Life's been busy

Since the last post, where I just came back from New York, leaving behind a few of my favorite redheads...

I went to ItalyWhere I ate this almost daily...

And added some weight to a particular finger...

started wedding planning (I'm not sure a more fabulous cake exists)...

became a temporary single parent to 2 crazy little sisters for 2.5 weeks (shown here with a cousin)...

went to California for a friend's wedding...

Ditched the kids and came back to Seattle. Now that I have a chance to catch my bearings, I'm thinking...

HOLY CRAP! Triathlon is 20 days away! I've been training (not quite as rigorously) but am I ready? Mmm...no! I did my first open water training swim (hooray!) I realized about half way through, where I looked beneath me and just saw dark water, that I'm afraid of open water swimming. This made me swim more quickly to get it over with. Yikes. We'll see how things go August 16!

(What am I doing the days before the triathlon? Resting up? Getting one last work out in? Focusing on eating right? NO! I'll be hanging out with Mom and the FMIL doing wedding planning, and taking engagement pics. Me = a little crazy.)

off the wagon

I haven't been doing so well with the work outs lately. I was so busy getting ready for New York that I only got to the gym 4 times that week. Then, in New York (4/5-4/12) I got to the gym once. (Just once! So embarrassing!) On the last day there, I had a scratchy throat. I'm still fighting this full blown flu that has settled nicely in my lungs. I swear, I get on a plane, I get sick-- it's just the way it goes. Anyway, exercise induced asthma + gunky lungs = not ideal work out conditions. So, no work-outs this week until I get the cough under control. I did 6 hours of manual labor yesterday, (long story, but it involves me swinging a pick axe, a sledge hammer, and hauling boxes most of the day). I tried to tell myself this must equal a work out, but being totally honest, as hard as I worked, it just doesn't come close to a good swim session. All this means I've had 5 work-outs in 3 weeks. It's pitiful!

Normally, I would say, well, that was just one period of time. I'll get back on track and be fine for the Danskin. But I'm going to Italy for 2 weeks soon, and I am not going to sacrifice suitcase space for running shoes. Lots of walking and some hiking will have to do. I'll be focusing on fuel a bit in carb-loading paradise: Spaghetti! Lasagna! Gnocchi! Yes please! Really though, that's just another instance of me trying to convince myself that it counts when we all know it doesn't. So, there will be another 2 weeks off the wagon. I'll just have to make the remaining weeks really count.

Now off to try to prevent coughing up a lung... oh, Nyquil, how I love thee.

Hooah!

I'm an army of one! On Tuesday I swam 23 laps in a 25 meter pool. That's OVER 1/2 a mile in under 45 minutes-- and further than the triathlon will be! (I found out that it's really only about 17.5 pool laps for 1/2 a mile). The triathlon will actually be harder since it's in open water, and I won't be able to stand and rest when I want to, but I've got months to get there.

Also, I "graduated" from physical therapy yesterday. It was actually kind of sad because I've been seeing these people twice a week for months-- talking about boyfriends, break-ups, moving, work, etc. According to the physical therapist, I'm the best kind of patient-- a challenging case because it was hard to figure out my knee pain (who would've thought it would all come down to a back problem and an inflexible right foot?) but I actually did all the at-home exercises. That was in no small part to Ken's quasi-daily "Did you do your exercises tonight?"

Beyond that, I bought and started using a heart rate monitor. (That's more to make mom and Sally Edwards happy than anything else.) So far no one at the gym has made to punch me when it starts bee-bee-beeping at me to say "SLOW DOWN!!!" Wow is it annoying.

Looking forward to the next exercise in the pool session!

2 weeks later...

I finally 'fessed up to my physical therapist. She gave me the ok to do the triathlon, and also gave me strict rules about what I can and can't do to train. It's the end of 4+ mile runs for a while-- I'm not supposed to run past 2 miles more than a couple times a month, not more than 3 miles. Instead, I am supposed to focus on cardio. So here's the last couple weeks:

4 or 5 days a week:
- strengthening exercises (from physical therapist--involves lots of resistance bands and a balance ball)
- 10 mins each on stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill

1 or 2 days a week:
- strengthening exercises
- swimming for an hour doing as many laps as possible (so far it's been 20-25, the triathlon distance will be about 36)

That's 5-6 days a week at the gym. Wow!

Mass:
I lost 10lbs while I had strep throat (P.S.: This is not a recommended weight-loss method), but with all this exercise I haven't gained those 10lbs back yet. Looking forward to getting more muscle so my clothes fit me again.

Fuel:
I've been trying to eat more proteins, good fats, and veggies. So far that's been more fish, avocado, and this awesome butternut squash gnocchi I made last Sunday. Ken keeps lecturing me about drinking more water because I don't like to rehydrate after working out, so I have been, but not happily.

Other news:
Last Thursday, I got together with the gals from work doing the triathlon for a swim work-out and a healthy dinner. It really helps to have a group to do it with-- especially when 4 people have done it before. The next get together will be a 5k followed by brunch.

Ugh

Culture results finally came back. Yep, had/have strep throat. I've been pretty low energy, so it makes a bit more sense now. Even then, I ran 3.1 miles yesterday.

Since it's lent, I fasted Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) and today, and will be on Fridays from now until Easter. Fasting is not exactly ideal for triathlon prep, but it's a good day to focus on my core and mostly take the day off. At least until Easter. Still, did pilates and exercises for my knee today.

Physical therapy was cancelled yesterday due to snow, so I've only got 2 more appointments left before the re-eval with my doctor. Here's hoping my knee is fixed.

The swimsuit came in-- it's way tight! I guess it's supposed to be though. I really have no idea what I'm getting into with swimming. But to help, I'm going to an Introduction to Triathlons class. It's nice having Ken work for REI and fill me in on these things.

4 miles

I haven't done anything more than 2.7 miles in months, so when I told Ken I didn't want to do anything less than 3 mile runs from here on out, he held me to it. We ran 3.96 miles tonight.

I wish I had remembered how physically painful and mentally/emotionally exhausting pushing myself like that can be. I probably would have held up better if the same old knee pain hadn't showed up with new hip pain to go with it. BLECH! Something to talk to my physical therapist about. Ken says my form has dramatically improved, so that's the heartening.

Poor Ken got the brunt of my post-run frustrations. I'm hoping that improves over the coming months. According to my friend Sally Edwards, competitive runners have divorce rates higher than the national average, but it's not quite as high when both partners in the relationship are athletes. Something to think about.

Swimsuit shopping...

On thinking this whole triathlon thing through, I decided my cute little bikini is not the ideal swimwear for the Danskin. This means, swimsuit shopping, and pronto. There's training to do! Always a discount shopper and not being familiar with discount competitive swimwear shops in Seattle, I turned to the internet. REI did not come to my rescue, unfortunately. However, I did find a nifty little swimsuit store out of Texas with a decent return policy. Here's the winner:

Not pictured are the super tough skull and crossbones on the side. I'm hoping it will inspire me to be stay tough on race day.

I didn't realize this until after I signed up, but here's the other equipment needed:
1. heart rate monitor (according to Sally Edwards this should be my first triathlon purchase)
2. bike helmet
3. swim goggles
4. swim cap
5. triathlon shorts

Hmm... looks like more time to be spent at REI and Danskin.