This will be a painfully long update

Wow, I have been horrible at keeping up with the blog for the last week or so!  Sadly, this has alerted me to the fact that no one is going to call me out if I skip workouts.  Come on people... that's what you're here for! The good news is that despite the fact that no one called me out on not posting, I was doing all of my planned workouts anyhow.  If this was a test, my blog readers just failed and I passed with flying colors : )

Anyhow, without my log in front of me, I'm going to be hard pressed to remember every workout I've done since mid-day on the 17th. Between work madness and training ramping up, it's amazing I've even found the time to write in my physical log book! My recollection goes something like this (accuracy not guaranteed):

Thursday the 17th - Crazy swim after work... lots of speed work, felt awesome.
Friday the 18th - Glorious off day!
Saturday the 19th - Long ride on the trainer (2 hr.)
Sunday the 20th - Absolutely insane trail run in ~ 8 inches of fresh snow (more about that in a bit)
Monday the 21st - Swim before work (long day, cut short because my left shoulder was off), 1 hr. run in the afternoon (best run I've had in a long time... VERY proud of myself).
Tuesday the 22nd - 1 hr. on the treadmill after work
Wednesday the 23rd - 1 hr. on the trainer before work, skipped my afternoon swim to allow my left shoulder to recover
Thursday the 24th - long run on the treadmill (9 miles... holy cow, go me!)
Friday the 25th - Off day! (Skipped my 2nd swim of the week... a calculated decision, more on that in a sec)
Saturday the 26th - 4.5 mile run
Sunday the 27th - 2 hr. long ride on the trainer

As promised, more detail about my run on the 20th.  Somehow I let Jeremy convince me that a trail run was a fabulous idea despite the fact that it had snowed overnight and was still actively snowing.  I don't think either of us was fully prepared for the fact that there was about 8 inches of fresh powder on the trail (I say trail, but you couldn't actually see it due to the snow).  We took the dog and I'm fairly certain she had a better time than both of us.  Our long run turned into a hike in, and a treacherous run back out in our own footsteps trying not to turn an ankle or blow up a knee joint.  Lest you think I'm exaggerating... I had Jeremy take photos as proof.  It was a fun experience, and definitely a workout, but I don't think I'll be repeating it any time soon.

I'm smiling, but Ruby is smiling more!

Our "trail"

Final thought, I alluded to the fact that my left shoulder has been giving me a bit of trouble on the swim.  I actually don't think it's an "injury" per se.  I think my right side is still stronger than my left from all those years of pitching.  Thus, the right is handling the increase in swim volume better than the left.  I decided to skip a couple swims last week (and add in an extra run) to give it a chance to relax. Hopefully it will pay off in happy swimming this week! 

Whew, what an update! 

~Ash

Switching it up

This is turning into the week of switched workouts!  Last night I was supposed to do a long-ish swim after work.  By the time 5:30 rolled around I was exhausted and the thought of a long swim was super daunting, so I made myself a deal and switched yesterday's swim workout with Friday's planned swim workout - effectively making yesterday a speed day.  This turned out to be a great decision because short quick sets was exactly what my body needed last night.  I did 1500m total (w.u. 300m; main 10x100, descending 1-5 and 6-10; c.d. 200, alternating 50 kick/50 swim).  I actually felt awesome when I was finished.

The switching ended up biting me in the butt though, since a hefty little snowstorm hit last night and I was less than motivated to drag myself out of bed to do my long run in 5 inches of snow this morning.  So, I decided to switch things up again.  This meant moving my long run to tomorrow and doing tomorrow's bike and swim today.  I did the bike workout on the trainer this morning before work (55 minutes total with  some speed intervals thrown in).  It felt good to get a sweat in before work, and it felt even better to get to shower at home rather than at the JCC! However, all of this switching means that now I'm headed over to the JCC for a longer swim than I would like after work.  Oh well, at least I made it all fit and didn't skip any workouts : )

I'll post tomorrow about tonight's swim and my long run in the morning.

~Ash

Week 2 update

Yikes, it's been a busy couple of days.  I just haven't had time to sit down and write! The good news is that even though it's been CRAZY busy, I have yet to miss a workout... go me!

Monday night Jeremy and I went for a quick 4 mile run around our neighborhood.  The weather was perfect! I couldn't believe we were out after dark and I was in capris and a very lightweight long sleeved top... awesome!  We topped off our Valentine's Day by ordering Thai take-out - perfect : )

Yesterday I had a crazy day at work.  I managed to sneak out at lunchtime for a quick run.  I only got in 3.5 miles, which wasn't quite as long as planned, but was better than nothing.  By the time I got home from work I was exhausted, but I forced myself to get on the trainer for my scheduled ride.  I did the whole hour, and frankly it was much better than anticipated.  I actually felt better the longer I was on there.  I was still super tired come bedtime, but I was proud of myself for getting it done!

Today is not a double-day... woohoo!! I have a fairly long swim to do after work, but it was AWESOME not getting up early this morning.  Hopefully the pool won't be too crowded.

~Ash

Week 2 begins

I started Week 2 of "official" training with a long swim this morning at the JCC.  I was trying to think back... this might be the longest swim I've ever done.  I could be wrong, but either way it was a tough one! I did 2400m total (warm up: 6x100, main: 3x500, cool down: 2x150).  The main set was supposed to be 4x500, but I skipped the last 500 due to time constraints.  Since I've never swam these sorts of distances before I didn't have a good concept of how long the workout would take.  As it was, I was in the pool for and hour.  The extra 500 wouldn't have added too much time, but I had an early meeting at work and had to call it quits. I was a bit disappointed, but overall I'm still pleased with myself for getting it done.

Tonight Jeremy and I are going on a Valentine's Day run.  It's not that often that our training schedules coordinate, but as luck would have it we're both supposed to do 45 minutes today. So, it's a date!

Running by headlamp... uber romantic!

Fun with the Gleason Fam

The Gleason clan was here this weekend, which gave me an excuse to take Friday off work... woohoo! Friday was my off day for training, and I thoroughly enjoyed running around town with everyone.

Saturday we all went snowshoeing in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  We did most of the trail up to Scott's Pass.  It was pretty strenuous on the way up, but they were troopers and handled the altitude like pros!  We were out there for about 3 hours, so it was a good little workout.

Sunday we went to Antelope Island and did a 3 mile hike.  We had one up-close-and-personal bison encounter, but all managed to get out in one piece (even Ruby, who was a bit of an instigator).

No "official" training this weekend, but plenty of unofficial training to make up for it.  Plus, the weather was gorgeous!

Now, onto week 2.  The plan:

Monday - long swim at the JCC before work, 45 min. Valentine's Day run with Jeremy after work
Tuesday - 60 min. trainer ride before work, 45 min. run after work
Wednesday - moderate swim
Thursday - long run (hopefully before work)
Friday - 55 min. trainer ride before work, speed swim after work
Saturday - OFF!
Sunday - 120 min. ride

Goal for the week: Finish every planned workout!

Crunched for time

Last night was a little crazy since I needed to get a long run in after work, plus get the house ready for the Gleason's arrival today. So, in an attempt to compromise (and not be up until midnight scrubbing the bathroom), I shortened my long run from 90 minutes to 60 minutes.  Jeremy and I went out together for the run.  It was pretty cold and there was a super brisk headwind in City Creek, but it felt good to get out! We did just under 6 miles, not bad for a work night.

I figure that the speed cleaning session that went on after the run probably takes care of the remaining cardio... haha!

This morning I jumped on the trainer for a quick session.  I think I went 60 minutes, but frankly it's possible that it was only 50 minutes (halfway through the ride I totally forgot what time I got on).  Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind!

Almost time the head to the airport... fun weekend ahead!

~Ash

Double days!

It's been a long time since I've regularly completed double day workouts!  My body is basically saying "Whoa there turbo, what's this nonsense?!".  In all seriousness though, this week has been a bit of an adjustment.  The workouts haven't been that bad, but the logistics of scheduling them around work, packing the appropriate clothes, making sure I bring enough food, etc. has been challenging.  I just had to go buy myself a snack because what I thought was a sufficient lunch just wasn't cutting it calorie-wise.

Last night I hit the JCC for another treadmill run.  I did 4.5 miles and felt much better than I had on Monday. Woohoo! I was up a bit too late last night getting the house ready for the Gleason's visit this weekend, so I was less than energetic when my alarm went off this morning.  Not to worry, I made a quick half-awake decision to sleep another hour and do my swim at lunch instead : )

My lunchtime swim was actually quite enjoyable.  It was a "race specific" workout, although frankly, I'm not entirely sure what that means.  I did 1650m total (warm up: 4x75, with some backstroke; main: 3 x 400; cool down: 1 x 150).  The backstroke was a fun change, although I felt totally uncoordinated.  I was starving by the end of it, but it made my lunch feel earned!

I'm modifying my schedule for the week once again.  In general, I don't want to make a practice out of this, but between the Gleason's upcoming visit, our Urgent Care run yesterday morning, and my lab schedule I'm having to get a little creative to fit everything in. So, the new plan is as follows:

Today - Swim (DONE!),  90 min. run with Jeremy after work
Thursday - 60 min. trainer ride (probably before work), swim (after work, but before the airport)
Friday - OFF!!!
Saturday - Snowshoeing (which will replace the 60 min. ride that would have been on Friday)
Sunday - 90 min. on the trainer (I'll squeeze this in somehow)

Holy cow, it's training season!

~Ash

Treadmills and stitches...

... luckily only one of those terms is in reference to me, and it's not stitches!

Last night I hit up the JCC for a run on the treadmill.  Sadly, the snowstorm came in early - killing my plans for an after work run with Ruby.  Instead, I slid my way over to the JCC in the middle of a whiteout to run on the treadmill.  Apparently others had this idea as well... I had to wait almost 30 minutes just to get on one.  Ugh, nothing saps my motivation like sitting on the gym floor waiting for a treadmill. Anyhow, I finally scored a spot and put in my 45 minutes.  I got a little lightheaded around 30 minutes, but this was likely due to the fact that when it snows the JCC turns the heat up to tropical levels.  I slowed my pace a bit and got some water and all was right with the world.

This morning, I was all dressed and ready for a trainer ride when Jeremy popped his head into the bathroom with a bloody paper towel around his thumb.  Apparently he was refereeing a fight between a carrot and a kitchen knife and the knife got out of hand... haha!  Needless to say, I aborted my plans for a ride so I could bandage his thumb and drive him to get stitches.  He's all sealed up now, and is sporting an awesome neon green thumb splint which he gets to model for the next 10 days... bummer for him, entertaining for me : )

Given this morning's adventure, I had to rearrange my plans a bit.  I will still run tonight after work (probably at the JCC again due to ice on the road concerns).  I will do today's bike workout tomorrow morning, and swim in the afternoon.  Hopefully this leaves enough recovery time for my legs before my long run on Thursday.

Whew! So far, today is off to a crazy start!

~Ash

IMCdA training has officially begun!

I swear this day got here faster than I thought it would.  My training plan starts today... I am officially 20 weeks away from IMCdA.

I met my friend Nelly at the JCC pool early this morning.  She is looking for a new gym, so I snagged her a guest pass so she could check it out. Today was my long swim for the week.  I was a more than a little intimidated by the workout, but having someone else in the pool with me definitely helped.  It was tough, but I did it! The grand total was 2000m (w.u. 4 x 200 drills, main: 1 x 1000, c.d. 4 x 50).  My shoulders were definitely feeling it by the end, especially since I hadn't done pull drills in years, but I did it! I was starving by the time I got to work, and had to snack my way through our morning lab meeting.

Tonight, I'm doing a 45 min. run.  If the snowstorm holds off I'll do it at home and take Ruby along. If not, I'll be on the treadmill at the JCC, sorry Ruby.

Time for lunch : )

~Ash

Romp to Stomp and other weekend fun

Saturday was the Romp to Stomp snowshoe race.  Jeremy and I made our 1st annual return appearance and I must say, it gave me a major sense of perspective.  As I watched the first-timers this year I couldn't help but be pleased with our progress.  First, we've not only learned to snowshoe, we have our own (thanks to my folks).  We were FAR more coordinated than last year.  Second, we've adapted to winter weather like champs.  We both were laughing at the folks carrying 3 layers of jackets by the end of the race.  We were them last year and this year we proudly chugged along in minimal layers.  So, for the second year in a row we had a great time, and didn't win a dang thing in the raffle! Oh well, it's for a good cause!  Jeremy has decided that next year we need to do the "race" part, rather than the walk part. Yikes, I better learn to run in my snowshoes!

Sunday was of course Super Bowl Sunday!!!  It was also my long day on the bike.  I hopped on the trainer mid-afternoon and cranked out a solid 90 minutes.  I felt WAY better than anticipated and was super pleased with myself.  Workout completed, I settled on the couch with some nachos and a glass of wine (I know, not your stereotypical football beverage) and watch the Packers win.  A VERY good Sunday : )

This was my final week of prep training.  I didn't miss a single workout, and I'm feeling good. Go me!

Plan for next week (modified a bit to accommodate the Gleason's visit):
Monday - long swim before work at the JCC, 45 min. run after work
Tuesday - 60 min. trainer ride before work, 45 min. run after work
Wednesday - moderate swim day
Thursday - 90 min. long run before work, speed swim after work (should have been on Friday)
Friday - OFF!
Saturday - Snowshoeing with the Gleason's (this will replace my 60 min. bike from Friday)
Sunday - 90 min. trainer ride

Cold morning run... so cold, my butt went numb!

You think I'm kidding?! Well, I'm not!

First, let me update you on last night's swim.  I got to the JCC just a few minutes too early and had to wait for swim team practice to end before I could hop in the pool.  Those kids were a riot to watch! Motivated me to find more joy in my swims : )  I did a moderate length day, 1400m total (warm up: 2 x 50, main: 3 x 400, cool down: 2x50).  Each 400 felt smoother / easier than the one before, so I took that as a good sign that I was settling into my stroke.  All in all, a nice little swim!

Side note - we went to PF Chang's for dinner last night and ate for free! Thanks for the gift cards, Gleason's... I LOVE me some veggie lettuce wraps!

Now, back to the main topic of discussion.... my frozen butt.  In my opinion, butts shouldn't be able to go numb from cold.  It defies physiology! There is probably more fat in my butt than anywhere else on me, therefore it is insulated, therefore it should stay warm unless I'm sitting on ice or something equally stupid.  NOT THE CASE!! The plan for today was an 80 minute long run.  I was already having motivation problems since I'm not used to doing my long run on a work day.  Then, I got up to let Ruby out to pee early this morning and I saw the thermometer... not promising!  So, I decided to stay in our warm bed until the sun was all the way over the mountains.  This plan backfired since it's completely overcast today.  Nonetheless, it had warmed up to 25 degrees by the time I finally headed out.  I bundled up accordingly, and off I went. It was cold at first, nothing too bad, but I swear it got colder with every mile.  I was heading up City Creek Canyon and the temps were falling fast!  It's a bad sign when your quads don't get warm even though you're running uphill! It was so cold that the creek was totally frozen over... yep, running water, frozen solid.  I decided to see the positive in this and was thoroughly enjoying the view... then my butt went numb.  Numb fingers - normal. Icy earlobes - normal.  Frozen tears - pretty normal.  Frozen butt - totally NOT normal!  I managed to make it the whole 80 minutes, but I swear I JUST finally thawed out.  I think the steaming hot cup of soup I had at lunch helped : )  Final thoughts on the run: proud of myself for getting it done.  Oh, and I should probably invest in thermal running tights!

Tomorrow is the Romp to Stomp snowshoe race for breast cancer awareness.  We did this race last year, having only been in Utah a few weeks, and having never snowshoed before.  I'm excited to go back and do it again with a little more experience under our belts!  Just got notice that they're delaying the start by 1 hour since all of their gear got stuck in the midwest in the blizzard... yay for an extra hour of sleep!!!

~Ash

4.5 happy miles

I am feeling pretty proud of myself.  Yesterday got a little crazy at work, but I still fit in my run! I snuck away to the JCC while my assay was running in lab, and got in 4.5 miles on the treadmill.  It was nice being at the JCC mid-afternoon. It wasn't as crowded so I didn't have to wait for a treadmill and it wasn't nearly as hot in there as usual... woohoo!  I realized part way through my run that my options were to do my whole workout and not shower, or quit early and shower.  I opted for finishing the whole workout... by now my labmates are used to me coming in after a workout all sweaty... haha! Anyhow, I had a great run.  Definitely the best I've felt on the treadmill in a long time. Maybe I'm finally getting myself back into shape!

Plan for today is a swim after work.  I'm planning a moderate length day - I'll post results later!

~Ash

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

First things first, last night I went home and rode the trainer for 60 min.  I didn't really feel like doing it, but I did, and I felt great afterwards. Yay for motivation!

Today is my favorite holiday... it's GROUNDHOG DAY!!! I know that this just adds to my overall weirdness, but I don't care : ) Punxatawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning, thus he's predicting an early spring.  I'm not getting my hopes up (especially since he has a >70% error rate... yep, that's worse than chance), but I'll be thrilled if he's right... it would certainly help with training!!

My plan for today is a 45 minute "easy" run.  Given that it's approximately 14 degrees outside (without factoring in windchill), I'm planning to do this run on the treadmill after work.  With any luck they won't have the heater set to 90 degrees again today!

~Ash

Tuesday Afternoon

I just realized that I didn't post about my swim yesterday... whoops! I went to the JCC after work and the pool wasn't too crowded which was nice.  I had decided that I needed to do a long day to prove to myself that I was ready for the beginning of the training plan next week.  After a short warm up, I swam 1000m straight without stopping.  I actually felt GREAT! I absolutely could have kept going, but I remembered what my training book said "Even if you're feeling good, don't push beyond the planned workout", so I did a quick cool down and stopped.  Overall, I was quite pleased with my swim!

I did not do my planned bike this morning, but I swear I had a good reason.  I did not sleep well at all last night. Something I ate did not agree with my stomach, and I was miserable all night. I'm still deciding how I'm going to reconcile this with my training plan.  In all reality, I probably won't do both the 1 hr ride and the 45 min run tonight after work (just being realistic).  I think I'll do the ride tonight, push the run to tomorrow, and swap my Thursday and Friday plans. I lose a swim workout by doing that, but I think the rides and runs are more important at this point, especially since I had a good swim yesterday. So, my revised plan for the week:

Today - Ride 1hr on the trainer after work
Wednesday -  Run 40-45 min (before work, probably on the treadmill since it's SUPER cold)
Thursday - Swim (moderate, before work), maybe bike 30 min after work if my legs feel good
Friday - Long run (75 min.)
Saturday - Romp to Stomp Snowshoe Race... fun!
Sunday - Long bike (80-90 min.)

~Ash