tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73024506384845756412024-03-06T02:13:48.740-06:00energeticspaceThis is a blog about the different ways I use the seemingly boundless energy in my body to stay fit and have fun.KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-66952484019306830592018-03-29T16:42:00.000-05:002018-03-29T16:51:00.702-05:00Self Talk: "Don't Do It!"Wow! I know it's been a while since my last post. I've been distracted with life. Besides, I get tired of reading my own stuff.<br />
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If you do any form of endurance sport, you know what I mean when I say "self talk." Basically, you talk to yourself, in your head or even out loud. When I first thought about blogging about this, it seemed like an insane, even idiotic thing to do. Only people who have a mental imbalance talk to themselves. But the more people I encounter in any kind of sport, the more I find that everyone talks to themselves. Maybe we do have some sort of imbalance. <br />
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So, what are the things that I say to myself when I talk to myself?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"Don't Do It!"</b><br />
Instead of Nike's famous "just do it" I often have to tell myself not to do things because I have this insane need to do every race, ride, or activity that shows up on email, facebook, text, talk, etc. I've double booked myself a few times and ended up giving away my race entry or just not show up for it. What a waste of money and a waste of opportunity!<br />
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<b>"Keep calm, it's NOT a race!"</b><br />
When I'm running, whether by myself or with a group, I often have to remind myself that I'm training or that I'm warming up and to take it easy. I'm like an alpha dog who won't let other dogs get in front and will speed up at the slightest sign that another dog is getting close. Do they not like having to smell the dog in front? I see someone in front of me and my goal is to catch that person no mater what their pace. It's a terrible habit. It's necessary self talk.<br />
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<b>"Are you uncomfortable yet?"</b><br />
Learn to be comfortable about being uncomfortable. This is a training principle that I learned from my triathlon coach. She taught me that finding yourself in this space is how you get better, faster, stronger. I find that this is the simplest way of finding out if I'm pushing myself when I'm training and when I'm racing. When I'm swimming and I feel like my arms are going to fall off but I can keep going, I know that I'm learning to be uncomfortable. It takes tons of repetition and consistently being in that space. It makes my stomach flutter just thinking about it.<br />
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I am grateful that I have discovered self talk because I wouldn't have been able to tolerate long, solitary training hours without it.<br />
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I am also grateful that BeetElite has been a regular part of my workouts these last 5 yrs. I'm a better athlete because of it.<br />
<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-54342556456083208772014-05-20T23:55:00.000-05:002014-05-20T23:55:59.472-05:00My first Spash & Dash! It was a win!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCL-QMBhys5sa_nHT_pdcHXXAd2DRTC9JvbjiFXnj_2cMZWIqGpuksk6Xc0H4M65CMYjE29vWJGk514JywWZkKoh4yIxA-8nvWLyFB9RP3sY3JLQZueVF1OKszb9a2A4of8ctUb7Tt_g/s1600/SnD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCL-QMBhys5sa_nHT_pdcHXXAd2DRTC9JvbjiFXnj_2cMZWIqGpuksk6Xc0H4M65CMYjE29vWJGk514JywWZkKoh4yIxA-8nvWLyFB9RP3sY3JLQZueVF1OKszb9a2A4of8ctUb7Tt_g/s1600/SnD.jpg" height="200" width="193" /></a>The Pure Austin Splash & Dash organized and presented by High Five Events is a monthly swim (Splash) and run (Dash) that happens every month beginning in April through September. The swim distance is 750 meters around Quarry Lake and then 3 loops or 3 kilometers on a running trail.<br />
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I signed up to do this event for the entire season. Why? I have never done this before. Never could because it conflicted with my teaching schedule at the Y. Obviously this year, with IronMan Lake Placid training, I am making the time and it's actually on my training schedule.<br />
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The first event was last April, I was stuck in such heavy traffic that I was late to the event and could not check in and get my timing chip to participate. This worked out in the end for me as I had not eaten much all day except for a banana and some oatmeal. Oh, and I had some peanut butter crackers while sitting in trickle traffic on the way. Yeah, this was not cutting it for me because after a quick swim in the very cold water when everyone else had left, I experienced <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001423/#adam_000386.disease.symptoms" target="_blank">hypoglycemia</a> as I got out of the water.<br />
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Today, I left early to make sure I arrived early. Today, I made sure I ate well. I drank my BeetElite and took my Neo40. I was on top of my asthma regimen. Today would be my first Splash & Dash ever!! Today, my asthma was not cooperating. I had been wheezing all day and had sucked on my rescue inhaler several times. Don't let my title fool you. I don't expect to win against the avid competitors. I do expect to win against myself. I expect to win against quitting. I expect myself to win against failing.<br />
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After I checked-in, I got in the water for a warm up swim. The water was cold but not uncomfortable. My breathing was a quite challenged. My exhales were very short so I could not get much air on the inhale. I got out of the water and got a little dizzy. This got me very worried. I was actually afraid something would happen to me while in the water. I almost didn't want to go through with it. I did a quick 1k warm up run and got back in the water for another quick swim hoping for an improvement in my breathing. It worked!! I was breathing better. It wasn't optimal but it was better than when I first got in. It was a win!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh6q8ZyiHUVbzbmAVdrbJwJwDwmimrb9MnGcQtUej5bwNU01t8XCRnY0N627NNgJCvzgYcnJC6CZ4oF62I09HUTXvYjdkQkp7FJ0iHk2OPwqgxyZ4hVqlgMypD9Csye1PquHIZ0cQMb8/s1600/DontGiveUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh6q8ZyiHUVbzbmAVdrbJwJwDwmimrb9MnGcQtUej5bwNU01t8XCRnY0N627NNgJCvzgYcnJC6CZ4oF62I09HUTXvYjdkQkp7FJ0iHk2OPwqgxyZ4hVqlgMypD9Csye1PquHIZ0cQMb8/s1600/DontGiveUp.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>At race start, I stayed waaay back in the end! I didn't want to be around flailing limbs, adding anxiety and making my breathing worse. While I was swimming, all I thought about was sighting and swimming to the first buoy. There was a moment when I did think about quitting but the first buoy was upon me so that thought was quickly replaced by sight and swim to the second buoy. My goggles started to fog up but I could still see the third buoy so I just kept plugging along and soon I was sighting towards the fourth buoy. The Roaring Fork was up next because I could smell smoke. Ugh!! Smells good but not so good for my uber sensitive lungs. But I'm almost to the last buoy so I try to push even if I really can't. The end of the swim is near and I swim as far as I can before attempting to touch the ground. Success! I'm in the shallows and I'm done. It was a win!<br />
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Next up was a 3k run. I took my time in transition because I was dizzy while putting my shoes on. I actually had to sit down on the ground because I couldn't balance. I walked up the treacherous hill and then ran my first loop at a moderate pace and slowly increased my speed. The trail surface is not my favorite. The gravel is slippery and there are parts where it's so deep and soft like sand that your foot gets sucked up when you step on the ground. I started to hear myself wheezing after the first loop but I was determined not to stop. I finished in 39:52. The winner in the women's division completed it in 22:16. I was in the bottom half of the group but it was still a win! I completed my first S&D, it was a win!KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-83423976751094112052014-03-19T01:02:00.002-05:002014-03-19T01:02:08.425-05:00Beat the Blahs! Beet Energetic<a href="http://www.pedalthrupines.org/" target="_blank">Pedal thru the Pines</a>, last Saturday, March 8, 2014 was a wet and cold bike ride. I had a flat 10 miles into the proposed 47 mile ride of which I only did 28 miles. I felt cold and miserable and had been fighting a sore throat. So being wet and muddy did not make me very happy that day. I did my transition run after the disappointing ride and I ran 3 mindless loops around the park in an attempt to complete a 30 minute run. I ran 27 minutes. So there! It was a day of underachievement.<br />
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Unfortunately, my poor attitude and general blase seemed to infect the rest of my week. I made attempts to go to Ironman training on Tuesday and Thursday and ended up driving home. I suffered from a terrible headache almost everyday. I felt lethargic and exhausted at the same time. My energy was extremely low and struggled to get up in the morning. To top it off, I was wheezing at work and had difficulty managing my asthma. I didn't run at all which speaks to just how bad I was feeling that week. I rode my trainer by myself on Tuesday and Thursday instead of training with my group.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXdK9INqXPuFvPa5MI-1Q6uCiQDpT3zeW5JcDFmullPRGf2V7AxWOjxEBawLmhZK4APVk0XYfhgbd27XlHQun3IfYlLZ5XfXNowGeJWAhyphenhyphenNZW3UO6TVvQnFWcdaSjOkN8bO-4FmiPpuU/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXdK9INqXPuFvPa5MI-1Q6uCiQDpT3zeW5JcDFmullPRGf2V7AxWOjxEBawLmhZK4APVk0XYfhgbd27XlHQun3IfYlLZ5XfXNowGeJWAhyphenhyphenNZW3UO6TVvQnFWcdaSjOkN8bO-4FmiPpuU/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Saturday training station</td></tr>
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By the weekend, I was bound and determined to make up for such a pathetic week. Saturday was supposed to be a Bike-n-Brunch hosted by Jen M. but the fog and rain made that unsafe and impossible. My attempt at an energy upswing appeared to have been thwarted by Mother Nature!! Darn! So, I set up my bike on the trainer and pedaled for about 2 hours and change. To pass the time on the trainer, I tried to multitask by working on memorizing the latest Body Pump routine. It worked! I was able to memorize all 10 tracks of the latest routine and I spent the required time on the bike. Success!! My spirits were starting to turn.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nremCerdkFSpYjNKx4M-XdWK2S68RdH11U6cRdnbRhFKWHd5Hy3XUVPZoMMKpGc-6mAv6eU_JBLcQlN4szeLazzisW3anO83FeVDdSXwqw2ldXd5TjwAnRCk0oIsWHZE4Rn6TIKECxY/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nremCerdkFSpYjNKx4M-XdWK2S68RdH11U6cRdnbRhFKWHd5Hy3XUVPZoMMKpGc-6mAv6eU_JBLcQlN4szeLazzisW3anO83FeVDdSXwqw2ldXd5TjwAnRCk0oIsWHZE4Rn6TIKECxY/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Officer McGowan, Sheri @ Mozart's</td></tr>
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Getting up on Sunday was still a struggle. I drank my <a href="http://www.beetelite.com/" target="_blank">BeetElite</a> and realized that I hadn't had any all week. Hmmm... that might explain this miasma. I met up with the Galloway Austin group at Mozart's for a Runner's Safety Seminar with the Austin Police Department. After the seminar, we split into our groups to run. The general mileage was only supposed to be 4 miles but for my Ironman training I had 6-7 miles on my calendar. My running group was kind enough to agree to running the additional mileage with me. We ended up running a reverse Scenic Loop Route. That meant hills! We ran with our Guest Speaker, Officer McGowan of the Austin Police Department and he continued to educate us on the do's and don'ts of running around Austin as well as share his running stories. 30 minutes into the run, I started to speed up as we ran through the rolling hills on the route. I was feeling great and I could feel that endorphin high again. We ended up completing a little over 7 miles. When I checked my Garmin, my best pace was sub 8 minute mile. I think I cut through the cloud that was hanging over me since the previous weekend. What a relief!!<br />
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So the lesson derived from this post is:<br />
BeetElite. + Running with Friends. = Energized me!<br />
Your turn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-64915483994093931472014-03-02T16:43:00.000-06:002014-03-02T17:29:03.395-06:00My Moe's Better Half MarathonIt's Saturday, the day before the race. I had on my schedule a 2.5 hour bike ride with a 30 minute transition run. Coach Jen noted that because of my race on Sunday, that I could do a 2 hour ride instead. I woke up that morning struggling to breathe. Yes, my asthma was not cooperating. The weather was also not cooperating. It was foggy and misty and scary to even drive. At 7:17 a.m., I sent out a group text message to my teammates that I would have to bail on the ride. I was really worried that it would be unsafe to ride in the dense fog and my asthma was driving the point home to skip the outdoor ride. Unfortunately, an hour later I still didn't feel well enough to even set up my bike on the trainer. It was not a good start to the day. I was going to pick up my race packet at 10:00 a.m. so I decided to try and relax by reading while I waited.<br />
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I head over to<a href="http://www.hillcountryrunningcompany.com/pages/location.htm" target="_blank"> Hill Country Running</a> for packet pick up and nobody is there! Ugh! Unfortunately, this also meant that I will need to wake up earlier and get to the race start to get my race packet in the morning. As the day wore on, my chest felt heavy and I just felt like crap. It's a good thing Saturday was not race day otherwise, I would have DNF'd (Did Not Finish). I had a hair appointment at 5:00 p.m. and got home a little after 6:00 p.m. and by 7:30 p.m. I had crashed and gone to sleep. I opened my eyes briefly just to set my alarm on my phone but I didn't fully wake up until 4:15 a.m. on race morning. For sure, something wasn't right with me on Saturday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmYNRjk67oif2GkQt_xEj_OkzuQXDS_IObtl8I6KMXLByFHQO54gb251A2ZfigfYkuRNVZho0a6DGmlen-MGoRiKqgYDsO_zKtsV9Su6Ip4lTo_h-bprsKxbpIIrj8FwxjfqUdMYNd3k/s1600/MBHM_30th_anniv_logoDS_091913.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmYNRjk67oif2GkQt_xEj_OkzuQXDS_IObtl8I6KMXLByFHQO54gb251A2ZfigfYkuRNVZho0a6DGmlen-MGoRiKqgYDsO_zKtsV9Su6Ip4lTo_h-bprsKxbpIIrj8FwxjfqUdMYNd3k/s1600/MBHM_30th_anniv_logoDS_091913.png" height="56" width="320" /></a>It's Sunday, race morning! I go through my morning routine, slather anti-chafing stuff all over, steroid inhaler, coffee and a peanut butter sandwich to eat in the car, pack in a bag 4 oz. of BeetElite to drink 30 minutes before the race and a protein shake for after the race. I get to the race site and I'm parked right next to Alicia, a good friend, who always wins her age group at this race! I pick up my packet and saw a lot of other people that I know who are also running today! Dana, Cristina, Reenie, Julie, Diane, Stacy, Pauline, Nicole, Shelly, Sandy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nu2xAJh3u3ITk5VSXf_Xyu1-O3ymU_THkfx83_AwC7Q_EFkjc8BMC5fKBUOUi4_6Tjkduein2nFrotjKzZG2N_6hvNJE1wP67RPGSwBtn1fHJr9xHf_NjLv3bbyeCsiYtfD8PqOFEYw/s1600/KG-Austin14.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nu2xAJh3u3ITk5VSXf_Xyu1-O3ymU_THkfx83_AwC7Q_EFkjc8BMC5fKBUOUi4_6Tjkduein2nFrotjKzZG2N_6hvNJE1wP67RPGSwBtn1fHJr9xHf_NjLv3bbyeCsiYtfD8PqOFEYw/s1600/KG-Austin14.PNG" height="320" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Austin Marathon Feb 2014</td></tr>
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I started out nice and easy. This is my first time running this race and I have no clue what the course is like. Even if I try and read the course map, I cannot visualize the course in my head. Alicia already warned me that people tend to go out too fast at this race. This being my redemption race, I didn't want to screw it up by going out too fast. One thing I did know was that this course had <i>a lot</i> of rolling hills. As Diane put it, it's like running Scenic Loop twice but not as pretty. The course takes you through back country roads where you get to see cows, llamas, barns, a power plant and fields of tall yellow grass. There are only a few people on the course cheering you on - few as in <br />
less than 10. But it's actually a very peaceful and serene run. Perfect for 13.1 miles.<br />
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The weather was almost exactly like at the Austin Marathon - HUMID but <b>even warmer</b>. I wore essentially the same clothes that I did at Austin Marathon shorts, sleeveless top, sans the compression socks. I sweat a lot and it didn't take long before I was drenched. Sweat trickled down into my socks and shoes. I walked the water stops so that I could get my salt and energy gels, drank water and the Gatorade-like drink. The electrolyte drink was blue but tasted like water with something accidentally mixed into it. A few hundred feet before mile 9, I almost threw up. Actually, I threw up in my mouth and promptly swallowed it back. Yuck!! I know! So I decided that I had my fill of energy gels and was not going to have anymore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPw20xLk9SUYn78I8ypC3WlcDi4hediNYCROySbAJ_a4VreNi2XRStcffish5t8BSYP718LkTfHYxPlL2oDZ0qtTahab-N-XQOIRiOMeO74iy7Vyhnz7-zbc4wl5er_ShfaUl1ZXu-Oo/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPw20xLk9SUYn78I8ypC3WlcDi4hediNYCROySbAJ_a4VreNi2XRStcffish5t8BSYP718LkTfHYxPlL2oDZ0qtTahab-N-XQOIRiOMeO74iy7Vyhnz7-zbc4wl5er_ShfaUl1ZXu-Oo/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" height="320" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mug, pen & shirt</td></tr>
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By mile 10, I started to wheeze a little bit and thought to myself - "Just hang on a little longer!!" I had to slow down for a bit and was probably running my slowest pace at this point and I also had a couple of pebbles in my left shoe - quite annoying! When I saw the flag in the horizon, I knew the finish line was close by. I didn't care at this point about the wheezing and the pebbles. I knew that I only had to hang on for 1 more mile or so and started to speed up and hoped for the best. I finished in 2:03 and 7th in my age group - which isn't bad, considering the weather and my horrible Saturday. My legs felt great after the race. Body Pump Class on Monday morning should be just fine.<br />
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I will do this race again. I really enjoyed it. I have a mug and pen and a nice shirt. The drive back to Austin was through a downpour and temps that dropped about 1 degree a minute so that when I got to back home it was 40 degrees - perfect weather to start a run instead of end it! Gotta love Texas weather!<br />
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<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-15561233246783820212014-02-27T23:57:00.000-06:002014-02-27T23:57:06.745-06:00Staying active with chronic health issuesI think I'm a pretty healthy person. I've maintained my weight through the years. I exercise regularly and eat sensibly. But as I've gotten older, many of my family's health issues have started to manifest itself. In 2009, I was diagnosed with <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hypothyroidism-topic-overview" target="_blank">hypothyroidism</a>. Before I was diagnosed, I actually thought that maybe I was clinically depressed. Having majored in Psychology and working at a Mental Hospital for 3 years after college, I recognized the signs and I was worried. Six months after the right dose of a thyroid hormone pill was discovered, I was back to my old self. In 2010, my allergist determined that I had <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/" target="_blank">asthma</a> and put me on a regiment of oral and inhaled medication. This was also the year that I started doing Triathlons and explained why I struggled so much during the swim portion of the race. Once I understood how to manage this new gift, I learned to enjoy my swim workouts and my anxiety in the water with hundreds of limbs around me lessened. In 2012, I was officially called a <a href="http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/" target="_blank">prediabetic</a> as my blood sugar levels made a steady rise towards the line bordering on Type II diabetes. I haven't found a way to manage this yet. Hopefully, no additional chronic health issues will be discovered before I figure out how to live with this condition.<div>
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Training for an Ironman alone is a daunting challenge. Training with these little tokens in my back pocket is even more challenging. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. There are others on my team who have gargantuan health issues and injuries that they have had to endure. <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/fall13/articles/fall13pg10-11.html" target="_blank">Apolo Ohno</a> learned to overcome asthma and won 8 Olympic medals. Granted, he was only 12-13 years old when he was diagnosed. But people overcome it everyday. So if someone tells you that they can't do something because they have asthma, nod your head and quote this "<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120731094613.htm" target="_blank">Asthma is the most common chronic disease among Olympic athletes</a>."</div>
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Earlier this week, the weather brought a high pollen/allergen count. Consequently, I was having some breathing issues. My prescription for my thyroid hormone had been increased but I hadn't had time to fill it yet. I was also having a hypoglycemic episode (low blood sugar) at work. I was frustrated because I wasn't even doing anything active. I was just at work! I had my rescue inhaler and I ate my lunch and was back to normal in no time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizP-RIcQJ9nkjVlzNT40H-qjEWpIH9QDwtLBfaww4upxhDG6hudGSMSzgI89d4zVuotzMO544zmfbIUoQGcgsmYJN3nPgxfguREcbPUOtKyMlDuFO5Vmyfhu1hA0dWtdBJhhThQF0p_SU/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizP-RIcQJ9nkjVlzNT40H-qjEWpIH9QDwtLBfaww4upxhDG6hudGSMSzgI89d4zVuotzMO544zmfbIUoQGcgsmYJN3nPgxfguREcbPUOtKyMlDuFO5Vmyfhu1hA0dWtdBJhhThQF0p_SU/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Card from Keya</td></tr>
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I had a swim workout on my schedule and wasn't really sure if I could do it considering the day I just had. But I had just read about Apolo Ohno and it got me motivated. I headed out to the Town Lake YMCA for my swim workout. (Wednesday seems to be the best day for me to complete swim workouts.) I also received a Thank You card from a Y member that used to come to my evening Body Pump and CXWORX classes. Duly inspired and flattered, I completed 2200 meters and felt absolutely invigorated.</div>
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Chronic health issues are just like little pebbles that get stuck in your shoe when you're running. They're annoying little things. But you can keep going as long as you can find a way to keep the pebble in a section of your shoe that won't get in your way. </div>
KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-8836945994182254942014-02-22T22:38:00.001-06:002014-02-22T22:38:46.766-06:00Riding with my Southies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first ride in February</td></tr>
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It's been a while since I last rode my bike outdoors. Yes, I've been on trainer in a parking garage (almost) every week in February. But I wouldn't exactly call that an outdoor ride. Riding on a trainer is much like running on a treadmill. It gets your legs moving in the same manner, but the effort involved is very different. It's one of the reasons why I don't like running on a treadmill. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southies together again!</td></tr>
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It's also been a while since I last got together with my Southie teammates. The last time we went out for a ride was in January. We were a BIG group - 10 women came out for that ride and we had a lovely lunch afterwards. Today, we were a solid 6. I was supposed to ride with the group a couple of weeks ago but ended up bailing due to car sharing issues.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Route</td></tr>
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I sent out an email on Friday about getting together for a ride but I didn't have a route in mind. I needed to complete a 2 hour ride per my workout schedule. I'm also terrible with routes. Getting lost on a route is just about normal for me - running or riding and even driving. Pat had suggested Creek Road or Bee Caves Road. Monica and I were sending text messages back and forth about options to figure out a 2 hour route. Fortunately, Coach Gina, who had been traveling all week, made the decision for all of us and told us to meet at Pioneer Bank to ride on Creek Road and FM 3232. Judy who will be doing IMLP with me would have been with us along with Nicola, a new member of TZ Peak Performance group. Unfortunately, they didn't get the information about our final route plans.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first ride of 2014</td></tr>
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We started around 8:45 am instead of 8:30. It was a chilly start so nobody seemed to mind that we were starting a little later. When I looked at the forecast before going to bed the night before, temps were supposed to be in the 50's but was actually in the 40's when I got out to Dripping Springs. The route was an out and back. The ride out felt pretty good! The hills felt relatively easy. I was riding pretty steady. Unfortunately, when we turned around at the 1 hour mark, the ride back along FM 3232 had us riding right into the wind!! Holy cow!!! The hills felt longer and harder and endless. I definitely felt the difference of riding 2 hours on a trainer vs. riding 2 hours on the road. It was also a bleak reminder of my skills and stamina on the bike. It's hard to imagine 6-8 hours of being on a bike and riding non- stop hills. UGH! I only hope that my training will actually result in considerable improvement on the bike.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southies in January</td></tr>
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2 hours and 30 miles later, we were done. I had to do a 20 minute transition run. Sadly, no one joined me. I forgot to mention it in my email. It wasn't bad really, since I like running anyway. I have to admit that my legs felt pretty heavy. Definitely heavier this time than when I got off a 2 hour trainer ride. While on the run, a chihuahua came running out of his yard in an attempt to attack me on the other side of his house but promptly held back and disappeared as I kept running. That was quite entertaining. On the way back, no chihuahua though. The 20 minute run was over pretty quickly. I didn't mind the lack of company at all and although my legs felt heavy during the first 10 minutes, the run back felt good in the end. Tomorrow's schedule calls for a 7 mile run.</div>
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<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-72618876287881050422014-02-19T00:50:00.001-06:002014-02-19T00:50:28.155-06:00Marathon recovery = sign up for a HalfIt's 2 days after the Austin Marathon. I have recounted and replayed my race several times to my co-workers, friends and in my head. This wasn't such a good combination because all I could think of was how poorly I did. Obviously when I was writing my blog post "<a href="http://energeticspace.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-5th-running-of-austin-marathon.html" target="_blank">My 5th Running of the Austin Marathon</a>" I was not in the same frame of mind yet. I was still very positive, optimistic and encouraged.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1ribY-CFyQ238n5GpkC_gwoTwzc5x1dVGYMFef_6Ezir6FcikUPbpjbO1pJZUbVla85UeNf5zXCVwIcfOAM51hCYwzn9aPyn1zg_leEeFnO7GP4HW9WxF0IUmpospRC5_ilgQt2zpNY/s1600/Moes+Better+Half.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1ribY-CFyQ238n5GpkC_gwoTwzc5x1dVGYMFef_6Ezir6FcikUPbpjbO1pJZUbVla85UeNf5zXCVwIcfOAM51hCYwzn9aPyn1zg_leEeFnO7GP4HW9WxF0IUmpospRC5_ilgQt2zpNY/s1600/Moes+Better+Half.png" height="320" width="305" /></a>By late Monday afternoon, I was desperately seeking redemption. I know I'm not supposed to beat myself up for something I had no control over - the weather and my asthma. I'm not. But I needed to find a race to do in March to help make me feel better.<br />
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Because we still have vehicle issues - meaning Martin & I are still car sharing - I had to show some consideration for our family dilemma. My conditions were:<br />
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<ul>
<li>The race should be nearby.</li>
<li>Overnight stay at a hotel should not be required.</li>
<li>Low cost entry fee.</li>
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I wanted to keep the expenses down since my hobby funds aren't being replenished now that I'm only teaching once a week. San Marcos, TX is about 40 miles away and would be a quick drive to the race site. So, I picked Moe's Better Half Marathon. They have race day packet pick up and the race only costs $60. Sadly, they don't have a finishers medal so no "bling" - just <i>a nice pen and a ceramic mug</i>. Can't win 'em all. So my sights are set for my redemption race in 2 weeks!<br />
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Armed with this new goal, I was excited about today's workout. Coach Jen sent out an email giving those who ran the Austin Marathon or Half an option not to do the brick workout today. Instead of a bike and run, we could just stay on our bike and do an easy spin workout. I was way too energized and excited. I had planned on telling Coach that I felt my legs were back to normal that I would like to do some of the brick workout. I followed Coach's directions for warm-up and stayed with the group that ran an easy 1 mile warm up run. We jumped on the bike and waited for the rest of the group to come back from their warm up run. Being on a trainer felt extra tedious today. I realized that I need music while spinning on a trainer. Although I was chit-chatting with Kim B and Katie I needed some music to help me keep up my tempo and just keep me distracted. I guess it's like driving in traffic - music helps keep the negative thoughts at bay. When our bike time was over, I was soooo happy to get off the bike I was running with joy!! We repeated this 2 more times and each time I felt renewed enthusiasm to run, run, run.<br />
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Thursday is a track workout. I'm not exactly doing a good job of marathon recovery by signing up for a half but I if that's what it takes to light a fire in me then I'll take it. I will need this memory to go back to when I'm at Lake Placid. I've been told that Moe's Better Half Marathon has hills. I say BRING IT!<br />
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<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-47472005500228806722014-02-16T23:23:00.000-06:002014-02-16T23:23:03.169-06:00My 5th running of the Austin MarathonIt's been a cold winter and an extended winter for Central Texas. Schools, Universities, City and County Offices, have closed due to freezing temperatures. I ran a marathon in December in 29 degree weather!! So is it Murphy's Law then that for the Austin Marathon, the weather was in the 70's and HUMID?<br />
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I love running this race not because I think the course is easy. In fact, I think this is one of the harder marathon courses that I've run. I love this race because the course is familiar, and I get to see LOTS of people that I know. Austin is also very supportive of it's athletes and they love to be out on the streets cheering. It's a combination that is hard to resist - thus the 5th running of this tough race.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon Bling</td></tr>
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My goal was to try and beat my time from last year but with the weather as humid as it was, I didn't want to suffer from cramps. I had been running a good pace so far, but around mile 10 as I was coming off the ramp from Caesar Chavez to Winstead, I started having difficulty breathing. Fortunately, I had my rescue inhaler with me but this also meant that I had to slow down if I was going to finish and not be in extra pain the rest of the week. And oh yeah, I also had to keep in mind that I have to teach a Body Pump class at 6:00 am on Monday morning.<br />
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I was waiting for my wall. Fortunately, it never came. My feet hurt by mile 23 but that's to be expected. A young woman on the course, turned to her friend and said "Why did I sign up for this again? Oh yeah, because the half is too easy." I didn't hear what her friend said but I thought to myself, "Sadly, 26.2 miles just takes you to another level of pain and discomfort."<br />
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So if it's painful, why keep doing it? Why continue to torture my mind and my body? In the words of Lance Armstrong and a very common poster seen at races: "Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever." I didn't achieve my PR goal but I avoided leg cramps and resolved to do this again in 2015. There will be more marathons in my future.<br />
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KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-28683962593647014802014-02-15T18:15:00.001-06:002014-02-15T18:16:22.222-06:00They call me "G"Our group workout for this Thursday was a run on the track at Murchison Middle School. Just in case you didn't know, I love running! It's meditative, challenging, social, fun - just to name a few reasons why I enjoy running so much. Out of all 3 sports (swim, bike, run), running is my strongest sport. It's also how I make up for how slow I am at swimming and my mediocre abilities and skills at bicycling. This coming Sunday, February 16, I'll be running my 15th Marathon at the Austin Marathon. Our track workout was a taper run. Basically, we ran a few laps on the track with the objective to work on leg turn-over and getting the legs to flush out any soreness or stiffness in preparation for race day.<br />
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We started out with a warm up run either on the track or on the street where there was a huge hill. I opted for the track warm up. Afterwards, we got started the repeats. The people running on Sunday had a different workout than those who weren't.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kims - Kim B, Kim G, Kim H</td></tr>
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Before I go on, let me just introduce you to some of my teammates. TriZones has 3 women named <i><b>Kim</b></i>. Kim B and Kim H are with the North Team aka Peak Performance Team. Being a Southie (TriZones South Team), I usually only get to see "the Kims" at races or when our workouts are combined. I'm called Kim G. Now that I am also working out with the Peak Performance Team, we all workout together and we're called the 3 Kims. The nicknames are fun. There are 2 ladies on our team that are called "the LaLa's" which is short for Laura and Linda.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my fierce shirt</td></tr>
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Back to the track workout, I ran by a few people and then stopped for water after a bit. Clearly I loved running more than the people I was training with on this day. Coach Jen complimented me and remarked that I had great turn-over. Yup! That gave me the warm and fuzzies. Kim B says that from now on, I will be called "G." Judy (who is also a Southie) chimes in and says "G-Force. Because you're a force of nature!"<br />
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I think I found a new running shirt! Several years ago, Bob S quoted Shakespeare's line from "A Midsummer's Nights Dream" and told me it epitomized me <span style="color: orange;"><b>"and though she be but little, she is fierce."</b></span><br />
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Watch for a new running shirt!!KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-37787693958803160622014-02-13T22:13:00.000-06:002014-02-13T22:13:42.024-06:00No more excuses: Swim Workout #1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBZSsulZ6EwcrvjV-EJvYVOehe5mO8lHEUSd_P2Xi8rTSAAY_NY6_UcCCOCPXVIK4W7z0idAT14oBjCS9-B2ye50FhbpBwUDrVP3fpo5p_ZUoFOW0wrd1sbAd6khDmnZrtW5oCIjuUoU/s1600/Swim+Post.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBZSsulZ6EwcrvjV-EJvYVOehe5mO8lHEUSd_P2Xi8rTSAAY_NY6_UcCCOCPXVIK4W7z0idAT14oBjCS9-B2ye50FhbpBwUDrVP3fpo5p_ZUoFOW0wrd1sbAd6khDmnZrtW5oCIjuUoU/s1600/Swim+Post.PNG" height="320" width="233" /></a>I've had a swim workout on my calendar about twice a week since I started IM triathlon training in February. My problem (more like my excuse) not getting to a pool during the first week was because the pool was still closed at the TownLake YMCA. The idea of jumping into the water (albeit heated) in the freezing outdoor temps made me cower and hide under the covers of my warm bed. Needless to say, I just never made it to the pool on those days that I was supposed to be swimming.<br />
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The pool finally opened on Monday, February 10th! Do you think I made it to the pool that evening??? If you think the answer is "yes" then I'm grateful you think so well of me.... the reality was, I had excuses galore and never made it to the pool that evening. I know, I was quite disappointed in myself too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd3527dfaYBMJpXaC-QDQ261Qstra1ozMxMPOQSN_cFOTCr96Y34-0cQet0pTp7RPYxZyX7lhuFlSaVPV_RFkgMRJ2DRmWzXk8PN_oNOS783fUjO7EtRLj2x9-VE-RdiOko8fqAgBRos/s1600/Swim+Post2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd3527dfaYBMJpXaC-QDQ261Qstra1ozMxMPOQSN_cFOTCr96Y34-0cQet0pTp7RPYxZyX7lhuFlSaVPV_RFkgMRJ2DRmWzXk8PN_oNOS783fUjO7EtRLj2x9-VE-RdiOko8fqAgBRos/s1600/Swim+Post2.PNG" height="320" width="231" /></a>By Wednesday February 12th, I was determined not to miss my swim workout. I left work earlier than usual, changed into my new swimsuit and headed to the pool. My timing was great! There were a lot of open lanes and only a few people swimming laps. I rinsed off before getting in the pool and one of the members getting into the hot tub looked up at me and said "You look like one of those Olympic people." I couldn't help but grin at that comment. My color coordinated swimsuit, swim cap and goggles must have been a dead giveaway of my skill and prowess in the water. Hahaha! If you know me at all, you know that I am a brick in the water. I think that was a swim angel sending me some motivation. It worked!<br />
<br />
Once I got in the pool, my training kicked in. I swam the required distance and time and a little bit more. I don't think I followed the workout exactly but I don't think that it really matters. The real point is - that I finally completed a swim workout on my calendar. It was invigorating and energizing. I can't wait to do it again. <br />
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<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-68173916496085498732014-02-08T13:45:00.000-06:002014-02-08T13:45:08.579-06:00Building Mental ToughnessGroup Workout #2 was scheduled for an interval run on the track at <a href="http://archive.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=063" target="_blank">Doss Elementary School</a> but the weather was less than ideal for an outdoor workout. Coach Jen had sent out an early email asking who was planning to join the (brutal) outdoor workout and she also provided a option to run on the treadmill for those who opted not to join the group. I sent a reply that I would be there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ll6gxpip_jZ5BENwUTs8kAdQZQGu-oNNZRRagV6hixZ-jNGrQGsdG9AFC0k6VcF0IPoN0TaBmhAE-Pmkj_uHMOWDl2_Qv0dtUOXVpsGR3Z762sharFai86QJSQHVc8PZDeWTqF-EcjA/s1600/Feb62014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ll6gxpip_jZ5BENwUTs8kAdQZQGu-oNNZRRagV6hixZ-jNGrQGsdG9AFC0k6VcF0IPoN0TaBmhAE-Pmkj_uHMOWDl2_Qv0dtUOXVpsGR3Z762sharFai86QJSQHVc8PZDeWTqF-EcjA/s1600/Feb62014.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a>Shortly thereafter, I found an email from Katie (one of two of my Southie Teammates training for IMLP) asking what to do? She didn't want to wimp out but the prospect of running in 33 degree weather, plus the wind chill, in the dark was quite daunting. I can't say that those same exact thoughts didn't cross my mind. I admit, there were a few moments after I hit the SEND button on my email to Coach Jen that I felt regret at my impulsive act. But I was determined and Katie's email only helped to solidify that determination. I wrote back and said to Katie and Judy <i><span style="color: orange;">"Misery loves company and I hate running on a treadmill. This is where we build that mental toughness. To do something that you'd rather not be doing is a conundrum you'll be faced with often during this training and this is a good start to learning how to push past that. Let's show them our Southie Spirit!"</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></i>
As it turned out Coach Jen ended up canceling the workout and encouraged everyone to try to complete the workout earlier than later if running outside. That's exactly what I did. I ran outside where the actual temperature was 31 degrees. I wore layers - 2 long sleeve shirts and a jacket, 2 pairs of pants, gloves, mask and beanie. It was so cold that my mouth went numb and felt drool running down my chin, luckily the mask hid anything embarrassing. My toes were so numb for the first 20 minutes that I couldn't feel the ground underneath my feet.<br />
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The workout:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Warm-up 15 min ez running</li>
<li>5 repeats of 5 min strong running 3 min of ez running</li>
<li>Cool down as needed ~5 min of ez running</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div>
7 miles later, workout completed, I felt very proud of myself but wondered if I should have jumped on a treadmill instead because that was really more unappealing than running outside in the cold. There will be many more opportunities to build my mental toughness. </div>
KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-45163328376739625472014-02-05T22:16:00.000-06:002014-02-05T22:28:55.663-06:00So it begins. This new journey called IMLPLast year, on July 29, 2013, I brought my personal laptop to work so that I could register to participate in an Ironman distance triathlon. I wanted to make sure that I didn't have any distracting emails or meeting notices that would keep me from completing the registration form. Yes, I actually shelled out several $$$ to do this. Yes, it borders on insanity but there are other races that require a lot more than just sitting in front of a computer. IMFL (Florida) for example, requires volunteer hours on race day and then lining up at 4:00 am to line up for registration which opens at 8:00 am. That means you have to be at the race site at least the day before to get your volunteer assignment, work on race day, and be up and ready the following morning before the sun comes up to shell your hard earned $$$. I think that qualifies under INSANE. Just in case you were curious what an Ironman distance equates to:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2.4 miles for the swim</li>
<li>112 miles on the bike</li>
<li>26.2 miles of running</li>
<li>140.6 total miles</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul></ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrhYntU4sKGBfSv0DwbcOOpNEYxbv3rWIJfid0qNbDWYCtmJ7AfrlmZZNcC-dwmQpbNspvJzWe4wPuGAvCX7hdffZCsCRJdnc47Y4wQvcpbKfDnJsNqqptvHzNm7rboohuw-abu0eNuc/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrhYntU4sKGBfSv0DwbcOOpNEYxbv3rWIJfid0qNbDWYCtmJ7AfrlmZZNcC-dwmQpbNspvJzWe4wPuGAvCX7hdffZCsCRJdnc47Y4wQvcpbKfDnJsNqqptvHzNm7rboohuw-abu0eNuc/s1600/photo.JPG" height="200" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift from my Pilates class</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's constant movement for a long period of time. When confronted by those numbers, it's difficult <u>not </u>to have doubts. Clearly, that's not a good attitude to start with but I'm trying to be honest with myself so that I can learn to overcome these mental obstacles that my brain likes to wrestle with. I have had to give up teaching 5 of the 6 fitness classes that I usually teach at the TownLake YMCA. I now only teach once a week. It's bittersweet because I really enjoy teaching. I miss the members and staff at the Y. I especially miss the students who have been coming to my class regularly for years. Some of them I consider to be my friends. But I'll be back. Hopefully, stronger and better than before.<br />
<br />
So, I start a new journey... IMLP aka Ironman Lake Placid.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, Feb 4, was the first group workout. It was a BRICK - bike and run. I felt pretty good during and after the workout. It was considered an "easy" workout and can't wait (sarcastic) for more challenging workouts. I look forward to the moment on July 27, 2014, when I cross the finish line and the race announcer says to me "Kim G, you are an IronMan!"<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6ZU0e9vRxFFbHF4uHjz_8eMVNuL0g0aG5NcF08T5bk_bifjyOKq5skb5Pv9bVOx-g6S-t7Aab9QoVO1uriSNuDEVu7lJ7trFgs8TvJ6hXVtIkCwq3FQAfw6tlb-BogQkvwhnBjm1Ecw/s1600/FB+photo+Shayla+N.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6ZU0e9vRxFFbHF4uHjz_8eMVNuL0g0aG5NcF08T5bk_bifjyOKq5skb5Pv9bVOx-g6S-t7Aab9QoVO1uriSNuDEVu7lJ7trFgs8TvJ6hXVtIkCwq3FQAfw6tlb-BogQkvwhnBjm1Ecw/s1600/FB+photo+Shayla+N.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TriZones Training - Peak Peformance Group</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-16547303524302927732013-04-28T20:58:00.000-05:002013-04-28T20:58:28.056-05:00Race Report: 2nd 10k of 2013 - Schlotzky's Bun RunI signed up for the Scholotzky's Bun Run 10k under the assumption that I would remain consistent with my speed work and be able to meet or beat my 10k finish at the 2012 IBM Uptown Classic (52:16). Life always has it's own ideas of how each day should turn out with very little consideration of your own plans. That being said, I've skipped many mornings of scheduled run workouts for one reason or another. I've also neglected to do my regular stretches so I've got very tight muscles throughout my legs and calves - the very same muscles that I use to run. My shoes need to be replaced as they've had several hundred miles on them.<br />
<br />
When I woke up for the Scholotzky's Bun Run, I wasn't sure about how I well I would be able to perform. I still had to pick up my race packet - which included my timing chip, bib and shirt. I wasn't as organized about this race as I usually am. My legs felt tight and my allergies were acting up. It had rained a lot the night before and with the added humidity, I knew that the running conditions were going to be challenging. The one thing that I was counting on to help me was <a href="http://www.neogenissport.com/" target="_blank">BeetElite</a>. This stuff has helped me breathe better. Because I breathe easier, everything else follows. I was hoping it would be enough.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5Gs0lt0mhJyInVbLfi4LA5Bd52caXKla4aJn8K0erTZIz6q27rK04Arw3b68W06C3h6BysVm4daafSszQr8JOjmfxUdKOCkMUGS3gu7m68iXYP80n4YoZk9g5Zz0biuPBlRtnV01Bz8/s1600/BunRun+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5Gs0lt0mhJyInVbLfi4LA5Bd52caXKla4aJn8K0erTZIz6q27rK04Arw3b68W06C3h6BysVm4daafSszQr8JOjmfxUdKOCkMUGS3gu7m68iXYP80n4YoZk9g5Zz0biuPBlRtnV01Bz8/s320/BunRun+2013.JPG" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top Left-Right: Michael, Sam, Mary; <br />Bottom L-R: Pete, Me, Mary D,. Dave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I met with the Galloway Running Group and took our group photo. I've run with Dave (in the green shirt) and Mary (with the dog in her arms) but I just wasn't confident that I would be able to keep up. The 3 of us started together but went our own way as we made it across the start line. I forgot that I set my watch at 5:00 minute run interval with a :40 second walk. <br />
<br />
At the first mile marker, I checked my Garmin and discovered I was running a little too fast (8:00 ave). I skipped the first walk break interval and I knew that if I was to have a strong finish, I had to slow down and make sure that I didn't skip my walk breaks.<br />
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I saw Dave just a few feet ahead of me after the first few intervals and then the distance between us just kept growing.<br />
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When I got to the 4 mile marker, I was at a pace that felt mildly uncomfortable but totally doable. I knew that I would have enough for a good, strong finish. I ate a few of my Stinger chews at my last walk break and stopped taking walk breaks altogether. The soles of my feet hurt, my glutes were tightening and I was struggling with my breathing a little bit. I sprinted the last few meters to the finish and happily crossed the finish line. I checked my time and discovered that I finished 3rd in my age group (54:22).<br />
<br />
What a pleasant surprise! With all my woes - allergies, shoes, feet, legs, glutes, lackluster training - BeetElite took me to the finish line. Next week is my first triathlon of the season - <a href="http://www.therookietri.com/" target="_blank">the Rookie Tri</a>. I'm planning on being better prepared and properly armed with BeetElite.<br />
<br />
I hope that my plans to keep up with my training will stay in-line with what life has in mind for me. I look forward to beating all of my triathlon times last year with BeetElite in my corner. KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-25962557132206862522013-04-22T22:22:00.003-05:002013-04-22T22:22:35.898-05:00A Spring Day Ride and Swim<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM-A8SeSvlPRgIWTeGe4CZ9sf12AMken37HavJJeweOZJhstJ_q2LjXYCX1Riv4ikRoiUY0QKVYf1X88yM7BiKFOu9hB6cVakigMJWktcjq5XbZYDy1ciFwRgpGDIr2prC5oT6Sl0IKs/s1600/Autism+Ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM-A8SeSvlPRgIWTeGe4CZ9sf12AMken37HavJJeweOZJhstJ_q2LjXYCX1Riv4ikRoiUY0QKVYf1X88yM7BiKFOu9hB6cVakigMJWktcjq5XbZYDy1ciFwRgpGDIr2prC5oT6Sl0IKs/s200/Autism+Ride.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just had to stop for the bluebonnets!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
April 21, 2013 started out a little chilly with temps in the high 40's to low 50's. The day of the Austin Autism Bike Ride had finally arrived. I registered for this ride exactly 2 months before to show support for the Ride Co-Director and TriZones teammate, Elizabeth H. This ride starts out at Berry Springs Park in Georgetown, TX. It's a beautiful location made even more beautiful by the perfect weather.<br />
<br />
The icing on the cake includes all the great friends that I see while on the ride. This was my longest ride post prolo-therapy. There were moments when my knee felt uncomfortable and I had to slow down. The logical side of my brain was mimicking what my coach was saying; "Take it easy, you don't want to slide back on your progress." The competitive side of my brain was mad; "You can catch them, you have a great bike, this should be easy." This battle in my brain dictated my pace during the entire ride.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhie_vfOjuEjQG4LlNIg7TraTe8FL4aSVWBG9hVoz0r_da8sbc-D3cYSyUrKuWAwVDPl1ECKUZzRNvwr0Jzp0Vn7Y0aSfIw6A8_0KU0anIx1LIboQdcQAFL9KfFFcaX8jXqgGK7PQ-zCoE/s1600/TZ+Southies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhie_vfOjuEjQG4LlNIg7TraTe8FL4aSVWBG9hVoz0r_da8sbc-D3cYSyUrKuWAwVDPl1ECKUZzRNvwr0Jzp0Vn7Y0aSfIw6A8_0KU0anIx1LIboQdcQAFL9KfFFcaX8jXqgGK7PQ-zCoE/s320/TZ+Southies.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TriZones Southies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
42 miles was my longest ride so far this year, and I felt proud of myself. Meanwhile, in Downtown Austin, other friends are completing the MS150 ride from Houston to Austin. I think I just rained on my own parade. Let me stop before this becomes a pity party.<br />
<br />
After the ride, about 6 of us showed up at Circle C to swim. Our swim coach, <a href="http://elliovertontrainingsystems.com/" target="_blank">Ellie Overton</a>, had adjusted our swim time to allow us to complete our ride and not miss our swim time with her. She even allowed us to use our fins during our drills. I admit, I was tired and a little sleepy. I didn't know how much I was going to get out of the hour. It's funny how the mind and the body make a connection when the brain stops trying so hard to control everything. In that hour, I felt myself balance, rotate, catch and finish. It was a great feeling.<br />
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Spring always feels like a new start, a new beginning. Sunday exemplified that. Riding with friends, slowing down, speeding up, swimming with feeling. It was a fun and exhausting weekend. Looking forward to more of those. <br />
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<br />KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-21095753797111104542013-04-20T22:30:00.001-05:002013-04-20T22:30:46.977-05:00I'm BAAACK! I've been thinking about blogging again and this might be the turning point! We'll see how this goes...<br />
<br />
So, why come back? Why now? The last time I posted was after the Houston Marathon in 2011. It's been over two years and a lot has happened. Don't worry, I don't plan to re-hash the past. One thing I can say is that it is precisely because of my past activities and experiences that have led me back to to this path. <br />
<br />
Here are a few bullets of what happened in my life since my last blog post:<br />
<ul>
<li>I was diagnosed with asthma & pre-diabetes - no, not all at once</li>
<li>I no longer teach on weekends, except to sub for other instructors, I still teach during the week</li>
<li>I completed several more Marathons, Half Marathons & Triathlons - including a Half Ironman</li>
<li>I changed employers, although I still work as an Office Manager</li>
<li>I discovered Barre class and it's become an off-season addiction</li>
<li>I tore my meniscus and had it successfully repaired </li>
</ul>
I am still passionate about fitness and being active. I still have TONS of energy. I have lots of thoughts and ideas in my head that I want to write about. I want to blog, not because I am looking for approval or affirmation. I blog because the ideas in my head are clamoring for release.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71cNAkHvJVno9Yw3F5t5KkT1pS5IR-iuT5JenC2Yye77IOdDZlmMH_hJT9yPMglAxKKkc3Uurc5pDYVoV0Scpjr0Ukdz9G88YDi8k_qKnC9Hrz0Ef-rOLUBHPSGv0HcdyQhuSyT6mEy0/s1600/Profile_KG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71cNAkHvJVno9Yw3F5t5KkT1pS5IR-iuT5JenC2Yye77IOdDZlmMH_hJT9yPMglAxKKkc3Uurc5pDYVoV0Scpjr0Ukdz9G88YDi8k_qKnC9Hrz0Ef-rOLUBHPSGv0HcdyQhuSyT6mEy0/s200/Profile_KG.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So sit back and relax. I'm ready for my close up!KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-28057883004705492792011-02-07T16:00:00.003-06:002011-02-07T16:00:05.415-06:00Feeling HOT HOT HOT in HoustonThe Houston Marathon was on January 30, 2011. Marathon #3 of the Season and #7 of my liftime. I had such high hopes about Houston because I heard that it was fast and flat and that lots of people PR on this course. Considering the dismal season I had been having, Houston did turn out to be a PR for the season at 4:32:08. <br />
<br />
Sheri and I started out together with plan to stay together unless something went wrong. I wore my CWX tights because that's all I had with me and decided to wear a short sleeved shirt and leave my waterproof jacket and arm warmers in my belongings bag. Pre-race was inside the air-conditioned Convention Center with tons of port-a-potties. Outside, where the starting corrals were, it was warm and humid with a bit of drizzle while we waited for the start time. Once we got to the starting line, there was no room to warm up and stretch. The whole course was pretty packed for a long time. There were 16,814 runners for the Marathon and Half Marathon although 21,300 registered for the race. I started to feel tightness in my calves and shins early on and urged Sheri to go on without me. I thought I would be able to slow down and warm up and then try to catch up to Sheri a few minutes later but I felt the first twinges of a cramp in my left leg and that was it. I couldn't run any faster without the risk of cramping the rest of the race.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbcc6y0ZQeaQp5Wn54J_Z14CvkFkvZ7z0BRjhJHSNx0Ppw17L0MeNf1AczWs1y-lqe6Y59fD1Enc3PsJtY9pGTTiQjeXuF_BdXrC6NXbhO0tKA8e93ZJQmqVABBulPPBonY-aiGB3Qws/s1600/Houston.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbcc6y0ZQeaQp5Wn54J_Z14CvkFkvZ7z0BRjhJHSNx0Ppw17L0MeNf1AczWs1y-lqe6Y59fD1Enc3PsJtY9pGTTiQjeXuF_BdXrC6NXbhO0tKA8e93ZJQmqVABBulPPBonY-aiGB3Qws/s320/Houston.JPG" width="215" /></a>The heat only increased as the race progressed. It rained on us and although my socks and shoes were wet, they weren't water logged - a good thing. The crowd support in Houston was phenomenal. People were out cheering for all the runners, even in the rain. I think it helped that the weather wasn't cold. The crowd and volunteer support really helped with my motivation. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>My name was printed on my bib: KIMG. Some people got it right and called me Kim G., a lot of people just didn't call out my name or got me giggling and called me KING. With 3 miles left, I felt another twinge of a cramp and I knew I just had to do my best and be happy to finish. I tried to sprint towards the finish line like I've done in so many other races but my legs would not go. Sigh!! It was just not my season this year. I have one more marathon - Austin. <br />
<br />
Although this was not my best race, I would totally try and run Houston again. It was definitely one of the best marathons that I've been in. Post race was back indoors with lots of food and drinks for hungry runners. There was no rationing going on here like some races that I had been to. Finishers claimed a shirt and a beer mug. The medal was pretty snazzy too. Another bonus, our hotel check-out time was 3:00 p..m. instead of the usual 11:00 a.m. or noon. That meant, I could sit in a recovery ice bath and shower before heading back to Austin. That was nice! I would definitely sign up again.KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-20951046364546299662011-02-06T19:40:00.003-06:002011-02-07T09:20:10.020-06:00Wondergood! Goodjoy!<div style="text-align: left;">I know I've been awfully quiet on the blog. It's not because I've been sitting around being lazy and doing nothing. On the contrary, my schedule has been pretty crazy since I got back from our Christmas Cruise.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, the week before Christmas, Martin and I, along with our 2 sons, Paolo and Marco, drove to Galveston, TX to go on our first ever 7-day cruise on Royal Caribbean. </div><br />
We received lots of tips, some were the same, some contradictory, some we followed, others we didn't. Our trip took us to our first stop: Cozumel, Mexico. The water was beautifully blue and the weather was warm. We rented scooters and drove around the island. We stopped along the way to swim in the gorgeous waters. Next up was Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Another beautiful place but seemed to be geared towards shoppers. We rented snorkeling equipment and saw quite a few interesting fish but I was the lone person fortunate enough to swim upon a young sea turtle. Our final stop was Montego Bay, Jamaica. Up to this point, we had been doing rather low-key activities and we felt that this was the last opportunity to do something adventurous. We decided to go white water rafting. It was the best decision we made on the trip.<br />
<br />
The ride was rather tame in the beginning, allowing us to watch some beautiful birds fly around and take some pictures. Shortly thereafter, the ride started to get a little rough as we made our way down some rocks. We came upon a beautiful pool of emerald green water and our guide encouraged us to take a swim. Fully wet, the ride gets even rougher. We encounter a rather steep fall and all of us except for the guide and Marco end up falling out of the boat. It was absolutely fun and exciting and we all wanted to see if we could do it again! I scraped my elbow and back on the rocks and I think that freaked out our guide a little bit. For the rest of the ride, our guide made us sit inside the boat whenever we were going down a steep set of rocks. We hope to be back to Jamaica again one day to try the Zipline! Our guide taught us "Goodjoy" because we should not want joy to end.<br />
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Back on the boat, we tried the activities and distractions they had for guests: swimming, running, stretching classes, cardio classes, ice skating, swing dance lessons, salsa dance lessons, belly flop contest, rock climbing, trivia game, scavenger hunt. Unfortunately, the activities were so short that we were still left with lots of idle time on our hands. I learned and practiced Body Pump 76 Choreography whenever Martin was napping. The food was good and always available but that combination turned eating into an activity that helped to pass time. Not good!!<br />
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So how did the Energetic Gutierrez Family like cruising? We loved visiting different islands in one vacation but if we were to go on another cruise, we'd have to try one of the mega ships to give a final verdict on cruising. Is our next vacation going to be a cruise? Probably not. Photos below.<br />
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<div align="center"><embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkim.n.gutierrez%2Falbumid%2F5570750749471125569%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="192" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="288"></div></embed>KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-45066275719091393642010-12-16T17:00:00.002-06:002010-12-16T21:05:54.766-06:00Week 6 Day 2 - Making Up for Flaking Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lOIO__ISSLEV8ebfR-bKBcrcjHj4KzwuvFezLxf6bpuydWEFEQUlpOy8bNC1x_zzEpRqqJaQiysLDEYri86P68eOPwo_5Dro5od58dbCjTg_Lh0pt0TlfXSO1ujis-TEKLuiOJsiyfs/s1600/week6day2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lOIO__ISSLEV8ebfR-bKBcrcjHj4KzwuvFezLxf6bpuydWEFEQUlpOy8bNC1x_zzEpRqqJaQiysLDEYri86P68eOPwo_5Dro5od58dbCjTg_Lh0pt0TlfXSO1ujis-TEKLuiOJsiyfs/s640/week6day2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Good Grief! I can be such a flake sometimes. I got home from TriZone Run Training Wednesday night where we ran around the Legend Oaks neighborhood doing Christmas Lights Fartleks. It's kind of fun... you run normal or slow when passing a house that is not decorated and speed up when passing a house decked out with Christmas lights. If the decorated houses are consecutive, then the speed stays fast until an undecorated house comes along and vice versa. I had every intention of doing the pushups that evening but I saw a red Netflix envelope had arrived in the mail. The movie was "The Kids Are Allright." I quickly ate dinner and sat down to watch the movie. The movie is kind of a tear jerker and I was in awe of the two women - Annette Bening and Julianne Moore - who hardly wore any make up in this movie and therefore did not have the usual Hollywood glamour that I'm used to seeing them in. Needless to say, I went to bed and forgot all about the pushups.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6UGgj4JfZ_ZVi1jkeekjcKZB0m7FO7mEhYj8N3hDHHdj7Eb2coL9mHFUXpoL33RydvRx8Q_FT2M-RS7lSuewy477tNXH4xY_FiT_fDFThNhjcng7-CqsPLwTQym2xetActKhyphenhyphen0Zq4Y4/s1600/IMG_3684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6UGgj4JfZ_ZVi1jkeekjcKZB0m7FO7mEhYj8N3hDHHdj7Eb2coL9mHFUXpoL33RydvRx8Q_FT2M-RS7lSuewy477tNXH4xY_FiT_fDFThNhjcng7-CqsPLwTQym2xetActKhyphenhyphen0Zq4Y4/s320/IMG_3684.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Today, while working on some computers scheduled to be returned, I decided that I would shut my door and just get cracking on the pushups. I even made a little list that I could cross off while I rested in between each set so I wouldn't forget my place. The maximum required was 58 and I targeted 65. I paused a few times, but only for a second or two, to get to 70 but I didn't stop. I paused at 15, 30, 40, 48, 55, 65 and finished at 70.<br />
<br />
<strong>MY OBSERVATIONS:</strong><br />
<ul><li>I think that keeping my legs at hip width apart while stayingon my toes - is the ideal position to be able to maintain good form without collapsing or giving up.</li>
<li>Being mindful of my head staying in line with my spine keeps me from having to bear the extra weight of my head.</li>
<li>As always, keeping the abs and glutes engaged and/or braced distributes my body weight without loading the arms and chest too much.</li>
<li>Pauses in between will get me to 100.</li>
<li>Counting in 10's or 15's is a great way to get chunks out of the way. </li>
</ul>Week 6 Day 3 will be in Galveston. The next challenge I'm toying with is the 30 day Yoga Challenge. I'm thinking of doing it precisely because I'm NOT a yoga fan. Maybe this will change that or confirm that I'm really not the yoga personality. More to come.KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-19662603786210279392010-12-14T11:00:00.001-06:002010-12-14T11:00:03.569-06:00Week 6 Day 1 - Here We Go!!I have a lot on my mind these days: <br />
<ul><li>Work</li>
<li>Learning and memorizing Body Pump 76 Choreography</li>
<li>Run Training and preparing for the Houston Marathon</li>
<li>Holiday Cruise logistics </li>
<li>Keeping my plants alive</li>
<li>Chores, chores, chores</li>
<li>Finishing my 100 pushup challenge</li>
</ul>While watching Monday Night Football and doing some on-line shopping, I remembered that I needed to do Week 6, Day 1 pushups. It's the last week of training before the actual challenge to 100 pushups. Having just practiced Body Pump with Elena H. last Sunday at the Y and a Pure Strength class at 6:00 a.m. Monday morning, my arms were a little worn out. But, per my calculations, if I didn't do the pushups Monday, I may as well forget about doing the rest of Week 6's pushups because this time next week, we will be on a boat for our cruise! My plan is to do Week 6 Day 2 on Wednesday and Body Pump Practice on Friday, Week 6 Day 3 on Saturday, and the Final Test on Sunday before we get on our cruise ship.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajYy2p6vWHB3vdNgJH3D87nH-32lqAMvpT1rz51syVonvDJA5Kyp61gfmNNZsozGl6h0Io9G6ugieEYzVTt4A6jZce74YOZzd43GrAuNmz29A2T1D36v2cGRTHauePYw6AwH3ge0NmIg/s1600/week6day1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajYy2p6vWHB3vdNgJH3D87nH-32lqAMvpT1rz51syVonvDJA5Kyp61gfmNNZsozGl6h0Io9G6ugieEYzVTt4A6jZce74YOZzd43GrAuNmz29A2T1D36v2cGRTHauePYw6AwH3ge0NmIg/s640/week6day1.jpg" width="640" /></a>After a quick warm up, I got started. <br />
<ul><li>Set 1: 45 - I didn't think I could do this. I was counting in groups of 10. I found myself closing my eyes once I passed 30. I started to shed my layers of clothes.</li>
<li>Set 2: 55 - I rested about 90 seconds because I didn't think 60 seconds would be enough for me to recover.</li>
<li>Set 3: 35 - I could feel my triceps getting angry and when I finished, my chest was on fire!</li>
<li>Set 4: 30 - What a relief for the sets to descend in numbers. I think it actually helped with recovery.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Set 5: maximum of at least 55 - I originally set a target goal of 60, but once I passed the 50 mark, I just kept going and even closed my eyes for a brief moment and I was at 56. At this point, my OCD kicked in and I had to get to 60. When I got to 60, I told myself, "5 more" and made it to 65!</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I am following the position I discovered during Week 5 Day 3 pushups - feet about hip width apart. I also noticed that they follow this same position in the Body Pump 76 Training Video. Further validation that this position is by no means a form of a cheat. </div>KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-18669046103212110622010-12-13T12:24:00.001-06:002010-12-14T13:51:30.441-06:00Deck the Hills with the Decker ChallengeThree weeks after the Philadelphia Marathon, and a week after the Body Pump Boot Camp, I was signed up to run the hills of Austin at Decker Lake. This is the first time I've run this course. I volunteered at our Galloway water stop at mile 8 a couple of years ago and saw the steep hills the runners had to go through. Back then, I could not fathom the idea of running this course. Some people run 2 loops of this to complete a Marathon or 26.2 miles. Coach Will advised that since the course is pretty tough, to stick to the Half Marathon or 13.1 miles. I'm glad I listened to him.<br />
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I've heard lots of horror stories about the weather at Decker Challenge. There have been years when it was extremely cold and cloudy, a year when it rained and soaked all the runners, a year when it was hot and humid, just a multitude of extreme weather. I was told that this year, I was lucky because the sun was out and it looked like a gorgeous day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83fMSGX4KqL4mh9ZDvWYHGN6vELqq6leq7yvpt7OufR42YCJfTbxN7ielmCVVwyoGfEyYJHMN0HhSimsoTiUK7MRDtakirfS-BxV7rkfuaJuPaFo4aq7D7soDK-sgJDcScA4ALANFDZk/s1600/Tech_Running_Vest_-_Black_Lime_Yellow_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83fMSGX4KqL4mh9ZDvWYHGN6vELqq6leq7yvpt7OufR42YCJfTbxN7ielmCVVwyoGfEyYJHMN0HhSimsoTiUK7MRDtakirfS-BxV7rkfuaJuPaFo4aq7D7soDK-sgJDcScA4ALANFDZk/s1600/Tech_Running_Vest_-_Black_Lime_Yellow_11.jpg" /></a></div>It was still pretty cold at the start, around 42 degrees but somehow the sun really made it feel so much more bearable. By the time I crossed the finish line, the temperature was around 50 degrees. Unfortunately, the wind was pretty strong and running up a hill into the wind makes the hill seem that much harder to climb. The wind was at around 15-18 mph at the start and ended at a ferocious 16-23 mph. Someone mentioned that we would have a tail wind on the way in but it never happened. Head wind and side wind was all that the Decker Challenge showed me. I wore the same gear I wore in Philadelphia.:CWX tights, the Decker Challenge long sleeve technical shirt, my <a href="http://www.ruseen.com/">http://www.ruseen.com/</a> vest (which received lots of compliments), injinji socks, and Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 shoes, and cheap cotton gloves. <br />
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I ran along doing my Run-Walk-Run Method with a 5 minute run and 1 minute walk interval. I was able to keep up a pretty good pace until around mile 8 where I felt like I was running out of gas. I debated with myself about trying out the Hammer Gel that Coach Colleeen gave me or the pouch of Sport Beans that I had with me. I decided not to, thinking that at some point there should be some flat land ahead and I could just book it. No such luck! I slowed down considerably because I felt totally gassed! Not good, and I was paying for the decision not to eat. To make matters worse, mile 10 was all uphill!! I know, I know. It might seem like I'm exaggerating and maybe I am. Whether it was the entire mile or even two-thirds of the mile, it was a very, very, very long hill. I had been doing so well with the hills up to this point but this one did me in.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZQzOflxiiw3smCtmt0bTy6PNrMP1k6xLUc5M1AeG3v3ODdMNGj-ysgG4G5wuDjgv-th4t4BZCgJxbl0Y28S-1HzrhIZy2z7E-jLn0TnWm02EfqIQ3yluW3K3NaIhs0nEUtKsh7GlI_4/s1600/IMG_3683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZQzOflxiiw3smCtmt0bTy6PNrMP1k6xLUc5M1AeG3v3ODdMNGj-ysgG4G5wuDjgv-th4t4BZCgJxbl0Y28S-1HzrhIZy2z7E-jLn0TnWm02EfqIQ3yluW3K3NaIhs0nEUtKsh7GlI_4/s320/IMG_3683.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When other runners say that the course is "hilly" they really meant to say that the course is ALL hills. There are no flats, just steady inclines. The downhills begin to be annoying and painful because they're steep and simply become a segue for another hill up ahead. I finally crossed the finish line at 2:13:19. For a first timer, I guess it's not so bad. I have another medal to add to my case.<br />
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My learning lessons:<br />
<ol><li>Trust your training. If you eat 100 calories after 6 miles during training. You should eat 100 calories at mile 6 during a race.</li>
<li>Continue to hydrate even when it feels cold and you don't feel thirsty. My left calf cramped on the way to my car! Because I decided I didn't want to stop for water anymore.</li>
<li>Train running up more hills. It's going to help more than it hurts. Really! That needs to be my new mantra.</li>
<li>Pose Running really helps with foot pain. Pose is a little tough to do going downhill though.</li>
</ol>Next up is the <a href="http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/">Houston Marathon</a>. These days, I feel like I've spread myself very thin. I've got to learn the choreography of Body Pump Release 76 because I'll be teaching it come Monday, January 3rd at 6:00 a.m. at the Townlake YMCA. After Decker, I had to head to the Y to practice BP76 with my co-instructors and I was completely sapped after that.<br />
<br />
Although I've got a great base for the Houston Marathon, with 2 marathons and a half marathon already under my belt this season, I am hoping that I will PR in this race since it's a flat and fast course. That means, I can't slack off on my run training - including speed drills on the track. I'm also trying to alter my eating habits for the better, not only because I want to fit into my 25 year old wedding dress but develop a habit of making food choices that will benefit my body and the training I allow it to endure. Oh! I forgot, I still have to finish my 100 pushups challenge this week. Ayayay!KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-72347191230154853742010-12-09T12:00:00.002-06:002010-12-09T13:40:16.042-06:00Week 5 Day 3 - Slacking off? No Way!!I know it's been 6 days since I did Week 5 Day 2 pushups. Do you recall my apprehension though? I was about to embark into the unknown world of Body Pump and I didn't know what condition my body would be in come Saturday when I was supposed to do Week 5 Day 3. <br />
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Our first day of BP training lasted until 8:45 p.m. We got to leave 15 minutes early but we had a lot of homework that night. The following morning, 2 of our colleagues were late. We had been told that for every minute one of us arrived late, everyone would have to do 10 pushups. Well... Fanny was 7 minutes late (70 pushups) and Magan was 34 minutes late (340 pushups). Yes, we had to do 400 pushups throughout the day on top of all the other stuff that we had to do. The training was intense enough and to include 400 pushups in the mix just made it that much more brutal. It took me 3 days to fully recover, both physically and mentally from the training. I did not want to see, touch or come near a barbel and plates during those 3 days. On a positive note, I think it probably helped me stay conditioned for Week 5 Day 3. Two sets of 20, two sets of 24, two sets of 20, a set of 22 and the maximum of 60.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgWQXBbVp3GAl8PAfuLpXhiZDf7QMryiqy_alMiKj4HgD4Lkh6xez2OzjM_f6zSW2xydqb7CBY3i1QN3e2LfVoXcuJ-vjsSUIAK3hvpRggRhDBh8N-IRGMSIEroK115rbUvU5wIHajxE/s1600/week5day3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgWQXBbVp3GAl8PAfuLpXhiZDf7QMryiqy_alMiKj4HgD4Lkh6xez2OzjM_f6zSW2xydqb7CBY3i1QN3e2LfVoXcuJ-vjsSUIAK3hvpRggRhDBh8N-IRGMSIEroK115rbUvU5wIHajxE/s640/week5day3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
MY OBSERVATIONS:<br />
<ul><li>This time around, the 45 seconds in between each set seemed just right. I don't know if it was because I had one of the Body Pump songs stuck in my head or a result of the super fast training we just did over the weekend. Whatever it was, resting for 45 seconds was perfect.</li>
<li>My foot got caught on a spray bottle while I was performing the first set but I didn't want to stop so I just moved my leg so that they were about hip width apart. What a difference!! The load seemed less on my upper body and distributed the weight evenly so that I was never at a point where I didn't think I could complete the set.</li>
<li>I performed the rest of the sets with my feet at hip width and I felt more balanced.</li>
<li>When I was cranking out the maximum, I could probably have gone to 65 but I was set on 60 and Martin and I were getting ready to watch Russell Crowe in Robin Hood. I think I need to discipline myself to stay away from distractions and disruption especially if I'm trying to get to 100.</li>
</ul>KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-36767811306384136282010-12-02T00:27:00.001-06:002010-12-02T00:27:40.514-06:00Week 5 Day 2 - It's time to get seriousWhat??? 8 sets?? Seriously? How did we get from 5 sets to 8 sets? Granted, the repetitions aren't as much, but the suggested wait time is shorter! Good grief, it does not feel like there's going to be any kind of reprieve with the shorter reps. I apologize for whining. <br />
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So, while boring myself to death watching Jona Hex on DVD, I decided to put a little excitement in my life by doing my pushups. 2 sets of 19, 2 sets of 22, 2 sets of 18, 1 set of 22 and attempt a maximum of at least 45. Well, I made it to 65! Hello there! I apologize for whining about the 8 sets. Turns out they were pretty effective!! Haha!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNf9LM9qgxS6zmBcKFSImc3KdkrlnJt-1-laz6wUrE8UuLv8HoDM2fAWc0vV7qLA7V3KNKabG_BM6YTEbqT6b_qJKkMyU-qm__jnjQvYyBV38C8lbNCdQh3ZlRQmYORUYuw1sqDGuve0/s1600/week5day2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNf9LM9qgxS6zmBcKFSImc3KdkrlnJt-1-laz6wUrE8UuLv8HoDM2fAWc0vV7qLA7V3KNKabG_BM6YTEbqT6b_qJKkMyU-qm__jnjQvYyBV38C8lbNCdQh3ZlRQmYORUYuw1sqDGuve0/s640/week5day2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<strong>MY OBSERVATIONS:</strong><br />
<ul><li>With the 8 sets, it's easy to lose track of what set you're on especially while trying to watch a movie. I almost skipped the second set of 22. Next time, I'll be sure to mark my place and avoid the possibility of skipping or repeating a set.</li>
<li>My triceps appear to have decided to participate in the quest to 100 pushups because I sure feel them along with all the other different muscles in my body.</li>
<li>I wasn't too excited with the 45 second rest. I know that the program allows you to take a longer break if necessary but I wanted to see if I would like a shortened rest and find out how it would affect me. The 45 second rest seemed sufficient but I felt like I was rushing and wasn't able to concentrate on my sets as well as I should have. Maybe that's why I almost skipped one of the sets.</li>
<li>Before I got to the maximum set, I had gotten pretty warm and when I finished the maximum set, I was in full blown sweat mode.</li>
<li>I followed the same technique of "5 more" and employing a short pause in plank position to complete 5 more. It worked, because I made it to 65! 35 more to go!</li>
</ul>KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-70667354277466536522010-12-01T22:54:00.000-06:002010-12-01T22:54:38.503-06:00Week 5 Day 1 - Still trying to get caught upI actually did these pushups on Monday and it's now Wednesday! Obviously, I'm still trying to get caught up with work, chores, and my blogging. I still have a ton of stuff to do at home and it's not looking like I'm going to be able to get caught up anytime soon. My weekend, beginning this Friday and ending on Sunday, will be completely dedicated to the <a href="http://www.lesmills.com/global/bodypump/about-bodypump.aspx">Les Mills Body Pump</a> Training that I'll be teaching at the YMCA in 2011.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfVD230HxRuhc7tqIk7SDRWtirYiETlxEKzfPGZk_98FO_tAywyi5mEWrJggGjAQryGdkRHAA3xKTIxMeapH7vRvifc9FHG7Xmy2KOWwf6BXf7jV5tYklGLdM99YxV2wwDmlUvbgpaFg/s1600/week5day1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfVD230HxRuhc7tqIk7SDRWtirYiETlxEKzfPGZk_98FO_tAywyi5mEWrJggGjAQryGdkRHAA3xKTIxMeapH7vRvifc9FHG7Xmy2KOWwf6BXf7jV5tYklGLdM99YxV2wwDmlUvbgpaFg/s640/week5day1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This was a tough day of pushups! Each set was between 30-40 pushups. Even if the last set seemed tame at 24 pushups, because it was towards the end, fatigue had begun to creep up in my arms, chest and core. As always, I warmed up and tried not to get intimidated by the initial set of 36 pushups. <br />
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Instead of taking a 60 second break, I decided that a 90 second break would be ideal. I think the rest time was perfect for me because I was able to complete a maximum of 50 pushups. I continued to use my "5 more" technique. I also found that pausing for a couple of seconds while in a plank position, allowed me to reset my body position and maintain good form.<br />
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I haven't made up my mind to do Week 5 Day 2 pushups today or tomorrow. There are 8 sets of smaller repetitions. I don't know how my body will feel this weekend and I don't want to end up taking too much time between Day 2 and Day 3. There's less than 2 weeks left in this program and although I'm getting confident that I'll make it close to 100, I'm not convinced that I'll reach 100. I may have to repeat this program again!KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-56605779626393564392010-11-30T23:08:00.002-06:002010-11-30T23:11:17.819-06:00Week 4 Day 3 and another Exhaustion Test<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hmmm...I'm behind again on my blogging. The day I was supposed to do my Week 4 Day 3 pushups, was the same day we moved out of our hotel room and into Marco's house which he shares with 4 other college age boys. Yikes! It was the day before Thanksgiving so the city was in a frenzy. Delightfully, the frenzy kind of made us feel less like tourists in a strange town and more like we were experiencing the same excitement for the the Thanksgiving feast to come. Wednesday was also the day my other son, Paolo, was flying in from Lubbock, TX. I was excited to see him and complete our little family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I finally got around to doing my pushups, I was quite stressed from having to clean the house we were going to be living in for the next few days. Martin was asking me all sorts of questions about how to make the bed we were going to sleep in while I worked on my pushups, 29, 33, 29, 29. I had to do the maximum set twice. The first time, I managed to complete only 40. Normally, I have a minimum number to complete in my head and I try to exceed that minimum. With all the distractions and disruptions, I thought the minimum was 37 and 40 seemed sufficient. When I re-checked the table again, I discovered that the minimum was 40!! Aaaarggh! So I had to repeat the maximum again and managed to complete 45 pushups. I know I could have completed more but there were just too many distractions at that time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxoqNH0_-Sb_OUpkdLmaaYcUBWXanFUm-LlDvDQdOKHtJ3HD-DyraVpUoxQerAQlj6WZ33f14xepMG84G5UtOKNzu-ST2efbEldIP2pmdFSkTU_4s0wfZjuZU5cMM2ITlvgLSEJ9ZBTE/s1600/week4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxoqNH0_-Sb_OUpkdLmaaYcUBWXanFUm-LlDvDQdOKHtJ3HD-DyraVpUoxQerAQlj6WZ33f14xepMG84G5UtOKNzu-ST2efbEldIP2pmdFSkTU_4s0wfZjuZU5cMM2ITlvgLSEJ9ZBTE/s640/week4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Upon completing Week 4, the program required another exhaustion test. It was late Friday evening, and I had been packing up our stuff in preparation for our trip home the following day. I knew that I wouldn't have time for pushups in the morning so I made sure to complete the exhaustion test before going to sleep. I surprised myself when I was able to complete 60 pushups. It was the most I had been able to do so far. After 45 pushups, my body was shaking; or at least it felt that way. I kept thinking "5 more!" Somehow the increments of 5 felt quite manageable because when I got around to 60, my body was screaming "Enough!!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was pretty proud of myself! What a great feeling - inside and out! Thanks Jen M., for insisting we take up this challenge.</div>KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302450638484575641.post-82812220630242045082010-11-23T19:00:00.002-06:002010-11-23T19:00:02.468-06:00The Philadelphia Experiment<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Marathon #2 of the Season, Marathon #5 of my lifetime. I am a master multi-tasker and enjoy the idea of accomplishing a whole lot of things in one trip. Here are the reasons why I chose this race:</div><ol><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My son, Marco, goes to school here (at Drexel University) but I've never been to Philadelphia before. Martin accompanied Marco for Freshman Orientation so this trip would be my first look at the city my son loves so much. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The race falls on the weekend before Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday). This year I get a "pass" from cooking the Thanksgiving meal so we planned to extend our stay through Thanksgiving and make it into a vacation. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Through Facebook, we found a college classmate who lives in one of the suburbs near Philadelphia. So we get to visit with her and her family and spend Thanksgiving with them while I continue to enjoy my free pass from cooking the Thanksgiving meal. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Martin's two older brothers each have a daughter who live nearby - Ashley in New York and Bea in Ohio - both will be joining us while we're in Philly. We get to have a nice little family reunion! </li>
</ol>One of the cardinal rules of long distance running is never to introduce anything new on race day that you have not tried out during training on a long run. I broke that rule several times over. Fortunately for me, none of them came back to bite me in the proverbial ass. I also did <em>almost</em> everthing right pre-race.<br />
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Here's what I did right:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZumRkGUXOuOUTSnQLOcvOhPxUNNKr0uzKUNF8cIMGY_o0kVRgr-eQXa1K6RG3r8QkLWySzk6DCP25Z7F395rSPjqWE81KBrUqOze5Kg9zA_yhlUskTtaFTIjKmMxTi0Mw-yNDlmALzw/s1600/therapy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZumRkGUXOuOUTSnQLOcvOhPxUNNKr0uzKUNF8cIMGY_o0kVRgr-eQXa1K6RG3r8QkLWySzk6DCP25Z7F395rSPjqWE81KBrUqOze5Kg9zA_yhlUskTtaFTIjKmMxTi0Mw-yNDlmALzw/s200/therapy.jpg" width="200" /></a>I was well hydrated and made smart food choices to avoid getting the nasty cramps in my legs. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I kept up with my stretching and rolling exercises using my Trigger Point kit to keep any IT band flare ups and Plantar Fasciitis pain at bay.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The weather forecast was cold but dry. Highs in the low 50's. My kind of running weather.</li>
<li>The hotel was a straight shot of about 1 mile from the starting line which meant a nice warm-up walk before race start and no risk of getting lost on the way there.</li>
</ul><br />
Here are the "new" things I introduced during this race:<br />
<ul><li>I used my iPhone and listened to music from Pandora Radio while I ran. I don't usually run with music. The ear buds I used weren't new but I had never run with them before. The portable music was a great idea after all because there were only a few bands along the race course. The music was a big help. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.runseen.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83fMSGX4KqL4mh9ZDvWYHGN6vELqq6leq7yvpt7OufR42YCJfTbxN7ielmCVVwyoGfEyYJHMN0HhSimsoTiUK7MRDtakirfS-BxV7rkfuaJuPaFo4aq7D7soDK-sgJDcScA4ALANFDZk/s200/Tech_Running_Vest_-_Black_Lime_Yellow_11.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New tech running vest</td></tr>
</tbody></table></li>
<ul><li>Part of the mileage accumulated on Saturday included searching for an AT&T store and later an Apple store to find a cable for my iPhone because my phone wouldn't sync to my laptop. This meant that I couldn't use the new playlist that I created for the race. The new cable didn't work because it was iTunes that caused the sync failure. Thank goodness for Pandora!</li>
</ul><li>I bought a new vest at the Expo from <a href="http://www.ruseen.com/">http://www.ruseen.com/</a>. As it turned out, the vest was perfect for the weather. I was never too hot nor too cold. I had no issues with my new gear. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was able to practice Pose Running for about 90% of the course with a few minor lapses here and there. The longest I've been able to practice Pose Running in the past was 3 miles before I reverted back to my old form. I think the Pose Running actually helped when my feet started to hurt from my plantar fasciitis.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My running friend, Sheri D., suggested I try the Metamucil route to avoid the stomach cramps that I experienced during the <a href="http://energeticspace.blogspot.com/2010/10/monster-of-marathon.html">Frankenthon Marathon</a>. Sheri uses this technique all the time for races and for long runs. It worked perfectly for me. No stomach cramps at all during the race. I didn't even need to stop for a potty break.</li>
<ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Metamucil route involves taking the recommended dose of Metamucil and water daily starting on Thursday through Saturday.</li>
</ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Although I still did the Galloway Run-Walk-Run method, I only walked while I refueled with the Sport Beans, or took my Succeed S-Caps and refilled my water bottles. This means I only walked every 15 - 20 minutes.</li>
<ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In hind sight, I wonder if my legs would have been less fatigued had I included more walk breaks around the first 6 miles because that's precisely what they're for. </li>
</ul></ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My Galloway running coach, Will Carlson, always sends out a reminder email on race week. In it, he tells us not to spend too much time roaming around the Expo during packet pick up and avoid being on our feet on Friday and Saturday before the race. Like I said, I almost did everything right except adhering to that particular rule. The excitement of this trip had me on my feet, walking around the airport instead of keeping Martin company on the moving walkways. When we got to Philly, I felt the big city lure to walk, walk, walk. Oh and not just a slow meandering walk, more like a brisk, white-rabbit-I'm-late-walk. I think I walked over 5 miles on Friday in shoes that were meant to be worn from the parking lot to the yoga studio. In other words, they were not walking shoes that offered any kind of support. Sadly, they were the only pair of shoes that I had brought (aside from my running shoes, flip flops, and two boots). Needless to say, my feet and my legs were slightly tired come Friday evening. By Saturday, I admonished myself not to walk too far so of course we ended up walking for a several hours and I was still wearing those silly yoga shoes. By early Saturday evening, my legs had it. I prayed for a miracle on Sunday.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fPWVQecYpTmOpEFsfhCbvMmB0R_B-WbuLgOVAjqzxNR0PcOPInwtkn5UaxO47J7OQa44ZcIZMNzpm-CDVhrcb3qMb2PP__9Wt4P-vkt7l54oDD7SWtq5-z3fwQiX8nC4PkBFTOLW98w/s1600/Philly+Marathon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fPWVQecYpTmOpEFsfhCbvMmB0R_B-WbuLgOVAjqzxNR0PcOPInwtkn5UaxO47J7OQa44ZcIZMNzpm-CDVhrcb3qMb2PP__9Wt4P-vkt7l54oDD7SWtq5-z3fwQiX8nC4PkBFTOLW98w/s400/Philly+Marathon.JPG" width="192" /></a></div>As usual, I couldn't sleep very well (strange bed, snoring husband, fear of being late to the race) and I woke up without incident and followed my morning routine - dress up, coffee, eat, and make my way to the starting line. I was there at 6:00 a.m. and race start was at 7:00 a.m. I joined the Lululemon pre-race warm up. Fortunately, they did a lot of the stretching that we do at TriZones. I seeded myself in my corral and waited for the announcements, the National Anthem and a little after 7:15 a.m. we were off!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I felt good at the start and I was careful not to go out too fast. I was able to stay on target until we started hitting the hills around mile 9. The hills slowed me down quite a bit. I had moments of recovery but I could not sustain my targeted pace. My legs were just plain tired. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">At mile 12, the thought of just finishing a Half Marathon instead of the 26.2 miles crossed my mind for a few moments. I thought, "What if?" This was the first time I had ever considered such an idea. Somehow, I think I read that suggestion in our race packet and that's how the idea got planted in my head. I did a quick check from head to toe. Nothing about my body hurt. It was just fatigue that I was feeling and everyone goes through that. Fortunately, the amount of time it took to think these thoughts were about as long as I considered it. I saw some beautiful scenery ahead and quickly pushed the thought of a shortened run out of my mind. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Around the rolling hills of Manayunk, PA (which are more like the hills on Enfield in Austin) my feet started to hurt pretty badly. I describe it as stepping on shards of glass. Now, having never stepped on shards of glass, I don't know how accurate I am with my description. So based on personal experience, it's more like running barefoot and stepping on sharp rocks and pebbles. I slowed down even more at this point but I stayed true to my Pose Running. I knew that good form would get me through this. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When I finally got to the last 4.2 miles, I could feel a few twinges on my left IT band, my left calf and both my feet still hurt. I popped a couple of Advil just as additional insurance. I did not hit a wall. I just hit that terrible treadmill going nowhere. It's the same deadmill that I got on when I ran <a href="http://energeticspace.blogspot.com/2010/10/monster-of-marathon.html">Frankenthon</a>. So I kept going back to concentrating on my running form. Pulling my leg up and letting gravity help me move forward. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQCKF12usx4n1Fu-DjAZnDQE1s2VUIkjoN9wVWIZNPm8nxYXWddzDywCZ_vuM8kpOXpiUqS_UhHmV8bYcCfRaJSAvCQ_fsqR5aJhv18Prbr2hTvIDLKg2xWyMgnd-PuxLfxsycL1XPF4/s1600/IMG_3668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQCKF12usx4n1Fu-DjAZnDQE1s2VUIkjoN9wVWIZNPm8nxYXWddzDywCZ_vuM8kpOXpiUqS_UhHmV8bYcCfRaJSAvCQ_fsqR5aJhv18Prbr2hTvIDLKg2xWyMgnd-PuxLfxsycL1XPF4/s200/IMG_3668.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool Medal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The crowds started to thicken so I knew it was close to the finish. Because this course is so unfamiliar to me, it was hard to determine just how close I was. As soon as I saw the finish line, I turned on the jets and gave it all I had. I finished in 4:41:46 with an age-graded equivalent time of 4:13:59. No PR, but I got a cool medal and I had fun! The end of the race marked the start of my vacation! As long as Marco lives here in Philly, I will likely run this race again. I just need to make sure I heed my coach's reminders and stay off my feet next time.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I write this, I've already fully recovered from the race and I was able to run 4 miles around Philadelphia this morning. I'm already excited for my next race is in December, the <a href="http://decker.austinrunners.org/">Decker Half Marathon</a> in Austin.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>KimGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425270796503572526noreply@blogger.com0