Steph's Group - CLOSED (Page 12)

Here are some of the other tri-funnies.  My husband is the classic number jockey with a bad habit of triflation.  Anyone else guilty of these??  

Compudamage – The flat spot on your tire from riding on the trainer.

Endorfix – The good feeling after a good workout.

Excercoma – Exhaustion that occurs after a long day of training.

The shoulder is much better, but I didn't heed your advice and "take it easy" I decided to do a 90 minute up tempo run followed by swim practice....endorfan? I think yes

I did yoga on Tuesday to stretch out and I think I am going to add that on my rest day if I don't feel sore. I walked into the room completely POd and left feeling fantastic. Plus I got my stretching in! But I'm going to need to work on my technique--the yoga teacher spent half of the class poking/glaring at me so I would do the excercises right...

I'm going to the chiropractor tomorrow morning because my shoulder tensed up my entire arm and back. He's a sports physician too so he knows how to eliminate soreness. 

Stay hydrated, stretch, and sleep!!

Yah, I'm going to have to go with Ibuse.  Although, it's been Abuse (aleve), Hbuse (hydrocodone), Obuse (oxycodone), Fbuse (flexerol), Sbuse (skelaxin) with a little Ibuse thrown in there as well.

All of those are really good, made me laugh!

I hope everyone has a great Friday!  I'm so happy for the weekend, it's been one long rough week with work.

I love my chiropractor! He looked at my shoulder and (sigh) it is still out of the socket and is too swollen to get in, so I'll see him later in the week and fix that. Then, as I was walking to leave, I told him that my knee was tracking weird and apparently my hips have been dislocated for quite a while...He popped them back in and I felt so much better!!! I was walking and running funny for a while and wrote it off as general soreness, and it feels great to finally have a diagnosis.

You guys must think I'm about to fall apart

Keep up that stretching!

Oh my!  We are on page 2!  We can't have that.

How is everyone doing?  Do anything fun this past weekend?

Definitely, the running gets easier.  And one day, 9 miles will feel like an easy run to you Julie! And you too Heather!  I can still remember the first time I ran 8 miles.  I felt like superwoman, as if the ability to run 8 miles would show on my face - until my knee made further running impossible for a couple of weeks (oops).  In my first half-marathon shortly after that (2007), I had a little party for myself when I crossed 10 miles because I had never gone that far before.  : )

I found it very helpful to decrease the speed of my runs as I built mileage, so maybe that will help you too.  Sure, it makes the runs take longer, but they don't hurt nearly as badly if you are going at a slower pace or doing a run/walk protocol.

Good for you on the dieting, Maree.  1,300 calories seems low, though, but if you are feeling OK with no fatigue and good workouts, maybe it is just right for you.  DH and I are giving up beer/wine for Lent (it starts tomorrow) so I am hopeful that the calorie "savings" will help me get back to race fitness and I can replace the beer/wine with water and get hydrated at the same time.

I'm battling some allergies here and some work-stress-related crabbiness (could also be hormonal) so my goal for this week is to be more positive and spread some love.  If I pretend that I'm in a good mood, it often turns a foul mood around so that is my plan. 

What about you gals? What are your goals for the week? 

I also need to pretend that I'm in a good mood and maybe I will be.  Lots of work stress this week plus sick kids plus I have a cold plus its sleeting outside again.  No bueno.  And no exercising today.

So I'm also working on my diet this week - also trying to limit my sugar intake (now that the girl scout cookies are gone).  I need to focus on the things in my control (like diet, sleep, getting healthy again) and not worry about the rest.  It totally stresses me out that my training will be light this week but I'm trying to consider it a "recovery week" and move on. 

You know when running became fun for me?  When I was injured, couldn't run, healed, and then was able to start running again.  I would see people out running and get almost angry.  Like, if I can't run, no one should be able to run.  Silly me.  So when I heal up and am able to start running again, that's when I truly appreciate it.  And Steph is right, slowing down, not caring about the pace so much, but just running and enjoying it makes it much easier and actually fun.

I really need to focus on a better/positive attitude.  That will be my goal for the rest of this week, and hopefully it will carry over into following weeks.

Total attitude re-adjustment day. I'm going to stop whining about my life because, really, it it pretty awesome 99% of the time.

I also just realized that we've got a lot of injured members in this group.  How are you all holding up?  Emily?  Karen?  Auera?  Anyone else?

And one other question:  for all you early morning exercisers - what time do you go to bed at night?  I really really really want to get up early but cant seem to get enough sleep, especially since i'm trying to kick my 3:00 pm latte habit.  

Well, unfortunately even though I get up at 4:30 several mornings, I usually am not in bed until 10:30 or 11.  I've tried to get to bed earlier, but I can't fall asleep.  The minimal sleep does catch up with me and some mornings when the alarm goes off I just don't get up because I'm so tired.  I know I need to go to bed earlier, even if I don't fall asleep.  If I can get into that pattern my body will eventually start falling asleep I think.  And as the training hours pick up I will be able to fall asleep.  But for now, I'm bad about bedtime, and am not getting enough sleep.

Update on injury - I had an epidural cortizone injection this morning in my C7.  They lightly sedated me, but I was wide awake for the whole thing.  Kind of freaky, having a needle in your neck!  The doctor thinks this will really help, so I'm staying positive about it, it's going to work - I need to get back into training after all!

Hamstring is still very sore.  I'm doing the PT exercises, but I don't feel like it's done much yet.  Honestly, before I went to the doctor and this PT guy, I was still running.  It felt better then, I think because it kept it loosened up.  With no running it feels very tight.  Mornings are bad, and getting out of my chair at work after sitting for a while it's really stiff.  I think he needs to let me jog slowly or do something to keep it loose.  I'm going to inquire when I go back Friday.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

I've been really bad about posting on here lately but I have been reading all of the emails as they come though!  I hope that the injured people start to see progress soon!

My husband has been traveling (including weekends) for four weeks due to a new job.  Getting all these workouts in and juggling an 11 month old and 3 year old has been a challenge to say the least!  I have no idea how some of you manage to do every sport 2x/week!  I have been struggling to do everything at least once!  I try to concentrate on running because I can sometimes do it while pushing the kids (so I don't have to drag them to the gym) and I figure it will be the hardest for me.  I've never done a triathlon before but signed up for an indoor tri (based on distance covered in a certain amount of time) in April and will do my first sprint (pool swim) on May 1.  The run is 3.8 miles, which seems so far after swimming and biking!  My dad just shipped me his old bike (I guess it was a really good road bike back in the late 80s/early 90s) so after he comes into town next week and helps me fix it up, maybe I will be able to pull the kids in the trailer and get some real training done (I do spin class right now).

Question: I have never been able to find goggles that work--they always leak instantly, no matter how I adjust them or suction them to my face.  I must have really weird shaped eyes or something!  I've been seeing reviews on Sweedish goggles but I don't really see how those would help.  I hate to keep buying goggles--so do you know of a place where I can try on goggles without having to destroy the packaging and my ability to return them? 

Googles are so hard to find.  Try Sports Authority (may be Sports Chalet in other parts of the country) or even Dick's sporting goods, REI might be good too.  Most of the goggles come in packaging that is easily opened and easily closed back up, so you can try them on in the store.  Put them on your fact without using the strap, just put them up to your eyes and press on.  If they stay, they are a good fit.  If they fall off, not good for your face.

I found Aquasphere Kaimans to be the best fit for me.  They are bigger, and have a super soft rubber gasket that really keeps the water out.  Depending on your face size, they have women's or regular.  I have really wide eyes so I went with the regular.  Women's were way to narrow for me.  They have other styles, some bigger, some smaller.  I swear by them, give them a try in the store and see what you think.

I've read other reviews where people rave about the Speedo Vanquisher (spelling?) but they didn't work for me.  You really want to find something that will work because none of them are cheap!

Good luck - and let us know what you end up with.  I'm always curious to see what works for others.

Hi guys.  Goggles are such a personal preference!  But here's my 2 cents...  I use the swedish goggles for training but not racing.  They are a weird thing that you either love or hate - I used them in high school and found that they worked well for me and looked funky.  The upside is that the size is customizable based on how you rig the bridge and headband but they don't seem to be as durable as other types.  Mine are old as the hills so I carry the following set with me as a back up wherever I swim... 

For races (when I'm expecting a bit more physical contact and need more durability) or other training I use the Aqua Sphere ladies Kayman.  I was doubtful about them at first but I like the wider lens area.  I rarely have leaking issues if I take the time to get them on right.  Folks at our club are big TYR users.  They have several interesting lines - including a design that looks like the Kayman.  I really like the 'women specific design' because it fits my smaller face better than the one-size fits all brands. 

At $20 a pair it is hard to buy several sets to choose.  Any good sporting goods store should allow (and encourage) you to open the package and try them on before buying.  Hope you find some you like! 

Congratulations on the motivation to take 2 little ones with you running.  Wow!!

Jennifer

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!  The weather was lovely here and we got to go outside a lot.  Our oldest kid is sick, so we were absolved of all obligations, which meant that we got to hang out at home.  It was very nice.

Guess What?!?!  I heard from Stephanie (ssmith12) via PM and she is registered and training for her first 5K!  She has been enjoying the training so much that she is already scoping out her first 10K.  How cool is that?

My goals for this week are to do some exercise every day (and that whole staying positive thing, which was a pretty big fail last week). 

What are you ladies up to this week?  I know Jennifer's race is also this weekend and Katie is doing the Georgia Half but what about the rest of you?  Karen, how is your back doing after the 2 hour spin class yesterday?  Becky, any update on the foot?  Elizabeth, are you feeling better?

So, an interesting thing happened to me at work last week.   In the breakroom, someone asked if I was a runner.  I said yes.   Then, the lady said "I could tell because you have a runner's build.  You must be a natural."  (  !  )  After a moment of stunned silence wherein my life of non-activity, the fat years, the linebacker shoulders and my 38 inch chest flashed before my eyes, I replied that "no, I just run a lot." 

Isn't that the way, though?  I have wanted to be tall, thin and willowy my whole life.  I look with envy on the "real" runners whose loping strides and delicate bodies make running look effortless and graceful.  Well, to that lady, I am one of them!  Even if I feel like a bullfrog in a tutu most of the time. 

So there.  You become runner-like because you run.  How about that.

So, the Fat Cyclist is busy with work this week and he has solicited submissions from guest writers to post on his blog.  Today is the first one - http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/03/14/my-proudest-moment-on-a-bike-heading-to-california-by-moishe-lettvin/