All evidence to the contrary...

From our Sprint Tri -  but this pretty accurately represents how I'm feeling

So I know I have been radio silent on this blog the last few months but something had to give! I've been balancing school, an internship with an hour long commute multiple days a week, volunteering a few times a month and, of course, triathlon training which really ramped up.  So in case you have been wondering...I have still been training for the triathlon.

AND IT'S SUNDAY!

I'm kind of freaking out about it.  I wouldn't say I feel prepared for it at all...mentally, physically, or logistically (ie packed).

We did a "practice"/sprint triathlon a few weeks ago but it was 1/2 (and in the case of the bike, less than half) the distance of the real triathlon.  There were definitely moments during that race I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish. I expected to actually do fairly well in the swim portion but really struggled there. I am sort of blaming the wet suit which was wayyy to tight and choking me. So hopefully that will go better this time. But the 26 mile bike and 6.2 mile run really scare me.

Even though I haven't been posting on this thing it has definitely still served its original purpose to peer pressuring me through this thing. Frankly the public humiliation I expect will ensue if I can't finish is the 2nd biggest worry I have right now! (My largest concern is... how does one stay hydrated enough to race for 4.5 hours in 90 degree weather without access to a bathroom!?!?  TMI?)

If nothing else, after Sunday I will at least be done! I'm so proud of myself and my cousin for really dedicating to this and seeing it through but I am over it! I don't find biking enjoyable, swimming is hassle, and frankly it all just takes to long and has consumed more of my life than I would have liked. I also find that I really miss strength training.  So I'm really looking forward to single hour workouts (as opposed to multi-hour) and a balance in my life...well as much balance as I ever allow myself in my life...

Not my smartest decision

I went out for a 97 minute bike ride yesterday. The ride itself was not the dumb decision, although after a while, it felt like it was! But about 45 minutes into the ride and 9 miles away from my apartment I suddenly found a lot of comfort in the LiveTracking aspect of my running app I first found to be creepy.

Usually when I go for long rides like this, I'm going with my cousin. This time I set out by myself with no plan in mind, no idea how to fix my bike if something happened, and no cash. Yesterday was pretty miserable out here.  At one point I was cold, miserable, pretty sure I was about to get drenched, far from my apartment and, short of calling and begging someone to find me, with no alternative means of getting home (besides the bike). That wasn't necessarily a problem, I just turned around and headed back. But it did get me thinking, if something did happen, I would have been in a lot of trouble! Granted the routes I travel are pretty popular and I had a fully charged cellphone but not having any cash/cards/ID on me, not my smartest decision.

So I'm committed to being better prepared when I head out and bringing cash/ID with me. I'm also considering getting a running ID bracelet. My roommate may download the running app as well so if I head out for a long ride by myself and don't return within the allotted time, someone will at least know where to find me!

The ride itself was a struggle. In general I'm struggling with biking the most. If nothing else, I'm really just happy I completed it! I wasn't sure I would make the full 97 minutes but got back to my apartment at about 95 minutes so biked in circles in the parking lot of the school behind my building to hit the training plan target, even after ending the ride with a 1.6 mile hill. I also realized on this ride that I need to do a better job fueling on a workout of this length. When I first set out I had grand plans of running after this ride but I was feeling really wiped at the end.  I need to stock up on Gu or some similar product!

Does it count if...

I can swim across the entire length of the pool without taking a breath? only about 3 strokes? almost glide the entire way?

All evidence to the contrary I haven't abandoned the blog.  The last few weeks have been really busy! Last week was my Spring Break and I was working full time in Baltimore when mean 2+ hours in the car each day in addition to my hours in the office and this week I've been at a conference in Chicago.  I have still managed to get (some of) my training in...

Although I'm not sure if I can really count the 35 minutes I spent gliding back and forth in this pool today!

***
Training plan - 29 minute swim

My plan - no real plan

Actual - 5 minutes swim, 5 minutes kicking, 5 minutes swim, 5 minutes thumb-to-thigh drill, 5 minutes swim, 5 minutes catch-up drill, 5 minutes swim; 20 minutes elliptical

I think I'm bad at sleeping

A little more than a week ago I downloaded a sleep tracking app. I'm generally skeptical that my phone can tell if I'm sleeping or not but I was curious to see the results anyway. From what I can understand, it doesn't so much track sleep as movement. I turn the tracking on before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning it has a graph that indicates when I was in a "light" to"deep", total sleep information, a percent deep sleep, etc.

My graphs look something like this.  I'm currently averaging 67% "deep" sleep and across the 8 days I've been tracking so far, I've only hit the 80+% threshold once. On the other hand, I am averaging 7:48 hours of sleep which is pretty good considering it's midterms!

It also records noise if you hit a certain threshold. So far...nothing interesting. No snoring, no talking, etc. Although last night I decided, I might be able to use this to be "productive" in my sleep.  You know how you go through "to do" lists in your head before going to sleep? (no?  just me?) Well I think I can record them to follow through on the next day.  Now if I can just figure out how to be productive while in the car for 2 to 3 hours on the days I'm commuting to Baltimore!

***
Training plan - 29 minute swim

My plan - I'm kind of torn between swimming intervals and just swimming for 29 (or so) minutes to see if I can beat my last record of 52 laps in 26 minutes.

Actual - ?

I had such grand plans

So my original thought for today's post was to synthesize the comments and suggestions I received on my blog and detail the changes I plan to make as a result.  As one of my professor always says, you shouldn't ask for opinions if you're not going to do anything about them!

Unfortunately between today's two workouts and finance midterm, my 6am wake up tomorrow, 3 hours of commuting, 30 minute group presentation, and Thursday's 12 page paper to edit and Quality midterm to study for, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and drained. As such, while I agree with my professor, I also don't want to make promises I'm not sure I can keep yet!

So until I can get a handle on my life, we'll all just have to make due with the addition of the training totals tab & this selfie, just for Steve (which is also a shout out to him, so I guess I'm not so bad at responding to feedback after all)!

Holly helping me stretch after Sunday's run

***
Training plan - 29 minute run, 48 minute swim

Ok so, the training plan didn't actually call for 2 workouts today but it was the only way I could get these in!

My plan - I sketched out a plan for intervals this morning and planned to push myself with the run.  The plan called for 3 minutes fast and 2 minutes slow with 1.5% incline on the slower sections.  For the swimming portion of today's training I planned to do drills and work on technique instead of killing myself for 2 workouts!

Actual Running - I actually pushed myself a bit harder than I thought I could/would! I bumped up the speeds from my original plan and the incline as well.

MPH                      Min/Mile         Incline                      # of Minutes      Cumulative Minutes

 5.0                        12:00             0%                            2:00                   2:00

 5.5                        11:00             0%                            1:00                   3:00

 6.0                        10:00             0%                            1:00                   4:00

 6.3                         9:30              0%                            1:00                   5:00

 6.7                         8:57              0%                            3:00                   8:00

 6.3                         9:30              1.5%                         2:00                   10:00

 7.1                         8:30              0%                            3:00                   13:00

 6.7                         8:57              1.5%                         2:00                   15:00

 7.5                         8:00              0%                            3:00                   18:00

 6.3                         9:30              2.0%                         2:00                   20:00

 7.1                         8:30              1%                            3:00                   23:00

 6.3                         9:30              2.0%                         2:00                   25:00

 6.7                         8:57              1%                            3:00                   28:00

 6.0                         10:00            2.0%                         2:00                   30:00

With the 3 minute cool down I ran 3.46 miles, average 9:31/mile and felt great!

Actual Swimming - By the time I got to the pool at 11 I was running a bit behind and beginning to feel drained. I powered through my drills it was a struggle.

WARM UP

·       200 SWIM

·       50 KICK

·       50 SWIM

DRILLS

·       6 x 50 : 25m Thumb-to-Thigh drill, 25m swim

1      100m swim

·       6 x 50 : 25m Touch-and-Go drill, 25 yards swim. 

2      200m swim

·       5 x 100 : 25 yds kick, 25 yds Thumb-to-Thigh, 25 yds Touch-and-Go, 25 Swim·

COOL DOWN:

·        200 SWIM (more if needed for time)

         76 lengths total

Just keep swimming

Before diving into (swimming...diving...get it?) today's post, let me start of by thanking everyone who provided feedback on my Monthly Checkup post! Really appreciate the thoughts, suggestions, and comments (ok, well only some of them, you know who you are)!

I've already implemented one of the suggestions with the addition of a new page, "Training Totals".  I'm now tracking the amount of time my training plan indicates we should spend on each of the disciplines and the amount of time I actually end up spending, plus the mileage that translates too.  Some of the numbers are a little rough (it's hard to track time when swimming) and I know the biking distance is wrong since I couldn't track distance on yesterday's workout (I used what I know to be my average mph on the bike and calculated a best guess for that one). I would like to get this info on the main page but was having some difficulty with formatting.  I'll keep trying though.

Unfortunately I can't devote the time I would like to this and other updates based on your feedback, although I plan to! More on that soon.  Currently I'm just trying to get through the week.

I can only make it show 7am to 7pm, you'll just have to take my word that my schedule both starts earlier and ends later 

And what a week it is.

Just keep swimming

Just keep swimming

Just keep swimming swimming swimming

What do we do we swim, swim, swim

(Finding Nemo)

So bear with me through this week folks!

***

Training plan - 58 minute bike

My plan - originally thought I would do this week's 48 minute swim (which would have worked much better for today's post) but I couldn't make the work with rest of my life. So now instead I'm going to work out twice tomorrow...

Actual - ??

Monthly Checkup

So it's been about a month since I resurrected the blog.  As anyone I've cooked for knows, I like constructive criticism.  I'm a big fan of feedback/data in general.

So, what's working? What's not? Anything you want to hear more about? Less?

Would love your thoughts!

This is the interactive part of the blog folks. Post publicly, anonymously, make a pseudonym, whatever works for you.

***
Friday's Training plan - 26 minute run

My plan - 2 minutes at 12:00, 2 minutes at 10:00, 2 minutes working up to at least 9:00; attempt 20 minutes at 9:00

Actual - That felt good!  Followed through on the plan above - 6 minute build up to an 8:57 minute mile, 20 minutes at 8:57 and then a 4 minute cool down (because I like even numbers).  I thought about adding in an ab workout but I don't have time (because I have just about every minute of my life planned out for the next week...it's midterms folks). This was also a relatively early workout for me (ran from 7:30 to 8) and it's nice to have my workout behind me for the day. Plus given my schedule and my internship(s) I might need to get used to working out even earlier!

***
Saturday's Training plan - 88 minute bike ride

My plan - I had such grand plans for this workout. It's been a while since I've done a long, outdoor, bike ride and I was especially looking forward to doing it at sea level!  I mapped out a 16.5 mile ride (and figured I could go further if I needed to for time) and planned to work in stops at my cousin's coffee shop and my other cousin's boyfriend's bike shop. But it's about 35 degrees here and pouring! So instead I thought I would go to a local gym, I even negotiated them down from $20 for a daily membership (because, really, that's ridiculous) to $10. But then I couldn't get my sister's car to start soo...

Actual - Most miserable 90 minutes on a stationary bike in the basement of my parent's house which is currently under construction and doesn't have heat, ever. I think the thing I found most frustrating about this workout experience is that not 2 hours earlier I had gone back and tracked all my times and distances for all my previous workouts, per my cousin's suggestion (PS - keep those coming), and the bike that I was on didn't track distance so... not really sure what I'm going to do about that one?  Ultimately, the workout happened (and it almost didn't) so, win!

***
Sunday's Training Plan - 44 minute run

My plan - Run through my town, along the beach in Spring Lake and turn around at Belmar gates, about a 5 mile run.  I had done this run twice while I was home over Winter Break and it's one of my favorites.

Actual - That was a good one folks! I do so love running at sea level.

12/21 Run Results

12/27 Run Results

Today's run!

The last few runs at this length averaged just over 10:00/mile but DC significantly more hilly than the Jersey Shore.  The elevation graph might be a bit misleading. The starting elevation was only 17ft and I maxed out at 47 feet.  All that is well and good but mostly I just wanted to point out the 8:23 mile, that's a record for me. And I shaved at least 20 seconds/mile off my last attempts at this run...and enjoy some scenery as I did so.

Also, apparently my cousin could track my progress through the mapmyrun.com app we both use.  Kind of creepy!  But since he's the only person I'm "friends" with on that site, I might leave that setting. A little extra accountability never hurt anyone...

I would hate to give the wrong impression...

I feel like if you read my blog (and weren't around me yesterday) it might sound like I "have it together." I'm currently balancing grad school, a graduate assistant position, ad hoc consulting projects and triathlon training.

Don't let the blog fool you!

I may have just tipped the balance, and not in my favor.

I'll now be interning for an insurance company based in Baltimore.  Two days a week I'm adding a 6 to 8 hour day interning, plus at least an hour drive each way.  And I added this all in during midterms and when I need to spend this weekend in New Jersey.

Yesterday was my first day at the internship and it went really well.  Naturally I have gave myself 2 hours to complete the 1 hour drive and had ample time to get breakfast and do some reading before starting the internship.  Unfortunately I was also up at 5:45 to accommodate that 2 hour drive.

But it could have been worse...

I could have been commuting into DC instead of out of it!

After the internship I rushed back to DC for class where I discovered I had a lot more work to do on a presentation due next Wednesday. Trying to fit in time for that really threw more for loop.  Finally settled on taking a train to NJ instead of driving (that's 6 to 8 hours productivity back!).

Of course booking at train at the last minute for a weekend was going to be about $300 round trip.  I was all set to pay that - I figured it was actually a small price to pay for my sanity - when I remembered, I had points! I used points to pay for one leg and then bought enough points to cover the second leg. Paying out right for the return would have been $131 but I could buy enough points for $83.  So basically, I beat Amtrak.

So I'm feeling a bit better about getting through this next week.  By 5pm next Thursday I should have 2 group projects, 1 presentation, 2 midterms and a 12 to 15 page paper behind me and be heading to Spring Break (where the only thing I have to worry about is working full time in Baltimore)!

But I'm still concerned about how I'm going to add in 60+ minute workouts on days when I'm commuting to Baltimore but I think I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it...

***
Training plan - 26 minute swim

My plan - Attempt to get 54 lengths done in 26 minutes - swam 54 lengths in 30 minutes on 2/11.

Actual - Just missed my goal of 54 lengths in 26 minutes, I was able to do 52 in 26:11 which works out to about 50m/minute so that's still faster than my swim on 2/11 which works out to about 50m in 1:06. For some reason when I was in the pool I thought my goal was 56 lengths and I reached a point where I knew that wasn't going to be possible but I might have been able to eek out 54 lengths. Next time!

Progress!

When I first started running a whopping 2 and half months ago I started by running 5 kilometers in the residential area behind my apartment.  I ran it maybe 4 times before heading home to New Jersey for winter break (one of the few perks of grad school). I haven't had a chance to run that same route since then.  But I have been running a lot more in general, running intervals and generally trying to improve my speed.

On Sunday, the last day of my "recovery" week was a 30 minute run.  So I decided to use that time to sort of test myself and see if I had improved my speed.

Route, Elevation & Splits

And I'm pretty happy with the results! I averaged a 9:09 mile and if it wasn't for that darn second mile it would have been even better.  And in general I felt really good.

But these numbers are less interesting if you don't know where I started:

12/3 First run in years...but not technologically advanced enough yet to have my running app downloaded on my phone

12/5: Second run in years! And where I started

12/10: Getting slower

12/17: Average

Since mid-December I've run quite a few more times and my times have bounced around quite a bit maxing out back at 10:00 and my best at 9:20 but probably averaging about a 9:30/9:40 minute mile.

but Sunday was:

I certainly don't expect to go out and run 9:09 every time now but it's nice to know I can. And I would still like to get that time down a bit.

Side note - the calories metric isn't accurate at all, although the general trend probably is.  Isn't sad how when you're pushing yourself more and become better at running/more efficient/healthier/etc...you burn fewer calories doing the same thing! Somehow it doesn't seem fair.

***

Training plan - 53 minute bike

My plan - I really want to get back out on the road with my bike but it's going to have to be in the gym and while I'm doing my reading for later in the week because that's the only way I can fit everything in!

Actual - 53 minutes on the bike with a 2 minute cool down (because 55 is a prettier number than 58) plus I added in ab ripper x. Huge thanks to Mike for helping me be productive while I was biking and sending me articles to read! I'm all about the multitasking...

Early but worth it!

As I know I have mentioned, I've really enjoyed getting back into swimming but it's been sooo long since I've done anything beyond a quick swim in the ocean to cool off in the summer.  Thus far I've just been swimming for the allotted time on the training plan and only recently even added intervals.  But as I've been swimming I have wondered about technique and form without any answers

Well I finally got some! And I almost didn't.

This past Saturday I dragged myself out of bed with not nearly enough sleep at the way too early (for a Saturday) time of 6:45.  There were quite a few times Friday night and Saturday morning when I thought about just not going.  But the training program I'm participating in had scheduled these swim clinics for us to work on technique and it was going to be my only opportunity to do so. The session was led by Sarah Thorpe, Australasian National Open Swimming Champion and member of the Australian Open Swimming Team.  She offered some great tips on form and triathlon swimming.

Some key take aways:

• I need to be doing more drills to focus/improve form
• I need to get the most out of my arms as possible during the swim to save my legs for bike/run
• Relaxing my ankles will help with saving my legs
• I need to be better about alternating my breathing on both sides
• I need to think about/practice sighting in the distance more, won't have a black line on the bottom to follow on race day!
• Think about head/body location
• Use my core
• Rotate with the hips first for more power
• Use entire forearm for the "pull"
• Work on "high elbows" to engage the back muscles, shoulder above elbow, elbow above wrist, wrist above hand
• Arm should enter 2/3 extended with hand at 30 degree angle

So now in addition to long swims for practice for the race and swimming intervals for speed, I'm also going to mix in workouts with drills for technique.  Here is today's plan:

WARM UP

·       200 SWIM

·       50 KICK

·       50 SWIM

DRILLS

·       5 x 50 : 25 yards Thumb-to-Thigh drill, 25 yards swim. 20 seconds rest between each.

·       5 x 50 : 25 yards Touch-and-Go drill, 25 yards swim. 20 seconds rest between each.

·       4 x 100 : 25 yds kick, 25 yds Thumb-to-Thigh, 25 yds Touch-and-Go, 25 Swim

·       18 x 25:

o  25 yds L stroke, L breathe

o  25 yds L stroke, R breath

o  25 yds R stroke, R breathe

o  25 yds R stroke, L breathe

o  25 Touch and Go

o  25 Swim

COOL DOWN:

·        200 SWIM (more if needed for time)

70 laps/1750M total 

***

UPDATED:

***
Saturday's Sunday's Training Plan - 30 minute run

My plan - Run outside for 30 minutes, try to improve speed

Actual - Ran a 3.2 mile loop behind my apartment I had mapped out previously and run a few times.  Set a personal record for that course!  Also, inspired by classmate Steve who just started P90X so I added in an abs workout when I finished my run.

***

Today's training plan - 44 minute run

My plan - See above!

Actual - My plan might have a bit ambitious for 44 minutes the first time through. Vic and I did it together and ended up stopping to talk through the drills and some of the tips from the swim clinic which might have made it take longer.  I don't necessarily feel like it was a great workout, I rested a lot more than I do when I'm just swimming or doing intervals, but I do think it was helpful for working on technique.  Except for maybe that last drill, I was too busy trying not to look like a deformed dolphin than think about technique...

Here's what actually happened:

WARM UP

·       200m SWIM

·       50m KICK

·       50m SWIM

DRILLS

·       5 x 50 : 25m Thumb-to-Thigh drill, 25m swim. 20 seconds rest between each.

·       5 x 50 : 25m Touch-and-Go drill, 25m swim. 20 seconds rest between each.

·       4 x 100 : 25m kick, 25m Thumb-to-Thigh, 25mTouch-and-Go, 25m Swim
        2 x 50 : Swim

·       4 x 25:

o  25 yds L stroke, L breathe (R at side)

o  25 yds L stroke, R breath (R at side)

o  25 yds R stroke, R breathe (L at side)

o  25 yds R stroke, L breathe (L at side)

COOL DOWN:

·        200 SWIM (more if needed for time)

1600 M; 64 lengths total

Love a low tech solution

Another entry in the saga that is the pain in my foot! Yesterday I saw an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in feet and ankles at the referral of the sports medicine specialist I saw through Student Health. The appointment was both a bit frightening and reassuring.

We spent quite a bit of time reviewing all the problems with my foot and looking at the x-rays and MRIs.  He even pointed out the fragmentation on my sesamoid bone on the X-Rays others called "unremarkable," as well as some necrosis of the bone and ganglion cyst, a swelling the often occurs around joints in the hand or foot.

If nothing else, my medical terminology vocabulary has really improved throughout the whole thing...

Fragmentation: see that little darker ling going through the sesamoid bone?

Necrosis: The bone in the red circle is supposed to be white like the bone in the green circle

I can't find a picture of the cyst because I don't remember what I'm looking for with that one.

Ultimately the diagnosis did not really change but fortunately the treatment is much less worrisome than I first thought.  The orthopedic surgeon does not believe I need injections and, in fact, doesn't believe in doing injections in that area because it exposes an otherwise healthy joint to steroids. Additionally he thinks I should come off the anti-inflammatory sooner rather than later.  In fact, the only thing he gave me were a few felt pads to put in my shoes! I could get orthotics but these serve the same purpose, essentially to distribute weight in other areas of my foot and take the pressure off the sesamoid and reduce/prevent inflammation.

So basically three years of pain...(hopefully) solved by some pieces of felt.

***
Training plan - off

My plan - OFF!

Actual -

Lent might be harder than triathlon training...

Fortunately it's shorter!

Already regretting my lenten promise and it's only 9:10 on Ash Wednesday as I write this...

I decided to give up salt and sugar substitutes for the next 40 days. I almost started off Lent by breaking that promise since it I had to remember it pre-coffee!

I've been thinking about the amount of salt and sugar substitutes I use for a while. I've noticed myself using more and more of both. No part of me really wants to give up either but I decided to use lent as the swift kick I needed to follow through.

So here are the specifics:

• No adding salt/sugar/stevia/other sugar substitutes to my coffee/food
• Limit food with lots of salt/sugar in them but not be crazy about it (ie I already buy canned tomatoes/chicken broth with no added salt; I'll continue to use those)
• Not going to foist my lenten promise on others (ie When I cook for others, I'll use salt or put out salt for their use only)
• Try to be better about going to Mass on Sundays, feel extra guilty if/when I don't go 
• Follow through with not eating meat on Ash Wednesday/Fridays

Again, today has already been tough and I'm pretty sure it's going to get worse!  No stevia in my coffee or my greek yogurt. (I eat plain, fat free greek yogurt and usually add cinnamon and stevia...and it needs it).  Tonight I'm supposed to go to Hill Country, a really great BBQ place that I love...where I won't be able to eat anything. There are no non-meat options beyond mac and cheese; even the collard greens have bacon in them!  

***

Training plan - swim 18 minutes

My plan - swim intervals for 18 minute; 100m slow/100m fast?

Actual - strongly consider not swimming...what's really is the difference between an 18 minutes swim and a 0 minute swim; whine about the amount of time it will take me to change in a swimsuit/shower/blowdry my hair/change again/etc relative to the amount of time I'll be swimming...but actually followed through and swam 36 laps in 18 minutes; swam 100m slow/100m fast

Chicken Fajita Win

A few days ago my sister Paige "pinned"  recipe for Seared Chicken with Avocado because she knew it right up my alley.  Monday night I decided to make a batch of White Bean Chicken Chili to eat one night this week and freeze for nights when my classes run late. There was some overlap in ingredients I don't always keep on hand (avocados, cilantro, jalapeno) so I decided to make the chicken dish for dinner as well.

Or at least, I started out with that recipe.  I ended up with chicken fajitas. And they were awesome.

Blackened Chicken Fajitas with Guacamole
Adapted from: Seared Chicken with Avocado; Blackened Seasoning; & Alton Brown's Guacamole Recipe

Guacamole Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 lime
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp caynne
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno
3 campari tomatoes diced
Lots of chopped cilantro
2-3 cloves of garlic

Blackened Chicken and Pepper & Onion Ingredients
7.5 ounce chicken breast
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion sliced
1 red pepper sliced
2 La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas
1/4 cup fat free sour cream


Blackened Seasoning Ingredients: (not 100% accurate/I'm never going to be able to recreate this)
heaping 1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne papper
a decent amount of black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Make the guacamole - scoop avocado into bowl, squeeze 1/2 lime on top, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine (without overly mashing avocado); set aside at room temperature for 1 hour

Gently squeeze 1/2 lime over chicken breast; top with blackening seasoning; bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes

Saute peppers & onions in olive oil

When chicken is done, let it rest for a few minutes; set aside peppers & onions and heat tortillas in the same skillet

Assemble fajitas, top with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Take pictures, text them to people to brag and then write a blog post about it.

***
Training plan - run 18 minutes

My plan - warm up 2 minutes; run 18 minutes, cool down 5 minutes; try to maintain at least 9:30 for the 18 minutes

Actual - Ended up pushing hard than I thought I would/could! Ended up running intervals with no interval slower than about a 9:00 mile and I added in some incline this time around. I felt pretty good while doing it as well!

MPH                      Min/Mile         Incline                      # of Minutes      Cumulative Minutes

 5.0                         12:00               0%                         0:30                   0:30

 6.0                         10:00               0%                         1:30                   2:00

 6.6                          9:05                0%                         3:00                   5:00

 7.5                          8:00                0%                         3:00                   8:00

 6.7                          8:57                1.5%                      3:00                   11:00

 7.5                          8:00                0%                         3:00                   14:00

 6.7                          8:57                1.5%                      3:00                   17:00

 7.5                          8:00                0%                         3:00                   20:00

Cool down             various              0%                         5:00                   25:00

Apparently I'm at a disadvantage

You know, I try to eat right, take care of myself, stay hydrated, etc.  But apparently I'm at a disadvantage with this triathlon training thing. Groundbreaking new research out of Granada University in Spain now shows that beer might be the drink of choice for rehydrating after a workout.

I'm not kidding

The study involved student working out until their body temperature reached 104 degrees. Half of the students were given beer and the other half were given water. Not only did the beer rehydrate better but it served a minor pain reliever for the aches and stresses of working out.

A cardiologist for the Real Madrid football team has long recommended beer to sports professionals after exhausting activities.

In theory this sounds like good news...but here's the problem....

I don't drink beer.

Maybe I should run a test on the effects of tequila?

***

(All credit goes to Vic for finding and sharing this article!)

***
Training plan - off

My plan - Cardio yoga workout & abs

Actual - I did what I set out to do: 30 min "cardio" yoga workout and the P90X ab ripper x workout

That darn second mile

So it was no 11 miles like my cousin's run this past weekend, but I'm pretty happy with how my Sunday run turned out.  It was definitely one of those workouts where you start out hating every moment of it and not wanting to do it at all but ending up feeling great.

I set out just to complete the bare minimum of the training plan, a 40 minute run, with no particular destination or length in mind.

I ended up deciding to run for 20 minutes down Custis Trail aka the least scenic route in the area (it runs along the length of a highway).  I figured I could run for 20 minutes in one direction, turn around and run back.  When I did turn around I was starting to get into it so I picked up the pace and decided to weave back to my apartment through a residential area instead of along the highway.

Overall, I felt pretty good! And I pushed myself to run faster which I need to be better about. I ended up running 4.6 miles in about 43 minutes with an average of 9:29/mile. And this was even along a particularly hilly route.

But that darn second mile! Why do I still spend a good mile of my runs hating the sport and wanting to stop? Not only was running it miserable but I slowed down to 10:15/mile (to be fair, that mile was also pretty up hill, gaining an elevation of about 70 feet and included a category 5 hill)

***

Training plan - Recovery week! 30 minutes swim

My plan - swim freestyle for 30 minutes

Actual - Swam 54 lengths in 30 minutes, I had thought I would be able to get lengths done in 30 minutes but I was feeling pretty drained at the end. I think part of that might have been awkward timing between meals? Trying not to feel bad about it because it is the recovery week anyway.

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due!

My cousin ran 11 miles yesterday!  Apparently I'm holding the kid back! I was pretty impressed with our 7 mile run a few weeks ago but Vic set out to run for 90 minutes yesterday which apparently translates into 11 for him.

He also averaged a 8:35 minute mile.  I think I'm more jealous of his speed than his distance!  I'm 1/2 bummed we didn't run together this weekend...1/2 really relieved because I definitely could not have run 11 miles and never run an 8:35 mile, let alone the sub 8:00 mile he did!  I do feel bad that when we run together I slow him down but at the same time, I like that he pushes me to be faster and run further.

But since we're not running together today...I'm just looking to hit my training plan goal because I am not feeling it!

***

Training plan - 40 minute run

My plan - do multiple searches for a good 5 mile run, map out my own five mile run, change my mind between running inside/outside 3 times, etc; at this point I just need to start running!

Actual - 4.6 mile run in 43:31

Woo! Not Crazy!

Well, I mean, except in the ways that I am...

I had my follow up appointment with my doctor to review the results of my MRI.  I was really nervous going into the visit because I was concerned that either my doctor would say something was wrong and I should not train or that they didn't see anything on the MRI and I just had to deal.  I think I was more worried about there not being a solution than anything.

For better or worse, something apparently is wrong.  According to the report "redemonstrated is fragmentation of the lateral sesamoid of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint, which demonstrates low signal on T1 and T2 weighted imaging consistent with the radiographic eqivalent of sclerosis. No marrow edema. Findings most likely represent subacute to chronic sequela of trauma/fracture, sesamoiditis and/or osteonecrosis."

So...yeah... that's what's wrong...

From what I understand the sesamoid bones act as a fulcrum for the flexor tendons, the tendons which bend the big toe downward. Sclerosis is an induration or hardening, especially from inflammation. And Sesamoiditis is an inflammation of the sesamoid bones. (Thank you Wikipedia)

This is probably actually the best result from all this.  I'm a little frustrated that I had an x-ray of my sesamoid bones for this pain about 3 years ago and was told they looked fine, but I'm trying not to dwell on that.  The treatment for sesamoiditis is injections, orthotics and anti-inflammatories.  The doctor I saw today hasn't done many injections for sesamoiditis so she referred me to a foot specialist. I have an appointment on Thursday as well as prescription for orthotics and already filled the one for the anti-inflammatory.  

***

Remember how I said yesterday it didn't sound like February was going to get any more crazy that it already is? Yeah, I was wrong. Looks like I'm going to be working in Baltimore a few days a week starting February 20th.  I'm really looking forward to this new experience (more on that to come at some point) but I'm worried it means I'm going to need to give up my shifts at Miriam's Kitchen were I volunteer as a sous chef 2 days a month. 

***
Training plan - swim 24 minutes

My plan - swim 30 minutes but work on speed, maybe try intervals? 100m fast, 100m recovery, etc; 30 minutes bike, abs

Actual - Swam for 30 minutes, 200m (8 lengths) slow, 100m (4 lengths) fast for a total of 56 lengths. I wanted to push it a little harder and finish out 60 laps but an older gentleman asked if he could split the lane with me and it was really throwing me off. I did at least 30 minutes on the bike but had to switch bikes at one point so I'm not sure of the final time and distance. I did abs yesterday and I'm planning to do them tomorrow so I skipped for today.

Making it up as I go along

As I mentioned in my training update yesterday, since starting the triathlon training program I've really slacked in the strength training department. Prior to starting the training program I had completed 2 cycles of P90X, the first following their plan pretty closely, the second subbing in my own cardio days.  I really enjoyed P90X and definitely saw the results but got bored after a while.  The month or so before starting the training program I was doing 6 minutes circuits that consisted of 3 minutes of full body strength moves, 2 minutes of plyometrics and 1 minute of abs; I usually did 6 complete circuits.

But none of that has been happening lately! I mentally committed to doing strength training today when I bailed on doing it yesterday.  As for what that strength training was going to be, I had no grand plan. This morning I sat down and came up with a routine:

Definitely not nearly as effective as spending an entire workout on chest/back, shoulder/arms & legs/back but given I don't have that kind of time, this works for the few strength training workouts I'll get in.

One of the things they harp on in P90X is writing down what you do.  It shouldn't surprise anyone, I really attached to that. I like data. I like that I can track my progress. When I first started I was doing maybe 10 real pushups/10 pushups on my knees, now I'm up to 25 "real" pushups. Not too bad since I haven't done any in a month!

***

Quick update on the crazy schedule I posted yesterday, looks like I won't be starting my new job in Baltimore until the first week in March. So February will still be a bit crazy, especially at the end but only as crazy as the calendar yesterday shows, no additional crazy to add (so far).

***

Training plan - off

My plan - strength training + cardio

Actual - just the strength training detailed above, took longer than I thought it would!

Something may need to give?

This first month of school has flown by! Not only that but school has almost been an afterthought. The coursework has been pretty light, we haven't had many assignments, and I have a lot of other things going on!  Currently I'm training for the triathlon, taking 6 classes, work as an independent contractor for two different consulting firms, and have a Graduate Assistant position through my program. Occasionally I attempt a social life.

Unfortunately it's all about to get a bit more crazy. We have a few big assignment/exams coming up between Feb 20th and Feb 28th. Plus training ramps up to 6 days a week soon.

Oh, and I'm about to start a new internship...in Baltimore...

It's possible something may need to give?

***

In less stressful news...

I made this for dinner...and it was delicious

***

Training plan - off

My plan - reintroduce strength training to my life (I've been bad about this since starting the triathlon training!)

Actual - reintroduce strength training to my life...tomorrow.

I have never wanted to move so badly in my entire life!

So I had my first MRI today.  It really wasn't that bad in retrospect but in the moment, I was feeling pretty miserable. I am not someone who sits still well on a good day.  I'm always amazed by those people who can be still.  I am constantly crossing and uncrossing my legs, crossing one leg over the other and then switching, changing how my arms are positioned, etc.  I always worry I'm driving the person next to me a little bit crazy.

When I was college I used to donate platelets which involved IVs in both arms for about 2 hours.  I remember that being uncomfortable as well and constantly wishing I could scratch my nose. But in that case, while longer, I was usually watching a movie of my choice and could move, minimally, if necessary.  With the MRI I knew the name of the game was to be still. I really didn't want to prolong or repeat the test so I asked the tech to strap my foot in extra tight.  Poor strategy on my part, my foot fell right asleep!

So with the MRI it wasn't so much a need to scratch my nose but just an incessant desire to move any part of my foot coupled with the sheer bored of having nothing to look at and the headache inducing noise of the MRI while also attempting to listen to the radio.  It will all be worth it though if the test explains the pain in my foot!

Also, as with everything, perspective in life is everything. I requested a copy of my MRI and as I was waiting for the CD a gentleman came out of his MRI. He asked how my test went and then mentioned he had an MRI of his abdomen which apparently involves not breathing for long periods of time. I immediately felt guilty for thinking my test was bad!  Also, while the pain in my foot is uncomfortable, it didn't stop me from running intervals on the treadmill this afternoon. It could all definitely be worse!

Remember how I couldn't read my own x-ray? Yeah, MRIs are more confusing. Fortunately, I meet with a professional on Friday.

They do kind of look cool though...

...if you're into that kind of thing

Training plan - 24 minute run; HR zones 1-2

My plan - 30 minute intervals; 30 minute bike or 45 minute intervals and bike and/or ab workout? Depends on how crowded the gym is, the machines reset after 30 minutes at peak times

Actual - 30 minutes of intervals & 20 minutes of biking; ended up running 3.2 miles and ultimately averaged about a 9:40 min/mile; I forget how many miles on the bike. I averaged a HR of 153 (HR zone 3) and maxed out at 173 (HR zone 4, almost 5).  For my intervals I basically did the below.  I think I could have pushed it a bit harder. Next time I do intervals I might do the faster speeds for 3 minutes instead of 2 and work up to running an 8:00 mile more.

MPH                      Min/Mile             # of Minutes      Cumulative Minutes

 5.0                         12:00                 3:00                   3:00

 6.0                         10:00                 2:00                   5:00

 6.5                         9:23                   2:00                   7:00

 6.0                         10:00                 3:00                   10:00

 7.0                         8:57                   2:00                   12:00

 6.5                         9:23                   3:00                   15:00

 7.5                         8:00                   2:00                   17:00

 6.5                         9:23                   3:00                   20:00

 7.0                         8:57                   2:00                   22:00

 6.0                         10:00                 3:00                   25:00

 6.5                         9:23                   2:00                   27:00

 6.0                         10:00                 3:00                   30:00