Thursday, October 1, 2009
I'm Back!
OK, so I didn’t really go anywhere, but it’s been a few weeks since my last post, so I feel obligated to make the announcement that I’ve returned from my slacking of blogging. Actually, I wish I could say I’ve been slacking, but it’s been quite the opposite. The last few weeks have been crazy hectic at work with me being in Topeka, KS for most of last week for one of my projects. And when I’m not running around at work, Shannon, the boys and I have settled into our normally busy home life of running from place-to-place with whatever free time we have in the evenings on weekends.
So an update on my running/training schedule: I’ve officially decided not to run the 2009 Des Moines Marathon. This decision was difficult in that I feel like I could physically complete the ‘thon, but mentally I just haven’t been into the training and preparation leading up to the event. After having already achieved a PR in July, the continued preparation for the Des Moines ‘thon started taking a mental toll on me right away. Like I mentioned in my last post, I think I hit the wall with my training. Some refer to it as “over training”. No matter what I call it, I just feel that by forcing the run, I’m increasing my risk of injury or mental collapse. And for those who have run any kind of race, the mental aspect, the mental training and strength, is, in my opinion, far more difficult to overcome than the physical aspects. So by not having the desire to sustain the necessary training, I lost the urge to put in the required miles for training. If that makes sense…
Since my last post, I completed the Cyman Triathlon on September 13th. By my guesstimate, I completed the event in 1:25:00, 23 minutes faster than last year’s time and 2 minutes faster than Hickory Grove a month earlier. I say guesstimate because I don’t have an official time according to the event. Here’s how it went down: that morning when I got to the transition area right after it opened, I went to the registration table to get my arm and leg marked with my bib number and age. When I got there, I told the half-awake guy my bib number. “261”, I said. Without feeling the need to double check my arm for what he put on there, I got my markings and headed to the chip table for my timing chip. Here is where I made my mistake; instead of telling the lady handing out chips my bib number, I just showed her my arm and reached for the timing chip she handed me. Again, without checking the numbers, I slapped on chip on around my ankle and started setting up my transition area. What I didn’t notice was the zombie with the marker put ‘216’ on my arm instead of ‘261’. So when I was given chip 216, it wasn’t even activated; thus not registering anytime I went over a timing mat in and out of transition. But thanks to being able to recognize other people’s bib numbers in the pictures Shannon took of my heading in and out of transition, I was able to piece together fairly accurate times for each leg or the tri.
I had a great swim, approximately 9:45 in the water. My first transition was considerably faster than Hickory Grove, probably less than 2 minutes. The bike however was a different story. About 10 miles into the 14.5 bike while aggressively changing gears, I threw my chain. At first I couldn’t believe I had done it. It’s never happened to me before, in training or an event, but I’ve heard it happening to other people. And I can confirm what I’ve heard from them, throwing your chain during the bike portion of a tri “sucks balls” (quoting Jay from every single Kevin Smith movie). Once it registered that I was pedaling my ass off and not going anywhere, I quickly pull off to the side of the road, chuck the chain back on the gear box, and hop back on my bike with only losing a minute or so. All-in-all, it wasn’t that big of a setback, but mentally, I was thrown for a loop and just that couple minutes of not making progress on the route wrecked my psyche for the rest of the event. I kept having that, “hurry up, now you’re behind schedule” feeling. I was able to hammer out the remaining 4.5ish miles in decent time; by my guess I think I averaged a little over 18 mph on the bike, so I was pretty happy with that. Transition two from bike to run was quick, but what happened on the run “equally sucked balls” (again, quoting Jay from the big screen duo of Jay and Silent Bob). About a mile into the run, I got the worse side cramp I’ve ever had while running. Cramping has happened to me a few times during training runs, but never during an event. So needless to say I was frustrated and pissed off at my body. Again all I kept thinking was, “now I’m even farther behind schedule!” I had to stop and walk through the water station at mile one and the rest of the run was a hard grind. I had to slow my pace just to allow myself the opportunity to breathe deeply. The worst part was my legs felt great, but I couldn’t capitalize on “fresh” legs for the run. In the end, the entire run was terrible, but I still managed a 24 minute 5k.
Thanks to a great swim, a quick fix on the bike and a grinder of a run, I was able finish with a new PR for a sprint triathlon.
So with Cyman complete and my decision not to run DSM, my events for 2009 are all but over. In a few weeks, I’ll be running the Susan G. Koman run for breast cancer. That will be my last event of the year. However, my quest for qualifying to the 2011 Boston Marathon officially started yesterday. I met with my new trainer, Lisa Leon, who subsequently kicked my ass with her redonkulously challenging lunge and squat-based workout. Nonetheless, I feel like I’m off to a good start with my training. I know I said I would start my Boston qualifying training until November, but Lisa and I agreed to ease into this round of training as it is something new that I’ve never done before. Now all I need to do is figure out which 2010 marathon I’ll use to qualify on.
Lastly, I’d like to send a shout out to the high school douchers that went out of their way to splash me on my run today. Thanks a bunch, a-holes! Its one thing to get splashed inadvertently, but it’s another to watch a car switch lanes for no other reason other than to careen through the only puddle big enough to reach the poor sap running in the rain. Man, that shit was funny when I was doing it in high school. Now it kind of sucks being on the receiving end. God it sucks getting old…
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Can you hit "the wall" during training?
Is it possible to hit “the wall” during training? After a couple months of lackluster, unmotivated training, I think it is. I tell ya, I can’t seem to find the energy or drive to train like I did in the spring. I think because I hit my marathon goal time for the year back in July, I’m having a hard time staying motivated for the DSM marathon in October. It’s not that I don’t want to run it, because I do. It’s just that I don’t want to train as hard as I did in the spring and early summer. I was going balls-out with my workouts; Mondays were 60 minute recovery workouts, Wednesdays I was meeting with my trainer for an hour and Fridays were hour and a half hard workouts. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays were run days ranging from 6 – 22 miles, and I rested on Sundays. At that time I was really getting into the functional and leg workouts because I had never done them before, so it kept my attention and desire. I was seeing direct results in my running pace dropping steadily, so the reward for me was totally worth the effort. That was then. I think it’s safe to say I’ve plateaued with my training since the Okoboji marathon in July. Though I understand that my per minute pace time can’t always drop like it had been, I get that, but I’m to the point that even running doesn’t interest me like it used to. Now I’m running because I have to, not because I want to. I remember going through this when I trained for my first marathon in 2007; towards the end of my training I was running because that’s what the training group was doing. And if I didn’t do it, I thought I wouldn’t be able to run the marathon. But, when I finished that marathon, all the thoughts and feelings of the mentally challenging training vanished and were replaced by tears of joy and the incredible high of doing something I never thought possible (yes, I actually cried when I finished my first marathon; I was overwhelmed with emotion).
So, it is 2007 all over again? Part of me doesn’t think so. I say that because this time I know what to expect when finishing a big race. Granted, no two finishes are ever the same, but I’ve got perspective that I didn’t have in ’07. This time it’s different. Lately I’ve been asking myself if I really want to run the DSM marathon. My answer is always “yes”, but to what extent? Because I’ve plateaued in my training, I don’t feel like I’ll be able to better my PR from July. So it’s hard to stay motivated to run 26.2 miles “just for the shirt” as they say. Again, I get that I’m not always going to be able to run faster than the time before, but having that revelation sink in has been a factor lately when it comes to motivation. OK, so I don’t know I won’t run faster, but based on my training output and lack of motivation lately, it feels like it’s not going to happen. Next year I’ll be on a quest to qualify for the 2011 Boston Marathon, so that training should keep my attention and dedication. I seem to be in a lull since last month. I wonder how long it will last. Since my “official” training for Boston doesn’t start until January, it could be a while before I snap out of it.
So, what say you devoted readers of the GimpyRunning blog? All two of you. :-) What’s your take on my dilemma? Am I burnt out or just a wuss that needs to suck it up and train? I’d like to know your thoughts.
So, it is 2007 all over again? Part of me doesn’t think so. I say that because this time I know what to expect when finishing a big race. Granted, no two finishes are ever the same, but I’ve got perspective that I didn’t have in ’07. This time it’s different. Lately I’ve been asking myself if I really want to run the DSM marathon. My answer is always “yes”, but to what extent? Because I’ve plateaued in my training, I don’t feel like I’ll be able to better my PR from July. So it’s hard to stay motivated to run 26.2 miles “just for the shirt” as they say. Again, I get that I’m not always going to be able to run faster than the time before, but having that revelation sink in has been a factor lately when it comes to motivation. OK, so I don’t know I won’t run faster, but based on my training output and lack of motivation lately, it feels like it’s not going to happen. Next year I’ll be on a quest to qualify for the 2011 Boston Marathon, so that training should keep my attention and dedication. I seem to be in a lull since last month. I wonder how long it will last. Since my “official” training for Boston doesn’t start until January, it could be a while before I snap out of it.
So, what say you devoted readers of the GimpyRunning blog? All two of you. :-) What’s your take on my dilemma? Am I burnt out or just a wuss that needs to suck it up and train? I’d like to know your thoughts.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Hard Plastic and Steel Tips
T-minus seven weeks to the Des Moines Marathon. The countdown is on!
Saturday’s training run felt great; a nice, peaceful run through downtown and the ghetto by Drake University. 12.5 miles at a 7:40 pace. And it’s a good thing I was moving along, because we ended up having a busy weekend.
But rather go into that, I have a question for everyone: since when did Ladder Golf go from one ladder to two? I ask because when I went to Google the blueprints to make my own (there’s no way I’m going to pay $50 for something plastic when I can build it for $14 out of PVC), there was site-after-site outlining how to make two of them. When the heck did this happen? When I first learned how to play Ladder Golf (or Bolo Golf or Ladder Toss or whatever you want to call it) a few years ago, there was just one ladder. A player from each opposing team stood on either side of it, 20ish feet away. While two players tossed golf ball bolos, the other two would stand dangerously close to the ladder, drinking beer and heckling the players tossing balls. And the ladder was small and hard as hell to get a bolo to land on. Now, it would seem, that not only are there two ladders, they’ve grown to be twice as big as the original ladder I learned on. And what’s with the “golf balls” that come with the new game? They’re not golf balls; they’re more like soft chew toys for a puppy. Where’s the danger in that? Geez, can the make this game any easier or lazier!?! I mean, c’mon, it’s already one of the best “laziest games” ever, but having one ladder on each end the size of Buicks seems a bit much. Might as well call it “Even the Most Chemically Inconvenienced Person Could Hit the Ladder with the Nerf Golf Balls”.
As of now, I’m boycotting the latest double-ladder version of Ladder Golf. I say bring back the harder, more likely to get struck by a golf ball, version! It’s the whole Lawn Darts game all over again. Remember when those things were made out of hard plastic with steel tips? Injury was always mere seconds away at any given time when you played that game. That was the best part of the game; knowing that at any time you could be impaled in the foot by a dart. Man, those were the good old days. And then “they” deemed it too dangerous and came out with the Diet Coke version of the game with bean bag weighted tips and soft, bendy plastic for the body of the dart. What’s next, Styrofoam horse shoes? It’s bad enough that everything these days has smooth, plastic edges and with on kung fu grip (remember when Tonka trucks had sharp, steel corners?), but don’t mess with lazy, beer-drinking lawn games. Let the boycott begin!
Saturday’s training run felt great; a nice, peaceful run through downtown and the ghetto by Drake University. 12.5 miles at a 7:40 pace. And it’s a good thing I was moving along, because we ended up having a busy weekend.
But rather go into that, I have a question for everyone: since when did Ladder Golf go from one ladder to two? I ask because when I went to Google the blueprints to make my own (there’s no way I’m going to pay $50 for something plastic when I can build it for $14 out of PVC), there was site-after-site outlining how to make two of them. When the heck did this happen? When I first learned how to play Ladder Golf (or Bolo Golf or Ladder Toss or whatever you want to call it) a few years ago, there was just one ladder. A player from each opposing team stood on either side of it, 20ish feet away. While two players tossed golf ball bolos, the other two would stand dangerously close to the ladder, drinking beer and heckling the players tossing balls. And the ladder was small and hard as hell to get a bolo to land on. Now, it would seem, that not only are there two ladders, they’ve grown to be twice as big as the original ladder I learned on. And what’s with the “golf balls” that come with the new game? They’re not golf balls; they’re more like soft chew toys for a puppy. Where’s the danger in that? Geez, can the make this game any easier or lazier!?! I mean, c’mon, it’s already one of the best “laziest games” ever, but having one ladder on each end the size of Buicks seems a bit much. Might as well call it “Even the Most Chemically Inconvenienced Person Could Hit the Ladder with the Nerf Golf Balls”.
As of now, I’m boycotting the latest double-ladder version of Ladder Golf. I say bring back the harder, more likely to get struck by a golf ball, version! It’s the whole Lawn Darts game all over again. Remember when those things were made out of hard plastic with steel tips? Injury was always mere seconds away at any given time when you played that game. That was the best part of the game; knowing that at any time you could be impaled in the foot by a dart. Man, those were the good old days. And then “they” deemed it too dangerous and came out with the Diet Coke version of the game with bean bag weighted tips and soft, bendy plastic for the body of the dart. What’s next, Styrofoam horse shoes? It’s bad enough that everything these days has smooth, plastic edges and with on kung fu grip (remember when Tonka trucks had sharp, steel corners?), but don’t mess with lazy, beer-drinking lawn games. Let the boycott begin!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Hickory Grove Triathon Photos
OK gang, it's been a while since my last updated. Here's what's been going on...
For the past few weeks, I've been in a good training groove gearing up for the Hickory Grove Triathlon. Tuesdays are run/swim/run days that consist of running 2 miles from downtown DSM to Gray's Lake, swimming 2 - 3 laps around the buoys (at the beach), then running the 2 miles back to the gym downtown. I've been in this Tuesday training routine for the past 6 weeks. Thursdays are still medium length run days where I've been averaging 7 - 9 miles each run. And Saturdays are the long runs. In between those are the usual functional workout sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
My last few long runs have sucked. Yep, straight up been grinders that haven't felt good at all. Lately it's been my hips and lower back that have been bothering me a bit, but I think that may be from my shoes being old. In thinking back, I've had them about four months now, so time to get some new kicks. That's usually how I know my shoes have flattened out; when my back, hips and legs start aching.
Solid training, but challenging long runs for the past month gave me mixed feelings going into last weekend's triathlon. The Hickory Grove Tri - at Hickory Grove Park by Colo, IA - was my first tri since Cyman last September. Though I felt ready training-wise, I was still nervously excited to get it over with, so to speak. Because last year's tri was my first, I felt like I stood a good chance to post a better time with the HGTri. HGTri is a sprint triathlon consisting of a 500 yard swim, 15.5 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. Cyman is also a sprint tri and since it was my first one last year, my goal was just to finish it. With the HGTri, I was hoping to better each of my leg times. And I'm happy to say that I did just that! Here is a breakdown of my times:
500 yd Swim - 10:52
Transition 1 - 2:20
15.5 m Bike - 48:47
Transition 2 - 0:47
3.1 m Run - 22:30
Total time - 1:25:18
I bested my 2008 Cyman time by 22 minutes! The 2009 Cyman Triathlon is in three weeks where I'm hoping to shave off a few more minutes of my overall time. I think where I can improve the most is in the swim (I'm hoping for a 10 minute swim) and on the bike (Cyman is a mile shorter bike route, so hoping for 45 minutes). I'll keep everyone posted as to how Cyman goes in a few weeks. Until then, here are some pics that Shannon took at HGTri. Enjoy...
Getting In…
Swimming along…
Making sure I’m not the last one out of the water in my heat…
Heading to Transition Area…
Hitting the road on the bike...
This is what Chris and the boys do while I’m racing…
Out of Transition…
The final sprint…
The finish…
Heading home…
The countdown is on to Cyman Triathlon on September 13, 2009. I invite everyone to come out and check out the action. Oh, and to see me in a Speedo! OK, that’s probably not the best way to recruit a large cheering section, but nonetheless, it’s a spectator-friendly tri and I’m sure you’d have a good time.
Until then, I’ll stay in training, drinking my “girlie beer” as Weirson would put it, gearing up for the next event…
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Greatest XM Channel Ever?
Run/Swim/Run again today. Swim felt the best it’s felt since I added it to my training routine a couple months ago. Usually my stroke feels good, but my breathing is rushed (get your minds out of the gutter). Today everything fell together and it turned out to be a solid swim. And I need a few more swims like this one because I signed up for the Hickory Grove Triathlon earlier this week. It’s at Hickory Grove Park (by Colo, Ia) on Aug 23rd. It’s a very spectator friendly tri, so I invite everyone to come out and enjoy the atmosphere. And don’t let the fact that I’ll be in a Speedo scare you off. Ok, enough about training…
So I got XM Radio for Blackout (what is what the boys named my Tahoe) and it didn’t take me long to find the Hip Hop channels. And sure enough, one of the first songs I heard on XL Backspin (the “throw back” hip hop and rap music channel) was ‘Posse on Broadway’ by Sir Mix-A-Lot. I hadn’t heard that song since 11th grade. Man, I was dope bumping that jam in my 1978 Honda Prelude. Booyah! Since then I’ve heard other great throw backs like; ‘Joy and Pain’ by Rob Base, ‘Ditty’ by Paperboy and even ‘3AM Eternal by KLF. I think this music channel could possibly be the best channel ever invented. Ever.
Quick show of hands, how many have not even heard of any of these songs? Almost everyone? Thought so!
So I got XM Radio for Blackout (what is what the boys named my Tahoe) and it didn’t take me long to find the Hip Hop channels. And sure enough, one of the first songs I heard on XL Backspin (the “throw back” hip hop and rap music channel) was ‘Posse on Broadway’ by Sir Mix-A-Lot. I hadn’t heard that song since 11th grade. Man, I was dope bumping that jam in my 1978 Honda Prelude. Booyah! Since then I’ve heard other great throw backs like; ‘Joy and Pain’ by Rob Base, ‘Ditty’ by Paperboy and even ‘3AM Eternal by KLF. I think this music channel could possibly be the best channel ever invented. Ever.
Quick show of hands, how many have not even heard of any of these songs? Almost everyone? Thought so!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Active Training Weekend
Greetings and happy Monday to everyone.
The Jones household had a busy training weekend. I was all set to run Saturday morning with the Capital Striders, but when my alarm went off at 5:15AM, I promptly turned it off and rolled back over for more sleep. I woke up when Spencer and Ty came in at 8:22 and were looking for breakfast. So I didn't get to my run until later that afternoon.
Since is was cool and breezy, I went ahead and ran my step-back 16 miles in the middle of the afternoon. I don't normally run my long runs at that time, but I thought I'd give it a shot since the weather was cooperating. The first 6 miles flew by and everything felt good. By mile 7 I was getting tired for the first time and was stuck running into the wind from DMACC to Casey's at 3rd & Ankeny Blvd. After a quick stop for water at Casey, I continued to 1st St, down to Trilene and by the time I got to Briarwood Golf Course, I was officially tired and looking for water. I was able to make it to the Casey's at 36th and Hwy 69 for another water break, but was getting more and more tired by the minute. I walked a bit then headed west on 36th to State St. Which was all up hill. Which I hadn't realized until I was running it. Isn't it amazing how you never really see how hilly a street is when you're driving on it? The entire time I was on 36th, I was running up hill. And it sucked. I was running against a cross-wind the entire way and there is nothing out there to slow the wind. But, the good news is that when I turned south on State St, It was downhill and down wind. Totally made up for the last two miles I had run on 36th St.
By the time I got to 18th & Irvingdale my legs were tired and heavy. And my right hamstring was tight and getting tighter with each stride. To protect both my hammy's, I ended up walking a few times during my last 2 miles in. I don't normally walk that much (shot my per/minute time), but was worried that if I over did it, I'd possibly pull a hamstring. And that would be the end of the DSM marathon just like that.
In the end, 16 miles in 2:18:00 (8:37/mile). Not what I was hoping for time-wise, but finished it without an injury. Next week's long run is 20 miles. Hopefully that will go better.
So that was Saturday. Sunday Shannon ran 6.4 miles in the morning and I went for a quick 10 mile bike ride. I had taken my tri bike (Specialized Allez Elite) in on Tuesday for a tune up and didn't get it back until Saturday. It was nice to be on the wheels again, but I had forgotten how tiring biking could be when you're trying to maintain a certain mph throughout a ride. For now, I'm trying to keep it between 15 - 18 mph until I can log some longer rides. Then I'll think about kicking up to 20 mph. We'll see how that goes....
So after a long run Saturday and a bike ride Sunday afternoon, I played volleyball in league Sunday night and, surprise, surprise, had no legs whatsoever. It felt like I was trying to jump out of quick sand. I just couldn't get my legs to come around. So, lesson learned for me - no biking in the afternoon, two hours before volleyball. DOH!
On a side note, I'm going to try and get my hands on some pictures from the events I've done this year. I'm hoping to get them posted yet this week. Stay tuned...
The Jones household had a busy training weekend. I was all set to run Saturday morning with the Capital Striders, but when my alarm went off at 5:15AM, I promptly turned it off and rolled back over for more sleep. I woke up when Spencer and Ty came in at 8:22 and were looking for breakfast. So I didn't get to my run until later that afternoon.
Since is was cool and breezy, I went ahead and ran my step-back 16 miles in the middle of the afternoon. I don't normally run my long runs at that time, but I thought I'd give it a shot since the weather was cooperating. The first 6 miles flew by and everything felt good. By mile 7 I was getting tired for the first time and was stuck running into the wind from DMACC to Casey's at 3rd & Ankeny Blvd. After a quick stop for water at Casey, I continued to 1st St, down to Trilene and by the time I got to Briarwood Golf Course, I was officially tired and looking for water. I was able to make it to the Casey's at 36th and Hwy 69 for another water break, but was getting more and more tired by the minute. I walked a bit then headed west on 36th to State St. Which was all up hill. Which I hadn't realized until I was running it. Isn't it amazing how you never really see how hilly a street is when you're driving on it? The entire time I was on 36th, I was running up hill. And it sucked. I was running against a cross-wind the entire way and there is nothing out there to slow the wind. But, the good news is that when I turned south on State St, It was downhill and down wind. Totally made up for the last two miles I had run on 36th St.
By the time I got to 18th & Irvingdale my legs were tired and heavy. And my right hamstring was tight and getting tighter with each stride. To protect both my hammy's, I ended up walking a few times during my last 2 miles in. I don't normally walk that much (shot my per/minute time), but was worried that if I over did it, I'd possibly pull a hamstring. And that would be the end of the DSM marathon just like that.
In the end, 16 miles in 2:18:00 (8:37/mile). Not what I was hoping for time-wise, but finished it without an injury. Next week's long run is 20 miles. Hopefully that will go better.
So that was Saturday. Sunday Shannon ran 6.4 miles in the morning and I went for a quick 10 mile bike ride. I had taken my tri bike (Specialized Allez Elite) in on Tuesday for a tune up and didn't get it back until Saturday. It was nice to be on the wheels again, but I had forgotten how tiring biking could be when you're trying to maintain a certain mph throughout a ride. For now, I'm trying to keep it between 15 - 18 mph until I can log some longer rides. Then I'll think about kicking up to 20 mph. We'll see how that goes....
So after a long run Saturday and a bike ride Sunday afternoon, I played volleyball in league Sunday night and, surprise, surprise, had no legs whatsoever. It felt like I was trying to jump out of quick sand. I just couldn't get my legs to come around. So, lesson learned for me - no biking in the afternoon, two hours before volleyball. DOH!
On a side note, I'm going to try and get my hands on some pictures from the events I've done this year. I'm hoping to get them posted yet this week. Stay tuned...
Friday, July 31, 2009
A Busy Not-So-Busy Week
So after all the running and on-the-go vacationing we've done over the last few weeks, this week was supposed to be one of those nice and easy, stay-at-home weeks where the evenings are empty and everyone juts hangs out at home. Umm...yeah...totally didn't happen. As it is with every week in the summer at the Jones household, we've been on the run yet again this week. It's not a bad thing because we've had fun running around. I was just hoping for a quiet week coming off consecutive trips to the lakes. Anyway, here's the week in rewind...
Monday was a typical Monday with the boys still wound up from the weekend. Makes for a long evening of noise, taddling and drama. Tuesday ended up being movie night because we went to Steele's flag football game at Valley Stadium on Wednesday. Game was at 7:15, so didn't get home until 9. The Kamikazes lost, but made a game of it in the second half. Thursday Shannon and I subbed in volleyball on Matt and Amanda's Waukee team. Dropped the boys off at my 'rents and didn't get back home with them until 9:45. And for the record, the volleyball leagues in Waukee play by some back asswards rules. Since when can someone from the back row come up and block at the net??? Oh and rally point scoring blows. This morning I was amazed at how easily the boys got up and got moving! We were invited to the Barnstormers playoff game tonight, but going to pass since it doesn't feel like we've been home much this week. That and I'm running 16 tomorrow morning, so want to be rested for that.
On to the training runs this week.
- Tuesday: ran/swam/ran to/at/from Grays Lake. I landed hard on my left shoulder on Sunday in volleyball (actually thought I might have broken my collar bone at first. Turns out I'm just a pussy and just banged it real good), so I wasn't sure how it'd feel during the running or swimming. It's 2 miles to the beach at Grays. I swam 2 laps around the buoys (approx 500M). Then 2 miles back to the gym. Entire work out took me just a little under an hour. Shoulder felt good the whole time so that's reassuring to know it's not severely injured.
- Thursday: ran 8 miles with Cap. Got to give a "what's up" nod to Mix whose (still) nursing a sore heel/achilles. Rest up and heal quick, Mix! Cap and I ran the Art Center loop. Man I love this route. Especially when the temps are cool like they've been. The road behind the Art Center and the trail through Water Works park are very pretty this time of year. The conversation was great and pace was nice and quick; probably around a 7 minute mile.
Like I mentioned above, stepping back on Saturday and only running 16 miles. I'll have to add-on mileage if I run with the Capital Striders training group; they're only going 10. Haven't decided if I'm running with them or will just loop around Ankeny. Will let you know on Monday when I rewind the weekend.
I'm hoping to get my bike out of hock from Kyle's Bikes in time to get some miles in this weekend. I took it in for a tune-up on Tuesday and haven't heard from them since. C'mon Kyle, don't leave me hanging!
And in a touch of irony, on my way back from having coffee with LDV this morning I saw a guy puffing away in front of a building. Cigarette in one hand and his pack of smokes in the other. The hand he was holding his cigarette with was the same hand he had his LiveStrong bracelet on. Maybe I'm being overly ignorant here, but that struck me as stupidly ironic.
Monday was a typical Monday with the boys still wound up from the weekend. Makes for a long evening of noise, taddling and drama. Tuesday ended up being movie night because we went to Steele's flag football game at Valley Stadium on Wednesday. Game was at 7:15, so didn't get home until 9. The Kamikazes lost, but made a game of it in the second half. Thursday Shannon and I subbed in volleyball on Matt and Amanda's Waukee team. Dropped the boys off at my 'rents and didn't get back home with them until 9:45. And for the record, the volleyball leagues in Waukee play by some back asswards rules. Since when can someone from the back row come up and block at the net??? Oh and rally point scoring blows. This morning I was amazed at how easily the boys got up and got moving! We were invited to the Barnstormers playoff game tonight, but going to pass since it doesn't feel like we've been home much this week. That and I'm running 16 tomorrow morning, so want to be rested for that.
On to the training runs this week.
- Tuesday: ran/swam/ran to/at/from Grays Lake. I landed hard on my left shoulder on Sunday in volleyball (actually thought I might have broken my collar bone at first. Turns out I'm just a pussy and just banged it real good), so I wasn't sure how it'd feel during the running or swimming. It's 2 miles to the beach at Grays. I swam 2 laps around the buoys (approx 500M). Then 2 miles back to the gym. Entire work out took me just a little under an hour. Shoulder felt good the whole time so that's reassuring to know it's not severely injured.
- Thursday: ran 8 miles with Cap. Got to give a "what's up" nod to Mix whose (still) nursing a sore heel/achilles. Rest up and heal quick, Mix! Cap and I ran the Art Center loop. Man I love this route. Especially when the temps are cool like they've been. The road behind the Art Center and the trail through Water Works park are very pretty this time of year. The conversation was great and pace was nice and quick; probably around a 7 minute mile.
Like I mentioned above, stepping back on Saturday and only running 16 miles. I'll have to add-on mileage if I run with the Capital Striders training group; they're only going 10. Haven't decided if I'm running with them or will just loop around Ankeny. Will let you know on Monday when I rewind the weekend.
I'm hoping to get my bike out of hock from Kyle's Bikes in time to get some miles in this weekend. I took it in for a tune-up on Tuesday and haven't heard from them since. C'mon Kyle, don't leave me hanging!
And in a touch of irony, on my way back from having coffee with LDV this morning I saw a guy puffing away in front of a building. Cigarette in one hand and his pack of smokes in the other. The hand he was holding his cigarette with was the same hand he had his LiveStrong bracelet on. Maybe I'm being overly ignorant here, but that struck me as stupidly ironic.
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