Weekly Wrap-up, June 10-16 (and then some)

I didn't do a blog post last week because honestly - there wasn't much to talk about!  That injury I mentioned that I got during the Blue Hen 5K haunted me all week.  I tried a short run on Thursday but got two steps into it before it was done.  I know it was lousy timing, but to tell you the truth - I just took a break.  I did a lot of core work and a lot of stretching, which I'm reaping the benefit from now.  I didn't do a whole lot else - just that, plus I did watch what I ate.

I made it a goal to track everything I eat on MyFitnessPal between now and Ironman.  EVERYTHING.  Even the pizza slices for lunch, or the chicken fingers and fries (delicious).  Even if it's bad, it makes me more aware and lets me be more honest with myself about how I feel after I eat certain foods.  Now that I've been consistent with it for a week, I will try to eliminate some of the bad stuff (instead of getting chicken fingers and fries, I'll get a yummy salad).  Although, I made an awesome recipe for lunches this week, so maybe I won't even want to go out!

I'm back at it this week - below is what my training looked like (FYI - I'll probably get that core session in tonight while watching RHONJ).

My workouts this week went well - I thought they would, after the week of nothingness.  My ride on Saturday was great.  I broke it up into intervals:  4x30' @ zone 5 with 5' Rest Intervals.  I averaged a little less than 20mph during the intervals, which made me happy.  What made me ever happier was that I wasn't that sore the next morning when I woke up.  My body handled the workload fine.  I was pretty tired today during my ride, but that's to be expected (I still got 'er done!!).  It makes me think I can handle what's coming up, and also gives me some insight into how my taper should look for the middle of July (yeah - I still haven't planned that.  Need to finish thinking it out).

The Athlete Guide for Lake Placid came out.  (side note - I don't get why they don't assign bib numbers until two weeks before.  The race has been sold out for a year - they know who is going to be on the start line.)  The swim start is different this year - different direction and it's a time trial start.  I'm ok with switching direction (since I only breathe on my right side, so the switch actually works out better for me), but I'm not so cool with the time trial start.  Not that it matters competitively for me so much, but come on - it's Ironman!  If you cannot handle the mass start, then don't sign up.  It's that simple.  If I was more competitive I would be upset because I wouldn't have a good idea of how I'm doing my age group, but I'll save that concern for another year.  I would have preferred that they do wave starts based on age groups, but such you have to live the hand your dealt.

I started thinking of what I might want to do after Ironman is done.  I'm going to take August pretty much off (maybe the NorthEast Tri toward the end of the month), but after that I think I want to do the Philly Marathon and try to go sub-4.  I've never really (really!) trained for a marathon and I'd like to get close to qualifing for Boston.  We'll see - no decisions until at least three weeks after the race.  I've learned from experience to not decide on these things until I'm in a good frame of mind.

Until next week!

Week Wrap-up, May 27 - June 2

Back to normal!  Sort-of.

As you can see below, it was a bike-heavy week.  That's because I had the two long bikes put together in the same 'counting' week.  In retrospect, I think that Monday long ride caused me to to require additional recovery that I wasn't really signed-up for and thus caused me to miss two sessions.  There's only five more weeks left and I don't think I'll have to deal with too many weather issues like that again, so hopefully I can avoid it.  This lesson also reinforced that I need a recovery day after big sessions.

Last week I said I wanted to focus on bike nutrition and I did - I figured out what I need to do.  If I'm going the no-sports drink route then I need a gel every 30-40 minutes, but if I have sport drink then I can do one every hour.  I don't have rear bottle holders on my bike yet, and I'm not sure if I'll actually get them.  I don't intend to use them in the race, so they are primarily a training tool.  But, when I use them the Perform gets really warm - it's not refreshing.  I almost prefer stopping somewhere along the way to refill everything, particularly when it's warm outside.  If I were a newbie, there's no question that I would get the bottle holders, but it looks like I'm going to use the same nutrition plan I've used for the past three years, so I'm not as worried about not 'practicing what I preach'.  They will have Perform avaialble on the course, so I can grab bottles as I go.

Running...yeah, this took a step-back this week.  I was doing ok with it until my long run on Sunday, specifically until about 1:15 into the long run.  Instead of just finishing it out like I probably should have, I decided to jump into the Blue Hen 5K.  And then, instead of just running it normal pace like I should have, I decided I wanted to go fast (my ego got in the way).  I was fine until about two miles in when my left lower calf (not my achilles - the lower soleus) just wouldn't work.  Every time I pushed off with my left toes it was horrible (going uphill = not good).  I'm pretty sure it's one of those things I just need to rest and ice and in a few days I'll be ok, but I'm on the DL for running until about Thursday.  If it goes my longer than that, then I'll start to worry.

On my ride on Wednesday night I was being trailed the whole time by this older roadie.  He was nice enough, but he would pull in front of me for five seconds, and then I would pass him again.  He did this about five times within seven miles.  I finally lost him when I turned onto New Linden Hill Road and started a decent.  I guess I was getting a bit frustrated because I was really focused on going down hill and all in aero position when BAM - I hit (what I think was) a rock and got two flat tires!!  TWO!  I was only about 2 miles from home, so I just went home with my tail between my legs.  I took the wheels to the shop the next day and ended up getting two new tires.  I guess the rock slashed a bit hole in them.  It's fine - I knew I was going to have to get new tires before the race, so it just forced me to do it!

Other Lake Placid news...my sister and her hubby are going up this weekend to do the Lake Placid Half Marathon.  I'm jealous and wish I could go up with them!  I am going to try to start making lists of what I need to pack, buy and bring for Ironman weekend this week.  Doing that will help keep me focused on staying on the straight and narrow.

This week my focus has got to be eating good, quality foods.  I can do my schedule like a no-brainer, so choosing what (and when) to eat has to be the focus.  Five more weeks of training!!  YIKES!

Weekly Summary
Hours Completed:  15:25
Swim:  1:31, 5,300 yards
Bike:  10:46, 181.37 miles
Run:  2:36, 17.3 miles
Strength:  30'

Key Workouts
Wednesday Swim
Wednesday Bike
Thursday Run
Saturday Long Ride
Sunday 'Long' Run

Coming Up Next Week

• Focus on eating good, quality foods
• Hit scheduled workouts (swim, core)
• Long ride/race rehersal on Saturday.  This is a long ride (up to 6 hours) with a longer brick run after, probably between 30-45 minutes.  It takes me a lot of mental energy to gear up for this workout, so I need to start focusing on it now.

Weekly Wrap-up, 5/27/13

I've taken a 'bit of a break' from the blog - things just got a little out of control.  But, I'm back and 100% focused on IMLP on July 28, 2013.  In fact, it's occupying more than a few of my thoughts.

Weekly Summary
Completed:  14:26
Swim:  3:15, 11,200 yards
Bike:  4:41, 73.3 miles
Run:  4:23, 28.8 miles
Strength:  2:15

I'm a bit shalacked, I'll admit.  The wind was out of control Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and since it was Memorial Day today, I did my long ride for the week today (Monday), so it's not included in those totals.  I was going to do it yesterday but my rear tube exploded Saturday afternoon and by the time I got around to fixing it (and hence realizing that my spare tube had a hole in it), the bike shop was closed.  So, an early afternoon medium long-ride was had on Sunday and my long ride for the week was today.

I'm nervous about next week - another big week.  After that, I'll probably take a day or two recovery (I'm just doing yoga tomorrow AM, and maybe a short bike tomorrow - weather permitting).  I just need to keep my muscles somewhat loose, stay healthy (no sinus infections!) and keep eating good food.  Six more weeks to go...

Things I learned this week

• Recovery matters.  It's hard to recover while at work all day.  Good thing there's only six real training weeks left.  This weekend if I wasn't training, I was sleeping or eating or laying on the couch (sometimes two at once!). 
• I have to figure out my bike nutrition.  I haven't been using Perform - I've just been using water and gels/blocks on the bike.  Today I nearly bonked and passed out.  I either need to up my foods or incorporate some liquid calories.

Key workout files below

Wednesday Bike

Thursday AM Long-ish Run (ugh...this sucked)

Saturday Long Run (again...ughhh!!!  Running had better get better, soon)

Sunday Long Swim (my best yet!)

Sunday Medium-Long Ride (holy wind)

21 Day Sugar Detox - Days 6, 7 and 8

So...this week blew up a bit.  I fully admit - I fell off the wagon a bit.  50% of my office is sick with the flu (it might even be more) and on Wednesday, I totally thought I had it.  That morning around 11ish, I started feeling really tired, congested, sore throat, itchy eyes - I thought I was dead man walking.  I could see my next week, laying on the couch watching horrible daytime TV.

Turns out, it was just sinuses.  I felt like a world-class schmuck for overreacting.  I got myself so stressed out and paranoid that I gave into a bit of temptation.  I had some crackers and dark chocolate.  Wednesday night I was still feeling kind of poopy so I didn't prepare any food for Thursday, so I had a rough day yesterday.  I tried to make the most of it when I got to work.  I had a salad and soup for lunch and a protein bar (as natural as I could find) for a snacky.

I'm BACK today.  I didn't like how I felt yesterday - I felt lethargic, tired, lack of focus.  It could have been the sinuses (which are still bothering me), but it also was probably my diet.  I gained a little back, but not too much (thank GOD!).  I'll re-group this weekend and will make sure this doesn't happen again.

I'm going on a cooking/baking binge this weekend, since I have Monday off.  So far, the plans are to make:

• Slow Cooker Short Ribs (I'm making these for dinner tonight)
• Chicken Bacon Alfredo
• A couple loaves of Paleo Bread
• Kale Chips
• Assorted other goodies I haven't identified yet.  I'd love to do some Apple Pumpkin Butter and Pumpkin Butter Cups

For workouts, I want to get in 1.5 hour a day of 'stuff'.  I'm not using Training Peaks to track my workouts anymore because I realized it was making me crazy.  Too many numbers, too many red, green or yellow workouts.  Instead (since this is the year of weight control), I'm keeping track on Strava and on a Google Doc.  I'll start adding my workouts to my daily-ish summaries starting tomorrow.

21 Day Sugar Detox - Day 5

Today was the closest I've come yet to cheating (although...I might have anyway).  I was doing ok until around 3 p.m. and then I was dying for something sweet.  I was hungry, tired and sinusy, all of which normally drives me downstairs to the cafe for a scone (or mini Reeses peanut butter cups).  However, in my mini-victory today, I took a step back and instead got my smoothie (which I know everyone in the office assumes is a science experiment. It's not - it's my saving grace at 3 p.m. in the afternoon) and had that.  I told myself to wait 15 minutes and if I still wanted something, I could get it then.  Fortunately, I got distracted and before I knew it, it was time to go home.  Will power prevails!!

I was zonked today, though.  I didn't sleep well last night.  I wrote yesterday about how meal timing is a big deal, and I think sleep is just as big a deal.  I need 7-8 hours a night otherwise I get the sugar cravings and I start slowly deteriorating.  My body just does not function as well with little sleep.  I can't skimp on it.  In fact, I was going to get up to do a ride, but I slept in instead because I knew I didn't sleep well.  I did manage to pull myself together (partly in thanks to an Americano from downstairs) and I got a 30 minute ride in after work.  I wanted to 45 minutes, but the boyfriend was hungry so I had to feed him.

Which gets me to my 'I think I cheated'.  I made pasta for dinner tonight (he had pasta, I had spaghetti squash), but I used store-bought meatballs and sauce.  I totally forgot to look at the ingredients, but I'm pretty sure there was sugar at least in the sauce (it was Whole Foods Organic 365 marinara sauce).  I was upset when I realized this.

My boyfriend helped me put it in perspective.  I'm doing this thing to help me get a grip on my sugar intake/cravings, not to totally sign-off of sugar.  I'm going to have to have sugar eventually - the trick is to do it in moderation and not binge.  Which, I'm doing, as evidenced by my willpower/resistance at 3 p.m.  If some sugar snuck into my spaghetti squash pasta, then so be it.  I'm doing far more good for myself in the long run than harm that little bit of sugar will do.  I'm developing the will power and trust in myself to know that I can live without it without anything horrible happening.

I'm down nine pounds since the beginning of January.  Yea me!

Food for today (this is going to look very familiar all week long):

• Butternut squash, avocado and cinnamon smoothie
• Egg muffins
• Hard boiled egg
• Chicken tenders (i overcooked these...they are kind of dry.  It's going to be tough getting them down all week)
• Smokey bacon chili on roasted/shredded cauliflower
• Spinach, almond butter, flax seed and banana smoothie
• Spaghetti squash, marinana and turkey meatballs

21 Day Sugar Detox - Day 4

Today was a bit of a struggle, I'm not going to lie.  I really wanted both a glass of wine and something sweet - fruit, chocolate, anything.  I didn't want to pig out, I really just wanted a little slice.  But, I withheld and stayed the course.  I had a banana and almond butter around 4 p.m. and that seemed to do the trick.  I am a bit sad that the Golden Globe red carpet is on and I will be sans my normal glasses of wine, but...it's only three weeks.  I can get through anything for three weeks.  Plus, it'll be over by Oscar time, so I can look forward to that.

(I know it's lame and girly, but I love watching the dresses and seeing what everyone looks like all glammed up.  Its a guilty pleasure for someone who spends a lot of time covered in chlorine, sweat and dirt.)

Oh - the swim!  The swim was a painful reminder that I need to drag my ass to the pool more often.  It's seriously been two months since I've been in the water.  I was good for the first 1500 yards, but the lasat 600 were challenging.  My pace slowed way down as the time went on.  However, my suit fit and it will only get more loose from here on out!  Tomorrow will most likely be a short ride on the trainer (hopefully I don't wake the boyfriend up...).

Halfway through I realized that I probably should have had my egg muffins before my workout instead of my butternut squash smoothie because I would need the carbs after.  My suspicians were confirmed through a headache and the fact that I had no energy about an hour after the swim.  I had a baked yam (it was small) as soon as I could, and immediately after I ate that I felt so much better.  Lesson learned => need carbs to recover from workouts.

Another lesson I've learned from these four short days is nutrient timing.  It really makes a difference not only what you eat, but when you eat it.  I'm getting better at learning what my body needs when, and I imagine that by the end of this 21 day experiement I'll be much better at reading the signals.

Food for today:

• Butternut squash smoothie
• Egg muffins
• two chicken tenders
• Leftover pulled pork and bussel sprouts
• Beef stir fry with red pepper, green pepper, onion and mushrooms
• Probably my cucumber, avocado and lime smoothie sometime tonight

21 Day Sugar Detox - Day 3

I'm actually writing this on Sunday morning (day 4) because I was just zonked last night - yesterday was busy.  My boyfriend came in to visit yesterday afternoon (he lives about an hour away so comes when he has a break in his schedule), so I wanted to get all my 'stuff' done yesterday before he got here: cleaning, laundry, meal planning, etc.  He finally got in around 4 p.m. and then we treked up to PA to Whole Foods to go grocery shopping.  By the time we got home I was zonked.  (yes...we lead a very romatic and exciting life.  We were both asleep by 9 p.m. on Saturday night.  He did bring me a rose when he got in, which was very sweet.)

The BIG news - I'm down eight pounds since I started being 'sugar-free'!!  YEA ME!!!  The biggest thing I noticed yesterday is that I just wasn't that hungry, which is different for me.  To be honest, I've always been one of those people who didn't really get the 'eat more protein so you feel full'.  An egg always only kept me full for about 15 minutes, which I now attribute to my complete addiction to sugar.  Yesterday I 1600 calories all day (a record low), and althought I was a little hungry going to bed, it wasn't horrible (it was more I was too lazy to make anything so I went without!.  If I was really hungry, I would have done something about it.)  That was a major breakthrough for me.

I also feel a lot better - all the usual detox stuff: my brain feels clearer, my energy is consistent, I feel a little 'tigher' than normal.  Friday night I even stayed up until 9:30 without feeling too out of it (that's unheard of for me!).  I've been drinking a ton of smoothies, two or three a day, (I'm obsessed with this site) and drinking a big cup of tea every afternoon when a sugar craving comes on. Which means - Jess has been pottying a quite a bit.  I need to stock up on toiler paper. (TMI...but, it's part of it).

I did not ride yesterday, but I did do yoga.  I think I might swim today (if I can squeeze into my bathing suit).  Swimming is as low impact as it can get, which is why I'd like to start there.  I'm still nervous about the impact training will have on my sugar, so I am going to go slow and proceed with caution I'm going to keep moving forward, but at my own pace.

Food from 1/12:

• Egg fritatta muffin (egg, red pepper, spinach, mushroom and onions) and butternut squash smoothie
• Hard boiled egg
• Flank steak with leftover brussel sprouts, plus an onion and mushrooms (sauteed in coconut oil)
• Frappuccino smoothie (minus the honey)
• Smoothie of my own devising: Coconut milk from a can, spinach, yams, flax seed, ice (see- I'm addicted to smoothies!)
• Scrambled egg and Sweet Potato and Apple Hash (oops...this wasn't exactly 21DSD approved, but it was late and I was hungry and I did really well otherwise)