Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Need vacations...

I so need to go on vacation. We were supposed to visit my father in law this week but B started his new job on monday. So instead of a week of in Northern Northern Cal (Shasta Valley), we will be spending the 4th of July in Lake Havasu and hopefully relax. I will be taking my thursday off to go on a loooong bike ride, well long for me we are shooting for a 40miler up the coast.
This week end was completely crazy. Saturday morning, B went surfing and I stayed home with the kids who played at home. We went to the park a little bit. B left for a 2H00 bike ride as soon as he came back from his surf session. He had just enough time to try to set up the pool which has several holes. He filled it up with enough water for the kids to splash in it for a while. We had lunch then calm down a little. B came back from his ride, we got ready to head out to a small party in PB followed by a trip to La Jolla Shores for my ocean swim. We left the Shores at 7:45pm famished. We stoped on the way home at a new place Edamame which was really pleasant. The next morning we slept in until 8:30am eventhough MAC had been up for a while. We took the kids to their swimming lesson, followed by a trip to Fashion Valley to buy B some new clothes. I could not find anything that I liked or fit it. I know I have been complaining about my 3lbs weight gain eventhough I really don't look like I gained anything at all. Without being "fat" nothing fit nonetheless. We then came home to go to change car, load up the beach stuff and head out to Torrey Pines the beach for a late afternoon surf session for B and play in the water for the kids. Finally after a trip to the grocery store to mainly stock up on alcohol we got home in time for me to hop on my bike and fit a 14 miles bike ride.
Pfff so much done but a little too busy for me.
Monday morning we got up a little earlier than usual to try to figure out our new routine. With B's job in Carlsbad, I am now in charge of both drop off and pick up of the kids. It isn't a big deal if I can still find some time to train either early morning or at lunch.
Monday was spent in a deep fog. I was tired tired tired. I was planning an easy run but instead opted to go to the mall to 1) look for something to buy and 2) look for a pics of a ring I really liked at Ben Bridge.
I found a cute shirt dress from Limited on sale, and a belt to go with it. I also successfully managed to get a pic of the ring I liked and already have some new design ideas.
Today I went for a run managed to complete a 3.5M run @ 9:40min/miles with 2 stops. Finally tomorrow i'm swimming with a friend who is going to help me out.
I also got roped in a Club race on the 11th morning, probably because it will be a perfect practice for my upcoming race! I hope it goes decently.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

No running ...

I was overzealous yesterday while on the bike trainer. The last exercize I subjected my poor legs too was 1 min of pedaling with one leg only. I think the resistance was too high. Anyways the day goes by and I come home, eat a small PB&Honey to not crash during my run, put on my running clothes and shoes and head out the door. I start running and my inner thigh hurts. I'm hoping it is just muscle tightness but since the discomfort doesn't go away and actually increase I call it a day since I don't want to really injure myself.
Disappointed I go say hi to my neighbor who invites me to the movie with her girlfriend. We had a great time watching the Proposal. Unfortunately my leg still bothers me this morning. I am swimming tonight and I will do some biking lighter and I hope to be able to run again next week. In the meantime my weight is back at 115! All this hardwork and the ability to maintain it around 112.5lb since december and BAM. I know it is only like 2.5lbs but these pounds are so so hard to get rid of!
Lets just try to believe for my inner peace that they are mainly muscle pound ahahaha...

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Training

So my training schedule is all messed up by trying to tweak it to go to Track workout on Monday. Basically I decided to try to do as much as possible while keeping one complete day off and maybe two if I feel burnout.
So far this week, Monday Track workout was tough since my legs were so sore from the week end madness. I tried 400M warm up, 1200@ 9min/miles (400), 800@8:30min/miles (200), 3x(200@8min/miles (200)). Yesterday was my day off and I enjoyed a nice lunch with some ladies at work. This morning I got my butt out of bed at 6:15 and did 40 minutes on the trainer, some intervals. Later today I will go for a 2-3 miles fast run....
On the dim side, the gloomy weather is getting to me, my weight has been inching its way back to 115.2lb. How did I add up 3lbs so fast when it took me month to get rid of them, I'm freaking out for my triathlon.
On the bright side, I'm getting more muscle and muscle weighs more than fat right? Eventhough my training is getting messed up I do have some more speed workouts I have been avoiding the longer runs since I dread them. Finally I am trying to add one more bike trainer workout and one more run per week.
I also found a coworker who volonteered to "coach" my swimming. Yeah!
Now I share all those random thoughts with you I can start my day.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

what is wrong with me....

I keep subjecting myself to fairly hard workout. This morning was a swim in the ocean which isn't bad really especially since it was probably only 0.3 miles. Do you remember the weather this morning, chilly misty, ocean uninviting a little choppy! Fun right ;) Then I have been complaining to B that I am not fast enough running and so he decided to make me do 40's. So here we are in the park two markers 40M apart on the grass, me sprinting from one marker to the next with a 15 seconds rest in between. 3 sets of 10 and then one more. My legs are shot and I am ready for a shower.
But eventhough this is painful I feel good because I was out there and did it!
I hope it will make me faster but then again not doing anything will not get me anywhere ;)
Tomorrow is hill repeats at Torrey Pines....

In the mean time lets get ready for some nice food with some friends and some wine :)

So long since I last posted...

Sorry for not posting for so long. I always complain when my light reading is not maintained up to date and then I look at the date of my last post and I am ashamed to see that has been so long.
I don't quite know what to babbler about. Training has been doing well, I can now go swim in the ocean without feeling like I can't breathe. I still have to make a conscious effort to keep the bad images and thoughts at bay. I went for 1M swim at the cove and got sea sick from the swell. This morning was a short swim at Fletcher Cove to practice surf entry and exit for the Solana Beach Triathlon. The weather has been really really gloomy lately which doesn't make the ocean apealing at all.
Anyhow I managed to get out there, swim swallow a few unpleasant gulps of sea water. Do I feel ready for the next triathlon heck no but hey you gotta start somewhere!
I also decided to work on my speed. I joined a group last week to go for a track workout and odly enough I enjoyed myself. B has also been saying that I should be able to go faster if only I could decouple my breathing from my gait. So I decided to hire him as my running coach. His years as a soccer player and the subsequent years as a runner are qualifying him to get me better. Today he decided to make me do 40M sprints. That is going to be interesting.
Finally since hills are the key to improving your speed on the bike as well you will find me going up and down Torrey Pines hills on Sunday. I am planning on going 3 times we will see.
My goal for this next triathlon is to beat myoverall PR by 2 minutes if not more. I have no idea if it is at all possible.
Other than that we have had to take an impromptu trip to Montana which turned out to be a nice one given the sad circumstances. I love that place, I love the calm, nature and lake. Why do I have to swim in an ocean? Give me a lake and I'll be happy.
It was so peaceful out there that it kicked up my cravings for a simpler life again.
But since B just got a new job in San Diego I think we will be there for a while longer ;) Now that he has a job in Carlsbad we have been toying with the idea of moving slightly north of where we are and of course I just found my dream house, a small cottage like 3B/2B with a nice yard, but sadly slightly out of our price range. I love San Diego but would like to move in a house with a slightly bigger yard to grow more vegetables ahahaha.
To celebrate the new job we went to the Del Mar *Market restaurant. It is comparable to Georges at the Cove or Laurel. The food was absolutely delicious. It is our new special occasion restaurant for sure. Lucky that our 10th anniversary celebration is coming up soon.
So in short, the weather has been gloomy and so have I a little. I try to push my training a little to get a little faster both biking and running and confortable in the water to get through the swim. More later....

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Musing of an aspiring triathlete

So so I have started to focus my training more and thought I was doing good. I adapted an training program for an Olympic distance triathlon to fit my busy schedule. A Sprint distance 0.25 miles swim, 9 miles bike ride and 3 miles run this takes anywhere between 50min-2:30hours I did my first one in 1h15 which is pretty average. Some sprint have a little longer swim and bike ride. An Olympic is usually 0.9M swim, 25M bike ride and 6.2M run, it takes about 3:30-4hoo to finish them. After that you have the half ironman also known as the 70.3 which consists of 1.2M swim, 56M bike ride and 13.2M run and finally the insane distance the full ironman 2.4M swim, 112M bike ride, and 26.2 M run.
Anyways eventhough I am only planning on doing sprint triathlon I like to push my training a little or so I thought until I started talking with fellow newbie triathlete. They are training 6-7 days a week and usually do 2 sports/day! I have no idea how they managed to do that because I certainly don't find the inner motivation to do so. I am impressed I have to admit.
So I keep training at my pace and as my precious free time permits. I have to say when I am training I am focused and usually push myself.
I went swimming 1M at the Cove on Friday night. I got seasick from the swell though or maybe it was the lack of sugar in my body. I was at the tail of the pack but didn't feel like I was falling too far behind. After that the family picked me up and we went to surfside sushi for a delicious dinner of sushi.
Saturday we got up, the hubby went surfing while I stayed with the kids, I then went grocery shopping, followed by a 4M run without kids, lunch at rubios, afternoon at the Wild Animal Park, and dinner with friends pffff. I managed to even start a laundry ;) We went to dino mountain and the kids were not too happy with the dinosaur who made noises and moved a little. I found that the exhibition was really well done.
Sunday I was planning on riding with some girls I met but bailed when the rides was scheduled at 7:30am and was going up the coast. I mean even for me 7:30am on sunday is too early especially when I had a fair amount of wine the night before and went to bed at midnight! I was sooo happy I cancelled when the kids woke up at 9am!!!!
We went to their swimming lesson, MEC with her cutest bathing suit ever, followed by a 25 miles bike ride on my own with hills and everything. It was a great ride until I hit the 56 bike path and was welcomed by very strong head wind arghhhh. As I was coming up a very small hill I closed my eyes focusing on the pedal stroke just to realize when I open my eyes that I was heading right into the fence bording the bike path. This of course was immediatly followed by a pretty rough fall. It did take me 5 minutes to feel Ok to finish the stupid ride with a bloody knee, a very bruised shoulder and a wounded ego.
We had a nice little lunch in the patio and finished the day at Moonlight Beach park. The kids are watching the "5th element" since we can't stand another little einstein.
Yesterday I adapted a warm tomato salad recipe that a friend of mine made for a previous dinner and it was an absolute success so here it is:
- put small cherry tomato in a dish that can go in the oven
- coat with olive oil
- crush a clove of garlic
- add a little bit of balsamic vinegar
- sprinkle some salt
- put in the oven 200F for maybe 10 minutes so that the tomatoes are just soft.
- pour the content of the dish in a salad bowl, adjust the seasonning, add some diced kalamata olives, a little bit of fresh mozarella and fresh minced basil.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Wine: 1; Run:0

Today was supposed to be Bike workout in the morning and Run at lunch. I did get up at 6am to try my brand new trainer. I managed to complete a 40min workout but it wasn't really structured. I must have workout at a good pace since my heartbeat was through the roof most of the time and I was literally dripping sweat. I am still getting used to the trainer, I need to learn how to adjust the resistance.
At lunch I was supposed to go for a run but instead met B. to buy him an outfit for interview. We ended at UTC in the sun Yay finally, eating 2 rubios steak tacos and then chosing black slaks and french blue shirt. He looks great!
Tonight I was supposed to go for the missing run but when I left work at 5:30pm I knew it was compromised! Ah well I did workout, I guess this week no strength training and run instead. Unless I am very very good and I get up again at 6am tomorrow morning to go swim and then go for a run at lunch!
So instead of sweating and suffering I poured a little white wine which I am enjoying at the moment.
Tonight's meal semi-homemade pizza. Why semi you may ask because the dough is already made and bought at Trader Joes and the tomato sauce as well. I just have to add ham, black olives, green onions and fresh mozarella. Delish!