running with Maddy

Today I got up early and went over to my parent's house to borrow their dog Maddy. We went over to the newish park in Bainbridge and got in about 1.5 miles. :) Mom was concerned because it was so cold so she made Maddy wear her sweater. It was actually quite brisk. She sure was a trooper and her little legs worked hard! Maddy has never run with me before and I think she thought we were just going to stroll around the park. ;) But she worked hard to keep up and got all dirty to prove it! Here are some pics of Maddy after our little run.













I'm going to finish reading this cross training book for runners by Matt Fitzgerald that I got from the library, make up a training schedule for next week and hopefully get some laundry done. I'm so glad the craziness of the holidays are gone. I don't have much planned for new years so I'm looking forward to the quiet.

merry merry christmas :)

Hello everyone! I do apologize for my lack of posting lately. I have been pretty busy with the holidays, who hasn't!? So christmas was very nice. Monday after work, Steve and I ran some errands doing some last minute shopping and then we went to my aunt and uncle's house in South Euclid. The next day I had my parents, brother, grandma and my landlady over for christmas dinner and presents. I made a crown pork roast with green beans and parsley potatoes. My mom helped me out with some last minute things which was sooooo nice. :) Later my aunt and uncle and two of their daughters and their granddaughter came over as well as my brother's friend Steve and his dad. So it was alot of fun!!!!! I made a little slideshow of all of us opening gifts. :) Enjoy!






So in other news, today was my last day with Alexis. :( I definitely have mixed feelings about it. I mean obviously I'm going to miss working out with her and seeing her and Mariela. I'm worried that I won't work as hard since I don't have her support and encouragement. But I'm also kind of excited to have more flexibility in my workout schedule. I can vary things a bit more now. I also am excited to see how I do and if I can be dedicated even though I'm not paying anyone to plan my workouts and make me do them. ;) I'm going to finish up a workout plan for next week today. I'm going to use January as a month of experimentation. I have goals I want to accomplish but every week I'm going to try a new workout schedule. It should be interesting if nothing else. I think my mom and I are going to start taking a yoga class every Monday which would be awesome. I really like yoga classes better than just doing the DVDs I have. I feel like the classes are more relaxing.

I have the New Year's Eve 5K in Stow on Monday and I'm hoping that I can complete it faster than the last race. That is my main goal for 2008, always improve! :)

procrastination....

Good morning everyone! :) So I have a very long list of things I'm supposed to be doing right now but instead I'm finishing my morning tea and writing here. ;) I just had to share this with you. Now I try not to go into political things on my blog so I'm going to keep this as short as possible. I DO NOT LIKE WALMART. I don't think anyone who is a planner (really any human being) should EVER shop there. I had the most unfortunate experience at my last job to have Walmart as a client and nothing depressed me more than sitting all day at my computer designing sites in CAD for Walmart. :( The only solace I had was the few anti-Walmart cartoons that I had taped to my desk. Anyone remember all of the anit-Walmart commercials during last year's elections because of the proposed Walmart in Vermillion, yeah that was me. The Walmart, not the ads. :P

There are a host of reasons why Walmart basically sucks and ruins communities, etc. etc. etc. I used to have a blog were I would discuss things of this nature and Walmart pretty much made the 'news' daily with something else that they had done or planned or impacted or destroyed. Regardless of my political views or my education, I simply could not shop there because of the discriminatory policies that Walmart holds (i.e. not paying women the same as male counterparts, not promoting women, etc.) and the labor practices.

So imagine my glee when I was sitting at my laptop last night working on my digital scrapbook (THAT is a story for another time ;) ) and I suddenly hear the words "communist China" followed by Walmart. I turned and watched the remainder of the commercial which had me laughing my ass off!!!! So I HAD HAD to go find it because while it might be true there are several aspects of the commercial that are hysterical. First, I love how people try to scare the US with the word COMMUNIST. Ooooooohhhhhh, I know you are totally shaking aren't you?! I mean in the 50s, 60s, 70s, even 80s that would make people shiver, but I don't think it means the same thing today. Especially since the famed Cold War (another war of terror of sorts) is (supposedly) over. ;)

So in addition to the dramatic use of "communist China" they include other reasons why products from China are bad and how Walmart is bad and deserves a spanking. Which I agree with but I thought the dramatic effects on the commercial were really entertaining. Watch for yourself!





P.S. I really did not post this to encourage anyone to stop shopping at Walmart. I thought the ad was extreme and VERY entertaining. (You HAVE to love the dramatic music. ;)) I also certainly don't need any responses that include why Walmart rocks. I'm not judging anyone for shopping there (ok maybe a little). I have done extensive research both from outside sources and information from Walmart to form my opinions so there isn't going to be much of a shift in what I think. I respect the fact that this is still a semi-democratic society and you can choose to shop wherever you'd like. :)

If you want a good short video that explains some of the reasons that Walmart is 'bad' you can view the video below. The couple who made this documentary interviewed Julie Langan the former ED of FUTUREHeights. They aired the entire video at Cedar Lee and it was very interesting but not at all surprising from my perspective. Additionally, while I know it was not intended to provide solutions on how to change things, it really did seem like there was an awful lot of complaining and not nearly enough problem solving. Below the trailer is a short video that explains the multiplier effect and how big business (NOT JUST WALMART) can hurt communities.

INDEPENDENT AMERICA TRAILER



MULTIPLIER EFFECT VIDEO - Austin, Texas example

What the Dickens'...

The Dickens' Village that is ;) Last night I went with my landlady, June to her friend's (Pat and Eddie) house to see the Dickens' Village that Eddie puts up every year. I can't believe all the little people that he has set up. I didn't bring my camera so a stock photo will have to do. Which by the way, I had no idea how popular these village things are! I found a plethora of pictures of peoples' villages. Websites even dedicated just to showing off a village!

We had a very nice time. The village was enormous! Eddie HAD to make me one of his famous blue raspberry martinis. Yes he TOTALLY twisted my arm. Then after, we drove past Neala Park and saw the pretty lights they had up.

I still have a ton of shit to do to get ready for xmas day! :( And I still have presents to buy. double :( I will keep you posted of the progress. I plan to hit the gym tonight and do some laundry, then tomorrow hit the gym for some running, swimming and yoga. And of course endless cleaning! I NEED to get alot done this weekend in terms of housekeeping and I was hoping to bake some cookies.

Hope you are all ready for the upcoming holidays!!!!

Heart Rate

So here is the deal, there is always debate about how to become a better/stronger athlete and how to train more effectively and efficiently to reach your goals. One way to track your progress and to verify that you are working out at the right intensity to accomplish goals is target heart rate.

First, I’m going to discuss how to determine your target heart rate (THR) and then I will discuss how to apply it. Then I will talk about the differences in THR for each sport. Because of the length this is going to be posted in the three separate categories. If you already know how to calculate your THR zone you can skip to section two which discusses zones and hoe your body responds in different heart rate zones. If you already know all of that and want to see the differences for each sport, skip to section three.

I will be using myself for the examples but will be providing the formulas and links to help with and, while less accurate, shortcuts to determining a generic range based on age and resting heart rate.

*****DISCLAIMER: I am not a coach, a certified fitness professional or a medical nurse or doctor. All the information you are about to read has been generated from books and articles I have read, my own experiences, and my personal experience working with a trainer. Please consult a medical doctor before starting any new fitness program.*****

Section One – Determine YOUR Target Heart Rate

The first thing you need to do is sleep! Yep that’s right, I’m telling you to go to sleep. :) Seriously though, to get an accurate resting heart rate (RHR) you need to count your beats per minute immediately after you wake up in the morning while you are still horizontal in bed. Even slight movement like sitting up can raise your heart rate. This should be done at least three times and then you take the average of all times. I would also suggest doing your counts on days where you have had restful and restorative sleep, preferably 7-9 hours. So when you wake up in the morning, slide your fingers up to the side of your neck and count your beats for one FULL minute. It is most helpful to have a watch with a second hand, a stopwatch or a digital watch with seconds available.

The average adult has a resting heart rate of 72; you should be within 60-100 beats per minute. If you are over 100 please schedule an apt with your doctor ASAP as you could have a heart condition or could be on medication that is causing you to have a quickened heart beat. If you are a serious athlete in training, your RHR could be well below 60, especially if you practice yoga and meditation on a daily basis. Unlike blood pressure, it doesn’t appear to me that heart rate is effected by size but by your cardiorespiratory fitness only. So you could possibly be 4’5” and weigh 85 pounds and not have a low RHR because your cardiorespiratory fitness level is extremely low.

Ok here comes the math! If you want to have a general idea of your zones and don’t want to wait to calculate your RHR you can go here and get a VERY generic zone to start with. If you’ve gotten your RHR and you just feel like being lazy you can go here. Further, if you have extra cash laying around you can shell out about $150-$300 and go to your local fitness club or bike store and have a heart rate test done and they can calculate it all for you. That by far is the most accurate way to determine your numbers, but not completely necessary. Plus if you have extra cash laying around you might want to call me first because I could definitely use some! ;)

On to the numbers!

First, you have to calculate your maximum heart rate (MAX) based on the Karvonen Formula. This is simply done by subtracting your age from 220. NOTE: I have seen a couple places where the numbers are different for men (220) and women (227), but I always use 220 and have had a couple of different trainers over the years and that is what they use too.

220-27=193 so my MAX is 193

Next, you will calculate your low end of your THR zone:
MAX – RHR= heart rate reserve (HRR)
HRR x 50% = training range %
training range % + RHR = LOW end of THR zone

EXAMPLE:
193 – 63 = 115
130 x 50% = 65
65 + 63 = 128

So the low end of my THR zone is 128

Now you need to calculate your high end. Same numbers, new formula:

MAX – RHR= heart rate reserve (HRR)
HRR x 85% = training range %
training range % + RHR = MAX end of THR zone

So my high end is 174, resulting in a THR zone of 128-174.

Let’s consider someone else to give you an idea of how age plays into THR zones. Kerry is 36 and has a RHR of 98. So Kerry’s MAX is 184 with a THR zone of 141-171. To give you an idea of how your cardiorespiratory fitness plays into it let's compare Kerry to Alex who is the same age. Alex has a RHR of 58. So Alex's MAX would be the same, 184 but Alex's THR zone would be 121-165.

Section Two – WTF!? Why do I need to know this stuff?

Now that we have that all figured out, you might be wondering why this is important. Physical activity/exertion can be broken generally up into three categories:
Beginner 50-60%
Intermediate 60-70%
Advanced 75-85%

Most of you triathletes are in the advanced. ;) No slacking here!

There is debate in terms of percentages. However, as a triathlete it is safe to train on a regular/daily basis in between the intermediate and advanced categories around 70-75%. This area is great for pre-season especially, as it helps your body buildup for the coming season. An active rest day workout would consist of not exceeding 65-70%. When doing speedwork or running a race for PR you will probably at least reach 90% if not exceed it.

Now I have been asked this question MANY times when I talk about HR and THR zones. Yes, it is true that you burn more fat when you work out at a lower intensity. However, if you want to lose weight, you should be working out at a higher intensity because it causes more overall calorie loss, which results in more weight loss. Before we go on to types of training, I want to show the sample zones. If you use my info for reference this is how it looks for my zones:

Beginner 128-141
Intermediate 141-154
Advanced 161-174

As for types of training, there are three major types of training that HR and THR zones are helpful.

Burning calories/Weight Loss: This activity focuses on shorter more intense workouts. So working out for 20-30 mins in 70% for example.

Endurance: This activity focuses on low to medium intensity for longer periods of time. Working out for 90 mins in 40-55% for example.

Interval Training: This consists of a mix of low and high to help build endurance AND burn calories. Here there are endless possibilities but for example if you were running on the treadmill and a light workout would be 2% incline at 4.5mph you would walk/jog there for 5 mins and then do 3 mins at 2% 6.5mph and then go back to 2% at 4.5mph. This allows you to have active rests in between your cardio bursts, which in turn helps you build endurance. Just be careful when you are doing interval training not to push too hard; there is build required just like in endurance.

For the triathletes here are more zones to work in and what you can accomplish by working in different zones.

65% to 70% This is an effort level considered appropriate for very easy run training and recovery days after tough training or race efforts.

70% to 75% This is the range for maximum aerobic training benefit, and moderate "base" training that is not especially stressful to the body. This range is also the best to develop your metabolism’s fat burning capability for distance races like half to full Ironman distance. The majority of your training should be done in this range.

75% to 80% This is mild tempo training that helps to build your muscular/skeletal foundation for the rigors of racing. This range is especially valuable during the early pre-season phase when you need to 'toughen-up' in preparation for higher intensity training and racing.

85% This is considered fast tempo training. It’s not quite race pace (except for very long races) but it simulates race efforts without the need for as much recovery afterwards. This intensity should be performed as late pre-season training, and as a substitute for races when there are none available.

85% to 95% This is the race effort range. During a PR 5k race effort, you may find yourself holding 95% for the second half of the race. For a fast 10k you’ll probably be in the 90% to 95% range for your best effort. Also, when you do speedwork on the track you should expect to see a heart rate at or above 90% of max for much of the workout.

***the above zones were taken from Coach Steve’s training write up on tri-ecoach.com

The biggest thing to remember when looking at THR zones is individuality. Based on age and fitness level, the zones are going to vary greatly person to person. It is possible for one person to have a zone of 120-135 at 85%; that doesn’t mean that s/he isn’t working just as hard as someone who has a zone of 168-176 at 85%.

Section Three - Now to FINALLY answer Tea's question!

All of the above zones are based on RUNNING/AEROBIC heart rate. Different activities require different muscles groups and therefore different amounts of energy to perform the task. Your heart’s response to exercise is directly proportional to the amount of muscle mass being used for the activity. In other words, a sport that involves more muscle to propel your body, will demand higher heart rates. Therefore you will breakdown THR zones for different sports as follows:

There are two things to consider when looking at your cycling THR zones. First, it is fair to say that you should be riding at an intensity that allows you to reach and maintain your target for 30 mins. Secondly, because you have added additional energy (i.e. bike), you should deduct 8-10 bpm for your THR zones for cycling.

As far as swimming goes you can safely deduct 10-12 bpm from your THR zones for the entire time you are swimming.

EXAMPLE:
If I want to maintain 75-85% for RUNNING my zone would be 161-174. (Usually I’m on the higher side of 170, but my avg is usually about 168.)
If I want to maintain 75-85% for CYCLING my zone would be 153-166 (I try hard to maintain 162-165 while riding.)
If I want to maintain 75-85% for SWIMMING my zone would be 151-164 (I usually avg 160 while swimming.)

I hope that this info helps all you!!! There are tons of tools out there to help make us better, faster, stronger, but we need to understand them and the best ways to implement them for a difference to be seen. Good luck!!!

weekend wrap up....

Things have been C-R-A-Z-Y lately! Saturday I got my haircut and worked out for a bit then went out to dinner for sushi, very yummy! Sunday I had my swim class which I felt like I sucked at! SOOOOOOOOOO slow! Then I met Monica for coffee during the lovely blizzard. It was seriously snowing!!! Then I vegged and did some housework.

I have blisters on my toes from my beloved Zoomers. I've never had this happen before but I also have never worn them as long as I did on Sunday. I have a nice gross pic for all of you!

this was taken on Sunday after I wiped all the lint from my socks off the open blisters - fun!

Today - so pretty huh?

This week is my second to last week with Alexis. Things are going well but I haven't been feeling like a super star this week so far, hopefully things will turn around! I started putting together a workout regime in anticipation of my workout status change. ;) Originally, I was thinking that I could workout in the AM and then head into work but I was thinking this morning of changing my work hours and starting at 7am and working till 3pm then running over to the gym. I often do work at home and on the weekends so I would totally be able to make up any time I missed at the office. Plus I seem to get SOOOO much more done early in the morning when everyone else is on their way to work. What do you think??? Please leave comments!!!!

Last night my brother and I went to Great Lakes Brewing Company for a City Fresh Monday. We met fellow CTCer Brandon there. It was really great! The topic covered this month was community gardening, very interesting. I had some chicken soup made with locally grown food. How cool is that!? Then the three of us stuck it out to watch the Cavs bring in a win! WOOHOO!

The holidays are coming faster than I expected! :( I totally don't feel ready. I'm having the fam over on Christmas Day so I have to get my house in working order. Please don't remind me that it is like in a week! :(

From my last post Tea was asking about HR targets between sports. I'm currently compiling the info I have for that and will post either tomorrow or Thursday. So stay tuned bloggers!!!! :)

a whole pool to myself.....

That's right everyone. Don't be too jealous now! ;)

Last night I was running a bit behind in my errands, so I didn't get to the gym until after 8pm. But I still did my 90 min workout like I planned and it was pretty great. I had a kick ass song list on my shuffle so the run and bike were super enjoyable. I spent the last 2 mins of my run in high gear at 5.8 at an incline of 1.5 so that was hard but good. Then I walked for a couple of minutes before heading over to the bikes.

I finally got in the pool around 9:45. And it was empty. :) :) :) Which was nice because I was doing some drills using my Zoomers (which are by far my FAVORITE swimming accessory!!!) and my pull buoy and kick board. I'm trying to work on rotation so I did a 100 at the beginning swimming on my side and just kicking and ended with another 100 at the end. Then for my cool down I did 100 breaststroke, 100 back and 50 just coasting through the water. I'm getting back to where I used to be in terms of holding my breathe. I know it really isn't that important but I guess it goes back to all of my lifeguard tests I had to do when I was kid. I can swim almost 3/4 of one length underwater now, so I'm happy about that.

So I have to say I had some technical difficulties with my HRM for the first time in the water last night. It was only when I was using the kick board so I'm hoping this isn't going to become a usual occurrence for me. Keep those fingers crossed bloggers! :) I was in such a rush to get my ass in the water that I forgot to take off my sports bra, which happens to be new so I'm hoping it isn't destroyed because of the chlorine. :( Soooo once I realized it was still on I stealthily slipped my suit straps down and managed to get it off in the hopes that 200M didn't kill it completely. I'll let you all know what happens; I'm sure you're just DYING to hear about it. I like to make my transition from gym to pool quick so I run and bike with my suit on and a sports bra underneath. Then I hit the locker room and get rid of the things I don't need (i.e. shuffle, pants, kicks, shirt) and get the things I do need (i.e. towel, goggles, drill equip.) and hustle to the pool. See guys it really is hard being a chick! ;) j/k I wish I could find a suit that had the coverage I need. But haven't found one yet.

Steve totally didn't want to run this AM which was fine because I didn't either! :P Hopefully, I can get some swimming in tonight. Even 30 mins is better than none!

Have a great day everyone! :)

dude, seriously!?

First, I would like to thank all of you who commented on my 'Mom Z Polar Swim convo'! It provide alot of great justifications, much to mom z's chagrin. You know she reads this too! ;)

______________________________________________________________________

This weekend I received an email from my trainer Alexis. For many reasons she has decided to take a break (possibly a forever break) from training. Which left me saying, dude, seriously? :(

While I'm super sad that I won't be ringing in the New Year working out with her, I completely understand why she needs to do this and wish her the best of luck!!! I still have until the end of December though to get my ass kicked by her, so I'm not crying yet. ;) Monday she told me that we are going to kick it into high gear for the next three weeks. Which again left me thinking, dude, seriously!! I was like, um hello what have we been doing before then???? So wish me luck blogsters! I'm FOR SURE going to need it. ;)

So to prepare for my overly ambitious race season and my training status change to 'single,' I've started looking through a few books I have to create some training workouts so that I don't lose sight of my goals. If any of you have any suggestions of fav workouts let me know!

I signed up for the Beast series which I could totally fail at, miserably btw!!! But hey, I'm fearless! ;) Now here is where you are going to say, dude, SERIOUSLY!!!!

One of the races I'm planning on completing for the Beast is the Classic Half in March. Yes, that's right everyone. It's ok you can sit down, take a few deep breaths, I'll be here when you're ready to continue reading.

Ready? OK...(ouch, cheerleader flashbacks!!!)

Now, I totally know that I haven't even completed a 10K so why would I jump to a half mary, you are probably asking. I say, screw you 10K, I'm going for the half. I found a 9 week plan on Runner's World mag.com so I'm going to incorporate that into my training.

Today, Alexis asked me if in addition to all the other fun stuff aka stress I have in my life and finishing my masters, if I really think it is a good idea to shoot for the half in March. Here is what I think:

1. I love that Alexis is always questioning me and pushing me. I often times come up with some seriously crazy shit, so it is important for people to look at me like I'm nuts and then ask me what I'm thinking. I'd like to believe that it keeps at least the tips of my toes on the ground, if not most of my foot.

2. Alexis is right. It is very ambitious and I could very well not be ready at all by March for this event. However, right now that is my plan. There is also a 5K event either the day of or the day before. So either way I will be there regardless of the distance.

As I have previously stated, I really don't care about times or any of that. Everyone who cares about me has one fear: that I will be disappointed in myself. I don't think I will this time. I'm ok with my abilities and am always looking to improve. What matters to me is that I want to be a triathlete and even if I only do one tri in 08, I've done one. I'm new to the world of triathlon and even though I'm running head first into this, much like everything in my life, I'm running with distance and longevity in mind. Do I overwhelm myself sometimes, yes. Do I push myself to accomplish more and excel in all I take on, of course. Do I question if I'm cut out for triathlon, NO. I'm a firm believer that you really can accomplish anything you put your mind to. And this is something I'm committed to. So if I don't reach all of my goals this year, I always have next year! ;)

So you can all say it with me, dude, seriously, 2008 is going to ROCK!

Polar Swim, bbbrrrrrrr....

So I just HAD to share this convo I had with my mom the other night re: the polar swim.

me: "So today I was on the CTC forum and they were talking about the polar swim. Cool huh?"

mom z: "Oh, that's where crazy people run in the water in the middle of winter right?"

me: "Yes, but-" interrupted by mom z

mom z: "You aren't doing it. You'll get sick and die."

me: "Mom, you know that isn't true. You don't get colds from being cold and wet."

mom z: "Yes, but you're sick now, you really think it is a good idea to do that in a few weeks??"

me: "Well, I would like to at least go and watch."

mom z: "Right, watch, sure. That sounds like you, just watching. More like, just watching and I fell in accidentally, I swear mom."

me: sounding supper innocent, "I don't know what you are trying to get at. I'll go and watch. Maybe Monica will do it and I can hold her towel, that sounds good right?"

mom z: mocking voice, "I was just holding Monica's towel, I don't know how I got wet!"

me: "Seriously, I'm not going in the water."

mom z: "Sure!"

me: "Well, at least I don't......think.....I.....will....."

mom z: "Yeah that is EXACTLY what I thought!"

why I love radiators....

Whenever I pretend shop for a house online, the first thing I look at is if they have radiators or forced air. Why? Well, let me tell you! :)

There happen to be MANY reasons why radiators rock!

1. You can warm your towels and slippers in the winter time.

2. They heat so much more efficiently and aren't as drying as forced air.

3. They don't spread dust and allergens around every time they turn on.

4. They are a GREAT place for drying hand washables. ;)

5. The cat loves to get warm and cozy on top of them.

I can't think of any more reasons right now but, seriously I'm sure there are a ton more! I thought that I should share my love for radiators with all of you this morning as I was getting out of the shower and grabbed a nice warm towel from the top of the radiator. It seriously is the best thing in the world. Along with having warm slippers! Seriously, if you don't have 'em, you're missing out big time! :)

Reindeer Run and sniffles, sneezy and coughy

No, I'm not talking about the seven dwarves, just little old me. :(

Yesterday, I did the Reindeer Run in Lakewood. It was a really awesome day for a race. It was sunny and crisp, not too windy. I rode over with Monica and my brother Steve came along. My cousin Alison met us there and then we all met up with Sara, Debbie and Abby. Everyone did great. Monica and Abby broke their PRs and my cousin finished with Monica. Sara and Debbie did really well too!

I just started doing 5Ks this year. In September actually. I have never been a runner. I played tennis through high school and you run alot but not without some breaks. ;) So when I started working out with Alexis, we talked about running. I was like, "not really too interested." But then in July I started running. A little here and there. Then I joined the CTC and when I emailed Jen C about the club and joining I mentioned my lack of running ability. She was super encouraging and helpful and said to be patient. And surprisingly, for the first time in my life, I'm being patient. Sure I get frustrated with the fact that I still am running intervals and never do more than 5 miles at a time but I'm still RUNNING. :) And that is worth something.

Normally, I run on the much loved dreadmill. In 30 mins I get 2.5-3miles in. But when I did my first 5K I wasn't really running that much. My brother just found out he had mono like two weeks before the race AND there were so many people there it was hard to actually run. So we finished that one in a little under 50mins. Then I did the Pigskin Classic. Since I usually get 2.5-3miles in on the treadmill in 30mins, I figured that shooting for 45mins for the race would be doable. I didn't reach my goal but I did help someone else finish and that was enough. So I finished that one in like 48mins. So when I went on Saturday, I was still shooting for my 45mins. I finished somewhere around 43mins. So I was happy with that. I know that is hardly impressive, especially to all my CTC buddies who make fab times! ;) But all that really matters is that I went and I finished. :) I think it is decent for just starting to run a few months ago.

I was nice Steve and Monica were there at the end cheering me on. I did better with pacing myself this time around. I started out too strong at the Classic and suddenly realized I had ran for over 5mins straight and then needed to rest a bit longer. The intervals have been helping me build up my endurance so I try hard to stick with 1-1:30mins running and :45-1:00 walking. So I managed to stick pretty closely with that; I still ran too long at first, but only for 2:30mins this time. ;) It was pretty funny. Near then end, most everyone had finished and I was running back in and saw an intersection and got all excited. I thought "wow, I'm almost done." I thought that was the intersection at Lakewood Park. So I started running a bit harder and as I got to the intersection I realized that I was still a couple blocks away from the park. :) So I was like, "shit!" I just slowed up and walked for a couple of minutes, enjoyed the quite looked over at the lake and just relaxed.

I ran sans ipod. I must say, I really liked not having it. I was surprised that I didn't miss it. I almost felt like my hearing was heightened. (Maybe because of the cold medicine and stuffy head. Who knows. ;) ) But it was nice to hear the shoes hitting the pavement and when it got closer to the end and most people were finished, the quiet was so relaxing.

After the race, I came home and did some laundry then went over to Monica's. We swam for a bit and did an hour - hour and a half of yoga at the JCC. Then I went out to celebrate my friend Allison's bday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON!!!! :)

We went to Winking Lizard in Bedford. It was a great time!

Then I came home and crashed and slept and slept. Slept through my alarm until 10am actually. Yes, I missed swimming yet again! I feel like such a swimming loser. :( Not much I can do about this now. So to all my fellow RR swimmers, see you next time.

Steve slept over last night so we went to breakfast at Tommy's around 11:30am. We had a good time but I just felt so crummy I couldn't enjoy it too much. Then I laid around and did some things for work and rested. Which is super boring btw. My mom is here now, fixing my soup. Aren't moms great!?!