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Showing posts with label races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label races. Show all posts

Monday, March 26, 2012

I need a weekend to recover from my weekend



I'v gotten pretty good at my new toy.
 I's a wobble board.

I had a great weekend but it was much busier than my norm. I started the weekend at the gym in my bodypump class. I was playing with the idea of going to the gym early and attempting the turbo kick class my favorite bodypump instructor teaches before pump but I woke up too late to make it on time. Maybe next week. Pump was awesome, as always. I was careful to down grade my weights a little this week, especially during the lower body sets because I had a half marathon the next day. I don't need to make those 13 miles any harder than they already are. After class I went to for a 20 minute swim. Adding swimming to my workouts has been great and I'm faster than I though I would be. Twice last week I swam for 20 minutes and I ended up swimming 700 yards both nights. The one night Jeremy and I swam together (our aqua-date) we swam for 30 minutes and 850 yards. I'm very impressed with myself.


After the gym the kids and I had a little bit of time to hang out around the house before we left for our day of running around. The kids went back and forth between playing video games and practicing their martial arts with their new bow staffs. (really big sticks) 

 

Our first stop was the store to pick up some birthday gifts. We had a very cool party to go to for my niece who just turned 8 and my nephew who just turned 2. While looking around for the kids we saw a rack of swim suits... I had to investigate... 

[back story] 
I have gained too much weight to wear the suit I bought last summer (it's very depressing) so I've been wearing the suit I had the summer before that to the gym. However, I have gained the weight back in different places and now that suit isn't fitting the way it used too. It's baggy in the butt and chest but my belly hangs out-not okay (it's a tankini). I decided I needed to suck it up and buy a one piece for swimming laps. I really didn't want to spend a small fortune on a BIGGER suit.

So to get back to my story, I found a one piece nike swim suit on sale for $20 (the retail price was $94). I was so excited about the price, I didn't even care about the size of the stupid thing. That is until now... Before I started writing this I hadn't given the size thing much thought... oh well...

 

Once we got out of the store we were on our way to the birthday party. My niece stated taking Taekwondo and that's where the party was. They had students and instructors running the kids through drills and games. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Sami still has a broken foot so she couldn't participate and Nevyn felt that he already gets all the martial arts practice he needs in the classes he goes to every week so he chose to sit out too.

 

Next we went to the roof rack shop and got a rack and SUP taxi installed on my car. I was super excited about this. Now I'm ready to get my SUP and I can take to the lake any time I want. While they did the install the kids and I walked up to Arden Fair. We spent some time in Barns & Noble, the Lego store and the Disney store. My kids like window shopping as much as I do and they're really good about not begging me to buy them stuff.
 

Our next and final stop was to pick up my race packet. Originally, I thought I was going to have to drive out to Folsom to get it but I had a friend who was already there picking up her packet so she got mine too. I drove out to her house in the land park area and got to chat with her and her family. Her son had covered his legs with band aids and  made sure I saw all of his trains and her daughter amazed me with her fancy name writing skills. We talked a little bit about the camping trip our families are going to be taking together in June and they said I should bring my paddleboard. I'm glad they mentioned that because I don't think I would have thought of it.

found a book I want, shocking, I know 
 I think it was around 6:00 when we were finally home. The kids got their stuff ready to spend the night with their grandparents and I had the house to myself. After playing around on the computer a little I went to bed. Early.      

 

Sunday was race day and I really wasn't very excited about this race. I didn't train very well and it was expected to rain. It had rained pretty hard the night before but at the starting line the sky was cloudy but dry. I was hopping it would stay that way. I used the first few of miles as a warm up and by mile three I felt like I had gotten the cobwebs worked out of my legs and I was feeling really good. The miles seemed to go by really fast and the day was beautiful. My friend, the sun, even came out. I wasn't  running for time on this one and I took the time enjoy the course. It was all on the American River Bike Trail and it was beautiful. The wild grass was a vibrant green, thanks to the over night rain and there were birds of every size and color everywhere. I think it was the prettiest course I've ever ran. I run on the bike trail on the weekends for my long runs but I've never gone as far as this course goes. It was a great way to see more of the bike trail.

 

Since I was feeling so good I pushed myself to run 30 second splits and I did pretty well with that. I did take some extra walk breaks but I did better than I expected. I finished in about 3 hours, 15 minutes. The results aren't posted yet and I always forget to stop my watch right as I finish so I don't know what my "official" time is. My feet where pretty sore yesterday and last night from the run but they're not bad today. My thighs and hips are a tiny bit sore but nothing like I expected. I'm hopping to work out any soreness I have during either tonight's yoga class or my pool workout.


In the afternoon my sister and niece came over for a little while. Avery, my niece, is a crack-up. She brought over some toys her dad had gotten for her and made "Auntie" many different birthday cakes. She didn't seem to like the one I made though. As soon as she saw it she took it apart and looked at me with an expression that said "do I have to do everything for you???" 


How was your weekend?


Sunday, March 18, 2012

A letter to two old friends


I don't have a best friend anymore so the closes things I have to that would be my buddy, the road, and my other buddy, the gym. I haven't seen them in (what feels like) a really long time and  really miss them. So I thought I would write them a letter. 

To my dear friends, Road and Gym, 
I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you much over these last few weeks. I feel so flaky. I plan on going to see you but my plans have been forced to change. You see, my lungs have been taken over by the evil asthma monster and my skin has been attacking me with weapons of mass dryness and eczema bombs. I was able to get away long enough to see a few doctors who have equipped me with ointments and a new pill. My skin is starting to heal and I think that front will be won over the next few days. Dethroning the asthma monster is proving to be more difficult. 
I really do miss our visits. Not only do you provide me with my workouts, yoga and bodypump classes and training runs but my visits to you are also, more often than not, my only trips away from the house during the week. 
I hope to see you both this week. Please don't forget me. I think of you often and I truly miss our time together.  
Yours truly,
Anna
Of all my planned workouts last week I only made it to 3. 

[1]
I did the Shamrock'n half marathon last Sunday. I just started to not feel well a few days before but I was determined to make it to the race. I walked most of it but I still did 13.1 miles and earned my medal. 

[2]
On Monday I went to my yoga class even though I wasn't feeling well and was very congested. I have decided that yoga is magical. When I left class I could breath out of my nose again! I was very excited. It didn't last long but I enjoyed every snot free breath I could.

[3]
My Tuesday night bodypump class! I look forward to this class all week. I had missed all my classes the week before so I was thrilled to be back. I just have to throw this out there: My instructor, Sabre, is fantastic! I love her energy. 

And that's it. Because of my health (mostly my stupid, diseased lungs) I had to skip all my other workouts. Including my 5 mile run on Wednesday, my 2 miles on Thursday, laps in the pool on Friday, my 7 mile run and bodypump class on Saturday and my bodypump class on Sunday. It SUCKED! 

However, a new week means a new chance to meet my goals. I feel pretty confidant that I'll be able to do my workouts this week. I'm feeling better and now I have chemistry to help me. Thanks you, modern medicine! If everything goes well I'll be able to run in the river city half on Sunday.  

Wish me luck!








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