Me and The Boys

Goals, Goals, and More Goals

Over the course of the past three days, I ran 10 miles, biked 32 miles, and swam 2,400 meters. Nothing like an upcoming triathlon to get you motivated to do more cross-training!

I love the balance I'm feeling from getting in more biking and swimming - I'm falling in love with both sports all over again, and all of my workouts feel so much better, and I'm just enjoying them so much more. Adding in yoga again tomorrow night, too, and trying my first TRX class at the gym next week.

Variety is the spice of life, right?  Whatever it is, it's working for me, so I'm sticking with it! 

Next up on the agenda for cross-training is to make it to a group bike ride (something I've never, ever done), and start working on some swimming drills. I have no problem with endurance, but I want to get faster, and improving my form by doing drills is the only way to do that. I want this to be the year I get out of the water at the tri and feel happy with how my swim went.

I am starting to think a little more about my next big road race, too - the Jamestown Half that's part of the UHC Triple Crown. I'm definitely going to be racing this one, but the weather will be a huge factor, and if it's a typical warm, humid July day, I'm going to have to adjust my goals.

But I knew that when I signed up, and I'm really saving my all-out effort for the Amica half in October. Jamestown will be a stepping stone of sorts - a reminder to me of what it's like to race at that distance, and a chance to practice pacing myself and not going out too fast - something I still need to get better at.

My goal for Amica is to come as close to 1:40 as I can. 1:40 would be about a 7:37 pace. For 13.1 miles (my PR is 1:43, which was a 7:55 pace). Just writing that out makes me a little nervous. And I know I might not quite get to 1:40 this year. But I'm going to give it my best shot!

And the only way to get there is to put in the training, so I'll be back at the track tomorrow morning. I'm actually going to have some company this time, too, which will be nice. Always good to have someone to commiserate with when you're suffering through a tough workout.

Sub-21 5K and 1:40 half-marathon. Two pretty lofty goals, but I like aiming high. I like knowing that challenge is out there, and I like executing a plan to help me meet the challenge.

To that end, I'm taking suggestions on the following two items -

- Top three swim drills

- Best half-marathon workouts (track work and/or tempo runs)

Speedwork, Swimming, and Yoga - All In A Week's Work

Finally feeling completely recovered from Gansett is a lovely thing. As odd as it may sound, I feel like running the half this past weekend was what really brought me back to feeling like my old self. If I had raced it, or even given an 80% effort, I know I wouldn't feel that way. But since I ran it nice and easy, it ended up being just what my body needed.

And honestly, almost as soon as I crossed that finish line, I felt like I was ready to move on and ready to start tackling some tough workouts again. I was seriously chomping at the bit, anxious to get down to the track this week and get in some speedwork.

My big goal for this year is to break 21 minutes in a 5K. I've got 39 seconds to go, so I have some work ahead of me for sure. To that end, I was at the track bright and early the other morning, facing down a series of 5 x 400, 400, and 200. It seemed like a good workout to start with - not too easy, but not too long and intense, either.

While I was training for Gansett, I did almost all of my track workouts either on the treadmill or in the neighborhood loop just down the road from the gym. I think only one or two of them were actually done on the track. So it was actually kind of nice to be back there again.

That optimism and eagerness carried me right through a fantastic workout - nearly all of my 400s were run at right around a 6:30 pace, and the 200s around a 6:20 pace. The 4th time through was the hardest, but once I got that done, I knew I only had to go through the cycle one more time, and I finished feeling exhausted, but exhilarated.

And I remembered that, although I complain and whine about speedwork, I also secretly love it. I never fail to walk off that track feeling amazingly accomplished, and unstoppable.

That night I headed off to my first Yoga for Runners class. I always say I need to make time for yoga, but I never quite get around to it. I knew the only way I'd stick with it is if I shelled out the cash and signed up for a class that meets regularly, so that's what I did. And judging by how amazing I felt after the first class, I am certain that I made a good decision.

It was exactly what I was looking for - a good workout, but also completely restorative and peaceful and balancing. And my lower back and piriformis, which have been giving me trouble on and off since my last 20-miler during Gansett training, felt better than they have in weeks.

Very happy that I've committed to this, and already looking forward to next week's class. I know I need this, and I'm glad I'm finally taking the steps necessary to make it happen.

And today, to round things out, I was back in the pool for many, many, many laps. I had actually planned on running today, but when I got to the gym, I saw that the lap lane was wide open, so I figured I'd take advantage and jump in (glad I always keep my bathing suit and goggles in my gym bag!).

I did a bunch of different intervals - some 100s, some 200s, a 600, some 400s - and in the end, it all added up to 2,200 meters. My longest swim ever!  Took me just under an hour, but I honestly felt great the whole time - I was only starting to feel tired towards the very end.

I'm glad I have the endurance, but I know I need to work on my form. If any swimmers out there (e.g., Wes!!!!) can tell me the top three drills I should do, I'm all ears. I know I need to work those into my training, but I want to do the ones that are most effective.

As if that weren't enough cross-training, I think I'm finally going to get out for my first bike ride of the season this weekend. My bike needed some cleaning and a new set of tires, but now that that's taken care of, there's no excuse not to get out there - and I'm not looking for one, either. I haven't been on my bike since last August, so I can't wait!!!!  My triathlon is 11 weeks away, and I will be more than ready!

A few other exciting items to report on the running side of things, but that will have to wait for another post. Stay tuned.....

What A Difference A Week (And A Year) Makes

Last week at this time I was experiencing a severe case of the post-race blues. The excitement of Gansett was fading, my running was going horribly, my legs still felt achy and sore, I was incredibly unmotivated, and couldn't seem to shake any of it.

Then I ran a really fun 5K, discovered that my legs in fact had not forgotten how to run fast, remembered how much fun running is, and found myself finally shaking off the negativity.

And this week has been more of the same.

I was back in the pool again, and swam 2,000m in 50 minutes. I'm still a painfully slow swimmer, but that distance in that amount of time is actually pretty good for me, so it made me happy, and made me feel much better about my upcoming triathlon. (Still debating whether or not I want to look into getting some swim coaching this year. I think I could have a shot at an age-group award in the tri if I could improve my swim time, but I don't know if it means that much to me, or if I should just do my best with what I've got and enjoy the race. Will ponder that some more....)

And yesterday, I had one of the best runs (aside from the 5K) that I've had in weeks. I started at an 8:40 pace, and it felt too easy, so I went down to 8:30, and that still felt easy. I finally settled right around an 8-minute pace, and it felt nearly effortless. FINALLY!!!!

It's more than just the great workouts, though. I think one of the things that's helped my mood so tremendously this week is that it finally occurred to me that I have no HUGE races looming. 

I have plenty of goals for the summer and early fall, and some of them are pretty lofty (e.g., sub-21-minute 5K - I get kind of nauseous just thinking about running that fast for 3.1 miles, but I know if I start back up with speedwork, I can get there), but none of my goals are going to require me to obsessively pore over training plans, or go on 3-hour training runs every weekend, or spend 4 months of my life thinking about THE RACE.

Because really, my journey to Gansett began just about a year ago, when I ran the Cox Rhode Races half marathon (which I'll be running again this weekend). I was using that race as a test last year, to see if I felt I was at a point where qualifying for Gansett and/or Boston was a realistic goal.

As it turns out, it was. So I immediately started the process of figuring out how I was going to actually accomplish that goal, then spent the next 4 months doing the work, and stressing about it the entire time.

Then when I knew I had qualified in Hartford and I was going to run Gansett, the process began all over again.

And I started out saying that I was not going to put too much pressure on myself to PR at Gansett, and that I just wanted to enjoy the experience, but before I knew it, I was consulting pace charts and track workouts and gearing up for another quarter of a year with a big event on the horizon.

Don't get me wrong - I really do enjoy the whole process of training for and preparing for a big race. I'm a planner by nature, and there's something very satisfying about seeing all those workouts laid out in black and white, and checking each one off as you complete it. And the anticipation can be really stressful, but it's also amazingly exciting, knowing you're working up to this huge goal, and knowing how awesome it's going to feel when you finally complete it. 

But doing it two times in a row, with very little time off in between, proved to be a bit much. Spending nearly an entire year either thinking about or training for a hugely important race was really draining. I'm proud of getting through it, but I don't care to do it again any time soon.

Which is why I find myself feeling like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders - because it has been! And as a result, my heart and my legs feel so much lighter : )

I'm looking forward to focusing on smaller goals this summer, and shorter races, and more fun running. And more biking. And more swimming. And more time spent with my family (although I know there will be mornings where I'm refereeing fights for hours on end, and wishing I had a 20-miler on my training schedule).

And by the time the summer ends, I predict that I'll be cracking open my running books again, peeking at marathon training plans, and getting ready to get my registration in for Boston.

This will be like my own little summer vacation, and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it - and when it's over, I know I'll be ready to get back to work!

The Boys Are Back to School, But I'm Still On Vacation

For the past 8 months, I've been telling myself that I need to start getting back in the pool regularly. And for the past 8 months, I've been making one excuse after another for not swimming.

But now that marathon training is done, and I have a triathlon coming up in about 8 weeks, there are no excuses left.

So I was back in the water at 6am sharp today, ready to see if I still remembered how to swim!

I started out doing 100s, and had to rest quite a bit between the first few sets, but was happy that my arms and legs still knew what to do, and was actually feeling ok.

After 8 x 100, I decided to try for 200s. I was definitely feeling more comfortable now, and really enjoying being in the water. I forgot what an incredible workout swimming is - it was tiring, but also felt great.

And once I did my first 200 and knew I was now up to 1,000m, I knew I'd go for a full mile.

I ended up completing the 1-mile swim in just about 45 minutes, which I was thrilled with, considering it was my first swim since August! The endurance I gained from marathon training definitely carried over. (Can't wait to test out that endurance on my bike soon, too!)

Now that the tri is on the horizon, I think it'll be a lot easier for me to stick to a schedule of swimming at least once a week. And when the weather (and the water temperature) warms up, I need to get in at least a few open-water swims. I didn't do that before the tri last year, and I paid for it with one of my worst swims ever, so I want to be sure to not make that same mistake this year.

I also went out for my first post-marathon run on Saturday morning, and it was wonderful. I did have my Garmin on, just so that I'd have the info to record in my running log when I got back, but I wore it upside down on my wrist, so that I wouldn't be tempted to look at it while running - and it worked - I looked at it only one time during the entire run. 

The rest of the time, I just ran, and reveled in the fact that I did not have to worry about hitting a certain pace or a certain number of miles. It felt so liberating.

There is a small part of me that feels a little lost not having a plan to follow, but I'm mostly really loving the freedom. I'm going to give myself at least a few more weeks of easy runs, and will maybe start to pick things back up again around the middle of May.

By then, I think I'll be ready to get back to the track, and pin down some more specific goals for my summer races, and get back to work. Until then, I'll kick back and enjoy my little 'vacation.'

Naval Station Newport Tri - Worst. Swim. Ever.

When I saw that the Blessing and the Naval Station sprint were going to be held two days apart this year, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I knew I was going to do both.

As race weekend approached, I was feeling amazingly confident about my biking and running. I knew I'd do well in the Blessing, and I knew that even though it was only two days later, I'd still be able to pull off a pretty good performance in the bike and run portions of the tri. The swim, not so much.

I did some swimming this spring and summer, and got in some decent workouts, but my swimming was just nowhere near the level it was at last year - largely because last year, I was injured and wasn't able to run much, so I spent a lot more time in the pool. And I also did several open-water swims before the race - something I did not do at all this year.

I could come up with lots of excuses for why I didn't swim enough, and why I didn't do any open-water swims, but it doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is that I learned my lesson. If I want to improve my swim, I need to spend more time in the pool (duh!) - but more importantly, I HAVE to do some open-water swimming before next year's race. More on that later.

My alarm was set for 4:30 Sunday morning, but after sleeping very soundly Friday night (thanks to being completely wiped out from running a 10-mile race!), I had a horrible night's sleep Saturday. I tossed and turned quite a bit, and woke up at 3:45am, completely unable to go back to sleep.

I knew there was no point in trying to sleep more, so I got up and got the coffee going, and toasted my bagel, and tried to relax and enjoy the quiet. I had packed up all my stuff Saturday afternoon, so there wasn't a whole lot I had to do, but I did check my list one more time and make sure I had everything.

I'm not really sure what I did in those two hours, besides eat and check my list - I was so nervous, I could hardly see straight. Triathlon mornings always freak me out way more than road race mornings. My nerves are so much worse when I know I'm faced with a swim, bike, and run. So much more intimidating.

But I somehow filled those two hours, and when 6am rolled around, I headed out. I arrived at the race right around 6:30, exactly as planned. I got my packet, got marked, and went back to the car to get all my stuff. It only took me about 5 minutes to get everything set up in transition. I was wearing a sports bra and my new tri shorts for the whole race, so there was really no clothing to deal with, aside from socks and shoes. I got those situated on my towel, rested my helmet and sunglasses and Garmin on my aerobars, and looked for some friends who were doing the race as their first tri.

I talked with them a bit, and also found a few other people to chat with as we waited around for the swim start. Before I knew it, we were walking over to the beach. The time passed very quickly!

I was feeling a little better now that we were close to actually getting started. The anticipation is the worst. Once I'm in motion, the nerves start to settle down a bit. And standing on the beach, I really wasn't that nervous at all. I knew I'd be slow on the swim, but I wasn't freaked out about getting in the water.

I was in the third wave, so it was only about a 9-minute wait. Not too bad. The waves were small, as they always are for this race, so there was no real chaos as the horn sounded and we entered the water. I did get jostled a bit, but nothing to really throw me off.

I kept my head up for a few strokes, just to try to get a sense of where I was, and how crowded the water was, and then got my head down and started swimming. What happened after that is hard to describe. I can't say that I panicked, and I can't say that I was scared. I know this course, I know the water is super murky and once you get 20 yards from shore, you can't see anything. I knew that, and I was fully expecting it.

But it unnerved me somehow. And it threw me off. And no matter what I did, I felt completely unable to get into any kind of rhythm with my swimming. It wasn't for lack of trying. I tried really hard. I'd stop and take breaks when necessary, just doing breaststroke for a bit, and then I'd take a deep breath and try to get back into it, but it just was. not. working.

It was SO frustrating. I knew I could do this swim, but my head and my body were just not cooperating. I finally got to the first buoy (it's a rectangular course), and the second buoy seemed so, so far away. It was totally depressing. And during that longest stretch of the course, I lost it mentally. I didn't freak out, but I came as close as I've ever come to giving up during a race. I just wanted out of that stupid water.

Finally the long stretch was over (keep in mind that this is a 1/3-mile swim, so the long stretch wasn't even that long, but it felt like a mile!), and as I rounded the second buoy and began to head into shore, I finally, finally was able to just swim. I still took one or two breaks, but the majority of that final stretch went fine. I'm glad I was able to end the swim on a good note, but overall it was just so crappy, I wanted to forget it had ever happened.

I was way more mentally than physically exhausted, and I dragged myself out of the water and walked a bit just to catch my breath, then began a quick jog back to transition, trying to shake off the ickiness of the swim and get my head in a better place as I got on the bike.

I was pretty quick in transition - this race doesn't provide transition times, so I don't know exactly how fast I was, but I'm not overly concerned with that anyway - and was happy to be back on terra firma and walking my bike out to the road.

The only thing I don't really like about this race is the beginning of the bike and run. They have the first part of each route sectioned off with traffic cones, and you have to navigate your way through this sometimes very narrow 'chute' as you're getting started. It's less of an issue on the run - on the bike, it's pretty tricky, especially as you're starting out and trying to get up to speed.

I got past that, though, and was quickly flying down the road. The bike course is great. Out and back, with a bunch of nice rollers. Nothing steep, and nothing that really even slowed me down too much - but enough to keep it interesting.

And all of the confidence that was sucked out of me on the swim came back tenfold on the bike. I was passing people left and right, and I felt GREAT! The hills challenged me a bit, but even climbing, I was still passing people.

The turnaround point is a very, very tight corner, and I came very close to taking it a teensy bit too fast, but I stayed in control, and was happy to be headed back. The second half went just as well as the first. Still feeling good, still flying : )

I haven't put my bike computer on the new bike yet, and I hadn't turned on my Garmin (I wanted to just enjoy the ride), so I don't know how fast I was going, but I'm fairly certain I was averaging 20 or 21mph.

As much fun as the ride was, I was still happy to get off the bike and get to what I do best - the run.

I was a little worried about how my legs would feel, seeing as how I had just run 10 miles really hard not even 48 hours prior, and had not done a single brick workout in training.

Much to my surprise, my legs felt great. I wouldn't go so far as to say they felt fresh, but I didn't have that heavy-legged feeling you can get going from the bike to the run. And when I looked at my Garmin, I was kind of shocked to see a sub-8:00 pace, since I figured I'd have to gradually work my way up to a quick pace - I never imagined I'd get under 8-minute miles so quickly!

As with the bike, we had to run through a narrow chute of traffic cones, then directly up a short, but steep hill. It sucked, but it was over quickly. As we continued on the run, I began to remember all the hills. I think I had blocked it out of my memory, but as we climbed, and climbed again - and again - and again - the memories came flooding back.

And of course the sun was higher in the sky now, so it was definitely getting hotter. I was still feeling alright, though, and just chugging along, holding a pace just under 8:00. Still slightly astonished that I was running at that pace, considering everything my body had been through, but I wasn't going to slow down now!

The run course also includes a lot of little out-and-backs, which I find kind of annoying, but they did afford me the chance to see my friends who were also running, and it was fun to wave and cheer each other on.

Right before the run ends is a nasty big hill. I knew it was coming, and I knew I could do it, and I knew that once I got done with that, it was literally all downhill to the finish.

Once I could see the finish line, I picked it up and sprinted in, crossing the line in 1:15:36.

No PR.

I was and still am disappointed. I don't like to fail at any goal that I set for myself. But I need to keep in mind that four PRs in one month is a pretty lofty goal, and the fact that I got three out of four is something to be incredibly proud of.

And the fact that, even though I completely bombed on the swim, I was still able to come within one minute of my PR for this race, is something else to be proud of. As is the fact that I managed a 7:45 pace on the run - after running the Blessing Friday night, and then swimming 1/3 of a mile, and biking 10.5 miles.

So while I'm disappointed, I'm also proud. And humbled.

I thought that since I had done this race three times already, the open water factor wouldn't be an issue. But I've learned the hard way that there is NO substitute for practicing in the open water. None. I will not make that same mistake again.

The tinge of disappointment I felt was certainly not enough to spoil my day, though, and I was happy to hang around watching my friends finish (their first triathlon - woohoo!!!!), and thoroughly enjoyed the pancake breakfast.

Now, a few days later, I am completely, 100% burned out. July was a very fun and very exciting month for me, and I enjoyed every single one of my races, but I am so ready to take a break from racing and just focus on my marathon training.

I've felt some post-race blues, too, and it's been fortunate that Gabe and Dante have been at camp this week, because it's allowed me to just plop down on the couch in the afternoon while Carmine naps.

My body is desperate for some recovery time, and I'm more than happy to oblige. It's not like me at all to just sit around and do nothing, but for the first time in a long, long time, it feels good, which I think is the clearest sign of all that that's exactly what I need to be doing.

I'm still working out, but I'm taking it easy. My marathon training plan called for a track workout yesterday. Not just any track workout, either - 2 x 1200, and 4 x 800. I almost laughed out loud when I read that. After the weekend I had, there was no way that was going to happen. Instead, I did a very, very easy few miles, and spent a ton of time stretching.

Tomorrow's tempo run may become an easy run, too. I'm going to listen to my body and cut myself some slack. There are still plenty more track workouts and tempo runs to do in the next 12 weeks.....

So, the final stats from the tri - 

Swim 1/3 mile - 14:03 - 200 out of 273 : (

Bike 10.5 miles - 35:53 - 72 out of 273  (this includes my transition time)

Run 3.5 miles - 25:41 - 7:45 pace - 76 out of 273

Total time - 1:15:36

7 out of 20 in my age group

21 out of 110 females overall

97 out of 275 overall

Considering the swim was so horrible, I think I still pulled off a pretty decent race overall. Running will always be my first love, but I love my once-a-year tri tradition : )

Family Bike Rides Coming Soon!

So many things to catch up on, but first and foremost - Gabe and Dante are now accomplished riders of their two-wheelers!  No more training wheels!!!!! 

We worked on it with Gabe a little bit this past Fall, but it didn't go well, and his heart was clearly not in it. So we backed off. But this weekend, I asked him if he wanted to try again, and at first he said no, but then he changed his mind and said he did want to try, so we got to work.

We had him riding down a very slight incline in the yard (not quite as painful to fall on the grass), and I could see immediately that he was doing much better than he had the last time. He was still wobbly, and fell a lot, but he was staying upright a lot more, and seemed a little more confident.

And once Gabe started getting it, Dante wanted to get in on the action, too, so we took the training wheels off of his bike and got him going in the same spot as Gabe.

After about an hour, they were both riding around like pros! It was amazing to see them put it all together and really get it. And so, so cool to see them riding their bikes like big kids! There's nothing quite like seeing your kids learn a new skill like that.

I had them stay on the grass for a little longer, but they were really doing so well, I told them to go ahead and ride around the cul-de-sac, and that's what they did ALL AFTERNOON. They rode around and around in circles, and had the time of their lives : )   This morning they were both complaining that their butts were sore from sitting on the bike seat for so long. I can relate to that feeling! 

I can definitely relate today, since I got out for my first bike ride of the season yesterday morning. Sad that this was my first ride of the season, and it's June, but hopefully I can be more consistent with it going forward. I was out on the road by 6am, and it was a chilly start, but a beautiful morning. I rode 25 miles, and averaged 17.5 mph - not too bad, considering I hadn't been on my bike since September! The hills were challenging, but aside from that, I felt great, and it was really good to be back out there.

And after skipping my swim last week, I was determined to get a swim in this week, so I got in the pool today. I think I'm better off going on Mondays, because as the week goes on, I'm less and less motivated to do it. I felt tired and 'off' at first, but about halfway through, I was nicely warmed up, and the second half felt great.

I did just over a mile in about 40 minutes - standard for me. I know I should focus on drills and improving my speed, but my heart and head are too wrapped up in running right now, and I'm just going to accept that swimming will remain my weakest link for another year or so. I do ok, and that's good enough for me for now. The time will come when I'm ready to devote more time and energy to it, and I'm excited to see how much I can improve when that time comes, but it just isn't now.

Saturday's run was awesome, too. 14 miles, average 8:40 pace, and I felt wonderful the whole time. It was a relatively cool morning, which helped. And it's a good thing it wasn't too hot, because when I stopped for a bathroom break and refilled my water bottle, I dropped the cap on the floor of the bathroom. Ew. So that was it for water for me. But since it wasn't hot, and I had already had a lot of water to drink, I was fine.

We're in for a few super hot and humid days this week, but luckily it's supposed to cool off a bit just in time for our race on Saturday morning. It'll be warm, but not brutally hot and uncomfortable. I'm not hoping for a PR this time, since the weather is warmer, and I know I'm going to be a little slower because of that. But I am hoping to place in my age group, since this will be my last race ever in the 30 - 39 age group - I turn the big 4-0 on Sunday!!!!! 

I'm not sure exactly what we're doing to celebrate. I know Scott has something planned, but I like surprises, so I'm not pestering him to find out what it is : )   I know he'll make the day special for me - he's really good at that kind of stuff : )

And I might as well close, like I always do, with some of the boys' one-liners.

Yesterday Scott asked Gabe to turn off the outdoor faucet for him (he had just finished watering something), and Gabe tried to turn it off, but got confused and forgot which way to turn it, and started getting all frustrated, and yelled "Daddy, I can't do this!  I'm not a plumber!"

Dante told me the other day that he and his friend Sara would have very cute babies. I'm ok with them talking about getting married, but talking about how cute their babies would be is going a wee bit too far!!!  : )

We were also talking in the car last week about how the calendar works, and what a month and a year are, and Scott asked Dante if he knew what year it was. Dante thought for a minute, then answered "Um.... the 4th of July?"

I give him an 'A' for effort.

Cross-Training - It Works!!!!

I have hardly been in the pool at all the past few months. Seriously, I could count on one hand the number of times I've been swimming since the calendar flipped over to 2011. But today, spurred on by the realization that I'm doing a triathlon (indoor tri at the YMCA) in two weeks, I finally got my butt back in the pool, and much to my surprise, it went fabulous!

I thought for sure I'd be struggling, and taking lots of breaks, but it was just the opposite. I felt so strong, and ended up swimming a mile in about 45 minutes, which is pretty much my average pace. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I attribute it to all the upper body weight lifting I've been doing. My arms and back and shoulders are so much stronger right now than they've ever been, and I really feel like it helped a ton.

I know I still need to get back to doing drills and improving my stroke, but I don't feel like I'm starting from scratch, which is encouraging. The tri that I'm doing is time-based, and includes 15 minutes in the pool, and I think I should be able to pull off about 600m in that time, which I'll be thrilled with.

I should probably get on the stationary bike a few times in the next couple weeks, too, just to get myself comfortable with biking again, since that's another thing I haven't done in what seems like eons.

I'll be out on the bike again soon, though. Spring is in the air, for sure. It's going to cool off again this weekend, but today it was up near 70!  We spent all afternoon at the park with friends, and we did that yesterday, too. Glorious!  Can't wait until the nice weather is here to stay!!!!

I also can't wait until the work on the house is finished. The painters are just about done with the work they were doing downstairs - the family room and kitchen - and those parts of the house are almost put back together again. They had to move so much stuff, and I hate having everything out of place, so it was kind of driving me batty. But they'll be finished up wtih that work Monday, and will also paint the new bedroom on Monday, and then all that remains is carpeting and finish work - lighting fixtures, closet doors, baseboards....   

We had hoped to have the boys moved in by Easter, but if things proceed as planned, I think they might even be in a week or two before that!  The end is definitely in sight, and it's sooooo exciting!!!!

Injury Report

I'm very happy to say that running is going well. I'm sticking with just 3 or so miles 2 or 3 times a week, and have had three PT sessions so far, and at the last two appointments, she did the cold laser treatment, and I swear, I could feel a difference almost immediately. I think that, combined with the orthotics, is going to be the key to getting over this thing once and for all.

I had planned on doing a race next month, but I think I"m going to skip it. There are only two I was interested in, and they're both kind of far away/inconvenient to get to, and I feel like I'm really onto something with the PT and the reduced trainaing, and I'd rather not push it. 

I'm so happy just to be running 2 - 3 times a week, and I'm happy that I've had a couple of really great races in the past two months, so I'm going to stick with the current program and focus on healing, so that I can come back strong for the Super 5K in February.

I'm also going to lay off the weights for a while. I've been doing a ton of weight training the past few months, and I've enjoyed it, but I feel like I need something different, so I'm going to focus on getting back to swimming, and going to yoga and pilates classes at the gym.

I started today with my first swim in months. Every year after I do my August triathlon, I swim a handful of times, then totally slack off for a few months. I really enjoy swimming, but it's not my first love, and I always seem to be able to come up with an excuse NOT to go for a swim.

And as I was walking in the gym today, I peeked in the pool and saw that there were already two people swimming in the only available lap lane, and I almost bailed and went down to the fitness center instead, but forced myself to just get in there and deal with sharing the lane.

And as it turns out, after just a few laps, one of the other swimmers left, so it was just me and one other woman, and a few minutes later, she left, too, so I ended up with the whole lane to myself for much of the time. And despite not having been in the pool in such a long time, I was still able to swim a mile in about 45 minutes. I know that's not fast, but it's pretty much my average pace, so I was happy that I still had that in me.

I don't know how long I'll stay with this new plan - or, more accurately, lack of a plan - but I think the variety is going to be nice. It is, after all, the spice of life.

One Week (Almost) Down, Five Weeks To Go

So the good news is that I don't have a stress fracture.

The bad news is that I still need to take 4 - 6 weeks off running.

This is what I was told at the orthopedist this morning, but frankly, I had made the decision to take 6 weeks off anyway, after the pain I was in following the tri on Sunday.

I've been attempting to run twice a week while rehabbing this injury, but it's just not working. It's been one step forward, and three steps back. Not good.

And I think even before I did the tri, I knew I was facing a layoff immediately afterward. I could see it coming, so I've been preparing myself for a while, and am handling it rather well.

I'm already enjoying swimming so much, and am looking forward to spending even more time in the pool and doing some serious work on drills and perfecting my technique so that I can eventually get faster, as that's still the area of the tri where I have the most room for improvement.

And since I've been deprived of my long runs on the weekends, I've been substituting with long bike rides, and am seriously contemplating doing a century in the fall. Gotta get my endurance fix somehow! To that end, I'm going to try for a 40-mile ride this weekend, and am going to start practicing changing flats.

I'm also getting a lot of enjoyment from lifting weights. I've always liked strength training, and when I can't run, I have a lot more time to focus on the weights, and I always see results when I do that. I love seeing more muscle tone - nothing like tangible, visible proof that your hard work is paying off!

And finally, when I do return to running (Sept. 12 - it's marked on my calendar!), I'm going to follow this plan, to avoid coming back too quickly and ending up re-injured. I am going to follow the plan religiously, and will not jump ahead and run any more than is prescribed.

I know that I have nobody but myself to blame for this injury. I was a bit too ambitious in my postpartum race plans - a bit too anxious to lose the baby weight, to get back to racing, and to get to feeling like myself (the self who runs often, and runs fast).

The hip alignment and the shoes were definitely contributing factors, too, but the bottom line is that I did too much too soon, and I should have backed off a long time ago.

But I'm not beating myself up over it. I acknowledge my mistake, I'm paying for it, and I really feel like, in the end, I'm going to be a better athlete for it. I'm tired of being in pain, I'm tired of being injured, and I'm determined to do this the right way, and come back stronger than ever.

So as of right now, my summer 2010 race season is officially over. I probably won't race again until the Mews Tavern 5K in November, which seems like a long way off, but I know it'll go by fast - life with three kids is pretty busy, and November will be here before I know it.

I know I'll have times where I get depressed about not running, but right now I'm feeling ok, and feeling incredibly thankful that I have swimming and biking to fall back on. And the way I see it, if I had to end my season a little early, at least I ended it on a high note, with what I felt was a great performance in a really fun race!

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

PT for the shin continues, with mixed success. The hip alignment definitely was an issue, and they're continuing to work on that - sometimes it stays where it's supposed to be, other times it rotates back out of place, so I've got some exercises to do to try to keep it in place once and for all. 

And of course we're still treating the symptom, which is the aching shin. I took a week off from running, and it was feeling so much better, and then I took a test run yesterday morning, and OUCH!  I felt like all the improvement I had made with a week of rest was immediately gone. Sigh. 

So I went in this morning, and they did ultrasound treatment and some serious deep-tissue massage (which was pretty uncomfortable), and iced the heck out of it, and it now feels a hundred times better. I'm going back Monday, and will not be running this weekend, so hopefully a few more of these massage treatments will get me back on track. 

As Dante would say, I REEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLYYYYYYY want to run the Blessing next Friday night. But I also know that I don't want to end up with a stress fracture, and/or undo all the progress I've made with rehabbing this so far, so I need to be smart, especially since the triathlon is the following weekend, and at this point, I think that race is more of a priority for me - and since that run is only 3 miles, as opposed to 10, it would definitely be much less of a risk. I've done plenty of running races already this season, and although the Blessing is one of my favorite, if I had to choose, I'd choose to do the tri. We'll see what next week holds.....

I was also sent to the running store to see if a different shoe (with more arch support) might be a better choice for me. I now have two pairs - one Brooks, and one Mizuno - which I'll try out on the treadmill and decide which one I like better. I'm willing to try just about anything to get rid of this nagging pain. Orthotics have been mentioned, but are being treated as very much an absolutely last resort. Hopefully we don't get there. 

In the meantime, I can't wait to get out for another long bike ride this weekend. If I can't run long, biking 30 miles is the next best thing : )  And I'm also logging many, many laps in the pool, and swimming has become my new addiction. I've been lazy about doing drills, only halfheartedly throwing a few into my workouts here and there, but now that I'm spending so much more time in the pool, I'm recommitting to doing lots of drills and perfecting my technique. Whenever I really focus on drills, I notice a difference in my form almost immediately, so I know it definitely pays off. Just have to stick with it. 

As I was finishing up my swim yesterday morning, the campers arrived in the pool area for their swim time, and this week Gabe and Dante are two of the campers!  They got such a kick out of seeing me in there swimming, and it was pretty fun to wave to them as I stopped at the wall for each turnaround. 

Yesterday morning was my longest swim ever - 2500 yards! It felt so amazing to swim that far, and although I was tired, I wasn't completely wiped out, and honestly felt like I could have swum further. It took me a while - just over an hour - but it was a serious workout! Just stepping up my swimming for the past few weeks, my arms are looking so much more muscular than any amount of weight lifting has ever made them. And this morning, I was able to fit into a pair of my size 6 shorts - woohoo!!!!  I love swimming! 

I also love our garden, which is exploding with zucchini, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes. The beefsteak tomatoes are slowly ripening, too, and we had the first red one last night, tossed with olive oil, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar - summer in a bowl : )   I dug up the first of the potatoes, too, and judging by the amount I got from just 6 or 7 plants, I think we're going to have another good harvest, and we should be eating fresh potatoes for the remainder of the summer. 

The boys have had a fabulous week at camp, and Carmine and I have had a nice quiet week without the big boys running around screaming. Both of the boys' camps have been great - lots of time outside, playing games, doing crafts, and making new friends - all the stuff camp is supposed to be!  They're doing another week in August, and I'm really glad we signed them up for both weeks. It's a nice way to break up the summer and keep everyone busy. 

Carmine is doing well with the rice cereal. We're giving it to him once or twice a day, and he seems to like it best with (plain, unsweetened) applesauce. He also loves sitting up, but still needs to be propped up so that he doesn't tip over. Still no discernible pattern with his napping, but I think that's just because we're so darn busy all the time. Maybe when school starts up, and the big boys are out of the house for much of the day, I can try to get him into a more regular schedule. His nighttime sleeping has been much better, though, and he seems to be back to just waking up once a night, which is a relief. 

This week coming up is Scott's vacation week, and we'll be spending it as we usually do - at the beach! Tomorrow and Sunday are both supposed to be horribly hot and humid, so we'll definitely spend both of those days at the beach, and then will probably take Monday off, since two long beach days takes a lot out of everyone. But then if the weather is good, we'll spend much of the rest of the week on the sand. And of course we'll have at least one or two dinners out, and probably a few stops for ice cream, and hopefully a few other fun surprises. 

And since it wouldn't be a blog post without a few funnies from the boys - 

Scott made them one of their favorite breakfasts one day last week - cheesy eggs. As you might have guessed, this is just scrambled eggs with cheese, but Daddy puts lots and lots of cheese - a lot more than Mommy does - so they really like it when he's the cheesy egg maker. According to Dante, Daddy's cheesy eggs are "cheesier than plain cheese."  Now that's cheesy!

Daddy is also usually a lot warmer than Mommy - especially in the winter, when my hands and feet are perpetually like icicles - and we were talking about how warm it was outside, and Gabe said it was "even warmer than Daddy."