Out and About

My birthday was on Tuesday. So for the most part, I've been out doing my thing all week. I still feel somewhat lazy with my workouts but at least I got my cardio in on the dance floor three times this week. And there's more partying to be had tomorrow. Can't wait! First things first...I haven't done much swimming. Something about cold, rainy weather makes me not want to disrobe and surround myself with water, even if the water is heated and indoors. Heck, I didn't want to leave the house. Anyway, I ended up hurting my neck during the swim. They were putting the lane divider back and I was raising my head out of the water during a front crawl set to make sure they didn't hit me. My neck is much better now. Chisel class is still kicking my ass. Just about every exercise we do, including tricep dips, includes some type of weights. My behind is heavy enough. I don't need additional weight making it difficult. The last class included all kinds of squats. That's cool and all but it didn't help that the zumba teacher had us doing all kinds of squats the next day. Speaking of zumba, I'm still enjoying it very much. And I wore the hip scarf again. I love it. Shimmies and hip pops are so much more fun with the noise it makes. So, I bought my own online. I can't wait for it to get here. I haven't broken out my belly dance dvd in weeks. Part of it is because someone is always here doing work on the house. I really don't need them looking at me like I'm crazy (I get that enough...LOL...I kid, I kid). I still haven't been to the Saturday morning step/sculpt class. Sleeping in is so much more important. Maybe I'd be more inclined to go if the pool was available after class, but it's not. There are tons of swim classes going on until noon. And I don't wanna get up early for class, come home, then go back out again. Waking up early on a Saturday is enough of a sacrifice. I get enough sculpting (and muscle burning) in chisel class anyway. I'm not missing anything. So I ran for the first time in almost three weeks on Wednesday. Honestly, I was on my way to the elliptical but the treadmill got in the way. I got on, started out slow, then proceeded to make a workout of it. It was nice. My hip was bothered BUT I have to say that it was bothered already from Monday's dancing. However, I did notice it wasn't as sore for as long after the run. I ran today too (graphs and stats below). My hip was irritated yet again from a night of dancing, but dang it, I couldn't pass it up. It was sunny 67°. That's not normal for this time of year. Mind you, I was just bundled up earlier this week. I would love to have a mild winter. I doubt it will happen, but I can't always dream. So as far as the run goes, it was the first outside run in over a month. And I really pushed it although I shouldn't have. I always do that when I come back from a hiatus. I say get the pain and struggling over with. Kick it into gear so your body knows exactly what to do next time you go out. In any case, this ended up being my fastest 3miler to date. That's pretty awesome for not running for almost four weeks (and for being 3lbs heavier than usual...weighed myself this morning). I'd like to see where this takes me. I still won't be running as much. I have all types of cross training to throw into the mix. I don't want to focus on tons of mileage and nothing else just to end up jacked up again. The weather should still be pretty decent this week, so I may get more swims in. Of course, there's all these classes I'm signed up for. And I already know, I won't be anywhere near the Saturday class. Oh well. And let's not forget, there is more partying to be had. I'm sure I'd still be out and about even if it wasn't my birthday. It's funny how I didn't do all this dancing in my 20s. In any case, I'll be out doing it until I'm not physically able. And how about there was an older couple out last night wearing the floor out. She was 57 and he was 63. It's not about the "club" scene, whatever that is. I don't go to places like that anyway. I (we) go for good music (which is not on the radio..the radio sucks), to socialize with friends, and most importantly, to dance. Once you find something you love to do, why stop? 11/9 - Lots and lots of dancing (and spirits) 11/10 - My Birthday!! Chisel Class (55min) Bike (50min - 9.15mi) 11/11 - Yoga Class (55min) Bike (50min - 11.07mi) 2mi Run (18:29 - 9:14 pace) 11/12 - Swim (43:09 - 1450yd) Chisel Class (1hr) More dancing (and spirits) 11/13 - Zumba Class (1hr) Bike (1:05 - 13.63mi) 11/14 - Much more dancing (and spirits) 11/15 - Running!!! (see below) Yoga - Hip Mobility (30min) Activity Route: Park Elev. Avg: 25 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: -30 ft Date: 11/15/09 Up/Downhill: [+91/-121] Time: 01:24 PM Difficulty: 1.5 / 5.0 Weather: Fair 67 F temp; 65% humidity 67 F heat index; winds NW 7 Performance Distance: 3.00 miles Time: 0:25:14 Speed: 7.1 mph Pace: 8' 24 /mi Heart Rate: 178 bpm (Avg) Calories: 336 Notes Cool Down = 1.10mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 41 +0' 17 6.9 -0.2 -27 ft 2 8' 26 +0' 02 7.1 -0.0 -7 ft 3 8' 06 -0' 18 7.4 +0.3 +3 ft end ** ** ** ** ** ft Versus average of 8' 24 min/mile ** Insufficient data to calculate this split

Posted from bimactive.com

I Got Mojo Y'all!!

Let me begin by saying that yesterday's swim was AWESOME!! I swam 14 laps straight of front crawl. I was just gliding. It was so good that I almost forgot that my shoulders felt like they were gonna fall off from chisel class (will discuss later). And I didn't feel like I was gonna die or that my lungs would collapse. It helped that I stopped taking breaks at the end of the pool/laps a while ago. I definitely recommend switching to an easier stroke to get the endurance up. Whatever you do, don't stop swimming. If I need to cough or get water out of my nose or something, I handle that all underwater during the exhale. It was just wonderful to have my mojo working. And I thought mojo only occurred when running. Now if I could just get in the zone on the bike.

Friday night, I took my first Zumba class. It was so much fun. I was expecting all Latin music. I was very surprised to hear Proud Mary by Ike and Tina. The song speeds up so you can definitely get your shake and wiggle on. In any case, the instructor referred to me as the new girl showing up the more experienced students. My response, "Hey, I just love to dance." My favorite part of class was getting to wear a hip scarf for some belly dance moves. It looked like this but it was black. I love the sound it makes when you hip pop. I need to get one for my home practice. The scarf makes it that much more fun.

What's not fun is chisel class. The class description says sculpt and tone using weights, bands, balls, and bars. I don't like weight/strength training one bit. I know it's necessary but I don't do it. I figured that going to an actual class will make me do it. Some exercises remind me of pilates but just with weights involved. We all know that pilates hurts enough on it's own. That's why I don't do it. My first class was on Tuesday. It's wasn't so bad. She had us use some gliding discs that I'm not a fan of. You can really break something with all that sliding. I'll pass on them next time. Thursday's class was a skeleton crew. I guess everyone was so broke up for the first class, they needed more recovery time. In any case, I think she was able to concentrate on torturing the 5 of us who showed up. Abs, arms, legs, butt...BURNING!

I was supposed to do a step/sculpt class Saturday morning. But since I got in around 3:30am from socializing, it wasn't gonna happen. Maybe this weekend? We'll see. I was a complete bum on Saturday. Actually, I've been slacking in my cardio and home yoga sessions. I try to stay active. I really do. I am lazy by nature. The title of this blog used to be Becoming an Ex-Couch Potato. I try to keep stuff on the calendar to make sure I get up and do something. Actually, I'm itching to go out for a run. It's been over 3 weeks. My hip is feeling good, not 100% but a lot better than before. Oh, and I must clarify. It's the side of my pelvic bone that gets irritated, but it's still the general hip area. I've done googling and such but can't find anything about pain in this area. I just know that it's feeling good, the weather is beautiful, and I'm tempted to run up the block to test it out. Hopefully my next post won't be about me jacking myself up. Wish me luck.

10/30 - Swim (1:01:33 - 2000yd)

11/1 - Yoga (38min)

11/3 - Chisel Class (50min)
Bike (35min - 8.14mi)

11/4 - Yoga Class (1hr)

11/5 - Chisel Class (50min)
Bike (50min - 10.89mi)
Swim (50min - 1650yd)

11/6 - Zumba Class (1hr)
Swim (35min - 1150yd)

11/8 - Bike (50min - 10.90mi)
Swim (1:08 - 2300yd)

I'm Making Progress

No. Not on my hip. That's still jacked up. There's a sensation in the joint that shouldn't be. My guess is that it's healed when I don't feel it anymore. I also suspect that the elliptical irritates it. I may lay off that for a while. But darn it, I'm not a fan of the bike. You have to be on it for a while to burn some serious calories. And you know me, it's all about the calorie burn. Well, I could just swim more.

Speaking of swimming, I'm improving. Well, at least, I think so. No, I haven't increased the front crawl set yet. BUT I'm working my way from 3 stroke bilateral breathing to 5 stroke. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I remember going from 2 stroke to 3 stroke, and I felt like my lungs were going to collapse. But I stuck with it. And now bilateral breathing is just natural for me to do. I've also learned that the key with breathing is to make sure you exhale as much as possible before you inhale. About time I get to the end of the pool, it feels like there was less effort involved. So I guess with my breathing getting better, I'll be increasing front crawl sets soon. Right now, I'm still switching to breaststroke every 50yd. Maybe in a few more weeks, I'll begin to cover more distance in a shorter time frame. I'm excited.

So I took a couple pictures after I got out of the pool yesterday.

I like blue. Can't you tell?

Me and my fins. I use them for kicking drills.

Oh, and I was also showing off a yoga pose. No, it's not that serious. I'm wearing jeans and a sweater.

My arm used to tremble. I thought my yoga teacher was crazy.

And it was luck that I got into this position. I tried to do it last week, and it was extremely difficult to reach my hand around my back to my foot. I guess swimming helped loosen me up a bit.

Ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana..Say what? Say that 3 times fast.

And with that, I'm off to the pool. Have a great weekend!!

10/24 - Yoga: Practice for the Spine (47min)

10/25 - Bike (35min - 7.72mi)
Elliptical (35min - 3.44mi)
Swim (1:02:11 - 1900yd)

10/26 - Yoga Class (1:30)

10/27- Swim (1:06:50 - 2000yd)

10/28 - Yoga: Wringing Out the Old (36min)
Shimmy (Belly dancing - 25min)

10/29 - Swim (52:01 - 1700yd)

Christie Runs, Right?

Right. Right? Well, in theory, yes. In real life, not so much. I haven't run since last Friday. I still have this nagging injury to my left hip. Well, it's the hip/pelvic bone region. It's been an issue since August, when I was doing some serious mileage. I can run on it. And it usually doesn't bother me during the run. But the fact is, it just gets more aggravated afterward. So I'm back to square one. It didn't help that a few days after my last run, my hip was still talking to me. Makes no sense to keep injuring the thing. I think it was about Wednesday when I decided to be serious about not running. My hip had a lot to say.

What's funny is that now I'm not pressuring myself to run, I want to run. I step into the Y and want to walk over to the treadmill. I hate the treadmill. I'm kind of jealous of the people I see getting their run on. I'm like I can do that too. For real! I'm pretty good. But you wouldn't know. I'm injured. In the meantime, I'm embracing the elliptical. It's a lot easier on me than actual running. I found myself constantly increasing the resistance yesterday. That just tickles me because I really, REALLY hated that contraption. Anyway, I finished up drenched in sweat. It was a good workout after all.

In the past, when I've stepped away from running for whatever reason, I did nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was an all or nothing type thing. When I came back to it, I would hate it. I could still manage a decent pace, but my heart rate would be through the roof. The most uncomfortable and horrible series of runs ever. But now, I'm completely caught up in swimming. Talk about some ass kicking cardio right there. With that, I think that my first run after however long will be pretty decent.

Speaking of swimming, yesterday's session was on point. I don't know what happened but all the sudden, it just started to feel easier. I was able to breathe more deeply. I didn't feel beat when I got to the end of the pool. The thought of increasing front crawl sets scare me. I wonder how I can make it through without my lungs collapsing on me. But if my swims continue to be this way, it won't be so scary after all. Mind you, when I started in swim class, I'd stop 2 or 3 times before making it to the end of the pool (only 25yd). It was torture. And once I got down there, I needed to catch my breath AGAIN so I could struggle on the way back (stopping along the way). I've improved a lot but still have a long way to go.

So Christie probably won't be running for a few weeks. And that's cool. I'm not just a runner anymore. I think I've evolved into an athlete. In the meantime, I'll be improving my swim technique and expanding my lungs. When it's time to run again, I'll be so ready to kick asphalt!

10/22 - Yoga: Finding the Balance (45min)
Belly Dance: Basics and Beyond (38min)

10/23 - Yoga: Shoulders, Arms, Wrists and Hands (16min)
Yoga: General Practice Routine (42min)
Elliptical (35min - 3.52mi)
Swim (48:43 - 1600yd)

10/24 - I'm sore. Maybe a little yoga. Maybe a lot of couch. Still up in the air.

Yesterday was a waste...

But today was not. Here's how it went down...

With some stuff going on at home, I wasn't able to get to the pool until about 8pm. Come to find out, they're shutting down the pool because some dumb #$%@& threw up in the pool. The story was that homegirl was actually sick before getting in the pool. Hard headed wench got in anyway. She then tossed her cookies and ruined it for everyone. Doggone it!!

So I head to the other Y. The swim team hogs the pool until 9pm. That means only 30min left to swim. But dang it, I was getting in a pool somewhere. I get there, watch the swim team a bit. Then I go to grab my swim gear. Towel..check. Swim cap..check. Ear plugs..check. Fins..check. Goggles..goggles? Where the heck are my goggles? I had them at the other pool strapped on when I found out about the fool in the pool. I check the car to see if they fell from my bag. Nope. Nada. Damn. Oh well. I did kicking drills. I always do drills, but not for the entire time. The day was wasted.

Today was completely different though. I went to Sports Authority for a new pair of goggles. Got to the Y, jumped on the bike. It was cool because I got to read my book. It started getting juicy as my time on the bike came to an end. Jumped on the elliptical next and continued to read. Had no idea those things had a nice little ledge to put a book or magazine. Good stuff. On my way out, I check the ARC trainers to see if they had ledges too. And they do! Maybe I'll tackle that next time. I had a date with the pool.

Couldn't read in the pool but that was okay. I forgot my fins and ear plugs. That was okay too. Ear plugs are important when you're not entirely comfortable in the water, learning a stroke that requires your ears underwater. But the more I front crawl, the more comfortable I am with it. Still need lots of improvement though. Tried to do some catch up drills but didn't work out too well. The more I concentrate on the drill, the less comfortable I am, the more rigid my body becomes, then I feel like I'm sinking instead of floating. So I did away with that. Better luck next time. In other swimming news, my endurance is slightly better. Before I would alternate between front crawl and breaststroke every 25yd. This allows me to swim nonstop. I don't take breaks to breathe at the end of the pool. Now I've started alternating the strokes every 50yd. My next goal will be every 75yd. Baby steps.

Also, I've been doing bilateral breathing for quite some time now. I breathe every third stroke. My goal is to eventually breathe every fifth stroke. It's helpful because I notice now if I'm not rotating properly to one side. Some days I have problems with the left side. Other days I have problems with the right. How do I know? Because I end up with a mouthful of water. No rotation issues today though. I have yet to figure out why I may not turn enough on one side. Maybe it's just an issue of not being completely relaxed. I don't know. I just know that today was a good rotation day.

Finally, I had yoga class. It was just what I needed after today's workouts. I'm feeling like such a yoga pro. Well, not really. I can't do any handstands, but I'm pretty thorough at what I can do. And I always finish feeling strong. I actually start to sweat. No, I'm not doing bikram, hot yoga or power yoga. But what I am doing gets my muscles working. I guess I'm moving from beginner to intermediate.

Now here's a recap...

10/16 - 3mi Treadmill (27:39 - 9:13 pace)
Elliptical (25min - 2.35mi)
Swim (1:00 - 1850yd)

10/17 - Yoga: Going with the Flow of Life (40min)
Shimmy (Belly dancing - 18min)

10/18 - Swim (1:07 - 2000yd)

10/19 - Yoga Class (1:30)

10/20 - Swim (24:25 - 900yd) <--Wasted day

10/21 - Bike (35min - 7.93mi)
Elliptical (35min - 3.39mi)
Swim (56:05 - 1650yd)
Yoga Class (1hr)

Gots ta get it in when I can fit it in

Didn't make it to yoga yesterday. And I was planning a swim too. But I was stuck in the house getting some stuff repaired. Life happens, I guess. Since I was a bum, I went to the Y to get it in. Jumped on the treadmill. Hated every minute of it. Haven't had a really, really sucky run for a while. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, it's business as usual. What possessed me to jump on the elliptical after a crappy run is beyond me. Well, I did need to waste a lil bit of time before jumping into the pool. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I actually wanted to stay longer. The torturous device that I once hated is now cool with me. We peaced it out. Finally, the swim team left, so I jumped in the pool. I thought I was gonna feel tired. But it was Kool and the Gang. I felt strong. I'm kicking better. I guess the kicking drill warm ups are doing their job. And with all that, I'm officially tired now. Activity Route: Treadmill Elev. Avg: 0 ft Location: Mount Laurel, NJ Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 10/15/09 Up/Downhill: [+0/-0] Time: 07:30 PM Difficulty: 1.5 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 3.00 miles Time: 0:26:07 Speed: 6.9 mph Pace: 8' 42 /mi Calories: 320 Notes 1mi @ 9:16 2mi @ 8:39 3mi @ 8:12 Cool Down = .32mi Elliptical Distance: 1.62mi Time: 18:00 Calories: 151 Swim Distance: 1450yd Time: 45:54 Calories: 390 1x400 Flutter kick w/fins 1x1050 Front crawl + Breaststroke

Posted from bimactive.com

When all else fails, SWIM!

I didn't dance as hard as I wanted to last night. And you know, it just doesn't feel right if some part of my body isn't sore. I had a headache all day, but that doesn't count. I wanted to run, but my hip wasn't feeling it. Instead, I took myself to the pool at the last possible minute. Headache and all, I felt like I needed to do something. It wasn't the best time I've spent in the pool. Like running, I have good days and bad days. But I tell you what, my triceps and quads are back to being sore. So all is right in my world again :)

1x400 Flutter kick w/fins
1x50 Front crawl
1x1050 (1x25 Breaststroke + 1x25 Front crawl)

1500 yd Total

I may run tomorrow depending on how the hip feels. Thinking about swimming again too. But I definitely have yoga class. My teacher gave us handouts and wanted us to pick two poses to practice at home. I haven't done my own practice since last Thursday. I covered one of the poses then. And I did another in yoga class on Monday. I wonder if it's cheating since I didn't do one at home. I wonder if anyone took her seriously and actually practiced. I guess we'll see tomorrow.

It's Been How Long?

I know, I know. I've done a terrible job at maintaining this blog. For one, I'm always logging everything on dailymile. It posts to Twitter and Facebook. So if you follow me on there, you know what I'm up to. Two, I was in a funk. I took some time away from all things running..my blog, your blogs, and of course actual running. In the midst of the funk, I had an injury too. It's still here. So I've cut my mileage way down. Yeah, I ran 113mi in August. Then ran less than 30mi in September. Big difference. Gained a couple pounds from inactivity. I even stopped hitting the club while in my funk. If you know me, you know that I love to dance and that I dance hard (like hard running in a race). But it's cool. I'm active again and those couple pounds are gone. And I was out last night wearing a groove in the floor. So all is good. I ran today and it was cool. Pretty graphs below. I also pulled out my bike for the first time in ages. It was a short ride (3.24mi). I was riding to the track to get a run in, but there was a football game going on. I took the scenic route home and ran in the park instead. As far as my current running state goes, I am not following a plan. Maybe another time, but not now. No need to pressure myself, especially when there's an injury involved. If I feel like running, I run. If I'm not feeling it, I don't. Usually my hip lets me know anyway. It can go from being sore, to being okay, to feeling like I've been shanked. Gotta play it by ear. But my goal is to run 3 or 4 days a week, allowing plenty of rest. In the meantime, I've spent a lot of time swimming and doing yoga. I had my last swim class a couple weeks ago. And I'm really keeping up with my practice. I'm at the pool 2-4 times a week. If I have the time, I swim for at least an hour. I have two yoga classes this session on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Monday class is 90min long and more intense than Wednesday's 60min class. The classes really help my home practice. Yes, I'm doing yoga on my own too. I feel strong. No, I'm not balancing my whole body on my finger tips. I may never do that (too much junk in the trunk for all that). But my arms look like I hit the free weights. And we all know how I feel about strength training. HATED IT! Another thing I've been doing in my spare time is belly dancing. No, I'm not taking classes. I bought another dvd. Yes, another. I have one from a few years ago, but it's not very good to learn from. But the instruction on this new dvd is on point. Love it! That reminds me, I'm signed up for Zumba next session. We all know how I love all things Latin. Along with that, I'm signed up for more yoga (the same two classes), a chisel class (because I hate strength training but really should), and a step/sculpt class. I'll be busy, busy, busy and hoping to love every minute of it. Why am I all YMCA class crazy? Because it's free with my membership of course. It may not always be like this, so I gotta take advantage when I can. On that note, I've done all the catching up I'm gonna do for now (because I'm tired). I hope all is well. And I plan to catch up with y'all soon. Well, that's if my Google reader hasn't exploded :) Activity Route: Park Elev. Avg: 26 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: -27 ft Date: 10/11/09 Up/Downhill: [+173/-200] Time: 02:10 PM Difficulty: 1.8 / 5.0 Weather: Fair 64 F temp; 42% humidity 64 F heat index; winds NW 8 Performance Distance: 5.00 miles Time: 0:45:47 Speed: 6.6 mph Pace: 9' 09 /mi Heart Rate: 172 bpm (Avg) Calories: 561 189 bpm (Peak) Notes Cool Down = .45mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm) Heart Rate Zones Zone Range (bpm) Time In Zone Distance In Zone Zone 5 180 - 200 0h 17m 36% 1.92 mi Zone 4 160 - 180 0h 25m 54% 2.71 mi Zone 3 140 - 160 0h 07m 14% 0.70 mi Zone 2 120 - 140 0h 00m 0% 0.04 mi Zone 1 100 - 120 0h 00m 0% 0.03 mi (none) out of range 0h 00m 0% 0.00 mi Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 39 +0' 30 6.2 -0.3 153 -49 ft 2 9' 24 +0' 15 6.4 -0.2 169 0 ft 3 9' 08 -0' 01 6.6 +0.0 175 +13 ft 4 8' 55 -0' 16 6.7 +0.2 181 +13 ft end 8' 39 -0' 30 6.9 +0.3 184 -3 ft Versus average of 9' 09 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Nothing to See Here

I'm feeling kind of lazy these days. So I have nothing much to report. I won't have yoga class for another week or so. And I haven't attempted to fit in yoga this past week either. And it's a shame, because I feel I should. I really need something more than a running schedule. I need an activity schedule. I was checking out tri training programs. No, it's not in my head to do a triathlon. But the training would do me some good and keep things interesting. I really should swim and bike more. I haven't pulled out my bike all month. And I haven't swum outside of my weekly swim class this month. I will try to work on that. And maybe, just maybe I will use the bikes at the Y if I don't feel up to riding outside. And I can bring a book. That's a thought. We shall see.

So here's what my lazy behind has done since the last post:

8/19 - 4mi Track (36:35 - 9:08 pace)

8/20 - 7mi Track (1:08:19 - 9:45 pace)

8/22 - 3mi Treadmill (27:32 - 9:10 pace)

8/23 - 8mi Treadmill (1:18:43 - 9:49 pace)

Anyway, tomorrow's a rest day. Let's hope I actually make myself useful, NOT be lazy and actually cross train. Wish me luck :)

Run + Swim + Recap

I haven't run in the park in weeks, but I went today. I didn't have time to fit a run in at the Y before swim class. See, I run at one Y (there are more treadmills and an indoor track) and have swim class at the other Y (closer to home). I didn't have time to be driving from town to town, so I sucked it up and went out in 87° with a heat index of 93°. Before I stepped out I prayed, "Lord, please don't let me crash and burn." I also blurted out a, "Lord, have mercy on me" somewhere in the middle of the run. I was expecting the heat to take me under since I've been running indoors lately. Thank God, it was overcast. If the sun was out, I'm pretty sure I would have been laid out. I was also expecting the little hills and inclines to get me since I've been running on extremely flat surfaces, i.e. track, treadmill. But that didn't bother me at all. What did bother me was the extremely thick air. I tried to slow my pace for consistent splits. But consistency is not my forte, so I decided to go with negative splits instead. Pretty graphs below. So I make it to my swim lesson on time. I have no idea how far I swam. At some points, there were others in the lane, so I would only go part way and back. I did some kicking drills (frog kick forward and backward, flutter kick forward and backward), breathing exercises, front crawl, competitive breaststroke, and backstroke. Now my shoulders and back are sore. It's okay though. I was expecting to be sore way before now. I was out dancing last night. Woke up fine though. And, now let me recap where I left off... 8/9 - 3mi Track (25:47 - 8:35 pace) 8/11 - 5mi Treadmill (50:00 - 10:00 pace) I began making an effort to run slower, since my mileage is getting up there. Really helps with recovery. Swim Lesson (30min - 550yd) 8/12 - 5mi Treadmill (50:00 - 10:00 pace) Yoga Class (1hr) Right before yoga 8/13 - 6mi Treadmill (60:00 - 10:00 pace) 8/15 - Namaste Yoga (25min Fit TV) Shimmy (2 x 20min Fit TV - Belly dancing and loving it) 8/16 - 10mi Treadmill (1:40 - 10:00 pace) With keeping my speed down, I didn't even feel this run the next day. So there is something to long SLOW distance runs, huh. Oh, and I must mention that I skipped a 5miler. If I keep my runs slow, I should have no problem making it up. But if I run outside, I can't guarantee a slower run. So we shall see. Activity Route: Park Elev. Avg: 27 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: -32 ft Date: 08/18/09 Up/Downhill: [+200/-232] Time: 05:30 PM Difficulty: 3.1 / 5.0 Weather: Partly Cloudy 87 F temp; 61% humidity 93 F heat index; winds Vrbl 3 Performance Distance: 5.00 miles Time: 0:48:02 Speed: 6.2 mph Pace: 9' 36 /mi Heart Rate: 169 bpm (Avg) Calories: 554 194 bpm (Peak) Notes Cool Down = .43mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm) Heart Rate Zones Zone Range (bpm) Time In Zone Distance In Zone Zone 5 180 - 200 0h 15m 31% 1.63 mi Zone 4 160 - 180 0h 25m 51% 2.57 mi Zone 3 140 - 160 0h 06m 12% 0.63 mi Zone 2 120 - 140 0h 03m 6% 0.28 mi Zone 1 100 - 120 0h 00m 0% 0.02 mi (none) out of range 0h 00m 0% 0.03 mi Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 54 +0' 18 6.1 -0.2 145 -49 ft 2 9' 49 +0' 13 6.1 -0.2 165 +16 ft 3 9' 39 +0' 03 6.2 -0.0 172 -19 ft 4 9' 23 -0' 13 6.4 +0.1 182 +17 ft end 9' 15 -0' 21 6.5 +0.2 184 +3 ft Versus average of 9' 36 min/mile

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Do I Drink Too Much?

I don't know what it is, but whenever I have a long run, I can't stop going to the bathroom. My first major hydration issue was back when I ran Broad Street. I was gonna pee on myself before the race. Finally had a potty break before race start. But then, I had to go again at the start. Same thing happened last weekend for my 9miler. I peed numerous times before I left the house. Then when I finally get out to run, I've got to go. Lo and behold, the same thing happened today. Back and forth to the bathroom, then I get to the track and have to go again. Now I'm wondering if I'm so concerned about long runs that I over hydrate. Or is it that long runs make me nervous, and peeing is a nervous reaction? Can it be both? Really, long runs get to me. Somewhere in the back of my head, I'm thinking it's going to be a disaster. It takes so much psyching myself up just to get out the door on a normal day. I'm so much worse when it comes to long runs. Yes, I prepare for them. I eat a great dinner. I don't drink (alcohol) the night before. I hydrate throughout the day. Go back and forth to the bathroom. I pick out a comfortable outfit. Then I take my sweet time getting out the door. But before I step out for good, I go again. And you know what? I have to go again at the beginning of my run. What the heck? Anyone else have this issue? So on to today's run (pretty graphs and splits below)...It was a nice night. The humidity was low. There was a nice breeze. But too bad I just didn't feel like being out there. The good thing is, I did my long run today instead of tomorrow, when it's supposed to be a hot one. And trying to pull 7 miles out of my behind on a hot day when I already don't wanna be out is a recipe for disaster. I can, however, pull out 3 miles on a sucky day. So that's the plan for tomorrow. Now, let me recap what the heck I've been doing when I'm not blogging here... 8/1 - Yoga (30min dvd) 5mi Treadmill (45:20 - 9:03 pace) 8/2 - 9mi Track (1:27:32 - 9:43) I know, I know. Who the hell runs 9 miles on the track? I went out late, so that was my option. Luckily, I wasn't bored enough to shoot myself. 8/4 - 5mi Track (47:13 - 9:26 pace) 8/5 - Yoga Class (1hr) 3.4mi Indoor Track (29:45 - 8:45 pace) Not sure how accurate this was. I was using my Tech 4o watch that was calibrated like 3 times. I think I have to calibrate again though. 8/6 - 5mi Track (44:48 - 8:57 pace) I do feel like I've been slacking though. It all started when my cousin from Alaska called me at some ridiculous time and had me up til the wee hours of the morning. My sleep schedule ain't been right since. And I canceled Tuesday's swim class because I was just tired. I did make sure I got in that day's run though. I'll try to do better this week. It's supposed to be 98° on Monday. Maybe that will make want to swim on a non-swim lesson day. We shall see. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Peace. Activity Route: Track Elev. Avg: 36 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 08/08/09 Up/Downhill: [+6/-3] Time: 06:57 PM Difficulty: 2.0 / 5.0 Weather: A Few Clouds 72 F temp; 68% humidity 72 F heat index; winds SE 5 Performance Distance: 7.00 miles Time: 1:04:48 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 15 /mi Calories: 777 Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 36 +0' 21 6.2 -0.2 +3 ft 2 9' 29 +0' 14 6.3 -0.2 0 ft 3 9' 25 +0' 10 6.4 -0.1 0 ft 4 9' 20 +0' 05 6.4 -0.1 0 ft 5 9' 15 +0' 00 6.5 -0.0 0 ft 6 9' 07 -0' 08 6.5 +0.1 0 ft end 8' 35 -0' 40 7.0 +0.5 0 ft Versus average of 9' 15 min/mile

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