Training Week One ended at midnight last night with me only missing out on one RT session, making all my goals of completing everything on my TNT calendar plus a few extra credits, so I feel great about my week. I had planned to hit the gym after church for my final RT and a swim but I really hurt my knee yesterday on the run somehow and decided I could use the rest instead.
The group run was great. We met up at The Portland Running Co. I've attended three of these in the past but never bothered to battle the crowds to get fitted but I decided to wait around yesterday and I'm so glad I did.
First we started with 10 mins of dynamic warm-ups down on the waterfront and then we ran up and over the Hawthorne Bridge, down the waterfront to the Steele Bridge and back, up and over the Hawthorne again and ended up with a 40 minute run. I mostly ran with Ricardo, a newbie to the group. He was really easy to talk to. He's from Mexico City and was transferred up here recently with work. Got to know an alum better: Leslie. The group seems more off balance this year ~ out of 100 participants, only about 25 are doing the half and the other 75 are doing the Olympic distance.
Anyways, it was a good run and then we headed back indoors for fittings. After watching me run, my awesome fitter told me I am a fairly severe over-pronator AND in addition, I've been buying my shoes about a 1/2 size too big. He kept me Asics, but in a cheaper style!! I like that!
While I was waiting in line I was talking to a woman who signed up for the Oly. She's a physician, a year or so younger than me, with 2 kids ages 5 and 3 and by the time we made it up to the cash register, I think I had her talked into training for the half! It seems like the majority of the team last year was in their 20s or early 30s and single/no kids, so I'm taking every chance I get to add some more flavor onto the 1/2 team ;o)
By the time I got home my knee was killing me. I think I wore my old shoes for one run too many. Nothing bothered me during the run aside from my shin splints, but I could barely walk for the rest of the day. I almost crumpled to the ground in pain at a birthday party for a classmate of Jack's when I stood up after sitting down with my legs crossed for an extended period.
So we went to church and it was an awesome time, as usual, and on the drive home we were talking about what we learned at church and eating our M&M cookies and having a grand old time and as I passed the cop hidden in the shadows I knew my fate immediately. He was so awesome and let me off with a warning and gave the kids their own badges and told them that they were honorary officers and their main job was to watch their mom's lead foot!
I awoke to an e-mail from someone at church this morning who saw me get pulled over (great!) and she said they prayed for us as they went by! I think it helped:o) I was really so lucky to not get a ticket ~ between the new shoes and my tithe at church, I'm down to $4 left for the month of February. Lean times for Julie, which means I do NOT even have the option to miss any TNT workouts this month, since I don't have the money to pay into my fundraiser page. Pressure is ON! I WILL SUCCEED! Thankfully my birthday is approaching...so maybe someone will get me a new non-stinky running shirt as a present(hint hint, Steve).
So for Week One:
Bike Workouts: 2/2
Run Workouts: 3/3
Swim Workouts: 2/2
Group Workouts: 2/2
RT Workouts: 2/3
11 mile run/hike Extra Credit
20 minutes elliptical Extra Credit
50 minutes in pool Extra Credit
Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others. Barbara Bush.
5 comments:
Awesome job this week Julie!!! Glad that you got out of the ticket ;-)
I have been wanting to ask you about swimming. I know how to swim enough to not drown, but have been wanting to swim as exercise. How did you learn? Can you use it as a HIIT? Thanks, Gina
Gina ~
You sound like me at the beginning of last year. I think the thing that was most important in me getting past my sticking point was learning to slow down and not work so hard. Once I slowed down, I was able to start enjoying it. I also feel much more comfortable breathing every other stroke so even though they really pushed us to work on breathing every 4th stroke, it took me some time to warm up to the idea...still working on it.
SO...I would recommend taking swim lessons or buying the book Total Immersion. Our coaches use similar drills to help us learn to swim better.
Next, I would recommend just keep working on your breathing. If you can only go one length of the pool at at time, fine, do that, and grab a kickboard for the next length, then swim again, etc. Then try swimming two lengths before grabbing the kickboard. Work up to it slowly if you need to. ENJOY IT!
This may not be what a swim instructor would teach you, but it's what worked for me last year.
You can definitely swim for HIIT. You could try different strokes to make it get progressively harder of if you're like me and only know one stroke, just swim faster. For instance, go at a slow pace (for me this usually means breathing every 4th or 5th stroke) then a minute at 75% pace and then a third minute at 100% all out effort (for me this is breathing every other stroke and really powering it out) and then start back at the kickboard or your slow pace again for a lap (or two, depending on your interval scale).
I want to know what you learned at church!
~C.
Hurray for lenient cops!
Girl,
NICE job this week! Awesome!
And good work on listening to your body and taking a rest day when clearly you needed it. :)
Your group run sounds amazing and I love to get fitted for running shoes - it always makes SUCH a difference in how I feel when I run.
Jess
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