Making up for lost time...

I've almost sort of made up for bailing on last Wednesday - by apparently almost killing myself today. Nila, Noah and I went for a bike ride then Nila and I ran a couple fairly quick miles.

Did I say it was a bike ride? Did I neglect to mention that it's a bit chilly - not cold, but enough to make me wear a couple of layers - and we went FAST?? Nila said in the email she wanted around an 18mph pace. We went out the first 20 min w/an 18.8 avg. I figured that was spelling bad news, as while I was putting in some solid effort, it was still a bit easier than it SHOULD have been to hold that....it did feel like we were riding a bit into or across the wind though, so I didn't think it'd be that much of a problem...then we turned around. A nice brisk wind, so we dropped our pace down quite a bit, but still managed to pump out some solid efforts.
1:40, 26.7mi

The run was uneventful. Nice, fairly easy pace w/both dogs. They behaved themselves mostly, and we got done fairly quick.
:27, 2.6mi

I'm still not warm, but that only makes it a good thing that I have a new hot water heater, eh???

Swim a Swimmy Swim Swim

I swear i swam tonight. I have no idea what I swam tonight, other than it was hard and almost killed me. But I do know I was there.....more to come.

400WU (I was there on time and did the warm up BEFORE practice!!!)
3x100 Kick (retarded set where it was "ok" to swim flags to walls - just ugly)
4x100 Drill Set (Fist, L, R, Swim) - I despise one-arm, switched to catch-up for the last 2
3x set (50 stroke - IM Order, 50 Fr) all on 1:00
50 EZ

Broken Mile:
1x100 on 1:45
2x100 on 1:40
3x100 on 1:35
4x100 on 1:30
3x100 on 1:25
2x100 on 1:20
1x100 on 1:15
50 SPRINT

200 WD
3200 TOTAL or so....hard swimming.

TUesdays RUn...

Nice run today w/JKL during lunch. I'm afraid I pushed her pace just a bit, but we were still fairly comfortable. Weather was gorgeous. Think I should start running during lunchtime more often. Feels good to accomplish something. Might yield some additional consistency as well.

4 mi total
42:15

LONG COURSE METERS!!!

Wherefore art thou, LCM? And golly gee, how I've missed you!!!! We swam at CHS today (urg) and had a blast. I can DEFINITELY feel the long run from yesterday in my shoulders, my legs and my lungs...but I pushed through and still pulled out a decent workout. Totally kicked my own ass.

400 WU
4x100 IM(D,K,Breakout,S)
4x100 on 2:10
100 EZ
4x100 on 2:00
100 EZ
4x100 on 1:50
100 EZ
4x100 on 1:40
100 EZ
4x100 on 1:40 (held interval, was orig. 1:30)
400 CD
3600 M total

Was getting about :10 - :12 rest on 1:40s.

Long, Long Run

Laps are dumb. We shouldn't run loops when we're running that far.

Ran 2 loops from Rhorer to about 106th. Works out to be 8mi loops. Went 15.7 total running, walked up and over the 16 mark.

It was a bit long and grueling. We stayed fairly positive and I didn't really hurt as bad as I thought I would. Finished fairly strong. Fell all to hell after that though...calves just went nuts, left knee went all nuts and both feet just decided to stop playing along. My calves were the biggest problem - they hurt really bad to sit still and hurt even worse to move...was just weird.

Grabbed some coffee and got back to the house. Dropped to the ground and actually kneaded my fingers into my calves. And voila! Pain virtually disappeared, weird!! (Don't get me wrong, still felt like I had run 16 miles, but the pain was gone....)

Managed to have a super-productive day outside of that run, too...got the water heater installed, had a rockin' sushi dinner with the Schnelzers (becuase they're an AWESOME family) and chilled at the house. Was a great day. I bet it'll feel even better to sleep...

Thursday Swimming...

I promise that I swam tonight...I have no idea what the workout was right now...but I swam. It was a lot of 50's - the taper for state has started for most. It was a lot of rest and short stuff.....I'll find out more later.

As if I needed another reason...

...to feel sorta worthless. I've done nothing tonight. NOTHING. Nada. Finally left work around 6, was going to "stop by" the store to see if I could find any comfy-looking shoes (never-ending saga) and/or DC-acceptable clothes - got sucked into the inevitable browse-fest and didn't get home until after 8...which means that had I gotten my crap together and gone to run - I would most likely only have been done just awhile ago. Which means I wouldn't have eaten yet or showered yet and wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. Realistically, it's a good thing. Mentally - I SHOULD HAVE RUN. Anyway....I'm a schlep, feel fairly worthless and oh well. Going to bed in 10min.

My own personal note: Feeling good about the relationship. I especially liked the Crazy Sushi Jimmy giving us a hard time the other night...too funny. I'm glad we can be there for each other when we get into funks, and laugh when we aren't. Not perfect - but maybe that makes it more interesting.

The phone saga continues...

drama...I don't like drama, I try to avoid it whenever possible. However, it seems that I do nothing but creat a firestorm of shit when it comes to the phone company. I hate them. hate them. Not to annoy and subject myself to any unnecessary terrorist inquiries, but if I could blow up the entity that is known as AT&T, I would. I would eradicate the world of this damn worthless, time-sucking machine. Because GOD KNOWS they certainly aren't making anyone's life any easier. In a whopping 9 minute phone call in which I spoke with 4 different people and said the same thing 4 different times "My name is AW and I need to cancel my home phone service but keep the DSL." the end result was that, because there was a balance on my account (that has already been paid today, mind you, but has not posted to the account) I can't make any changes at this time. But that nice, little worthless girl on the other end of the phone sure thanked me for doing business with AT&T and explained that it's simply a company policy and there's nothing she could do, but she would make a note in the system that when I called back in 24 - 48 hrs there'll be a note of what I want to do. (I really hope she also made a note than I'm a bit difficult, really pissed off, and just surly at the way the company does business.) And did I forget to mention....when I cancel my phone, the charge for my DSL will go up. Isn't that special?

Nevermind that I can get the same price that I'm currently paying if I get my DSL through the cable company - that puts the service through AT&T. "It's just a company policy, the company charges more for customers that don't have the phone too," said by stupid, script-reading tart on the other end of the phone. Clearly. But, because I don't have the notes and can't confirm that the satellite people are still doing what they were doing (and that they are much more helpful on the phone) and we can't exactly go two weeks without any internet in the house, not to mention that they can't do a friggin thing today anyway, I couldn't get the satisfaction of telling them to cancel the entire damn thing.

Oh, but it was confirmed that, while I wait for the payment to post so that I can cancel the service that I tried to cancel a few weeks ago but have now been billed for, I will continue to be billed while they get their shit together. I will also be billed while I wait the 5 days for them to further get their shit together and get done whatever they need to get done to cancel the service. Funny how they can turn it on and off remotely with NO PROBLEM if they're owed money, but they'll hem, haw and stall for 5 days to turn if off for good. Wait, we've been here before, that's called a "hard disconnect". They're just playing for a few weeks when they turn it off on their end.

Seriously?! I just think the entire damn company is a model of how not to keep customers happy, how not to provide good customer service, and how to waste my time. (how I made it through 4 people and came THIS CLOSE to getting my issue solved in less than 10 minutes is UTTERLY BEYOND me - i didn't go through any stupid prompts today and just hit zero when it told me I had to pay first. When i was a fully-paid customer, the process took an hour. Goes back to that great business model again....RETARDED COMPANY)

It is my expectation that by the end of Friday my payment had damn well better be posted, and I will hopefully ONE MORE TIME find the time to call this amazingly annoying company to ONCE AGAIN try to disconnect my phone. And so help me, if I don't get my way - some heads are going to roll. I'll just frigging walk into the 220 building - RIGHT NEXT DOOR - and start bitching. Over 60 years invested in the company - well over 150 if you start looking in my close, immediate circles - 4 buyouts, 4 company name-changes, many shrinking pensions, one layoff, a couple of divorces and one Stage 4 lung cancer. FRIGGING fantastic. Good job, Ma. Way to keep 'em happy.

Green Beer Lesson Learned

I got suckered into having a green beer after work today - before swim practice. I let it happen, truth be told. I went along with it, I've never had one before! (Which is an oddity in itself...how did I get to 28 w/o a green beer experience?) Figured I was quite hydrated, it was only one, it should be fine. Nevermind ye little niggling voice in my head that said, "Who cares if it's only one, it's still beer, and it's green, and it's Bud Light, and you're going to swim!!!"

"Pshaw on the, little niggling voice, it'll all be fine. We're all Irish today!!!"

Oh how I regretted that thought. I have no idea what practice was, but I know it was a series of 500's, with an array of internal mechanics of descending, negative splitting, and splitting my head wide open with a POUNDING headache. (And ye little leprechaun voice bastard forgot me watter bottle in the car....) I have no idea how far I swam or how many of the 500's, I'm sure we made all of them, and I'm equally sure I swam an extra 50 on at least one of them (DAMN LEPRECHAUN). But I survived and after swimming felt a bit better.

An approximation:
300 WU (in the middle of their 2nd 500)
500 on 7:30 - Fast, Mod, Fast, Mod, Fast x100
500 on 7:30 - Desc x 250
500 on 7:30 - Desc x 100
5x100 on 1:30 - Desc. (SURVIVE)
500 on 7:30 - Steady

I think there was another one in there....but I honestly have no clue.

Da Dog Run Run

Ran 3.2 with Vivi today. About 37 minutes running, with about 3 - 5 before and after walking. Amazingly dumb dog ran amazingly well!! We had a good time. Nice, relaxed pace, she started to pooper out in about the last half mile or so, but she ran well! Only a couple of freak outs at the bridge, a truck, a dog, and some loud cars, and a few spastic moments with the "Gentle Leader" but no pure temper tantrums and no major incidents. I'm really proud.

She got to sleep inside for her trouble! Maybe we can make this a regular thing.

I felt really good, too.

Damn Mini Runners

I've decided the mini runners are a pain in my ass. Actually, it's still a great event that keeps sucking more and more people into a healthier lifestyle, and I'm cool with that. Whatever it takes - if they're out and moving just becuase it's in their backyards or someone guilted them into it, I'm cool with that....lazy bums. Ha.

But, back to why I have an issue with them...they're in my way. And they run fast. Well, some of them walk, but they're still moving at a good clip and they're still in my way. And here's the kicker of what's really driving me crazy....their LONG run, is my SHORT or TEMPO run....ARGH. Any idea how discouraging that is? To watch these gazelles shooting by on either side of you while you trudge along (or struggle to catch up with the walker with the wiggly hips up ahead) and to know (but not be able to screech in an alarmingly high-pitched voice) that you're going TWICE as far as they are? It's not consoling, I tell ya. It's not reassuring at all to know that you, in one long run on a random Saturday, are running further than their entire race. All that's known is that they keep passing you, like gazelles, on either side, like it's easy. Bastards. It is, however, oddly comforting when you see one working much harder than they should be. It's like my little inner bitchy voice gets to snivel and point and say HA! Not so easy now, is it pal? Bet you couldn't keep THAT up for 14 miles...eh? eh? Yeah, I'm that low. When I'm running, I get enjoyment out of others' suffering. Where we go one, we go all.....

But I digress. Clearly went on a long run on Saturday, left from Rhorer Rd on the Monon...just ahead of the pack running from the Running Co North and ran smack into the crowd running north from the Running Co - BRip. A couple of the North gazelles caught us. Little did I know it was a notion of things to come....

Turned out to be a not-too-bad run. Fell apart in the last 1.5 - about 1.5 further than I had previously run, thereby securing forever Jen's theory on the "new distance" wearing of the soul. We'll see how the additional 2 go next week. Most likely nothing but pain and misery from 14 - 16.

So....final tally was 14.2 at around 2:35 I think...I hurt too bad to pay much attention when she rattled off the time. I'll still take it.

Tuesday

New Fridge...it's HUGE. But it looks kinda snazzy.

Popped out a quick 2.3mi run in 24 minutes while waiting for the delivery guys. This, like Sunday's run, was into a howling wind for the first half, and wearing the most annoying running shorts I apparently own. My thighs, the running shorts and I almost had a brawl in the middle of 146th. I might as well just run in bikini bottoms...the same thing happens anyway...so in trying to get the shorts out of my crotch I wind up tweaking my knee every time...annoying. I could just stop eating, but that has problems of its own....(for all that might worry and have never seen me eat - I'm kidding)

After the fridge guys showed up and we put the house back together Noah and I headed down to la feet-ness (our hip French gym..) for a swim workout in the washing machine. I call it so because this little 3-lane pool has NO water circulation and the lane lines are sorta loose, so with both of us swimming in the middle lane, bashing the water off of the high pool walls it very closely simulates chlorinated open water. I'm pretty sure that when we're swimming with any effort, we nearly drown anyone else in the outside lanes that isn't a strong swimmer. And with no flags (no idea to tell when you're really getting close to the wall) it means I raise my head and swim all cattywompus anyway. So really I'm not kidding when I call it a little, elongated, chlorinated, washing machine that beats the crap out of us. All in the name of good training. Fairly quick little swim, no high pressure, just logging yards. (And I still secretly think that the pool's a tad short, too)

400 WU
200 K
8x50 K on 1:10 hard
16x25 on :40 free drill
Broken 1650 (275, 250, 225, 200, etc.) w/20 sec rest b/w until 150 - then 10 sec. b/w.
400 CD
3450 TOTAL

Whew...that was close...

Nothing like finding out at 9:10 that the court did actually grant your continuance to move it to an afternoon time.....when you were supposed to be on the docket at 9:30. The whole thing is ludicrous to begin with - I should have just paid the dumb thing to begin with (it's not like I wasn't speeding...). But that one guy, the one that I seem quite fond of that also wears a uniform, was nice enough to contact the guy who, albeit after a lengthy time, did call back and tell him to tell me what to do. So I should follow it through and keep my thankfulness in the back of my mind, along with the knowledge that I am an idiot and I was in the wrong. That said, the process is still ridiculous and annoying. But, if on April 9, I don't have to do the driving thing again and this is all another memory to chock up to life experiences (and to owe Dan for), I'll be ok with it.

New fridge arrives today...hooray!

This weekend...

...has totally kicked my butt!!! I've gotten so much done and been so productive!!!!!
-indoor tri
-volunteered at the shelter - few hours
-peewee hockey game (SO AWESOME)
-Lowe's scouting adventure
-Wii experience
-Boondock Saints (x2 - finished on second attempt)
-scoped out a new bike shop
-Lowe's second scouting adventure
-HHGregg - price compare, deal making
-last of Xmas lights - down
-lighting fixture in hall - changed
-garage door keypad - installed
-garage door light - changed
-laundry

Holy cow...no wonder I'm toasted.

ALSO - just when I thought I was going to grab a quick nap this afternoon - Noah hauled me out for a run. An hour run. With half into a REALLY strong headwind (like leaning against it at a light strong)...ran for 1:01:22. Good run. Nice to run without many expectations. Feet are a bit achy now, but still pleased with the effort. 6.14 mi. total.

Surpassed the plan's requirements this weekend...only down a few on the week total. Not bad for only running a couple of times. Back on track next week.

Shamrock Indoor Tri

So if you're "in it to win it" at the Westview Healthplex Shamrock Indoor Triathlon on MARCH 7th - you've got issues. We're all there to have fun and get an idea of where our fitness is and have a good time and just shake out some cobwebs. You're there all serious and whatnot, you're a tool. That said, there were a couple of impressive athletic performances there...not by me, of course, but whatever...like i said, cobwebs...this was the first time my legs have spun in a cycling fashion since 11/9/08.

Fairly pleased, felt ok, had a good time. Pretty ok with the run effort - though I seriously felt like puking at one point - pretty sure it's further than i went last year.

Swim - 20 minutes - 59 lengths - 1475 yds.
Bike - 20 min - 7.2 mi. (on a spin bike..ick)
Run - 20 min. - 20 laps (1/8mi track) - 2.5mi

Decent. Fun.

What a Schlep...

I was a worthless swimmer on Thursday. Good thing I didn't set a specific swim goal for March. The travelling and the pressure of the SC Program deadline caught up with me - it turned into a very late night (2:30a) working on the project. I was pretty late to practice, jumped in the middle of the warmup set and just didn't feel like making it up. Chatted afterwards for the camaraderie and then went home...

150WU
2x25 fast-ish
6xset:
1x50 on 1:00 moderate, count strokes
1x50 on 1:00 faster, same count as above
2x set:
1x200 on 4:00 moderate
1x100 on 2:00 catch up
2x50 on 1:00 fast
1600 TOTAL

Wow, I'm worthless!!!

Ski Weekend...

So I spent the past weekend in Southern California playing. We have meetings Tuesday up in Stockton for Aisin and I figured since I was headed out here anyway I might as well have some fun. We zipped up to Snow Valley on Saturday so I could start small. "Zipped" isn't really correct - it's about 2 hours. Whatever, it wasn't like we were scooting around this mountain road that had a sheer, steep, amazingly high cliff off of one side (driver's side for most of the way up, thank you). Wasn't scary at all....maybe. Either way, once up at the top - 140 turns closer than the actual Big Bear Lake and resorts, we commenced shusshing around on some snow. Had a blast.

Had some quality assholes & elbows runs, where things would go great and then all of a sudden I couldn't ski 10 yds without flailing and falling. Of course, these increased as I got more tired. I think there were only 2 real disastrous runs total though.

Headed up to Snow Summit (part of Big Bear - 140 turns FURTHER up that treacherous mountain torture) on Sunday for Day 2. Crawling out of bed (the Motel 6 up at Big Bear isn't a bad place...really) I could have told you that there were new muscles already on my body. My left butt cheek doesn't take kindly to being the main point of impact for my body - and I apparently grip the poles with the third finger of both hands the hardest. Hilarious.

We grabbed some coffee and headed up on the hill for Day 2. Snow Summit is much bigger than Snow Valley, with a wide array of terrain. Gar and I spent most of the day in the section classified as the "Family Fun Park"....or something like that. I think it's all green, fairly easy and really laid back with some decent spots and one fairly decent pitch. What he doesn't tell me ahead of time is that to get back down to the lodge I'm going to have to go down the scariest set of pitches ever...at least in my mind. I was too scared throughout this whole process to take pictures of it. That would have meant moving, which could have shifted my weight and sent me plummeting down these stupid hills.

For all that everyone thinks I'm crazy, fearless, gung-ho and a bit of a dare-devil, they've clearly never seen me ski. Apparently I have an "oh shit" button that flips in my mind when I'm looking down a fairly steep hill. I become a total pansy and overthink everything and get way uptight. I know (because I've proven it) that I'm not going to go screaming down the hill and break things, worst-case scenario I slide on something or other and get snow down my pants (again). Either way...it was hilarious and I had a blast. It got up to almost 60 both days, meaning the snow slushed up fairly bad (which, the first day, was a decent thing as I relaxed a bit and just went with the flow...Sunday, however, I got way uptight and started catching more edges and smooshing more snow up/down my clothing).

For all the fun that skiing was and eating GREAT Mexican up there, the drive down that stupid mountain is absolutely terrifying. Apparently I'm not the greatest passenger in a car anyway (ha), now take that car and send it hurtling downward from about 6,000ft. While you're at it, throw some really sharp curves into the road, some really steep drop offs (yeah, driver's side on the way up...scary as hell when you can't see the bottom on the way down and it's right outside your window). Apparently if I hold on to the roof of the car, scrunch down into a ball and/or curl possessively around the center console with my thumb in my mouth - my chances of survival increase. Oh, and the reassuring part, "Most of the cars that do tumble off the side of these cliffs get stuck in trees only about 100ft. or so down from the road." Thanks, Gar, really. Nevermind that rescuers would have to RAPPEL to get to you, and that there's another 300ft drop that spindly, little Cedar sapling is protecting my ass from. But good on ya there, thanks for that pointer! I don't know who Kathleen is, but she drives a fairly old 4Runner that now needs new brakes. I'm pretty sure I could have done a better job of driving that road than she did, crying, sniveling and all. I survived the drive by the grace of Gar's camera, with my hand randomly held out the window (wrist strap on) snapping photos of the descent.

Waiting on a flight to NorCal now for the meetings tomorrow. Desperately looking forward to a good dinner and good wine and sleeping like the dead (again). What a blast of a weekend. Some practice closer to home and I'll show Snow Summit who's boss - and go show that 4 year old that schooled me down that hill who's the big girl after all!"

Make a pizza" my ass.

Saying of the day...

Sitting in the Orange County Airport (ha...anyone that knows me knows that's just a really funny situation) waiting on a flight up to San Jose for a meeting tomorrow. Spent the weekend down here with Gar playing up at Big Bear.

One of the best quotes I've read in a long time sitting here -

Big legs mean we're stable in high winds.

Heck yeah. Here's to not being "the little girls" that get blown away!