First Cold Weather Run

I ran today… I completed the Hot Chocolate on Sunday and Friday(today) is the first time I got outside and ran on pavement since that time.  My knees were pretty tender Monday and Tuesday and Thursday I kept on the elliptical at the gym.  I am really worried about causing an injury, hence the nursing of the knees. But today I just wanted to get outside and  breath some fresh air! 

So I did.  I bundled up and told myself... 30 minutes, I can do anything but Rap Music for 30 minutes.  I have started listening to books on tape instead of music because they don’t have a 3 ½ minute switch.  I find that I play games with 'one more song then you can walk'.  But with the books, I get really into it and there is no logical stopping point... so I don't stop!

Today I didn’t want to get to far from home since I had to be on a conference call in 45 minutes so I just wove up and down the side streets off my road.  That worked out really well.  And I covered more ground that I would have thought. 

My pace was slow, but I didn’t hurt – not one single step.  And I felt great to be outside, listening to my book (Gone Girl right now) and working up a little sweat.  I had a rough day Wednesday and instead of letting that pull me down I am back at it and moving forward.

Life is good

Training Log Week Six

I didn’t post Week Five because I was on vacation with the kiddos and grandbaby.  I did about ½ of the workouts I had planned and ate – okish.  I did, however, scope out the situation for December when I will head back to spend two weeks there.  I will be renting a road bike, getting in some open water swims and can use the gym on the base… all in between taking care of my daughter, son in law, grandson and new baby!!  I hope I can get at least two hours a day in sweat time since I will not be working.  Any rate…

Week Six

Wednesday

I was able to work from home and got a half hour in the pool before work started off.  I focused on breathing from both sides of the stroke.  This is new for me but given how much more sore my right arm is when I don’t .. I need to get better at this.  Then at lunch time I got in a 16 mile ride.  I was getting nervous about the 5k and getting in a swim/bike twofer helped calm the nerves.

Thursday

Rest day – this week it was also Book Club day… which is my favorite day of the month.  Resting was not difficult today J

Friday

Another lunch time ride for 16 miles.  This 16 mile ride has become very easy and is now my short ride.  When I bought the bike in August 16 miles was a long ride  - I am loving seeing my progress.  Friday night I hit the pool for some timed laps.  I swam 400m in under 8 minutes.  This was a great improvement for me!!  I logged a half mile for the first time.

Saturday

I was looking down the barrel of my first 5k and I decided I didn’t need to do anything to make that more difficult.  I realize that a 5k is a rest day for many – but being able to do well at this event was important to me and I felt resting was the best plan.  So I did!  I did some crafting, laundry, cleaned the house and generally took it easy.

Sunday

Hot Chocolate 5k!!! I did it!  I ran all but a couple short blocks and I felt great!!  Full details here  I am so proud of having RUN this and this makes the goal of Triathlon so much more attainable to me!  I am reinspired all over again!!  (And a new color – Blue for a personal best)

Monday

The weather in Chicago is getting cold, but the days are also getting quite short – with sunset around 4:30!  I rode the bike in to work and back home, but I couldn’t make the longer loop on the way home or I wouldn’t have made it before dark.  The weather was 56 degrees with the wind at my back the whole way home.  It was a really great ride and such a reminder of why I have made these changes in my life.  Meal prep is on track so I am fueling well this week.

Tuesday

Up early to swim… I set three alarms just to make myself get out of bed.  And I did… which is a win all in itself.  To be honest, I didn’t work super hard, but I didn’t stop or quit.  I worked on the breathing and just went back and forth for 30 minutes.  I didn’t count laps, but I didn’t stop for more than a couple seconds either.  I am glad I did it, but I think the Friday night swims are much more productive to building skill/time.

I am contemplating joining a different gym that has an active Tri group.  It is pretty pricy, but less than a coach, BUT not as convenient as where I am.  At 5 in the morning.. convenience is king.  And I could use some folks in my life who get this obsession!! 

Hot Chocolate 5k Chicago

With the start of every journey are a lot of firsts – basically, by definition.  Starting something new means checking somethings of a list.  Today I check off my first 5K race.  Now, I have walked a lot… I mean a lot, including several marathons… walked.  I have been run/walking a 5k in prep for this day but I hadn’t run it straight yet.  I wasn’t sure I could….

This process of becoming a triathlete will have a lot of stages/firsts.  I knew that the run is the most challenging for me due to some severe arthritis in my knees.  I had some Eufluxxa injections in August and the doctor gave me the go ahead for running 5k.  He said if it feels good… do it.  What a doc ;)

I am aware that for a Sprint (or any distance, really) triathlon I can walk the run.  As long as it is within the time frame – I can walk it.  But I didn’t want to.  I wanted – want to be a runner.  TO be someone who is able to pick up the pace and run that portion of the race.  To do that… I figured I should get some 5k races under my belt.  (Well, that and I am super motivated right now and these milestones/goals help me stay that way)  So I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5K in Chicago.  And recruited a few girl friends who came out in moral support and walked the 3k.

I got to Grant Park in plenty of time having taken public trans.  The wait in the corrals was about an hour… trying to stay warm and motivated in that 34 degree weather was a whole other kind of challenge.  Since the girls were walking I was alone.  And as much as I love those broads, I was glad I was alone.  I was able to soak up the feel of it all.  Get into my own head really find a good peaceful place where my mind and body were ready to do something I had never ever done before.

After the 4 minute start staging process I was finally off…. 3 minutes later we actually crossed the start line!  My app was a pain to keep out and updated, so the actual time has that delay – but I don’t care!

When I hit the first mile I was running a pace better than 9 minutes a mile… HOLY CRAP!!!  Who knew I could run an easy, peaceful 9 minute mile!!!!  I was so happy to hear that in my ear that the next mile was even easier and just under 10 minutes.  I was so happy and proud of myself I had a hard time breathing… no kidding, I started to hyperventilate and walked a couple short blocks to get it under control.

I really fed off the other participants, I kept up with large groups of people from my corral.  I was worried I would be slow and get dropped, but I didn’t see ANY… not a single bib with a corral letter later than mine.  They were probably there, but I didn’t see them and that was a win in and of itself.

We turned on to Michigan Ave right at 2.5 miles and I knew I was going to run virtually the whole thing.  I was so happy and so proud of myself I had a hard time breathing again… apparently you can’t cry and run!!  Who knew???

I crossed the finish line and felt GREAT!!  I can be ready to run a 10k in a couple months… WHO KNEW!!! 

I wound my way to the hot chocolate and enjoyed every single bite of the chocolate fondue.  What an awesome end to a race!!

My friends the walkers were just coming across their finish line but there were so many of us I knew I wouldn’t be able to find them.  So I told them I would meet them at the designated breakfast place – about 1.5 miles across town… I walked there.  No, for real, I felt so good and so happy and so strong I walked another 1.5 miles!!   That breakfast with the three girls who walked in support and the fourth who met at the restaurant was amazing.  I am so blessed – blessed with health, blessed with friends… life is good.

How did the knees do?  I had a bit of a twinge in both of them before the first half mile.  It didn’t get any worse the longer I went.  And it wasn’t any worse than when I walk a lot.  On a scale of 1-10… a level 3 discomfort… but since it didn’t get worse – I call that pretty damn awesome!!

Next race – Soldier Field in January (maybe a December one depending on travel)

A First Step

So I picked up my first ever race packet this week… It is just a little 5k in Chicago (with chocolate fondue at the end!!!).  I know for people who have been at this for a long time it is a nothing kind of thing.  For me – it is kind of a big deal….  I have been in a lot of endurance walks, a handful of walked 5ks for charity – but never a race.  I am only racing myself, obviously.  But really setting the bar. 

In this journey to become a triathlete I feel like this is a real and measureable step – and I think that is super cool for me!!