Liking the Elliptical

Yesterday I did 30 minutes of weights/abs and 15 minutes on the elliptical machine (the one with arms). It was a 2-hour+ workout day, so that was pretty good for this time of year. I am trying to lift light to tone up but I just feel like I'm getting bulky. I know I need to lose the waddle though... that is part of the problem. My shin felt pretty good on the elliptical, so I decided to do an hour workout today. I alternated between the stationary elliptical and the elliptical with the arm thing-a-ma-bobs (20 min stat, 20 min arms, 20 min stat). I like the one with arms better because I might as well give my arms a workout instead of letting them just hang there, but it requires me to bring my heel up more on my stride, and that puts more pressure on my shin.

It was nice to sleep in (by that, I mean wake-up at 5:40 for work instead of waking up earlier to workout) after a long day yesterday. I finally got home at about 7:20 after coaching and then stopping at Baker Brothers to pick up dinner for us. The Taos salad is the key to my heart. Cliff said the baked potato soup is really good if you're a soup person. I took some cute pictures of Angus last night, so I will try to upload those tomorrow. Speaking of Angus, my dad sent this to me:

http://www.skateboardingbulldog.com/

More Magic Tape

Well after over a week of lap swimming (where 2-3,000 meters a practice was quite a chore on my own), I did 4,400 yards this morning with Team Ridglea. I realized:

1) I am getting exponentially slower of swimming these days, and
2) My shin even hurts when I swim!

I had an appointment with Dr. Brian during my lunch break, and he figured it out right away. I have pretty bad tendonitis, and he showed me how I could feel the tendon squeaking against the sheath. So apparently that is the same thing as a shin splint (only usually people misdiagnose themselves with this stuff, and I am spot on - what an accomplishment). It takes 2-6 weeks to heal, so I should be okay for the marathon but this has seriously squashed my training lately. I am not sure what I'm going to do about the marathon. Go easy and have fun? Go to California (with Cliff) and skip the marathon and just enjoy life? Give it my best effort and see what I can do... after all my early training was better than any distance running I've ever done? Decisions, decisions.

In the meantime I am going to stick with my swimming, stationary bike, and weight routine. Stacy suggested trying the elliptical machine, so I might add that in as well. I have about an hour between work and coaching, so I plan on hitting the federal gym and doing some light weights, core work, and cardio. I got the worst night's sleep though (the time change always kills me, plus I have a poopey whiney puppy)... a nap in the Civic sounds awfully enticing!

Operation Wedding Dress is in moderate swing this week (with the exception of New Years Eve and Saturday night), and then I need to figure out a plan for 2009. I want to lose about 15-20 pounds. Should I log my food and limit my alcohol intake? Should I try Weight Watchers again? Arrrghhh more decisions! I'm honestly thinking about posting my weight in my blog so I will have maximum incentive to lose it... although the three of you who read my blog already know how much I weigh :)

Back in Texas

I can't write much since Angus is asleep in my lap with his chin over my left arm. It's been a big day... played in the backyard, went for a short walk with a leash for the first time, and took a bath... so he is wiped out! Cliff should be home soon and I am looking forward to some fiance time before we go back to work tomorrow.

Some Christmas Pictures:

Dad, Mom, Me, and Aaron on Christmas Morning


Me, Holly, and Christy with Grandma on Christmas Eve


Mom, Me, Esther on Christmas Eve

Last Day in California

My puppy is growing up and I'm not there to see it! I've been gone for over a week now, and I'm excited to see Angus and Cliff. I leave tomorrow morning, and I have to get up super early (like before 5 am) since my flight is at 7:10. I'm going to dinner at Domenico's tonight with my dad, Esther, and Aaron. Last night we (plus my mom) went to Rudy's in Monrovia for fish tacos. I actually managed to substitute the margaritas for a glass of Chardonnay, but we did top off the meal with Pinkberry. I totally don't understand the popularity of that place. They have three flavors - original, green tea, and (new flavor) pomegranite (which I can't spell). I got the original with oreos, partly because I was baffled by the lack of options. Next time I know to go when I'm in the mood for something light and fruity (although I would probably just eat a Yoplait light yogurt?).

Last night I got in bed at 7:30 and finished The Burn Journals (good book, quick Christmas break read) and studied more for my CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) exam which I take a week from today. I went to the gym and swam 2100 meters and then lifted for 32 minutes. I am going to be buff after all of this weight business. I went to Amy's Patio Cafe (again!) for brunch in Altadena with my parents and Esther. I had a yummy ham, brie, and avocado omelette with Eggbeaters, fruit, and toast. If you live in SoCal and you haven't been there, you need to try it out (breakfast and lunch only). Off to dinner!

Lazy

Wednesday Night - Christmas Eve
We went over to my Aunt Sally's house and I had a great time catching up with the extended family (grandma, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc.). We took some really cute pictures, but I'll have to wait until I get back to Texas to upload them since my parent's computer doesn't have a memory card slot. I tried to be fairly careful about what I ate, except I had to get seconds of the mashed potatoes and the three buns caught up with me. This is the first year that my brother and I didn't get any presents, and I think that officially makes me an adult, which is rather sad.

Thursday - Christmas!
My family definitely knows how to celebrate, although we don't go to church (so I end the day full of food and booze, feeling like a heathen). My mom did a great job in the kitchen. We had a champagne brunch with egg casserole, creamed spinach, sweet breads, and fruit. I started dozing off on the couch (surprise) afterwards, but it was time to take family pictures in front of the tree and open presents. Again, more cute pictures that I'll have to upload later. I got some clothes, books, gift cards, and other random stuff. After all that, I took a fat nap. For Christmas dinner we had wine (a staple), prime rib, twice baked potatoes, green beans, rolls, and Jello salad. And of course we topped it off with a few Christmas cookies. I was ready for bed right after that at about 9:00. A day full of eating and drinking can be tiring.

Today
I woke up at 6:30 since I went to bed pretty early. I got my workout done early (so I could pay my $1 back to the parking attendant and receive a "God bless you")... 25 minutes of weights/abs and 40 minutes on the stationary bike. My shin/ankle is still a little sore, and it's been over a week now with no running. We ate some leftovers for breakfast and then saw Gran Torino. GREAT movie... I had a few tears. Tonight we're going to an early dinner at Rudy's (mmm fish tacos and margaritas). Back to my five-star Sudoku puzzle.

Merry Christmas Eve

Well yesterday was pretty eventful. After lunch at Kathleen's, we went to Alfred Angelo and I bought my wedding dress (strapless, corset, medium train), beading at the top, a veil (still not sure if I'm going to wear it or not), and a tiara/head band thing. Then I decided to suck it up and go to Urgent Care to get my shin x-rayed. I got there at 3:05 and left at 6:05... what a pain. The good news is that the x-ray was fine, so no fracture or anything. The nurse wrapped it (and that has actually help tremendously since it takes the pressure off when I walk) and I got prescriptions for Naproxen and a mild pain medicine. My mom made salmon (yummm) for dinner, and I was able to watch the second half of the TCU game which was AWESOME!

This morning I went to the gym and swam 2,500 meters and then did 15 minutes of abs and weights. Apparently the parking validation is only good for 90 minutes, so I had a Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry David moment when I owed $1 for parking and I had no cash. This little Asian man was so cute. He lectured me and said I need to leave $5 under the mat of my car and then he showed me all of the bills (including lots of 100's) in his wallet and said "what happen if you can't get money from bank?" So he pulled a dollar out of his wallet, handed it to me, and told me to hand it to him "with God as witness." So I have to give that guy a dollar next time or else I may get struck by lightening.

We're leaving for my Aunt Sally's today at 2:30 for Christmas Eve dinner with the extended family. Have a Merry Christmas!

24 Hour Creeeeeeper

After a great day of R&R yesterday when I didn't even leave the house, I got up early this morning and headed to the gym before picking Esther up at the airport. I started off with a swim in the dungeon. At first, there were a few other guys there - maybe one swimming and 2 in the hot tub. Well there was this one guy sitting on the bench just full on staring at me. Eventually everyone else left, and it was just me and the creeper. At first I thought maybe he was watching me and trying to learn, but he never once looked away. Then he moved over to the hot tub (about a foot away from the pool and next to all of my equipment). Finally my cap ripped, and I figured I would get out since this guy looked like one of those assassins or mental cases in the movies, and I was going through scenarios about how he could drown me. Well I get out of the pool, and I am about a foot away from him and he is still FULL ON STARING. Never once looks away, never once says a peep. He also put both hands out of the water and on his face (very odd staring position), and I couldn't help but think that he was showing both hands so I wouldn't think he was *doing something else*. I changed into my gym clothes and headed over to the front desk. I told the receptionist what happened, and she had me speak to the manager. The manager asked me for a time frame, and she said she would review the videotapes. I was surprised to hear that they had cameras, but that makes me feel a little more safe. So I started off the morning with a 2,000-meter swim, 30 minutes on the stationary bike, 20 minutes of weights/abs, and a SIDE OF CREEPINESS!!

My mom and Esther are grocery shopping. After they get back, we're going to grab some lunch and then I'm going to try on my two favorite wedding dresses again and try to make a decision. The TCU game is on tonight... GO FROGS!

California Update

Saturday
I was really excited for my massage, but I should know better than to think someone I randomly found online might compare to Cynthia. It was a relaxing massage, but she had the whole "we're going to get after it and make it hurt" mentality, and I was on the verge of falling asleep. My dad got me 90 minutes of shiatsu massage for Christmas, so I might try that out and do 45 minutes this week and (if it's good) 45 minutes before my marathon.

Saturday night was a lot of fun. We planned a reunion for the Industry Hills swimmers. The turnout was pretty low, but I got to hangout with Amanda and Lyndsay and they were the ones I really wanted to see. It's cool how with some friends you can just pick up where you left off even though you haven't seen them in ages. We met up at BJ's in West Covina. It was crazy there since the Cowboys game was on TV, but we eventually got a table in the bar once the game ended.

Sunday
I didn't sleep very well on Saturday night, but I got up on Sunday morning and went to the gym. I did 40 minutes on the stationary bike (which was upright rather than recumbent, and I liked that) and 20 minutes of weights. I'm not supposed to lift weights because of my heart but it's so hard to find stuff to do that doesn't involve my shin. Plus I want toned wedding dress arms, so I have been trying to do some light weights and body weight exercises (push-ups, pillars, etc.).

After I worked out, my mom and I headed to Amy's Patio Cafe in Altadena. It is this really cute restaurant with only 10 tables. I got a really good Eggbeater omelette with goat cheese, fresh spinach, and sundried tomatoes. After lunch we headed to Alfred Angelo to look at dresses. I'm so glad I didn't go with anything I tried on at David's Bridal. I went a little fancier, and the dresses looked so much better. I felt such much more confident, so that made me happy. I found two strapless dresses that I love. One is floor-length with some beading, and the other has a fairly long train, a corset in the back, and the beading is just around the upper part of the stress. The sales ladies liked the second one better, and most of my friends like the first one better. So I am still undecided. I'm going back on Tuesday with my mom and Esther to make a decision and maybe buy a veil (I wasn't planning on the veil either, but I kind of liked it).

My mom had to work last night, so my dad, brother, and I went to Outback for dinner. I have been trying to make better food choices so I can start 2009 at a pretty good weight and then drop the remaining pounds for the wedding. I ordered a 7 oz filet with no butter, a side salad with lowfat tomato dressing, and steamed veggies. It was super good, and much healthier than the blue cheese dressing and loaded baked potato that I normally order. It was nice to catch up with my dad and brother, and somehow we ended up talking about fraud, segregation of duties, and internal controls (and I'm the only accountant... so very random conversation).

Last night my brother and I visited my friend Jason and his partner Kent at their apartment in Hollywood. I hadn't seen Jason in ages, and I miss swimming with him and acting like a 10 year-old (or maybe just a dirty 27 year-old?). I finally got to meet Kent, and he seems like a great guy and I am very happy for Jason. After we visited for awhile, my brother and I went out to a few places in Hollywood. My brother had to work the next day, so I was a good sister and reminded him at 1:00 that it was our bedtime.

Today
I'm planning on some R&R. My mom is recovering from her night shift, and I plan on getting some studying done today and heading to the gym. Esther (my grandma) gets in tomorrow from Las Vegas, and she'll be here through the 28th (when we both leave). I am still waiting on my presents (for my parents and brother) to arrive, and I am starting to get a little nervous!

24 Hour Fitness: Dungeons 'N Dragons

So I was driving down Colorado Blvd this morning and I actually didn't even see the 24 Hour Fitness and I realized I passed it. Once I called the gym and then accosted some poor guy on the street, I figured out where to park. I swam for a little over an hour in a 3-lane 50-meter pool. It was actually a decent set-up (good water temperature, lane lines, black line on the bottom of the pool, "T" on the wall, and a pace clock), but it was way darker than the old Rickel. I really want to take a picture and upload it to my blog (that officially makes me a dork if I wasn't one already), but I saw a sign saying no cell phone pictures.

After my swim workout, I did 30 minutes of weights and abs. IThere was this really cool thing called the Abench (like Ab Bench) where you could do crunches. It wasn't a weight machine, but it felt like there was some resistance (maybe that was just the spare tire around my belly). I liked it because it totally isolated my abs and prevented me from using my neck, back, etc. I couldn't figure out where the cardio machines were, so I guess I need to ask about that. When I was doing the hip abduction and adduction machines, I was facing a chain link fence, and there was the "danger: high voltage" stuff visible on the other side. I like LA Fitness (both Alhambra & Pasadena) better, but maybe I need to check out the other 24 Hour Fitness (there are 2 in Pasadena, and the other one does not have a pool). It was definitely a better investment to start my one-year membership rather than pay $55 for a week at LA Fitness though. The one thing I forgot to pack... my Ipod. I realized it once we were on the highway on the way to the airport. So I'll have to sing songs to myself while I workout.

Oh and that reminds me, I decided to quit masters swimming. The fees went up again, and I realized it wasn't worth it to pay that much money when I'll only go about twice a week. Plus I can work at home 3 days a week now, so I don't want to drive an hour round-trip to swim in the mornings when I'm not working downtown. I really think the gym membership is a good idea. I look forward to working out with my friends (Jeanne, Stacy, Heidi, Clay, Sarah, etc. all workout at the Overton Ridge location and some of the other Tricowtown folks workout at the Western Center location), and I think I'll be able to lose more weight if I change up my workouts more and focus on other things besides swimming. Plus I'm anticipating that the new Lake Worth location opening in April will be really nice (although "Lake Worth" and "really nice" is pretty much an oxymoron).

My shin is still bothering me a lot. I stopped at Vons on the way home and picked up a bag of frozen peas (ghetto ice bag) and some sort of anti-inflammatory cream with menthol. My massage is at 2:00, and I am counting down the minutes. This is so frustrating. I just want to be able to RRRUUUUNNNN!!

Last night was relaxing. My mom made dinner (baked chicken, baked potato, and broccoli... yummm) and my parents and I hungout for awhile. Once my dad went to bed, my mom and I watched The City (Whitney from The Hills) preview. Tonight I'm meeting up with some of my old friends from club swimming, so I am looking forward to a fun night out!

Back in California

I finally managed to pack (one of my least favorite activities ever) last night, and Cliff, Leslie, and I had sushi for dinner (my second time there this week... I am addicted). I had a pretty good flight, and there was an empty seat next to me so I didn't get stranger arm rub. I slept the first 2 hours of the flight (I have been so tired this week - I even fell asleep in my training class yesterday and I was in the front row) and then read my book. My mom picked me up at the airport and we stopped at Green Street for lunch. I usually get the salad and zucchini bread, but I was adventurous and I got the Ahi tuna sandwich (rare) with fresh fruit. It was really good. We ran some errands and then went for a 40-minute walk. My shin splint is killing me, so it looks like running is out of the question for awhile. I did sign up for a 1-year 24 Hour Fitness all-club membership yesterday, so I plan on venturing over to the one on Colorado Blvd tomorrow. I have a massage in Sierra Madre tomorrow at 2:00. I googled "sports massages in Pasadena," and I feel like I am cheating on Cynthia. Hopefully if I rest my right foot and left shin for a few days and get a good massage, I'll be back in business.

Oh, my parent's computer is a fossil. For some reason I can view everything on Facebook, but I can't post comments, messages, etc. And yes, that is killing me.

Santa Angus!

Sitting here with an ice pack on my shin...

After gorging myself at our holiday luncheon at work, I managed to squeeze in a 4-mile treadmill run between working and coaching yesterday. This morning I got up at 4:45 and ran my favorite course. I ran 8.67 miles in 1:26:10, which was just under 10-minute pace. It was nice and easy, the weather was great (49 degrees), and it felt great to be out there running (especially since it appears I'm going to make Operation Wedding Dress even more difficult by gaining weight before the 1st of the year). Then my shin splint pain kicked in at 6 miles, and the last 2.5 miles probably looked pretty ugly. On a positive note, my right foot is feeling much better these days. I don't know where this shin thing came from, because I wasn't even able to run much last week. Hopefully if I give it some TLC and don't run tomorrow, I can still run long in CA on Saturday. Grrr... frustrating! It is nice to work right across from the nurse's station though... I went in there this morning and they are all just so sweet.

I have my last day of a three-day training class today. I'm going to Qdoba with Amy and Kit for lunch, and then tonight I'm going out to dinner with Cliff and Leslie tonight (I'm thinking Piola since our girl's night out dinner was so good). My flight leaves tomorrow morning, so I need to pack tonight (but really all I want to do is sleep).

Lots of Festivities, Little Training

Last night was the Tricowtown Christmas Party at Pour House. This year's party was a little more tame than the previous two years. I de-friended my BFF Stacy after she took the cute handmade triathlon frame from me in the white elephant gift exchange. Angus will be very happy with the presents that Mama Shawna bought him though!

I have a three-day training class at work, so I only had time for a 22-minute workout yesterday at lunch. It is hard to squeeze in workouts this week with everything going on. I did some arm & ab work since my left shin was hurting so bad that it hurt to walk (and my right foot still isn't 100%). We have a holiday luncheon today at work, so I am going to try to squeeze in a workout between working and coaching.

Baby Angus is doing well. Apparently I fed him too much dinner last night. When we got home from the party, we saw that he had thrown up in his crate. But some good news to report... when I got up at 2:45ish to take him to the bathroom outside, he actually went peepee! What a smart puppy. We still have to master the art of the Outdoor #2 though :)

Tricowtown Christmas Party


Tricowtown Christmas Party


Girl's Night Out

Our New Baby is the Best Baby EVER!

We got to bring Angus home yesterday! He did so well on the car ride home, and he waited until we got home to go potty in the backyard. What a champ! We played with him quite a bit outside yesterday (the weather was nice and warm - in the 70s) and we wore the poor guy out. He's been napping/sleeping ever since. Last night was his first night in the crate. We went to bed at about 11:00 (after watching the Cowboys win - woohoo) and took him outside one last time. I heard him whining at maybe midnight, and I should have gotten him, because I think that's when he went to the bathroom. I set my alarm for 2:15 and took him outside, but he didn't go. Then we got up at 5:50 this morning and I fed him. He didn't whine too much in the crate except for when I put him back in there after the 2 am potty break. He is such a snuggle bug. I love him to death and I love his smelly puppy breath kisses.

I tried to be smart this weekend, and when my foot was hurting on my long run, I stopped at 3 miles. So no 16-miler for me. I've already trained for this marathon way more than the others I have done, so I really want to get over this foot injury, get a few more weeks of good training done, and then rest. I am taking today off, and then I will probably try a treadmill run tomorrow. In the meantime, I am feeling bored and fat. The weather had a crazy change (75 yesterday and 30ish today) so I can't ride my bike. Plus the swim schedule is messed up this week, and the only morning swim practice was at Mansfield, so I didn't want to drive 50 minutes each way to swim for an hour. At least I have the gym membership at work, and I also plan on swimming at Benbrook tomorrow morning. Oh well... I will play with Angus and that will be my cross training :)

I ordered Christmas cards last night (the photo kind), so I am working on addressing those and hopefully getting them out before Christmas. We waited for Angus to come home so he could be included on our card. I showed him the pictures on the card, and he loved them and he thinks our family is just adorable.



Angus teleworks with me. He is very fond of financial referrals.


Daddy loves Angus.


My little butterball.

Foot Frustration

I did my tempo run yesterday on the dreadmill. It was 7 miles, with a mile warm-up, 5 miles @ 9:05, and a mile warm-down. The tempo run actually felt better than my 8-mile run on Tuesday, and I thought my foot was feeling better. I got a massage last night, and Cynthia worked on my foot quite a bit and I realized that it's pretty messed up at the moment (I think when you see stars during a massage, it's a pretty good indicator). It's actually the tendon between my big toe and second toe (although I tend to just say "big toe" since that's the general vicinity). I drank lots of water (had to get up twice last night) and I knew I probably shouldn't run on it this morning, but I am stubborn. I did an easy 4-mile run in my neighborhood. I have a 16-mile run this weekend, but my priority is really on my 20-mile run with Liz in Huntington Beach a week from Saturday. So I probably need to be smart about this and not make my foot worse. I am thinking about maybe doing an 8-mile run on Saturday and an 8-mile run on Sunday (rather than a straight 16-mile run). That way I still get a pretty good muscle load (is that what it's called), but my form doesn't go to cr@p and my foot has a chance to recover a bit. I will take all of my supplies (fuel belt, gels, clothes, Garmin, iPod.... gosh there is a lot) to Ardmore and make a game time decision.

I am working at home today, and after I coach this afternoon, Cliff and I are taking off. We get our dog this weekend! We're picking him up on Sunday. We are pretty sure that we are going to name him Angus, Gus for short. I also like the Angus Beef connection too because I'm sure he will be beefy.

Swimming (and some rambling)

Yesterday was a nice rest day… no exercise at all, unless you count the private lesson or the coaching that I did. Speaking of which, the private lessons are going really well. I feel like the swimmers learn a lot with the one-on-one attention, and I can’t complain about the money either. At first I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough things to work on during that time frame, but the time just flies by and I think I am getting better about pinpointing things and explaining them.

Last night Cliff made some shrimp pasta for dinner and we watched a few episodes of Season 2 of Criminal Minds, which is our latest Netflix series. It’s not as good as some of the other series we have watched (and the last episode of Season 1 and first episode of Season 2 were almost like the movie “Saw”), but it is pretty entertaining. I have always loved FBI/crime stuff. My brother described this show pretty well when he said it’s a cross between Dexter and CSI.

I got up early this morning and swam. I got there about 30 minutes early, so I worked on a few things like dolphin kick drills and some freestyle drills before practice started. The main set was 4 x 300’s @ 5:00 with the first and last 50 stroke (breaststroke for me). I think that is the perfect freestyle to stroke ratio for me. I was next to “Sammy” yet again, and she prevented me from slacking off. I was doing breaststroke and she was doing backstroke, so she gained a little on the first and last 50, but I tried to close the gap on the freestyle. I noticed that my breaststroke stroke count was higher. Normally it’s 8-9, and this morning it got up to 10. My swimming has just gone to cr@p lately. I went 4:15, 4:16, 4:15, 4:11 on those 300’s. But at least I got in 4600 yards and a good aerobic workout. If I can be a little more consistent with my swimming in 2009, maybe I will reduce my suckage.

I think I’m just over 350 miles for 2008, so I have about 50 miles to go if I want to make the 400 mile dinner. That is about 80,000 yards, and I can do about 10,000 yards next week. That would leave 70,000 yards when I’m in California, and that sounds like age group swimming. So unless I get highly motivated and convince myself to camp out at LA Fitness in Alhambra, I probably won’t make it this year. That is kind of sad, because I made it in 2004 (544 miles), 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Start Soapbox. Chuck is very welcoming when it comes to visitors. I think it is masters’ etiquette to let someone train with your team when they’re in town, because if we all do it, it makes life easier and everyone can return the favor. That being said, it REALLY annoys me that I have to pay $10 per session if I want to swim with the Rose Bowl masters when I’m home. I mean REALLY?! I want to break it down for them and say “listen, my parents paid ungodly amounts of fees from 1989-1997ish and I even still hold a team record. You should be nice to me, and I would totally welcome you if you were in Fort Worth (well, I would highly encourage Papa Chuck to welcome you).” So instead I pay about $55 for a week pass to the LA Fitness in Alhambra. It is really close to my parent’s house, and they have a pool. But swimming by myself is pretty lonely, and I would love to be able to go up to the Rose Bowl for a long run and swim with their masters team. However, out of principle, I don’t want to pay $10/day (even though I’ll pay LA Fitness). End Soapbox.

At lunch I’m doing a 7-mile run on the dreadmill. Hopefully I’ll be motivated enough to do the tempo workout (versus the easy run) so I can knock that out. After a day off yesterday, my foot is feeling better. I have a massage tonight too, so I am definitely looking forward to that.

Recovery

I wish I could say today's "recovery" was due to some long workouts, but really it was just a great time with my friends last night. I did manage an 8-mile treadmill run after work. If I can get a 7-mile easy run, 7-mile tempo run, and 16-mile long run in this week, I will be back on schedule. However, my foot is still bothering me. Not a good thing. After my workout, I met Stacy at the Pour House and we finalized the details for the Tricowtown Christmas Party. Then we headed over to Sushi Axiom for martinis. They were yummmmmy. We tried the Martini Axiom (pomegranate vodka, pomegranate liqeur, cointreau, pineapple juice, champagne) first, and then I got the Ruby-Red Grapefruitini (absolute ruby red vodka, ruby red grapefruit juice, topped with champagne sugar rim) and Stacy tried the Chime-ade (3 olives cherry vodka, grenadine, sweet & sour, 7-up). The grapefruit martini was a little sour, and I think our fave was the cherry limeade, which tasted like the Sonic drink (can't go wrong with that). After drinks, we met Shawna, Heidi, and Jeanne at Piola for dinner. I had never been to (or even seen) the restaurant before, and it is really cute. It looks like an old house. Well several bottles of chianti and several hours later, it was a great dinner :) The food was very tasty. I ordered the stuff chicken, and just so you don't sound stupid like me if you go there, the big white pile is not mashed potatoes (no matter how much you argue)... it's polenta. I'm going to have to take Cliff there sometime... I can't decide if it's better than Sardines or not... either way, good stuff. I'm working from home today, and our bedroom furniture FINALLY arrives this afternoon (after paying for it in September). I'm teaching a private lesson and coaching this evening, and then I'm looking forward to coming home and being lazy. Mmmm lazy.

Lightening Karma

Sometimes I think that all of the time we spent wishing for lightening as age group swimmers has come back to haunt me as a masters swimmer. This morning I got up at 4:45 to go to swim practice (and get there early to do a little extra), and I noticed lightening as soon as I turned onto Boat Club (near my house). I thought that maybe the weather would be traveling east and it would be fine in Benbrook. It got better as I drove down 820, but then I noticed a bunch of lightening as soon as I got close to Benbrook. Sure enough, the pool was closed. So I used the locker room there and got ready for work, but what a waste of a morning. The good news is I filled up on gas for $1.29/gallon (hooray for Benbrook and the new QT). I have an appointment with Dr. Brian at 1:30 today, and I get done with work at 3:00. I'm going to workout for a few hours at the federal gym and then stay downtown this evening since I'm meeting some friends for dinner.

Monday Swim Practice (and a little venting!)

Let me preface this by saying that I suck these days and that 1:10 per 100 pace has become next to impossible (even with paddles on). This is the first year that I haven’t swum 400+ miles (I’m at 350 right now), mainly because I because I started averaging about 2 workouts per week after short course nationals in May. Okay… soapbox… totally NOT cool to draft off me for ¾ of each swim and take it easy and then sprint the last 50 and beat me. I know I need to lighten it up, it is just masters swimming, etc. But this drives me INSANE! And this girl is not a triathlete either, so it’s not like she’s practicing the drafting skills. My last 200 pull this morning on a descending set was 2:22, and this girl went 2:21, and like every other 200, she piddled around the first 150 and then smashed me on the last 50. Now maybe if I was going like 2:15 and/or beating her, I wouldn’t be so cranky. But I do not want to be beat by Sammy Save-Up! Okay, got that off my chest!

Amy, Kit, and I went to lunch at Sushi Axiom today. It was great (except the service was a little weird... they were trying for the "teamwork" concept, but you could tell they didn't communicate with each other). I got the CA rolls and the Philly rolls, two of my faves.

I don't think I mentioned that I retook the coaching exam and scored a 95, reclaiming my dignity.

New Puppy Pictures!

We get him in exactly a week, and the owners sent us some recent photos. SOOOO EXCITING!!!

Sunday Funday

I finally got myself to get outside and go for a run at about noon today. I decided to run around my neighborhood again, and I didn't have any big expectations since my foot is still bothering me and I ran 8 yesterday. I cranked out the first mile in 9:08, so I figured I'd get my 6-mile tempo run done (4 miles @ 9:06 + warm-up and warm-down). I ended up going 9:08, 8:55, 8:45, 8:29 on my 4 tempo miles and then I warmed down with 9:40 and 9:32. My HR was really high... got up to 170 average on the 4th mile. So after sickness and injury, I am only one run (an 8-mile easy run) behind on my schedule. I have a massage on Thursday, so I'm hoping that helps my foot and ankle out before I run 16 on Saturday. I might see Dr. Brian again this week.

Cliff and I stayed home last night and watched the Oklahoma game instead of going to the Team Ridglea Christmas party. I think I gave Cliff whatever I was sick with, so he slept in until about noon today. We're watching the Cowboys game now (I'm an ADD football fan, so that's why I'm on the computer).

Our puppy supplies we bought yesterday:


Our new rug:

Hooray Weekend

Cliff got back yesterday evening, and it was great to have some BF time after a week apart. I bought a YUMMY bottle of wine (Simi Cab) and we went to our favorite sushi place for dinner. It was greatness to sleep in this morning (although I am getting over my congestion junk, and it looks like I gave it to Cliff).

I did an easy 8-mile run in my neigborhood, which was a little tough because the Lake Country hill kicks my butt. I have a pretty good course mapped out. I usually do a relatively flat 3.5-mile "figure 8" type course out of my driveway, and then if I run up Lake Country and down Golf Club, that is another 3.5 miles, and I can tack on another mile at the Lake Country Christian School track (which they really need to rake - it's like trail running). I averaged just under 10-minute pace, and my toe and foot bothered me a bit but I don't think it's getting any worse (it's just not getting much better).

We have some errands to run today (pick up a rug for our kitchen table at Lowe's, buy all of our doggie stuff, buy a Wii (Wiiiiiiiinsday), and stop at the grocery store so I can make something to take to the Team Ridglea Christmas party tonight). I spent a ridiculous amount of time this week watching the Foundations of Coaching video so I could take the Level 1 test (which is mandatory after a year of coaching). Well I rushed through the test yesterday and scored an 83.3%, which I thought was fine until I saw the word "failed." Apparently you need an 85? So now I have to retake the test, which isn't a huge deal except it's 180 questions. Funny that I can pass the CPA and I fail the swim coach test... go figure. On a positive note, I did actually learn a few things from the video. I had my kids do the "360 kick" yesterday... 4 dolphin kicks on your left side, 4 on your back, 4 on your right side, 4 on your stomach. And I did some of the core work that Jonty Skinner talked about on the video (mostly "pillars" and that type of stuff) yesterday to break up my boring day in front of the computer. I realized I can't do the back pillar to save my life.

Nourishing Kids in Motion

I am in LOVE with the Clif Kid Organic Z Bars. They taste great (better than the adult version) and they only have about 130-140 calories. The peanut butter rocks my socks. I bought them at the Sunflower Shoppe on Camp Bowie, but I don't think they're too hard to find.

Trying to Get Back in the Routine

My alarm went off this morning at 4:45, and I quickly turned it off and reset it for 6:00. Then I felt guilty (and maybe a little chubby too) and got out of bed and went to my first swim practice of the week. I am finally starting to sleep better (less congestion and coughing), but I find myself staying up late and pidding around since Cliff is not here. So I got in a pretty good 5,000-yard workout at Benbrook. The main sets were a 1,000-yard stroke set which I did backstroke (what a luxury to have backstroke flags at both ends) and 3 x 500's pull (I'm holding 1:15 pace now when I used to hold 1:10 pace... yuck!). I hit the gym at lunch and rode 30 minutes on the stationary bike and then did 20 minutes of weights (mostly arms/chest/back stuff for Operation Wedding Dress). My foot is pretty sensitive at the moment, so I decided to be smart and not run on it today. Like Brian (Miller, not Doctor) told me yesterday, I'm so far out from the marathon right now that it's more important to heal. It's just hard because I'm on Week 8 of training and I've made all of my runs (except the tempo run I missed last week when I was sick which I was going to make up this week), and it has given me a lot of confidence. I need to stop being so Type A though and just let my foot get better.

Cliff was able to get an earlier flight on Friday, so he'll be home in the early evening instead of later at night. So I get a whole night with my managerial fiance! Oh we decided on our Christmas presents. Since we're spending a bunch of $$$ on the puppy, we're going to split the cost of the Wii and some games. So I'm getting a Wii and a puppy for Christmas, just like a 10 year-old!!! I remember when I was 8 years old, and my parents bribed me and said that if I changed my freestyle and continued to kick when I turned my head to breathe (I was stopping my kick, which I think I still do) I would get a Nintendo for Christmas. So of course I rose to the occasion and then fell right back into my bad habit after Christmas. But now that I'm a coach, I realize that kick problem has more to do with my pull under water and my body position. (See... I'm learning something.)

Big Toe, Part II

I dropped my bike off at FW Cycling for a little tune-up (maybe the brake pad won't stop my tire from rotating on my next ride) and then headed to Dr. Brian's. After a few little tests, he had me flex my feet, and it was pretty obvious that my right foot had a cruddy range of motion. So the problem was really my ankle, and that was causing the toe pain. He worked on my ankle and the top of my foot/toe, and hopefully it should be better in a few days. I'm sporting the Six Feet of Sunshine kinesio tape, which conveniently matches my pink t-shirt.

Big Toe

So I think I have my first over-use injury of the marathon training season... but I guess 20 miles can do that. Whatever connects my big toe to my right foot has been bothering me since Sunday. I ran 7 miles on the dreadmill yesterday, and I don't think that made it worse, but it was pretty uncomfortable and it's not feeling any better. I have an appointment with Dr. Brian today during my lunch break, so hopefully that will help.

I'm FINALLY starting to feel better after two days on the Z-pack (antibiotic). I still had to prop myself up with 3 big pillows last night to prevent myself from coughing my lungs out, but at least the coughing was a lot less frequent. My alarm went off at 5:00 for swim practice, and I ended up turning it off because I really needed the sleep (goodbye 400 miles). Thank goodness this is a recovery week. I have last week's tempo run (6 miles with 4 miles at marathon pace) and two easy 8-mile runs left, so hopefully I can get them in Thursday-Sunday.

Cliff is gone all week at a GSA manager training in Virginia. This would be a great time for me to get some extra workouts in and spend some time with friends, but all I want to do is get healthy again. I'm trying to knock out the Foundations of Coaching Exam (which I was supposed to pass a few weeks ago) for my Level 1 certification (since I've been a swim coach for a year). That thing is way more time consuming than I thought! So hopefully I can finish that up before Cliff gets back on Friday night. I was supposed to take my CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) Exam on Saturday, but I postponed it until January 3. I finished the classes in June, and I've been procrastinating so much. It's so hard for me to study for anything these days... I don't know how I used to do it!

We're still trying to come up with a name for our new puppy dog. I liked Dexter, but then Melissa pointed out that it's Andrea's dog name. Theresa gave me the Bruno idea, so that is currently my favorite. This weekend we're making a trip to Pet Smart to load up on all sorts of goodies.