Recovery Mode

I've been sort of in a rut or funk this week. I thought it was my mind failing me. All week moments and waves of self doubt were coming over me. Monday was awesome! I did boot camp AND spin class! Then Tues I didn't get outta bed when the alarm went off. It was my day off and I just could not get outta my warm bed. Later on in the day between all my normally scheduled mom duties (homeschool, bowling league, laundry, karate) I made it to the gym!
I had 1.5 hours to get 'er done. I planned to run 20-30 minutes, then hit the pool for laps AND hopefully jacuzzi.
I got on the tredmill and it was just like one of the days I had when I was training for the last triathlon I just couldn't GO! I made it like 16 minutes and just didn't have the get up and go....sooooo I headed to the pool. I found the exact same problem in the pool! The more I tried I just couldn't go. I was also messing in my head. The more I tried the more I was telling myself I can't do this, I can't do this triathlon. There is no way I am capable to do it!!! (Ummm HELLO?!?!?! You have already DONE a triathlon). I just seemed to exhaust real easily that day. So I went to the jacuzzi...
In the jacuzzi I jokes to the girl next to me that my jacuzzi time was longer then my workout hehehe
She said sometimes that is what your body needs. She said if your body is in recovery mode it just won't go and if you push it then you can get injured.
So then I went to pick up the kids and in talking to the childcare worker (who I see working out all the time) and she confirmed it. She said if you go through your warm up and after like 10 minutes you can't seem to get going then she said your body is talking to you and telling you that it needs time to rest.
So after talking with my co-runner & her vast knowledge (she is the research department) she confirmed her marathon books say this too...

So here is what I learned: listen to my body & rest when it says, and read a marathon book

spin class

I spend a lot of time at work looking at my calendar. Re-working the schedule. It always needs a little adjusting.
It looks GOOD now!
I have Boot Camp M, W, F 530a Swim Tu. Th. I'm gonna start Tu, Th 530a weight loss challenge too! And my Saturday run club.
The only thing missing from this plan is the bike part of the tri-training!!!
So today I went to spin class. After a facebook poll, experts (my FB friends) said spin class can be a good training for cycling race.
The stationary bike never seemed to compare to actual biking. I can't get out on my bike for a ride right now because I need the gym childcare AND my bike needs tires.
Spin class is TOUGH! I'm so glad I got the guts to try it! It definitely mimicks cycling up and down hills, doing sprints & I went 20miles in an hour!!
The next order of business if deciding what to do for a bike for the race. I'm trying to get my hands on a loaner road bike or buy a used one. I will need something a few weeks out from the race so I can practice & get use to it. Mountain bikes are completely different and slower so I need at least a few rides before the race!

12 weeks to race day...(sort of)

So this weeks marks the official start of my twelve week training plan for my next triathlon. I got in the pool yesterday and it felt GREAT! I was sore from New Years Eve workout and I got in two boot camps one on Sun and Mon. I also popped in the jacuzzi ahhhhhh. For the next 2 weeks time gonna try to keep up with boot camp M,W,F and swim T,Th and on my days off head to the gym a second time to run/bike. I will keep up with long runs on Saturday until the end of Jan. Then I will start the Y running club! I can't wait for the first meeting and to be able to learn from the coaches. I got my first have marathon 2 weeks before the triathlon EEK!!! Things are gonna be a little crazy I think the next 12 weeks BUT I feel like (and I hope) after this race I will finally believe I am a triathlete (and runner I guess too)

Last Chance Workout

As a fan of the Biggest Loser I always am amazed at how hard they push themselves at the "last chance workout" (their last workout before weighing in).
Well yesterday was the last workout of the year! BUT I called it my last chance workout!
I did something a little crazy...I went to 5:30am Boot Camp at the YMCA AND Jason did a New Year's Eve Boot Camp for his personal training company B cubed Fitness. Like the last few it was 2 hours BUT this time BOTH were kicked up a few notches!!!!
One other girl from class did both!! She said I challenged her by saying I was going to!
In the morning class Jason had said it was gonna be tough! Boy it was! I once again did something I had told myself I could never do!!!! Cartwheels hahahahaha. It is not that I have never done them in my life...just not when Jason incorporates them into class. I probably have not done a cartwheel since my pre-teens.
I just decided to go for it! & of course once I overcame my fear I did cartwheels back & forth the gym.
Then he had us do these Capoera twists, turns, kicks, cartwheels WHOA!! The whole workout was a killer & aparently I used some inner thigh muscles that I don't usually that were sore!
The afternoon workout was promised to be difficult!
We did a 6mile run!!! Now I did a 10k before so I knew I could run 6 miles but that was a flat easy course with a downhill end. This run we went through Balboa Park (literally through thr Prado) then we went down a trail to the bottom of Pershing Dr which while it is not a steep hill it is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG hill!!!! I kept going & pushing myself as hard as I could yet I still end up so far behind! Jason always peels the crew back & says "your doing great" & high fives me! @ one point I decided just to high five everyone that came back for me LOL!!! I had my inhaler with me and I needed a puff half way through (which totally helped). Then we went down a little hill through a neighborhood to the bottom of UPAS it was "a bitch" Jason said! It was so steep!! He stayed with me as I could barely walk up it!!! I wanted to quit, sit & cry LOL. He ran up ahead for a minute & came back with Mike & 2 other of the insanely fit guys in class. (Mike was the one who subbed that day when Jason was sick & is always pushing me! Even during todays run he a few times would run a few steps ahead of me with his hands behind him for me to catch up & slap...except he would run just out of my reach so I really had to run hard)
Anyway they came back as I was barely putting one foot in front of the other & Mike says "I did not run back here for you to walk" gives me a little shove and I trotted to the top of the hill. Then we went along the same run we did Thanksgiving so I knew there was another hill in my future!! I was not able to run up it and again there was Jason pushing me (this time literally) and he wouldn't let me stop! Once we got to the top he says you know where we are at...yes I did. He said home stretch! Which was true it was just a flat straight run to where we started! It was so hard to finish!
Every part of my body hurt!!! A few times I swore I got some pep in my step but at the end I was so done. He had us sprint at the end and I literally couldn't run any faster! & we weren't done! We had drills after that! In true last chance workout style they were the hardest ever! NO JOKE!! He was yelling at all of us!! Especially me I was trying so hard but I was wasted! 2 boys actually stopped after the run. I certainly wanted to!!
I do have pictures but sadly I didn't get out group photo. I'm so bummed!!!
After the workout everyone was so ready to go! Mike said to me that I was so inspirational! (WHAT?!?!?! Me?!?! The slow fat girl) he said if nothing else your flawless attendance. I said I'm so slow he said that has nothing to do with it, you don't give up & you always show up. WOW to have someone I aspire to be like (an athlete) say that blew my mind!!

As for today 1/1/11 I took the day off!!! I am so sore & tired but amazed with myself. A year ago no way I would of ever believed if you told me I would hae completed 2 triathlons, a 10k, a boot camp regular, preparing for a triathlon, half & full marathon. Feeling stronger then I ever had in my life physically mentally & most of all spiritually.
The trials and struggles in life while overwhelming & sometimes sad get us to a place where we can look back & see we can conquer all...so long as we believe, never give up & most of all cling to Jesus.

Christmas Eve Boot Camp

this is Kleon...he is a lot of fun to have around
the sun finally came out in San Diego

Jason was wearing some SHORT shorts

Jingle Bell Run

Pulling tires for 15 minutes HARD WORK

Pulling Becky for 15 minutes also HARD WORK

Our group photo...quickly becoming a holiday/boot camp tradition

For the past almost 2 weeks (since my brother died) I have been having a very hard time with life in general. Which is to be expected. I got a bad migraine the day before he passed and since then suffered from almost a constant headache varying in severity. I knew it was related to stress/sadness. I was also just in a general funk....definitely did not want to do anything but lay in my bed. I certainly did not want to go to work. I spent the past 2 weeks going through the motions feeling like I was trying to reintroduce myself to normal life. I took my son to bowling, went to dinner with a friend, went to work, did the gym. Nothing felt right or good about any of it really. Thursday I did not want to work, the night before my headache had been so bad at work and I was just miserable having to be there. I left early and went to bed after I had slept all day!!

Luckily my doctor (who I love) had an appointment. I went to see her explained everything and she said sometimes a severe migraine can trigger a series of headaches like I had. She said if I took a shot it could break the cycle and hopefully relieve the pain. She also said given the circumstance everything I was experiencing was TOTALLY NORMAL!!! She also excused me from work that night. :-)

I have to say that the shot did exactly what she said and I have been pain free since then. Which was a good thing since we had Christmas Eve Boot Camp in the morning.

We did a 4 mile jingle jangle run (jingle bells on our shoes). I am telling you that no matter how hard I try I am the slowest everytime by a lot. I sure hope my running club and weight loss challenge help with this!!! No one ever makes me feel bad about my pace and Jason encourages me that I am doing good. Then we did drills, plyometrics (don't even really know what that means), ending with abs in the sand!!!

I have to say afterwards I felt incredible. Better then I have felt since I lost my brother!! I think the combo of no more headache and getting in a good tough butt kicking gave me some spark back.

I am sure this won't last forever but it was good to feel like my old self again.

I napped later in the day, went to Christmas Eve service and spent some time with good friends and yummy food. Too bad after such a great work out I ended the day with a huge piece of the most delicious tiramisu cake!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

San Diego Storm Watch 2010

The news always makes a huge deal when a little rain falls in San Diego. This is one of the few times it was actually a pretty nasty unrelenting storm. So I'd be ok if they launched the Storm Watch campaign. I moved last year to Mission Valley which is infact in the valley and like a stones throw from the Stadium AND San Diego River. Both of which flood in any rain more then a drizzle. My actual complex and apartment are on a hill and never in danger of flooding the worst we see is the streets flooding around us with only one way in and out of the neighborhood (up hill away from the river).

So I went to Boot Camp on Wed. (run day which was NOT gonna happen cause it was raining heavily). I was so sleepy didnt even see that half the parking lot was roped off until I almost ran into the rope. My YMCA (Mission Valley YMCA) also runs along the river which had over flowed and was now rushing along the vacant lot adjacent to the building AND through 50% of the parking lot. I parked in the last spot before the rope...then thought for a second probably should move to higher ground. (Thank God I did because later when we left the gym an hour later the water had risen and the car that DID park there was half under water). There was no sidewalk left either we had to walk through the water to get to dry ground.

So Boot Camp was inside since we could not run...it was same ol' same ol'....I must say I miss my boot camp buddie who is traveling for the holidays.

Anyway right in the middle of our circuits the power went completely out in the whole gym (I wonder what that was like on the tredmill???).
Jason was sort of at a loss what to do, he ran to the front desk and came back said it may be the whole street that is out. We had all migrated towards the windows as there was light coming from the windows and exit signs. Jason was sort of baffled what to do then said alright lets keep going....if you want to...and we did 3 sets of 16 push ups. Of course everyone kept going. Turns out if you are crazy enough to go to boot camp @ 5:30am you are crazy enough to do push ups in the dark.
The lights came back on and we continued the circuits. Eventually there was one more momentary outage then the lights stayed on until we finished.

pain is temporary...failure is forever

I'm not sure if I finished my point in the last blog. I dozed off while typing it and sorta closed it off real fast. Anyway I was trying to say that I think I'm going to be writing a lot about losing my brother, the incredible loss & pain I am feeling and how God is going to carry me through this trial as He has many times before.

Today is one week since my brother died. I can not believe it has been a week. It flew by because we were so busy planning the memorial. I took the week off work & it was crazy how busy each day was.
I went back to worl last night. I did not feel like I was ready to go back. I wanted more time BUT the other side of that coin is it is not gonna get any easier to go back. I went through the motions & did my shifts. Thank God I have a mindless, easy job that requires little effort to do.
Today was my return to boot camp. This was almost harder. First of all bootcamp is 530a-640a...so I kept thinking the moment it is over is exactly the time my brother passed 6:43am.a few of my BC buddies are friends on Facebook or they heard from Krystle about my brother. I got a hug & another said how sorry they were. I got teared up and said thank you but I don't wanna talk about it I just wanna sweat!
I think today I was sweating tears cause I was sweater than normal. It was a brutal workout & Jason (who also knew what happened) showed me NO mercy. Which is GOOD! My mind & heart were distracted most the workout. I imagine I will be sore tomorrow.
I'm glad I went back...its the same as working its not gonna get easier the longer I stay away. So the bandaids are ripped off I'm getting back to normal (well the NEW normal).
I also signed up for the San Diego Striders running club. They train you to do the marathon.
The challenge with this is gonna be getting someone to watch my kids every Sat morning for the 7am runs.