Walking dead spin

had a great spin workout last night, courtesy of the basement, season 2 of walking dead, and my own imagination.

didn't really think that one through beforehand... Dusty creaky basement of our 1900s home, trainer set up in a spiderwebby corner, working out at 9pm, my irrational fear of zombies...

made for some good climbs/intervals when the zombies were attacking, though!

Week(s) in workouts

The week before last's 7mi run turned into an 8mi run because I got lost on the Riverway and missed my turn for Brookline...

Last week's workouts look like this:

Mon: off
Tues: spin class (loooooved it)
Wed: swim speed work (50E, 25H)x2; 6x50 @ max, plus some kicks and drills (~1600m)
Thurs: 45min spin (10x1min @ max with 1min AR) + 25min run (6x20sec sprint, 40sec AR)
Fri: swim base intervals (I forget exactly what I did, but it was 2100m)
Sat: 1:10 spin @ 6-7 + strength training
Sun: 8.3mi run

Since the inadvertent 8 miler felt good, I decided to just go with it and build a little for the next run. This week I will ease back just a little to have a recovery week. Things will (hopefully) go something like what's listed below, though I do not have high hopes. The kiddo is sick AND teething, and I have an interview on Tuesday morning. Wish me luck (on the workouts and the work thing, imma need it!)

Mon: swim speed work
Tues: strength training and spin intervals (will use my fancy pants new trainer and the Spinnervals DVD that it came with!)
Wed: 1:20 spin @ 6-7 with (4x2min @ 8)
Thur: 30/20 brick + abs
Fri: swim base intervals + strength training
Sat: ATX (off)
Sun: 10k

the most exciting topic of conversation. Ever.

the weather.

it is frigid up here. 9 degrees, feels like 3. might as well be -200 for this Texas girl. I know I swim indoors and all, but DAMN GENA. it's cold. didn't exactly inspire me to go get wet for my swim workout today. (for the record, I went and did my speed work. it sucked/was a total slog/ie i had noodle arms, but I wasn't cold, so I consider it a win.)

for those of you battling real winters (central texans and those in Hawaii please do not reply): how do you stay motivated when it is so DEEPLY, DEPRESSINGLY COLD outside?

Kickass spin

Two pieces of news related to cycling:

1) My fancypants new trainer came, courtesy of a dear friend with a killer pro discount. Imma set it up tonight!

2) I took my first spin class at BSC at 7am today. That class kicked my ass, and I loved every sweaty minute. Methinks it will become my new Tuesday morning routine. It gives me a killer interval/hills/sprint workout, and it gives the CTO extra time with bebe in the morning.

Do y'all go to spin classes during IM training? Or do you use spin video workouts at home for the trainer?

Week in Workouts

Decided to take the rest of the weekend off to rest. Though I mourned the loss of the long run, it was for the best. I felt fresh and ready to go on Monday, instead of tired and some from a long run done on dehydrated legs. Anyways, here's what this week looks like:

Mon: swim speed work (EBEH x 8, 6x25 @ max, 3x100 @ thresh)
Tues: 1 hr spin + strength training
Wed: off
Thurs: 35 min run with 8x20sec sprints 40sec AR + stretching
Fri: swim: 300wu, 8x25 drills, 8x100 @7 with 5sec AR, 4x25 sprint, 8x25 kick, 300cd. Felt GOOD.
Sat: 1:15 min spin + 8x20sec @max with 1min AR + strength training
Sun: 7mi run + 45min spin

We've got friends coming over on Sunday for brunch, so my ass better be ready for a cold AM run. (It was 20 degrees this morning.) Maybe ill wear my new shirt, courtesy of one of my dearest, to motivate me:

Christmas schwag and saving money

So, those of us chasing the m-dot know it is not a cheap endeavor. Through the years friends have mentioned ways to help save money here and there, and I always took a mental note. Lately I've been putting some of them into action.

Tip #1 was from an acquaintance I met through Jack and Adam's core classes in Austin, TX:
OFFER TO VOLUNTEER IN EXCHANGE FOR DISCOUNTED RACE FEE OR SCHWAG

I've tried it with every race I've signed up for this year. Had two turn-downs, two offers of race schwag (read: leftover GU, powerade, and other race nutrition), and two entry fee discounts! I am so grateful to the open minded race directors that helped me out!

Tip #2 came from a USAT Triathlon magazine article: ASK FOR WHAT YOU WILL NEED DURING TRAINING FOR CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAYS, ETC

Maybe it's not as fun as being surprised by gifts on those days, but it sure can help with the cost. I built a wish list on amazon so friends and family could see what I needed. This year, combining my birthday and Christmas (both in December) I was SPOILED ROTTEN with:

fancy silk running gloves
waterfi swimming headphones
DeSoto arm coolers
leg compression sleeves
a digital food scale
two boxes of margarita Clif shotbloks
A box of strawberry shot bloks
A box of honey stinger waffles
Hammer enduralyte tablets
Salt tablets
A box of Nuun
A box of espresso Gu
A box of peppermint Gu
A box of watermelon chomps
Heed Perpetuem formula
Clif electrolyte mix
Chamois butter
And a fancy lululemon water bottle



I think the only things not pictured are the scale, gloves, and water bottle.

One family member told me she liked the idea of getting me race nutrition, because she knew she would be helping me DURING my workouts, which is something she otherwise wouldn't get to do. I am a lucky gal to have such supportive (and understanding) family who entertain my weird amazon wishlist whims...

How do y'all save money while training??

oh the plans we make

it's funny how things hardly ever turn out how you'd planned. for some reason the schedule poster for my last 'this week's workouts' published the post a few days late. i didn't notice, though, because i was too busy not doing my workouts. what was i doing, you ask?

read about it here: http://picklewithab.tumblr.com/

that's right. delicious, projectile, whimper-inducing food poisoning.

i finally started to feel better yesterday, and even tried to get Sunday's workout in. i got about 30min into the spin and decided to call it a day. my HR was wayyy to high for the meager effort i was generating, and my legs just didn't have it in them. usually i would be really broken up about it, but i feel fine. shit (literally) happens, and i gave it the ol' college try. no better time than now to start listening to my body, eh?

i still really want to do my long run today (gawd i love my long runs), but i'm not sure if i should?

1. i still might be in ick-recovery mode, and the glorious run i'm daydreaming about could end up being a miserable slog. 
2. i've heard that run fitness can derail bike fitness, but that bike fitness only serves to benefit run fitness---so should i therefore try the spin workout again??

what say you, interweb? 

and on a separate note, on of my MOST FAVORITE PEOPLE EVER IN LIFE is running her very first marathon today. GOOOOO NICOLE!!!!!! you are ready. you will crush it. smile and enjoy the miles!!

This week in workouts

here's the plan, man:

Mon: off (kiddo to the pediatrician)
Tues: swim speedwork (EBEH repeats + 4x50 @ max) + strength training in PM
Wed: 1hr spin followed by 30min interval run + abs
Thurs: swim technique focus 2200m
Fri: 1hr spin + strength training
Sat: easy long run (~7mi)
Sun: 1:30 spin

iPad postings plus workouts

So, Santa never brought me a new computer. Le sigh. Left a note saying something about yearly spending "budgets" and reminded me I am about to purchase a new bike trainer.... I don't remember Santa being so pragmatic when I was a kid. Bah humbug! ;)

For now, I'll be attempting to post from the blogger app on my iPad. Please forgive any and all autocorrect misspellings, as well as lazy last paragraphs. I hate typing on this thing!

We got back from our Christmas sojourn to Dallas, and it was hands down the best family vacation we've had yet. Little man did really well despite having another ear infection. He started crawling, pulling up to standing, and clapping all while we were away!

Training while away turned out to be amazingly easy with a garrison of family members to watch the kiddo while I swam , spun, and ran at the fancy Lifetime fitness in Colleyville. That place is swanky!

Since returning, it has been less easy to get out and workout, what with the snow, ice, 11 degree temps and no family to kid-sit, but I've stuck to my plan thus far. Talked to coach about increasing distance and time, and have added a few more intervals here and there, plus one more bike ride. Here's the weeks plan for workouts:

Mon: swim speed work + strength routine (fly home to Boston)
Tues: off
Wed: bike intervals (12x1 min @ max with 1min AR) 1hr total
Thur: run intervals (12x1min @ max, 1AR) 35 min total
Fri: 2000m mixed drills and kick + strength routine
Sat: 1:10 easy run + 1:15 spin
Sun: 1 hr spin @ 7 RPE

In other news, my first round of bloodwork came back "unremarkable" so I was allowed to go 2 weeks until my next draw (which was yesterday). I also got the go ahead to start tapering off prednisone, down to 30mg. That means only 14 pills, hooray... I'm so glad to be coming off that crap. I love/hate prednisone. It makes my guts better, and I have more energy. But my face swells up and looks like a moon, I get super jittery, can't sleep, and have road rage like no ones business. Hope the taper goes well and that I just come off it with no problems. Wish me luck!