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March 11, 2007
Fuel Belt Report and More...
I feel like I have so much to write about today!
First, my run. My alarm went off at 6:30 am and although this was the latest I've slept in for the past 3 weeks, I still just did not want to get up. It didn't help that it was still dark as night because of the time change and it was cold and Roxy and I were so comfy in bed. (lest you wonder, O was still in Chicago at this point) I got up anyway but as I fed Roxy and ate my PowerBar I was scheming ways to go back to bed and still get in my run, ride and swim without missing church. There was no way it all added up so I stretched, got dressed, got my gear and took off in the car to the trail.
Yes - that's right - the trail! I haven't run on it since November because of our snow and ice and all that jazz but I figured after a couple relatively warm days it had to be clear by now...right? As I was starting off I was beside myself with joy. I had my tunes on my iPod. I had my Fuel Belt. I was running on the trail again. And although it was only in the low 20s at the time I could tell it was going to be a beautiful morning and day. And thus it went for about 2 miles.
Then within 2 or 3 minutes things got ugly. First, I started to hit long stretches on the trail that were totally covered in ice. The kind of ice that is scary and I couldn't get around it either. I gingerly ran over it but almost wiped out several times. I wondered what lay up ahead. Would I be dealing with this the whole run? Next my Fuel Belt started to annoy me. It kept turning so the bottles were ending up front. Urgh. Then finally, to top it all off, my iPod died. Yes, 20 minutes into my 1:35 run my tunes were gone. Double urgh.
About 3 minutes later I had successfully turned myself around and adjusted my bad attitude. Yes, the ice was bad but it wasn't everywhere and there I was finlly getting to run on the trail again! The longest stretch of ice was about 1/2 mile but otherwise I had a relatively clear path. And I didn't fall once. As for the Fuel Belt, once I got that thing strapped on tightly enough it didn't budge an inch. And I really like it. I honestly couldn't feel it at all, the trick was just making sure it stay put. I fear it might be a little too big once I don't have 5 layers of clothes on but we'll worry about that later. The Fuel Belt definitely gets two thumbs up for me! Mine only has two bottles for fluid so it doesn't carry much but definitely enough to get one or two gels down. Good deal. And lastly without my music I just had more time to think to myself. I've had a lot of that lately. That can be dangerous!
Overall the run was great. 1:35 total - about 11.5 miles. I felt good which seems to always be the case but what can you expect when you are always running 8 minute pace or slower? I'll get tired soon enough once the speed work starts. :)
This afternoon I coaxed myself to the pool where distraction and chaos were the words of the day. And I got my workout all messed up too. What. The. Heck?
Here's what I was supposed to do:
3000 yds total
wu: 200 easy, 300 pull, 300 kick, 4x50 w/20 sec rest
ms: 175/25/150/25/125/25/100/25/75/25, 8x50, 6x100 kick (everything thus far w/15 sec rest), 10x25 w/20 sec rest
Now, if you add all that up it doesn't equal 3000 yds anyway (I think - or does it? - who knows, I can't do that kind of high powered math!)
But it didn't really matter because I screwed things up anyway. Here is what I did:
2550 yds total (I think)
wu: 200 easy, 300 kick, 4x50 w/20 sec rest
ms: 175 (2:19), 25, 150 (1:59), 25, 125 (1:39), 25, 75 (:58), 25, 25, 100 (1:18), 9x50 (38-39) all w/15 sec rest, 6x100 kick w/15 sec rest (1:33, 1:36, 1:36, 1:35, 1:35, 1:36), 10x25 w/20 sec rest (all 25s were in 18-19)
First problem, I totally skipped the 300 pull in the warmup. I don't have the little sheet of paper that I wrote the workout down on but I'm pretty sure I forgot to write that 300 pull on there. Next problem - I forgot the 100 in the whole first sequence. I started to notice after the 75 that I wasn't ending up at the right end of the pool. My first inkling that I had done something wrong. So I swam an extra 25 to get to the right end only to realize it was because I had skipped the 100 that I was off track. I did that and then started into the 50s where I promptly forgot which number I was on. Did I only do 3 or did I already do 4? Argh. Once I got home and looked through my splits I realized I did do an extra one there. I think I got the rest of it right but who knows. At least I got some hard swimming in there and some amount of yardage. In my defense there was utter chaos in the form of little girls randomly swimming in the lap lanes (one who kicked me in the face), random people trying to talk with me (I only have 15 seconds of rest buddy!) and very random balls/rings/other assorted floaty type things that migrated into my lane. Oh well, I guess you're not going to get it right every time.
Finally I came home, crawled up on my bike and rode for an easy hour, spinning in my small chain ring. Once I climbed off I felt that Sunday Satisfaction - having completed what I think is my hardest day of the week.
Whew - what a day! The good news is O is home again! I don't know how people deal with spouses who have jobs where they travel often. I don't like being home alone. Roxy only has one person to badger when O isn't around - that person being me!
Summary for the week:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 2500 yd swim in am, 60 min run and 1:15 ride in pm, 2x25 pushups, 2x100 crunchers
Wednesday - 3500 yd swim in am, 30 min run and lifting session in pm
Thursday - 2 hour ride and 50 min run in am, core/feet exercises and awesome massage in pm
Friday - 3000 yd swim in am, lifting session in pm
Saturday - 3:30 ride in am
Sunday - 1:35 run in am, 2550(?) swim and 1 hour ride in pm
Seems as if another week has been completed! I'm hanging in there around 15-17 hours per week, still mostly easy stuff. But I cheated and looked ahead a little. The speed work starts soon - by the end of the month - yippeeeee!!!
Posted by beth at March 11, 2007 7:22 PM
Comments
beyond all the circumstances it sounds like you had a great run… i too like a fuel belt, especially when the temps go in the 90's and 100's like they do regularly where i live... glad O is back also...
Posted by: Kranky C Dale at March 12, 2007 9:24 AM
Yeah, O is home!
Also, yeah for the fuel belt! Glad that you like it!
Posted by: Meghan at March 12, 2007 8:26 PM