Thursday, December 29, 2011

CompuTrainer Class: Aerobic Capacity II

This was our workout today in Todd's class. The scale might be a little off, but it otherwise looked like this.


Today went surprisingly better than I expected. I don't have stats because my Garmin's battery is currently dead, so when I have access to them I'll add them.

12-28-11
12-29-11

  • 1:40:40 total, 158 HR avg (178 max)
  • 10:05, 127 HR to warm up trainer
  • 20:00, 160 HR; 3 min easy (162): warmup
  • 4:00, 169 HR; 2 min easy (166): single-leg drills
  • 11:00, 171 HR; 3 min easy (154): Tempo; I visualized the Chattanooga Crit course
    I visualized the Oak Ridge Crit course
  • 11:00, 161 HR; 3 min easy (155): Tempo with single-leg drills in the valley
  • 11:00, 173 HR; 3 min easy (156): Tempo; I visualized the second Brentwood Crit course
    I visualized the Downer/Milwaukee Crit course
  • 11:00, 160 HR; 4 min easy (142): Tempo with single-leg drills in the valley
  • 2:30, 165 HR: spin-up to 110 RPM for 90 sec
  • 2:05, 165 HR: Cooldown plus sprint


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Groceries?

Sometimes I wonder if you can call what I buy groceries. I don't usually buy much, and I buy seemingly random things. Today's quick trip to Kroger at lunch was pretty typical:

  • Almond Breeze milk: free (was $3.59)
  • Thin mints (2): $1.80 (was $2.78)
  • Almonds (2): $1.78 (was $7.38)
  • Veggies (3): $2.97 (was $6.00)
  • Paid $6.60 (includes tax); saved $13.15 or 67%
The milk ended up being free because it rang up at this week's price and had last week's shelf tag advertising a different price (I took my receipt to the CS desk because I didn't want to deal with it while in line). The mints were on post-Christmas sale and are for my sister's birthday. The almonds were on super clearance and I had coupons. The veggies are necessities and were on manager's special (basically, their sell-by date is approaching).

CompuTrainer Class: Aerobic Capicity I

This was from my drive home yesterday--I'm glad I was on my side of the highway! When I got home, I ran 5 miles because I made 5 stops on my way. My original plan was to run a mile at each stop, but since it rained on me at every stop but the last, I just scrapped that plan and made a new one. It wasn't my best run, but it was a good one considering I'd just spent 12 hours in the car!

Driving west
This was our workout today in Todd's class. The scale might be a little off, but it otherwise looked like this.



12-28-11

  • 1:40:40 total, 158 HR avg (178 max)
  • 10:05, 127 HR to warm up trainer
  • 20:00, 160 HR; 3 min easy (162): warmup
  • 4:00, 169 HR; 2 min easy (166): single-leg drills
  • 11:00, 171 HR; 3 min easy (154): Tempo; I visualized the Chattanooga Crit course
  • 11:00, 161 HR; 3 min easy (155): Tempo with single-leg drills in the valley
  • 11:00, 173 HR; 3 min easy (156): Tempo; I visualized the second Brentwood Crit course
  • 11:00, 160 HR; 4 min easy (142): Tempo with single-leg drills in the valley
  • 2:30, 165 HR: spin-up to 110 RPM for 90 sec
  • 2:05, 165 HR: Cooldown plus sprint

I am quite sure I will feel the day-long drive + 5mi + 35mi all in 24h, but right now I feel pretty good!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas

Christmas day, in no particular order:

Lots of (big) presents under the tree

Chilling with Caleb

Reading the Christmas story

Our stockings

A gift from Mom

A gift from R and J—haha!

A visor from Mom from their IM in the Phillippines

Jason's big gift

Under Armour cold gear—hooray and greatly needed!

Nap time for mom and baby
We opened gifts, ate some good food, took a walk, played games, watched Leverage, and chilled. I ran a few miles outside to test out my shirt, which is great, and stretched for a while—for some reason my muscles are feeling very tight and it's not fun.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve

Caleb sleeping

Christmas Eve dinner the Robin way: white foods :-)

Reading the Christmas story

Jason's stocking--Robin gets presents that are too big!
I ran and lifted this morning, then we had a good breakfast and went to downtown Bethlehem to visit a bookstore. We also played some games and read and chilled and ate birthday cake. I need as long a nap as Caleb took today!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Adversity

I read this over at my friend Hollyn's blog (Running is Cheaper than Therapy) and decided to share it here. It says it's by Anonymous, and I didn't look too hard but didn't find an original.

Story: Handling Adversity, Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots. In the second, she placed eggs and the last one, she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted they got soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mom?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity–the boiling water–but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

“Which one are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like a coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

~ Author Unknown

Speaking of running, I got in a nice early-morning 3-mile run in today, 1/3 running to and from the treadmill and the rest on the machine.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

CompuTrainer Class: Season Preparation VI

Today, instead of riding another rider's ride, I tried to ride Todd's ride. He is the teacher and a former pro racer, after all, and he must know something of what he's talking about. I tried to keep the exact cadence he prescribed, and though I didn't complete succeed, I was much more successful than not successful. It was a good challenge. Before I look at the HR data, I'm guessing that this was significantly less work than yesterday and about the same as last Thursday afternoon.

12-06-11
12-09-11
12-13-11
12-15-11
12-20-11
12-21-11

  • 1:39:00, 159 HR (184 max)
    1:32:00, 167 HR (184 max)
    1:36:00, 161 HR (182 max)
    1:47:00, 154 HR (183 max)
    1:26:30, 157 HR (179 max)
    1:23:14, 157 HR (178 max)
  • 7:35, 124 HR: warming up the trainer
    7:15, 148 HR
    9:58, 124 HR
    14:56, 107 HR (I was off an on a lot during this 15 minutes)
    16:06, 123 HR
    12:26, 126 HR
  • 20:32, 139 HR: warm up; 4:03, 163 HR: easy spin
    19:45, 170 HR; 4:00, 167 HR
    20:33, 163 HR; 3:56, 160 HR
    26:11, 157 HR; 3:59, 155 HR
    20:36, 162 HR; 4:00, 162 HR
    19:53, 161 HR; 4:00, 160 HR
  • 10:25, 171 HR: 1-leg drills; 10:29 rest (162 HR)
    10:30, 170 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 167 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 159 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 165 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 163 HR; 4:30 rest
  • 9:20, 172 HR: 9-3 drills; 2:39, 160 HR: easy spin
    8:11, 171 HR; 4:45, 163 HR
    8:11, 168 HR; 3:55, 160 HR
    8:07, 169 HR; 3:53, 164 HR
    8:07, 172 HR; 3:53, 163 HR
    8:05, 168 HR; 3:54, 162 HR
  • To 105 RPM: 3:06, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 175 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 176 HR, 1 min rest; to 111 RPM: 3:00, 177 HR, 1 min rest
    To 105 RPM: 3:00, 170 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 113 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 168 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 170 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest (we actually went to 140 for the last 30 seconds of this and it was HARD)
  • 4:00, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 164 HR
    4:00, 159 HR
    4:00, 161 HR
    3:47, 160 HR
    5:00, 156 HR
  • 3:30, 169 HR: 1-leg drills; 2:33, 167 HR: easy spin
    3:24, 168 HR; 2:35, 167 HR
    3:26, 167 HR; 2:34, 164 HR
    3:15, 170 HR; 2:45, 168 HR
    skipped
    skipped
  • 8:10, 174 HR: tempo; 0:45, 172 HR: spin
    8:10, 173 HR; 0:49, 179 HR
    8:07, 171 HR; 1:24, 169 HR
    8:05, 171 HR; 1:46, 160 HR
    skipped
    skipped

Now that I've looked at the HR data, I see that my average was the same today as it was yesterday and slightly higher than last Thursday; however, it was lower through all of everything except the first warm up--I'm not quite sure how the average was so high!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

CompuTrainer Class: Season Preparation V

I did something today that I haven't done in at least a year: I rode someone else's ride in class. Usually I look only at my name and numbers, and I try to keep a very steady cadence first and watts next. Sometimes I look at my watts per kilogram (WPK), but not often, and I rarely look at miles per hour and total distance. Today, I tried to keep the same miles per hour and cadence as Anna for the first 50 minutes or so, and I succeeded (I know this because we were within 0.10 miles of each other the entire time). I did not enjoy it at all, because it was much less consistent than normal and I felt like I was working a lot harder for not the best results. But it was a good challenge! (The HR information below shows that I was working a lot harder than normal.)

12-06-11
12-09-11
12-13-11
12-15-11
12-20-11

  • 1:39:00, 159 HR (184 max)
    1:32:00, 167 HR (184 max)
    1:36:00, 161 HR (182 max)
    1:47:00, 154 HR (183 max)
    1:26:30, 157 HR (179 max)
  • 7:35, 124 HR: warming up the trainer
    7:15, 148 HR
    9:58, 124 HR
    14:56, 107 HR (I was off an on a lot during this 15 minutes)
    16:06, 123 HR
  • 20:32, 139 HR: warm up; 4:03, 163 HR: easy spin
    19:45, 170 HR; 4:00, 167 HR
    20:33, 163 HR; 3:56, 160 HR
    26:11, 157 HR; 3:59, 155 HR
    20:36, 162 HR; 4:00. 162 HR
  • 10:25, 171 HR: 1-leg drills; 10:29 rest (162 HR)
    10:30, 170 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 167 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 159 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 165 HR; 4:30 rest
  • 9:20, 172 HR: 9-3 drills; 2:39, 160 HR: easy spin
    8:11, 171 HR; 4:45, 163 HR
    8:11, 168 HR; 3:55, 160 HR
    8:07, 169 HR; 3:53, 164 HR
    8:07, 172 HR; 3:53, 163 HR
  • To 105 RPM: 3:06, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 175 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 176 HR, 1 min rest; to 111 RPM: 3:00, 177 HR, 1 min rest
    To 105 RPM: 3:00, 170 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 113 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest
  • 4:00, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 164 HR
    4:00, 159 HR
    4:00, 161 HR
    3:47, 160 HR
  • 3:30, 169 HR: 1-leg drills; 2:33, 167 HR: easy spin
    3:24, 168 HR; 2:35, 167 HR
    3:26, 167 HR; 2:34, 164 HR
    3:15, 170 HR; 2:45, 168 HR
    skipped
  • 8:10, 174 HR: tempo; 0:45, 172 HR: spin
    8:10, 173 HR; 0:49, 179 HR
    8:07, 171 HR; 1:24, 169 HR
    8:05, 171 HR; 1:46, 160 HR
    skipped

The afternoon workout was 10×30sec manual holds (well, minus the manual holds). We will see how riding hard again early tomorrow morning goes! I didn't do this—got home too late and had too much to do.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Lemons

Would you like a lemon with your oranges?

I saw this today in my work neighborhood's Kroger store. It made me laugh.

On another note, Catherine and I got in a great run today. I really could get used to 50* in the middle of winter. However, 50* and cloudy feels quite a bit cooler than 45* and sunny. Strange how that works. We ran 6 miles, from and around her neighborhood (downtown Franklin) and 3 times around Pinkerton Park (one of my favorite places to run), in 57:57. Pretty good considering the stop signs and stop lights and the bathroom break and walk break we took! I felt great and wanted to continue running.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

State Cyclocross Race

Caleb, my sweet nephew

Evidently I take lots of pictures of food. Here's the weekend recap:


Carving my first turkey

Friday: Baked a turkey, my first one. It turned out very dry because I put it in the oven and left to run errands. Also I'm pretty sure I didn't take everything out of it that I was supposed to have, and I definitely didn't stuff it. But it tastes OK. I trained at the CSY, 3×30sec heavy.

Saturday: I slept in (sweet!), made pancakes, rode 1:30 on the trainer while watching Psych, cleaned and did laundry, and didn't leave the house until 3:30 to do a few things, went to church, and swam.


Yummy pancakes with applesauce from ARenee and bananas

Pizza and bread sticks—weekend meals don't get much better than this!

Sunday: After a 3-mile run on a tready at the MFY, I went out to Gallatin to watch Anna, Cali, Lee, Jeremy, and David race in the state cyclocross race. It was a beautiful day, everyone did well, and I enjoyed the time outside.

Kathy (left) and Lee (behind her)
Photo credit

Anna managing the barriers
Photo credit

Then Valerie and I went riding. Although it was sunny and beautiful, it was cold. I was wearing ear muffs, lobster claw gloves, cold-gear Under Armour (thank you, Anna!), fleece Belladium jersey, Belladium vest, fleece tights, Belladium bib shorts, wool socks, tall socks, shoes, booties, and two hand warmers in my shorts. I warmed enough to take the gloves off a few times, but I ended up with them back on by the time we finished (35 miles and 1800' of climbing later!). Valerie picked the route, and I had never been on any of the roads before. We had very little traffic and little excitement, except for having to stop for a big truck backing an even bigger 5th-wheel camper into a driveway. I went home, wished I could have napped, but made some pizza and bread sticks instead so I'll have food to eat this week.


I will feel like Santa in a week—this is all going with me to my sister's!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

CompuTrainer Class: Season Preparation IV

I got in a short swim at lunch and worked the rest of the day. Then I went to ride my bike.

This was the first time I've gone to an afternoon class at Todd's studio. I don't know if riding in the afternoon was the reason, but I felt amazing today and the ride felt ridiculously easy. Like I could have gone up 15 watts and still not worked too hard. But staying where I was and knowing that almost made the workout harder. I kept debating whether to tell Todd, adjust my watts, forget it, etc. Oh, the way the mind works. I had a probably 50-minute debate until my "athlete under a coach's direction" side won out—so I proceeded without adjusting anything or telling Todd.

12-06-11
12-09-11
12-13-11
12-15-11

  • 1:39:00, 159 HR (184 max)
    1:32:00, 167 HR (184 max)
    1:36:00, 161 HR (182 max)
    1:47:00, 154 HR (183 max)
  • 7:35, 124 HR: warming up the trainer
    7:15, 148 HR
    9:58, 124 HR
    14:56, 107 HR (I was off an on a lot during this 15 minutes)
  • 20:32, 139 HR: warm up; 4:03, 163 HR: easy spin
    19:45, 170 HR; 4:00, 167 HR
    20:33, 163 HR; 3:56, 160 HR
    26:11, 157 HR; 3:59, 155 HR
  • 10:25, 171 HR: 1-leg drills; 10:29 rest (162 HR)
    10:30, 170 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 167 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 159 HR; 4:30 rest
  • 9:20, 172 HR: 9-3 drills; 2:39, 160 HR: easy spin
    8:11, 171 HR; 4:45, 163 HR
    8:11, 168 HR; 3:55, 160 HR
    8:07, 169 HR; 3:53, 164 HR
  • To 105 RPM: 3:06, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 175 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 176 HR, 1 min rest; to 111 RPM: 3:00, 177 HR, 1 min rest
    To 105 RPM: 3:00, 170 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 113 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
  • 4:00, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 164 HR
    4:00, 159 HR
    4:00, 161 HR
  • 3:30, 169 HR: 1-leg drills; 2:33, 167 HR: easy spin
    3:24, 168 HR; 2:35, 167 HR
    3:26, 167 HR; 2:34, 164 HR
    3:15, 170 HR; 2:45, 168 HR
  • 8:10, 174 HR: tempo; 0:45, 172 HR: spin
    8:10, 173 HR; 0:49, 179 HR
    8:07, 171 HR; 1:24, 169 HR
    8:05, 171 HR; 1:46, 160 HR

I went to Inversion after class, but when I walked in everyone was just mingling and I didn't really want to stand around for an hour (I wanted to sit!). So instead of staying, I found Aunt Renee in the next building and sat with her, chatting while we watched Lauren's dance class.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Two Runs

Today was absolutely amazingly beautiful. I took advantage of the sunshine and 69* (in the middle of December!) and ran outside twice: once at lunch for 3.5 miles on the DHY trail and again after work for 5.5 miles from the MFY. Neither was super fast or super slow, both were pretty consistent, and the second was faster than the first. We shall see how I feel tomorrow afternoon at Todd's class.

When I got home, I opened my mail got a few early Christmas presents from my mom! It was a good mail day :-)

Unopened and opened Christmas presents from Mom

Pledge wipes and coupons!

Sunrise and New Baby



Luke 1:46–55
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.

Baby Caleb—I love him already and haven't met him yet :-)

My dear, adorable nephew—Caleb Robert McDaniel, born yesterday to my sister, says good morning to all. What an amazing way to start a new day!


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Boson Company Dinner

Mmm...dessert!

Leftovers

We had our annual (2010; 2009company Christmas dinner at Maggianos tonight. We have gone there in past years, and everyone seems to enjoy it. Plus, we always have lots of leftovers. What you can't see in the picture is the two full bags behind the pans, another bag on the top shelf, and two huge pieces of cake. Yum. We mingled for a while and then sat around three tables to enjoy the dinner. We are a pretty small company, but in the few hours I was there I didn't even have a chance to say hi to everyone.

Prior to dinner, I completed a 10×10sec (2 sets) workout: lunge, standing ham, squat with stick (squat thrusts), push up, curl (w/9lb and Jody's help), and crunch.

CompuTrainer Class: Season Preparation III

My heart rate is coming down as the workouts continue. This is a good thing.

12-06-11
12-09-11
12-13-11

  • 1:39:00, 159 HR (184 max)
    1:32:00, 167 HR (184 max)
    1:36:00, 161 HR (182 max)
  • 7:35, 124 HR: warming up the trainer
    7:15, 148 HR
    9:58, 124 HR
  • 20:32, 139 HR: warm up
    19:45, 170 HR
    20:33, 163 HR
  • 4:03, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 167 HR
    3:56, 160 HR
  • 10:25, 171 HR: 1-leg drills; 10:29 rest (162 HR)
    10:30, 170 HR; 4:30 rest
    10:30, 167 HR; 4:30 rest
  • 9:20, 172 HR: 9-3 drills
    8:11, 171 HR
    8:11, 168 HR 
  • 2:39, 160 HR: easy spin
    4:45, 163 HR
    3:55, 160 HR
  • To 105 RPM: 3:06, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 175 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 176 HR, 1 min rest; to 111 RPM: 3:00, 177 HR, 1 min rest
    To 105 RPM: 3:00, 170 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 174 HR, 1 min rest; to 113 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest
    To 120 RPM: 3:00, 173 HR, 1 min rest; to 115 RPM: 3:00, 172 HR, 1 min rest; to 110 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest; to 105 RPM: 3:00, 171 HR, 1 min rest
  • 4:00, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 164 HR
    4:00, 159 HR
  • 3:30, 169 HR: 1-leg drills
    3:24, 168 HR
    3:26, 167 HR
  • 2:33, 167 HR: easy spin
    2:35, 167 HR
    2:34, 164 HR
  • 8:10, 174 HR: tempo
    8:10, 173 HR
    8:07, 171 HR
  • 0:45, 172 HR: spin
    0:49, 179 HR
    1:24, 169 HR

Tonight is our annual Christmas dinner, and I'm looking forward to some good food. I should be able to get in a good 10×10sec (2 times through) workout beforehand, which will make the Maggiano's Italian food taste that much better!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Downtown Franklin Run

Franklin's Christmas tree in the square
Photo credit

My teammate Catherine and I met to run tonight through downtown Franklin in the dark. It was beautiful—we enjoyed the Christmas lights, the moderate temps, Pinkerton Park, not too much traffic, and some good conversation. I love having people to run with and being able to run through different areas! We did a good 4 miles and planned a running date for next week, too.

Hungry

I woke up singing this song, so I thought I'd share.

Hungry
Hungry I come to You for I know You satisfy
I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry
So I wait for You
So I wait for You

I'm falling on my knees offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for

Broken I run to You for Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know Your touch restores my life
So I'll wait for You
So I'll wait for You

I'm falling on my knees offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for
Oh, I'm falling on my knees offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for

So I wait for you
So I wait for you
So I wait for you
So I wait for you

I'm falling on my knees offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for
Oh, I'm falling on my knees offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for

Hungry I come to you, for I know You satisfy

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Christmas is Coming!

Franklin's Dickens of a Christmas festival

My attempt at snow, with limited frosting

It's pretty safe to say that there are tons of people more creative than I!

My few Christmas decorations
After replacing my car battery, which had to be done, I got to do a few fun Christmas things. I helped a sweet grandma named Tammy wrap presents for her 3 grandchildren and loved being able to talk to her and get to know her. I also put up a few Christmas lights and my tiny tree in my apartment and then decorated rice krispie houses. I was limited with frosting and decorations, so I did the best with what I had. I also spent some time downtown and the Dickens of a Christmas festival and enjoyed the Irish dancing. Finally (in terms of Christmas stuff, that is), Aunt Renee and I wrapped presents, Lauren made fudge, and I made cookies while we all watched football. It was a fun weekend.

Finally, I did a little bit of hard work, too. I rode at Todd's on Friday and then walked outside a little later in the day. Saturday, Val, Shelly, and I went to John's spin class at the BFY for an hour, and then Val and I ran for 30 min because we could not get comfortable on the spin bikes. In the evening, I did 5 minutes of work push up, curl, and standing ham (only those three because I wasn't really planning to do this workout but wanted to do something, and those were the ones I chose). Sunday, I swam a mile at the MFY. This is the longest I've swam in months, and it felt so good. Hopefully I'll say the same thing tomorrow!

Friday, December 9, 2011

CompuTrainer Class: Season Preparation II

Today's workout was exactly the same as Tuesday's but with less watts. Thankfully. I was pretty much outside my tempo zone on Tuesday. Not that I didn't have fun and enjoy the workout, but it was nice to be where I was supposed to be today.

  • 1:39:00, 159 HR (184 max)
    1:32:00, 167 HR (184 max)
  • 7:35, 124 HR: warming up the trainer
    7:15, 148 HR
  • 20:32, 139 HR: warm up
    19:45, 170 HR
  • 4:03, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 167 HR
  • 10:25, 171 HR: 1-leg drills; 10:29 rest (162 HR)
    10:30, 170 HR; 4:30 rest
  • 9:20, 172 HR: 9-3 drills
    8:11, 171 HR
  • 2:39, 160 HR: easy spin
    4:45, 163 HR
  • 3:06, 173 HR: ramp up to 105 RPM; 1 min rest
    3:00, 170 HR
  • 3:00, 175 HR: ramp up to 110 RPM; 1 min rest
    3:00, 172 HR
  • 3:00, 176 HR: ramp up to 115 RPM; 1 min rest
    3:00, 174 HR
  • 3:00, 177 HR: ramp up to 111 RPM; 1 min rest
    3:00, 172 HR; 3:00, 175 HR
  • 4:00, 163 HR: easy spin
    4:00, 164 HR
  • 3:30, 169 HR: 1-leg drills
    3:24, 168 HR
  • 2:33, 167 HR: easy spin
    2:35, 167 HR
  • 8:10, 174 HR: tempo
    8:10, 173 HR
  • 0:45, 172 HR: spin
    0:49, 179 HR

Anna and Valerie were in class with me this morning, and we were very chatty. I'm sure the 2 guys in the class were none too pleased :-)

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Joy

Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. 

Today has not gone at all as a normal Thursday would go. However, it has not been bad, just different. I got up and ready to go to work this morning, and it was 26* outside. I tried to start my car, and much to my dismay it would not start. I tried a few more times, about 5 minutes apart, in hopes that maybe it would start. No luck; the lights and radio came on, but nothing else was happening. Then I thought, Well, maybe it's because I'm parked uphill and only have a couple gallons of gas; maybe it's just not getting any fuel. So I bundled up and ran to a gas station to buy a gas can and some gas for it. The attendant said something about this not being a great way to start the morning, but I told him and reminded myself that my car was still parked at home (thus I wasn't stranded, for which I was thankful) and I got to watch the sunrise while on my unplanned run. Plus it was some unplanned conversation with God, quite possibly the best way to spend time.

After fueling the car, I tried again. To no avail. So I called my uncle; I'm so thankful I have family nearby for days like this! He thought maybe it was the battery and that a jump start should fix it (at least for the time being). It was finally after 7 (the first time I tried was before 5:30), so I waited outside until a guy who had earlier started his car to warm it reappeared. I asked for help, and he helped me. I was so thankful he was willing to be late to work in order to rescue a damsel in distress :-) I do love to be rescued, especially by nice, cute boys!

The jump start did the trick, and my car started and ran all the way to work. Now I just have to get a new battery, and obviously the sooner the better. Too bad I don't have enough time in the day.

My run/walk ended up being 2.5 miles and thankfully not too cold,thanks to the wool socks, sweats, sweatshirt, jacket, and lobster claw gloves—not my normal run apparel.

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

At the end of the day, I met Anna M at CrossFit Music City for a workout. It was pretty different from most of my other workouts, and I am glad I went. The guy who was leading our class wasn't the most encouraging—I am not used to that and didn't appreciate it, but it wasn't the end of the world. Here was our workout:

  • Warmup however you want (we did some stretches, stick pass-overs, jumps with a jump rope, and a few hundred meters rowing)
  • 10×200m rows in 48sec with 30sec rest (8min work, 5min rest); I did each between 47.7 and 48.9 seconds—if you failed to make your time, you were penalized 10 burpees per interval missed
  • 33 squat thrusts (thanks to Will for the name, since they didn't tell us what they were really called), 65lb; this took me 9+ minutes (evidently everything at CrossFit is about time and moving a lot of weight—not about doing it right) and was way too much weight (Will said 35–45 would have been a good amount).

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

77 Laps

That's how many I ran today around the MFY track. It's a little track, encompassing one tennis court, and 14 laps is 1 mile.

  • 6:54 Miles 0–1
  • 6:54 Miles1.01 –2
  • 7:09 Miles 2.01–3
  • 0:50 Miles 3.01–3.1 (or so—2 laps)
  • 5:00 rest Miles 3.11–3.5
  • 3:35 Miles 3.51–4
  • 7:13 Miles 4.01–5
  • 3:25 cooldown
  • 40:00 total timed, then I walked enough laps to finish 5.5 miles
  • 77 laps is a lot to keep track of

I hadn't planned to run around the track, but I didn't want to run on the treadmill, either. The track was mostly open, enough so that I could run the first mile the wrong direction, so I decided to hit it. Mile 3.1 (or so) came in 22:00, which is really good for me (and it included 13 seconds of walking after Mile 3 where I decided whether to finish the 5K). I was glad I kept going, because I felt great the entire time! Evidently I do well a day after riding hard at Todd's and doing 5 minutes of work. Note to self.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

CompuTrainer Class: Season Preparation

The last time I was in Todd's class on a CompuTrainer was May 4; this was also the last time I tested. So it's been a long time, and I was also at the same watts I ended at. Thankfully I have still been training and it wasn't too much of a surprise to my legs to have to ride for a hard 1:39:00.

  • 1:39:00, 159 HR (184 max)
  • 7:35, 124 HR: warming up the trainer
  • 20:32, 139 HR: warm up
  • 4:03, 163 HR: easy spin
  • 10:25, 171 HR: 1-leg drills
  • 10:29, 162 HR: easy spin
  • 9:20, 172 HR: can't remember
  • 2:39, 160 HR: easy spin
  • 3:06, 173 HR: ramp up to 105 RPM; 1 min rest
  • 3:00, 175 HR: ramp up to 110 RPM; 1 min rest
  • 3:00, 176 HR: ramp up to 115 RPM; 1 min rest
  • 3:00, 177 HR: ramp up to 111 RPM; 1 min rest
  • 4:00, 163 HR: easy spin
  • 3:30, 169 HR: 1-leg drills
  • 2:33, 167 HR: easy spin
  • 8:10, 174 HR: tempo
  • 0:45, 172 HR: easy spin

Parri, Anna, and Valerie are in this class, and so are a few of the strong guys from last year. I am excited to be back riding hard and getting faster and stronger.

In the afternoon, I did 5 minutes of work (lunge yesterday, so push up, curl [10lb], wall squat, standing ham, and crunch today). I'd forgotten how hard this workout is after a hard ride in the morning. But it also felt great, so I'm glad I did it and stuck with it once I'd started.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Team B Ride and Other Weekend Activities

I couldn't stay inside today, so I didn't complete every gym workout I was supposed to have. However, I ran a few more miles than I'd planned on and didn't have to ride on the trainer at all. Hooray!

  • Friday Run: 38:10, 3.39 miles (5:49 best pace)
    • Warmup: 10:33, 1.04 miles
    • Quarter-miles with 2 min rest: 1:43 (6:55 pace); 1:40 (6:41 pace); 1:40 (6:41 pace); 1:36 (6:27 pace) 
    • Cooldown: 13:01, 0.77 miles, 16:50 pace

Val, Anna, Shelly, Parri, and I met at the library on Saturday for an awesome ride. It was so beautiful outside that I didn't even need toe warmers--for December, I'll take it!

  • Saturday Ride: 2:00:53, 31.91 miles, 15.8 mph (36.1 max), 149 HR (186 max)

Before heading out shopping and to Farkases for some birthday celebration, I got in a little run. It was super windy but otherwise pleasant.

  • Sunday Run: 47:29, 5.25 miles, 8:37 pace (6:42 best), 174 HR (186 max)
    • Mile 1: 8:35; Mile 2: 8:28; Mile 3: 8:11; (time out to pick up golf balls) Mile 4: 8:52; Mile 5.02: 9:08