Running + Training

By kilax, February 4, 2018 2:02 pm

Highlight of the Week: Running with Rachel!

Monday | January 29, 2018: 10 m ride + 7 m run + teaching strength class
Indoor Ride Time: 40:18, Pace: 14.9 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, sweaty
Loc: VP Woods Loop, Temp: 23°/21°, Time: 1:07:14, Pace: 9:36 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Strength: body bars, Difficulty: easy, except squats, Felt: slap happy, hungry
Tuesday | January 30, 2018: rest
Wednesday | January 31, 2018: 10 m run (incl. 12 hill repeats) + 3 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 32°/32°, Time: 1:39:39, Pace: 9:58 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, held back by the wind
Loc: Lakefront Trail, Temp: 41°/41°, Time: 28:58, Pace: 9:38 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, annoyed with all the stops!
Thursday | February 1, 2018: 5 m run
Treadmill Time: 49:17, Pace: 9:51 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: surprisingly good on the treadmill!
Friday | February 2, 2018: teaching strength class + 1,302 yd swim + 4 m run + 15 m ride
Strength: body bars, Difficulty: easy (1/2 observing), Felt: good, happy for the distraction
Loc: FitNation, Time: 28:09 Pace: 2:10 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great, wanted to keep going!
Loc: hood, Temp: 12°/12°, Time: 36:53, Pace: 9:12, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great, glad for the sun
Indoor Ride Time: 56:37, Pace: 15.9 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Saturday | February 3, 2018: 10 m run (w/Rachel)
Loc: Burlington, Temp: 22°/22°, Time: 1:38:29, Pace: 9:51 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great!
Sunday | February 4, 2018: teaching fitness boxing + 4 m run (incl. 4×400)
Strength: boxing and core/cardio, Difficulty: easy (mostly observing), Felt: good
Treadmill Time: 39:47, Pace: 9:56 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: fine

Notes:

• Pretty Little Liars was my go-to TV show for indoor cycling for the last year+ and I finished it Monday! It’s time to find a new show to watch!
• Wow, the squats in Monday night class killed my quads. My quads must have been sore from running right before class, or the tempo run the day before. (They’re all better now!)
• I ran a little more than I needed to this week because I was irritated and angry and trying to deal.
• I need to quit pushing my swimming ear buds in so far. I was freaked out Friday when one was stuck deep in my ear. I’m so glad Steven could get it out.
• It was so fun to meet Rachel for a long run and chat away! It’s awesome that our meeting town has so many trails. I hope we can meet again next month!
• I felt really good having my fitness boxing workout planned a week in advance, for once. But as I was teaching, I realized I should have reviewed it right before, and especially reviewed the playlist, since there were song cues. Lesson learned!
• I didn’t do my speedwork on Thursday because I didn’t have the emotional energy for it. I decided to save it for Sunday, then realized later I was supposed to do a tempo that day. Dammit, no tempo this week. Oh well! And I cut a lot of my speedwork out – four 400s instead of ten! Ha! Another lesson learned – avoid speedwork on the treadmill. I felt out of control, like I was going to fly off, and it scared me (which is funny – my Thursday treadmill run went so well). (I ran inside because it was snowing, and I didn’t want to run outside and slip, or drive to the track to run because the roads were bad. )
• It’s monthly recap time. In January I ran 181.8 miles (27 runs, more miles than any month last year), cycled 150.5 miles (11 indoor rides) and swam 4,704 yards (4 swims). My coldest run was 12°F and my warmest was 64°F. I did 5 hill sessions and 5 speed sessions. I ran one race – the Snowshoe Scurry 5K Race #2. I taught 7 strength classes, 2 fitness boxing classes, and 1 indoor cycling class. I did 2 strength workouts at home.

Link to Training Week 432

Life

By kilax, February 3, 2018 6:22 am

I started the week off feeling irritated and angry. And agitated. I actually made a list of things that were bothering me, and how I was feeling. And promised myself I would do something about it if things didn’t get better in a few weeks.

Then our week took a total turn for the worst.

Then the water stopped working at the house (it’s working now).

Then I was worried I’d have to go to urgent care to get an ear bud out (it was stuck deep in my ear for about thirty minutes, until I got home and Steven got it after a few minutes of work. I was freaked out.).

Then the vet called and said both cats have roundworm (which we can get from them… yay).

These two trouble makers

Then… I just had to laugh.

This week can just eff off!

There’s been recognizable and appreciated good, love, and joy in each day. I just need the percentage of that to be a little bit higher! Since I am not working today, and about to leave for a run with Rachel, it’s already headed in that direction! Yay!

A little Snow-morial in our foyer, featuring a plant my family sent

Life

By kilax, February 2, 2018 4:15 am

Snow wasn’t around for dinner Wednesday night or breakfast Thursday and I thought nothing of it – he usually goes exploring when we get warmer spells like we had on Wednesday.

So I was shocked Thursday morning when Steven called me shortly after leaving the house to ask if I’d seen Snow that morning, and to tell me he was pretty sure he found his body along the road just over a mile south of our house.

He wrapped him up in a blanket and brought him home. It was definitely him. I didn’t look at his face (the freezing temperatures really messed up his eyes and Steven advised I didn’t look) but I recognized his muscular body. I was glad to see it wasn’t mangled. I hope his death was instant and he didn’t suffer long. (And I’m extremely glad that Steven found Snow, and he didn’t just disappear with us wondering where he was forever.)

We buried him in the backyard. It was in the teens and super windy and the ground was frozen. But we started a fire to warm the ground and were able to dig a hole for him. I’m glad he’s close to home and I can visit him.

I’d like to write his name on the stone

Ugh.

I’m still in shock, when I think about how he won’t be living in his house anymore, or crying at the doors and windows of ours. Crying for attention and playing shy, then being a total lovebug as soon as he warmed up. I look outside and expect to see him. I keep thinking I hear him meowing at us.

Snow never wanted to live inside and we knew the risks of letting him be an outdoor cat. I just wish he hadn’t explored a road so far away from the home, where there’s a 55 mph speed limit.

But I’m glad for the short time we had with him. He showed up late September 2016 and was here until he passed away on February 1st, 2018. He was almost always around the house, and would come running and meowing if you opened any door to say hello. He let me hold him like a baby, and would purr like crazy. He loved his sister Khali, and liked Data too. A lot of our guests loved him because he was so sweet and friendly. He’ll be missed by many.

Baby Snow

I feel very matter of fact writing this, and like my emotion isn’t coming through. I’m horribly upset and look like crap from all my crying. I hate that our time together was cut short. I hate that animals get hit by cars. I hate that Snow won’t be visiting us inside anymore – that was new and becoming fun.

Ugh.

I’m very grateful to our supportive friends and family who’ve been consoling us. We feel comforted by them. Thank you!

Blogging, Life

By kilax, February 1, 2018 6:23 am

• My mom knows the way to my heart. She’s planning a trip to Mount Rushmore in March and I told her I likely can’t go. Then she texts me out of the blue, “Oh, did you hear about this race in the area around the time we’re going?!” Tempting! I haven’t updated my states raced in/run in map in a while!
• I was on my blog Facebook page the other day and saw someone liked a post that I completely forgot subscribes to my blog. Oops. I forget about the readers who don’t comment! I hope I am not offending too many people.
• I told Steven about the custom notebook I ordered and he liked the idea so much he ordered notebooks for himself and his friends to take coffee notes in! (Steven is on a quest to brew the perfect cup.)

• Yay! My snis and Will and William are traveling to Iowa the same weekend we are in April! I can’t wait to see them!
• Data and Khali get along and (I think) like being around each other, but Tuesday was the first time since Khali moved in last February that I’ve seen them sleeping and cuddling together. Aww!!!!

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 165

Blogging, Life, Work + Design

By kilax, January 31, 2018 5:41 am

What a long month! January seems to be lasting forever (apparently I’m not the only one who feels that way). That’s not a bad thing though. It’s been a fun month, and I am 100% a-okay with time not flying by! But of course, I’m thinking ahead!

Here’s a few things I am looking forward to in February:

• A running date with Rachel!
• Teaching three fitness boxing classes, and one indoor cycling class.
• Valentine’s Day treats for fitness boxing class (yes, I favor them, ha).
• My parents maybe visiting to help with a house project, and take my classes!
• A massage!
• Anne and Terry visiting!
• Continuing my every day blogging streak?! Maybe?! (This post about what makes me blog more often is still true.)
• More bowling dates with Steven! We’ve been bowling more and I enjoy it. I wish we could find a league to participate in… that wasn’t a zillion weeks long. And was every other week. Ha.
• My work detail ending. That’s completely the opposite of what I’ve been saying, but after some things happened, I am ready for it to be done.
• Having another vegan donut?!

Notice what’s NOT on the list?! The Frosty Footrace! I’ll likely be there, but I just still feel so meh about it all. (Yes, I hold long grudges. Working on that. Maybe having a good race there will help!?!)

Running + Training

By kilax, January 30, 2018 6:30 am

The 2018 RAGBRAI route was announced Saturday night!

I’m glad the route is not going through the far south side of the state. My family lives north of Highway 20 and going far south gets logistically tricky with finding a place to stay, getting to the start, getting all the cars to the finish, and getting to Guttenberg (for vacation!!!) when we’re done.

Not to say it’s NOT going to be logistically tricky to figure out! It still will be. I’ve been trying to think about it, but haven’t wrapped my head around it yet. It’s logistically similar to what we did in 2016, so I wonder if we’ll have to repeat that. Things to think about. Anyway.

The plan is to do Day 7, on Saturday July 28th, from Iowa City to Davenport. I know that Dad and (bestie) Gina are in, and Gina said (her husband) Steve is interested too. Yay! Will (BiL) Andrew be back this year? How about (BiL) Will?! I will make sure to harass them and find out. Ha.

Something exciting about the course this year is that it goes through my college town, Ames. I would LOVE to figure out a way to ride the Wednesday route that leaves out of there. Then ride Saturday as well. I am sure I could convince Dad to do that. And maybe even Andrew (since he is an ISU alum as well)!

Time to plan!

Past RAGBRAI posts:

• 2017, Day 7 Waukon to Lansing
• 2016, Day 7 Washington to Muscatine
• 2015, Day 4 Cedar Falls to Eldora, Day 5 Cedar Falls to Hiawatha
• 2014, Day 7 Independence to Guttenberg

Life, Recipes + Food, Travel

By kilax, January 29, 2018 6:27 am

I’d been looking forward to this weekend for a long time – I had no social plans and wasn’t teaching! Laziness, here I come!!!

Okay, that’s sort of a lie. I had ONE plan, to get my nails done with my friend Kim Friday night. It was time to get the gel nails removed that I had put on in KC, and I decided to get new ones put on. They’re doing a good job protecting my nails, and it’s nice not to have them chip (too much, anyway… the left hand started to chip 1.5 weeks in). I wonder how long I’ll keep this maintenance up! So fance. Much self care. Very pamper.

Color is OPI “We Seafood and Eat It.” I love OPI! Background is Data. 

On Saturday, I ran, did errands (at an earlier time that I usually do, which was great because there were less people out), then assisted Steven with installing the antenna in the attic (this is the second antenna we’ve tried, with a stronger signal). My job was very important – I handed Steven tools, and sat on the couch and pressed buttons to see what the signal strength was and let him know, while he messed around with mounting it in the attic.

YOU GUYS. I made a major realization this week – now that we have an antenna we can watch things like awards show (the Oscars!), and sports games (the Superbowl), and Saturday Night Live (if I EVER stay up that late). EXCITING!!! We only got an antenna so I could watch the Olympics, so all of that seems like a bonus!

(Note: we can’t get cable on our street, and we didn’t get an antenna before because it wasn’t important and we doubted it would work with being too far from signals in Chicago and Milwaukee. But this super strength antenna seems to be working! Yay!)

On Saturday night, we had a “date night” in Milwaukee, and tried Beerline Cafe, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant. The food was delicious! It’s a treat to go to a restaurant where I can order almost anything off the menu!

Yay, I satisfied my nachos craving!

But the restaurant was in a super quiet residential area and I couldn’t come up with anything to do after! I suck at finding things to do OTHER than food, in any town. We don’t drink much, so going to bars and breweries is often out. I was looking for shows, and movies, etc., but it was too last minute. I need to work on that!

Sunday was another quiet day. More exercising, a few chores, knitting, short napping (Saturday too!), and relaxing. Yay! My next quiet weekend isn’t until March (if I get one!) so I am glad I had this one!

Running + Training

By kilax, January 28, 2018 1:12 pm

Highlight of the Week: Actually doing a tempo run!

Monday | January 22, 2018: 10 m ride + 6.5 m run (incl. 10 hill repeats) + teaching strength class
Indoor Ride Time: 40:28, Pace: 14.8 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, sore butt from wearing tri shorts!
Loc: hood, Temp: 46°/50°, Time: 1:03:37, Pace: 9:47 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good physically, LIVID about work
Strength: body bars, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, definitely a shoulder workout!
Tuesday | January 23, 2018: 4 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 29°/29°, Time: 39:38, Pace: 9:54 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, annoyed with racing cars
Wednesday | January 24, 2018: rest
Thursday | January 25, 2018: 15 m ride + 7 m run (incl. 5×800, 8×1:00)
Indoor Ride Time: 58:37, Pace: 15.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 36°/34°, Time: 1:04:54, Pace: 9:16, Difficulty: mostly easy, Felt: mostly great
Friday | January 26, 2018: teaching strength class + 1,302 yd swim + 14 m run
Strength: body bars, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: FitNation, Time: 28:06, Pace: 2:10 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: glad to have “company”!
Loc: Lake Andrea/Outlet Mall loop, Temp: 51°/49°, Time: 2:24:57, Pace: 10:21, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, held back by the wind
Saturday | January 27, 2018: 4 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 38°/37°, Time: 41:46, Pace: 10:26 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, legs a bit tired to start
Sunday | January 28, 2018: 10 m run (incl. 2 m tempo) + 13 m ride
Loc: VP Woods loop, Temp: 29°/34°, Time: 1:39:01, Pace: 9:54 avg, Difficulty: mostly easy, tempo med/hard, Felt: great
Indoor Ride Time: 50:59, Pace: 15.3 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great

Notes:

• My weekday rides this week happened because I woke up naturally at 5:00 am, which is too early to start work, and too dark to run. Might as well ride!
• On Tuesday, three cars decided to race next to each other, on the road I was running on. Sigh. At first they drove down the road, normally. Then after I turned, I could see them all lined up next to each other in the distance. Idiots.
• When I looked at my calendar Thursday am and saw my speedwork assignment (that I gave myself), I thought “what the hell?!?!?” Ha! But it went well. Yay! Although my stomach was really messed up for a few hours after. Which happens to me after speedwork, but stinks when you’re trying to get things done or eat dinner, and have to pause to bend over in pain, or lay on the floor. (Nothing is wrong with me, intense speedwork has done this to my stomach for years.)
• My fellow Efit instructor, Kim, joined me at the pool Friday. Even though we’re swimming in separate lanes, it somehow makes swimming more fun!
• I felt great for my Friday long run, but there was a constant 20 mph wind from the SSW that was really slowing me down. Several curse words were said. Ha. It could have been SO much worse!
• I actually did my tempo this week, on Sunday! Yay! Go me!

Link to Training Week 431

Running + Training

By kilax, January 27, 2018 2:54 pm

My serious, most important goal for 2018 was to eat a vegan donut. Which I have completed, but am conflicted about. Sigh. This post is not about that, though.

It’s about my secondary goal for 2018, which is to see how close I can get to my 5K PR of 21:45! That PR was set at the Frosty Footrace in 2016 and will be two years old this February, eek!

Old photo from my 5K PR (I’m #79)

When I ran 21:45, I was lighter (in weight) and had been for some time, had been running faster in general (because of being lighter), was hitting race pace or slightly faster speeds in interval training, and was running about 45-50 miles a week. I was doing kind of nutso training for this 5K – things like doing 18 mile runs with six one-mile long hill repeats in them. I enjoyed it, that’s for sure. (Also, yay, record keeping – I knew I’d need all this info someday, ha!)

So, because I know that worked, I am working to get back to that weight, and that level of miles per week. The thing is though, I can’t hit the paces now, because I am heavier. As I mentioned in the 5K training plan I created, I have to see how I speed up, as I get lighter.

So I say I’d like to see if I can PR at the 5K I’m signed up for on April 7, but I really have to see where my training is at! The weight won’t do it all – I need to train at those paces, too.

However, part of me knows that racing on a flat course will help. My PR is on a hilly course on a quite windy day. The race I’m targeting in April is flat, flat, flat, with a few turns. And hopefully no wind. Ha. Also, I’ve run a 21:48 (3.5 months before my PR), without being light in weight for very long, on a flat course. So… who knows. Maybe I can just gut it out?!

Just kidding, I know I need to do speedwork at those paces!!! And despite the dread and fear of speedwork, I love how accomplished it makes me feel, when I am doing it, and especially when it’s over. I love training, and won’t be upset if I don’t hit my goal (<— not coping out, just mentioning I am aware it’s JUST running).

So, yeah, that’s goal #2! I feel like I do need to reach some resolution with goal #1 though. The way it was accomplished is putting me in such a funky head space, I am not sure I can devote the energy I need to, to goal #2. Sigh.

Ha ha ha.

And there’s one more thing motivating me for the race in April – it’s in my hometown and I’d love to get a PR that my parents get to see! I don’t think that part of wanting my parents to be proud of me will ever go away.

Music

By kilax, January 26, 2018 8:38 am

I always have at least one new-to-me FAVORITE song that I am listening to on repeat. And I’d like to share those! <— hence the optimistic “1” in the title indicating this may be a repeating series.

Right now, it’s Erin Bowman’s “Good Time Good Life,”

and Rita Ora’s “Anywhere.”

It’s funny I am sharing music videos, because hearing new music for the first by seeing its video usually makes me not care for it (at first). It gives it a different context than had I just heard it. I usually search for new music by listening to it only, on iTunes. Or I watch a dance clip on instagram or Facebook, and look up the song from the clip (that is how I found “Good Time Good Life” – on the Fitness Marshall’s page).

But blogs are visual and I don’t want to just list titles and make you have to look them up, ha!

So give them a listen! And maybe close your eyes, if you have the same issue as me, ha. (Although the first one is just a lyrics video!)

And let me know what YOU are listening to on repeat!