5-Minute Push Up

5 minutes of work, along with 3-minute or 5-minute extreme slows, are my favorite workouts. They are some of the toughest, but afterward all I want to do is go out and run. Today's 5 minutes of work has been spread out through the day, and every one of them has gone great. I just wish I had a race this weekend so I could go out and go fast!

• Scap pull up
• Crate crunch
• Push up
• Curl (8-lb dumbbells; should've probably done 10 or 12 lb)
• Lunge (1:24 R, 1:34 L—how did I go longer on the L, second, leg?)
• Standing ham
• Wall squat

The big news is that I did the entire push up without falling. I was working super hard the entire time, just focusing on using my muscles right and thinking about swimming (yes, visualizing, really), and didn't even look at my watch until I had only 55 seconds left. Then I knew I could do it. It was super hard and felt so good! A good swim yesterday, a good push up today, it must be all the softball throwing I've been doing lately. :-)

Here's my run from the afternoon. I should really quit looking at elevation profiles, because they never look like they feel, nor do they represent wind resistance.

After this quick run, I finished my 5 minutes of work by doing the wall squat that I didn't have time for earlier. I'll be honest—this was close to the hardest wall squat I've ever done; it seemed harder than the 5 minutes after the 10 minute z squat I did back in February. Then I had to repeat 5-min standing ham to give my quads a break and make my hammies work.

Swim Times Revisited

The last time I recorded 100 times was way back in April: 8×100@5sec RI: 1:42.5 average, 1:38, 1:41, 1:43, 1:44, 1:44, 1:44, 1:42, 1:44.

I recorded a few again today during my 1,200, which I did as 300 pull then 100 normal, 3 times total. I actually can't believe I missed only 1 split (500), since there was a guy on my right and a guy on my left who were stopping frequently and talking over me. It was distracting to say the least.

• 1:36, 1:46, 1:48, 1:39, 3:19 (1:39.5?), 1:48, 1:38, 1:38, 1:43, 1:43, 1:35
• 1:41 average (I didn't include the tenths in my calculation)

So my first and last were the best, but my average was fair and I felt great. Considering that I kept missing the wall and pulled 75% of the time, I'm encouraged by how I swam.

I got out on my bike after work and had a great mostly recovery ride. It was just over 18 miles, took me just over an hour, and was super windy. Even though the first part was mostly downhill, it was slow. And even though the second part was mostly rolling to up, I FLEW south down Wilson Pike. I almost didn't want to turn back toward home because the wind felt so good, but I knew if I kept going I'd eventually have to turn around (then into the wind).

The hazard mark indicates road construction on Galleria Boulevard. I usually take the long way back because it's also the safest and the best place to cross (over) the highway. But there weren't any warning signs up that the road was closed, so I went thinking I'd make it through and ended up having to turn around and modify my route slightly.

Extreme Slows

Is it sad that I'm pretty excited that I might have slept through the night last night? I frequently wake up, move around, check the time, etc. I always go back to sleep, but I always wake up, too. Last night, I don't remember waking up at all. Not only that, but I had my clock facing me all night and didn't notice it. Usually I turn it around because then I don't look at it and I can sometimes forget that I've been sleeping for only an hour or that I have only 15 minutes before my alarm goes off. The first time I remember waking up this morning was at 4:19, and my alarm was going to go off at 4:30 so I could meet Anna M at the Y, so I just got up (feeling quite refreshed, actually). If my memory serves me, I sleep through the night maybe once a year, so it is kind of a big deal.

We met at MFY to do one of my favorite workouts: Extreme Slows. I hadn't done this particular workout before, but we needed something modified that wouldn't cause her knee pain. The hour flew by!

• Leg extension (sitting on a bench)
• Leg curl
• Hip extension
• Hip flexion
• Push up on knees
• Curl (12-lb bar)
• Plate front delt (10-lb dumbbell)
• Crate crunch

The benefit to having a new workout, and having a new workout partner, was that I really had to focus on what I was doing so that I didn't lead her wrong. Plus Will refreshed my memory on all the stuff I should be focusing on, like curling your hamstrings into the ground for natural balance, not leaning back, not tensing, and standing up/sitting up straight the entire time. Anna was so good at doing all this stuff and even got the "engage your glutes the whole time!" thing down right away. I was very impressed at how well she did! Her positive attitude made the hard work not seem so hard.

My run after work went OK. My legs were definitely still tired from Saturday, but I got in a good 3 miles and jogged the next 2 so that I could get back to my starting location. I'm going to have to practice running on tired legs to get ready for the Ragnar Relay in November, so this was a good start.

Tired Legs

My legs are feeling quite tired today. After the half marathon yesterday, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and considering that my longest run before yesterday had been about 8 miles, I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm not more sore than I am. Really it's not so much soreness as it is tiredness. I went out to ride (short) with Lisa and Parri, and thankfully they pulled me halfway or I probably wouldn't have made it even the 19 miles (1:05) that I did. I could move easily, my legs just wouldn't respond quickly.

I was supposed to do 3×30sec heavy, and even though I'm sitting at the Y, I won't be doing it today so that I have a little energy for my softball games. So of the 12 workouts over the last 4 weeks, I've gotten in 11 and might or might not skip the 12^th tomorrow depending on whether I take tomorrow off or not. We shall see how I feel when I wake up in the morning.

 Rebekah, Brian, Mellissa, and Ken mid-game

My legs reacted much the same way in the softball game—basically, I had trouble getting out of the box and it hurt me once, when I got thrown out at first on a hit that should have been a clean hit. I just couldn't get moving! I did, however, find my effective stroke for most of the games and ended up batting 3 for 6 (should have been 5 for 6 but I got thrown out the time I just mentioned, and another time, I hit right up the middle at/toward the pitcher—in this league, that's an automatic out because they don't want batters killing pitchers). My fielding was pretty solid, and I'm getting less and less action out in left center because if the batters have the ability to hit elsewhere, they do.

Women's Half Marathon

This was what I looked at (on both wrists) during the entire half marathon. When I would get tired (and I did), I would look down and then remember that "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" Then I would keep going, as fast as I could. It worked well, me playing games with my mind, to help me remember that it is God who gives me strength and that my running not only brings me joy but brings Him joy as well!

So much pink! For a women's only race, I guess everyone decided pink was the color of the day.

Today's Women's Half Marathon was the longest distance I've run in quite a while. But I was determined to do it and do it well. I had a few different goals for this race:

• Finish around 1:40:xx.
• Run fast for as long as I can.
• Don't walk at all.

Here's the outcome of each:

• I finished in 1:48:30. This wasn't the 1:40 I'd been aiming for, but it was a 1.5-minute PR and I felt great the entire time. I ran mostly by feel, rarely ever looking at my watch (of course, there were mile markers and a clock at every mile).
• I saw the leaders for the first 2.5 miles. Honestly, this was 2 miles longer than I'd even considered possible. Then, not only that, I saw them only about a mile out from the turnaround, which means I was about or less than 2 miles behind them. A great day indeed!
• I didn't walk at all except through 3 aid stations (necessary walking in order to get some water and gatorade).

Team B in their Swiftwick kits before the race 

Overall, I'm thrilled with how I ran and how I felt. I was close to the middle of the front the entire time, not even close to the front of the back, and not anywhere near the middle of the pack. Hooray! My overall pace was 8:17. My miles weren't really that consistent at all, but it turned out OK in the end. If I could have cut out my couple 9-minute miles or run the others just slightly faster, I would have been right on an 8-min/mile pace. Eventually I'll get there, but this was definitely a hilly course and my times show where some of the worst were!

• 1:48:31, 13.11 miles, 8:17 pace (6:13 best), 1,577 cal, 154 HR (190 max)
• 7:43, 7:14, 7:58, 8:21, 8:34, 8:10 (48:04 around 10K); 7:51, 8:57, 8:34, 8:06, 8:04, 8:51 (50:26 around 20K); 9:09, 00:51 (1:48:31 at end)

The start line—more pink!

The Tennessean has a great article about the race. Here are the official results. If I had raced, I would have placed 17th in my age group of 554 (including me, the unregistered) (the largest age group was 30–34, at 740!) and 111 overall out of 4,393 finishers (according to the Tennessean; 3,883 according to Active.com). Team Belladium was out there as bike support, and Lisa said they were out there for at least 4 hours. That's a long time to be out for a half marathon!

The rest of the day, I pretty much took it easy. Kept my compression socks on all day, ran errands, cooked a little, went to church, watched a movie, all that fun stuff. We'll see how my legs feel for a ride and our softball games tomorrow.

Here is the route from today's race:

I don't think the elevation chart is particularly accurate, especially considering the Korean Veterans Boulevard that we had to traverse during the last mile of the race (which still doesn't look correct in the shortened route's graphic below):

Sunrise Ride

Shelly and I hit the road super early this morning—before sunrise! We rode to meet at the Factory in Franklin and then headed out to the open road. There weren't many other people out, and it was a great little ride. It was so nice to have a bike ride in before 7am.

At work, we had a nice little potluck breakfast. Kelson cooked omelets, Lisa and Kelly made eggs and sausage, Delana made waffles, someone made coffee, and we had lots of other breakfast treats that everyone could enjoy. Yum! This made me even more happy that I had already gotten a ride in, especially since I ate a huge breakfast.

For lunch, I headed to DHY for a short swim--1,000 only. Yesterday I swam at MFY, which is a 50-meter outdoor pool. DHY has a 25-meter outdoor pool, but it's closed for the season so I was in the 25-yard indoor pool. It's amazing how much faster I feel in such a short pool. I really do feel like I'm getting faster now that I'm trying to stroke and breathe right, so that's very encouraging.

At MFY in the afternoon, I did my 10-6-3 EDI, 2 sets, workout:

• Lunge with RL (first set: first 6; second set: last 6)
• GHR to top (did standing ham instead)
• Squat with stick
• Bench w/ 30lb
• Curl w/ 12lb (Will said light bar, just like he said light bar for bench; light for bench and light for curl are quite different! Also had Anna M to help me with this!)
• Plate front delt w/ 10lb
• Crunch (1 set)

As you can see, I ran into my teammate Anna, who did a couple  of the exercises with me. It was great to have someone to train with. Hopefully we'll be able to do more of this during the winter and also get out on our bike to practice cornering and crits. It will be great experience for both of us—we definitely need the "doing" rather than only the "thinking" (i.e. mental visualization!), so we should work well together.

Short Lunch-Time Run

I had intended to swim again today (just like yesterday), but it was so nice that I couldn't stay inside. So I threw on my shoes and did a quick (relatively) 5K. Not my best time, not my worst. The 26:08 (8:26 pace) includes my initial walk across the parking lot to the start of the trail, so the first mile was significantly longer than it should have been, thus throwing off my pace. But I wasn't out to run super fast, I was out for a little jog before the half marathon (or 5K) on Saturday. And I was out to enjoy the sunshine, and enjoy I did! It means that I have more inside work to do this afternoon, but it was worth it.

My little bit of work this afternoon was little but fun. I swam for a few minutes, just to get myself in the pool. I'm trying to work on my stroke and any time in the pool, short or long, is beneficial. Then I headed inside for my 10-6-3 EDI workout. I didn't do it in the correct order and I modified it a bit, but I still worked hard.

• GHR (did standing ham because the backs of my legs would not cooperate under the bench; how I wish I had a glute ham stand!)
• Lunge w/ RL (did only the final 3 of each set, both legs, as RL; did all the rest as regular reps)
• Curl w/ 30 lb (I don't think I did this; I don't think it was on the list because I can't remember doing it, but I don't know what else I would have done)
  
• Bench w/ 30lb
• Plate front delt w/ 10lb
• Crate crunch

Spent some time at the grocery store(s). There were some things at Publix and a few good deals I had to do Kroger, and I tried to make someone's day by giving him a Q. I only wished I'd gotten to the woman ahead of me sooner, because I'm sure I could have helped her bring down her $199 total. I know that's probably what my mom spent when she was shopping while we were all at home, but now that I know how to spend less, I cringe when people spend so much.

Cool Springs RIde

Tonight's Cool Springs ride was slightly different than normal. We started out with a much smaller group (only Lee, Valerie, Jay, James, Mike, Casey, and me), which also meant a slightly slower start. However, Valerie, James, Casey, and I all went together for the short route (and we caught Al on the way), which meant a significantly faster finish. Overall one of the fastest times/averages, and the legs were definitely feeling a little burn while I tried to hang with Valerie on the climbs!

Tuesday's short Cool Springs route

9-22-10, 9-14-10, 8-31-10, 8-24-10, 8-03-10, 7-6-10, 6-29-10, 6-22-10, 6-15-10.

• 1:41:08, 30.00 miles, 17.8 avg (34.7 max), 1,765 cal, 155 HR (190 max) (rode from home);
  1:04:46, 20.98 miles, 19.4 avg (34.7 max), 165 HR (190 max) without laps from/to home);
  1:09:40, 20.90 miles, 18.0 avg (33.8 max), 1,279 cal, 155 HR (180 max);
  1:29:55, 20.94 miles, 14.0 avg (31.1 max), 1,206 cal, 130 HR (170 max);
  1:05:32, 20.89 miles, 19.1 avg (34.4 max), 1,257 cal, 162 HR (186 max);
  1:05:16, 20.92 miles, 19.2 avg (35.6 max), 1,266 cal, 171 HR (192 max);
  1:04:46, 20.86 miles, 19.3 avg (34.4 max), 1,318 cal, 166 HR (192 max);
  1:35:50, 28.26 miles, 17.7 avg (35.5 max), 1,763 cal, 150 HR (189 max) (rode from home);
  1:02:01, 20.01 miles, 19.4 avg (34.9 max), 1,249 cal, 172 HR (191 max);
  1:05:37, 20.69 miles, 18.9 avg (34.4 max), 1,291 cal, 164 HR (190 max)
• 27:28, 8.92 mi, 19.5 avg, 155 HR;
  no lap splits;
  No lap splits because we didn't stay with the group past 0.2 miles.
  24:32, 8.9 mi, 21.8 avg, 154 HR (we were moving!);
  25:49, 9.0 mi, 21.2 avg, 162 HR;
  25:04, 8.87 mi, 21.2 avg, 161 HR;
  24:06, 8.91 mi, 22.2 avg, 145 HR;
  21:45, 8.01 mi, 22.1 avg, 171 HR;
  27:43, 8.81 mi, 19.1 avg, 160 HR
  
• 37:17, 12.06 mi, 19.4 avg, 173 HR (we were moving!);
  no lap splits;
  No lap splits because we didn't stay with the group past 0.2 miles.
  41:00, 11.99 mi, 17.5 avg, 168 HR;
  39:26, 12.02 mi, 18.2 avg, 180 HR;
  39:41, 12.0 mi, 18.1 avg, 170 HR;
  39:34, 12.0 mi, 18.2 avg, 172 HR;
  40:16, 12.0 mi, 17.9 avg, 174 HR;
  37:54, 11.88 mi, 18.8 avg, 168 HR

I had intended to swim during lunch, but it was just so nice out that I couldn't be inside (I wish the outdoor pool were still open!). Instead, I ate my lunch outside and then took a nice walk along the path. This time of year is beautiful!

Short Rest Day

Mondays are supposed to be rest days, but somehow at the beginning of the month I got a day off, so I've been having to do short workouts Mondays. It hasn't been too bad, though, since I've been able to get them done at lunch and still have the afternoon to relax. So at lunch, I went to DHY to do my 10-10-10 EDI workout.

• Wall push up (hands off the wall for the reps)
• Curl
• Crate crunch
• Wall squat
• GHR (reps to arm's length)
• Lunge
  

Softball Split

We split our softball games again today, winning the first 12–11 and losing the second 6–11. They were a couple great, fun games. I finally got a couple hits, had some great catches (and turned a double play), and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. We would have liked two wins, but we just couldn't get anything going in the second game. Next week!

Before that, I went to church and then headed out for a ride. Shelly, Anna, Valerie, Lisa, Jeremy, Parri, and I all started out together, but as soon as the first sprint came and went, we split up. The first 3 stayed together and we 4 stuck together, but Lisa split off from us to do a slightly shorter, flatter route. My legs felt so great and it was a fantastic ride. Not too fast, not too slow, nice and warm, 1:30 total, 26-ish miles, 18mph average, pretty much wonderful.

This might have been the route? I was having trouble following the map today.

Sprint #1 was contested by Shelly, Lisa, and me. I threw my bike across the line and just beat out Shelly. Lisa turned at the green arrow. Sprint #2 was contested by Jeremy and me. He snuck in and I didn't know he was there until he passed me, so he won that one.

Long Run

Taffy Apple Salad—Yum!

Shawn with the ribs he smoked all day—Yum!

Todd with the end-of-the-year gift from the ladies

Sam loved Lisa's gift!

The cheerleader!

I got a great long run in today. It was absolutely gorgeous this morning, and I took full advantage of God's creation. I got in just over 8 miles in about 1:06. I had intended to run 9-minute miles, a nice, easy, slow pace, but I didn't look at my watch until mile 5 and saw 41:xx. I knew I was running closer to 8s and was actually pretty happy. The last 3 miles are mostly uphill and my average went down slightly, but I'm not complaining, especially since I was planning on 1:12.

Saturday's run

After that, it was lunch with Allison, who is in town for the weekend. She was one of my great running partners and remains a great friend, even though she's since moved. We ended up at one of her favorite haunts, Pueblo Real in Franklin, with Kelly, Carol, and Erin.

I had a little time to relax during the afternoon, then it was off to Parri's house for a season-ending party with the team and a bunch of other people. I made some tasty taffy apple salad and we enjoyed tons of other treats and everyone's company. Altogether a fantastic day!

Todd gave out little things to each of the women as a little thank you and I'm proud of you token, and they were great gifts. Everyone enjoyed them and laughed a lot!

• Anna: "Criterium Raceing is a SNAP" t-shirt, homemade, to remind her that she can do it!
  
• Cali: "Bride to Bling" sash since she got so many 2^nds before finally placing 1^st in the final race
• Jonell: Gun and holster because she was so good a going from the gun
• Kailin: Pom-poms for my incessant cheerleading throughout the season
  
• Lee: A teacher ruler and pencils for her role as team mentor
• Lisa C: Boxing gloves to remind her to be a little less nice during the races
• Lisa S: A rain gauge for her ability to predict the weather
  
• Parri: A bell to remind her when the last lap of a crit is starting
  
• Shelly: Barking stuffed dog for her tenacity
  
• Valerie: Angel wings and a halo because she's an awesome climber and "angel" is a nickname the TdF peloton gives climbers

Here's the recipe for Taffy Apple Salad. It's from memory, so I hope the vinegar/flour measurements are correct!

• 1 can pineapple tidbits or crushed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 ½ Tbsp flour
• 1 ½ Tbsp vinegar
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 cups small marshmallows
• 3 cups diced apples
• 1 ½ cups peanuts
• 8 oz cool whip

1. Drain the pineapple but save the juice.
2. In a pan, combine the pineapple juice, sugar, flour, vinegar, and eggs. Cook over low to medium heat until sauce thickens.
3. Combine marshmallows and pineapple.
4. Refrigerate sauce overnight, and refrigerate marshmallow/pineapple mixture overnight.
5. Mix the sauce and the cool whip.
6. Mix all ingredients. Serve chilled.
   

Quick Ride

After spending the morning at work getting a bit done and also getting a bit frustrated with Adobe InDesign, I went out and ran a couple errands, did isos (5 on, 5 off thru 40, pull up, curl, crunch, lunge, standing ham), spent some time in the kitchen, and rode my bike. It was supposed to be just a quick spin, but it ended up being a little quicker than I'd intended. I had planned to relax and my legs just wanted to move. My average for the 18 miles was 18mph. Someday I'll be able to do this route in 20+, but not today.

Friday's ride

Yesterday I had some strange (or seemingly strange) dreams. I talked to Will about them and even though they were pretty cool dreams, I left the conversation kind of upset. I'm not sure why. I know God can reveal Himself and His will through dreams, but I often find myself wondering and not always trusting. That's kinda where I was at the end of this conversation. I mean, I know God is who He says He is and I know that Jesus came to give His life for us so that we can live with Him forever, and I know that God is sovereign and in complete control, yet I struggle with trusting His plan. I wish this weren't the case, but it definitely is and it's something that God's been working on my heart about over the last couple weeks and months. I wish I could sit back and trust, but I always feel like I have to be doing something to help Him out. That's actually laughable now that I see it in writing. I mean, even by worrying I can't add a year to my life or an inch to my height—the only thing that really accomplishes is gray hair.

Alternate Workout

Valerie wasn't able to walk today, so instead of my usual hour outside, I ate lunch inside and played The Great Dalmuti with the Boson Gaming Crew. I came in at the bottom and left at the bottom. I had horrible hands all game, rarely getting cards lower than 6 (and then only if I had to trade, which meant I had to get rid of them anyway). Definitely not my best game!

Not my hand, by it might as well have been

The afternoon was all messed up, too, because it was threatening rain, raining, sunny, raining, lightning, and sunny again. I was going to ride but decided against it. Since I've been feeling way better the last couple days, instead of taking the day off, I called Will and asked for an alternate workout. He started to give me some sprints to do on the trainer, but I was heading to the Y, so he gave me the following super short but intense workout:

• 40 reps body-weight squats with 3-lb dumbbell arm swings, 30 seconds rest, repeat 5 times
• GHR 30 second on, 30 seconds off, repeat 10 times

It took me about 20 minutes to do everything, but I knew it was going to be short and worked hard. Then because it was nice outside I took a couple-mile walk around the Y and nearby park.

Later at Inversion, we read about how Jesus says we're supposed to be the salt (flavor and preservation) and the light (illumination) of the world. God has been doing a real work in my heart lately to shape me to be more like Him, and tonight was no different.

Feeling More Normal

Today I went to DHY to run, but I wouldn't call what I did a run. I was out there trying to keep my feet moving, wishing there were a porta-potty along the path. Yeah. Not the most pleasant. I somehow managed to get in 3 miles.

After work I had to do my 5 on, 5 off thru 60 workout. This is the first time I've actually done all the way thru 60 seconds on every exercise. In fact, I don't think I've even made it thru 40 for the past couple tries. Today I felt so much better than I had been feeling. Not sure why (hopefully i can figure it out), but I'm not complaining!

• Wall squat
• Standing ham
• Lunge R, L
• Push up
• Curl
• Crate crunch

It took me exactly an hour to complete it all, and each exercise was 7:25 (if I remembered to count correctly).

Swim Stroke

That's all I practiced during today's swim: my stroke. I got a lot of advice from Buz W. last week and have a ton to work on. But I can tell after just 2 days of using this adjusted stroke, it will help me greatly in becoming a more efficient swimmer. Hooray! It was a short swim (I got in 1,000 only), and it was all pull and all focus. I timed a couple hundreds (200 warmup, 1:44, 1:47, 1:40 [kicking] [another 400], 1:44 [kicking]).

Remembering to keep my arms straight (or at least to straighten them more than I had been was easy; figuring out how to breathe well without taking in water and without lifting my entire head out of the water was not. The few times I did it well, though, I could feel a huge difference in efficiency. I'm seeing a lot more practice during this off season!

I did the Cool Springs ride tonight, but I rolled out early. However, I decided at 5:29 that I wanted to leave early, and the early crowd left at 5:30. Needless to say, I rode the entire route solo. For a solo ride, it was pretty decent. Unfortunately I didn't event think to split at the corner, so I don't know how I rode the second half compared to the last couple times.

Tuesday's short Cool Springs route

9-14-10, 8-31-10, 8-24-10, 8-03-10, 7-6-10, 6-29-10, 6-22-10, 6-15-10.

• 1:09:40, 20.90 miles, 18.0 avg (33.8 max), 1,279 cal, 155 HR (180 max);
  1:29:55, 20.94 miles, 14.0 avg (31.1 max), 1,206 cal, 130 HR (170 max);
  1:05:32, 20.89 miles, 19.1 avg (34.4 max), 1,257 cal, 162 HR (186 max);
  1:05:16, 20.92 miles, 19.2 avg (35.6 max), 1,266 cal, 171 HR (192 max);
  1:04:46, 20.86 miles, 19.3 avg (34.4 max), 1,318 cal, 166 HR (192 max);
  1:35:50, 28.26 miles, 17.7 avg (35.5 max), 1,763 cal, 150 HR (189 max) (rode from home);
  1:02:01, 20.01 miles, 19.4 avg (34.9 max), 1,249 cal, 172 HR (191 max);
  1:05:37, 20.69 miles, 18.9 avg (34.4 max), 1,291 cal, 164 HR (190 max)
• no lap splits;
  No lap splits because we didn't stay with the group past 0.2 miles.
  24:32, 8.9 mi, 21.8 avg, 154 HR (we were moving!);
  25:49, 9 mi, 21.2 avg, 162 HR;
  25:04, 8.87 mi, 21.2 avg, 161 HR;
  24:06, 8.91 mi, 22.2 avg, 145 HR;
  21:45, 8.01 mi, 22.1 avg, 171 HR;
  27:43, 8.81 mi, 19.1 avg, 160 HR
  
• no lap splits;
  No lap splits because we didn't stay with the group past 0.2 miles.
  41:00, 11.99 mi, 17.5 avg, 168 HR;
  39:26, 12.02 mi, 18.2 avg, 180 HR;
  39:41, 12.0 mi, 18.1 avg, 170 HR;
  39:34, 12.0 mi, 18.2 avg, 172 HR;
  40:16, 12.0 mi, 17.9 avg, 174 HR;
  37:54, 11.88 mi, 18.8 avg, 168 HR

Walnuts and Extreme Slows

Snacks and supper

Today wasn't the rest day it was supposed to have been, but I still did some rest-day activities! First, though, I had to get the iso workout done that I hadn't gotten to last week: 5 minutes, extreme slow. It was probably one of my best workouts. I don't know why, but I felt great during every one of the exercises. I worked hard, focused, and tried to visualize by thinking about racing or actually running or actually swimming or actually cycling.

• Bench (45lb)
• Standing curl (10-lb dumbbells)
• Seated plate front delt (5-lb plate)
• GHR
• Lunge
• Zurcher squat

Then for the fun stuff: supper and candied walnuts. One of my favorite things to do on a rest day is bake, and today was no exception. I'd gotten this recipe from Aunt Renee and wanted to try it, so I did. It required buying half the ingredients and a food thermometer first, but it was worth it.

Sugared walnuts—yum!

Cinnamon-Sugar Nuts

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 4 cups nuts, walnuts or pecans

1. Stirring constantly, heat water, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to 236* (soft ball state on a candy thermometer).
   
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375*, then bake nuts for 5 minutes.
3. When mixture reaches 236*, pour over nuts and mix well.
4. Return to nut/sugar pan every few minutes to stir; otherwise, the nuts will not be completely coated or they will be very clumpy.

This is a super easy recipe (if you have the patience to wait until 236*), and the result is some very tasty snacks!

Recovery Ride and Softball

This afternoon's ride ended up being only Lisa S, Leanna, and me; evidently everyone else was tired from yesterday or just didn't want to drive back into Franklin. It was fabulous having such a small group—it meant we could really recover, not push the pace at all, but still be outside enjoying the sunshine.

• 1:29:00, 26.32 miles, 17.7 avg (29.9 max), 1,534 cal, 155 HR (179 max)

Then it was off to play some softball! I missed the first couple games, which we ended up winning by forfeit because the other team didn't have enough girls. Today, we had plenty and Kairos, our competition, also had plenty (well, almost; they did have to take an automatic out at the end of their lineup). We have some very talented hitters and fielders on our team, but unfortunately we started out playing like we hadn't played together before (which we hadn't). That led to an 11-8 loss, but we came back and won the second game by 1 run in the bottom of the 7^th inning. Unfortunately I couldn't hit anything, but thankfully I could catch everything that came my way. Hopefully I'll improve my 0-6 (1 run scored on a fielder's choice on-base) during next week's game!

HOW 100

Anna, Susan, Lisa, Lee, Cali, Lisa, Parri, Valerie, me, and Jonell (not pictured: Shelly)

Today was a great ride with Team Belladium: The Hope on Wheels 100. We didn't do the century, instead sticking with the shorter 54-mile route

Me and Luke pre-ride

We had a few dropped chains but no flats and no major incidents, made one stop, and generally enjoyed the ride. It was warm, dry, beautiful, and a great morning. I don't have complete stats, but I know we did about 54 miles. The info I have from my bike says 50 miles in 2:38, and avg. or about 19.1. That was right about the time I fell off to ride the last couple miles as a cool down.

Talking with Jay at the one rest stop we made

The Garmin was on the entire time, but instead of letting it run after the rest stop, I accidentally turned it off. So I have stats from the first 30 miles and a few of the last 5 but nothing else. I can say that it was fast, not too flat, consistent, and fun. Everyone took a turn or two at the front, everyone worked hard, and we had a few others in the mix with use that we could chat with.

I went home and thought I might be able to ice my legs in the pool; I just keep hoping that it will cool off soon, but that hasn't happened yet. At church, we learned a little about the history of Fellowship Bible Church as s church and heard about some of the amazing ways God's worked to stretch and shape the church community and how we can always be affecting and impacting those around us. It was a great reminder to get out there and be and do instead of just remaining apart from everything.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:16–20

*Thanks to Lisa S. for the photos.

Swim Instruction

This morning Cali and I were supposed to have swam at MFY. She ended up bailing (something about "swimming early Friday morning sounds better Wednesday morning than Thursday night!"), but I still went. The outdoor pool is still open, and I took full advantage of it. The other thing I took advantage of was Buzz, the Masters Swimming coach. He had only 2 athletes (he said there are usually 12), so he had some time to instruct me; I was a super willing athlete. First, he noted that I was coming way across my body with my arms, especially my left. So I set out to work on over-exaggerating a straight-armed stroke.

Once I did couple hundred focusing on that, he noted that I lift my head up when I breathe; I don't just turn, I lift—as in, when I breathe to the left, my entire head, right ear included, comes out of the water. Instead, only half my left side should even leave the water. He said to think about using just a little pocket of air, created by the displaced water around my head, and to look back and down toward my shoulder. It was a lot to remember, but it felt so much more efficient!

Sunrise

Sunrise. So beautiful!

I'm up every week day early enough to watch the sunrise, and watch it I do. Today was especially worth getting up for—how can I see this and not praise God for His amazing creativity?

After a lunchtime walk with Valerie and a day of work, I headed to Ravenwood High School for the WCTT: Williamson County Time Trial.

8-mile warm up, 10-mile out-and-back TT, 8-mile cool down

This is something that one of the local Xterra triathletes started last year, but I never participated. I will definitely be making it a weekly or biweekly part of my training (I can't remember whether it's held every or every other week). We warmed up from Ravenwood the 8 miles to the TT start, then seeded ourselves slowest to fastest. I know that Lisa is typically faster than I, and though she was recently injured and off her bike for a while, she's still tough. So I seeded myself first and decided to be everyone's rabbit.

I loved racing from the front! Knowing that there were 7 super fast guys and 1 fast girl behind me motivated me to get moving. I just kept thinking, "Every pedal stroke you take is one second longer that you're staying ahead of them and one second closer to the finish!" I didn't want to get caught at all but did at 23 minutes (8.6 miles) in. After that guy passed me, 3 more did, so half the field passed me. However, I was pleased with my time of 28 minutes, especially knowing that I rode well.

Lisa is convinced that she can do it faster than 28, and I know she can too, so next time I'll aim to better my time. A couple of the other times for the night were 27:30, 26:15, and 23:29 (that guy was MOVING!). I didn't catch all the guys' times, but I know they are fast. Even if I'm out there with a group of people and one of them might be slower than I, I will still likely go first—it definitely makes me work harder!

• Total: 1:18:25, 25.94 miles, 19.8 avg (34.1 max), 1,530 cal, 161 HR (191 max)
• Warm up: 23:13, 7.71 mi, 19.9 avg, 139 HR
• TT: 28:00, 10.21 mi, 21.8 avg, 183 HR (and it was up this high AS SOON AS I STARTED)
• Cool down: 27:09, 8.02 miles, 17.7 avg, 158 HR
  

I had hoped to get on the track this afternoon, but that didn't happen because the field within the track was full. I was only going to run if no one was there, and people were there, so I just ran the 1.5 miles out and the same back. Short, not real sweet, but done.

Weights

Today's workout is always a fun one. It's one I haven't done since June 28, but my weight levels were pretty comparable.

• Lunge: 45lb bar + 15lb on each side = 75lb
• GHR: at 60* with 25lb
• GHR: at bottom with no weight
• Standing ham: 30lb dumbbell
  
• Push up on feet: with 25lb
• Preacher curl: with 20lb dumbbells
• Scap pull up: with no weight

I always try to look approachable even if I don't want to talk. Today I must have been especially approachable-looking, because I met La'wanna (who had a wrestling background and asked if I lift competitively) and Cameron (who asked if I cycled a lot). I enjoy meeting new people and hearing about why they're in the gym.

Franklin Classic 10K

If I'm not going to win, I'm at least going to wear something fun!

Here is a pic from this morning's 10K. Suffice it to say this was not my best nor my worst, I had fun, I didn't place, and it was absolutely amazing weather this morning.

It was 2 minutes slower than last year's race, but I ran each mile pretty consistently (according to the timers, I hit the first mile 15 seconds under 8 minutes, the second, third, and fourth miles in 8-minute increments, the fifth 15 seconds under an 8-minute pace, and the finish at 15 seconds under a 8-minute pace. My mile splits don't show quite that much consistency, but I felt consistent while running and I didn't look at my watch at all. My total time was 48:32, good enough for 4 of 42 in age, 21 of 381 females, and 157 of 900 overall. Although my time was slower than last year, my AG place was higher (last year: 5 of 60), my place in females was the same (last year: 21 of 363), and my overall place was worse (last year: 117 of 896).

The 5K was first, and there were 937 participants there. Then the 10K followed (900), and after that was a 4K walk (a couple hundred) and a 1K (or maybe 1-mile?) kids run. It was a busy morning on the square!

The finish line for all 4 events

Percy Warner

Today has been a fun rest day. I tried to sleep in but did not succeed; instead I spent a little time reading, walking, relaxing, hiking, tanning, all that fun rest stuff. Anna and I hiked at Percy Warner, and during our 4.5-mile hike, we ran into Roxanne from the NashvilleCyclist.com bike racing team, Laura from the same, and Uncle John and Luke. I've never seen people I know there, so this was exciting.

Staples

These messed with my ride plans and somehow didn't puncture the tube

Wednesday's flat tire forced me to get new tubes, and whatever I got must have been super high quality! Today I set out to ride, hoping for at least 1.5 hours depending on the route. I made it 4.5 miles into downtown Franklin and started hearing something weird from the back wheel. What's going on back there, I thought before I looked back. Nothing was flat, so I went a little farther until I stopped at a stopped light. I looked down again, and there were two staples stuck in my tire. I decided to not continue and turned around to head home, thanking God the entire time that it hadn't punctured the tire. I could have fixed it, but I didn't want to have to. As soon as I got home, I took all the air out, took out the tube, checked it and found nothing, and removed the staples from the tire. They hadn't gone all the way through, but they'd taken a little chunk of rubber out of the tire. So, I put some air in the tube to ensure it really hadn't been punctured (the air is still there, good news!) and put my trainer tire on. I guess I'll be riding that for the winter!

I didn't do much else today besides clean a bunch of cupboard in my kitchen (out of need rather than want, unfortunately), finished my 10×10sec workout from yesterday (squat), enjoyed the sunshine at the pool, had a great shop at Publix (pics and stats from that trip to come), went to church and learned about how much more worthy God is than idol we might try to put in place of Him, and watched a movie. Holiday weekends are so much fun!

This was a good Publix trip!

• 10 bags of Kraft cheese: $1 each
• 5 boxes of Muellers pasta: $0.35 each
• 4 Kashi pizzas: $3 each
  
• 2 boxes of Yoplait yogurt: $0.50 each
• 2 boxes of butter: $0.89 each
• 2 tubs of Cool Whip: $1.89 or so
  
• 1 box Duncan Hines cake mix: free
  
• 1 can Duncan Hines frosting: $0.94 (should have been 30 cents or less, but I misread the label)
• 1 bottle SoBe Lifewater: free
  
• 1 tub of Lloyds barbeque: $1.75
  
• 1 bag of spinach: $2.29
  
• 1 bag of pre-cut veggies: $2.50
  
• 1 carton of eggs: 1.49
  

Longstreet Drive Part II

This will be a challenge. Longstreet Drive in Brentwood is 0.65 miles long and 300 feet (what seems like pretty much straight) up, and I have so far made it up 0.45 miles. Today I made it 3 bike lengths farther than last week, but I haven't yet gotten all the way up. I'd been hoping to ride with Valerie today and skip the hills, but that didn't happen so I tackled whatever I could find.


This was the fun I could find. After mapping it out, I see that there's even more fun around there. I can't wait until next week! Stats to come.

I also did part of another workout, while waiting: 10x10sec, 2 sets.

• Lunge with RL (RL on first, quick-style on second)
• GHR
• Altitude drop curl

Later, I headed to Farkas', we went to Plato's Closet and Target, ate at Nashville Pizza Co., and played some set. It was an enjoyable night!

Track Running

I decided to head to the track today. It wasn't what I'd initially thought I'd run, but once I was on the road heading toward Brentwood Academy, I thought I'd run to the track, see who was on it, and run if it was empty. It was empty, so I ran. 4×400@400 rest. I didn't look at my watch to see pace or anything while I was running, I just ran to see what I could do when I wasn't thinking about stats. I had hoped to be around 1:30, and though I never made that mark, I was around it.

• Warmup: 17:42, 2.00 mi, 8:53 pace (6:16 best), 229 cal, 160 HR (182 max) (mile 1 was 7:59; mile 2 was longer because I walked at least once around the track before starting my 400s)
• 400 #1 + rest: 1:35, 6:22 pace, 175 HR; 3:03, 12:14 pace, 149 HR
  
• 400 #1 + rest: 1:34, 6:20 pace, 178 HR; 3:17, 13:11 pace, 148 HR
  
• 400 #1 + rest: 1:37, 6:29 pace, 179 HR; 3:26, 13:48 pace, 148 HR
  
• 400 #1 + rest: 1:34, 6:20 pace, 176 HR; forgot to do the last 0.25
  
• Summary of 400s + rest: 16:10, 1.75 mi, 9:15 pace (5:25 best), 190 cal, 159 HR (189 max)
• Cooldown: 18:42, 1.5 mi, 12:30 pace (6:59 best), 154 cal, 153 HR (186 max) (obviously I walked quite a bit more here!)

Thought a lot while running, about why I've felt like I've been struggling a lot lately. Didn't really work anything out, but it was at least good to think about. Headed to Inversion, where we're studying Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5–7, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. We learned what will make us truly happy: Being poor in spirit, mourning/grieving over our sin, being meek, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness. The result of each of these? Receiving the kingdom of heaven, being comforted, inheriting the earth, and being satisfied/filled.

Ruby Tuesday

Today I had the opportunity to go to Ruby Tuesday for a nice lunch with the other ladies at work (Kelly, Jennifer, Tanya, Delana, Lisa, and Amy). We don't go out very often, and we rarely go with the entire group since Amy's usually in Florida. We used her being here as an excuse to enjoy lunch and all ate some good salads!

Throughout the day, I tried to get through my 5 minutes of work. I succeeded OK, but my legs did not want to cooperate for the wall squat. That's abnormal, since I usually have no trouble getting through that one (I mean, it's hard, but I know I can do it and usually do).

• Push up: 7:30
• Wall squat: 9 (made it 1:45), 10 (made it 2:15), and 3 (made it 2:30 but continued up and down through 5)
• Standing ham: 11:30 (outside in the shade—it was amazing!)
• Lunge (after bike ride)
• Scap pull up (after lunge)

I got out on my bike and rode the following route:

Today's route. The Hazard icon is there for a reason...

It was a great ride, significantly faster than yesterday and definitely enjoyable. 1:19:20, 24.57 miles, 18.6 average (28.7 max), 1,457 cal, 151 HR (177 max). Everything was fabulous, totally uneventful, until I hit Mack Hatcher. First, from the corner of Mack Hatcher and Hillsboro, I could see that there had been an accident and noticed a truck in the ditch (the police were there and the traffic was terrible). I was grateful that I'd not ridden that way out. Then, about half a mile up the road, I heard a sound no cyclist likes to hear: air escaping from the tire—my first flat tire in at least 4 months, probably longer. I looked down and, though I could still hear the air, couldn't tell by sight which tire it was (I knew it was the rear one from the sound). I rode for a few more seconds, then stopped to change it.

From the time I stopped until the time I was back on my bike, new tube and all, it took 9 minutes. I was hoping for around 5 but didn't mind the extra 4 minutes. It took that much longer because a nice man, Jim, stopped to make sure I was OK. He got out of his car and was standing around watching and chatting, and I was grateful that he stopped to check on me. He said one he got a flat, no one stopped, and he had to carry his bike back while wearing his biking shoes. Not fun, and he didn't want to same thing to happen to me. I'm thankful that didn't happen and that I was able to make it the 4+ miles back home with no problems.

Flat tire. Joy.

When I got back home, I tried to see how much air I actually had in the tire. CO₂ cartridges don't have air gauges, and I am nervous about inflating it too much that it pops, so I never use even one entire cartridge. When I stuck the pump on the valve, I let out all the air. Evidently tubes with little valves do not work with my wheels and pump. So now I have a flat tire again and no way to pump up a perfectly good tube. Time to get more tubes!