Going Solo

My runs with other people have become few and far between. Since starting to run with "the guys" after running for a couple of years with "the ladies" I am now running more by myself. It's not that I have don't like "the guys," it's just that things have changed for my training.

First off the weather has changed - it is fucking cold! (There is no other way to describe it.) And it's dark. So, dark and fucking cold are not working for me this year. I have been doing my runs more in the middle of the day so it's not quite as fucking cold and there is some daylight so I can see where I am running so I don't break my ankle on un-shoveled sidewalks and icy snowbanks.

Secondly, now that I have a coach my runs have become longer and more intense because we are on a plan. So for now I run alone.

It's not all bad. I get to run in daylight. I get to see other lone runners, like the woman I saw on Wednesday with mascara running down her cheeks. What woman puts makeup on to go for a run, especially eye makeup when it's single digit temps and your eyes are bound to water? And she was fairly speedy so it didn't seem like she was a novice runner. There are the over-dressed and under-dressed and then there are the people I can't even see because I have icicles on my hat, eyebrows and eyelashes. (As I write this I realize I really hate this time of year - why do I stay? Because I like to talk about the weather.)

Oh, look. It's time for another run. Now where is that snowmobile suit? It looks so good with running shoes.

The Vacation Yawns

I am not a very good vacationer. I hit ten days max and I am crawling out of my skin wanting get back home. I am kind of there right now. I miss Apollo - the dog - who, apparently, has not been playing well with others at the boarding facility. ("He's not 'aggressive,' just a little rough with the other dogs. He has been getting extra 'naps.'" great - my dog has behavior issues and is in time-out ALL THE TIME.)

We did have a pretty fun day with the kids. We went to this place called "Hands On Art Studio." I thought it would be just some glorified paint-your-plate place, but it was so much more. They had mosaics, jewelry making (and not just beading), glass making and metal working. 

F had absolutely no interest until he saw the metal working. Here are pictures of my future welder (and if that happens I will truly be jealous - I really want to learn how to weld.)

"Let's cut some steel!" (He was actually mad at me because I embarrassed him earlier when he walked into the ceramics studio, started touching everything and then knocked five pieces over - no breakage. He said to me as I told him, "Don't touch, AN-Y-THING!" "DAD! It's called 'HANDS ON Art!'")

Working the plasma cutter.

Almost done.

Grinding off the burrs.

A few more sparks.

A few finishing touches.

While F was workin' the steel, E was painting some ceramics. She made a very nice little box. Here is a picture of her with her two little cousins. 

When E saw what F had done, she wanted to come back and work some steel as well. We'll go back, I have some designs of my own to make. 

OH, I saw the hugest cock!

He was just strutting around, crowing.

We also got some wind today that really whipped the lake into some "surf." I almost tried to get out and bodysurf (I have been able to in the past) but A reminded me I had chicken to grill - DE-NIED!

Tomorrow looks like more of the same. I do have a ten mile run scheduled so that will save me somewhat. (I know, I know - I am totally able to suck the joy out of just about any occasion.)

Sweet Ride

Sunday was a gorgeous day here in Minnesota. What a difference one day makes. It was a little windy, but there was low humidity, mild temps and clear skies for our 50 mile bike ride. MS and I were both very glad we waited a day to ride. 

I got to MS's house at 8:00 AM - a much more leisurely start time than what we are used to. We were ready to roll in very short order. I practiced peddling with my feet on top of my shoes and then sliding them in. I took my time and got them in pretty quickly with no drama.

We headed out west on our usual route. We pick up a bike path that runs near MS's house and wind through residential and light industrial areas - not at all picturesque. Our goal was to ride around one of the local lakes and through the small towns that line the shores. I brought a camera but I need to do a better job taking interesting pictures. (Saw a HUMONGOUS snapping turtle sunning itself along the side of the road and didn't bother to take a picture.) 

(My picture would have been WAY better.)

Here is a picture of our steeds as we take a bathroom break. We probably shouldn't  have parked such hot rides right by the propane tanks, but we like to live dangerously.

Here is a picture of MS trying to sell her bubble bike.

Here is a picture of Main Street in Wayzata. It was really quiet and idyllic at 9 AM on a Sunday morning. (You can see MS up ahead of me - she was wondering if I had stopped to window shop or something.)

Here is a picture in the other direction - you know, variety.

Here is a picture of a park by Lake Minnetonka (Zzzz - even I think this is boring.)

There is MS up ahead again. (Don't worry the pictures are almost over.)

All total we did 51.5 miles. Plenty good for a couple of people with spouses and kids. I practiced getting my feet out of my shoes while still riding and again - slow and steady - was able to get them off without issue. We did a two mile run right off the bike for a little added interest. My legs felt way better than my last brick in the blast furnace. 

The ride was not intense (although I did hit over 40 miles an hour on a slight decline with the wind at my back. I also hit over 38 miles an hour peddling hard on a steep downhill with a stiff wind in my face. MS told me she had a "day-mare" on that. She pictured me launching over the front end of car at full speed and she had to call my wife to tell her I had hurt myself.) More than anything it was good to spend several hours in the saddle and the aero position. My lack of saddle and aero time was one of the things that held me back on the bike last year. I am also very happy to say that my bike is extremely comfortable this year. The new seat and setup is really nice and should definitely contribute to faster times coming up. 

I parked my car in front of LF's house (MS and LF live right next to each other) and I came back to this view through my windshield. That is a lot of bird crap. I had no idea there were such hate filled birds in the Farrell yard. What a mess!

This morning was Masters again. There were some new people joining us so the lanes were a little more full than usual - even for a Monday. There were fast people in the slower lanes and slower people in the faster lanes. I was a big baby. It started out OK, but when we got into the main set I decided I didn't like it and would do some then pout, then do some more then pout. About half way through I put a fork in it and called it done. Not a total waste, but not stellar - what-ever. I will try again Wednesday.

I am getting super excited for my upcoming races. I am feeling way more confident now and know the races will be fun and should be fast. Now I just have to take it one day at a time and not be an idiot (or more of an idiot.)

tRain

The operative part of "train" this morning was "rain." MS and I were going to get up and go for a 50+ mile ride so our longest ride of the season did not happen during our last race of the season (like last year for me.) We were hoping the weather folks would get the forecast wrong and we would not have thunderstorms in the morning, but they actually were pretty accurate for once. The lightening had passed hours before and now it was just a steady rain. We decided to postpone the ride until tomorrow and run instead.

Of course when we got to the lakes to run, it had stopped raining and was Amazon humid. Aww, crap. We should have biked. Lo and behold (how many times do you get to say that much less type it?) it started to rain lightly, then it stopped - should have biked. Then it started to rain lightly again but for a longer time - glad we were running. Then is stopped - should have biked. Then it started to pour and it poured for the rest of the run - really glad we were running. The run was over 10 miles, but our pace was very easy. Part of me felt like I needed to go faster, but what I really needed was an actual recovery run. Over the next week, my body will thank my mind for holding back. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be a much nicer day and we are all ready to bike. We will be going out a little later in the morning so I will get to sleep in a little bit. We will run a couple of miles right off the bike for another brick session.

In other training news, I made it to Masters three times last week. Friday was sprint day, nothing over 100 m, but high intensity. I really think those workouts are more difficult than a set of longer swims and I used to be a sprinter in college. I hope that I will be able to get the same amount of training in next week maybe with some more biking. The week after that is about half a week of training and then the Liftetime Fitness Olympic tri. (I hope I can rub shoulders with some of the big time pros and maybe get a picture with Emma Snowshill. I saw her last year - teeny tiny and super cute - oh, and F-A-S-T, fast.)

Oh yeah, one last thing - I am a winner! I responded clumsily to a Twitter contest from Garmin and won a Garmin running tank/singlet. (Now if I could just figure out how to win a new TT bike, that would rock!)

Someone Please Tell Me There Is Nothing Wrong

This is such a loaded statement, so let's just lob it up there and let you jolly jokers take a swing. Here is where this is coming from. I did get a run in this evening (instead of going to E's soccer game were she kicked ass and took names and scored a goal - now I feel bad.) Once again it was hot and humid and I was sweaty. I can't seem to get my legs to go faster. 

Now, can someone tell me that this "governor" is heat related. I couldn't get the running legs going in the heat of the race on Saturday, I couldn't get the legs going on Tuesday and then I couldn't get them going again tonight. Nothing feels strange. I feel like I am breathing a little faster than usual, but that has to be heat related. 

Right now I am chalking this up to heat acclimation and that come race day - if it's hot - I will be better prepared than last year. I will keep an eye on my runs and see if there are any improvements.

Any suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Struck By Lightening

OK - not really, but the fear was there when I woke up to a loud and violent thunderstorm. No running for me around an open lake with tall trees and power lines. Back to sleep. In the time it took me to go downstairs, send off an email saying, "No Run," grab a drink of water and return to the bedroom, the dog had taken over my side of the bed. AND HE WOULD NOT MOVE. I didn't want to wrestle with him for fear of waking A up (and we all know what happens when I do that - no it ain't that - she gets crabby) so I curled up in the fetal position on the very edge of the mattress and wiggled my feet under a little bit of sheet that was available and laid there cursing myself for being a spineless pet owner.

Now I don't know when I am going to find time to get in a run or anything else. I am getting a haircut however so that kind of counts as training. (Doesn't it?) I will be sure to report how I get my sweat on today, because that is all any of my dear readers (mom) wants to know about. Zzzzzzz!

Miraculous Weight Loss

It is damn hot and humid here in Minneapolis. Even at 5:30 AM. We did our usual Tuesday run - my total distance was 10.75 miles. We were not running very fast as it was so muggy and warm, but we were still working. I am a heavy sweater. How heavy? I drank 24 oz. of Accelerade before I went out and we stopped for water 3 times during the run. When I got home I was 188 lbs. Yesterday I was 195. Needless to say I am drinking every liquid I can ingest. It is fun to see my weight under 190 even if it is misleading. 

Bric

Yes, I left the "k" off of "brick" because I didn't really finish it. After swimming this morning and then returning to the pool with the kids for a few hours in the afternoon, I decided to do a brick. A got out of work on time and came to the pool to relieve me (that was news to her) and I went home to hop on the bike for a hard hour ride followed by a two mile run. Why so short you may ask. Well, I had to make dinner and it was 92 with a 97 degree heat index. Just a little toasty. 

I slathered on the sunscreen, got dressed and put together a couple of water bottles. Yesterday I rigged up a water bottle cage between my aero bars. I have seen it on a couple of pro bikes and I saw it on a couple of bikes at the race on Saturday and it looked pretty easy to do with a handful of zip-ties. I like it better than an aero bottle because I can put whatever bottle in the cage. I used to have a couple of bottles behind my seat, but on a few rides this spring I spent more time retrieving ejected bottles than actually drinking from them. And they were not particularly easy for me to grab and replace. I will give up a little aerodynamic advantage for speed and ease of use. 

So, I drop some Nuun tabs in a couple of bottles, let them fizz till they were done, snapped the tops closed and I was off. Now, I have two kinds of bottles I use. One is your typical bike bottle but the other one is a fancy Camleback bottle. I like these bottles because you can use their little bite-valve and suck instead of having to crane your neck to get that last gulp. The Camleback bottle has a lid you can twist to turn it "on" or "off". I usually leave it "on" because nothing really spills too much. (I know - "Your water bottles are FASCINATING, please go on and on and tell us more. We are RIVETED!" Fine, I will change the subject.)

I decided to practice getting my feet in my shoes on the bike. First lesson - go slow. I get one shoe flipped over with my foot on top and proceed to coast down the driveway. I flip the other shoe over and get my foot on top of it and pedal slowly down the street. Our street is a mess right now because they are about to tear it up to replace all the sewer and water lines. They haven't fixed a pot hole all spring - very bumpy. Peddling down the street I am feeling pretty good.

What the hell!? What is spraying me in the face. I can't see. It's my Camelback bottle in the aero bar cage geysering out of the bite valve back into my face. Apparently, when you use those Nuun tabs and then seal them in a bottle and then shake said bottle, the fizz causes the liquid to spout out all over the place. I almost crashed - blind, stocking footed and sweaty - trying to stem the tide of Triple Berry Nuun juice. I regained control and turned the lid to "off" - just ridiculous.

I proceeded to get my feet in my shoes with no problem. I will continue to practice that maneuver as much as I can. 

I biked around the lakes to the entrance to the bike/pedestrian trail we like to ride on. As I was waiting at the stop light to cross to the entrance, I decided to grab a drink. I pulled the Camelback bottle out of the handy aero bar holder, turned the lid to "on" and shot myself in both eyes and up my nose as the pent up pressure came spewing out the bite-valve again. I swear I am a moron! I did get the valve to my mouth and had a drink without falling over in traffic. From then on the ride was smoooooth, fast, hot, sweaty sailing. 

*Warning* Do Not combine these two things with a bumpy road!

I hammered it an hour holding 24+ mph on the straightaways to really get my legs burning (my average speed - from leaving my driveway to returning home - was 19.9 mph.) I also practiced getting my feet out of my shoes while on the bike and that went amazingly smoothly. Again, I took it slow and I will keep practicing. When I got home I got the running shoes and shorts on and headed back out to click off a couple of quick miles.

The heat caught up with me almost immediately. I was working hard. I really pushed the pace and in the future I will take it a little easier. I got about a half mile in, started to get a side stitch was breathing uncharacteristically fast and decided I had made my point. I turned around and started back and got about another quarter mile and then walked that final quarter. It was a good enough outing for the first time in this kind of heat. That and I will be running at least 10 miles tomorrow morning. 

The weather says we will have another day of this heat and then possibly a cool down. Who knows?

Pedicures, Training and Racing

Last weekend was a fairly big training weekend for me. With no marathon training necessary, I changed my Saturday run to a Saturday brick - the first one of the season and long overdue. I rode the only route I am comfortable with these days (I am such a wuss) but it incorporates a loop of nice hills - so I did the loop five times. Total mileage was only about 34 miles, but with the hills it counts for more. (Right? That and dragging my lard-ass around, that counts for more, too. Right? You people need to cut a guy a break.)  Below are the profiles from my bike. You can really see the profile of the hills - both by elevation and heart rate. Kind of crazy.

I rode home and had all my running stuff laid out and quickly got off the bike and into running attire. I decided to run sans socks knowing I would more than likely get some rubbing somewhere from my fairly new shoes. It started almost immediately, but it never got very bad. It was rubbing right under my ankle bone on both feet. Better to find out now and be able to lube it up than to find out during a race. My legs felt crazy-weird. I don't remember them feeling quite so weird last year, but I also don't think I hammered a bunch of hills and then decided to run. 

The run really went pretty well. I was clicking along pretty comfortably at a 7:30 pace (yes, I know I am not setting the world ablaze with my speed.) Four miles in just over 30 minutes. Now, I have been working on my running economy lately. I am a natural forefoot striker/very mild supinator so I have been working to take advantage of my natural gait and trying to become more efficient. I concentrate on not over-striding (which I used to do last year) and keeping my feet underneath me, staying light on my feet with a quick consistent turnover. It seems to really be helping as evidenced by my fast half-marathon and my consistent marathon recently. It really made a big difference on the brick as I don't know if I could have run that pace at that effort last year. I am probably doing way better than I figure I am.

The rest of Saturday was super lazy. We had no plans. We got outside and did a bunch of work in the yard and played with the dog and the kids. A decided that she needed a pedicure so she went up to the little Vietnamese nail place in the neighborhood. E decided she wanted to go with. I thought E was just going to hang out and talk while A got her toes painted. E came home with this.

This is cute on so many levels. First, the color she chose is the most attention-getting green. Second, she got a flower added to her big toes and third, she has the cutest little sausage toes ever. (The pictures are slightly out of focus because E took them herself and couldn't stop laughing.) She has been wearing flip flops everywhere to show them off.

My first race of the year is on Saturday and now I am having all sorts of anxiety. I am a middle of the pack age group type guy (OK, maybe more first quarter of the pack, but still) so it's not like I have a whole lot of pressure to "win." I do want to go faster and by "faster" I mean "fas-ter". I just hope I have enough bike legs and run legs - I should have more than last year just by virtue of experience and additional training. We have yet to get out for an open water swim this year and I am somewhat concerned about that, but not too much. It will be a wetsuit legal swim, I should be able to go sleeveless and the swim course is a point-to-point with the beach to the right the whole way. Since this is a sprint I have been paring down the crap on my bike. I switched to the small Fizik bag that clips to my Fizik saddle. Lost the seat mounted water bottle holders and will probably ditch the bento box in favor of tape or carrying gels in a pocket. I want transition to be simple and fast, but I have yet to practice a bike mount. Maybe Wednesday. Anything will be better than last year when I put on socks because I hadn't run without them at all and I had just put my aero bars on an wasn't comfortable with them so I was only in the drops. I also ran in my bike shoes in transition instead of leaving them on the pedals. Novice!

Today was the third day of Masters at the outdoor LCM pool. Monday is distance day so we had a bunch of 200's. I am feeling better, although I was just hanging on at the end. I have put myself in the fast guy lane and have been brining up the rear, but not out of touch with the super-fast leaders. These guys are younger and they are "swimmers". I don't hear much talk about marathons or tris from these guys, so I guess I should feel good about my situation. I hope each session gets better - I'll keep working at it. 

This week looks a little rainy, but I will need to get on the bike - I can run and swim in rain, no problem. Saturday is supposed to be sunny and clear if not a little warm. It should be a beautiful day to race - I hope the weather man gets the forecast right. Off to bed - run tomorrow.

AWE-SOME!

(To be said with a little sing-song tone in your voice.) That is the only way I can describe my bike ride with MS this afternoon. Let me back up to yesterday.

Yesterday I was a slug. 

I didn't do a damn thing. Oh, wait, I did some core work late in the evening and even cut that short because I wasn't into it. To make up for my slug-itude I was determined to do my usual run and bike outside for the first time. 

Done and done! The run this morning was mile repeats. We rocked 'em. They were about 20 seconds faster than we anticipated and we were very consistent. It felt great and we are feeling much more confident about our training. 

This afternoon I met MS at her house and we hopped on the Three Rivers Trail (or at least I think that's what it's called) and headed west. We had a little headwind, but we also had 65 degrees and sun. It was was GLORIOUS! We were totally cruising along - I was holding about 20 mph with little effort and it felt so good to be actually going somewhere rather than peddling in place. We got to the end of our loop where we do hills. We decided to just do one set as it was our first time out. I actually felt good. I am super excited about biking this year. 

On our way back we caught up with a bike cop who was riding our trail. We started chatting and ended up cruising back with him. He was really nice and entertaining and I think he was happy to ride with somewhat normal people. 

(Not actually the guy we rode with.)

So the ride didn't end up super fast, but that really doesn't matter. It was so nice to be out and spinning the wheels. Just a really fantastic time. 

I have to say this as well. I LOVE my bike setup this year. The new seat and the adjustments I made to my aero bars make it heaven to ride. I really felt like I could ride forever. It really helps that I spent way more time in the saddle this off season than last, so I am sure that has a lot to do with it. I hope this is a good omen for the rest of the season. I am excited for my next ride. Whee!

Re-thinking "The Plan"

Bike: Ready to go outside. Weather is not cooperating (read: I still don't want to ride outside.)

Legs: Lower legs well shaved, upper legs still a little patchy. Now that the majority of the hair is gone, I kind of want it back. With no hair my legs look very pale and kind of spindly. They are also really dry - time to break out the lotion. I guess to some extent I am starting to get "running legs" and I am not used to it. Hopefully, a few days of Florida sun will get some color on them and I will get used to seeing them. Then, when I get home the weather should be nice and I can start running and biking in shorts (wishful thinking.) Baby steps.

Nope

Nope. I didn't make it to Masters this morning. A wanted to walk with her girlfriends. She hadn't walked with them for weeks, so I couldn't argue. It just means that I have to get on the bike, but it's difficult when she is around (Wednesday is her day off.) Which brings me to my current issue - bike training. I just can't seem to get a good handle on it. Motivation is an issue because I am riding the trainer for now. Ignorance is another issue. Swimming I have nailed - I know how to get the most out of any workout, I have been doing it for so long. Running - I have a "coach" with enough experience to give us a good schedule of workouts and I have been able to figure out the pattern and make adjustments as needed after two marathon cycles. The GPS helps too, as I can tailor my pace and distance without guessing. The bike thing befuddles me. 

Let's see if I can break down my hang-ups. (At this point I would like to solicit any advice.) I am the king of excuses for not riding. I could list them here, but I would only be reminding myself of how stupid they make me sound. Let's just say there are many. (Upon further reflection, I realize that all the following "hang-ups" are actually "excuses" - let's call these "The Bigguns.") 

No one to keep me honest. I have a Masters team to meet at a set time and set days. I have a running group to meet at a set time and set days. I don't have that for the bike. 

I have coaches for swimming and running. I am a sheep. Tell me what to do and I will do it. I do a pretty good job of pushing it past the limit, especially if I fool myself into thinking someone is keeping track. I do much better if someone gives me a workout to do - all that thinking makes my little brain hurt.

I don't know where to go. Living in a metro area makes it difficult to find good open roads that stretch for miles and miles. When I was living with the 'rents in Wisconsin in college the rural roads went forever. I just need to find some good routes that allow me to ride for a couple of hours at a stretch. Some with hills. Some for TTs. (See - totally lame excuse. How about I get a map or look at Google Maps or talk to my buddy at the LBS? I am just lazy.)

The conditions aren't any good. I will run in damn near any weather - and have. I have swum in rough oceans, ice cold lakes, weedy lakes, pools, rivers, and would probably swim in a septic tank if I had to. I want perfect conditions to bike. No sandy, pothole strewn roads (like we have right now). Not too cold. Not rainy. Not too dark. Blah, blah, blah. I have so much gear that cold or rain or sun or wind really shouldn't be an issue. Sandy roads - really? Potholes - they are so big you can see them half a mile away and avoid them. Too dark - maybe, but I have all day to ride. 

It's lonely out there. This might be the only issue. I don't have someone to ride with. I could ask about joining in with a bike group, but those guys scare me (Not really. Again, just lazy.)

Why so worried about the bike? Because I could shed a lot of time off the bike leg this year and I want to kick ass! 

So there it is - my bike anxiety. Any help is appreciated. Maybe keeping my little blogosphere updated will help to keep me honest - doubtful, but there is always hope, right?

Two for Two

This week is starting out on the right note - training-wise anyway. Swam yesterday, ran today. Both felt good. On pace to swim again tomorrow as A is out of town with girlfriends in Chicago this weekend so no swim on Friday. My mom is in town for the kids' birthdays this weekend, so I can get my long run in on Saturday. At least that is the plan for now. 

I was so excited to run this morning because it was 40 degrees. Very minimal ice, a few puddles, but less than there has been and no need for jackets, stocking caps, thermal tights or mittens. It felt freeing to run unencumbered. The weather is bound to cool off here in the next week or so, but the worst of the weather should be behind us. (I say "should be" because last April was cold, rainy, snowy and miserable after a fairly decent March - Minnesota weather is a total crapshoot.) 

Still not nice enough to get the nice bike out on the wet, sandy, pot-holed roads, but I really should be riding the mountain bike more. (I can think up an excuse for anything, can't I?)

(Oh yeah, Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Birthday, E!)

Busy Friday

I am looking at a busy Friday. I just got home from Master's Swimming. Not many people in the pool today. It was "Sprint Friday" - as it is every Friday - but we had a substitute coach. To make things interesting he threw in eight 50 yard sprints off the blocks. I can not remember the last time I started off blocks. The skills - or lack there of - came back no problem. I didn't lose my goggles or "hurt myself" (some guys might know what I mean) and I did alright. 2,800 mostly sprint yards done. 

Now, I have typical morning stuff to do - shower, pick up the house, walk the dog, return emails, etc. This afternoon is atypical. 

E's birthday is next week - St. Patty's Day - but we are celebrating it today. F's birthday is eight days later, as soon as they were old enough to understand we established a policy of alternating big birthday parties. This year is E's - she chose snow tubing. When she first suggested this, I groaned. The last thing I want to do is freeze my butt off in the middle of March. It is actually turning out to be a good day for it. It will be sunny and "warm" (37 degrees) and outside and not in my house. The snow tubing is at a local ski hill and they have sculpted lanes, big inner tubes with nylon sleeves over them and a tow rope that drags you up the hill. We have been before - it really is a lot of fun. Only problem for me is that it involves 20 third grade girls. Ever been around ten third grade girls? Well, past that number each additional girl is a factor of ten, so we might as well have like 1,000 third grade girls attending. (Somebody can correct my math there. Remember - Interior Designer NOT Architect.) They are all so screechy and loud. 

We are probably the worst birthday party throwers ever. This year - NO GIFTS - the girls are told to bring a new book to donate to the school library. We DO NOT need more crap in our house. We also do not do gift bags. This is just a personal preference and not meant as a knock on other families, but why do I have to give your kid a bunch of crap for attending my kid's birthday party? Your kid just got to have all sorts of fun, eat cake, drink juice and be out of your hair for a couple hours - I think that is enough of a payment. (Really, the reason is because I am lazy and I don't like to do that crafty kind of crap.)

Before we get to the hill I have to pick up the cake (which is actually three GIANT chocolate chip cookies) and all the treats and drinks and beer for A. (It's how she copes - not really, that makes her sound like she has a drinking problem. And let me tell you, she has NO problem drinking.) So the afternoon has me running around. I am hoping for an early night - I have 16 - 18 miles to run tomorrow morning. Ready, set, Go!

A Productive Morning

After a killer run on Monday and nothing on Tuesday I needed to get back on schedule. A had the mother/son mass and breakfast this morning with F so I couldn't swim. The weather was terrible yesterday and we are dealing with cold temps and ice and snow - AGAIN! So no running today. Tomorrow is a scheduled run anyway. Core work, upper body weights and an hour on the bike. Done! I decided to do my bike work a little differently and concentrate on heart rate instead of speed or mileage. After a 10 minute warmup, I did a solid 40 minutes with my heart rate at 140 - pretty good and comfortable for me on the bike. Then a 10 minute cool down. I do really need to get the biking legs going along with the aero back. The core work is helping with the back. As always, I just need more time in the saddle.

It really helped to have sun streaming in the windows while I rode. Why not bike or run outside, you ask? Because it's 3 degrees with a -16 degree windchill. Sun doesn't always equal nice weather in the frozen north. Saturday it is supposed to reach the mid-40s (yes, still cold for many of you) and that means snow and ice melt. Yeah! Small victories.

A Good Long Run

We had a good run this morning - 15.5 miles - our longest so far for this training cycle. We were talking about how quickly we got to this milestone compared to last year. The spring marathon we are entered in is about a month earlier than Grandma's Marathon so our training schedule is a month ahead. The weather wasn't too bad - 27 degrees, but cloudy and a little breezy. I still think we are more fit at this time than we were last year. This upcoming week is pretty serious stuff with longer runs that tack on speed and hills. We should be feeling it for our long run next Saturday.

Payment Deferred

I am totally a glass half empty guy, I guess. This morning wasn't so bad. I was still a little sore, but not to the extent that I was anticipating. (I was afraid I wouldn't be able to walk down stairs.) Swimming really helped. Another IM day (every Wednesday) so that helps get all the muscle groups working. We are in taper mode. Not really, but kind of. The high school state meet is this weekend and we share the pool with one of the teams, but not workouts. Still, coach seems to lengthen intervals and shorten yardage for us as well. It worked for me today.

We are getting a little reprieve from winter. It is sunny and clear and supposed to be 40 degrees today so I broke out the mountain bike instead of driving to the coffee shop. Felt good to bike outside even for a short ride. 

Oh yeah - the GI issues resolved themselves in time for dinner last night - BLTs - I ate two - super delicious.

Kind of a bust

That is how I feel about today. I didn't get up and swim (had the alarm set and turned it off.) I didn't get on my bike (I said I would after the kids went to bed, honestly, that will never EVER happen.) I didn't walk the dog (he did, however, go everywhere with me in the car.) I shoveled the driveway - AGAIN! (I really dislike shoveling the driveway and there wasn't really enough snow to use the snow blower.) I took my wife, sister and a mutual friend to the airport so they could catch a flight to Florida for four days (I have mixed feelings on this one. I am no fan of FLA - sorry friendly FLA natives - too many blue-hairs and gummers and not enough for me to keep busy. Plus, we stay with my in-laws when we go. However, I don't mind FLA in small bites and especially if there are no kids involved and we are in the middle of the longest winter EVER. I would have loved to go, but my wife chose the company of my sister instead, damn it.) I went looking for Cadbury Mini Eggs (not the vomitimous Cream Eggs) and couldn't find any at the three stores I looked in. (I have - actually had - I ate them all - a bag of these seasonal delicacies, but I can not for the life of me remember where I got them - this was like a week ago. When I find them I am buying five bags.) Now I am sitting on the couch with the dog snoring next to me. I guess if I really break it down the day wasn't a total bust. 

I have this incredibly minor cold that I have decided to use as a crutch to get me out of just about anything good for me, so I used it as an excuse not to swim - that and the snow and bitter temperature. Now, with my wife gone, I won't be able to run tomorrow or swim on Monday. That leaves only trainer time. I need time in the saddle so it is a blessing in disguise. I just need to actually get my butt on the saddle. I think I will keep my goals simple - at least an hour, even if it's easy spinning. Something to get the heart rate up some and sweat out all the toxins.

The driveway did need to be shoveled and the snow is heavy so there was some benefit there - what I have taken to calling the Minnesota Core Workout. 

My wife and sister needed a break. They have both been working their asses off. The mutual friend? I guess she deserves a break, too.

Those damn Mini Eggs. They are so good, but that must mean they have like 20 times the fat of M & Ms. So, that too is probably a blessing in disguise that I can't have any. (But I will find them and they will be mine.)

As a total aside - when I decided the title of this post, I had a different image in mind. I Googled; "bust," "busts," "cleavage," "decolletage," and I came up with some images but I just couldn't use them. Then I decided I couldn't let that hard work go to waste so here they are.

   

(Hey, I'm a guy. What can I say?)

Damn You, Winter!

Winter came back with a vengeance in the form of 6" of blowing and drifting snow in about 5 hours. It is still coming down and still blowing, but I decided I would rather move 6" of snow and then 3" rather than 9". So, I did workout number three for the day - ran this morning, biked this afternoon and did my core workout (AKA shoveling) this evening. Right now however, my kids and their friends are "un-shoveling" all the snow I already moved. Dig a hole, then dig it again. I did not shovel ALL the snow. I used my little snow blower to move the majority, but there was still a lot of shoveling involved. Here are a couple of pictures. 

This is my neighbor's driveway, only for comparison. 

This is my driveway.  

It took a little longer than expected because the dog had issues with the snowblower.

Before I went out I threw together a little Belgian Beef Stew. Anything with beef, beer and brandy can't be too bad. I will load up with a hearty meal tonight and then shovel again tomorrow morning - grrrrr.

Wet and Wild Wednesday

I made it to the pool today. A good night's sleep really changes your perspective at 5:30 in the morning when you are supposed to go out and do something physical. Initially, I could tell it had been a few days since I had been in the water, but I got the feel back pretty quickly. Wednesday is always IM day, which is nice since mixing it up makes the session go quicker. Made the intervals, only took one extra bit of rest (15 seconds -like that even counts) and finished strong. I would like to up the yardage a little, but I feel pretty good about 3200 yards in about 50 minutes. I have to remind myself that it's only February and I don't have a race until June. I have plenty of time to up the yardage.

In other news - it's 36 degrees and sunny and we seem to have been spared from one round of wintery weather. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Tomorrow is another day, however.