heart rate revisited

would be curious to read more on the science behind that
KP has a book on running that talks about it a bit more than my TRI books do
but still dont get it
most of my training is interval - at least with the run since I struggle with it...
most interval training on the bike is road made - uphill, downhill - with the occassional messing with the gear, and getting out of the saddle
spinning allows for easier interval training
swimming could but the swim fast concept and I havent found a good rhythm or routine yet
so feel free to send on more info

Fat A$$?

I wasnt really going to get into this topic but I think I discovered the culprit this evening.  I have been having issues with my bathing suit bottoms.  They keep getting picks in them.  But not the snag type of pick.  These are like mass quantity picks that ultimately shall we say make the material sheer?  Not fun.  And all the while I have been thinking to myself...  I know I am swimming a whole lot more these days but so much so that I am wearing through bathing suits?  And if I were going to wear through the bottom there should be no surprise if I wore through the tops as well.  But the tops are fine. 
So now I have 2 unmatched tops.  I know some of you would love if I went down some bottomless swimming path...  But it is really getting on my nerves.  I went to my favorite swimsuit web-site last night in hopes to find some bottoms.  Plug for the web-site:  http://www.swimoutlet.com/  And they did have a few and reasonably priced.  HAH!  But the size was too big.  And that's when it hit me...  even with all this working out maybe my a$$ is fatter than I realised.  Maybe I am buying the wrong size bottoms...  Again all the while I have been obsessed with making sure I buy the right size top.  I have been wrong all along.  What a miserable thought.  So I opted to just stick with what I have for now and look again in a few months.

AHAAAA!!!! moment....  So this evening KP and I went swimming.  I havent been in the pool much.  So this evening was just going to be a series of 100 yards to just keep moving (yesterday's venture did somewhat take its toll on me).  I did 4 sets of 100 and then 1 set of 200.  Not the stellar almost to a mile quest but I was OK with it.  Swimming in the evening in an outdoor pool that is pretty much vacant is splendid.  You can see the ripples your stroke makes in the shadows on the bottom.  The water is clear and not murky like overpopulated pools in the midst of summer can be.  The sun is still warm on your back.  It was all going at a nice pace.  And then it hit me....  When I stop a set to check my time and get a breather...  My lower back leans up against the cement siding of the pool.  I do it in every pool...  I am so conscientious to not sit on the side of the pool or the steps.  To not pick the suit.  And here I am leaning all up against the side as I check my time etc and picking the heck out of it.  Again I know this could turn into some ugly banter...  But I was so glad to come to the realisation.

Now I just have to get out of that damned leaning habit.
I am also trying to improve my turns as well.  I have been reluctant to work on the kick turn.  I used to do it as a child but never learned the proper technique.  And then when you throw a whole bunch of women in the water sharing lanes and changing lanes I decided it was a skill I did not need to master at this time.  However I do beleive I am losing time with my grasping the wall technique.  So I am working on that as well.

FOUR WEEKS to go...  I really need to get the focus on.

MMM - spice girl

This came on as I was riding yesterday.  I think she must have a whole other meaning in mind.


Love the cheesy British pop!

so what did i do this weekend

Well last week I wasnt feeling all that well.  I walked on Monday morning and I swam on Monday night.  The doctor said I should be OK to work out no big deal.  Just take the antibiotics and lots of fluids and I should be OK.  But I just didnt have the motivation.  General malaise had set in.  I was beginning to get nervous to tell you the truth.  But there is something to be said about being in a funk when you dont feel well.  Even if it isnt a headsplitting version of a sinus infection or bronchitis...  not feeling well is not feeling well...
I would say the antibiotics (second set - confirming SH's belief that all antibiotics should be taken for 10 days) started to kick in Friday night to Saturday night.  And I have noticed the general malaise feeling has dissipated for the most part.
So Sautrday I did the 6 mile loop around town.  I keep re-map-my-running the loop in hopes of finding it to be longer but that is not the case.  I was about a mile down the road when I realised I never turned on the watch.  Oopps.
Later in the day SH and I went to the park and did 4 miles.  Not at breakneck speed but a good distance to help with the muscles etc.
Today I was a bit more ambitious.
I went to the park and did 12 miles - I know 12 miles - on the bike.  This time the time was ticking but the HRM was shooting the right signals.  I completed it in about 60 minutes.  The highlight of perk of this trip was that I let myself listen to music as I peddled - in one ear.  I obviously dont do that on the street.  And I got to listen to some fun tunes.
From there I transitioned (which translates into locking the bike back on the top of the car) to a run walk.  I did 1on 1off for 10 minutes - equated to 5 minutes running - 5off - then 1on 1 off again - and another 5 - well actually until I was done.
I am gearing up now to head to bed so that when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning at 530 I will feel well rested and ready to hit the pavement with my sneaks again.
I really need to get in the water one of these here days.
Tomorrow afternoon is another doctor's appt.  fun...

heart rate

and that's when i started reviewing my understanding of my target heart rate
i wear my hrm all the time when i run and cycle
i am always surprised at how quickly my heart rate goes up on the run
it does a pretty good job on the cycle as well
guess i could take my pulse when i swim...
anyways there are different zones with heart rate and the higher you go the more calories you burn but the less fat you burn
in zones 1 and 2 - 85% of the calories burned are represented by fat calories... now you may have to do a  bit more in this area to burn a bunch of calories
in zone 3 you are burning closer to 50% of fat calories
and in zone 4 you are at 15% of fat calories
not too sure where you are at zone 5 - i suspect not much as the theory is this is pretty darned close to over your 100% target and you cant sustain that pace for very long
so i was trying to figure out the breakeven for the various zones - i look to be spending a bunch of time in the higher zones when i went back through my Garmin records

looking at my workouts on foot this weekend - since my HRM & I were chatting during my bike rides....
i did a 4 mile walk for just over an hour on saturday - according to Garmin I burned 322 calories @ 85% since it was a slower pace I burned 273 fat calories
i did 2 miles in just under 30 minutes and burned 197 calores but on average was in zone 3 so only 50% at fat burning or 98 calories
this hasme pondering... perhaps longer walks are going to be in my future after this triathlon thing
just dont know for sure

back on that athena obsession

heard something last week that got me back on that thinking with respect to the athena category and how healthy am i really just because i can finish a tiny triathlon...
of course it didnt help that i wasnt feeling well earlier in the week and went to the doctor (i know i was feeling that bad) and i had to get on the scale...  the reality that i just didnt want confirmed because i could just tell was that i had put back on a bunch (or maybe some) pounds since i was on holiday and traveling for work...
so that too got me thinking...
how do i keep myself healthy
how do i do a better job of eating when i travel
how the heck do i lose that weight...
so i have 4 weeks to the race and lots of focus on lots of things to try to hit some certain goals...
gonna give it my best
must be the antibiotics have finally kicked in and i am feeling better

no cause for alarm

Or something like that.  Because I have no idea what happened with my alarm yesterday.  If it went off, which I suspect it did, I never heard it.  AND I turned it off.  So yesterday there was no AM run/walk.  And by the time I got home last night....  Nothing in my evening either.  I do believe I had yesterday noted as my day off for the week but... 
Today the run/walk didnt happen because when the alarm went off I was so sleepy.  I felt like I was literally being sucked into the mattress I was so deep in sleep.  I could go back right now if I didnt have to get going with my day.  I havent been feeling well so I am going to say that is the cause of the tired feeling.
Going to try to motivate to get something done this evening.  FIRST - I need to motivate to get some work done.

relaxation confirmed

When I was away I did manage to go in the ocean 2 times.  I always think I am going to go more but for some reason the days get away from me.  And Colin didn't help this time.
SO I swam tonight.  Didnt really want to.  Havent felt all that well.  But forced myself to get on out there.
I did 800 yards.  Not at any breakneck speed.  Just needed to get in and splash around.
Need to make sure I keep it in my routine better the next few weeks.
It will get difficult as the outside pools will close. 
And the swim teams will start up at the indoor pools.

really, Kentucky?

what are the odds?
I decided to make a plug for the upcoming big event that was one everyone's mind while I was at my client last week....  Almost made me wish I had rearranged our 2010 calendar to accomodate the big event.  Of course given their location it probably would have resulted in more traffic than work.
http://www.alltechfeigames.com/
It was neat to see all the work that was going into the city to get it ready.
A guy working on the street lights lost his hard hat...  It bounced right in the path of me and my rental car.  Thankfully I did not react to the guy honking behind me or it would have bounced right on the car.
And there were all these horses painted in carious designs.  It reminded me of the rocking chairs in Charlotte.  I think Chicago did cows once?  I wish I had the time and there was ample parking so I could have gotten out, walked around and taken some pictures.
There is a ground zero in town as well.  Supposedly it was to be an upscale hotel etc etc right in the middle of town.  Just like our big open empty lot right down the road, the benefactor passed away and the work was never completed.  Unlike the gaping hole of the non-Saks, non-Ritz outside Quail Hollow, this was converted in a green grass pasture in the middle of the city with a black fence running around it.
The highlight I am hoping to take advantage of the next visit is the bike trail they are creating.  I think they told me it is to be about 12 miles one way - through a lot of the fields for the University.  It will be interesting to see.  Would be great to be able to try out.

I also dont want to forget dinner.
http://www.dudleysrestaurant.com/
I had the beet and goat cheese salad.  Followed by the lamb with beets and black olives...  I would probably pass on that black olive additive on my own.  Ice cream for dessert...  It is a hard habit to break.

So that's my trip to KY for this year.

Run in the Sun

This morning I took it slow when I got up.  Thought I'd sleep in and get some other things done.  Not too sure what those other things are except I did make lunch for the week.  That must have been it.  And some straightening.
I was getting restless about an hour or so ago and weighed some of my options...  KP at mall with kids - so cant swim with her, although SP said I could ride my bike through their neighborhood he didn't really think I needed company - he can be quite the dad sometimes.  Could go to Y and go to pool...  Even though I resubscribed to Sirius yesterday I didnt feel like getting in my car.  Go to SH pool?  I may still do that.  Run!  Oh my least favourite thing.  But for some reason I guess I suspected it wasnt as hot out there today?  or maybe I was lulled into thinking an afternoon run isnt that bad since it wasnt that bad that one day in Bermuda.  Whatever the motivation I decided to beat feet around the neighborhood.  I walked for the first mile.  Ran 1on 1off for the the next mile. 
I wish I had the mac-daddy Garmin like some others I know as I would be curious to see what the tempterature was while I was out there.  The sweat is still dripping off of me.  Maybe reading New Moon at SH's pool is a good option for the remainder of the afternoon.

On that bike - and other highlights of the day

I set my alarm for Saturday morning for 530.  But while lying in bed I realised that sun-up wouldnt be as early as it was a few weeks back.  Googled it on my phone to find tha sun-up is now closer to 650 than 615.  So I changed the alarm to 630 with the intention of riding my bike.  Of course when the alarm went off the notion didnt seem all that plausible.  I could easily talk myself out of it.  But somehow I mustered up the positive self talk and got myself out there.  It was definitely baby cadence.  Down the road, around the corner, up the hill, into the neighborhood just for a bit just in case, out of the neighborhood - knowing full well when I started down the one hill I am then committed.  But I did it.  The little Pine Oak loop... and I must admit for a moment there I contemplated the larger loop....  But at 7am vs 6am there are more cars.  And I am glad I took the smaller loop because somewhere near the end of mile one as I was peddling up that hill - I felt those 2 weeks of being away at about 5 pounds each holding me back.  But I made it.

From there I walked to the post office.  Hold onto your hats - I actually posted not ONE but TWO packages that needed to be mailed.  I know why I delay - it has to do with the crazy late opening hour of hte post office 930 and the fact that it only stays open 2 hours.  But I lugged myself and the two packages over there.  From there I walked to town, past the coffee shop, past the pub, the old firehouse and back.  I didnt do much of a run on that excursion.  Just wasnt feeling it.

IN other highlights of the day - I did walk down the street to check out an estate auction. WOW was there a lot of stuff.  I must admit I didnt know you could put so much stuff into a house like mine.  I know I like the sparse aspects of things - makes it feel more wide open.  This townhouse was just jam packed with stuff.  It didnt seem cluttered.  It seemed well-decorated.  But definitely more stuff than I would ever want to own or clean.

And then from there - I went into town with my newly named friends - Scimberle and Nansom - for the football game.  Tailgating was nice but it sure was hot in the stadium.  Oh and the people watching is always so over the top.  The women sure were dressed up - skirts and sundresses?  And to think I thought my Giants tshirt would attract attention.

Needless to say the alarm was not set to go off as early this morning.

Nice to be home

I kind of dont know what to do with myself.  I have been go go go for so many weeks now.  I am struggling with the concept of just relax for the evening.  Should I unpack?  Should I start laundry?  I could vacuum.  I could clean the kitchen.  I could just sit here.  And that concept is just not going over well.  My mom left a bottle of wine.  I opened that.  Poured a glass.  Thought that would help.  Still ill at ease.  Have a spiral notebook and pen next to me - thinking I could write out a list.  That doesnt seem to be getting anywhere either. 
I suppose as the sun is setting maybe one of my best options would be a run.  I only did 1 mile this morning.  I suppose I could hook up my Garmin and upload that stuff. 
I just need to decompress some....
It is nice to be home now just to unwind enough to appreciate it....

Ralk

That's what the girl I met with through work called it yesterday.  I have been enjoying WUNNING but RALK sounds so much more calorie burning and intense. 
Of course this morning - after a wonderful dinner last night at Dudley's on Short - I wasnt moving too fast on the workout level.  I completed a pathetic mile walk but my body just wasnt going to go much further than that.
One of the problems on being on the road besides the lack of will power to eat heathy... is the work itself while I am away.  My main focus on these trips is to meet with people individually in meetings - which ultimately leads to sitting at a desk in a conference room for the whole day.  Unlike office days where you get up to go to the printer, get up to confer with a colleague on a subject, get up to go to the bathroom or get water - these days are some pretty intense sitting!  And man oh man do my muscles, joints, limbs feel it after a while.  It's probably the main reason why I have tried to get walks or runs or swims in while I travel.  Well, I know I have a race in 5 weeks as well but this is more about movement.
Today will be a short day before heading off to the airport and sitting some more.  May get a true workout in this evening depending on flights and traffic.

Cooler, dryer, raining...

And let's not forget the time difference...
OK - Kentucky is still in the Eastern Time Zone but when looking at the map you will note that it is pretty far west in the scheme of things.  I set my alarm for 530 this morning.  Thought I could be out on the road for a run a little after 6 and try to run for an hour...  I know I was being ambitious with that but I just feel so yuck and sluggish that a run could help.
Alarm goes off - I havent slept this well in a few days so the alarm was not a welcome addition to my dreams.  I hit snooze roll over.  Goes off again 10 minutes later - it doesnt look remotely light out there.  Hit the snooze again.  Now it's a little before 6 and it is eating into my theory of running for an hour.  Still dark.  So I check the sunrise schedule from my phone - oh the things you can find with google - sunrise 655am.  GOSH!  So I kick about in bed for a good 30 minutes more - almost to a point where I could talk myself out of it.
But I dont.  I had clocked the loop of the "neighborhood" around the hotel and know it isnt that long.  Not even a mile around.  But off I go.  Wow - it is cooler out.  And dryer - like I said earlier my sinuses are noticing that.  And then a few steps in - hey it started to rain.
I did 20 minutes of 1on 1off. 
Now drinking a coffee in the business center...  more convenient than lugging the laptop out of the rolly bag.

Kentucky

It is cooler and drier than Bermuda and Charlotte without a doubt. And my sinuses are letting me know. It was a productive day for work but now I am just YUCK. I was hoping since my last visit there would be more options for dining near the hotel. Not so much. I drove around to see what else I could find. Wasn't successful with that either. Now sitting at the Mexican restaurant near the hotel and realise I am not that hungry. The pitfalls of travel - you have to eat but at times its just not convenient. Ordered a burrito. Was thinking I might run after this. Will see how the dinner goes. Suppose could swim as well.

As for Lex - it is preparing for a big equestrian thingy in 38 days. I had forgotten about that from last years visit. Wish I was prepared on my horsy language HAH. Wil probably learn more about it as the week progresses.

interruption averted

there was some wind and there was some rain and the sea has been rough
but made it here OK
will have to check the Bermuda blog to follow the progress....  http://www.bermudafuldream.blogspot.com/

We interupt this interuption to bring you Colin

I am not too sure how this is going to work.  I plan on checking in to my flight this morning.  And then just playing it by ear.  My friend suggested changing my flight but with my luck that would just coincide with the storm.
The pluses are, um, I may get to spend a crazy amount of time hanging out at Charlotte Douglas, I have a lot of songs downloaded to my BB to listen to as long as the battery lasts, I have a good book that I can find the time to finish.  Maybe it will enable me to actually work out tomorrow since I havent done any of that this week?
Let's be honest this glass half full approach to life is nice but sometimes you just want to scream WTF REALLY????  Is a week's vacation with no event too much to ask?  Oh well.  Gonna finish the morning coffee and get ready to wrap up all the craziness that is pending at the office.

we interupt this triathlon training....

to go on holiday....
i have it written on my schedule that i would work out this week
that i would not let the upcoming holiday interfer with my training...
hmmm... last night i hung out with KP - no training
this morning - nope nothing...
this evening - packed - or at least the clothes i think i will be taking are clean and strewn across the bedroom floor...
tomorrow is tool time
which leaves thursday - suppose i could squeeze something in
and friday - well my mom arrives and i was thinking we could head to SS for a beer or something...
and there goes that little bit of training...

TIRED

all in all the swimming fast has truly exhausted me.. OK the parties havent helped either...  i took a nap on saturday afternoon to try to catch up on some rest... it felt nice but surely not long enough...
sunday when i returned from my workout i lounged about on the couch the rest of the day - again it did not feel like much of a rest
i struggled with sleep some on sunday... i have forgotten a little known fact i acquired last year - sometimes the workouts make you sore...  and sometimes that doesnt kick in until the middle of the night...  and to be prepared you should take some advil at some point...  that didnt happen sunday night... i kinda hate taking too much advil... so i slept like crap and then when my alarm went off at 530 for my scheduled w/un i just ached all over..  my feet hurt, my legs hurt, my knees hurt, my arms hurt...  so i opted to try to sleep in some...  didnt work all that well... needless to say the w/un did not happen
by the end of the day i decided i would get a workout in of some sorts...  but by the end of the day the stress of work decided to get to me...  12 hours later couldnt really tell you what was so pressing and stressful, just the normal stuff...  so KP and I decided we would have a belated quiet bday celebration glass of wine...
it was exactly what i needed and i slept pretty darn peacefully last night
however that alarm didnt really spur me on to want to w/un this morning either...
it is probably going to be a banner week of inactivity - which circles back around to the stress of work and the upcoming holiday

Swim FAST!

So the parties for all the birthdays and the workouts over the weekend seemed to really wear me out.  Most of my focus over the weekend was to swim and swim fast.  I am pretty consistent with my swim.  I found a pace sometime last year that I am very comfortable with.  Not that fast but a pace I can do pretty consistently for a good length of time.  Now I am considering 250yards to not be a good length of time.  If I could ramp it up some I could shave a few minutes off that time.  I know you are probably thinking to yourself - 2 minutes per hundred would be 5 minutes total so how much more can you shave?  But from the pool you need to run through the transition area - THAT is when the timing chip clicks off.  So I need to swim at that pace as well as be able to haul my butt through that sign in under 05:55.  So the best way to do that is to pick up my speed in the pool.  To really try to exhaust myself in that 5 minute drill.  And then be prepared to get out of the pool and run.  Of course running around the pool at the Y is not an option and running around the poo with KP probably isn't an option either.  But I need to mentally visualise it.
So that was my focus over the weekend...swim fast. 
The problem with the rest of this week is I may not see the pool.  Tonight I need to pick up a car for work and get to bed early.  So it may not happen.  Tomorrow I wont be home until late.  So Thursday and Friday it may fall into place. BUT I do need to pack one of these here days - which I should really start tonight - then that would give me time later in the week.
OK - got that idea under my belt.  We'll see how that goes.

MMM - Brittany Murphy - really?

this song pops up on my pandora quite frequently and i really like it..
so i thought - i would make it my monday music muse - so i google it to only learn that this is brittany murphy...  i didnt give it much thought as to whom it would be.. i suspected it would be some unknownn vocalist with some dance dj...  i was only half right

not as productive as i wanted

i wanted to be all over that bike this weekend given i will not have the opportunity for the next 2 weekends to get out there in the morning and that the sunrise is slowly getting later and later..
but yesterday i was just so darned tired - i couldnt bring myself around to doing it
i did swim about 600 yards and even that was a strain
i was going to run eventually but never got around to it

today i knew i would not be getting up in time
i had no real clue what the workout would bring
it actually turned out to be a good one
we ran from KP's house up and down the hills of the cross streets to her pool
we swam 900 yards
and then ran back to the house

I was and still AM exhausted