Asthma problems

Running in the cold yesterday hit me harder than I expected. I did expect the cough that I got: that always happens after running in the cold; residual asthma effects from when I was younger. When I was practicing my flute last night though, I found myself having to breathe after every measure, which is very uncharacteristic. I also couldn't take a deep breath, no matter how hard I tried. This isn't good, because that means my asthma was acting up. I haven't had problems for more than 10 years, so I really hope this is just temporary. I don't want to have to take asthma meds again. This morning my lungs felt better, but my throat was feeling worse and I felt crummy. I've had a scratchy throat off and on for the past few days, but yesterday I felt fine. Today, not so much. So I didn't go running today in hopes that I'll be feeling better tomorrow.

Today my brother got the ok to go back on his mission. While he was in the MTC he messed up his knee and had surgery, but it never healed and he was having problems walking, so when the rest of his group went to Korea, he came home. He had physical therapy once he got home, but at that point it had been almost 2 months since the surgery, so it was too little too late. He ended up having another surgery and this time started PT 3 days later. He can now walk without any problems. He had to be able to walk 5 miles without pain before they'd let him go back out, and he was finally able to do that. He's been home almost a year, but he's been able to get some other medical problems taken care of, so that was good. He doesn't have to go back to the MTC, he'll be heading straight to Korea the first week of January. He's very excited because he didn't think he'd be able to go to Korea, he was afraid they'd send him somewhere else.

Running in Hawaii versus here

It was super cold Sunday morning- my car thermometer read zero degrees on the way to church. Yikes! It also read zero on the way to the in-laws for dinner, but their thermometer said 10 below, so I wonder if my car thermometer can't do negatives...

I didn't go running yesterday like I had planned, but I did go today. I went in the afternoon while Little Miss Sunshine was napping. I figured it would be warmer then, which it was, but it was also windier. As I was running I was thinking about how much running I've done lately. It was a bit of a shock to realize it's been a month since I was running consistently. I did go running once in Hawaii, but there just wasn't a good route that was clear of obstacles and not super close to traffic. I try to err on the side of safety when I have LMS in the stroller with me, so I didn't go on any more runs after that. It was a nice run, physically, though. I wore my compression sleeves, and my shins didn't hurt at all. My calves got fatigued pretty quickly, but that should help strengthen them, which should in turn strengthen the muscles in my shins, right? I'm sure hoping that's the case. Anyway, my lungs didn't bother me at all- no problems breathing- of course, we were at sea level, so about as much oxygen as you can get. The two miles I did today showed me that 3 1/2 weeks at sea level followed by a return to higher altitude takes longer than a week to re-acclimate. I took a week off, hoping that would be enough, but I was gasping for air by the time I hit the 1.5 mile marker. Add fatigued calf muscles (compression sleeves again), and it was a tough run. It felt good to get out there again, but I'm going to have to really stay motivated to get past the altitude issues and the fatigued calf muscles. Hopefully it doesn't take too long.

I had planned to do a 10k race this Saturday, but for some reason it hadn't clicked that it was so soon. I need to run the 10k race as prep for the half marathon I'm doing in January, but I'm tempted to do just the 5k. After how cold it was on Sunday, though, I may not be running it at all. I really need to see how my lungs react to really cold, higher altitude air. Today was in the 30's, so warmer than it may be on Saturday. We'll have to see how cold the next couple days are.



Still haven't decided if I'm doing the race on Saturday, but if I do, I'm pretty sure it'll only be the 5K. I'm just not ready for a 10K at this point, which is unfortunate. Sure hope I'm ready for the half in January.

Upcoming Races

I had wanted to run a turkey trot while in Hawaii, but the only race I could find was 6 am on Thanksgiving, and it was a 10 miler. I only wanted a 5K... Plus, I wasn't ready for a 10 miler. So no race in November. My December race is this weekend, but I still have to see if I'm re-acclimated. January is my next half marathon. February is a 5 miler or a 10 miler (we'll see how I feel after the half). There's another half I can do towards the beginning of March, but it might interfere with some other stuff going on, so we'll have to see on that one. If we haven't moved cross-country, I have another half I can run in April. I'm not going to start looking for races past that point, since we don't know where we'll be.

Running in the snow is fun

After not getting much done yesterday, I got a lot done today. I've noticed this tends to happen. I take some time to relax, and I'm much more productive.

Despite cold weather and flurries, we went for a run this morning. My shins were hurting, so I only ran/walked two miles, but it felt good (other than my shins). It wasn't super cold, which is why I made sure I got out and went running. Once the weather gets colder, I need to keep running, and not wuss out, so hopefully if I ease into it, it won't be too bad. I used to love running in the snow and rain in high school, but that was a long time ago. I need toughen up so I can do it and enjoy it again.

After my run, I took some stuff out to the storage container and got our suitcases out. I talked to my Army Guy, wrapped some presents, and cleaned our room. After lunch, while Little Miss Sunshine napped, I worked on the travelmate. I got it mostly done, then ran into a problem with some of my hardware not fitting quite right. I'll fix it tomorrow and get pictures posted. Then I played with LMS, sorted some hand-me-down clothes for her, added 10 inches to some ties I bought for my brother (he's so tall that ties aren't long enough for him), did laundry, and practiced my flute.

A reason for the blahs

This morning I woke up with cramps, and realized why I've been feeling 'blah' and 'off' the last few days. It's a few days earlier than I was expecting it, so I didn't think of that as a cause. My cycle seems to be regulating itself more and more each month. One benefit is that my PMS is getting better (no irrational mood swings this time around, like I've had in the past), but it is opening a new round of worries. Depending on when my Army Guy gets to Hawaii, I could potentially get pregnant next month. I do want to get pregnant, but I'm still trying to lose weight, and I'm really concerned about another miscarriage. And if I do manage to get pregnant, I'll be worried the whole time, feeling like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not much I can do about it all right now, but it's there, in the back of my mind.

Saturday I went for another nice run, enjoying the beautiful warm weather. I ran about 3.5 miles and walked another .5 to 1 miles (not sure on the exact length- need to measure it still). It felt good and was motivating. Of course, this morning was cold and foggy and nasty. I'd actually planned on going for a swim today, so I never planned on biking or running, but the swim didn't happen either. The cramps aren't as bad as I've had in the past (they seem to be getting better, as well), but they're still enough to make me not want to do anything. Overall, I didn't get much done the last few days. I should be able to get more done tomorrow though.

Lovely weather for a run

This past weekend was pretty nasty and cold, so I wasn't sure if we'd have any more nice weather. However, this morning was gorgeous. We went for a really nice run: ran 2.5 miles, walked 1.5 miles. It felt really good to run, not too many twinges or too much pain. I could have gone further except the last quarter mile of the first two miles was uphill, and pushing Little Miss Sunshine in the stroller took it out of me. I walked a half mile after that (had to catch my breath), then ran another half mile, which felt good, though there was a stiff breeze that slowed me down a bit. There was another hill at that point, so I walked the last mile home. 55 minutes altogether, just shy of the 60 I was aiming for.

After I got home I ran through my stretches and exercises (45 minutes worth) which felt good, but reminded me why I never liked weightlifting: it's too stinking boring. I can tell it's going to take some work to make it a habit. I really need to be doing it before I go running, but I took so long to get going this morning that if I'd done my stretches first I wouldn't have made it out on my run. Another thing to work on: not taking so long to get out the door in the morning.

When my dad got home from work this afternoon, he brought another load of gravel for the driveway, so I got to help shovel that. As if I hadn't already gotten enough exercise today...

This afternoon I worked on a pad for LMS's jogging stroller (why buy one when I can make one), but I managed to break the last of my needles, and now I have to buy some more before I can finish the cushion. I have a smaller pad, a Kiddopotamus Snuzzler, that I found on craigslist soon after I found the stroller on craigslist. At the time, LMS looked so tiny in the cushion. It's been a great cushion, but now she's way too big for it. So I'm making a bigger cushion for her. She spends enough time in her stroller that she might as well be as comfortable as possible.

I didn't get around to wrapping all the presents yet, but it's still on my list. I did get my closet cleaned out: I kept a few things in there that I thought I'd use soon, but it'll still be awhile before I get to them, so no point in them taking up space inside. I really like de-cluttering! Now if I could just figure out how to keep my desk clear. There's always paper stacking up on it, that needs to be filed or tossed. It's a never ending battle.

Fun with Photoshop

I have such a massive headache! I finally got around to buying Adobe Photoshop Elements, and I waited so long that the new version came out- last night. I let it download overnight, then started messing around with it this morning. All told, I think I spent about 6 hours playing with it and trying to get it to do what I wanted it to (finally figured most of it out), and then changing my blog template. I used to think I was fairly computer literate, but since entering the world of blogging, I've realized I am not that computer literate. I really struggle with HTML (I have to do a lot of trial and error to get things looking the way I want), and digital scrapbooking never seemed like much of a time saver to me (it still doesn't).

So I have a massive headache from staring at the computer screen for so long, but I did manage to do about 90% of what I wanted to. I still need to figure out the other 10%.... I had originally planned on taking Little Miss Sunshine for a bike ride this morning, but that didn't happen since I got caught up in Photoshop. After she woke up from her nap, we went outside and I started organizing the storage container while LMS kept busy with her sand and water table (she could play with it for hours on end).

Right now I'm taking a quick break from working on my quilt. If I finish it quick enough I'll hop on my bike for a little while, since I still haven't exercised today.

Here's a picture of me and LMS after the marathon. I had fun photoshopping certain identifying things out of it, and it turned out pretty good, I think.

Marathon musings

Over the past couple days, I've been thinking about my marathon experience. Initially, my first impression was not real positive, but after a couple days to ponder it, I think I have a more positive outlook on it. This course really is a great course- fast, no uphills, great weather and atmosphere. While it didn't turn out quite how I wanted/expected, and it was a lot more painful than I thought (and I was expecting significant amounts of pain), it was also motivating.

I want to get in better shape (and lose weight and get rid of these stupid shin splints) and be able to run an entire half marathon. I'm also feeling the desire to run another marathon. I didn't think I would ever have that desire after doing the one, but I do want to run a marathon that I've trained for properly. I want it to be a better experience. Hmmm, that sounds like my thoughts on pregnancy. I'd like the second one to be better than the first was.

I need to start finding races for the upcoming months so I can start working towards completing them. I find that having a race coming up is very motivating- it helps keep me working out every day. And with the weather getting worse, I'll need any extra motivation I can get.

Whew.... I did it!

I survived a marathon! I won't say it was a great, enjoyable experience, because it wasn't (it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be), but I'm glad I did it. On the plus side: the course was quite scenic, and the weather was just right for running. The run down the canyon was beautiful: the trees are starting to change colors, and there was a nice cooling breeze blowing.

Unfortunately, things started off on the wrong foot when I woke up and discovered I'd started my period. I was afraid that would happen, but was really hoping it wouldn't. I always feel crummy, very crampy, and back-achy on the first day or so, and that was the case today. I was really counting on a good, fast pace (ok, 10 minutes/mile isn't a fast pace for a lot of people, but it is for me) during the 14 miles down the canyon, to compensate for what I knew would be a slower pace during the last 12 miles.

Because I was feeling crummy (and in pain) from the beginning, I was slower than I wanted coming down the canyon. Add to that the blisters I got on both feet, and I wasn't enjoying things too much. I stopped at the half way point to put moleskin on my blisters (I had bought some moleskin to put on my feet before I started, then realized last night as I was laying everything out that it was actually molefoam. Molefoam, while having thicker padding, doesn't stay stuck to your skin at all, and I ended up pulling it off at around mile 7 or 8.) When I pulled my right sock off, I found a blood blister on the side of my right big toe. Not good at all.

I hit the wall just before mile 20. I had tweaked a muscle in my right leg (I think I may have torn something; I'll get it checked out on Wednesday when I go to my physical follow-up appointment), and it was getting progressively more painful, the blisters on my feet were getting bigger and more painful, and the bottoms of my feet were quite sore and fatigued. There must have been something in my face, because the first aid people asked how I was doing, and put some Biofreeze on my leg and sent the bicycle paramedics after me with some ibuprofen. I almost started crying as I left the aid station: I was really hurting, I still had 6.2 miles to go, and I was going way slower than I wanted. I managed to hobble through the next 3 miles, then the ibuprofen kicked in and my leg felt better and my cramps stopped bothering me and I was able to run most of the last 3 miles. I was able to finish just before 1 pm, at 5 hours 56 minutes (it may have actually been a little less than that, I forgot to check the official results before we left and have to wait for it to be posted online). I think altogether I managed to run about two thirds of the race, and walked the rest.

I was originally hoping for 5 and a half hours, with an optimistic hope for less than that even, but by the time I hit the half way point I decided if I finished by 1 pm (6 hours) I'd be happy. So I managed to finish by 1, and I survived. There is some damage though: a massive blood blister on my right big toe, 5 blisters on other toes, a tweaked (possible torn) muscle just below my right knee, very sore feet, sore muscles through my legs, matching blisters on my back where my sports bra rubbed the muscles that lay on either side of the spine (very weird- never thought I'd get blisters on my back), and a bit of a light sunburn on my face. They haven't started hurting yet, but I'm sure my shins will be hurting by tomorrow night.

Despite all that, I don't feel any more tired now than I did after the half marathon, which I find surprising: I was expecting to be exhausted after the race. I guess if I'd actually run the whole thing I might be more tired.

End result: I completed a marathon! I might possibly try another one sometime in the future, but it won't be till after I've lost weight and have been able to train properly (without shin splints to bother me). In the meantime, I'll stick to half marathons: that's a much more doable distance.

Schizophrenic weather

Yesterday morning I rode my bike for an hour. It would appear I got the bike trainer and treadmill just in time: the weather has been just nasty lately. Yesterday was cold and rainy, and while today was actually fairly warm, sunny, and nice, I doubt it will last. At least I can keep exercising no matter how nasty it gets. I am looking forward to some snow, though: I have some skis that attach to our bike trailer, and I can tow it behind me with a harness that attaches to my waist, and I can either cross country ski or snow shoe while pulling the trailer. It's been way too long since I last cross country skied, and I haven't yet had a chance to go snowshoeing, though I'm looking forward to it.

This morning I walked 5 miles on the treadmill, the first little while with Little Miss Sunshine. She insisted on 'nunning' with mommy, and she lasted about 13 minutes before deciding she'd had enough. After that she was content to sit on the floor and play with her legos.

It's good to be exercising regularly again, especially biking. I didn't think it had been that long, but apparently it's been long enough to lose my bum calluses. Riding my bike is painful again, darn it! Hopefully it won't take too long to get the calluses back.

This morning I tried out what I'll be wearing during the marathon: toe socks, running skirt with longer shorts underneath, fuel belt around my waist. The toe socks are supposed to eliminate friction between toes. I didn't notice any problems, but I only did five miles, so it's kind of hard to tell for sure. I'll wear them a few more times and decide for sure whether or not to wear them during the race. The shorts and skirt are great: no further chafing problems. I do need to adjust the fuel belt a bit. I guess I bought it too large, so I'm going to have to put in some seams to take in the extra length. It's got room for two small water bottles and my packages of shot blox. I can also attach my ipod to the belt. I didn't listen to it during the half marathon, and I don't usually listen to it while out walking or running, but that's because I have to be aware of cars and all my other surroundings. Six hours is a long time without any diversion, so while I may not listen to it while I'm running the 14 miles down the canyon, I'm quite certain I'll have it on during the last 12 miles.

Always book your hotel way in advance

Last night I spent a couple hours trying to find a hotel room for next Friday. I thought I had plenty of time, but I was grossly mistaken. I tried so many different sites, and there were no available rooms. There's a good number of hotels and motels in the area, but it's kind of isolated, so the next closest available rooms were 25 miles away, on the other side of a mountain pass. That would mean getting up at least a half hour earlier than I was already planning (4:45ish), which is just wrong. I did find one place that didn't have online reservations, but that I thought looked likely to maybe have a spot available, so I called them first thing this morning. I was in luck! The girl I talked to said a group had just released a block of rooms they'd been holding, so there was an opening for me. Yay! I was starting to get really worried. I really did not want to get up even earlier than I already need to.

This morning we ran some errands; I needed to get stuff for the marathon, and wanted to get it taken care of and out of the way. After lunch, Little Miss Sunshine went down for a nap, and I went downstairs and walked five miles on the treadmill. It felt good to get moving, and my shins didn't bother me, though I'm still trying to get my shoes to really feel comfortable.

I finally finished the third quilt, so tomorrow I can get started on the last one, in between batches of jam. We canned peaches last week, and did some jam, but ran out of jars. We have more jars, so now we need to defrost the peach puree and finish the job.

The disadvantages of dogs

Normally I enjoy living out in the boonies: the fresh air, the neighbors that aren't 6 inches from our house, the dirt roads.... There are things I don't like though. Like the lack of leash laws, the stupid people who let their dogs run around unleashed and/or unfenced, the same stupid people who own 4 or 5 dogs....

The weather has been cold (40's) and windy the last couple days, totally out of character for the beginning of September. Today was cool (just right for a walk or bike ride) and not windy (finally!), so Little Miss Sunshine and I headed out on a four mile walk (2 out, 2 back). We've gone this route many times, without any problems; I know where the dogs live, and even if they bark, they're fenced, so it's not a problem. Just after I hit the mile and a half point, I heard a car behind me honking. I looked back to see why, and there were three dogs in the middle of the road. I kept walking and after 30 seconds looked back to see where they were. They were trotting down the road, following us, and they were catching up. So I pulled out my cell (first time I've had to use it while exercising) and called my mom to come pick us up. I can handle one dog, but I wasn't going to mess with three dogs at once- there's no telling what they will do. Before my mom reached us, the dogs had turned into a driveway at a house that has a couple of fenced in dogs. Good thing, too, since they would have caught up with us before mom reached us. Prayer works, let me tell you. Mom brought us home and we headed out in a different direction, because I really needed to get the mileage in.

So now I am in the process of researching local laws concerning pellet guns. As long as it's legal, I will be buying a pellet gun and carrying it with me. I carry pepper spray, but you have to be aware of the direction of the wind so you don't end up with it in your face, so I'm hesitant to actually use it (especially with how windy it can be here). If I'd been on my bike this whole thing wouldn't have been so bad: the bike trailer is much more enclosed and safer for LMS, and I can go a lot faster. On foot, with her in an open jogging stroller: not very protected at all.

Ever since I was a kid and the Great Dane that lived on the other side of the vacant lot next to us would come out and chase us anytime we walked, ran, or biked past, I've been suspicious of dogs. Not to say all are bad, I met a very sweet Great Dane when I worked at the vet clinic, but it made enough of an impression to scar me for life. You just don't know what they're going to do. I know people say 'oh, he's so sweet/gentle/good with kids/wouldn't hurt a flea', but what if that dog feels threatened, real or imagined? That sweet, gentle dog could do something not so sweet and gentle. And then there's the whole 'a dog should run free, it's cruel to leash or fence them in' thought process. Yeah right. It's downright negligent and irresponsible to not leash and/or fence (securely) a dog, and it could be criminal, as well, if the dog were to attack people or livestock. But for some reason, people feel that once they move out to the country, it's their right to let their dog roam free. I'd like to see how quickly they change their minds when a pack of dogs comes after them.

Ok, I feel better. Rant over for now.

I am awesome!

I did it! I finished my second half marathon! I did it just under my goal of 2 hours 30 minutes, beating my previous P.R. by 30 minutes! Yes, it was a fast course: the first half was all down hill, making for some fast split times. I even managed an eight minute mile, which I haven't done since high school. I was shooting for an 11 minute/mile pace, but the first half of the race was under 10 minutes/mile. This allowed me to slow to just under a 12 minute/mile pace the second half. The faster times in the first half counter-balanced the slower times in the second half, and it all worked out. I ran it by myself, without a running buddy to help me through it, which was not quite as fun, but empowering. Knowing I can do it and talk myself through it was good. It was also a nice scenic course: we came down a winding canyon into a small farming community, and there was a nice breeze coming off the small river that paralleled the road down the canyon. Once in town, even with my sinus congestion I could smell the silage and cows, which brings back memories of the year in college when I worked at a dairy, milking cows (which I really enjoyed).

Some things I learned (ok, the first three I already knew):1. Shot blox are great
2. Body glide is our friend
3. Adequate rest is very important. I haven't slept well all week because of my cold (I keep waking up because I can't breathe), and I was really feeling the lack of sleep the second half of the race.

4. More than two port-a-potties per aid station are necessary- I would have finished 5 minutes sooner if there hadn't been a massive line for the port-a-potties at the first aid station. I really, really had to go, otherwise I would not have waited around that long.

5. I'm going to get longer spandex shorts to wear under my skirt- I really don't like short shorts, and the shorts that came with the skirt are just short enough to bug me.

The damage:1. Only two blisters- one large, one small. I'll wrap my toes for the marathon.
2. Sore ankles and fatigued feet- stability shoes do not have quite the cushioning I need, despite the addition of gel insoles, but I need the stability. I'll wear my shoes more and try to get more used to them, and look for more cushioned insoles.
3. Shins and arches not too sore (yay! these were the big worries).
4. Various sore muscles up and down my legs. I think they're from the downhill running and the unaccustomed mileage- I really have not trained enough, in the interest of not aggravating my shin splints, which would make it impossible to complete any races.
5. Running with a phlegmy cough is not a great thing. I'm a little worried that I might have bronchitis now. I'll see how my lungs are feeling tomorrow. Luckily I have a physical on Thursday, so if I'm still coughing then I can get some meds.

It was a good race, though I didn't like the second half (flat, with very few hills, so actually not that bad) nearly as much as I liked the first half (nice downhill, not too steep, but enough to make for some easy running). I would love a half marathon that was completely downhill. That would be awesome! The marathon will be tough, just on the fact that it's 26 miles, but if I can keep a good pace during the first (downhill) half it should allow for the slowing that will occur on the second (flat) half and still keep a decent time. If I can keep my pace up, my goal will be to finish in 5 hours. I'll need to make more of an effort to get more mileage in, but that's going to be what I work for. I will also be working on getting better and getting enough sleep.

One of my sisters came with me to watch DD while I ran. After the race, she told me some of the things DD had done/said. Toddlers are great! Apparently she saw another little girl wearing a pair of pink sandals. DD has a pair just like them, though she wasn't wearing them at the time. In any case, she was very confused, and kept pointing at the girl and the shoes, obviously thinking that the girl had taken her shoes! My sister had a time trying to convince her that they weren't hers.

Second triathlon results and comparison

2nd Triathlon
(750 m swim, 13 mile bike, 3.5 mile run)

273rd out of 298 finishers
29th out of 31 in my age group
123rd out of 143 females

Swim: 25:15.6 (pace: 29.81 sec/lap)
T1: 2:52.8
Bike: 1:01:21.9 (pace: 4.71 min/mile)
T2: 3:32.1
Run: 39:55.6 (pace: 11:25 min/mile)

Total: 2:12:57.9

1st Triathlon
(500 m swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)

354th out of 379 finishers
42nd out of 45 in my age group
164th out of 181 females

Swim: 16:55.9 (pace: 30.19 sec/lap)
T1: 5:02.6
Bike: 1:00:17 (pace: 5.01 min/mile)
T2: 1:10.9
Run: 34:30.8 (pace: 11:07 min/mile)

Total: 1:57:57.1


Both times there were 25 people who finished after me. My swim improved, despite the goggle and breathing problems at the beginning, the walk to the other pool, my difficulties getting out of the second pool and the increased distance. My T1 time improved dramatically: no clothes being pulled on. The bike leg also improved, despite the increased distance and the 8 miles of hills. My T2 was longer, but that was because of the potty break. Interestingly, my running pace got worse, even though I felt better and ran more of it (I thought). Not sure what was going on there. So overall, I improved, though of course there is room for lots of improvement. Good incentive to keep working out throughout the winter to prepare for the next triathlon season.

Running skirts are great

Yesterday I was really fighting the blahs/feelings of depression/feelings that things just weren't right. It's not so bad today, but I've been wanting to eat everything in sight (not a usual occurrence) and now I'm thinking it's a product of my out-of-whack hormones as that time of the month approaches. Fun for me.


I went for a four mile walk with DD today. I was going to go for a longer one, then remembered that I have to break in my new shoes before next Saturday, and I best not overdo it on the first day wearing them. They didn't give me any problems, and felt a lot better than the shoes I've been wearing. I also wore my new running skirt. I really like it, though I think the shorts under it could be a bit longer. That's probably just because I'm not used to wearing short shorts. The thing I really liked was that the shorts could ride up or bunch up or do whatever they want, as they tend to do on anyone who's not stick thin (I'm definitely not a twig), but the skirt part covers all that! No tugging, fidgeting, or worrying about how goofy you look. I think I'm definitely a running skirt convert. I'll have to try some other brands too, but this is the one I've got, the Sugoi Essence Wrap Skirt:

I fought the pool...

...and the pool won.

This morning I finished my second triathlon (yay me!). I had a rocky start: I hadn't settled my goggles, I hadn't taken a couple deep breaths, and it threw me off for a few laps. Once I got into my groove, though, it wasn't too bad. We did 17 lengths in the indoor pool, hopped out, walked outside and up a hill to the outdoor pool and did 15 more lengths. The battle occurred at the end of the 15 laps in the outdoor pool. The 'shallow' end was 4'6" deep, and the lip of the pool was a good foot or more above the water line. At 5'1" (on a good day), I had a real problem getting enough leverage to get out. I couldn't hop/jump/launch myself high enough out of the water to pull myself over the edge. I ended up hooking my leg over the float thingy, straddling it, and then kind of rolling out and onto the concrete. In the process, I scraped both knees and, I'm sure, looked like a beached whale. I limped off to the transition area, bruised and bloodied, but not giving up.

The bike ride was 13 miles, or twice around a 6.5 mile loop. I have no idea how they managed to find such a horrible route, but the first 4 miles was a looong, gradual uphill. Basically, it sucked. I survived both loops, and headed into the transition area. I had been drinking from my camelback (I got really dehydrated last time), but of course had to pee by the time I finished the bike ride. So, while I didn't have problems with dehydration again, I did have to stop for a potty break between the bike and run.

The run went a lot better this time than last. It was a bit longer (3.5 miles), but I managed to only walk on the uphills, and was able to run the entire last mile or so and was able to sprint a bit at the end. Last time I managed to speed up from a stagger/walk to a stagger/slow jog for the last little bit, but that was it. Oh yes, and my shins didn't bother me this time either.

Overall, despite the increased difficulty, I felt better physically and had a good time. I need to cut at least 30 minutes off my overall time if I want to be competitive, and I think I'll be working on that this winter. I'm getting an indoor trainer so I can keep riding my bike, and my parents are getting a treadmill, so I can keep running, and I will continue to go to the pool and swim laps once a week. So, by next spring when things start up again, I should be in a lot better shape and be able to do a lot better.

Scrape on left knee: angle is bad, so it doesn't look that bad, but it will definitely have some bruising.

Scrape on right knee- quite painful, and the one that bled. Angle of the picture makes is look smaller than it is. It's definitely big enough to hurt and make bending my knee painful.

On the way home, I stopped by a running store and bought a new pair of shoes and a running skirt. My current shoes just aren't doing it for me anymore, and the other day I realized that all my bike shorts have padding in them. I don't feel like running a half marathon in padded shorts, even the lighter padding in my triathlon shorts, but I do want something shorter than my capri-length running tights. Runner's World recently had an article about running skirts, and I've seen them around at different events, and I decided to give them a try. We'll see how it works out. I bought a Sugoi wrap skirt that has shorts under it. I've seen running skirts that don't have shorts under them, and I really don't want to know how that works: they're pretty short skirts. I'd be afraid of a breeze coming along. Part of why I picked the skirt I did is that it was the longest the store had. I haven't shown my pasty-white thighs in years, and don't really feel comfortable showing too much of them just yet.

After I got home, I spent the entire afternoon helping my BIL empty out the storage shed at the in-laws' place. He's PCSing to another state in a couple weeks and really needed to sort through all his stuff that's been stored for the last 10-15 years. This meant first emptying the entire shed and dividing everything up based on who it belonged to. We managed to reduce his pile (quite large) to just 5 or 6 boxes. SIL and her husband came and got all their stuff, which freed up a lot of space (now if only they'd get their stuff out of the basement...), and it looked like rain so we put the in-laws' things back in with out going through it, other than to try to group similar things together. The shed is so much emptier, and so much more usable now! It's amazing what can happen when you get rid of things (there is now a mountain of boxes of junk that have to be disposed of, but at least it's not in the shed anymore), and don't keep everything for years and years and years.

Anyway, between putting up sheet rock yesterday, doing the triathlon this morning, and then hauling boxes in and out and around all afternoon, I'm sore and don't expect to be able to move tomorrow.

The shallow end of the gene pool

Last night I sat down and made out a schedule of when I'm going to do which workout. I haven't been doing enough of any of them, and have been meaning to double up some of them, but just haven't figured out what, when, and how long. Today I walked 5 miles, and tomorrow I will be biking and running.

I subscribe to Runner's World Magazine, which I enjoy, it has lots of great information. But the last couple issues have also had some depressing profiles of runners. They're people who were overweight, but they started walking (and started losing weight), then gradually started running a little (lost more weight), started running longer distances (got down to their goal weight), and ran their first marathon in 3:30 (or less). And it took less than a year for all of this to happen. I walked 6 miles a day, 3 days a week, pushing DD in her jogging stroller, for more than a year, and never lost weight. I added in running several times a week when I was training for the half marathon I did last fall. I still didn't lose anything, and it took me 3 hours to do a half marathon. I took a couple months off because of the move and the weather, but have been walking, running, biking and swimming for about 3 months, and still haven't lost anything! Ok, I am building muscle right now, but that's not the point. And it's not like I'm eating whatever I want, I try to be real careful about what I eat and how much. Not that it seems to make much of a difference. Sometimes it's really depressing coming from the shallow end of the gene pool.

However, I've decided I like the way I feel in my bike shorts. I don't know how I actually look (the mirror is blocked by remodeling stuff right now), but I doubt I look as good as I feel. There's just something about the stretchy fabric that hugs your body and somehow, against all odds, makes you feel thin (well, thinner than your normal clothes make you feel, anyway). Maybe this is why so many larger people wear spandex shorts. Though in my defense, I only wear my bike shorts when exercising, never to the grocery store or the post office. Something to ponder....

Today my dad and I went to Lowe's to get more stuff for the remodels while the 10% military discount was still in effect. We took my car because I thought we wouldn't have any problems fitting everything in (I'm a master packer, and we have hauled all sorts of things, including a monstrous roll of carpet that should not have fit, but did). Unfortunately, the bead board panels were a lot longer than would fit in my car. So we tossed a blanket on the roof and tied the panels to the roof. Some key ideas to keep in mind when tying large sheets of wood to the roof of a vehicle: 1. Make sure you tie all the sides down, so that when you stop they don't slide forward down your hood and onto the street. In my defense, I didn't tie them down, my dad did. He remembered the back, but didn't think about the front. 2. Make sure there is no breeze at all. We went 30 mph the whole way home, and still had problems with the wind picking up the panels. 3. Make sure you have long arms for reaching out the window to hold onto the panels so you know when to slow down even more. I don't have long arms and it was awkward and painful. As I told my dad when we finally made it home: not an adventure I want to repeat.

The bathroom is going way slower than I had hoped, but dad's still not far enough along for me to help move things along. He did get the shower pan and drain in, as well as the backer board on the floor. Hopefully we can get lots done tomorrow, though I think we'll end up spending more time outside than in. My parents ordered a big roll-away dumpster for all the remodeling refuse, and it's being delivered tomorrow. So we'll have to load it up with the pile that's currently behind the house, and then we have to go around the yard and look for anything else that's just sitting around, taking up space, needing to be thrown out.

I did finally make dentist appointments for DD and myself, something I've been meaning to do for the last 3 months. Mine is this week, DD's isn't till August. Most regular dental clinics won't see kids under 4 years old, so I had to call around till I found a pediatric clinic that takes our insurance. It was a pain, as is the fact that the closest one I could find is twice as far away as the clinic I can go to. I guess I'm just peeved because the pediatric dental clinic we took DD to last fall, before we moved, was closer than the clinic I went to, and neither one was very far away.

Hissy fits, hill running, and book swiping

I had planned on going for a run after breakfast, before it got too hot. However, while we were eating, dad came in and said he wanted to go to Home Depot as soon as possible so he could get going on stuff in the bathroom. We had decided to go today and get the expensive stuff for the downstairs bathroom because they're offering a 10% discount to the military this weekend. Gotta save money wherever I can... So we ended up getting the tub (a deep jetted tub that still fits in the space of a normal tub- not a necessity, but it will be nice to have), the toilet and the sink and vanity, as well as some miscellaneous things like light switches and electrical outlets and some wood to frame in the windows (which is what dad wanted to get working on today). There's a few more things we need, like faucets, but we'll have to go to Lowe's on Monday for those; their 10% discount goes through Monday, Home Depot only goes through Sunday.

I decided to go for a run after DD got up from her nap. I thought about going during her nap, but decided it was too hot. I knew I had to do it today, though, since I've wussed out the last two days and haven't done squat. And I was doing so good... The break was nice, though. Anyway, I was getting ready to put DD in the jogging stroller and she started pitching a screaming hissy fit because my mom told her no (don't remember what for, but it wasn't something to cry about), and wouldn't calm down. I told her if she kept screaming, she'd be going back to bed. This usually calms her down pretty quick, but it didn't this time, so I put her in her bed, where she continued to scream for another 10 minutes or so before finally calming down. She had plenty of books, her water bottle, her lambie, and her blankie, so I wasn't too worried about her. Mom said she'd keep an eye out for her, so I went on my run- alone.

It's been quite some time since I've gone on a run by myself, I'm usually pushing DD in the jogging stroller. It was quite enjoyable to be able to move both arms at the same time! I had to concentrate on it a bit, though. I'm so used to the one-armed thing. It was a good run: the weather had cooled off, there was a bit of a breeze, my shins didn't give me too many problems, and I managed to run almost 4 miles. I did stop and walk periodically for a minute or two, so I didn't run the whole thing, but it's more than I've done in awhile, and I managed to keep a good pace. I still need to speed up, but at this point my main focus is just getting the miles in so I'm prepared for the half marathon and full marathon. I have no illusions about actually being able to run the whole race either time, but I would like to finish in a decent time and as prepared as possible. I do like the run for 20 minutes, walk for 2 method, though it usually degenerates to much shorter run periods. It worked quite well during the half marathon I did last fall, and it allows you a chance to breathe and regroup a bit. The hardest part is trying to start running again when you're halfway up a hill. That sucks.

I started my pinata for the reunion on Thursday, but when I looked at it yesterday, it was a dry, shriveled up prune.

Not sure what happened, but now I have to start another one. So I did that tonight and will hopefully have better luck with this one. I don't really have time to start another one.

I also started reading 'Freakonomics', the book my sister wants us to read for the book club thing she's doing. I've only made it about 30 pages in, though. I made the mistake of telling dad that it was already quite interesting, and he swiped it while I was giving DD her bath. Luckily he's a fast reader (most of us are), so I'll have it back soon.

A good hard run

DD woke up at a normal time this morning, no crazy sleeping in till all hours of the afternoon. We went for a run that felt really good. I did the five mile loop and ran about 3.5 miles and walked the other 1.5 miles. If it wasn't so hilly I think I could have run the whole five miles. My shins were feeling good, and my breathing wasn't too bad (I have had some issues adjusting to the altitude and dealing with pollen and stuff in the air). Unfortunately, I'm not quite strong enough to push DD in her stroller up all the hills, especially when I've already run 3 miles of rolling hills. But that will come. I wasn't always able to bike up those same hills with DD in tow, but now I can. I just need to be patient and work on gradually increasing my mileage so I don't get injured.

After DD's nap we made cookies to send to DH. Last time I sent cookies he and the guys he works with inhaled them in 30 seconds. I was going to send more this time, but those stupid flat rate boxes just aren't very big. I could use a bigger box, but it would cost a lot more. So I think I'll just send packages a couple times a month, instead of just once a month.

I was researching ideas for FHE with a toddler last night and came up with a couple good ideas. One was to use the nursery manual and talk about the same lesson that was taught on Sunday. This would be very easy, since half the time I'm the one who taught the lesson. The other idea I liked was to take a picture from the Gospel Art Picture kit and talk about it, using the info printed on the back. This is the one I think I'll actually try first, as soon as I get said picture kit (a couple weeks from now). We'll see which works best with DD.

So the other day DD and I went to Babies R Us to look at car seats. While there, I looked around, and noticed just how many of the women there were pregnant. At a guess, I'd say 90% of them were. It was rather depressing. I'm ok with not currently being pregnant (we were hoping I would be, but it didn't work out that way), but sometimes I still get that feeling of jealousy. I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that we'll probably only end up with 2 or 3 kids, and at least one of those will be adopted. But part of me really wants to get pregnant (and stay pregnant) one more time. I want a better pregnancy than with DD (I was in a lot of pain and could barely walk the last four months or so) and I want a better delivery (quite frankly, it was horrible). On the other hand, things still aren't back to normal down there (the result of said horrible delivery), and if I have another bad delivery who knows how long it'll take to heal. Despite that, I do still want to get pregnant again. I'm just glad that there's not twenty zillion pregnant women at church (I've been in wards where that was the case). And I'm working hard at trying to get in shape and lose weight so I have the best chance of getting pregnant and staying pregnant when I see DH when he has R&R. DH has an aunt who lives in Hawaii, so we're meeting him there and spending two weeks seeing the sights and spending time together. Luckily it's not till the last half of November, so I still have time to lose weight and get in shape.

Photos for Catching up (May 28th post) and Triathlon

Ok, so I'm a serious slacker in some things. I took these photos quite awhile ago, but never posted them. Here's the suitcase I bought for DD, before and after I picked out the embroidery.

And here's one of the blankets I picked the embroidery out of. They didn't turn out as well as the suitcase and other things I bought. Hopefully with washing the imprint will go away. This particular blanket also had a hole that I wasn't aware of until I picked out the embroidery, so that had to be fixed as well. The other blankets didn't have any holes.

Here's a photo from after the triathlon. I have some of me swimming, biking, and running, but I look pretty hideous, scary, or exhausted. And the photos show just how much weight I still need to lose. Rather depressing.

A Glorious day for running

This morning we went for a run. It was going to be a walk around the 5 mile loop, but there were some dogs running loose in that direction, so I had to go the other direction. Yes, I will change what I do to avoid dogs. I don't trust them, especially when my daughter is involved. You never know what a strange dog is going to do, so I avoid them whenever I can. Though I did realize today that I've been trusting my 15-year-old pepper spray a bit more than I should: I really need to replace it, since I seriously doubt that it's still effective.

Anyway, I wasn't planning on doing any running on the 5 mile loop because I can't remember where the mile marks are, and I need to know how far I'm actually running. As opposed to how far I think I'm running, which can be quite different. Since I went a different route, I ended up running 2 miles out, and walking the 2 miles back. I actually enjoy running that route because for the most part it's a gentle decline, with a few hills thrown in. The worst hills are right at the beginning, and right at the end of the 2 miles, but they're do-able.

The weather was just right for running: cool and overcast with the promise of rain, which made it a bit humid, but not unbearable, and a nice breeze (not the gale-force winds we've been having), just right for cooling one off. It was great! One of the best runs I've had in a really long time. My feet didn't hurt, and my shin gave a couple twinges at the beginning, then calmed down and didn't give me any more problems.

As I was running, I looked at the people who passed in their cars. People are pretty friendly out here: a lot of them will give me a finger wave (fingers lifted off the steering wheel) as they pass. Today, though, one lady gave me a great big smile and a thumbs up as she passed. It was nice of her, and gave me the little extra oomph to make it up the final hill.

I spent some time this afternoon figuring out furniture for my massage room (which still has to be remodeled, but I got the idea in my head and had to go with it, otherwise it would just keep bugging me), and then worked on one of my continuing ed classes. I actually managed to finish it tonight, and am now 3 credits closer to getting my certification up-to-date. Woohoo!

Dirt roads and sunburns

This morning we went for a 9 mile walk. I did the 5 mile loop and then the new route that I found that is 2 out, 2 back. Most of it's dirt roads, but the main dirt road is kept up very well and is very smooth. The other dirt road isn't as well-kept or as smooth, but it has very light traffic, so it's not too bad, either. Unfortunately, I did forget to put sunscreen on me or DD (I have got to work on that!) and since it took two and a half hours, I got a bit fried. DD got a bit of a burn on her ankles, and the tan lines on her feet from her sandals are now quite distinct, but she didn't get anything nearly as bad as I did. My training schedule doesn't call for a 9 mile walk yet, but since I'm down on my mileage, I figured it wouldn't be too bad, especially since I was walking instead of running. I could feel some stiffness and soreness in my shins, but I stretched and iced them when I got home and hopefully I won't have any more problems with them. I would like to start running as soon as possible, but I don't want to get shinsplints, either. Balance is the key.

No swimming this week. We should have gone yesterday, but mom and DD are still getting over colds and ear infections, so we figured waiting a week would be better.

In my quest to work on my goal of writing a book, I've also been trying to do more writing period. I have two blogs I post on almost daily, and I'm keeping a journal of things DH and I talk about and the things going on in his life (this is also almost a daily thing, depending on our correspondence), and of course, I'm working on my book almost daily. It's slow going, but it is going.

I was looking through my planner the other day, and found an epiphany I had had and scrawled down so I wouldn't forget it. The occasion was when DD and I went to visit DH before he shipped out.

I had an epiphany tonight. DD and I were waiting in the car while DH got things squared away in the barracks. As I waited, I watched the soldiers coming in off pass. Most of them were wearing khaki cargo pants with pockets on both legs, just like their ACU pants. Soldiers are always shoving things in the pockets of their ACU pants: patrol caps, berets, notebooks, chapstick, sunblock, wallets, candy bars, gum, you name it. As I watched the soldiers, I realized that many of them had things in the pockets of their civilian cargo pants as well. And that's when it hit me: cargo pants are the male equivalent of the purse!

I did it!

Today I finished my first triathlon, and I didn't die! This was a concern, based on how I felt Tuesday after the wet run. In fact, I felt better than I did on Tuesday, even though all my distances were longer.

I started in the second to last wave, which meant I didn't have to be there at the crack of dawn- I got up when the first group was starting- that's how slow I am (it was based on your swim time). I finished my swim in 17 minutes, which is as good as I've ever done. I really need to work on my form and efficiency though, so I can get faster. The top people were swimming the same distance in 6-7 minutes. I don't expect to get that fast, but I would like to cut at least 5 minutes off my time. One thing I definitely change will be to get spandex shorts and a top and swim, bike and run in those. No more messing with a swimsuit that chafes when biking and running. It'll save time in the first transition, too (it wastes time trying to pull biking shorts over wet legs and up a wet swimsuit).

I did my bike ride in about an hour- it was 2 times around a 6 mile loop, with a lot of long hills. Not steep hills, just long, neverending hills. It did finish on a downhill, though. I need to figure out how cycle faster, although I think it's really a case of building my muscles, which means I need to work out more.

I ended up walking about half the run- I was pretty dehydrated by then, and my leg muscles were super fatigued. Not sore- just too tired to move anymore. It was a really weird sensation. So, I need to hydrate a lot better, eat more shot blox to keep my energy up, and be in better shape so I don't reach such muscle exhaustion again.

Overall, it was a great experience- I had a good time and will definitely be doing it again. I still don't have sore muscles, which is great- normally, if I'd been running for two hours, my feet would be thrashed, and my leg muscles would be really sore. Instead, I'm tired, but not exhausted, and my legs are still really tired (carrying DD up the stairs was a reminder that 'hey, we're here and we're still not recovered from this morning').

I just looked up the results, and my official stats are:
Swim (500 m): 16:55.9 (4.1 seconds under! wahoo!)
1st Transition: 5:02.6
Bike (12 miles): 1:00:17 (right on target- I was aiming for 1 hour)
2nd Transition: 1:10.9
Run (3.1 miles): 34:30.8 (11.07 min/mile. I was aiming for 10 min/mile)
Total time: 1:57:57.1 (2.03 min under the 2 hours I thought it would take me)

I came in 352 out of 378 finishers (I wasn't last!!!)
In my division (30-34 women) I came in 42nd out of 45 (I also wasn't last in my age group!!)
I was 162nd of 179 women (I came in ahead of people!)

Ok, so I was a little worried about coming in last. But that didn't happen physically (there were people who crossed the finish line after me) or on paper with everyone's results compiled. Yay me!

"Wet Run"

Today I did a "wet run" of what the triathlon will be like. I think I need to change how I work out and start doing 2-a-days, say swimming and biking, biking and running, etc. Let's just say Saturday will be interesting, and I really hope I survive.

I swam 10 laps, pulled on my bike clothes, biked 4 miles, then ran 1 mile and walked 1 mile. I was really gasping by the time I started running (staggering- that's quite a transition to go from biking to running), and I'm hoping that was all the crud in the air (fields next to the path being moved, pollen floating lazily by, etc), and not asthma making its presence known. It's been about 8 or 9 years since I had problems with it.

There were only a couple spots of chafing (around my arms, from the swimsuit under my biking shirt), but those are easy to take care of- just a little Body Glide, and I'll be good.

I've been staying up late lately, so I need to really work on getting to bed early this week so I'm not completely exhausted come race day.

First goal: Run a marathon

It’s been on my list since I ran cross country in high school, but has never happened. I actually signed up for one some years ago, but we moved or something, and I didn’t end up training for it. That seems to have been the pattern- I’m injured (horrible shin splints), working too much to train, studying too hard to train, pregnant, nursing, recovering from a miscarriage, living at sea level (the marathon I’m running is in the mountains), or a combination of the previous reasons. This year I seem to be doing ok: no shin splints, I’m not working or in school, I’m not pregnant or nursing or recovering from a miscarriage, and I’ve moved back to a higher elevation. This is the time!

Last September I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon with my friend R. We trained with Team in Training and raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (go to http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/ to learn more and donate). It was very hot the day of the race, but we had a blast. I decided that the half is a good distance, but I still had to run a full marathon at least once so I could cross it off my list. I haven’t run much since because we moved just as I was coming off my (long) recovery period. We went from warm, sunny weather to freezing, snowy weather. I was used to walking 6 miles a day, 3 times a week, but that habit died quickly when faced with frigid weather. It’s finally warmed up and I’m exercising again, and it feels great!

One of my training partners and I

Cross Training for the Marathon

I’m actually also training for two sprint triathlons that will take place before the marathon. I figure some good cross training should help me get in shape and avoid injury. They’re 500 M swim/12 mile bike/3.1 mile run. The first triathlon is June 7, and that’s the iffiest one- I haven’t swum laps in forever (and I'm not a real strong swimmer to begin with), and it’s now less than a month away. I’m going to have to work hard and pray for the best. The biking and the running I should do ok on- I’m training with DD in our bike trailer and our jogging stroller. Come race day, I’ll have a lot less resistance/weight to carry around, and that should help my endurance and speed. The next triathlon is in August (there’s actually one in July, too, but I’ll be out of town then), and I should do a lot better in that one. Then the marathon is the middle of September. After that, there’s some 5K and 10K trail runs and road races I plan on doing. Once winter comes, though, we’ll have to see if I can keep training. I need to: I can’t go November to April without exercising- it’s just not good for me physically or mentally. I may have to get some exercise equipment and workout indoors. I’ve been wanting a Bowflex Treadclimber, but they're on the expensive side. Hopefully when nasty weather comes again I'll find one on craigslist.