Weight

I am currently at the lowest weight I've ever been for the low mileage that I'm running.  Generally, this is the weight that I'll hit during the last couple of weeks of marathon training.  But, this time around, I'm there with just 10-15 miles a week.  My mileage is going to be going up as Helvetia training starts in earnest.  It'll be really interesting to see what my weight does this summer as my mileage increases. 

I have been eating really, really well lately.  Now that I'm in charge of preparing all my food, I'm eating a ton more veggies.  I also tend to cook lighter fare with fewer sauces and added flavors.  I like my food pretty darn simple and I'm sure that's cut a lot of fat and empty calories out of my diet.  I'm also just eating a bit less since I'm making my own portions rather than being served portions sizes that are more appropriate for a 200+ pound man. 

Helvetia Week 2

This is techically week 2 of training for Helvetia...  but I didn't run at all week 1.  Instead, I coughed, laid on the couch and vomited.  So glad THAT week is behind me!  I took it pretty easy this week too and, sadly, didn't manage to get out on the bike once.  I haven't biked in a month!!  I like it when I do it but I'm not nearly as motivated to bike as I am to run.  I wish that I could find a biking partner...  but I drive a smart car so I have no way to transport my bike to meet somewhere.  I just need to find a way to be more self motivated. 

Monday - 3 miles (with D)
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - 3 miles (with M)
Thursday - 2 miles (at Tryon!!)
Friday - rest
Saturday - 5 miles (with group)
Sunday - rest

I'm not sure I'll have any time to bike this week either.  I've got a super packed after work schedule with running dates, the KU game tonight and meetings for volunteering with the Obama campaign and a local NFP.  I'll be happy if I can get in a yoga day and one biking day... 

Tryon, My Savior

Life, it is a changin'... 

I haven't run at Tryon in probably at least a year.  I first discovered it back when my then-husband was traveling every week for work.  The first time Onya and I ever ran there, it was a wet, rainy day much like today.  It may have even been in March.  We raced up and down those paths and we both had mud splattered from head to toe.  We were both beaming by the time it was done. 

Today, all I could think about was getting out on those muddy trails.  I obsessed all day at work.  After too much time off and way too much time since I've been on a trail, it seemed like the most wonderful idea I've ever had.  Knowing that it gets ridiculously slippery with all the amounts rain we've had lately, I decided that we'd just go two miles.  Sadly, Onya has aged about three years (not that I haven't...) and I was just recently informed by my vet that she's overweight.  Needless to say, there wasn't nearly as much racing up and down the trails...  but we did have a great two miles. 

We splashed.  We slipped.  We waded through the parts of the trail that were like small creek beds.  I reflected on how drastically everything can both change and stay exactly the same.  Onya is my love, my rock and my inspiration.  The trails feed my soul, calm my mind and remind me that I am strong.  As the rain washed away my tears, I realized that I've been off course for too long.  It is time for me to put one foot in front of the other and see just how far I can get on my own. 

I have a feeling that I'm going to look back on this time in my life and know that Onya and Tryon were driving factors in my grief, sadness, healing and ultimate recovery. 

Sick, Sick and More Sick!

After three full weeks of being sick, I am finally feeling good enough to run again!  Today was my first run in over two weeks.  I had a run date with a girlfriend who is newish to running.  I took Onya along and we ran three miles on the Waterfront.  I have another run date with a different running friend on Wednesday.  And then, of course, I'm planning a five miler with my running group on Saturday.  I'm also hoping to get out on my bike once or twice this week.  YAY for feeling better! 

Sicko!

I haven't been posting here much because I've been really sick for the past week and a half or so.  In fact, I'm too sick to get to run today's Shamrock Run.  I'm super sad about that and it'll be the first time in five years (I think!) that I haven't run it.  But, with an ear ache, sore throat and cough, I know that the right thing to do is to stay out of the rain and rest. 

Even before this sickness, I was starting to not bike, skate or run as much.  My personal life is primarily to blame for that as I suddenly find myself going through a very, very unplanned, unanticipated and shocking divorce.  While I won't be talking about it much on this blog, it is happening and it is impacting my motivation to exercise...  at least for now.  That said, I'm hopeful that I can get over this cold and get back on track this week.  I really need to start getting focused on Helvetia and undo-ing some of the damage that the last week plus off has done! 

Week 7 Shamrock

Tuesday - 4 miles
Saturday - 6 miles
Sunday - hours of lifting chairs!

Last week was a horrible week for me on pretty much every front.  Obviously, I struggled with working out.  But that was mostly because I had a horrible week at work and on the personal front.  I'll keep the details to myself but, suffice to say, I've had my confidence swept out from under me and I'm now filled with all kinds of negative, self-doubting emotions.  It was the kind of week where you just want to say 'fuck it all', climb into bed and never come back out from under the covers.  Since that's not an option, I'm hoping for better training this week...  hopefully at least THAT will go well even if nothing else does! 

Week 6 Shamrock

Monday - REST
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 2.5 miles, 1 hour skating
Thursday - 40 minute bike
Friday - 1 hour skate
Saturday - 5 miles
Sunday - 40 minute bike

I hadn't intended to rest on Monday.  I had a craptastic day at work and then I got home to a puppy who had pottied her crate.  She was covered in urine and so, so, so ashamed.  She'd just finished up a round of antibiotics for a UTI and it appeared to have come back.  She's on a 21 day round of very expensive antibiotics now so hopefully she'll feel better soon. 

On Wednesday, I got back to running with the ladies running group at the DePaul Treatment Centers. 

Skate Gear

The picture on the left is off my very own kneepads and my first potential piece of boutfittery, yellow snake skin patterned tights!  The picture on the right is my very own wristguards!!  I now have everything I need to safely skate recreationally.  If I did decide to, say, join the Wreckers, I'd also have to get a helmet, elbow pads and a mouth guard.  But, for now, I'm set;). 

Jess Skates - One Week Later

Remember last week when I went on my first skate??  Maybe you noted on my weekly update that I skated Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.  Maybe you wondered what was up with that... but probably you didn't:).  Anyway, even after that first bambi legged skating trip where I couldn't hide the look of sheer terror in my eyes, I kinda wanted to skate more and I kinda wanted my own skates.  But that would obviously be ridiculous, I know. 

On Friday, Ty went skating with us and it kinda came out that I wanted my own skates.  And derby gear.  So we struck a deal that I could buy those things if I still wanted them after 12 total skates.  Reasonable, right?  Then I skated again on Sunday and the skates felt totally different...  all wobbly and weird.  I complained to J'Alissa and she explained to me that each pair of skates is different - the trucks can be tighter or looser, the wheels can be tighter or looser, the bearings can be more or less worn.  She tightened up my trucks and it was worlds better but it really got me thinking more about getting my own skates.  Learning how to skate is hard enough without having to adjust to drastically different skates each time! 

Enter craigslist, which I have been checking hourly since my first skate trip, and a $75 pair of Reidel skates!  I met the seller on Tuesday and talked her down to $60... and now I own my very own pair of skates!!!  WOOHOO!  I skated on them for the first time last night.  I wish I could say that it was heavenly but, of course, it felt all... weird.  My trusty derby girlfriend had me take a break from my 50 laps to have them checked out.  The guy at the counter asked if I was free-wheeling... which sounded a little too much like free-balling and gave me a private little giggle.  Anywhoo, I plopped myself up on the counter and he checked my wheels to discover that they were spinning just fine.  He asked if they were new wheels and I shared with him that I'd just bought the skates and the seller said that they'd only been used four times before.  He replied, 'yep, you just need to break them in'. 

I continued on with my 50 laps.  I didn't get to start them until 7:30 because J'Alissa got caught in traffic (I'm not brave enough yet to skate without her!) and I got to buy kneepads as my reward for completing 50 straight laps on Sunday.  Anywhoo, I just finished lap 46 when they cleared the floor for pace laps...  GRRR!!!  I was even on pace to finish my 50 in under 45 minutes which would get me rewarded with my own wristguards. 

BUT, the most exciting part of the night was talking to my first real, live derby girl who wasn't J'Alissa!!!  OMG - it was so, so great.  There were a bunch of people still in the retard lane after the pace skate and a girl asked me about my running tights.  We chatted  a bit about them and then parted.  I started practicing my T stops when she came back up to me and asked if I wanted to do derby!!!!  I explained that this was just my fourth time skating so I'm probably not up to it yet but that I was thinking about it.  She started tell me about their orientation sessions and derby lessons.  It was so exciting because she was kind of encouraging me...  and it felt like I was sort of being recruited for derby.  OMG.  Did I mention, SO EXCITING!!!  I remained cool... until she skated away and then I skated over to J'Alissa and panko'd her with all the details super duper excitedly and then she fell down laughing and it was the best thing ever!  The End.  

Week 5 Shamrock

Monday - bootcamp
Tuesday - bootcamp, 2 miles
Wednesday - 40 minute bike, 1 hour skating
Thursday - REST
Friday - 2 miles, 1 hour skating
Saturday - 2 miles, 1 hour yoga
Sunday - 30 minute bike, 1 1/2 hour skating

What's up with all the skating?  I don't really know.  I just thought it might be fun.  So I asked my derby friend to take me.  And I really, really sucked at it.  So I naturally asked her to take me again.  And, again, I really, really sucked at it...  but not quite as badly.  Then, I asked her to take me AGAIN.  And I warmed up with 50 laps.  I still really, really suck so it took me about an hour.  But I did it.  Then we worked on T stops and something kind of clicked. 

We're going again on Wednesday.  I'll warm up with 50 laps again.  Then I'm buying my own kneepads (reward for Sunday's 50 laps) and we are going to work on single and double knee stops as well as T stops.  Once I can do 50 laps in 45 minutes, I'm going to buy my own wrist guards.  Skating is a good, hard workout and it's fun.  Where this will go, I'm not sure yet.  But getting in good non-running workouts can only help my running, right?