march recap

i really thought the other day i would log some more hours on for this month
Progress Summary Report for delbda




Count: 14 Activities

Distance: 22.97 mi

Time: 08:14:20 h:m:s

Elevation Gain: --

Avg Speed: 4.0 mph

Avg HR: 136 bpm

Max HR: 174 bpm

Avg Run Cadence: 66 spm

Max Avg HR: 159 bpm

Avg Bike Cadence: --

Calories: 3,206 C

The miles indicator is hard to quantify as the garmin does not track my cycling miles... oh well

surprise snack...

so the chicken caesar should have been accompanied with a big glass of water because i just wasnt filled up but instead i got creative with the 0% fat organic french vanilla yogurt in my fridge and some creamy peanut butter...  so not on the low sugar intake game plan... WOW that was tasty and satisfying...  i love peanut butter if i havent shared that before... i generally dont buy it as i find lots of things that are not healthy to put it on - a whole loaf of bread in one sitting, large serving spoons, fingers... tonight i spread a small layer in the bottom of the bowl - probably less that the suggested serving size which is an amazing feat for me...  and stirred in the yogurt - what a substitute for peanut butter ice cream...  i am not sure how much of a nutritional value it really had but it was tasty...
and yes a glass of water may have been better or a glass of milk (only enough left for coffee in the morning)
i'm sorry just was totally distracted by watching the little guy attack and take down the santa loofa dog in his basket - that was funny - i think he is kind of scared of his basket...
anyways i will add this little snack to my food list... and truth be told today was not a banner day on the food intake - they do say that when you are tired you tend to eat things that are not as healthy for you... today's breakfast - the spinach cottage cheese salsa combo was tasty - but by the time i got down the road i had no will power to defend myself against the biscotti at starbucks and the chips and cookie in my lunch...  OH NO!!!!!  and now this... 
so not a good day food or exercise wise
the other miserable truth is the water intake has been at a miserable low - so i best go belly on up to the faucet and get some hydration in the system...

long day....

i changed gyms in the fall because they had later hours than my previous gym...  i had this crazy notion that at the end of my crazy day trips i would want to head out to the gym and hit the pool or something and get in a little workout...  that hasnt been much to the case...  instead i am just too tired and come on home...
and at 8pm i find myself eating a home made chicken caesar salad and watching the vampire diaries...

the gym is not going to happen until tomorrow

sleep

so i was sitting on heating pad reading that miserable last vampire book about bree tanner...  i fell asleep..  i should have stayed there... because unfortunately when i went to bed I could not get back to sleep and it was pretty miserable since then....
chugging coffee and going to see what i can do with hair and makeup to not look too tired

my back!?

i must have slept like a log last night... i remember waking up and my arm extended out under my pillow and under my head...  it was painful - i just beat myself up when i sleep - it can be like a whole aerobic exercise without really knowing...
by mid morning i realised my back hurt as well... i dont think that had anything to do with yesterday's workout - unless i stretched way more than i realised last night - figured that was the sleep as all
big day on the road tomorrow - thankfully coming home at the end of the day...
so figured would come home and take it easy the couch with a heating pad....  dinner included sauteed zucchini and salmon in a grain mustard and honey sauce... mmmm tasty...
now i just need to hydrate - with all the pouring down rain of the day - drinking water didnt come to the forefront of the mind all that much...

feeling that knee again today

the more i think about it - WHOA! let me take a step back on this one...
i was going to say the more i think about it the more i am beginning to think my knee pain is from cycling... and i could be right
BUT in addition i did find myself running across the street twice yesterday in my heels on the walk back from lunch at the mall - i dont think that helps the knee much either...
however i do wonder if there is something wrong with my stride/gait/cadence with cycling that is throwing my knee off - i keep going back to it didnt hurt during last year's training so...
i will keep monitoring its progress

today it is pouring down rain again - and it supposed to continue for the next few days
good thing i have that gym membership
although today's activity may end up just being standing around the work room at the office putting reports together - not that much of a calorie burner but....

BRICK 2

i worked on a workout gameplan for the next 5 weeks in the effort to add in the other 2 facets of the triathlon... then i read some things on swimming and some more on your favourite sports...  leading me to delay the mix of adding the swim in just yet...
now my focus for the next 5 weeks will be BRICK attempts when I am home and running when on the road... i am looking forward to it...
i have enjoyed the first two goes at it..
have the next few days to ramp up the month of march...
hope to hold true to it..

that didnt happen

the work day was long - lots to get done and lots to get in the way...
and then i started to fear the state of my body in a bathing suit in the middle of the winter and all motivation was wiped clean...
instead i came home and made food for the remainder of the week...
have been researching foods that will give me the right amount of protein with low fat content, low simple carb content and flavor without lots of salt.... kind of a hard thing to do...
this weeks menu includes
cottage cheese - a good source of protein but wow the salt - with chopped spinach (you know the frozen type thawed out) and salsa - pretty darned tasty if you ask me
and the other random mix of things - canned pumpkin (I know some dont like pumpkin but read some great things about it in a running magazine) mixed with yogurt and some pie spices... i was so proud of myself - it tasted so good - then i realised it wasnt plain yogurt it was french vanilla - hence the enhanced, tastes like pumpkin pie effect...
will probably have a hard time pacing myself with that as the mid day pre workout snack...
the apples and the celery will just pale by comparison... oh well

on the tele tonight - Bridget Jones - not the high cinematic movie as the others for Mr. Firth but fun none the less...
oh and now four weddings and a funeral... i should really go to bed...

still raining

morning neighborhood run did not happen
it was raining again this morning and the temps were low
it was enough for me to get out of bed
so now my bag is packed for a swim and a run...
let's hope that motivation kicks in later today

mmm - still good to run to...

I have found that when certain songs pop up on my shuffle I enjoy the workout better...
THIS is one of those songs.  Ironically in all the back CDs I have purchased of the Stereophonics, this song is not on the ones I have purchased...  I will have to add it to my wish list along with Seaside by The Kooks.

that took forever

it took forever because the movie kept freezing on me... ended up watching on laptop instead of tv...
i knew it was going to be that deep...  i can think of a few people i would not want to have watched that with...  it would be too many questions instead of taking it all in... all the dreams within the dreams...
now to figure out what's next on my list... in keeping with academy award movies i think i am at the single man - that was colin firth's attempt at an oscar last year i think...
or maybe i should just go for the hottie with the accent and move long way down up in my queue...
10 days at home, i wont know what to do with myself...  the little guy wont get it either...

BRICK!

I got cold feet when I arrived at the gym.  I did not attend the spin class.  I havent been to a spin class there before.  Havent been to any class at this new gym just yet.  So I got on a stationary bike instead.  And I got on the stationary bike in the cardio movie studio...  I hadnt been in there yet, either.  It was kind of neat - if only I hadnt just seen 27 Dresses for the 3rd time I may have been enticed to stay a little longer. 
So I did 6 miles in 32 minutes.  I didnt like the way the bike felt - seat ended up too low maybe - or too far back...  Different than my own bike.  And I had forgotten how the lack of hills gets in the way of momentum. 
I suppose this will be part of the mix going forward.
From there hit the track.  My intent was to do the 3 miles..  I ended up at 0.75 given the heaviness of my legs. Aaaahhh, the concept of the brick.
I was Ok with it.  Hey, at least I got out of the house on this miserably gloomy day..

NOW, I am going to lose 2.5 hours watching Inception.

HAH!

It has just been pointed out to me that a comment I made earlier this week could be viewed as being a bit hypocritical...  Hadnt thought of it that way...  I was viewing it as my options were limited in comparison to others...  Perhaps not?  I suppose than the observation and opinion becomes subjective...

Will continue to mull it over at the gym...

almost forgot this part

it's still raining so i am going to bed early tonight - nothing better after a week of travel than lying in your own bed (ahhh, with the new mattress) listening to the rain outside
with the hopes that it wont be raining in the morning...

rain rain go away...

i think the timing of this weekend's rain is funny...  i can't explain it but it always seems to rain when others are here on holiday trying to partake in outdoor activities...  could be a message

i originally was going to get up and head on out to swim/bike/run today.  then i had an idea to go for a walk with a friend i havent seen in a while.  of course he slept in and by the time he got my message it was already raining.  i'd say the rain arrived a good 4 hours ahead of anticipated...  in that time the temperature had gotten rather chilly as well...

so instead i spent the morning reviewing the calendar for the next 5 weeks - little holiday right around the corner... and then the next 14 weeks - little race right around the corner...
i plotted out some new road rides for the bike... i contemplated the extend of the swimming i want to be doing and decided to further commit to improving my run...  from there i had a hard time motivating to leave the house and tried to veg and watch a movie instead..

have you ever noticed how hard it is sometimes to just sit still and do nothing but watch tv - it is a challenge for me to get sucked in like that - OK I have been known to lose a day here or there being sucked in but it is generally not the case...  so i put myself on auto-pilot... that's the process of going through the motions of getting ready for the gym and not allowing myself to give it more thought than - running pants, socks, hrm, tank top, sneaks...  just go through the paces which ultimately leads me out the door and into the car... it is odd how this approach works so well.  i give myself an out in case i get there and dont feel it - but i have found once i get to where i am going the motivation kicks in and the excitement of the challenge ahead wins over

today was just a run - still a little scared to yuck out the suit with my pasty white fleshy flabby nasty skin - dont feel like the winter has been kind...  and thankfully a good song came on - Dakota, of course... Stereophonics, of course...  and the next thing you know I was running the track

And today's run hit some new personal bests - i consistently ran 3 laps (about a quarter mile) for each one I walked... and at the end i ran a bunch of laps at a faster pace to keep myself going...  it was a good feeling.. sure the averages are still about the same but I am OK with that...

tomorrow i am going to try to do the same - 830 mass, 10gym, 12noon - I need to get some work done from home!!!  I could go into the office but I prefer to work from here....
Monday starts the swim efforts - it's gonna be GREAT!!!  i just keep telling myself 5 weeks!

mmm - happy now

so it's not monday but i was out here looking at running routes for my trips to atl
the path i normally run/walk is under construction... well then the music vibe kicked in
and then i remembered take that was performing for comic relief on red nose day...
and here is where we ended up....

lunch walk

A few years back I used to add a walk into my day to get out of the office for a little bit as well as prep for the upcoming race I was planning on doing.
I have gotten out of it.  Not sure why.  Dont really find myself stopping for lunch much these days.  Have decided that everyone else seems to stop for lunch and so should I.
This loop isnt that long - about 8/10ths of a mile.  So it wont even interfer with the work day for more than 20 minutes if that.  I just need to remember to bring my old sneaks to work and use them when I am in the office.  I think it will add a good break to my day when available.

spring run

So time was on my side this afternoon after work. The sun was out. A plus to the time change. The weather was warm. So I went out for a walk/run I know I said I would be taking the week off. But the sneakers and all the accoutrements ended up in my bag. And the weather being on my side. I ended up out there running.
Um - probably should have let the knee rest.
I covered a little over 3 miles but most of it was walking. Pace was miserable.
Wish I could explain the leg pain but an exact description evades me. Maybe when I straighten the leg too much. Sometimes when I bend too much. I am beginning to think with all the clicking of the toes, ankles etc. I did some damage as a gymnast.
Will see how it heals.
Dinner at the local restaurant was interesting. Lots of people watching and eaves dropping.

resting knee

I have only had this happen once before... the knee pain thing... ultimately i rested it and it felt better...  i suppose over the years I have worn it down...  i always talk about my toes and my ankles taking years of abuse with gymnastics and cheerleading, i am beginning to think my knees have taken some abuse as well...  funny - now that i am paining attention to it all i seem to notice is the click click clicking of my ankles as i walk...
so this week as i travel i am on teh fence about bringing my running shoes or not...
the location i am going to has a nice neighborhood nearby that is great for running...
but it wont happen tomorrow night - unless i make good travel time
it would only happen on thursday night
friday night i am back on the drive - which interestingly bothers my knee as well... i think that's from sitting so long...
i am thinking i will hold off until saturday and then i have a number of days before i travel again
it could turn out to be a whole 2 weeks depending on my delegating skills... that would be great
oh to think - 2 weeks of eating healthy home cooked food - and the ability to work out near home...  it sounds almost too good to be true...
tonight the knee and i are resting - we will live vicariously through chris odonnell and ll cool j and their fitness instead

my knee could feel better

actually took it easy today on all acounts because of it....  feels like it did about 18 months ago...  i took a good break after that race and it took a good time to feel normal again....  hate to think about...
after all these years of playing quasi-couch potatoe and in attempts to be more athletic i hurt myself...
i am still going with the fall at the hotel but....
lots on mind today - it would have been good to get a run in instead of all the other stuff i did
oh well

ooops - time to consider changing the running attire

met a friend out this morning for a run...
i was WAY overdressed...  i had my nasty sweatpants on - all my running pants are dirty - and a long sleeve tshirt along with a fleece vest....
OK so the fleece vest was totally overkill and unnecessary - it stayed behind in the car
ultimately the sweatpants and long sleeve shirt were a bit much as well
you know i normally dont mind getting too hot - but this was one of those - yep too hot type of situations
i guess because it is already 75F and its not even noon... it leant to a warm workout

this is what i ended up with

http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/productdetails?productId=4-105800
i am about to take them out for a test drive...
i tried on a few others while i was at the store
i really liked to grid flex but realised my foot was too wide for the shoe
similar to days of old when i wore reeboks all the time - i noticed my little toes were not support by the sole of the shoe
this one is wider so we shall see how it goes

Pumped up kicks

I need to get some new sneaks....  I meant to go last Sunday but decided to just stay in and not part with my cash.  It is getting to a point now however that I need to go to the store.
So my shoe of choice continues to be
http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/category?catId=cat10002
It is now a toss up between - do I get the latest shoe for my needs or go with the old favorite the Cohesion....
May stick with the Cohesion - for the cost I know my feet are good with it.

Wanted to make a run this afternoon around the office but think stopping for some sneaks will take precedence.  Maybe after the sneaks - but I dont think it will be as light out after some time at the store.

Guiness on St. Patricks Day

DOES NOT HELP WITH THE TRIATHLON TRAINING!!!!!
Happy Day ALL!!!!

Take the subway

So if you arent aware of this fact - if i really truly want a good sub sandwich i am going to go to jersey mike's and get a half a turkey with provolone extra oil & vinegar and spices...  sometimes i may even go crazy and get a sub with good meats as well - you know the ones i dont know how to spell or pronounce... 
if i want an OK sub that is reasonably priced i go to the local supermarket - sometimes i get tuna there although i know the amount of mayo they use pushes it way over the healthy limit...
and when i am on the road - it has been promoted to go to subway....  it's a jarod thing i suspect...  and everyone at work swears by it...
YUCK!!!!  i stopped at the newest subway on the way back from a client today...  it was a toss up - that dry grilled chicken sandwich at chic fil-a, a turkey sandwich at subway with extra veggies, or a salad from showmars...  decided by the time i got to showmars i would be famished and the contents of their salad may push it over the limit of calories...  by the time i passed the chic-fil-a i wasnt hungry yet and i really should get a side salad with that to make it healthy...  so i need gas, may as run into the subway while i am there...
now the sandwich does make for some OK belly fill...  the bread is OK and they have lots of veggies to choose from... and you cant complain about the price... EXCEPT!!!  really did i just pay that much for a sandwich and get 2 small pieces of pretend turkey and 2 small triangles of provolone cheese as the staples/backbone of that sandwich?  why yes, I sure did.  WELL that is definitely not acceptible....
i think going forward i will have to hunt out other alternatives...
in good news - the drive was towards home and i get to stay in my own (new) bed for another week!!!  aya!!!
i did not work out after work - i went to the grocery store because i didnt buy a week's worth of food on sunday...  not that i bought anything within reason for good meals the rest of the week in this visit...  but i did buy a corned beef for the weekend
slainte

Change in breakfast

Would you beleive I read yet another article in a running magazine last night about the 14 things you should eat?  Everybody is on that bandwagon.  Again, glad to see it is stuff that I do eat.  2 new items on this list that I don't eat on a regular basis - pumpkin and kale...  Gonna have to look into those some...
Eggs are a common theme throughout...  I did go to the specific egg website for ideas...  Still working on those...  I did however go back to attempt to do something sweet (besides baking) with eggs.  The paradign shift has come together rather well.  Instead of loading up the eggs with spinach (a typical staple) in the morning I have been adding strawberries and cinamon (oh and wheat germ - it was on the list).  Once they cool a bit I add some plain yogurt and slivered almonds.  Have to say it is pretty tasty.
So that's this week - well except tomorrow - and maybe Friday...  bummer...

sea urchin

almost forgot...  tried a new form of sushi the other night... sea urchin
all i could think of was that sea urchin i held that time and how odd that was
however was not prepared for this to be just as odd...
can i say the meat of the nigiri looked like tongue in a really odd brownish colour....
the consistency reminded me of a too large clam - not the chewy part the mushy part
and it pretty much had a similar taste in my mind...
probably wont order again...

Took a dive...

I meant to add this on Saturday but got too sidetracked on the run stuff.
And Friday night I was too sidetracked on the run stuff as well.
I was on my way home from ATL.  Always seems to work that no matter how hard I try to get out before the traffic I just seem to miss the opening and sit on 285 around the city etc for a better part of an hour.  Held true this time around as well.
I was feeling peckish so I decided to grab a snack and a soda when I stopped to get gas - before heading out to the gridlock of traffic.  Unfortunately I didnt do a good job of pacing myself with the Doritos and soda.  I was somewhere into SC when I started feeling nauseus.  I havent had soda in a few weeks or so.  dont know the last time I gulped down Doritos.  So there I was trying to make my way to the exit with the cheap gas in SC and feeling rather ill.  I was trying to think of things to eat to offset the sour feeling.  I couldnt think of anything.  So I conitnued to drive.  Eventually I remembered that I had a protein smoothie in the car with me.  They are pretty sweet and a good dose of protein - so why not try a little of that.  Well that seemed to help a little - at least to get me down the road to the gas station.
It was fairly crowded for that hour.  And I was bummed that I still had over an hour of driving to get home.  AND I had to drop off the rental car before going home.  AND I wanted to go to bed early so I would be up early for the race. AND AND AND....  I decided I would clean the garbage - water bottles, soda bottle, half consumed protein smoothie, empty Dorito bag - while I waited for the gas to finish pumping.  And THEN decide if I wanted some more food.
I stepped over the hose pumping the gas, heading towards the garbage recepticle...  and my second foot didnt make it...  I felt it catch.  I tried to catch myself.  And then in that split second I knew I was going down.  Me and the car garbage were headed towards the pavement. 
I got a little hose bunr on the leg that caught, and a slight bruise on the outside of my other knee...  But I dont know eactly what part of me bounced first I everything else is OK.  It happened so quickly.
And there I was sitting on the ground at the petrol station...  Looking around to see who saw.  Would you beleive for all the people there no one acted like they saw me sitting there?
So I scrmabled to my feet.  Threw out the trash.  DID NOT grab my receipt.  The machine wasn't working.  And headed out without a snack.  I took it as a sign to just continue on home.
So I did. 
NOTE TO SELF - do not allow oneself to get so hungry that you end up feeling ill on junk food!!!!  it obviously wreaks havoc with your equilibrium...

Took a Ride Today....

KP & I are trying to make sure we work a workout in on Sundays.  It doesnt always work out but we try.  This week was nice enough to do a ride.  I am hoping that going forward every Sunday will be nice enough to do a ride.  We ride around her neighborhood - similar to our game plan last year.  She has some good hills in the mix to work on that part of the workout.  It's just hard to determine the distance we travel.  I am going to have to clock it on MMR again this year to get it back into my memory.
The hill at the front of the neighborhood and the one at the back - yes, does sound familiar to last year - are killer.  Our goal is to be able to say by race time - well that wasnt that bad.  I am so looking forward to that day.
There are a couple other goals I have when it comes to cycling. 
Ultimately I want to add the town loop back into the mix.  That's the early morning ride away from town and back in through town that I did last year.  Once the days start to get lighter earlier that will be added.
BUT I did want to start some other roads.
The road I walk/run - Tom Short that is a 4 mile loop.  If you go further over Ardrey Kell it becomes more of a 6 mile loop.  If you go back over Rea, you could probably add a few miles there as well.  I would like to add that ride sooner than later as the roads are somewhat flat and not too congested.
The over the Rea part of further ultimately connects to the greenway park I ride in.  It would be neat to add that to the mix - however that last bit of road is twisty and turny and there is a BIG HILL!!!!  So I dont know that I would ever find myself going that far.  But maybe as far as the top of the twisty turny hill and back.
There is a route from the park that I clocked last year that was off the beaten path (kind of) and a good distance.  I dont think that one will make the mix this year - unless I find myself completely BORED!....
The last ride I want to work in - maybe right before race day... is a 10 mile ride... it starts at my house and ends at Target.  Well technically that was the 10 mile stretch I calculated last year.  This year that 10 mile stretch also ends pretty darned close to LTH's home.  So I was thinking...  I could ride my bike there and then get a ride home to get my car to get the bike etc etc...  I am looking forward to the day when I feel I can make that distance.
OK we know Ihave covered that distance before with the triathlon - just on my own and all...
The rest of this week is going to be a bunch of run/walk stuff (let's hope) as I am on the road again.  Realised as well that I was on the road again next week...  so that too will lend to some running.  The good news is with the time change I may actually be able to do some outside running around my locations instead.
I also want to add in a whole bunch of yoga stretching type things this week and next.
dun duh duh.... gonaa have to hop in that water soon too!

Eat Right

So last week I started reading all those articles that were populating my in box about proper eating with respect to running and everything else under the sun...  So I started by looking at potassium.  Must say I havent done much else with that knowledge from last week than just write about it. 
It is hard to keep a list of preferred foods with you when you travel and try to make sure you eat them.  Instead I found myself eating things like tempura lobster and fried calamari... OOOPSS!!  Oh wait, I did have asparagus instead of fries with my lamburger the other night.  But other than that - nothing too potassium intense.
Having spent the week at the hospital - for work not fr health reasons - you do find yourself coming across things you may not normally be exposed to when just going to and from the office all week.  So this week I was going to focus on Calcium - and I still may given the fact I am all out of milk at the house I SHOULD focus on calcium at some point...  But I came across something I didnt know existed... In this day and age I am sure you could find all sorts of things on the internet if you look long and hard enough...  but I thought this little snippet to be interesting
http://www.eatright.org/nnm/
And since I just learned that March is National Nutrition Month - I figured it best to promote it. 
Now to go back and see what fun things I can learn out there... which is just code for I hope to find some healthy recipes to add to my mix of foods to eat...

garmin

results

thanks to my friends that went with me and all finished before me but that's OK...
http://www.active.com/running/charlotte-nc/alston-and-bird-llp-corporate-cup-2011#Results

Lactic Acid

Have you ever felt the nastiness that results in the build up of lactic acid?  I have a few distinct times.  One of the very first deep tissue massages I had released a whole lot of toxins with the effect of the lactic acid.  I remember it made me very weepy and sore.  I was forewarned that this could be the case if you have never had this type of procedure before.
I experienced it as well as a result of medication I was on at one point in time.  That time it was more along the lines of feeling like I had the flu.  One of the medications side effects was an impact on your body's potasium.  I decided that the end result for the medication was not as big of a concern for me as the side effects it was creating.  It also made my stomache upset on a fairly regular basis.
The last time was the triathlon over the summer.  I knew I had gotten pretty dehydrated because of the heat.  I didnt realise how faitgued my body had really become until a day or so later when in the middle of the summer I find myself driving home early from work because I didnt feel well and I had turned on the seat heater (yes in the middle of the summer) to help with the aches.
That being said - gonna go pour some of that coconut water down my throat follow it up with some water and head on out to that massage....

Aslton + Bird Corporate Cup - 5k

YAY!  Can check that off my list of things.  The official time on the web-site has me below the 45 minutes.  The official time on my Garmin isa bit different.  I am sure that has to do with the syncing of my footpod versus the distance clocking for the race.  I am happy the official time in below my goal.  Um, I cam in 40th out of 48 for my age range.  Yes, confirming I am not a runner.  But happy none the less. 
MOST importantly are the times tracked by the Garmin in comparison to my training.  It can be noted that I outpaced myself with the race in comparison to previous training runs.  Each mile according to the Garmin - guess I should really link that - has my miles under 14.  I was looking to come in under 15 so I am excited.

It is going to be avery nice day today.  Am somewhat tempted to yuck the bike out while I still have my workout clothes on.  However I am scheduled for a facial an massage in about an hour so there's really not that much time.

Supposed to do a bike run mix tomorrow with KP.  Hope that happens.  Supposed to be even nicer tomorrow.

Then I am going to scour the web to see what road race to do next.  Yes, there is the Shamrock 4 Miler but thinking the parade would be more fun.

sidetracked

ok race satruday and on the road in atl
first night drove so did not hit the gym
last night - well it was march 9th and pouring down rain so did not hit the gym
tonight dinner with a friend...

and in the midst of it all the blogging for this has gotten sidetracked by note taking for...
http://www.irelandat70.blogspot.com/

intermittent fasting

no, i am not doing any research on this subject
i recently was discussing fasting with someone and the effects on training...
the book i have been about weight and training and competing mentioned it slightly.. .
the book focuses on timing nutrition and eating with respect to the workout
however it sounds like there are studies that have looked into this approach...
i am going to stick with nutritional timing at this end...

Potassium

I am suscribed to various email newsletters.  All too often there are articles in them that note the foods you should try to eat.  10 foods, 15 foods... You know the articles.  And I always get sucked in.  What should I be eating?  And I am usually pleasantly surprised that when I make the decision to eat healthy I have chosen food items that scatter these lists.  But the lists still suck me to see what else I could do.  Or maybe reinforce what I do already...

This week there were 2 lists.  One of the 15 healthiest foods you should eat.  The other was 10 steps to reduce stomache bloating.  Yes, things like this suck me in. 

So the mineral that got top billing in the process was potassium.  It seemed to be an underlyer in both articles and present in a number of foods.  And if you google it enough - you can find that it is a miracle cure-all...
Yes, it was listed in the bloating article.  But it has accolades for helping in lots of other areas - heart health focusing on blood pressure and stroke prevention, blood sugar, muscle fatigue, anxiety/stress/nervous system....  Reading all that I figured - well heck I better make sure I am getting enough potassium... 

And readers will know, I do have a source that I turn to when training... YUCK - coconut water.  I still drink it.  I just havent built up a tolerance to the just short of tasting like coconut taste and its slightly slimey consistency.  But I still do drink it.  650mg per serving...

Other foods that ahve potassium - bananas 400mg (DUH!), canatloupe (1/2) 975mg, almonds, lima beans, potatoes, salmon, chicken.... 
mangoes, spinach, tomatoes, nuts, asparagus, yogurt...

The articles do mention that cooking can deplete some of the potassium present in the food.  So can sodium, caffeine and alcohol... 

So I think if I keep my focus on eating healthy I will find the potassium.  And I have been good at noting needing hydration and potassium after hard workouts...  So I guess I have few things here to add to the list of foods to eat.

Hmm - what to research next?

off the couch

the rain stopped and bundled up to head outside...
i only did 2 miles of walking but it got me out of the house...
the wind was just miserable and the weather not that great - makes sense since it was raining all day

rain rain go away

truth be told - we need the rain
and this morning or the overnight when i heard it raining i was glad
now some 12 hours later i am kind of wishing it was done already - mostly because these dry pockets keep blowing through and i think - oh it's done, i'll go run now
then i look at the precipitation satellite on-line and realise - nope not yet
so now i have been to mass - that is most easily accomplished when you call a friend and all of you motivate to get on out the door for that
vacuumed - well since i was moving about getting ready for church it was easy to motivate to push the vacuum around - it really doesnt take that long to vacuum my house
even finished most of the laundry and put the clothes away - yes, there is still a load of darks i am holding off on in case i do make it for a run this afternoon
i am almost done with the Racing Weight - so i am seriously considering sitting off and just getting that done...

energy level

the "RAIN" that was predicted has finally arrived...  this is a good all day heavy rain we are getting today...  and it is surely wreaking havoc on my motivation and energy level at the moment...  i have a whole list of things i want to get done today and it is just not coming together as well as yesterday morning...  i suppose because yesterday i put all the other daunting tasks at hand on the back burner...  today they are glaring me in the face...  vacuum, laundry, pack for roadtrip...  where oh where to begin...
plus i want to find time for mass, and a run, and to go by the office... and taxes.  cant forget i wanted to do my taxes today
so going to put the radio on via the computer - sunday morning usually equates to classical music - and try to work my way through the list

surprisingly i was wrong

my ears weren't really that cold during today's workout...  i did get a bit more wet than i expected however...
6 miles on the bike and 2 miles on foot...  it stopped drizzling somewhere out there but was still predominantly a soggy workout...
and given the sogginess of the day i took advantage of that for some hot bath and couch time...
i know not very productive for a day off but it was a nice way to spend the day
i read some... have some thoughts on that actually
took a long hot bath to soak my muscles (um, that left knee is starting to bother me again)
and watched some made for tv movies and series repeats...
and snacked on some tasty foods
date nut bread and peanut butter for breakfast with coffee
tuna sandwich and blueberries for lunch - probably could have found some more food in that mix
bbq chicken with cole slaw and beets for dinner and a little white wine - was surprised at the suggested serving size of the beets... how is it that a huge burger can be serving but 4 slices of little pickled beets counts as a serving... so i had more than a few beets
looking forward to what tomorrow's workout may be....

my ears will be cold...

some people know that the wind in my ears while riding or even skootering is very painful to me.  even in the heat of the summer the wind can sometimes bother me...  a client of mine suggested a type of hat that goes under your helmet...  truth be told i am not one to ride in the coller temps so i never looked into it.  today since i am feeling motivated to take the bike out, i kind of wish i had..  it is about 54F at the moment and cloudy/overcast... by 10 it should be a little warmer and later in the day it should be raining...  so i am prepping - well obviously not as i am typing - to get on the bike this morning...  i am thinking 6 miles that same as last week and 4 on foot... that is more than last week so we shall see...
my race is next week at this time
http://www.ymcacharlotte.org/branches/childressklein/socialresp/events/corpcup/overview.aspx
a few of my friends have decided to join me - that either means the pressure is on or i will just cop out and not challenge myself... i do struggle sometimes in group situations...
my goal is still to finish under 45 minutes... and i know that others will wiz on by me on this pace... but i just need to get out there and do it..
the premise of this race is to coordimate teams from the workplace- never really got around to doing that...  but there will be a few of us and it will be fun..
now to stop the procrastinating and yuck that bike out of the shed and up on the car

reading labels..

not that reading labels for foods is enough work... NOW the dentist has suggested reading the labels on the dental products I buy...  you should really look to buy a higher fluoride content toothpaste and rinse...  really?  i thought it was all the same, right?  well, i guess not..  for example she says that toothpaste for children generally has less fluoride to reduce the risk of them swallowing too much of it... HUH?  havent they been known to put fluoride in the tap water we drink to help promote healthy teeth and gums?  and that some of the toothpaste for sensitive teeth - sensodyne to be exact - has more fluoride...  so now I have 2 tubes of toothpaste upstairs - both fairly new.. and now I just need to check their fluoride content against the others the next time I am at Target... really??? 
oh and let's not get into the part about rinses...  i am so bad at these.  my dad was an avid listerine user throughout his life.  one of those scents you smell on the air and it reminds you of someone or something.. well listerine would be my dad...  always before we left the house...  too bad he hated the dentist so much... makes me wonder if it really worked - well he was a smoker so...
anyways I buy these rinses I come across every once in a while.. just a few weeks ago I bought a new Crest rinse that is supposed to help with enamel strengthening - you know the deal...
well now I need to read the labels on that as well...  oddly enough - it looks like the toothpaste has more fluoride than the rinse - so why would you rinse with it after brushing your teeth...
you know this will consume my brain and my time for a bit and then fall by the wayside... and then a few weeks before going to the dentist it will catch my attention again...
they are kind of obsessed with the fact I still have my wisdom teeth...  I am waiting for the day they try to convince me I need to have them pulled...  second opinion will be my reply at that time... and then I will go see the dentist that is not covered by my insurance to see what he has to say

the week went the way of other activities

ended up at Roosters on Thursday night instead of the gym... and the red wine and burger were DELISH!  but it totally ate into my workout...  and last night I just was starving... i know that sounds silly but I am struggling with finding the right mix of foods over the course of the day to not feel famished at the end of the day and prepared to go to the gym...  i need to do more work with this so that eating does not become a reason to not go to the gym..
a few years ago i went with the protein shake prior to the workout...  that may be an option going forward...
hmmm....

too much salt and cheese

i have come to the totally anti-social conclusion that there is no way to work out, try to lose weight, and eat out...  prior to feeling the overload of eating on the road over the next 2 weeks i went to dinner with friends last night to celebrate a birthday...  we went out for mexican and it can safely be said there was nothing on that meny that was remotely healthy...  i ended up with pollo fundido and let's be honest that is chicken (which i think got away from the chef in the prep process) swimming in a skillet of melted cheese...  there are no realy vegetables to be had - just cheese...  i knew when i ordered it i would suffer... i just couldnt find anything else on the menu
while waiting for my vat of cheese they brought us chips and salsa - the spicy salsa was good...  however i think i had my weekly salt intake after just 2 chips...  again we all see this coming but still manage to eat it...
what better to wash down all the cheese and salt - bud light...
and to add to the scenario...  food of that nature in that quantity always comes back to haunt me in the form of a bad night's sleep...
i am so looking forward to my bland tuna sandwich and leftover vegetables for dinner this evening...

something like this

looks like my math was a little off
Count: 13 Activities


Distance: 29.54 mi

Time: 08:33:01 h:m:s

Elevation Gain: --

Avg Speed: 3.7 mph

Avg HR: 135 bpm

Max HR: 180 bpm

Avg Run Cadence: 63 spm

Max Avg HR: 154 bpm

Avg Bike Cadence: --

Calories: 2,774 C

recap of february

9 1/2 hours and 33 miles...
2774 calories burned...
good month!
now if only i could find the time to recap my month at work... maybe tomorrow

forgot i created a report on garmin last month... will have to tinker with that later

count down - 12 days

i am glad that the proximity of the upcoming road race is making the motivation to beat feet easier...
tonight i decided - just drive towards the gym - and when i got there i decided - just turn in and go for a little bit
and 2 miles later i felt accomplished...
not as much as i wanted to do but my muscles were sore - suspected i started running too fast too soon too far...
looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow