do It

Image via Wikipedia

This morning's run was slow, but I'm on day nine of sticking to my training plan, at least in spirit. The plan assumed that I hadn't taken three weeks off due to illness, injury and laziness, so I'm not hitting the speed or distances the plan calls for. What I am doing is getting my feet onto the treadmill every time my calendar says "run."

I even spent an hour on my bike, which is set up on the trainer next to the treadmill, in a basement that's finally clean thanks to a surge of domesticity. I am determined to get back to triathlons next year and figured I would take advantage of my run plan's cross-training days for some bike workouts. It's better than starting from scratch in the spring.

This morning I was tired, but I got on the treadmill and walked. After five minutes I got bored with walking and pushed the treadmill's speed up. I did something, rather than staying in bed and taking a risk I might slip back into inertia. I'm noting this so I can come back and read it next time I think about skipping a workout.

No excuses, just do it. This is my winter mantra.

(Please note: the above picture of a running chicken has nothing to do with this post, although the chicken may, in fact, be running faster than I did this morning. It just came up as a Zemanta suggestion and I couldn't pass up a running chicken.)

Starting Again

Image via WikipediaThough not perfect, my neck is feeling better. I have also gotten over a cold that knocked me out last week. After a Sunday afternoon basement-cleaning frenzy, the treadmill has been freed from piles of camping gear and my bike is sitting in the trainer and I am ready for winter training.

After Daylight Savings Time came to a glorious end, I set my alarm an hour earlier and have gotten onto the treadmill the past two mornings. I find switching from the road to the treadmill is like learning to run again. Different muscles complain and the warm house challenges my cardiovascular endurance, already beat down by the cold. It feels so much like starting over that it's hard to believe that I'd only taken three weeks off.

This morning I walked on the treadmill. Yesterday my body let me know it wasn't quite ready to run with low back and knee pain. I'm hoping that after a few days of walking my body will remember the mechanics of running and I'll be training at the level I'm used to. In the meantime I will keep listening to my body.

And I can always spend lots of time on my yoga mat.

I also added crunches to my workout this morning. 75 may have been too much. I'm feeling it now and wondering if I will be able to sit up tomorrow morning.

Trying to find some new motivation, I recently started logging my workouts on Daily Mile. If you're using this site, won't you be my friend?

Training Vacation

Image via WikipediaWhen I get sick or injured, or life just gets in the way, I have a very hard time getting my training started again. I wish someone would shove my feet into my running shoes and kick me out the door. Being coach-less, there isn't anyone who will do that for me. I have to dig deep for my own motivation, and sometimes it's buried really, really deep.

Right now I'm sick (allergies are out of control), injured (still nursing a badly misaligned neck) and life is getting in the way. I haven't put my running shoes on for almost two weeks. It's very dark in the morning and it's rained almost every day. The Thanksgiving 10K is less than a month away. I need some inspiration, so if you've got some, please share!

Creating more frustration, my chiropractor ordered me to refrain from headstands until my neck is back to normal. One of my favorite ways to deal with life is to look at it upside down for awhile. I will have to find another way to change my perspective to get me through this rough patch.

Maybe digging the treadmill out from under a pile of summer gear will put an end to this training vacation.

Trying to Train for a Turkey Trot

Image via WikipediaAll right, I won't practice my alliteration on you.

Up until last Saturday I was happily training for a Thanksgiving Day 10K. Saturday night my head started to hurt. Uh oh. That headache is my body's way of telling me that my neck is horribly out of alignment. Sunday the headache got worse. Monday I called the chiropractor. Wednesday he snapped my neck back into place. Whew.

I stopped training when my head started hurting. Maybe I'm a baby, but I'm not comfortable jarring my spine when vertebrae are in unnatural positions. A week's training, almost, was lost. It's only a 10K, so I'm not panicking about being able to finish the race. But I had a goal that might be at risk.

I'd really like to run a 10K in less than an hour. Yes, Speedy Gonzalez, I know an hour is not particularly fast, but, hey, this is me we're talking about. For me, a middle-of-the-pack half-marathon finish is something to be excited about. I want a similar finish in this 10K.

I plan to get back to training tomorrow, now that my head's on straight.

Death and Life at the Chicago Marathon

Last weekend was a big one for endurance sports, with the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on Saturday and the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. The Chicago Marathon proved the more newsworthy, marred by the death of a 35 year old, and apparently very healthy, firefighter from North Carolina. The exact cause of his death, just 500 yards from the finish line, is still unknown, but, as anyone who has been reading the (seemingly endless) chapter on determining VO2max in the personal trainer manual knows, the risk of cardiac arrest at maximum heart rate is significant. After 26 miles, could the sight of the finish line inspire even an experienced marathoner to sprint to the finish, pushing his heart past the breaking point? It's possible.

Chicago Marathon death: Autopsy inconclusive on Bank of America Chicago Marathon runner - chicagotribune.com

The universe, though, keeps everything in balance. A few hours after the news of the death reached my twitter stream, this story hit the internet.

Some will question the wisdom of participating in a marathon when 39 weeks pregnant and point out that it led to the somewhat early birth of the baby, but these are not people who consider running a normal part of daily life. My oldest was born at 38 weeks and the early labor may have started as a result of an afternoon spent walking around the mall, trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Shopping is certainly a normal part of life for many of us and not likely to be considered too risky an endeavor for moms-to-be. Amber Miller was a seasoned distance runner and had clearance from her doctor to run/walk the 26.2 miles last Sunday. The baby is perfectly healthy, although I've heard rumors she came out complaining about the bumpy ride.

Interestingly, this video about pregnant rock climber Carrie Cooper, also 39 weeks pregnant, was making its way around the web last week.

Carrie Cooper: 39 Weeks from Prana Living on Vimeo.

Neither Amber or Carrie took up their respective sports after they were pregnant. They just continued doing what they always did, reminding us all that pregnancy is not a disease or a disability, simply something that women's bodies can do in addition to all the other activities of daily life. If those activities happen to include running 20+ miles or climbing rocks, it's because these women are amazing athletes. We should admire them for that. I would like to be a fit and strong as either of these two, sans baby.