Tonight I finally made it to the pool, and after Monday night's open water swim I vowed I'd never again complain that the pool water was cold. I got in, and it actually felt warm! Some of the other swimmers were thinking it was too cold. Whimps :)
There's even talk of more open water swims... brr, especially now that the temps have dropped into the 40s. Welcome to Minnesota...
The swim workout in the pool was actually good. Driving home afterwards I was thinking that it was almost fun... Now there's a concept! I've never thought swimming at the pool as fun, but I think it's really helped that I swam a fair amount this summer, and know that I can do the distance. Now it's just the discipline to complete the swim at the pool. There it's easy to get out when you get bored (as I have done in the past) and call it a day.
I swam a full mile - something I hadn't ever done in the pool before. The most I'd done is 1200 yards. So this was good. I did some drills and 100 repeats. I avgd between 2:17 and 2:20 /100. I swam mostly easy, and really paid attetion to technique. It turned out to be a good workout.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Tuesday
Today I decided to try out my running legs again. After work, and some procrastinating, I headed out the door. The air was chilly, and there were some lingering raindrops from the thunderstorm that had just blown through. I left my driveway, and headed up the hill, to the gravel road. I've just started running this route, and I'm finding it very enjoyable. It's only a 1/2 mile of running along the busy-ish county road I live on to an endless maze of gravel country roads. The road immediately leads up a challenging incline, but from then on it's only slightly rolling.
I thought I'd go for 4 1/2 to 5 miles, but once I got started, I felt really good, and decided to make at an hour - so 30 min out and back. I haven't found a loop yet on the gravel roads, but the out and back is nice.
It reminds me of running in Michigan a couple of years ago when I was just starting to train for my first marathon. I didn't take my MP3 player or a water carrier or anything, I just went for a run. It was pretty cool, to remember what it was like to simply run and listen to your foot falls on the road. I enjoy listening to music when I run, but I think you lose something when you do that. There is definitely something soothing about being out there alone, and free to let your mind go where ever it wants, and to listen to the sounds around you. These roads are only lightly traveled, and surrounded by fields and farms, so I think I only saw a car or two total after getting off the main road. I didn't take my GPS, and didn't worry about pace or distance. Knowing my pacing, I probably ran 9:45-9:30 miles. It was pretty easy, but I was still putting out the effort.
I had some coughing issues, especially after the 1/2 mile hill on the way home, but it wasn't enough to slow me down too much. I'm still feeling way better than I did last week. :)
I keep saying I'm going to start back to the pool... I thought maybe tonight... well, maybe tomorrow...
I thought I'd go for 4 1/2 to 5 miles, but once I got started, I felt really good, and decided to make at an hour - so 30 min out and back. I haven't found a loop yet on the gravel roads, but the out and back is nice.
It reminds me of running in Michigan a couple of years ago when I was just starting to train for my first marathon. I didn't take my MP3 player or a water carrier or anything, I just went for a run. It was pretty cool, to remember what it was like to simply run and listen to your foot falls on the road. I enjoy listening to music when I run, but I think you lose something when you do that. There is definitely something soothing about being out there alone, and free to let your mind go where ever it wants, and to listen to the sounds around you. These roads are only lightly traveled, and surrounded by fields and farms, so I think I only saw a car or two total after getting off the main road. I didn't take my GPS, and didn't worry about pace or distance. Knowing my pacing, I probably ran 9:45-9:30 miles. It was pretty easy, but I was still putting out the effort.
I had some coughing issues, especially after the 1/2 mile hill on the way home, but it wasn't enough to slow me down too much. I'm still feeling way better than I did last week. :)
I keep saying I'm going to start back to the pool... I thought maybe tonight... well, maybe tomorrow...
Monday, October 03, 2005
The crazy few
Today it was back to work, and back to reality. The morning had it's moments when I wasn't sure if maybe I'd be better off going back to bed and pulling the covers over my head...
Luckily it didn't come to those measures, but after getting kicked in the leg by a horse after only being at work for an hour, I wasn't too sure! The good news is, I was far enough away that I didn't receive the full power of the kick, and came away with hardly a bruise. Whew!
My coughing is getting less and less, and I was even able to head out on the bike tonight and not cough up a lung when I finished! Yay!! I thought I might run, but it's unseasonably warm, so biking seemed appropriate. Soon enough it'll be a bit too cool for me to actually "want" to bike... I did a loop that is about 15 miles, avg. 16.8 mph, easy. It was nice to be out, and enjoy the ride, without coughing, and without legs of lead.
Tonight, we had planned a "Moonless Swim." We had a "Moonlit Swim" on the calender for this fall, so we figured a "Moonless Swim" would be just as fun. If not more so... It was a great night. There's only a few of us left that are crazy enough to still be doing open water swims in Oct. in Minnesota... but we have a good time doing it, none the less.
Tonight it was surreal... The air temp was still in the high 70's, but the water was MUCH colder. Even colder than last week, I'd say. We planned to start at 7:30 so it'd be dark. I bought glo-sticks for us to wear on our wrists, so we could keep track of each other in the water. Mark brought a stroble light to put on the dock so we could find our way back. Henry even had a glo-stick collar. We swam across the lake like we normally do, and the view was awesome. There was clear sky just above us, but thunderheads off in the distance. The lightening was luminating the tops of the thunderheads, so it was really cool. And watching everyone swim with glo-sticks on the their wrists was fun, compared to the darkness around us. Everyone agreed it was one of the coolest things we'd done. There was definitely a "wow" factor.
Afterwards we went to grab something to eat, and hear stories of the marathon from the previous day. It turned out to be a very fun evening.
I'm so happy to finally be feeling more like myself, and to get back on the training wagon!!
Luckily it didn't come to those measures, but after getting kicked in the leg by a horse after only being at work for an hour, I wasn't too sure! The good news is, I was far enough away that I didn't receive the full power of the kick, and came away with hardly a bruise. Whew!
My coughing is getting less and less, and I was even able to head out on the bike tonight and not cough up a lung when I finished! Yay!! I thought I might run, but it's unseasonably warm, so biking seemed appropriate. Soon enough it'll be a bit too cool for me to actually "want" to bike... I did a loop that is about 15 miles, avg. 16.8 mph, easy. It was nice to be out, and enjoy the ride, without coughing, and without legs of lead.
Tonight, we had planned a "Moonless Swim." We had a "Moonlit Swim" on the calender for this fall, so we figured a "Moonless Swim" would be just as fun. If not more so... It was a great night. There's only a few of us left that are crazy enough to still be doing open water swims in Oct. in Minnesota... but we have a good time doing it, none the less.
Tonight it was surreal... The air temp was still in the high 70's, but the water was MUCH colder. Even colder than last week, I'd say. We planned to start at 7:30 so it'd be dark. I bought glo-sticks for us to wear on our wrists, so we could keep track of each other in the water. Mark brought a stroble light to put on the dock so we could find our way back. Henry even had a glo-stick collar. We swam across the lake like we normally do, and the view was awesome. There was clear sky just above us, but thunderheads off in the distance. The lightening was luminating the tops of the thunderheads, so it was really cool. And watching everyone swim with glo-sticks on the their wrists was fun, compared to the darkness around us. Everyone agreed it was one of the coolest things we'd done. There was definitely a "wow" factor.
Afterwards we went to grab something to eat, and hear stories of the marathon from the previous day. It turned out to be a very fun evening.
I'm so happy to finally be feeling more like myself, and to get back on the training wagon!!
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Marathon Weekend
It's been a busy few days, so I haven't been able to keep a daily log of activites. And plus, there hasn't been much training to follow anyway.
After wednesday night's coughing disaster on the track, thursday I took as a rest day. I even made an appointment with the doctor for friday morning.
Friday morning, it was determined that I had a sinus infection, and was given antibiotics. I relaxed for the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon before I had to volunteer at the pre-race expo. I elected to save my long run I had scheduled for saturday. It's rare that I have 3 days off in a row, so it's been a bit of a mini-vacation for me. Friday night was a blast. Where else can you talk running with fellow runners for hours on end. It was so cool to enjoy the excitement and energy of all the athletes there.
Saturday morning I attempted to run long. It got me about 2.5 miles. It was a splendid day - sunny, cool, the trees just starting to change color. I took Henry over to Lake Rebecca again, with plans to run the mountain bike course a few times. Well, that didn't happen. My energy levels were down, and it felt like all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I decided it was back to the couch for me.
So I did something I rarely do, I sat down in the middle of a beautiful day, and read a book. Then met a friend for coffee before heading out to dinner.
Today I think the antibiotics are starting to kick in, because I'm feeling much more like myself. Even after cheering all morning, I'm hardly coughing, and not nearly as tired.
I've never watched a marathon before, so it was really neat to be on the sidelines cheering everyone on at the 20 mile mark. It was very motivating and inspiring. I can't wait to plan my next marathon. There is definitely something special about 26.2 miles. There is magic in the marathon.
So thoughts on my next marathon are possibly Disney in January (the Goofy challenge is already full... bummer...) then rumor has it some of my friends are doing a race in New Mexico in March... then there's definitely the Grand Island Marathon in July and TCM next October.
Until next time... Run Fast, Take Chances...
After wednesday night's coughing disaster on the track, thursday I took as a rest day. I even made an appointment with the doctor for friday morning.
Friday morning, it was determined that I had a sinus infection, and was given antibiotics. I relaxed for the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon before I had to volunteer at the pre-race expo. I elected to save my long run I had scheduled for saturday. It's rare that I have 3 days off in a row, so it's been a bit of a mini-vacation for me. Friday night was a blast. Where else can you talk running with fellow runners for hours on end. It was so cool to enjoy the excitement and energy of all the athletes there.
Saturday morning I attempted to run long. It got me about 2.5 miles. It was a splendid day - sunny, cool, the trees just starting to change color. I took Henry over to Lake Rebecca again, with plans to run the mountain bike course a few times. Well, that didn't happen. My energy levels were down, and it felt like all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I decided it was back to the couch for me.
So I did something I rarely do, I sat down in the middle of a beautiful day, and read a book. Then met a friend for coffee before heading out to dinner.
Today I think the antibiotics are starting to kick in, because I'm feeling much more like myself. Even after cheering all morning, I'm hardly coughing, and not nearly as tired.
I've never watched a marathon before, so it was really neat to be on the sidelines cheering everyone on at the 20 mile mark. It was very motivating and inspiring. I can't wait to plan my next marathon. There is definitely something special about 26.2 miles. There is magic in the marathon.
So thoughts on my next marathon are possibly Disney in January (the Goofy challenge is already full... bummer...) then rumor has it some of my friends are doing a race in New Mexico in March... then there's definitely the Grand Island Marathon in July and TCM next October.
Until next time... Run Fast, Take Chances...
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