mileage (pt. 1) + nature

despite last night's insomnia, i was able to do a good little run on the NCR trail. note to self: don't run at 1PM when the heat index is over 90-some degrees. the shade was a god-send. anyway, i had a little issue with cramping and breathing due to the humidity, but i did an easy 20 minutes. i have no clue how far i went, as i didn't pay attention to the markers, but whatever. my L leg is still annoying me, but it wasn't so bad that i had to stop; i just slowed down until i was comfortable. now's time for an ice bath. yee haw!

i took plenty of time after running to stretch and relax in the shade, and while i was doing so, a sizeable black and yellow butterfly fluttered by and landed on a bush right next to me. then a female cardinal flew back and forth between the trees nearby. plenty of other birds, as well as a number of insects, were chiming in, and a breeze was blowing small leaves across the tops of the high grasses. even though this was very close to Paper Mill Rd, you really wouldn't notice it because it was serene and quiet. this is one reason why i love running: the unending nurturing of appreciation for the life and beauty around you.

mileage and insomnia

this has been a poor week, mileage-wise. i'd overdone it with that wicked biking/running on sunday, so consequently i took monday and tuesday off to rest my very sore legs. then, wednesday, i got hit with a fever, which didn't break until thursday night. thus, i didn't get to train again until today. initially, it was a bit aggravating, but, thanks to brendan [h], i stopped worrying and just relaxed. sure enough, today's was a great workout. i just did 20 laps (1000m-0.6 miles) in the pool without stopping. sure, i won't have walls for push-off in the river (duh), but i'm still glad that i could manage it. i'm also very pleased because i figured out one reason why i'd been having trouble with freestyle; my breathing rhythm was off. it was much better once i fixed it, and even though it's still not very strong, it could still help me come race morning.

which, by the way, is only FIFTEEN DAYS AWAY. yikes. but yikes in a very good way. and funny thing--not only has laurie offered her good bike for me to borrow, but the shop was in fact able to fix my bike. from a dearth to a plethora. weird how that works.

and i can't sleep. it's weird. i haven't slept soundly this entire week, and tonight is the worst. i went to bed pretty tired at 10-ish and woke up at 12:30AM. i've been awake ever since. it's not all bad. haven't had warm milk to drink in awhile, and that's pretty yum. okay, that's weird, but whatever. i also have had time to relax and think about a few things like priorities and goals. i'm also creating something new: a life list of races/places to run. so far, i have the valley of fire [half] marathon*, the empire state building run-up, the army 10, the celtic solstice (here in dru hill park), the village of mata-solana (spain), and, by far the coolest on the list yet, THE GREAT WALL MARATHON. yes, that great wall. like i said, this is a life list, and it's bound to grow and shrink as the years go by. but i'm determined to enjoy life as much as possible, and adventure running is one of the best ways to do that!

*i'm bagging valley of fire for this year due to $$$ and the fact that i'll never be given the extra day off that i need. suck.

oh, and brendan [c] wants me to add the Death Valley marathon. that boy is insane. but if he dares me, i'll probably do it. i'm dumb that way.

:)

iPod game, modified

so here's the idea. i'll post some lyrics from songs that are shuffling on my iPod right now. if you can guess ALL ten songs and the artists correctly, you'll get a prize. a gold star or something. or points. we'll see how good your answers are. here it goes:

1. Shine through times with rhymes bright like yellow
Taste and swallow, lead and never follow,
Break it like a bottle

2. I was the pirate, she was the queen
Sir Francis and Elizabeth, the best there's ever been
Then she strolled past my table and stopped at the stairs
Then sent me a smile as she reached for Flaubert

3. hard one--Love of two is one
Here but now they're gone (hint: *cow bell*)

4. Well, I'm standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see (i've actually been to Winslow, AZ)

5. You run your finger round the rim of his glass
You run your fingers through his hair
They scratch across his back

6. give source of the dialogue & the name of the song after it:
I love you, Pumpkin... I love you, Honey Bunny.
Everybody be cool, this is a robbery!
Any of you fucking pricks move,
And I'll execute every mother-fucking last one of you!

7. We're blessed with the force and the sight of electronics
With the bass, and the treble, the horns and our vocals

8. I think of us someplace
High on a mountain
Smoke clears
Fog lifts
Little by little
We'll rebuild again

9. If you're alive at thirty-three
And you're turning tricks
With your crucifix.
You're a star, oh child.

10. Strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed I'd love somebody like you

there you go. you'll get extra points and gold stars and possibly the prize behind Door 3 if you can make a conjecture about my personality based on the songs above.

***i was told that this (as originally posted on my myspace blog) was ridiculously hard. in deference to the individual who castigated me, i'll list in random order the artists so that you can match things up.

U2, Jimmy Buffett, the Eagles, Pulp Fiction, Jurassic 5, Chris Isaak(s?), Rage Against the Machine, Wallflowers, Blue Oyster Cult, Dire Straits

the exhortation to decipher a piece of my personality still stands. now have at it!

excessive mileage, for which brendan [H] must be punished

i love the hanraman. but my ass has officially put a hit out on him. see, brendan has been the most wonderful and helpful unofficial coach that i could have ever asked for, and he has provided me with hints, tips and workouts that will really help me go the distance.

that said, my legs now want to destroy him. here's the workout:

5 miles bike, 1 mile run.
do three times.

seriously, it's harder than it sounds. it took me ~2 hours to do the whole damn thing. and i just got out of a 20 minute ice bath and am parked on this recliner because i'm too tired and/or sore to move.

brendan had better hope i survive this stupid triathlon...

;)

another survey from kim

50 Questions: From Kim's blog, from Lisa's myspace.

1. Story behind your MySpace song? i just like steve miller band

2. What's bothering you right now? my R hamstring

3. Do you close the door when you pee? not discussing personal hygiene habits. eww.

DESCRIBE YOUR:

4. Wallet? crimson

5. Wallpaper on your computer's desktop? savage chickens' thoreau cartoon

6. Background on your cell phone? an extreme close-up of toby

7. Jewelry worn daily? usually a watch, maybe earrings

8. Where was your default picture was taken? years ago, at a conference track meet

9. Eyes: 'oceany' blue :)

10. Life: messy but in a good way

11. House: it's not--it's an apartment. but it's relaxed and comfortable.

WHAT ARE YOU...

12. Doing this weekend? running, swimming, seeing 'transformers', reading, probably doing something w/ brian and probably rom too

13. Wearing? long brown shorts and baller t-shirt

14. Wanting? deep tissue massage

15. Where are you? at home

16. Listening to? DDT (jurassic 5)

17. Have you ever kissed anyone named brittney? No.

18. What do you smell like? me

19. Eating? nope

20. What is your favorite thing? words

21. Do you believe in a soul mate? if there is such a thing, i haven't met mine yet. no rush.

23. Do you remember your dreams? mostly

24. Do you believe dreams come true? yeah. only catch is that you have to make the real ones come true on your own. those are the best kind.

25. Do you believe in miracles? yeah

26. Do you burn easily in the sun? once in the summer, and then i'm okay for the rest of the season

27. Do you speak another language other than English? bits and pieces of spanish, french and russian

28. What's something you wish you could understand better? human nature

29. What did you do last weekend? ran with the truffers, and i don't really remember the rest, aside from picking brian up from the airport

30. Who do you miss? nobody in particular right now

31. Have you ever been in a talent show? nope

32. Orange or apple juice? orange

33. Do you like the person who took this survey before you? yeah :)

34. What was the last text message you received? corey about passing his boards

35. Last text message you sent? 'congrats!' to corey

37. What is the closest thing to you that is blue? my baller shirt

38. What was the last thing you ate? subway club

39. Last person you hugged? my dad

40. Whose house did you go to last night? my parents'

41. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? my dad (a LONG time ago)

42. Do you like someone right now? well, hopefully a bunch of people. otherwise i'd be pretty alone and miserable.

43. What do you wear more, shorts, jeans or sweatpants? summer--shorts; fall & spring--jeans; winter--sweats

44. What is the last movie you watched? tristan & isolde

45. Have you ever punched a baby? que the hell?!

46. Where did you get the shirt you're wearing? thrift store

47. Xbox 360 or NFL game tickets? NFL game tickets (preferably eagles or ravens).

48. Do you believe that you can change someone? nope

49. Who was the last person to make you laugh? collective effort of dad & toby

50. Where will your next vacation be located? hopefully the Valley of Fire state park; other than that, i don't have $$$ to entertain the idea.

a bike, a bike! my kingdom for a bike! oh, and some mileage too...

still no word on the bike front. still have some time though.

today i did my first swim/bike/run workout. i only did half the distances, just so that i wouldn't kill myself, but it turned out fine. my goal is to make sure that my body can be active for 3 straight hours because i'm estimating that that's the least amount of time i'll need to finish. today, i spent 1 hr, 15 min working out, broken down this way:

a) swim: 20 min (675m--race will be 1000m)
b) bike: 35 min (5-ish miles--race will be 14.5)
c) run: 20 min (1.7 miles--race will be 2.8)

today was the first day that the gym's pool was open, and i'm thrilled. two surprises: water was very chlorine-y, so it was pretty murky, and they hadn't set the temperature yet, so it was 70 degrees, if that. diving in was fairly odd; it certainly didn't feel like a real pool, and i had no concept of where the bottom was (10' deep, so i wasn't in danger of hitting my head or anything). i'd forgotten my goggles, so my eyes were closed (*contacts*), and it just felt... weird, a little disorienting even. but, all of that is actually good because the susquehanna river is not a hot spring. i'll be happy to not have to swim through an oil slick. but anyway. i alternated strokes, which was really helpful, and overall, i'm very pleased with the swim.

i expected to be tired on the bike but not as much as i was. more surprising, i didn't really recover much, even though i was taking it easy. it was the longest 35 minutes ever. bleh.

the run was far better, and i was taken aback when my second wind came then. i figured that, by then, my body would have had enough and would want to just stop. maybe it's because i was the most conservative there; i wanted to try to do the whole 20 minutes, instead of trying to be fast and crapping out at 10. also, maybe i was able to do it because i did give myself an out. i told myself that, if i start to feel shitty and/or achy and/or in pain, i will stop. i don't want to hurt myself trying to be a hero a month before the race. there's no need. knowing that i could step back if i needed to helped me slowly put one foot in front of the other.

all in all, it was probably one of the hardest workouts i've ever done because i haven't done anything like it. it hasn't made me feel the most awful, but the combination of disciplines and the constant (well, relatively) movement was quite challenging. that said, now that i've finished this one, i know that i can do another one. i am so excited for this triathlon!



now all i need is a bike...

mileage with the truffers and reflections on my grandfather

it was so nice to have new running partners and new scenery this morning. we wound our way around mt. airy, and it was quite pretty, if not very hilly. the weather cooperated as well, with lots of sun and refreshing breezes. we ran around 56 or so minutes, and, as we took a turn that erika originally didn't intend to make, i'm not sure how far we actually ran. perhaps 4 1/2 miles? i think that's what was decided.

i'm so glad that i took yesterday off. i'm no longer feeling like junk, and i look forward to tomorrow's swim+bike workout. however, i am not looking forward to this wednesday. my dad and i are running the harrisburg mile. normally, that's a fun, great race. but my grandfather passed away on the race day last year. dad had signed up but didn't want to do it, but my mom insisted, saying that grandpa would be pissed if we didn't do the things we enjoy on account of him. so dad and my uncle did it together, and it was so good for them both. this year, my dad and i plan on running it in memory of grandpa (he was there to cheer me on at xc and track meets as often as he could), and i don't know how i'm going to hold up. i'm already in tears right now, in part because i can't believe that it's been a year. grandpa and i were very close, and i'm so thankful to have been a part of his life. also, seeing my dad struggling and in tears just rips me apart; last year, i could barely handle the fact that my father was in so much pain. i think that, as a defense against inner collapse, he allowed his military face take over, and while he did cry and everything, he held so much inside. but i know my dad better than that. i do know that grandpa would smack us both for being so sad, and what lifts me from the grief is this memory of him from a few years ago. he had this bucket had that he wore everywhere, and he had this sort of really goofy grin that he'd show when he wanted to be silly. my grandpa wasn't much for showing his emotions at all, but when he did, it was fantastic. remembering him in that hat always makes me laugh; that's how i want him to stay.

i miss him.

yesterday's mileage

swam yesterday, and i'm very pleased because i went for the whole 35 minutes, whether or not it was the actual workout lengths. ended up doing 24 lengths of free + breaststroke, 16 lengths of sidestroke for warm-up & cool-down, and 20 lengths of random, just to keep moving. i also did 5 minutes of treading water, just to make sure i could in case i had issues and would need to rest during the tri. woo! i'm very pleased with the workout, although my R ear started to ache. i have to be really careful because i do NOT want an infection. i'm also a little concerned because i've been going for long periods without eating lately. i know i'm burning a bunch of calories, but i haven't felt hungry at all. i checked online, and apparently i should be consuming 2600 cals a day. i know that's not happening at all. that can't be good. don't know why this is happening...

i am tired and feeling like junk today. thank goodness that today's a rest day. that's a relief.

i am truly shocked, appalled and throwing up in my mouth...

the morons at merriam-webster are once again doing their utmost to make us into a nation of unedimicated idiots. if you haven't read the article i've linked, they've carried out their annual up-date to the collegiate (collegiate!!!) dictionary, and they've decided to include words such as "ginormous," "crunk," and "smackdown." some of their past additions--"mouse potato," "soul patch," "drama queen," "unibrow," "bling bling," and "himbo."

are you kidding me?! i'm sure that murray and the members of the 19th century philological society of london (originators of the Oxford English Dictionary--the only *true* dictionary in my mind) are turning in their graves. the editors of m-w are appropriating slang and pop culture vocabulary, asserting that they're part of the standard american english lexicon. ironically, **by definition**, slang must stand outside the formal language! and, as is the nature of slang, the words fall out of use anyway. when was the last time we all said "bling bling"? anybody who doesn't live under a rock knows that it's been shortened, and even then, as fashions trends have evolved, it's a bit passe to be covered in the glitter. to flaunt one's wealth so overtly is now seen as a bit gauche. why can't we perpetuate the use of such vocabulary as passe (sorry, i can't figure out how to create an accented e) and gauche?! no wonder the verbal SAT scores suck these days...

the editors of m-w are debasing the effort to encourage a more learned vocabulary, one that then fosters more sophisticated and respected discourse in all fields. when i taught at UMD, i required that a student remove "vanilla" from his paper. while the word may be appropriate for creative fiction/poetry or perhaps even a study on popular culture, it is *not* fitting for a cost/benefit analysis of genetically modified crops. "that tomato crop is so vanilla" doesn't wash in scholarly and professional discourse.

i would say that the words soon to be admitted in the so-called "collegiate" dictionary should be relegated to a slang dictionary, as their use is so ephemeral, and students should be taught and required to use a more formal vocabulary in their daily work. side note--that's also a useful tactic in generally alleviating constant swearing; requiring a student choose another word to express his or her feelings often results in he or she finding more appropriate (and often more specific and interesting) phrases.

if m-w is going to adhere to and defend this practice, they ought not purport to be a scholarly representation of our lexicon. that is simply misleading and unprofessional. i'll just have to protest in my own little ways, to include general disdain and scathing mockery.

OED represent!

*this post also seen as bulletin on my myspace page.

mileage + technical difficulties and new wounds

:D

first, yesterday's work. swim: 32 lengths, alternating freestyle & breaststroke. form and breathing has vastly improved, and i am much more confident. as a result, i'm that much more excited.

now today. i'm typing this without using my R middle finger... because i punctured it. but i'll get to that in a sec. bike: 85 min, B&A/BWI trails, from marley station mall to the airport and back.

THAT RIDE WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!! reasons why:
1) longest ride i've ever done
2) most scenic, in terms of buildings, people, AIRPLANES
3) airplanes were landing and taking off over me. coooooooooooooool! (you can tell i'm a pilot's daughter because i think that's cooooooooooooooooool)
4) spoke with other cyclists along the way; neat comradery (sp?).
5) i am more proficient at trouble-shooting than i thought.

#5--i was riding along dorsey road and went to change gears when i heard a loud snap. the one lever had lost its control, but it didn't cause any immediate danger. i just couldn't use all ten speeds. once i'd reached my turn-around time at 42:30, i dismounted and checked it. as it turns out, the one gear cable had snapped. it is an older bike, so the cable was rusted in two places, and i think that it'd just reached its breaking point. FYI, don't go to In-Gear cycling in annville, pa; we paid those guys to clean up the bike, replace old, worn-out parts. seems they didn't. anyway, i was able to get back to the car, figure out the problem, and poke around. that's when my hand slipped, and my finger met something sharp on the bike. it's a relatively deep puncture, but it's been cleaned and bandaged, so i'm not too worried. i just have to clean it every morning, as these types of wounds are more prone to infection than lacerations. my goal is to not have a gangrenous finger.

I LOVED THIS RIDE!!!!!!!!!!

bank account alert: please read!

guys, please check your bank accounts to make sure they haven't been tampered with. i got a letter yesterday stating that an employee from a middleman company (i'll explain that in a second) stole massive amounts of consumer info (acct #s, names, addresses, d.o.b.s, etc.) and sold it. this company is called Certegy, and they go between businesses and your bank, cashing your checks, etc., and giving the $$$ back to the businesses. if you're information has been compromised, you should have received a letter from Certegy by now, but even so, please please please double check your $$$. of course, it's not like i have any for them to steal, but they can really fuck with my credit. just look out, okay?


"someone stole my identity. i feel sorry for them."
-t bone burnett

yikes, mileage

a stabbing in my neighborhood: yikes. anybody know positive ways to handle this sort of thing? i'm going to keep doing what i'm doing, with more care and an extra glance over my shoulder, etc., but any extra advice would help.

so that makes this feel a little superficial, but i don't want to be all paranoid and all that. anyway, i bagged the trail race i thought i'd want to do because my right leg woke me up in the middle of the night. instead, i went up to NCR and just did 35 minutes, easy. surprisingly, my legs felt very fresh. the weird part was that i felt as though i was carrying a 2x8 across my shoulders. seriously. after all that swimming, my shoulders feel so wide, and it definitely affected my arm carriage. but, it didn't take terribly long to get used to it, and i'll just be stretching a lot and get somebody to massage my back every so often. all said, i'm very excited for the triathlon. awesome.

pet peeve, mileage

okay, i know there are little racing machine enthusiasts all around. however, said machines are noisy and intrusive for those of us trying to relax in the comfort of our own home. instead of zipping them up and down the parking lot, disturbing a large number of residents, how about taking the little machine across the street to one of the extra target parking lots? how about at shoppers next door? what about the elementary school or park within a mile's drive? hmm? hmmmm? i wouldn't be terribly upset if the little machine was run over...

so i'm a little behind in my reporting, so we'll see if i can remember the past few days' workouts.

Thursday: short, 15 min. swim (felt good)
Friday: 70 min bike (@ gym b/c of the bad heat)
Today:
a) 25 min. swim (25 lengths, plus extra lengths for wm up & cl down)
b) 45 min. bike (@ gym again b/c of bad heat and humidity)

i'm feeling a lot more comfortable with my two strokes and my breathing. yeehaw! only thing is that i did the swim and bike so on top of each other, and having not done that before, i was not prepared for the exhaustion carrying over... however, i survived and survived well. i'm also learning how my body feels after swimming. not sure how to explain it. my shoulders are also... not bulking up, but the shoulder portions in my shirts are tighter. :( i can't afford new clothes! but, the shoulder thing is supposed to be a good sign, right?

right?

bumps, heat, success, and mileage

so i am the legend of the fall. falls. many falls. toby and i went for a hike with cj, courtney, four of their friends, and three other dogs, and we were out for about an hour and a half. wouldn't you know though, that i can't go a whole year without him injuring me. such was the case on sunday when he pulled me down a hill, and i scraped up my left forearm. awesome, toby. awesome.

monday, i attempted to make up for sunday's missed swim+bike workout by going for a run+bike combination. i had a good, short 20 minute run, but unfortunately, i was poorly hydrated and had eaten too close to workout time. consequently, i nearly passed out once i returned to the start. that was a tiny bit upsetting, but i worked hard, i tried, and that's that. at least i was able to do something.

yesterday's workout was much better, by far. a 30 minute swim was slated, and i did a ladder of lengths (not laps). i surprised myself because i was working so hard, but i completed it without numerous breaks. i took maybe two 1 minute breaks, a few 15 or 30 second breaks, and then the other recovery time was spent with the backstroke (or what passes for it, considering my experience). i did approximately 40 lengths (!) of the apt. pool, and that probably only translates to about 20 or 25 of a real pool. but, i still did it. yeehaw!!!!

today was the american visionary art museum's pet parade. i only heard about it because i'd accidentally left my radio alarm on, and npr did a short little blurb about it. so toby and i went to federal hill, and we had a blast. it'd take too long to describe it, so i'll just include a few pictures.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

:)

mileage, bike

got on my bike today. the real bike. did the B&A trail, and i was really pleased. i haven't been on that particular bike in a while, so i had to adjust, play with the gears a little bit, etc., but overall, it was fine. it was particularly exciting to realize how good i felt, even after completing 9 1/2 miles. i'm successfully relaxing by just logging the time. no pressure! yes!

the only issue i had was my fear of falling. i don't remember having this fear as a child, but, since then, it's become quite amplified, and i'm terrified of my body going fast. perhaps it's that i have no sense of where my body is in space and thus lose control of it very quickly... anyway, this fear always emerges when my body is going fast and going downhill. not good for being on a bike. but, i did it! i was able to go the whole time without falling downhill! instead, i fell going uphill.

seriously. i did. this kid in front of me was having trouble going up, and he lost his balance and consequently fell to his left. i had to quickly adjust and swerved to miss him, but then i lost my balance and bit it, right into the fence on the left. he felt so guilty, even when i reassured him that i was fine. i really should have indicated that i was as close as i was, so it's probably partially my own dumb fault. anyway, that was my fall for the day, with the scars to prove it. but, i was out, had a good ride (60 min.), and enjoyed an absolutely beautiful day while doing it.

:)

mileage, calendar

yesterday i worked on a training calendar that should take me all the way to the valley of fire half. i used a variety of sources, and it still needs to be more specific, but at least i got off to a good start by doing the 35 minutes slated. i ran with brian and duke and focused on a) safety in the heat, b) good form for efficient energy expenditure, and c) use of topography to my advantage (that just means running hills well). my core work paid off even more than i ever thought it would because my posture was excellent, which, in turn, kept my chest open for better breathing, even when i was tired. the fact that i even noticed the strength in those muscles is a good sign--people often underestimate the impact of abs on fitness; they just want the 6-pack. but anyway. brian and i and the dog did the loop by his house, and i extended it by 5 minutes by charging up the hill on bond st. ugh. even though it's a bitch of a hill, i was able to stay focused and speed back down, finishing strong just beyond brian's house. i'm really excited at how focused and disciplined i was, especially since yesterday was not good and that i was nervous about running in heat. yee-haw!

mileage + random

so i have this book now. it's a good one. i can't find it or remember the title. but it's good and helpful. it's given me a perspective on training for the triathlon, and now i can stop pestering brendan ad nauseum. that's a relief; i hate being a pest. it also gives me a better idea of how i want to space my training so that i'm not worried as to how much or how little i should do. that said, here was my day:

swimming in the pool--
since it was relatively empty, i was able to do longer lengths that are closer to 25 meters. i did 5 laps breaststroke and 5 laps freestyle. initially, i was really worried because about 3 laps into the total 10, my chest started to close up. i had to stop in the middle and walk over to the side. i was upset that that'd happened, but then i just stopped, rested, and started again. i then focused on form and breathing. i guess i tend to do harder workouts than slower ones, which i should do instead so that i can focus on form and breathing. once i did that, i was fine and relaxed and able to finish.

gym--
i was on the elliptical for 2x15 minutes, going backward first, forward second. if i do elliptical, i always do backward for my hamstrings; it helps. after those 30 minutes, i did 15 minutes stretching and then worked on my hip flexors and abductors. did some sumo squats and some intense core work and came home to crash like a ton of bricks.

overall, i'm really pleased with how today went, and i'm tired but not sore. i'll be able to spend more time planning out the rest of the SEVEN WEEKS BEFORE THE TRIATHLON! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

adventures in the mundane.

1) last week, i left the headlights on. cue 'groan' as i discover my gaff upon leaving work. luckily, i get a jump and am able to make it home. later, the car starts sufficiently despite its protests, so i deem it safe to drive to PA. i drive during the day so as to not use the headlights, and i go with the radio off and the windows down to save the extra juice, just in case. fast forward to today when the car coughs and sputters and only starts once i begin to pray because i can't have a broken car. i made it to work and then went to the shop immediately afterward in order to get it fixed. it was much cheaper than i thought it'd be, considering that the shop is part of the dealership, and they also did a great job. the car is good.

2) on friday, i logged a few miles running up in lebanon. it made me miss running in the country. lebanon is far from being the 'burbs, and it's so quiet and peaceful. i think i must have done 3 miles without even thinking about it. took the obligatory dip in my parents' pool afterward. it was a great run.

3) saturday was the hixson family reunion. it's kind of unfortunate because, for all that my cousins and i gripe about it, it is something really special that not every family has, and this year, attendance was at an all-time low. to get an idea of what i'm talking about--my grandfather has six living sisters, each of whom is married and has at least two children, and those children are also married and have at least two children. taken at the bare minimum then (i cannot for the life of me remember who's who and stuff), that's ... 60 people? throw in my grandfather's contigent, and that's about 90 people. attendance on saturday? 28. sure, my dad and i were still the hecklers in the back row during the "family entertainment hour," but i just wish more could have shown, which would have delighted my grandfather. the man is 84, after all.

4) saturday night, i met up with corey shepler for dinner at a tavern in kleinfeltersville (little itty, bitty town east of lebanon). i haven't really talked to corey in ~10 years, and while driving to the tavern, i was a little nervous... would we have anything to talk about? would we even get along? how different are we now? as it turns out, neither of us would shut up for the whole time, we laughed for hours on end, and while we've definitely grown, our friendship seems to have picked up exactly where it left off in 1997. and apparently, i should still be called "catherine the great." corey still won't tell me what that means.

5) on sunday, i was exhausted. i'd been trying to sleep on an uncomfortably firm mattress and having nightmares, so i basically crashed on the couch as soon as i got back from the early service at st. andrews. since there was no time for workouts on saturday though, i did jump in the pool with half an intention to get laps and drills in. the breathing drills went surprisingly well, and even just the small bit that i did helped me to get a better feel for form. THANK YOU, BRENDAN! however, after only a few laps of freestyle, i wanted to fall asleep. not good while swimming. my dad was out with me, and he said to just bag it; he knows that when i get frustrated, i push too hard and then ruin my workouts and my entire day. he was right. i made myself just let it go. and then i slept on the couch again.

6) today was fine. car issues aside, i was happy because i got to work with some good kids, and i appreciated their politeness and independence. i was still tired, so i took a nap, and then i headed to brian's place to use his treadmill. i didn't go to the gym or run outside for an important reason--i wanted to run in my tri outfit, to see if it would chafe, ride up, etc. that's not something i really want to do in public. running in public in a bra and shorts is one thing. running in public in a bikini is quite another. but i digress. i did 2 miles and might have gone further if i had not been insanely bored. even with my iPod and gilmore girls playing on the tv, i just couldn't run another step. it's something about brian's basement... anyway, the outfit worked out surprisingly well and was supportive and comfortable. now all i have to do is decide which i like better--the bra top or the tank top...

i'm tired again. hopefully i'll be able to sleep without having any nightmares.

apparently, i must not have enough drama in my life

...if i have to be upset about my swimming. stupid thing is, yesterday, one of my friends sent me some advice, i looked at a website he recommended, and the rest of the day was great. i carefully read everything and tried to implement one or two points when i headed out to the pool in the afternoon. turns out, i'm not as terrible as i thought, form-wise. of course, i still have a lot to work on, but at least i know i'll be able to breathe. according to brendan h. (and he seems to be my most involved advisor, so i think i'll stick with his tips), i just need to focus on time in the water and doing a few form drills regularly. i think i can handle that.

of course, buoyed by my success,* i devoured the july issue of runners' world after getting out of the water. that's not so smart after a workout. i was so excited and psyched after the swim that i decided it was entirely necessary to throw in a run before the day's end. so i didn't do just a long, slow run. i felt compelled to do a tempo run. my R leg still gives me issues, but nothing was so bad that i couldn't run through it. i skipped doing any core work afterward because i was desparate to get home and ice down. and this is where i took some more rw advice... i sat in an ICE BATH for twenty minutes--legs completely covered by extremely cold water and a good amount of ice cubes. i have to admit though... as tough as the run was, my legs feel relatively good today, which is usually not the case otherwise... i HATE when they're right about stuff like that!

workout totals:

swim--10 laps** each, breaststroke and freestyle
alternated types: e.g., 2 laps BR, 2 laps FR, etc.
took small breaks between each type
goal next time is to do 4 laps without stopping

run--forced to use treadmill (long story)
5 min walk warm-up
5 min 5.5mph warm-up
5x3 min up tempo (90% race pace)
1 min break between each (6mph)
5 min 5.5mph cool-down
5 min walk cool-down

i'm going to insert one change-up run per week, either fartlek, interval, tempo, or hill, just to build some of those fast-twitch that keep me going in the last few meters of the race. woo!

*and yes, the pun is completely intentional. welcome to my world of bad jokes.
**still not sure of the meter-age of my pool at the apartment. i forgot to see how long i was in the water, which, for now is what i want to pin-point.

nerves

i'm freaked. my strokes suck. they're terrible. you'd think i didn't know how to swim at all. well, it's probably not that bad, but my lack of proper form worries me. when it comes to the tri, i have no issues with the bike or run. the swim is a whole different can of worms. since it's the first part, it'll be doubly hard and completely kick my ass before i even get to the comfortable parts. now, my goal is just to finish. i'm not trying to qualify for the Gatorade ironman or anything. but i do want to survive the swim and come out of the water alive and with enough energy to slog my way through the rest of the race.

part of the problem is that i have so many resources. that is a problem because i don't know who the best person to listen to is, what the best website is, what training calendar fits me best, and so on and so forth. i get such a variety of information that i'm overwhelmed and don't know which options to choose. so, consequently, i'm picking from here and there and making it up as i go. i'm keeping a journal of my workouts and everything, and i'm trying to plan ahead of time which days are best for swim/bike/run. i'm also attempting to organize the specific workout for the day (e.g., how many laps or minutes to swim, how many miles to bike/run). like i said, the bike and run=cake walk. no big deal. i also know that i'm in good shape for sports since i've lost weight, built my endurance base, significantly lowered my body fat%, and increased my fitness level substantially. but, not knowing what i'm doing otherwise freaks me out.

while i just said that i have too many sources of information about swimming, i would really appreciate any advice you'd have on mental relaxation/preparedness/toughness.

***HELP!!!***