Strength and Power; Reading List

New reading material!

Thanks to my mom (happy birthday!) and dad for the new reading material. At the rate I read last year, these will take me all year to finish, so I'm hoping to get through them all before I get another Amazon gift card. They haven't all come in yet, but here are the books currently on my "Read in 2013" list:

• Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult (finished 3-05-13)
• Custom Nation, Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat (finished 3-17-13)
• The Bible (currently reading Psalms and Matthew)
• Through My Eyes, Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker (finished 5-17-13)
• Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th Edition, Microsoft Corporation (currently reading)
• The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, The Associated Press
• The Winner's Brain, Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske with Liz Neporent (finished 6-15-13)
• Mind Gym, Gary Mack with David Casstevens (finished 4-15-13)
• As Good As Gold, Kathryn Bertine and Katherine Switzer (finished in October)
• Moments of Truth, John MacArthur (year-long devotional)
• The Truth About the Lordship of Christ, John MacArthur (finished)
• Firehouse, David Halberstam (finished 6-20-13)
• The Penny, Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford (finished 6-23-13)
• How to Be a Best Friend Forever, John Townsend (finished)
• How to Get a Date Worth Keeping, Henry Cloud (finished 9-5-13)
• The Guide to Healthy, Pain-Free Shoulders, Will Roberts (finished 12-30-13)
• Love by the Letter, Melissa Jagears (finished 12-29-13)
• What The Fox Learnt, Aesop (finished 12-28-13)

For the next 4 weeks at Endeavor Performance we are focusing on strength and power. Basically getting better on hills. This is my favorite and least favorite series. Tuesday's workout was GREAT. Surprisingly. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I felt like I rode well (100 times better than last week, so definitely a success). I still have a lot of work to do on these hill-like workouts, though.

Tuesday: worked between 165 and 181 bpm; rested between 135 and 158 bpm; sprinted to 701W

Wednesday I spent a lot of time at the computer and except for doing 58 push ups and a few other little things, my only workout was 40 minutes on the step mill. But it was the cardio that I needed and wanted, so it was a good workout.

Thursday: worked between 165 and 184 bpm; rested between 140 and 161 bpm; sprinted to 696W

What are you currently reading?

What's on your 2013 reading list?

Why I Heart Publix

I went for a quick and pleasant hike at Radnor Lake, went home for dinner, and then went over to Publix for a few things. Bought a bit, saved a lot!

Publix Trip (2-25-13)

Item (Quantity)	Regular Price  (multiplied)	Sale Price	Coupons	Final Price
Coke 12- packs (3)	5.49 (16.47)	B2G1 (10.98)	2 x free MQ	$0.00
Green Giant veggies (2)	2.59 (5.18)	BOGO (2.59)	2 x $1/1 MQs	$0.59
Planters PB (2)	3.69 (7.38)	3.39 (6.78)	2 x $0.80/1 MQ BOGO PQ	$1.79
Skippy PB (2)	3.79 (7.58)	BOGO (3.79)	2 x $1.25/1 PQ	$1.29
Almond Breeze milk (2)	2.99 (5.98)	2.49 (4.98)	2 x $0.55/1 MQ $1/any dairy PQ (baby)	$2.88
Sundown vitamins (2)	3.79, 3.99 (7.78)	--	2 x $2/1 MQ 2 x $3/1 PQ	-$2.22
Bananas	0.59/lb (0.55)	--	$1/any produce PQ (baby)	-$0.45
Apples	1.29/lb (2.04)	--	--	$2.04
Tangerines (4)	0.40 (1.60)	--	--	$1.60
Totals: 16 items	$54.56	$41.09	$19.68 in MQs, $13.89 in PQs $2.00 Kroger Q	+$3.08 tax $8.62 total (saved $45.94, or 84%)

Basically I paid for the milk and the tax and got the rest for free. These are the best shopping trips!

First Race: Indoor TT

Saturday race crew: me, Chrysa, Rachel, other
people I don't know, Ashly, more strangers

Tuesday I was scheduled to ride at T's in the morning, so I went, set up my bike, and filled up my water bottles. The class was full, and four of my teammates were there, so all was good. Then I got on the bike. I did not make it past the warm up, which was approximately 22 minutes. I could not continue, and I didn't know why. So I got off, showered, and got to work an hour earlier than I'd expected. In the afternoon, I did a good workout at the CSY and then headed home to ride. I had to prove to myself that I could ride my bike, so I started a 69-minute CD and changed up the work load at the beginning of every song. It wasn't the same workout I was supposed to have, but it was better than no workout at all!

Wednesday I did a couple workouts and then went to Jason's deli for dinner. That is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. All you can eat veggies and salad plus free ice cream? Yum!

After a Thursday morning workout it was back to Todd's for this week's take 2. I honestly did not know how it was going to go, but I did know Will was praying, so that definitely helped me focus. Just making it through and past the warmup was a success. At one point during the first tempo effort (around minute 20 in/ minute 46 total), I hit a wall and Todd lowered my watts a little. I didn't look at what he changed it to, just kept riding and determined to finish that interval. During the 4 minutes of rest, I saw he'd lowered it 20 watts, or ~10%. I asked just before the start of the next interval whether I should keep it there where I knew I could finish or raise it up until I hit a wall. He said go up, so I did. This time is was around minute 19 in when I lowered the watts, but then for the final 5 minutes I went back up to where I had been. And let me tell you, those last 5 minutes hurt! I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through had it not been for Kiki and Catherine's encouragement -- love those girls! My sprint at the end was 726 W, tied for my best yet. Kiki also had her best, as did a couple other people in the class. It's amazing how a hard workout can bring out more than you knew you had!

After class, Kiki, Cath, and I met Kiki's dad and his friend for dinner at P.F. Cheng's. I had never been there before and got what was recommended -- Mongolian Chicken with brown rice. And tons of water. It was very good, and I'd definitely order it again if I went back.

Friday I met Anna for a beautiful walk in Edwin Warmer Park after a good hard workout.

Saturday morning was the first in a Time Trial Series at Endeavor Performance, and I raced with a bunch of other people (pic at the top). Here's my competition, and there were some strong ladies!

The ladies: Rachel, Kailin, Kristie, Jess,
Emma, Chrysa, and Paige

Then I stuck around for the next race:

Michael, Shannon, Catherine, and Josiah

For below, #10a = 5mi stats and #10b = full 10K stats; these were not two different races.

Date	Test Number	Completion Time	Average Watts
February 23, 2013	TT #10a TT #10b	13:30 (6 mi: 16:45)	238 watts 239 watts
January 10, 2013	TT #9b	13:50	223 watts
January 8, 2013	TT #9a	14:04	213 watts
March 29, 2012	TT #8b (tempo)	13:50 (tempo)	220 watts (tempo)
March 27, 2012	TT #8a (tempo)	14:01 (tempo)	212 watts (tempo)
January 26, 2012	TT #7	13:46	226 watts
January 24, 2012	TT #6	13:43	228 watts
May 4, 2011	TT #5	13:37	237 watts
March 3, 2011	TT #4b (tempo)	14:26 (tempo)	202 watts (tempo)
March 1, 2011	TT #4a	13:38	229 watts
January 6, 2011	TT #3b (tempo)	14:58 (tempo)	185 watts (tempo)
January 4, 2011	TT #3a	14:06	217 watts
March 25, 2010	TT #2	13:56	223 watts
January 28, 2010	TT #1	14:22	208 watts

This was my best TT yet (I looked at the screen at 5 miles and remembered those stats), and I held it for the next 1.2 miles as well. Score! My w/kg for the fill 10K was 3.4; that's better than I thought but not where it needs to be yet. And now I just have to remember what I did for this TT that was more successful than the others. Basically I did the warm up easy without looking at the screen. When we started, I went all out for 4 minutes, geared down for 4, and then went on 2-minute intervals for hard, not-so-hard, hard, etc., until the end. It kept me engaged and focused, and it forced me to work hard. I also helped that Emma caught me at one point and Jess was within reach (her time was 16:20, so that is the time to beat for next time.

And now I'm pretty exhausted!

Sunday we had a team ride that only Todd, Cath, Val, Shelly, Kiki, Jeremy, and I were able to make it to. But it was a great ride. Here is our out-and-back route:

Big East Fork Road is a GREAT road to ride on!

We climbed a little, sprinted a little, attacked a little, and learned a lot. It is always a treat when Todd rides with us, and today was no different.

Publix and Birthday Card

Inside: You couldn't do anything about
it, could you?

This card is for my mom for her birthday. I hope she appreciates it as much as my sisters and I do!

What I paid for. Yep, those are
peanut butter Oreos. YUM!!

What else I got, basically free with Qs

Publix Trip (2-18-13)

Item (Quantity)	Regular Price  (multiplied)	Sale Price	Coupons	Final Price
Oreos (2)	4.19 (8.38)	2.50 (5.00)	2 x $1/1 MQ	$3.00
EAS bars (2)	1.39 (2.78)	--	2 x $1/1 PQs	$0.78
EAS protein (1)	20.99	--	$3/1 MQ $3/1 PQ	$14.99
Hallmark Card (1)	2.79	--	--	$2.79
Hallmark tissue paper (1)	2.99	--	BOGO PQ	$0.00
Colgate toothpaste (2)	2.99 (5.98)	1.99 (3.98)	2 x $0.50/1 MQ (doubled)	$1.98
Yakisoba noodles (2)	0.99 (1.98)	BOGO (0.99)	2 x $0.50/1 MQ (doubled)	-$1.01
Hormel sides (4)	3.99 (15.96)	2.50 (10.00)	4 x $1/1 MQ	$6.00
Naked juice (1)	3.99	2.50	$1/1 MQ	$1.50
Totals: 16 items	$65.84	$52.02	$14 in MQs, $7.99 in PQs	+$4.35 tax $35.38 total (saved $30.46, or 46%)

Today was a much-needed rest day, so I walked a couple miles at lunch and then spent the rest of my training time rolling and stretching.

Valentine's Box

My mom sent me a box for Valentine's day. It had lots of little gifts in it that I had fun opening.

What could be in all those packages?

When I opened it, a few things fell out, the lighted heart being one of them. Since it was lighting up just laying on the floor, I had to open it up first to see what it was. Super fun. Then I opened all the rest, and there was some fun little things in there that I will enjoy.

Everything opened...tasty and fun gifts!

Friday afternoon Kat and I met at PWP for a hike on the red trail. It was beautiful for February and I hadn't spent time with her in a while, so it was super fun.

Saturday morning I headed to the CSY at a time when I thought the movie in the cardio theater would be restarting. I was about 10 minutes early but started on a tready on the wellness floor until one of the workers came and got me to tell me they were restarting Million Dollar Baby. 2 hours, 14 miles, and a chat with Lisa S later, my work there was done. Well, except for a sufficient amount of stretching and rolling. Church with the kiddos was great and we had fewer than last week, but the energy level of pretty much all the kids was super high. I also ended up doing another 6 miles on the TRUE elliptical machine, so I finished with 20 miles for the day.

Sunday morning I happily slept in before the busiest 9:30 service, and later a big group of us went riding. Amanda, Anna, Cali, Kat, Kiki, Parri, Shannon, Valerie, Shawn, Jeremy, Matt, Billy, and I got in 37 cold miles, but thankfully the sun was out for part of the time and we didn't freeze too bad.

Sunday's route - hilly and windy!

Currently I'm sitting here blogging and listening to and watching five 13- and 14-year-olds practice some dance routines for my cousin's birthday celebration. Oh to be a kid again with no school tomorrow!

Hard Work

Tuesday afternoon's class at Todd's kicked my butt. This was by far the hardest class so far, even though it wasn't much different than last week's classes. What was different, however, was my seat. I was trying a new saddle, and it was fine on Sunday when we rode outside. On the trainer, though, was a completely different story. It was so uncomfortable and annoying that it was all I could think about and by minute 56 I'd decided to get off, get my saddle from my car, and have Todd change them out. It meant 7 minutes off the bike, but it was worth it since the final 30 minutes went so much better. I rode at my normal 230W threshold and sprinted to 714W at the end. We did one 10-minute tempo block and two 25-minute tempo blocks, the final 5 minutes of which reduced me to barely pedaling. Like 80 RPM rather than the prescribed 95-100 RPM. But besides the equipment fix I never got off and never lowered my threshold, so success!

Tuesday morning I did a short but tough workout at home. Monday afternoon was another similar workout. Wednesday was a different, fun workout that I haven't done in a while, and because I actually left on time, I got in the entire workout before work.

Wednesday was great. The morning and afternoon workouts went well (I'd forgotten how much I like the step mill), and then I went over to my teammate Shannon's house for dinner. We chatted a ton about training with power, something I've been having a hard time understanding and appreciating.

Thursday morning was another good workout and then a good swim at lunch. Each hundred was fairly consistent (albeit a little slower than elite level), but I was happy with a slightly longer and good-feeling swim. Todd's class again was brutal. I asked midway through whether it was the same workout as last week's in terms of intensity, and he said yes, the first two blocks (warm up and subthreshold) were the same. I knew then that I was pretty tired and knocked down my watts. Both Tues and Thurs my HR was well above my normal aerobic zone within the first 20 minutes. That meant I was working super hard to achieve the same results and was outside the zone I needed to be training in. With about 20 minutes left, I went from 230W to 200W to keep it in my aerobic zone. So. much. easier. and tolerable. Here's the results of the first 56 minutes from the last four workouts:

2-05-13: 168 bpm (final sprint: 701 W)
2-07-13: 166 bpm, (final sprint: 726 W)
2-12-13: 174 bpm, (final sprint: 714 W)
2-14-13: 176 bpm, (final sprint: 709 W)

This is not trending in the right direction!

Weekend Shopping Trips

I hit a few sales at both Publix and Kroger this weekend - the best ones were at Publix for sure! Details:

Publix Trip (2-08-13)

Item (Quantity)	Regular Price  (multiplied)	Sale Price	Coupons	Final Price
Coke Zero 12-packs (3)	5.49 (16.47)	B2G1 (10.98)	2 x free MQ (10.98)	$0.00
Green Giant veggies (6)	1.99 (11.94)	BOGO (5.97)	2 x $1/3 MQs	$3.97
Stouffers Meal (2)	5.99 (11.98)	3.99 (7.98)	2 x $1.50/1 MQs	$4.98
Broccoli (1)	2.99	--	--	$2.99
Carrots (1)	1.89	--	--	$1.89
Celery (1)	1.89	1.69	--	$1.69
Strawberries (2)	4.99 (9.98)	2.00 (4.00)	--	$4.00
Totals: 16 items	$57.14	$35.50	$15.98 in MQs, $1/$5 Produce Kroger Q	+$2.59 tax $21.11 total (saved $36.03, or 63%)

Kroger Trips (2-06/08/10-13)

Item (Quantity)	Regular Price  (multiplied)	Sale Price	Coupons	Final Price
Cookie Cake (1)	10.99	4.99	--	$4.99
MetRX bar (2)	1.99 (3.98)	1.67 (3.34)	1 x $2/1 KeQ	$1.34
Kroger eggs (1)	1.69	1.25	free-product  KQ	$0.00
Kroger peanut butter (1)	2.79	--	free-product KQ	$0.00
Deli cookie (1)	2.29	--	--	$2.29
Coke 12-pack (1)	4.99	--	free-product MQ	$0.00
Deli cookie (1)	1.99	--	--	$1.99
Meat and cheese package (1)	5.14	2.39	--	$2.39
Newspaper (2)	1.99 (3.98)	1.49 (2.98)	--	$2.98
Totals: 11 items	$37.87	$27.01	$4.99 in MQs $6.04 in KQs	+$1.69 tax $18.67 total (saved $19.20, or 51%)

Spent under $40 (39.78) for the week, saved more (55.23 between the two). Success!