The Starting Line

This week marked my return to actual  training, as opposed to the miscellaneous and sporadic activities I've been doing for the last several months.  I think I've been craving the structure and the knowledge that each workout is a small piece of a much bigger picture.  I already know that there's no way I'm going to be able to follow the plan perfectly, but I'm going to give it my best effort. That means that you'll be seeing a lot more swim/bike/run around here and a whole lot less beer/wine/cheese!  I saw this on Twitter and it sums up my feelings perfectly (at least right now):

Monday, April 29th:
I got home from work today and was actually excited to go for a run since it was absolutely perfect outside: 64 degrees, low humidity, minimal wind.  It was nice to just throw on shorts and a t-shirt and head out the door instead of having to pile on multiple layers.  I took it pretty easy (and still managed to get a couple of wicked side-stitches that required stretching out) and just let myself enjoy the run.

Tuesday, April 30th:
When the weather looks like this:

it's easy to get excited about going for a run.  I headed out the door for 3 miles and came back a sweaty, disgusting, and happy mess. By the time I got back, I had no interest whatsoever in standing anywhere near a stove, so the fine folks at the nearby Qdoba were in charge of dinner tonight.  Obviously I can't let this become a regular habit, but that pulled pork quesadilla with salsa verde really hit the spot.

Wednesday, May 1st:
Tonight was the first meeting of my tri club's 'Newbie Group', but before I went to that, I had to duck out of work early and stop at the store for the makings of a fruit platter since we're having a baby shower at the office tomorrow.

 The Newbie Group meeting was interesting. We had to go around the room and introduce ourselves (complete with our racing resumes) and I was stunned to discover that I'm one of the more experienced athletes.  That's unusual for me.  Anyway, the group leader/coach (I think I will be referring to him as The Iron Cheerleader) went through some basics (what gear you need, what's nice to have, etc.), talked about some of the group training and clinic opportunities that will be coming our way, and sent us on our way armed with the first week of a shiny new training plan. I took one look at the plan and immediately decided that I will be using it as a loose framework and adapting it to my level of fitness and goals.  I understand that this program is essentially a 'Couch to Sprint-Tri in 10 weeks' plan, but the running workouts he's prescribing (run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, etc.) are way below my level of fitness at this point and I have other goals in mind besides 'just finish a sprint tri' this season (more on that another time). The swim workouts look pretty useful though - since I'm beyond weak in that sport - and the bike workouts seem pretty manageable.  I'm really looking forward to some of the clinics too.  When a pro wants to give you advice for free, you take it.

 Thursday, May 2nd:
I was almost happy that it was cool and rainy all day today since it was a bike day - and there is no way in hell I'm taking my bike outside and through the construction zone that is my neighborhood. (Seriously, we're surrounded on 4 sides by massive, traffic snarling, bike tube destroying construction.)  After the requisite laying around and stalling, I made my way to the Babe Cave and proceeded to have a thoroughly enjoyable 45 minute ride.  My speed is still a disaster, but my cadence is improving, and I felt stronger than I've felt in a while on the bike.

Yes, there is a tent 2 inches from my back wheel. Don't ask!

Friday, May 3rd:
I had every intention of going for an easy 3 tonight, however it didn't end up happening. Between rainy weather, traffic that would not die down, and a pair of rabbits who have gone through every towel they own; I ended up spending the night cleaning up the house and doing Walter and Spot's laundry - all 3 huge loads!  I did manage to do some serious stretching and foam rolling in between chores, so it wasn't a total loss and now I'm free to do whatever I want for the rest of the weekend!

Friday Night at Casa Rabbits and Runs

Saturday, May 4th:
A day of blissful nothing-ness.  Mr. R&R and I stayed home and spent the day watching tv, playing old school video games, and reading.  We've both needed one of those kind of days for quite a while.  Although I didn't get a workout in, I did manage to finish reading my book.

Sunday, May 5th:
I slept in (didn't crawl out of bed until 11am) and then went for a 5 mile run. The first 2 miles felt good. Miles 3 and 4 were horrible. I was ready to give up and walk home, but I kept going and I'm really happy that I did, because the last mile was amazing.  It was almost as if my body finally shifted into gear or something.  I was holding a nice, fast pace and it felt almost effortless.  I don't know what caused it, but whatever it was, I hope it sticks around!

Cinco for Cinco de Mayo

After a desperately needed shower, Mr. R&R and I ran some errands (which included bumping into Little Sister at the pet store), and got home in time for Little Brother to swing by and show off his new toy.

He stuck around for dinner, which was nice since I haven't seen him in a few months. 

Overall, it was a really good week and I'm hoping next week will be even better.

Weekly Totals:
Swim: 0
Bike: 9.62 miles
Run: 11.2 miles
Total Hours: 2 hours, 36 minutes