On the official GFA schedule today is a day of rest. With my first triathlon four weeks away I opted for a short swim just to keep up to speed. Swimming is probably the one leg of the race where I can get ahead. I swam 600 meters at Lifetime which wasn't even harldy worth getting wet for but at least I did it. Fifteen minutes after getting in the pool, I hopped out and got ready for work.
I had a doubles tennis match tonight. The first match of the T2 season. T2 is a flexible doubles league meaning you sign up, are assigned a schedule and play the matches whenever it is convenient for you and your opponent as opposed to a specific day. My partner, Joan, and I had almost no focus tonight and ended up losing 6-3, 6-4. Hopefully I can be more focused tomorrow night for my singles match!
Now to find out who got voted off of American Idol... Hopefully either Brooke or the guy with the dreadlocks!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Bird Rescue League
Spring has sprung in the yard! Nearly every day when I drive up bunnies are in the yard. Apparently the birdhouse my Aunt Brenda installed is fully occupied with birds so they have taken to building a nest in the framework of the truck. I heard little chirps and went to investigate. Low and behold two baby birds in a nest in the corner of the frame. They can't exactly live in the truck body so I decided to move the nest (I know probably a bad idea!). When I made the reach for the nest, the more agile bird flew to the nearest branch. The nest sort of fell apart at that point. I put the remnants in a shoe box (with the littlest bird still in it), added a little dish of water and fed the birds some bread. The parents were circling the box for a while and finally figured out where their nest was! At last check, the littlest bird had flown away.
Today was my early day, I got up at 4:45 to meet my group at Lifetime Fitness. We started out with a two mile run followed by a variety of weights - we did arms today - and then down to the basketball gym for sprints (18 lengths of the courts in all).
I was supposed to do 4 miles according to the GFA plan so when I got home I went to Mountain Park and did four loops around the one mile trail. It is amazing how easy that seems now. In January I remember negotiating with myself the whole way around. The track is marked in .10 mile increments so I would run a tenth and walk a tenth to begin with and could only do that for about a mile or so. Today, the four miles seemed like nothing. Quite the accomplishment compared to four months ago!
Today was my early day, I got up at 4:45 to meet my group at Lifetime Fitness. We started out with a two mile run followed by a variety of weights - we did arms today - and then down to the basketball gym for sprints (18 lengths of the courts in all).
I was supposed to do 4 miles according to the GFA plan so when I got home I went to Mountain Park and did four loops around the one mile trail. It is amazing how easy that seems now. In January I remember negotiating with myself the whole way around. The track is marked in .10 mile increments so I would run a tenth and walk a tenth to begin with and could only do that for about a mile or so. Today, the four miles seemed like nothing. Quite the accomplishment compared to four months ago!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Good News and Bad News
On the GFA training schedule I was supposed to do 35 minutes of easy running today. I had a playoff match tonight and since it was singles and I really do want to get to the finals, I decided not to run this morning. I got plenty of running in during my match tonight.
Tonight's match was the round of 16 in Ultimate Tennis (singles). I had the home court advantage; my home courts are clay and sometimes that really does work to my advantage. If someone has never played on clay before they aren't as confident in their game as if we were on a hard court surface. Most of the courts in Atlanta are hard court.
I followed my usual pre-match diet that seems to have worked for the past two matches (honestly, I am scared not to do it at this point!). The meal is an uncrustable sandwich (strawberry) and half a can of sugar free red bull (a whole can if I am really tired) . Last time I also had mini gummy bears but didn't have any at home so I had to take my chances without them. :)
Unfortunately the clay didn't seem to deter my opponent at all. She was practicing hitting winners in warm up (not good tennis etiquette but it does get in your head). I thought about asking her if she played Juniors like my last opponent but really didn't want to know the answer! I started off a little shaky and went down two games right off. I managed to come back and win the first set 6-3.
The second set she really came on strong. I was down 0-4 and came back to win 7-5. I had all sorts of training mantras in my head, eye on the ball, just keep it in play, let her make the mistake. It all worked. I did somehow manage to come up with several drop shots at the end by pure dumb luck that I think pushed her over the edge mentally. Not sure if I could replicate them again but I'll take it. On to the quarterfinals!
And that is the good news...
The bad news is that the quarterfinals have to be played this weekend. This weekend was my planned trip to Orlando for the Minnie Marathon Weekend and 15k race. I have to cancel my trip but hopefully it will be for a good cause - a trip to Ultimate Tennis finals! Another upside to the cancelled trip is that I may have another opportunity to get a long bike ride in on the Silver Comet Trail this weekend.
so... good news / bad news but I'll take it! No tennis tomorrow, just an early morning workout with DJ. I really ahve to figure out a balance between the tennis and the running. After Ultimate Tennis is over, I should have a less hectic tennis schedule - or so I hope!
Tonight's match was the round of 16 in Ultimate Tennis (singles). I had the home court advantage; my home courts are clay and sometimes that really does work to my advantage. If someone has never played on clay before they aren't as confident in their game as if we were on a hard court surface. Most of the courts in Atlanta are hard court.
I followed my usual pre-match diet that seems to have worked for the past two matches (honestly, I am scared not to do it at this point!). The meal is an uncrustable sandwich (strawberry) and half a can of sugar free red bull (a whole can if I am really tired) . Last time I also had mini gummy bears but didn't have any at home so I had to take my chances without them. :)
Unfortunately the clay didn't seem to deter my opponent at all. She was practicing hitting winners in warm up (not good tennis etiquette but it does get in your head). I thought about asking her if she played Juniors like my last opponent but really didn't want to know the answer! I started off a little shaky and went down two games right off. I managed to come back and win the first set 6-3.
The second set she really came on strong. I was down 0-4 and came back to win 7-5. I had all sorts of training mantras in my head, eye on the ball, just keep it in play, let her make the mistake. It all worked. I did somehow manage to come up with several drop shots at the end by pure dumb luck that I think pushed her over the edge mentally. Not sure if I could replicate them again but I'll take it. On to the quarterfinals!
And that is the good news...
The bad news is that the quarterfinals have to be played this weekend. This weekend was my planned trip to Orlando for the Minnie Marathon Weekend and 15k race. I have to cancel my trip but hopefully it will be for a good cause - a trip to Ultimate Tennis finals! Another upside to the cancelled trip is that I may have another opportunity to get a long bike ride in on the Silver Comet Trail this weekend.
so... good news / bad news but I'll take it! No tennis tomorrow, just an early morning workout with DJ. I really ahve to figure out a balance between the tennis and the running. After Ultimate Tennis is over, I should have a less hectic tennis schedule - or so I hope!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
I almost biked 25 miles today...
Almost because I drove to the Silver Comet Trail (http://www.silvercometga.com/) with the intention of biking. That counts for something, right? Get Fit Atlanta had a group bike run scheduled for this morning at 8:00 on the Silver Comet. The word was rain or shine, it was to be a 25 mile ride followed by some practice with cones. I got up at 5:30 to get dressed, load the bike in the car and allow lots of time to get there. I have never been out to the trail but knew it was an hour plus from my house and I wanted to get there by 7:30 for the bike check. I checked the radar. BIG blobs of green, some yellow, some orange on the map. It did not look promising. I did the map in motion to try and determine if there was any hope it might be clear by ride time. They said they were riding in the rain but this beginner has enough to work on without adding that element right now. Sprinkles I can handle but buckets of precipitation didn't sound too appealing.
After assessing the map in motion, I convinced myself that it *might* be clearing in time for the ride. I proceed to get dressed, load the bike into the car, load all my tennis gear and change of clothes into the car (I had a match at 1:00 near Chateau Elan - the other side of the world from the trail). I head out around 6:10, still pouring outside.
I passed more than a few Starbucks on the way that looked very dry and appealing inside. (Did I mention I was out until midnight last night at, of all things, a Bill Gaither concert? It was a five hour concert, I guess they want you to get your money's worth!). I am normally not a coffee drinker but this morning with the lack of sleep it seemed like something I might need. I resisted the urge and kept driving.
At 7:10, I pull into the parking lot - still pouring. No one in sight but who would be on a day like this??? Clearly, I was desperate for some biking advice or would not have been there myself. I am working off of a little over 5 hours of sleep, no one in sight, still pouring and no chance of let up. I decide to turn around and go home. This fair weather girl will try it again next week! When I got home, I found that they had cancelled the ride due to the downpour so maybe I am not the only fair weather one in the group!
As for the rest of the day, rain rain rain. Our last tennis match of the ALTA season was rained out. Another long drive today for nothing. This one was an hour drive north to Reunion in Hoschton, GA. According to ALTA rules, you have to drive there confirm it is raining, wait an hour and then reschedule the match. ugh! We opted not to wait the hour although by the time all arrangments were made it had almost been an hour anyhow.
On the bright side, it is the perfect day to catch up on the household chores that are so negelected of late.
After assessing the map in motion, I convinced myself that it *might* be clearing in time for the ride. I proceed to get dressed, load the bike into the car, load all my tennis gear and change of clothes into the car (I had a match at 1:00 near Chateau Elan - the other side of the world from the trail). I head out around 6:10, still pouring outside.
I passed more than a few Starbucks on the way that looked very dry and appealing inside. (Did I mention I was out until midnight last night at, of all things, a Bill Gaither concert? It was a five hour concert, I guess they want you to get your money's worth!). I am normally not a coffee drinker but this morning with the lack of sleep it seemed like something I might need. I resisted the urge and kept driving.
At 7:10, I pull into the parking lot - still pouring. No one in sight but who would be on a day like this??? Clearly, I was desperate for some biking advice or would not have been there myself. I am working off of a little over 5 hours of sleep, no one in sight, still pouring and no chance of let up. I decide to turn around and go home. This fair weather girl will try it again next week! When I got home, I found that they had cancelled the ride due to the downpour so maybe I am not the only fair weather one in the group!
As for the rest of the day, rain rain rain. Our last tennis match of the ALTA season was rained out. Another long drive today for nothing. This one was an hour drive north to Reunion in Hoschton, GA. According to ALTA rules, you have to drive there confirm it is raining, wait an hour and then reschedule the match. ugh! We opted not to wait the hour although by the time all arrangments were made it had almost been an hour anyhow.
On the bright side, it is the perfect day to catch up on the household chores that are so negelected of late.
First Group Run with Get Fit Atlanta
As I look at my numbers for the week I feel like I didn't get enough running in; I think will blame tennis this past week as it seems I had a lot more matches than usual. Thankfully, a few of the tennis leagues are wrapping up. I am officially in six leagues right now which is excessive by anyone's standards. One of them ended last week with the loss in the playoffs, another ends Sunday and another ends May 11th or sooner if I get knocked out of the playoffs.
Friday ended up being a day of rest. ahhhhh!
Saturday I got up at 6:30 to meet my group from Get Fit Atlanta for our first official group run. There were probably about 15 people there and two others in my time group. That was the first time I ran with other people that I knew so it was a new experience to have conversations as you are running. They discourage the use of Ipods for safety and thought they might have to pry it from my cold dead hand (to borrow a phrase from Charleton Heston) but it really was not bad. We ran 5 miles (or so we think, at some point we got off the official map and were relying on a wristwatch GPS device to figure out our distance). The run started out of the Wal Mart on Pleasant Hill and then over to Shorty Howell Park. They have several loops within the park, some woodchip trails and some paved. It should be nice in the summer to run there in the shade on the woodchip trail.
After the run, they had a speaker from "krav maga" which is a form of martial arts. The discussion was on safety while you are running. Tips like if you do run alone, make sure someone knows where you are going and when you are coming back and then call that person when you do get back. They also discouraged the use of ipods while running so that you are more aware of your surroundings. It was an informative session ending in everyone getting to practice choking their partners and the other breaking the chokehold. Nothing like choking someone you just met to break the ice :)
Side note, I was told the registration for the Chicago Marathon capped out last week so good thing I signed up when I did!
Friday ended up being a day of rest. ahhhhh!
Saturday I got up at 6:30 to meet my group from Get Fit Atlanta for our first official group run. There were probably about 15 people there and two others in my time group. That was the first time I ran with other people that I knew so it was a new experience to have conversations as you are running. They discourage the use of Ipods for safety and thought they might have to pry it from my cold dead hand (to borrow a phrase from Charleton Heston) but it really was not bad. We ran 5 miles (or so we think, at some point we got off the official map and were relying on a wristwatch GPS device to figure out our distance). The run started out of the Wal Mart on Pleasant Hill and then over to Shorty Howell Park. They have several loops within the park, some woodchip trails and some paved. It should be nice in the summer to run there in the shade on the woodchip trail.
After the run, they had a speaker from "krav maga" which is a form of martial arts. The discussion was on safety while you are running. Tips like if you do run alone, make sure someone knows where you are going and when you are coming back and then call that person when you do get back. They also discouraged the use of ipods while running so that you are more aware of your surroundings. It was an informative session ending in everyone getting to practice choking their partners and the other breaking the chokehold. Nothing like choking someone you just met to break the ice :)
Side note, I was told the registration for the Chicago Marathon capped out last week so good thing I signed up when I did!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
I get to go to bed early tonight!
Funny how exciting that is these days. Back when you were 8 it was punishment, when you are older, it is pure pleasure to get to bed by 9:00. This week more than usual, I am running on no sleep with all of the late night tennis matches. I even had to take a nap yesterday in the parking lot prior to my match. So sad....
Today I got up at 4:45. I put my bag together the night before and somehow it still takes me about 30 minutes to get out the door. I headed to Lifetime for my 6:00 cardio group. The great thing about Lifetime is that they are across the street from work so I never hit any traffic in the morning so am always on time for work which is quite the feat given the unpredictability of Atlanta traffic.
Today's workout started with 250 crunches and then progressed into 30 minutes of a variety of lunges, squats, squat thrusts and exercise band usage. The end of the workout was a 30 minute run on the treadmill at an 8:45 min/mile pace. Ugh. I am generally somewhere in the high nine minute range so that was tough! Luckily no sprints today. DJ has it in his head that we are going to run a 6-minute mile before he is through with us. yeah. right.
After workout, I headed on to work and then home to go to bed early - YAY!
Today I got up at 4:45. I put my bag together the night before and somehow it still takes me about 30 minutes to get out the door. I headed to Lifetime for my 6:00 cardio group. The great thing about Lifetime is that they are across the street from work so I never hit any traffic in the morning so am always on time for work which is quite the feat given the unpredictability of Atlanta traffic.
Today's workout started with 250 crunches and then progressed into 30 minutes of a variety of lunges, squats, squat thrusts and exercise band usage. The end of the workout was a 30 minute run on the treadmill at an 8:45 min/mile pace. Ugh. I am generally somewhere in the high nine minute range so that was tough! Luckily no sprints today. DJ has it in his head that we are going to run a 6-minute mile before he is through with us. yeah. right.
After workout, I headed on to work and then home to go to bed early - YAY!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
My new swim coach
Today's workout consisted of an early morning swim at Lifetime Fitness. Typically, I try to do around 3,000 meters but I had a pretty important playoff match tonight so kept it to 2,000 meters. Up until the last week, I had not been swimming all that much. Mainly, I was used to having a coached workout and missed having someone there at the pool giving me a daily workout. I guess I am not all that creative when it comes to making up my own pool workout.
Last week, I discovered a new tool online that is just what I needed to fill the void. It is a website that gives you a daily workout designed for your ability level - - and it is free! (http://swimplan.com/) You put in your pace time for a 500m swim and customize it for the type of swimming you do. For example, if you want to do all four strokes or just freestyle you can indicate this on the program. You can also customize the workout to add equipment to your swim (i.e. kickboard, pull buoy, etc.) The workouts are generally 45 to 60 minutes in length but you could easily double the main part of the workout to increase the distance. Definitely my new favorite swim website!
On to tonight's tennis match... The match tonight was playoffs for the Ultimate Tennis League (www.ultimatetennis.com). This is by far the best tennis leagues for singles matches. It is very well run, consistent playing levels, the site is user friendly. I highly recommend it if you live in one of the areas where they operate.
Tonight's match was the second round of the playoffs. I am the 35 seed, my opponent was the 7 seed so on paper it should be an uphill match for me. In Ultimate Tennis, you usually do not know your opponent, you just call each other set up the match and you meet for the first time on the court. Our introductory conversation when we met tonight went something like this... opponent: "oh the last time I played here I was in the finals for my ALTA junior team" SIGH.... As someone who has only been playing three years, this is usually not a good sign. The match tonight was tough as I expected, I was down 0-4 in the first set, came back to win that set 6-4 and then the next set 6-4. She was an excellent player so I was thrilled that I was able to come back and win. A victory for everyone who started playing tennis in their thirties! So now I am in the round of 16 in the playoffs, 3 more rounds to get to the finals! :)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Raise your hand if you ran today...
Anyone? Anyone?I did not run today. As it turns out, it is hard to get up on Tuesdays too! Not only did I not get up to run this morning but started my day off by eating an Oreo Cakester. Do not ever put one in your mouth or you will eat them all the time! You have been warned... Could there be anything worse for breakfast?
I think I have a disorder. Obsessive compulsive workout disorder (OCWD), perhaps you have heard of it. I wonder if there is a 12 step program... I am always planning the next workout and feel guilty if I miss a day. I guess there are worse problems to have ... like eating too many Oreo Cakesters.
I had a playoff match tonight for tennis so my justification for not getting up this morning was to save some energy for the match tonight. We lost in the quarterfinals. Three sets of doubles (3-6, 6-0, 2-6). At least I got some exercise although doubles tennis no matter how many sets is not much of a workout.
On tap for tomorrow: Swimming and tennis
Monday, April 21, 2008
It is so hard to get up on Mondays!
The alarm clock went off at 4:15 this morning. Got dressed, grabbed my bag and headed to Lifetime for a 5:30 am spin class. There were about 10 other early risers in there with me. I biked about 15 miles in the class and then went to the treadmill for a 1.2 mile run. The theory being that I would break into triathlon mode and gradully add more mileage following the spin class each week until I can do the full spin class followed by a 3-mile run. It sounds good anyhow...
On the tennis side of life, I am in a league called BMW combo. It is a women's doubles USTA league with the idea being that you pair up with someone of a different rating than you. I play the 6.5 division so you could pair up a 3.0 player with a 3.5 player. As it turns out, I played with my regular partner Joan tonight. It was a pretty easy match, we finished in about an hour (6-1, 6-1). Go Coldwater Creek! We took 2 out of 3 lines and won the night.
Tomorrow is my Cardio 2 group. I am supposed to be at Lifetime at 6:00 am for a run around the parking lot at Discover Mills mall along with some sprints on the parking deck. Right this moment I am not feeling all that motivated to get up at 4:30 again. We'll see....
On the tennis side of life, I am in a league called BMW combo. It is a women's doubles USTA league with the idea being that you pair up with someone of a different rating than you. I play the 6.5 division so you could pair up a 3.0 player with a 3.5 player. As it turns out, I played with my regular partner Joan tonight. It was a pretty easy match, we finished in about an hour (6-1, 6-1). Go Coldwater Creek! We took 2 out of 3 lines and won the night.
Tomorrow is my Cardio 2 group. I am supposed to be at Lifetime at 6:00 am for a run around the parking lot at Discover Mills mall along with some sprints on the parking deck. Right this moment I am not feeling all that motivated to get up at 4:30 again. We'll see....
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The Dog Whisperer
Those that know me would say I am not a dog person. My theory is that since I was allergic to cats and dogs as a child I was never really around them and avoided them when I could due to the allergy. I am no longer allergic but just never developed that "dog loving" side of me that most people have. In the past, I avoided running on my street partly because of a small fear of dogs. OK, I am not scared of dogs. If there is one on a leash minding its own business, I don't have a problem. If there is one not on a leash but the owner is close enough to call them off if they get rowdy, I don't have a problem. The ones that freak me out are the dogs that aren't on a leash and just running free on the street (yes, there are leash laws but...).
Today, I decide to try something new. Instead of driving somewhere to run, I thought I would step outside my door and just start running around the neighborhood (what a concept!). Up until now, I have been obsessed with making sure I run a certain number of miles so I preferred to go somewhere where I knew the mileage or where it was marked for me (i.e. Stone Mountain).
I take off down the driveway and up the hill on my street and head out for my run. Great weather, great run. I come back after about three miles and make it two houses down from my own and here come the dogs.... Two medium sized dogs barking up a storm and running at me. Not sure what to do, on a motorcycle you are supposed to keep going like nothing happened to avoid a wreck but what do you do when you are running? The dogs are on my ankles, one a little more menacing looking than the other but the owner is nowhere in sight. I continue to jog hoping they will lose interest. At this point, I am having flashes of the video I saw of the man getting eaten by lions on YouTube. Nothing works. They are barking, sort of growling, right on my feet. I stopped running for a quick second, didn't look at the dogs, didn't say anything and just pointed to the ground. I must be a dog whisperer and just don't know it. The dogs stopped barking, stopped running and walked back to their house. I have the power :)
One of my other adventures today was biking. If I am going to compete in a triathlon, I need to conquer the bike leg. You know that phrase, "its just like riding a bike"? Well, yes and no... The last time I recall riding a bike it was 20 years ago around Stone Mountain and as I recall my friend Michelle and I had to have someone take us and our bikes home. I do know how to ride but the bike I had many moons ago did not have 15 gears or clipless pedals (for you non-bikers, these are pedals that attach to cleats on the bottom of biking shoes, when you come to a stop you have to remember to unattach yourself or you will fall over with your feet still firmly planted on the pedals). So while I was able to get right on and ride, there is a little more to it than that.
Last Sunday, I made it twice around the mountain on my bike for 10 miles. I had some trouble figuring out the gearing and decided I would have been better off starting somewhere flat. No issues with the pedals until I stopped for the last time to put the bike in the car. I unclipped my left shoe (thinking like on a motorcycle you would put your left foot down), I knew it was stupid when I did it but opted not to unclip the right. I came to a stop and of course the bike goes to the right and I fall over with the bike on top of me. Embarassing and painful! At least I got that out of the way!
Today I opted to ride around the neighborhood to get a feel for the gears, what gear I need to be on hills, that sort of thing. I managed to get back to the house in one piece and think I have worked some of the shifting issues out. At this point, I am feeling better about the bike, need to find somewhere flat to ride. There were no dogs in sight for the bike leg of my morning, they knew...
In the world of tennis, we played our second to last ALTA match of the season. My friend Joan and I are the official sacrificial lambs for the team. We usually play line one. Sometimes win, mostly lose this season. Someone has to do it. On the bright side, the weather was great today. Sunny, slight breeze, around 70, perfect.
I did learn something new today... Margarita w/ salt flavored shot bloks do kind of taste like margaritas but.. if you suck on one block while you are running, it will take about three miles to finish it - another way to keep up with your mileage :)
Today, I decide to try something new. Instead of driving somewhere to run, I thought I would step outside my door and just start running around the neighborhood (what a concept!). Up until now, I have been obsessed with making sure I run a certain number of miles so I preferred to go somewhere where I knew the mileage or where it was marked for me (i.e. Stone Mountain).
I take off down the driveway and up the hill on my street and head out for my run. Great weather, great run. I come back after about three miles and make it two houses down from my own and here come the dogs.... Two medium sized dogs barking up a storm and running at me. Not sure what to do, on a motorcycle you are supposed to keep going like nothing happened to avoid a wreck but what do you do when you are running? The dogs are on my ankles, one a little more menacing looking than the other but the owner is nowhere in sight. I continue to jog hoping they will lose interest. At this point, I am having flashes of the video I saw of the man getting eaten by lions on YouTube. Nothing works. They are barking, sort of growling, right on my feet. I stopped running for a quick second, didn't look at the dogs, didn't say anything and just pointed to the ground. I must be a dog whisperer and just don't know it. The dogs stopped barking, stopped running and walked back to their house. I have the power :)
One of my other adventures today was biking. If I am going to compete in a triathlon, I need to conquer the bike leg. You know that phrase, "its just like riding a bike"? Well, yes and no... The last time I recall riding a bike it was 20 years ago around Stone Mountain and as I recall my friend Michelle and I had to have someone take us and our bikes home. I do know how to ride but the bike I had many moons ago did not have 15 gears or clipless pedals (for you non-bikers, these are pedals that attach to cleats on the bottom of biking shoes, when you come to a stop you have to remember to unattach yourself or you will fall over with your feet still firmly planted on the pedals). So while I was able to get right on and ride, there is a little more to it than that.
Last Sunday, I made it twice around the mountain on my bike for 10 miles. I had some trouble figuring out the gearing and decided I would have been better off starting somewhere flat. No issues with the pedals until I stopped for the last time to put the bike in the car. I unclipped my left shoe (thinking like on a motorcycle you would put your left foot down), I knew it was stupid when I did it but opted not to unclip the right. I came to a stop and of course the bike goes to the right and I fall over with the bike on top of me. Embarassing and painful! At least I got that out of the way!
Today I opted to ride around the neighborhood to get a feel for the gears, what gear I need to be on hills, that sort of thing. I managed to get back to the house in one piece and think I have worked some of the shifting issues out. At this point, I am feeling better about the bike, need to find somewhere flat to ride. There were no dogs in sight for the bike leg of my morning, they knew...
In the world of tennis, we played our second to last ALTA match of the season. My friend Joan and I are the official sacrificial lambs for the team. We usually play line one. Sometimes win, mostly lose this season. Someone has to do it. On the bright side, the weather was great today. Sunny, slight breeze, around 70, perfect.
I did learn something new today... Margarita w/ salt flavored shot bloks do kind of taste like margaritas but.. if you suck on one block while you are running, it will take about three miles to finish it - another way to keep up with your mileage :)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
It all started with a three mile run...
For someone who "hated" to run 3 months ago, I sure have spent a lot of time running lately. I think I have my new favorite gym, Lifetime Fitness (http://www.lifetimefitness.com/) and my trainer DJ to thank. I spent several years in a masters swim progam and was getting bored. Lifetime opened up across the street from work in November and I have been there most every day since. This place is like no gym you have ever been in, spa, cafe, nutrition counseling, loads of equipment, it never feels crowded - fantastic! This gym has changed my life :)
The first part of January, I joined a progam called Team Fitness. The concept is like boot camp, 10 to 15 participants and you meet three times a week to work out (cardio, weight training, nutrition). Two of the ladies in the group did the half marathon at Disney and when they came back with all of their stories, I thought if they can do it, I can... worst case scenario, I *know* I can walk it! I signed up for the half marathon online the minute registration opened up in January. (as my friends will attest, once I get an idea in my head I make it happen and don't waste any time doing it - right, Theresa?). So now I have a goal - a half marathon the day before my 40th birthday in January. I suppose I should train, right?
My first attempt at running in a race in the past nine years was the Run the Reagan in February. (http://www.runthereagan.com/). (I ran the Peachtree nine years ago but didn't train and had to drag my sweaty body across the finish line - ha ha). So this is where DJ comes in...my trainer (avid runner, running freak, lives to run, not sure how else to describe him - he was in the Olympics in 1996 on a relay so you get the picture). DJ had our group sign up and compete so I signed up to be part of the group but really just wanted to finish. In general I don't think of myself as that competitive. I compete in tennis (my other sporting love) but really don't have that killer drive or so I thought.... As it turns out when I run, I enjoy passing as many people as I possibly can. I ran that 5K in 26:42 and that was the beginning of my newfound obsession with running.
I came home that morning and signed myself up for a Peachtree qualifier. It is one thing to get a number for the Peachtree as they are hard to come by but you also don't want to get stuck in the back of the pack. So two weeks after my first 5k, I am running from Tucker High School to Shamrock Middle in a 10k. 57:28 was my finish time. You need a 55:00 or better to get in one of the time groups, close enough for me! I am hopeful that I will still get closer to the front than someone without a time at all.
Somewhere along the way, I decided that next January was too far away to keep me motivated and that I should sign up for the ING Georgia Marathon. This was at the end of January so I have eight weeks to go from a 3 mile run to a half marathon. Absolutely doable! I immediately downloaded Hal Higdon's training plan and got started. (Side note on the training plans, they work! I was very prepared for the race) My long runs were around Stone Mountain; very hilly and as it turns out a great preparation for the hilly race course of the ING. Once around the mountain is 5 miles and there are some killer hills. I got up to 2.5 times around before the race. According to Hal Higdon's "plan" you only have to get up to 10 miles before the half marathon and the excitement of the race will carry you the rest of the way to the finish line but in my mind going from 10 to 13 miles on "momentum of the race" seemed hard to believe so I packed in a few extra miles to give me some confidence.
The ING was a great experience! I was so excited to have been able to do it. I did not have a time goal in mind I only knew I wanted to run the whole way and not stop to walk. Mission accomplished! I'll do a separate entry on the race. I felt so good after that race that I signed up for the Walt Disney World Marathon instead of the half. (Ok maybe I really wanted the Mickey Mouse finisher's medal instead of the Donald Duck you get for the half-marathon!)
So back to today... Between February and the end of March I went from not running to running a half marathon. I also have a new found interest in triathlons which led to me to where I was today. There is an organization in my area called Get Fit Atlanta. (www.getfit-atlanta.com). It is essentially group marathon and triathlon training. For a very reasonable price you get a training plan, seminars, contact with people who have done what you are trying to accomplish, weekly group runs and other training activities. They say that after 6 months with them you will be able to run a marathon. Today was the registration and run to see what time group you are in (they split up the runners based on ability levels so you are grouped with people that you can keep up with in a run).
So I am officially in the ORANGE group - I think that means your pace is somewhere around a 10 minute mile for the marathon. Six months from now I should be able to finish a marathon but Disney is 9 months away. hmmm.... nine months, that is too far away! In true Karen style, I came home and found marathon that is only six months out so of course I had to sign up! The Chicago Marathon . October 12, 2008. Yikes! :)
The first part of January, I joined a progam called Team Fitness. The concept is like boot camp, 10 to 15 participants and you meet three times a week to work out (cardio, weight training, nutrition). Two of the ladies in the group did the half marathon at Disney and when they came back with all of their stories, I thought if they can do it, I can... worst case scenario, I *know* I can walk it! I signed up for the half marathon online the minute registration opened up in January. (as my friends will attest, once I get an idea in my head I make it happen and don't waste any time doing it - right, Theresa?). So now I have a goal - a half marathon the day before my 40th birthday in January. I suppose I should train, right?
My first attempt at running in a race in the past nine years was the Run the Reagan in February. (http://www.runthereagan.com/). (I ran the Peachtree nine years ago but didn't train and had to drag my sweaty body across the finish line - ha ha). So this is where DJ comes in...my trainer (avid runner, running freak, lives to run, not sure how else to describe him - he was in the Olympics in 1996 on a relay so you get the picture). DJ had our group sign up and compete so I signed up to be part of the group but really just wanted to finish. In general I don't think of myself as that competitive. I compete in tennis (my other sporting love) but really don't have that killer drive or so I thought.... As it turns out when I run, I enjoy passing as many people as I possibly can. I ran that 5K in 26:42 and that was the beginning of my newfound obsession with running.
I came home that morning and signed myself up for a Peachtree qualifier. It is one thing to get a number for the Peachtree as they are hard to come by but you also don't want to get stuck in the back of the pack. So two weeks after my first 5k, I am running from Tucker High School to Shamrock Middle in a 10k. 57:28 was my finish time. You need a 55:00 or better to get in one of the time groups, close enough for me! I am hopeful that I will still get closer to the front than someone without a time at all.
Somewhere along the way, I decided that next January was too far away to keep me motivated and that I should sign up for the ING Georgia Marathon. This was at the end of January so I have eight weeks to go from a 3 mile run to a half marathon. Absolutely doable! I immediately downloaded Hal Higdon's training plan and got started. (Side note on the training plans, they work! I was very prepared for the race) My long runs were around Stone Mountain; very hilly and as it turns out a great preparation for the hilly race course of the ING. Once around the mountain is 5 miles and there are some killer hills. I got up to 2.5 times around before the race. According to Hal Higdon's "plan" you only have to get up to 10 miles before the half marathon and the excitement of the race will carry you the rest of the way to the finish line but in my mind going from 10 to 13 miles on "momentum of the race" seemed hard to believe so I packed in a few extra miles to give me some confidence.
The ING was a great experience! I was so excited to have been able to do it. I did not have a time goal in mind I only knew I wanted to run the whole way and not stop to walk. Mission accomplished! I'll do a separate entry on the race. I felt so good after that race that I signed up for the Walt Disney World Marathon instead of the half. (Ok maybe I really wanted the Mickey Mouse finisher's medal instead of the Donald Duck you get for the half-marathon!)
So back to today... Between February and the end of March I went from not running to running a half marathon. I also have a new found interest in triathlons which led to me to where I was today. There is an organization in my area called Get Fit Atlanta. (www.getfit-atlanta.com). It is essentially group marathon and triathlon training. For a very reasonable price you get a training plan, seminars, contact with people who have done what you are trying to accomplish, weekly group runs and other training activities. They say that after 6 months with them you will be able to run a marathon. Today was the registration and run to see what time group you are in (they split up the runners based on ability levels so you are grouped with people that you can keep up with in a run).
So I am officially in the ORANGE group - I think that means your pace is somewhere around a 10 minute mile for the marathon. Six months from now I should be able to finish a marathon but Disney is 9 months away. hmmm.... nine months, that is too far away! In true Karen style, I came home and found marathon that is only six months out so of course I had to sign up! The Chicago Marathon . October 12, 2008. Yikes! :)
ING Race Report
March 30, 2008
My first half-marathon!
Finish time: 2:05.42
I had to leave the house at 5:00 am to catch the MARTA train in order to be downtown for the 7:00 am start. Waited and waited for the train in the cold... BRRRR! I think the high was around 42 for the day. It was windy and pretty darn cold on the train platform. Of course I had shorts on because I sweat more than anyone I know - it used to bother me but now I am a proud sweaty head and, as sweaty heads now, you dress for the run not the waiting around. (now that I have some experience I know I could have brought clothes with me and left them at the bag drop - lesson learned)
The train finally arrives and has some kind of mechanical problem so they are stopping and going the whole way to Peachtree Center which explained why the wait for the train was so long, normally they arrive every few minutes. The train is packed, you could not have wedged one more person on it. I was getting a little nervous as I arrived at the train station by 5:45 or so which should have been plenty of time but was still sitting on the train at 6:40 (the race started at 7:00). Once we arrive at the station, everyone unwedges from the train and fights for spots going up the stairs (wall to wall people running late at this point due to the slow train so you can imagine). We finally hit the outside world (I climbed about 5 flights of stairs so was warmed up at this point). Three blocks to Centennial Park. I have to drop my bag at gear check and then stand in line for the port-a-let. All done at 6:55, I made my way to my "corral" at the back of the pack. As it turns out I am in "corral 7" which is the absolute last starting group. (in thinking it through when I signed up I was probably thinking I would walk it and that would be about a 15 minute mile - thus the slow time on my entry and placement in corral 7). No problem, this is just about finishing not about getting a great time. Although since it was my first race, any time would have been a PR :)
The gun goes off and we inch our way to the front. Twenty plus minutes later, the crowd miraculously breaks free (not unlike Moses and the Red Sea) so you could actually run across the start line. There were 15,000 people in this race so it was impressive to be running right from the start.
ING did a great job with the race course. You wind through all the different areas surrounding downtown Atlanta (Inman Park, North Avenue, Little Five Points). This being my first long race, I was surprised how many people actually used the port-a-lets along the course - there were lines at everyone along the way - even the first ones around mile 1. I didn't opt to stop and stand in line :) They also had water and gatorade at every mile and those GU energy packs about half way.
The run itself was great, there were spectators the whole way. Many of the neighborhoods had their own cheering sections and either were playing recorded music or had live bands. It definitely made the run fun... On the last mile (or maybe a little before), the top two leaders from the marathon came through with a police escort so it was interesting to see their pace as opposed to those in the pack with me. They pretty much went flying by like we were crawling on our hands and knees (or maybe we were at that point, it is all a blur...). We didn't see them for long.
I felt pretty good running for most of the race, I did it without stopping to walk which was the goal. The last mile one of my knees started hurting so I felt like I lost some time there as that slowed me down a bit. I did manage to sprint the last 500 yards (again the competitive thing - picking off people even at the end). I am told if you can do the ING you are prepared for most races. I really think running at Stone Mountain helped. Anything seems flat compared to the Mountain!
Leading up to the finish line, you are running through a chute with hundreds of people cheering you on. That is really when you get caught up in the moment of the accomplishment. I'll admit, I teared up :) So exciting!
After the finish line, you pick up your medal and some kind of "heat sheet" that is supposed to keep you warm then stand in line to get your bag from gear check. The heat sheet is is large piece of mylar. It worked for a bit but I guess it can only help so much in 40 degree weather.
I managed to locate MARTA (after winding through the lobby of the Westin with 2 female runners and one of the Kenyans in tow). The streets were blocked due to the falling glass from the tornado so the only way to Peachtree Street from where we were was through the Westin. So... on to the MARTA train. I was so anxious to get home, I forgot that they have NE and N trains on the same route so I accidentally got on one bound for Doraville, got off at the next stop and got on the next one bound for Dunwoody. Once I got back on the train, I had an issue with what might have been low blood sugar (?). I felt like I was going to faint a couple of times on the train. I have fainted in the past so you kind of know when it is coming. I started getting really hot and then everything started closing in and getting black like you are looking down a tunnel. I seriously was sitting there thinking, I am by myself on a MARTA train with no ID on me, am I going to end up in some Jane Doe ward at Grady? I remembered I had a gel energy pack in my bag so ate that and felt better within a few minutes (lesson learned on that one). Not sure I would have received much medical attention on the train so good thing I had my own solution (HA) . Then some girl the next row over threw up in her heat sheet and I realized I wouldn't be the only freak on the train. (they got off at the next stop).
I felt decent when I got home. My knees hurt a little bit immediately after but then felt better within 24-48 hours. I think I do need to figure out the nutrition angle though, after the low blood sugar thing on the train obviously but then I also have pretty bad stomach cramps for several hours following a race for some reason. I don't seem to have the issue when I practice but with races I do. Need to figure that out...
All in all a great experience... My time was actually a bit better than I thought it would be, it might have helped my pace to have to pass so many people that started ahead of me. As it turns out I am competitive, I seem to enjoy passing as many people as I possibly can. Who knew?
I have my medal and was able to do something I never thought I could accomplish. When you cross that finish line it is definitely one of those moments that chokes you up. Who would have thought I could do it?? They have a feature where you can track specific runners online and my Dad watched my progress online which I thought was pretty cool. At least I have one fan :) My time was faster than I expected but now am oddly disappointed that I was so close to coming in under 2:00 hours and didn't do it. I guess that is the overachiever in me, never satisfied. Loads of fun, would definitely do it again. Next stop Chicago!
My first half-marathon!
Finish time: 2:05.42
I had to leave the house at 5:00 am to catch the MARTA train in order to be downtown for the 7:00 am start. Waited and waited for the train in the cold... BRRRR! I think the high was around 42 for the day. It was windy and pretty darn cold on the train platform. Of course I had shorts on because I sweat more than anyone I know - it used to bother me but now I am a proud sweaty head and, as sweaty heads now, you dress for the run not the waiting around. (now that I have some experience I know I could have brought clothes with me and left them at the bag drop - lesson learned)
The train finally arrives and has some kind of mechanical problem so they are stopping and going the whole way to Peachtree Center which explained why the wait for the train was so long, normally they arrive every few minutes. The train is packed, you could not have wedged one more person on it. I was getting a little nervous as I arrived at the train station by 5:45 or so which should have been plenty of time but was still sitting on the train at 6:40 (the race started at 7:00). Once we arrive at the station, everyone unwedges from the train and fights for spots going up the stairs (wall to wall people running late at this point due to the slow train so you can imagine). We finally hit the outside world (I climbed about 5 flights of stairs so was warmed up at this point). Three blocks to Centennial Park. I have to drop my bag at gear check and then stand in line for the port-a-let. All done at 6:55, I made my way to my "corral" at the back of the pack. As it turns out I am in "corral 7" which is the absolute last starting group. (in thinking it through when I signed up I was probably thinking I would walk it and that would be about a 15 minute mile - thus the slow time on my entry and placement in corral 7). No problem, this is just about finishing not about getting a great time. Although since it was my first race, any time would have been a PR :)
The gun goes off and we inch our way to the front. Twenty plus minutes later, the crowd miraculously breaks free (not unlike Moses and the Red Sea) so you could actually run across the start line. There were 15,000 people in this race so it was impressive to be running right from the start.
ING did a great job with the race course. You wind through all the different areas surrounding downtown Atlanta (Inman Park, North Avenue, Little Five Points). This being my first long race, I was surprised how many people actually used the port-a-lets along the course - there were lines at everyone along the way - even the first ones around mile 1. I didn't opt to stop and stand in line :) They also had water and gatorade at every mile and those GU energy packs about half way.
The run itself was great, there were spectators the whole way. Many of the neighborhoods had their own cheering sections and either were playing recorded music or had live bands. It definitely made the run fun... On the last mile (or maybe a little before), the top two leaders from the marathon came through with a police escort so it was interesting to see their pace as opposed to those in the pack with me. They pretty much went flying by like we were crawling on our hands and knees (or maybe we were at that point, it is all a blur...). We didn't see them for long.
I felt pretty good running for most of the race, I did it without stopping to walk which was the goal. The last mile one of my knees started hurting so I felt like I lost some time there as that slowed me down a bit. I did manage to sprint the last 500 yards (again the competitive thing - picking off people even at the end). I am told if you can do the ING you are prepared for most races. I really think running at Stone Mountain helped. Anything seems flat compared to the Mountain!
Leading up to the finish line, you are running through a chute with hundreds of people cheering you on. That is really when you get caught up in the moment of the accomplishment. I'll admit, I teared up :) So exciting!
After the finish line, you pick up your medal and some kind of "heat sheet" that is supposed to keep you warm then stand in line to get your bag from gear check. The heat sheet is is large piece of mylar. It worked for a bit but I guess it can only help so much in 40 degree weather.
I managed to locate MARTA (after winding through the lobby of the Westin with 2 female runners and one of the Kenyans in tow). The streets were blocked due to the falling glass from the tornado so the only way to Peachtree Street from where we were was through the Westin. So... on to the MARTA train. I was so anxious to get home, I forgot that they have NE and N trains on the same route so I accidentally got on one bound for Doraville, got off at the next stop and got on the next one bound for Dunwoody. Once I got back on the train, I had an issue with what might have been low blood sugar (?). I felt like I was going to faint a couple of times on the train. I have fainted in the past so you kind of know when it is coming. I started getting really hot and then everything started closing in and getting black like you are looking down a tunnel. I seriously was sitting there thinking, I am by myself on a MARTA train with no ID on me, am I going to end up in some Jane Doe ward at Grady? I remembered I had a gel energy pack in my bag so ate that and felt better within a few minutes (lesson learned on that one). Not sure I would have received much medical attention on the train so good thing I had my own solution (HA) . Then some girl the next row over threw up in her heat sheet and I realized I wouldn't be the only freak on the train. (they got off at the next stop).
I felt decent when I got home. My knees hurt a little bit immediately after but then felt better within 24-48 hours. I think I do need to figure out the nutrition angle though, after the low blood sugar thing on the train obviously but then I also have pretty bad stomach cramps for several hours following a race for some reason. I don't seem to have the issue when I practice but with races I do. Need to figure that out...
All in all a great experience... My time was actually a bit better than I thought it would be, it might have helped my pace to have to pass so many people that started ahead of me. As it turns out I am competitive, I seem to enjoy passing as many people as I possibly can. Who knew?
I have my medal and was able to do something I never thought I could accomplish. When you cross that finish line it is definitely one of those moments that chokes you up. Who would have thought I could do it?? They have a feature where you can track specific runners online and my Dad watched my progress online which I thought was pretty cool. At least I have one fan :) My time was faster than I expected but now am oddly disappointed that I was so close to coming in under 2:00 hours and didn't do it. I guess that is the overachiever in me, never satisfied. Loads of fun, would definitely do it again. Next stop Chicago!
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