Busy Bee

So busy, even with extra days off.  These are things I have done lately:

-Long run Saturday morning – I totally BONKED.  At mile 12, my body just shut the hell down and I had to walk home.  I tried to restart running 3 times and my body just said, loud and clear, NO.  So I’ll take my 2:29 for 13 miles and hope that my crappy training run = more good juju for the race. What did we learn from this run?  12 miles is my wall.  I cannot get past it without more fuel than just a coconut water diluted in my camelback.  It was literally after my garmin ticked over 12 that it happened, and I was perfectly fine last week.  So that HAS to be it.

-Race pace brick on Monday – totally redeemed myself.  Just a smidge under 16 mph for a 15 mile street ride with stops, and a 29 min 5k right off the bike in the heat  – both feeling about 80% of capacity?  Totally stoked.  I have to remind myself as much as I can HOPE to PR at the half marathon by a stroke of luck, the TRI was always my A race and I am damn well trained up for it.

-My lower back is a little angry this week, but manageable.  I have a long run planned tomorrow (10 miles), but ready to pull the cord if I start having issues.  To be safe, I’m laying off strength training and may hold out until after the half in 2.5 weeks just to be safe (but I’m not sure I can stay away from crunchtime that long!).

-It’s like, 15 months from now, but everyone in Austin must do this race with me.  MUST. I can pretend that 2 years ago me is chasing me.  In the future.  Woah… that zombie has a nice high kick.  After 2 more years of running under my belt, that would probably snap my hammies.  Ah well.

-I had some days I needed to take off before the end of the year, and Oct/Nov are super busy work months, so I just took Monday and Tuesday off.  My goal besides an awesome race pace brick? A Game of Thrones, the 1000+ page book which the series was made from?  Devoured.  If spending 2 days off laying in bed consuming a huge book is wrong, I don’t want to be right.  My head does feel a little squishy after shoving that much story in it, so I’m taking a little break before I start the next one.  That is SO the best way to read a book, I can’t stand doing it in tiny little segments…

-We had a company fun day last week.  We got to go bowling and sing karaoke and drink wine and eat fajitas during office hours.  Sharing the mic belting out “I like big butts and I cannot lie” and other work-inappropriate ditties?  Way fun.

-I found out that if I am a reasonable human being and lay off the cigarettes while drinking, and drink early enough in the day, I can bust out a pretty decent 5 mile run in the morning even after a bottle and a half of wine to myself!

-I am still trying to find a marathon goal race and nothing fits just right.  My options are to do the BARE MINIMUM training (I would start the training program right in the middle and do about 8 weeks to take my long run from 13 to 20) and run either Decker or White Rock in December (with the goal of just to finish), or I could extend the time and do Rock N Roll AZ in Jan, but that would still mean training immediately from my half which I hadn’t planned.

Or, I can continue to search for a race in March/Apr and accept that I may a) need to spend my birthday NOT partying (WAH) because I’ll race the next day (Rock N Roll NOLA) b) run a fairly boring course here in TX (Woodlands, Big D) or c) take a plane flight somewhere (Catalina? LA?).  None are optimal.  I’m ruling out anything in mid-Feb because a) I get sick and b) I’m likely going to run Austin Half as moral support. I WOULD LOVE MARATHON SUGGESTIONS!!! I want it to be the bestest time ever and I’m being prissy about which one will pop my marathon cherry… sue me!  Your first time is supposed to be special, right? 🙂

-I got dorky and played DnD again on Thursday.  We almost took down this but it ran away.  Booo! (Yes, I am fortunate to play with an artist that makes us super cool doodles of our characters!)

-Progress with weight and such… I weigh tomorrow, so I can’t say anything right now.  But the pants I wore today, the last time I put them on, they were so tight they were uncomfortable.  Today, they were fine.  As I gained weight, I said my shirts felt shorter.  They’re starting to feel longer.  It’s not as if things are really getting that much looser (at least quickly), but tighter clothes are looking better, there are less bits and bobbles sticking out.  It is S-l-ooooooooow as molasses, but things are starting to turn around.

-Future plans on tap: one more long run (tomorrow), one more open water swim (Saturday morning), a fun day at Six Flags w/some friends and Zliten – we have a friend who invited us along as her company is renting out the park.  No lines, free drink refills (soda/water), and food included!  So excited!  Then, next week, starts the two week taper.  Next week, lots of short runs/bikes outside and short speedy swims.  I’m ready for this tri.  Bring it!

Workout trackings…
Last Week…
Monday: 30 min bike, 9.45 miles, 2 mile run, 19 mins
Tuesday: 20 mins swim 1200 yd, 9.07 mile bike in 30 mins (higher cadence, less resistance)
Wednesday: 30 mins weights
Thursday: 5 mile run, 51 mins
Friday: bike 9.05 mile in 30 mins
Saturday: 13 mile run (2:29)
Sunday: off

This Week…
Monday: 15.1 mile bike, 57 mins, 5k run, 29 mins
Tuesday: 25 min swim, 1600 yd
Wednesday: 30 mins bike, 9.36 miles
Thursday: 10 mile run, 5k kick at end
Friday: off
Saturday: 10-15 mile bike, swim at Lake Pf, maaaaaybe a recovery 5k run around the lake
Sunday: Six Flags (off)

All this plus probably some extra hours at work over the next few days to take carra buidness?  Busy bee I will be.  What’s buzzing in your neck of the work?  For the love of all that’s dear and fluffy, find this girl a marathon!!!  HEPL!!!