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April 12, 2005
Finally Some Rest
Last night I finally got a somewhat decent night of sleep. The alarm blaring this morning was not a welcome sound. Most of the morning was spent being very groggy. Hopefully the rest of this week will help in getting some much needed rest. Due to the extent of the grogginess, I did take a nice nap this afternoon, as usual.
This afternoon I did my weekly back-up long run. Although I'm participating in a race this weekend (probably not racing) I have not really altered my workouts. If M is not going to the half, I'll probably race someplace else. Anyhow, this weekend is not my goal race...I'm just going to train through it. I did my ten mile route in the same time as I did it last week, but felt much more relaxed. Last week my legs felt like they were going to fall off at the eight mile point. Last week I also felt like I was running really hard, this week it did not feel like such a hard effort. On the way back when I was waiting to cross the major road, I had to use my emergency bathroom...these things happen.
When I got back, I did my 6 striders. I decided to try out my new racing shoes. They feel different than the other flats that I've worn in the past. I seem to have a love-hate relationship with flats. If I really like a pair, they're great. The others usually aren't so great. Today I didn't have on my racing socks, so they fit differently than usual. Yes, I have certain socks that are specifically for racing. One of those things that puts me in a racing state of mind.
Then I changed and went to the gym. I rode the bike for 35 minutes and lifted. I think that I am seeing some results from my heavier lifting already. My arms look like they are more cut, in my opinion. The gym was not nearly as crowded as it was last week, so I thought about doing two exercises for each muscle group, but I was hungry so I decided to go home and eat instead.
Tomorrow I won't get a chance to do my nap since I have to go to the hospital right after work to pick my mom up from chemo. Dad is taking her down in the morning and I'm picking her up in the afternoons. These treatments are basically all day long. She does not think that it is fair to my father to make him pick her up because he is self-employed and does need to work in order to pay all of the medical bills. She gets done about a half hour after I get done work, so it is convenient for me to pick her up. It really is not a sacrifice, I'll be tired enough to get to bed at a decent hour!
Posted by Blondie at April 12, 2005 08:24 PM
Comments
Hi, I was wondering what a strider is exactly. Thanks.
Posted by: at April 13, 2005 11:04 AM
Hey Blondie! I'm finally caught on your blog! Hope your mom is feeling better. I wanted to let you know that in terms of fueling a sports drink in powder format works for me really well. I use Accelerade instead of Gaterode kuz it has a 4:1 carb-protein ratio that's supposed to be really helpful to aid recovery. Anyway my stomach won't tolerate gels either, I have tried a couple of times and they have not been good experiences. I do eat before my races and my long runs though, a have a Power Bar about an hour before, hit the toilet and then things seem to go well. The day before a race or long run I also cut out veggies and most protein and fat after lunch so that my stomach is a bit more "rested" for the next day. So basically, oatmeal and pasta is what I eat for the rest of the day. I hope some of these things help, I have experiemented a bunch and I'm more or less figuring things out. I also take medication for my tummy and that helps, I don't know if you do. Anyway, hope all is going well!
Posted by: Nanda at April 13, 2005 12:00 PM
The striders that I do are about 100 meter runs with a slight accleration and concetrating on good form...getting knees up and pushing off my toes.
Posted by: Blondie at April 13, 2005 07:12 PM