(Parenthetical)

(This is just a parenthetical. It’s not actually a real post. I’m actually shamelessly hiding from my blog and its readers.

Hiding? From us? But, why?

Um.

Life has made, well, life a little complicated. Bore you with the details, I will not. But it involves a head cold and some bad karma from a couple of people around me. Result -- little training and not much tri-lovin.

Bad karma? Good grief…that sounds ominous. Bad, even. What's up?

Oh, it’s nothing big, really. You know how sometimes the world seems, um, conducive. And sometimes, a bit resistant. My world has been a little resistant recently. In a purse catching on door nob in mid step leading to spilled coffee and a broken nail kind of way. But with people rather than things.

But you can tell us about that! We’re just your imaginary-internet-friends. We don’t mind rants.

I know, I know. And thanks – I can always count on you guys. But, let’s just keep these to myself. If I have my druthers – and I almost always have my druthers – I’ll have good news to report soon and all these clouds and cobwebs will be cleared.

Cobwebs? Did she say cobwebs?

Of course, silly. A touch of the season, for effect. Literary nuance.

Someone should tell her that Halloween isn’t until tomorrow. I don’t think she knows. Do you think she remembered to turn her clocks back?

Of course I remembered to turn them back. Common guys, you know I can hear you! I’m TYPING you!

Okay, she’s getting a little crabby now. Maybe we should go.

Sigh.)

Lunch Lady Blues

"Well yesterday's meatloaf is today's sloppy joes
And my breath reeks of tuna
And there's lots of black hairs coming out of my nose
In Lunchlady Land your dreams come true
Clouds made of carrots and peas
Mountains built of shepherds pie
And rivers made of macaroni and cheese
But don't forget to return your trays
And try to ignore my gum disease
No student can escape the magic of Lunchlady Land"

Adam Sandler gave me and my friends years and years of
pee-in-your-pants laughter over the stupidist of things.
I admit it. Slap the cuffs on me, I confess. His songs are addictive and his movies are infinitely quotable. In fact, there was an entire summer in college (Summer of 1994, to be precise) when quoting movies was our only form of dialog and Lunchlady Land was a constant refrain. It didn't matter to us that we were wandering the campus of an ivy league institution...fat maaaan in a
liiiiiitle cooaaaat yelled across the pristine campus lawns in no way, shape or form lost its humor on the trip. Still doesn't.

But "hoagies and grinders" aside, the topic of lunch has come up often for me. My coworkers and I winge often about the lack of good choices out there and how to pack a good lunch without (a) breaking the budget, and (b) making us cringe at the thought of eating it. We groan about the lack of variety and make faces at the prospect of frozen "cuisine," lean or not.

And I'm a cheapskate. A cheap, frugal, penny pinching, miserly, old coot who refuses to fork over the $9 for a Wawa sub and soy crisps every day. Have you ever done the math on that one?? Plus, the whole fitness/triathlon thing means that I need control, and lot of it -- over things like protein and carbs and frequency and portions.

A hungry, control-freak, cheapo.

Now, occasionally my daytime nutrition is dictated by how late I'm running in the morning or how tired I was the night before. Sometimes, I'm lucky to grab a yogurt drink, piece of fruit or breakfast bar on the way out. Othertimes, I wonder how I managed to pack in that last minute every single starch that wasn't nailed down in the kitchen.

But most of the time I get to it the night before. And sometimes, even, I get it right. Like today. And, just like those days you wear just the right outfit (if you care about those things)...you don't want to forget a winning combo. And maybe others (i.e., you crazy nuts who read this blog) may find some ideas there, too.

So, here's today's lunch.

• Turkey sandwich on rye toast (lots of turkey, a little mustard, and bunches of pickles)
• Yogurt (mmmmm)
• Apple
• Bag of raw green beans
• Bag of baby carrots
• handful of raw almonds, no salt
  
• 1/2 cup edamame, shelled with a dash of salad dressing on them

For some people (hi Dad!), that sounds worse than Abu Ghraib torture. For me, that sounds like a way good choice when doing up the lunches last night.

Lessons Learned: NERRC 25K Tune-Up

Timing: For once, I was on time. Early, even. And that was excellent. A little thing, but it is nice to have time to wander and stretch, get my head together rather than worry. My usual M.O. – bad estimating the night before, leaving a bare minimum of time day of. But my success this weekend had a lot to do with my new discovery – Melotonin. More on that in a later post…likely requires a spotlight of its own.

Private stuff: Thank god for clean and warm public rest rooms. Nuff said.

Sherpas: I rarely have to do a long distance or big race without Mighty M and yesterday, I missed my sherpa. Where do I put my car key? What do I do with the tee-shirt? No camera? I was getting creative there for a little while and must acknowledge how much he does for me in those last 20 minutes before a race. He can’t be at them all, but he is definitely missed when he’s not there. Love ya, babe.

Nutrition/hydration: On a scale of 1-10, yesterday was about a 6. Needs important tweaking before the marathon, but I made it through. Here’s how it worked out.

Pre-Race

• One yogurt drink (90 calories) -- this settles my stomach and seems to help me digest a lot of the other…um…yucky race food.
• One Go Lean bar (290 calories) -- hard to chew, but really digestible – starting to really love these
• One 20 oz Wawa coffee -- um…duh
• One Pepsid Complete -- the race day I forget this, is one very unhappy race day
• One sports bottle water

Race

• Mile 5: One GU (110 calories)
• Mile 9: One GU (110 calories)
• Drinking: only water, only at stations (5 stations)

Obviously, there are some serious holes. I finished, but it could have been better. Lesson Learned? Bring own hydration. I hate to hang out at the stations and the GU made me all cottoned mouthed while running. (Or maybe that was all the yammering I was doing on the run.) Regardless, it’s worth having a small suitcase bouncing around on my bottom and looking like a mom-jeans-wearing-gear-freak, so that I can drink at will.

Lesson Learned? Don’t forget to “eat.” I had a third GU for the 12^th mile. I still have that third GU for the 12^th mile. At home, in my race food box. Not doin’ much good there.

Clothes: I have Mighty M to thank for this one. The morning was f-r-o-s-t-y, but the run was going to be long. He suggested a thin short sleeved tech shirt and a long sleeved cycling jersey over it. Right. On. Not only just right for temp, but also gave me the pockets I needed to carry nutrition. Excellent choice. Lesson Learned? Pockets good.

Pacing: I usually run alone. In fact, about 95% of the time it’s just me. But hooking up with Scott, and later Rick, yesterday made a huge difference in my pacing. I know I would not have pushed so hard on my own. It wasn’t so fast that I tapped early, but juuuuust right. Lesson Learned? Pacing partners are good partners. I’m reconsidering the pace groups for the marathon.

Gear: One goal for yesterday? Learn about my splits on this type of distance. Required gear? Yup…a watch. Did I bring one? You guess. Lesson Learned: Even short races benefit from a checklist. Make one. Follow it. (Bonehead)

Shoes: Aah, Asics. That’s what they should be called. Aah, Asics. Just adore my new shoes. I did get some blistering (one on the inside of my heel), but nowhere near as bad as before. These blisters were just from running in a good fit, for a long distance. I can manage this. And, glory be, I actually didn’t have (i) knee pain, or (ii) foot pain. Aah, Asics. I am fully converted. Lesson Learned? Be proactive with your equipment to avoid injury. It makes all the difference.

Race Report: NERRC 25K Marathon Tune-Up

First off – let me just say that this was a great experience. The weather was perfect, the run was challengingly successful, the race directors/volunteers were friendly, and I met some great people.

That, my friends, is a good race.

This little tune-up* was put on by the Northeast Roadrunners Club in Philadelphia, which I had never encountered before, but they do a good race. Nothing spectacular – just great long-sleeved tee-shirts for participants, clock timed, and a few water stops. Good stuff.

Now, I’m just going to assume (and we all know where that gets us!) that this little club requires sub-8 minute miles or some Kenyan bloodline to belong. Because all the other runners…um, crazy fast. Or, at least, crazy fast for me!

Buuuut…even with only a Scottish bloodline and a squatty stature, I am very excited for my time!

15.5 miles in 2:43:25.

Not bad for someone who has that same pace as her 5K standard! (Now, of course, the training devil in me is saying, well, if you can run 15 miles at 10:30…then you can push more on the short distances…go, go, go!) Actually I have new friends and running buddies, Scott and Rick, to thank for this. Our paces just happened to jive and so we stuck together for the whole distance. And having Scott there to keep my pace not only up, but a little on the edge of pushing it, was excellent! I think we were both surprised at the results. Plus, he was really interesting to talk to and didn’t seem to mind all of my yammering. Sometimes I think I should wear a disclaimer that I talk a lot. Just to warn people. But Scott made the run shift from bearable to enjoyable. Hopefully we’ll run (ha!) into each other at the marathon next month. Thanks Scott!

And then there was Rick. Ah, Rick. Rick was our a silent companion for much of the morning, but we were later able to tap his knowledge of marathons (10 of them so far!) and distance running. He had such good advice to lend and was just great fun to have around, especially for that last few miles. Rick – if you ever get to read this – thanks so very much. I’m going to keep all of your encouragement in my back pocket during the marathon next month, pulling it out for those tough miles and reminding myself that if I can make it 15 miles like I did yesterday, then I can make it 26.2. You rock.

Sorry, guys, no pictures for this one. Mighty M was at home, sleeping in (which he hugely deserved), so I was sans sherpa. Which is a shame – it was really beautiful. The trees along Kelly and West River Drives were changing and the sun was bright. Just a wonderful crisp day. Anyone have suggestions for bringing along a camera, but not having it get all sweaty and messed up during a run?

Lastly, I did get a chance to thank one of the race directors for all of their hard work, but big kudos should go out to everyone involved in the NERRC. Thanks for coming out on such a cold morning so that we could get tuned-up and ready for next month!

Okay, I have a number of lessons learned on this one, so I’ll post them up later today. For now, I hope y’all had wonderful weekends!!

* Isn't it terribly fun to call a 25 K run at the crack of dawn on a Sunday a "little tune-up" -- so casual and relaxed like... ;)

Do they just grow'em like that in Wisconsin??

What is it about Wisconsin? I feel like every time I turn around, there's another triathlete I'm being introduced to or reading about from that fair state! And, yet again, here is a wicked cool (that's for you, Stu!) story about an 88-year old triathlete who clearly has been drinking the water up there.

I'm gobstopped.

(And I don't just say that because it's a fun word.* I really am.)

Check out her story and send a quick "get well" note to JohnnyTri, who posted about her through a DayQuil induced haze. Thanks JT!

*which, a quick Webster's search reveals is not, in fact, a word. Good grief.

MADISON, Wis. - Eighty-eight-year-old Mary Stroebe is a little beat up.

On a short bike ride outside her wooded home on the city’s west side, she somehow sliced open her calf. There’s a titanium rod in her left shin, a constant reminder of a skiing accident earlier this year.

But the bespectacled, silver-haired great-grandmother is still decked out in her riding gear — pink, purple and black shorts and shirt — and her day is just getting started. She’s got three weeks left to get ready for the Life Time Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis, named for the chain of gyms sponsoring the Minneapolis race.

The July 15th triathlon — a succession of swimming, biking and running that tests even the most hardened athletes’ wills and stamina — will be Stroebe’s 12th.

“I think I’m young so I act like it. I don’t realize how old I am,” she said Saturday. “I’m in good health and good shape. I’ve stayed active the whole time. Those are things that pay off.”

The retired school teacher grew up an athlete, playing intramural basketball, volleyball and field hockey at Lawrence University in Appleton. She spent three years in the U.S. Navy Waves during World War II, coding and decoding messages in Seattle as a lieutenant junior grade.

She began a lifelong love affair with downhill skiing in Seattle, and still teaches skiing at Devil’s Head Resort in Merrimac.

She entered her first triathlon in Beloit in 1993 at age 75, joining her son Bruce — who has competed in several triathlons himself — and her granddaughter in a three-generation team. Each one competed in one leg of the race.

“I just watched them and said that looks like fun,” she said. “I can do that.”

Not ready to hang it up
She entered her first triathlon on her own in 1995. She’s done 10 more since.

This past January, she broke her left leg after a snowboarder fell in front of her while she was skiing at Squaw Valley. Doctors inserted the rod in her leg and forbid her to compete in this year’s triathlon.

Nothing doing, said Stroebe.

She picked up her training again two months ago with the help of a personal trainer. Almost every day she spends up to three hours riding, biking or walking.

“Each year I think it’s my last,” she said. “Sometimes I think it’s time to hang it up. Then it comes and I think it’s fun to do it one more year.”

The News, The Progress, The Plan (II)

Happy Monday, y’all!

Firstly, thanks for all the happy birthday wishes from everyone on each of my birthdays! The good news is that birthday season has passed, leaving a few things in its wake but thankfully not reaching tornado impact at any one point. I have put the kibosh on any arbitrary birthday declarations until at least next October. Or maybe the summer. We’ll see.

With that said, it was so darned fun having my birthday again on Friday! Lots of tasty food was eaten, some celebratory DQ was shoveled, and much pj-wearing and movie-watching was accomplished. All smiles over here. All smiles. Thanks, M, you made it so very special.

In other news, I have my fabulous sister to thank for my very first IRONMAN GEAR!!! The very thoughtful rockstar that she is, managed to order some honest-to-goodness Ironman gear from the big island itself. Apparently, with growing concerns that my “themed” birthday presents (which graced my dining room table for a week, tempting me each time I passed!) wouldn't make it in time, Lil’Sis would call the poor guy at the store (noteably also his home) each day to see what was up with shipping. Um, but there is that pesky time difference. Needless to say, there is a very happy IM retailer in Hawaii who is very psyched that my birthday – part one, two, or whatever – is finally done. Although now he needs to start setting his alarm clock again….

Okay, focus.

Getting off track already…and it’s only Monday.

Very big news over the weekend, indeed. Thanks so much to all of the excellent advice and suggestions offered up by ShirleyPerly, Spokane Al, and D for my ongoing saga of blisters and knee/hip pain. The general consensus? Throw my New Balance shoes out the window of a speeding train in a foreign land as soon as humanly possible. No more NB for me. Apparently, my heel is too narrow and my pronation too, well, over for the beloved New Balance. Enter stage left, my new ride (which I somehow managed to put at the TOP of the post, instead of here...will I ever figure this out??)

This pair of gel-joy is (hopefully) the answer to my running dreams. A nice narrow heel cup, a legion of itty-biddy pronation midgets ushering my foot through the proper roll each time I land, and an insole even the Greeks would love for its architecturally sound support of my mid-foot, taking some of the strain off of my shins.

Ah, the joy of a good fit. I’ve mentioned before that a bad fit can ruin your day, and this bad fit had been ruining my past few months. Wa-flippin-hoo! BRING IT ON!!

The Progress

(cough, cough)

Okay, so...all bold-faced-large-font-fancy-color enthusiasm aside, segueing into the progress portion of this tome with the new shoes is, well, kind of apropos. Or, maybe apro-no, instead. Why? Check out the Buckeye bar, and you’ll see why.

Not. Much. Progress.

I know, I’m disappointed in me, too.

To be fair, running on the old ride would have just continued to exacerbate the problem and certain financial restraints dictated waiting for the new kicks until this weekend.

(That even smells like an excuse.)

What, you say?

The gym? Time in the pool? Maybe ride a little? Maybe even run IN the pool, like the big TGK? Sigh. I know – not a lot of progress. But never fear, dear reader(s). I have a good feeling about this week. A really, really good feeling. Stay tuned…I just may surprise us, after all.

The Plan

Here’s my thinking about this week. Run, run, and then run some more. Swim in between, for sake of my old joints creeking around. And then run.

Okay, well...maybe not that aggressive. I'm looking for some nice solid runs and a moderate pace early in the week. There is a marathon tune-up run on Sunday in Philly that I'm definitely doing -- a great chance to see how I'm doing on the fitness continuum and whether or not I risk falling completely appart on the Philly Marathon next month. I'm actually looking forward to the tune-up...a great chance to check on my nutrition tactics and pacing.

And, of course, there is the FearAsMotivator school of thought...that I completely subscribe to and wholeheartedly support.

And you know what? I can’t wait to get to runnin'. If I could slap the new shoes on right now and go out, I would be all over that! Patience, I guess, is a virtue. And moderation. But I have a good feeling about this week. A really, really good feeling.

Well, that’s all that is fit to report from here.

Be well!

For Immediate Release: Bithday Relocated, Retooled, and Redefined

Nope, didn't lose my birthday, per se. It did happen...technically.

But, I've decided to get a little creative about my birthday and hereby announce that TODAY is also my birthday. At least for this year.

I had a very nice day on Wednesday...don't get me wrong. It was a good day at work and I made it through until the end without falling down or messing anything (important) up or insulting any strangers. I even got beautiful flowers from my man AND cool gifts from Lil' Sis (more on those nuggets later).

But, it was kind of, um...blah.

Yup, just kind of...blah.

Mighty M was stuck at the office until way late. I had a box of mac & cheese for dinner. There wasn't really anything to watch on tv and I wasn't really in the mood to run. Just blah.

Hrumph.

So -- knowing that a birthday is supposed to be FAN-FLIPPIN-TASTIC, I hereby announce that today is my birthday.

(too)

(or two)

(or whatever)

Why today?

Because it is a beautiful fall day out. Because I am rocking the house with my work productivity. Because I'm going for a run after work through crunchy fall leaves and under a bright blue sky. Because I'm having dinner with my sweetie at the Dilworthtown Inn tonight. Because I get to dress up like a purdy lady and be waited on by snobby waiters. Because tomorrow I head to the beach to play golf with my Dad (if I can convince him to join in the fun).

Just BECAUSE. Darnit!!

So, I wish all my blogging friends a phenominal weekend...because that's what I plan on having starting....


right...NOW!

Don't believe the hype

False Alarm.

It seems that within one lousy business day, Ironman North America has (i) opened up a lottery for two IM races, and (ii) immediately closed the lottery down.

Now that just ain't nice.

Sorry to all those who got their hopes up. Who knew that a press release from an international company would be so unreliable!? Ah, well. There are still 35 spots open in the IMmoo Charity Fund! (Well, that is if the website can be trusted...)

Train safe, be well...

Mooooooo

I know -- I've just been a blogging queen these last few days!

Anyway, if you didn't make it into the entry for Ironman Wisconsin 2007 -- and I know many of you didn't because it was a total FIASCO! -- then check out this press release from IM North America. It seems they're hoping to bring a balance back to their karma with a little lottery love.

My basement is so NOT sick

You know how, when you're really sick, aaallll you want is to feel better but when you're on top of the world, you conveniently forget how much you have to be thankful for? Or, when things are so NOT going your way and even the littlest thing is frustrating all you want is for obstacles to move out of your way, but when the path is clear the memory of frustrations is out of your mind?

I just want to say that after all the crazy frustration that converting our basement into some semblance of a home gym, I just LOVE having it down there for me. Yeah, getting it cleaned out was a pain. And yeah, the night spent finding all the plugs and cords meant a missed LSD. And you never even heard about the issues with the television that couldn't go loud enough to be heard over the din of the dreadmill. I thought I was condemned to a winter of watching only foreign films.

Sigh.

But all is solved now. Yeah! Last night, after a long day of tons of errands and cleaning, I was able to get a quick 3 miles in while watching Cops. Quick and casual. Like the drive through of run training, but without the guilt. So nice. I love convenience! So, I just had to acknowledge that the basement does not have a runny nose or a hacking cough. Rather, it's a perfectly healthy, perfectly convenient, just plain perfect little spot for me to spend some time alone...with my running shoes, free weights, and my favorite officers of the law.

Now if only I had a bike trainer down there, too. And a pool.

I know, I know. But a girl can dream, right?

The News, the Progress, the Plan

Okay, so I always enjoy the Good, Bad, and Ugly reports of Bolder each week, but I don’t have the heart to totally rip him off, so I’m just going to kind of rip him off. Sorry, man. It's all about flattery.

My iteration – the News, the Progress, the Plan.

I hope that this won’t be hugely boring for my, er, three readers (including my family, who already start glazing over at the eyes when I talk about training!). But sometimes it’s helpful to recap – touch a little base, rock a little planning, set some goals. You know – what we triathletes do best.

The News

This week, I’m turning another year older (33). What year that is…I plan on keeping to myself (33). Let’s just say, that were I still a lover of the hops and barley, Heineken would be my flavor of the week (33). So, in honor of my not-so-graceful slide into an older chronological age (33), (but not yet a new age group!) I plan on paying tribute to my newfound fitness with lots of fun crosstraining and not as much concern about the numbers (33).

Because clearly, I’m beyond that.

(33)

And, btw, my sister is a total ROCKSTAR! She sent me a pile of gifts for my birthday. A PILE, I tell ya! She shouldn’t have sent anything more than, maybe, a card. But my sister doesn’t hang like that. She is the Martha Stewart of birthdays. Or, in her world, Birthweeks. Now all the purdy packages are sitting on my dining room table, looking tempting and sparkly for me each time I go past. Can’t wait for Wednesday!

More news. This weekend I spent a lovely day with my Dad, Aunt J, and Mighty M out at Chester County Day. This is a day when those in our beautiful county doing tours of the homes of the wealthy and antique-inclined. Voyerism at its best. For fun, there is a fox hunt in the morning, where you can talk to huntsmen (and women) about the history of the hunt and watch their stunning horses at work. A family tradition for us, and Mighty M got his first taste of what it’s like to be pent up in a car with inlaws for about 8 hours.

And he’s still alive, so he must be a keeper.

And lastly, I continue to move forward with IM Able, although progress is behind the scenes right now. Janus Charity Challenge…check. Found just the right company to host the site, so waiting for a little cash flow to set it up. And I will be meeting soon (hopefully this week) with Canine Partners for Life to talk about coordinating efforts. All very exciting!

The Progress

Last weeks goals were almost met, but I did fall short in some arenas. Long run – the ever illusive long run. I totally know that this is essential. But I wish that someone would tell my body that it has to get it together for one. Between blisters and knee pain, it’s always a crap shoot as to whether I can tolerate more than 6-9 miles. But, I’m tending to my minor issues like Florence Nightingale and being smart. Hopefully this week will bring much more success.

I do want to add some more strength work into the mix. My abbreviated upper body lifting last week (aka, at home with dumbbells) made it clear that I have lost some muscle mass during my post-season hiatus. Not a lot, but enough to notice. I blame it on the spinach ban.

The Plan

Okay, this week should look something like this…

Monday
PM – Long Run – shoot for 15 on 12:00

Tuesday
AM – Swim

500 w/u under 11:30

5x50 on 1:00

5x100 on 2:10

5x50 on 1:00

500 under 11:00
PM – Run – recovery, 3.1 miles
Strength – core ½ hour

Wednesday - BIRTHDAY!!! *
AM – sleep in
PM – Run – 6.2 miles (loop 1 on 31 min; loop 2 on 30 min)
Strength – 1 hour – core, lunges, upper body

Thursday
AM – Swim

250 w/u

1000

full recovery

1000

cool down
PM – Bike – 2 hours (approx. 35 miles); L12 hills

Friday
AM – nothing
PM – Run – Intervals on Dreadmill (1-2-3-4-3-2-1)

Weekend
One long bike (40 miles)
One long run (16 miles)
One session core (1/2 hour)

Total Swim: 5250 meters
Total Bike: approx 75 miles
Total Run: approx 45 miles (but that includes 2 LSDs)
Strength: 2 hours

* (33)

Marinated London Broil Sandwiches

Note: I made this for the first time only a few weeks ago and loved it. The soy in the marinade did the trick in tenderizing the beef, leaving it buttery and delicious. We originally ate it with roasted potatoes and a veggie, but it was the sandwiches the day after that were fantastic. One recipe…lovin for a week.

Marinade

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
Tbsp lemon juice
3 large shallots, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3-5 dashes hot sauce
healthy pinch ground pepper
3 springs fresh thyme (if you have it, otherwise 2 caps of dried)

Combine marinade with approximately 2 lb London broil cut. Marinade for at least 2 hours (DON’T SKIMP! Look at is as training for your dinner…the investment of time pays dividends).

Broil for 3-5 minutes per side. Allow to sit for 5 minutes prior to slicing, then slice on a bias against the grain. Assemble with your choice of:

Ciabatta bread
Stone ground horseradish mustard
Dill pickle slices
Cheddar block cheese, sliced

BEEF: It’s what’s for dinner

I’m sorry, but I love beef.

When I was in college and came home for the occasional visit, my Mom (bless her heart) would always make a point to make something special for her vegetarian daughter. A sweet and inclusive way of saying, “you and your fancy, liberal arts approach to nutrition…I understand and support you. Eat vegetables and be merry…around the table, with the rest of us, well, normal people.”

But, you see, I wasn’t a vegetarian.

At all.

Love her to bits, but Mom was convinced that since I actually loved to eat veggie on a daily basis, that I had given up beef. So, I would be faced with a delish – and very inclusive – dinner of greens and stewed tomatoes (mmm), but would be forced to watch my family nosh on hot, grill seared steaks.

It took a little while to convince Mom, but she finally got it. I’m a meathead. I couldn’t go a week without a steak. My perfect last meal? Medium rare filet, sautéed shiitaki mushrooms, roasted red bliss with rosemary, and steamed asparagus with lemon butter.

Slice.

Of.

Heaven.

So it is only fair that were I to chose to end it all with beef, I should at least start it off with it, too. Every once and a while, I’m going to post my favorites of favorite recipes…and for me, that’s opening y’all up to a LOT of recipes. Cause I love to cook. Almost as much as I love to eat.

And that's a lot.

She's BAAAAACK in the saddle again....

(did ya miss me?)

Sigh.

What a weekend! I know...you would think that I would be updating you on the miles of tread I milled, or the superspeedy cadence I achieved on some whacky descent.

But no.

Actually much of my weekend was triathlon free. Much needed attention was paid, instead, to all of those other facets of my life that were tugging at my shirt, yammering for a little lovin and a little TLC. So I did laundry. And I organized my personal finance files. I snuck in a trip to Weggies and a (frightening...omg it was so scary) trip to BJs.* I made a delicious – DELICIOUS – steak dinner with Mighty M to celebrate absolutely nothing. I napped. I spent QT with M. I bundled under blankets and watched stupid tv.

Okay, so it wasn’t all blissful being triathlon-free. I did feel a little guilty, too. And a tad bit antsy. What is it in our makeup that doesn’t allow for personal time, time away from training? That was the intent of this weekend, but it did lend to the ever so subtle undercurrent of guilt. Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore!

So, I’ve decided that my casual approach to my ‘off season’ is over. Training begins again in full earnest. No joke. It’s time to get it ON! I mean, really, I'm going to Wisconsin in only a handful of months to GET MY GROOVE ON and I need to be ready. Plus, I do well with structure. Much better than I do without. I enjoy that accountability. I need a plan. I don’t do well without one.

So, in that spirit, here’s my plan for this week. It fits in like this:

Goals:
~ continued running for marathon peak (Nov 19),
~ moderate cross training for both increased calorie burn and reduction of knee pain,
~ addition of core training for better running form.

How to get there:
Swim: 2000 meters
Bike: 60 minutes (approx. 20 miles)
Run: approx 35 miles, give or take
Strength: 1 hour core, 1/2 hour upper body

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Plan of Attack

Monday:
AM Nothing
PM 9.3 mile (3 loop) run – target 11:00 minute miles
½ hour core video

Tuesday:
AM Swim – moderate pace, focus on form and breathing
500 warm up
ladder – 50, 100, 200, 300, 200, 100, 50
500 cool down
Total: 2000M

PM Run – recovery pace, 3.1 miles

Wednesday:
AM Run – fartlek’s
10 minute warm up
1 – 2 – 3 – 2 – 1
10 minute cool down, stretching

PM upper body freeweights

Thursday:
AM Bike (gym) – 60 minutes @ L12, hills

Friday:
PM Run – tempo (40 minutes)
½ hour core video

Saturday:
Off (Chester County Day!)

Sunday:
LSD – 15 miles – Marsh Creek or Rt. 52

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She's BBBBBAAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!



* BJs...on a Saturday afternoon. What was I thinking? What in the world was I thinking? Kids...just keep your hands close to your body, don’t look anyone straight in the eye, and head down. You’re here for coffee, shaving cream, and paper towels. Absolutely no bose systems or DVD player for the basement. Absolutely not...hey...wait......PUT THAT DOWN!!!! Geesh.