Tri Mommy

Going, going, gone!

2005-03-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

What with the lack of swimming and biking (and actually running, but that's a different story) the blog is getting renamed and moved. It's now Run, Mommy, Run!. Go check out my fancy new header!

Real running vs. fake running

2005-03-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

I ran outside, on (little) hills, in the wind, pushing John's stroller. Ouch. This was much harder than running on the flat track inside the warm rec center. I guess I should get used to it until they start doing indoor races, huh?

Run: 30 minutes with 8 minutes running

For real this time

2005-03-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks were weeks -1 and 0 on my training plan. Now that I'm actually on week one, I am trying to stick to things. I ended up running on the tiny 1/16 mile track at the gym tonight. It was the worst it's ever been there. Weightlifters were stretching on the track, oblivious to the fact that someone might run there. The outside and inside lanes go different directions and a woman walking in the outside lane kept cutting the corner into the inside lane every single time until I made her stop. It was not a good run. At least it happened, right?

My husband has provided me with some sweet incentive, though. I get a yard of fabric for every run I do through the end of the training plan. That's a potential 24 yards. If I skip a run for no good reason however, I lose all previously accumulated fabric. Seeing as how I'm turning into a hoarder of fabric as well as yarn, this may well work out. I'm planning on getting some of Temple Flowers, Cozy and some as yet unreleased Charm. I may be a running mercenary, but it's for my own good.

Summary:
30 minutes total with 8 minutes running

Ladies Night

2005-03-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

It was Ladies Night at the Boulder Running Company! They had a sports bra fit clinic, but that was the necessary information part before the fun. I got a free five minute massage, 25% off all running clothing, a free pedicure kit and a free pair of Hind shorts. All is right in the running world. I'd gone for a run just before this, so it was quite funny that they were doing mini makeovers. My hair is a horrible mess, but don't I look nice all cropped?

I almost never wear makeup, so I think I impressed my husband. But onto the more exciting things in the world -- running!

My schedule has gotten a little screwed up, so I did Sunday's run on Monday, using my husband's Forerunner. I went 2.77 miles in 40 minutes of running and walking, with the runs being about 9:30/mile. Not so bad, I'd say. Tonight I did thirty minutes on the track with some running mixed in. On the last running part I managed to do an 8 minute mile pace. Never mind that it was only for a minute. I felt fast and that felt so incredibly good. I'm looking forward to the running portions getting longer as I keep on this plan. I am such a dork that I've even planned what I'm going to wear to the Mother's Day race. I'm getting so excited about running again and I think that my husband's even happier about that than I am. But you know, at least it makes both of us happy, right?

The best running shorts ever

2005-03-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

I have found the best running shorts in the world, the Nike Tempo Track Short. Here's how they describe it: "Push your pace in the short that rides a little lower and hangs a little looser for road-worthy comfort." I would say, here's a short that doesn't leave little elastic marks on your post-partum belly which remains round despite your having lost 52 of the 54 pounds you put on while pregnant. They're so comfortable I wear them when I should probably be wearing tights, like yesterday.

I went out for another run-walk combo on my 10k save-the-knees plan. It was nice to have Christian pushing John and running on a flat path. I got back ten minutes before they did and took my freezing cold thighs into the car and proceeded to knit. I never travel without knitting.

Workout: Walk 30 minutes with 8 minutes of running mixed in
Pace and distance: Umm, slow and not very far? I'm not keeping stats just yet.

I think I'm gonna like it here

2005-03-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

I did my first workout from my new training plan. It was also the first time I really ran with the running stoller. That thing is a beast to maneuver on the downhills. I think we're going to break down and buy the last Chariot accessory we don't have: the jogging brake. I ran in my stylin' new shorts this morning and now it's lightly snowing. Weather in the front range is just so odd.

Goals

2005-02-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

I never used to have a problem registering for races. I once had a race director come up to me at a triathlon in New Jersey and ask me why I registered so early. I just liked planning, I guess. Now we're in a sort of ill-defined time. I'm nursing and will be doing so until John decides to stop. Even with full time on demand nursing, fertility can return as early as the introduction of solids (like right now) or as late as two years. We are also totally okay with having our next child whenever that happens. Registering for a triathlon in August may just end up to be a problem. I could be huge by then -- I show very early and can't ride my road bike any more. Or I could be newly pregnant and nauseous -- just the thing for an open water swim. And just think of being kicked in the swim when pregnant! Yeah. Race day registration isn't an option for tris out here -- they fill up so fast. So I'm still planning to do a lot of swimming and cycling, but I'm changing my goals to running races.

The first race I'm training for is the Title 9k, on Mother's Day up in Boulder, CO. I decided that since many of my training miles will be put in with John in the running stroller that I would enter the Mom with Baby Jogger category. It sounds fun and it starts earlier than the other categories. Nice, huh?

I haven't been running regularly and just realized that I'm probably very injury prone. All that impact all of a sudden can't be good for me. Thankfully the new Her Sports has a 10k training program that starts from nothing, mixing walking with running to minimize the potential for injury. I have ten weeks until my goal and I think I'll make it just fine.

To spur me on in my training, my husband bought me super cute new running clothes. I'll have to wear them at my next workout so I have a nifty photo for the blog.

Off day!

2005-02-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

Off day, off day, yeah yeah YEAH!

An excuse and a recovery

2005-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

I somehow managed to stab myself with a knitting needle. Really. It's over at my knit blog. I was planning to ride my trainer this morning, but that workout is just plain getting skipped. Instead I did the first swim workout called for in my plan, a whole 200 yards. But I'm a really bad swimmer and I did my 200 yards at about 2:30/100 yard pace. There's always room for improvement, right?

Workout: Swim 200 yards
Time: 8:03 w/ rests
Pace: 2:32/100 yd

And checking in, I'm still at 152 pounds. That doesn't surprise me in the least, as I ate a lot of Girl Scout cookies this week.

First workout

2005-02-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

The training plan I'm following (from trinewbies.com) is very conservative at the beginning. I think their philosophy is to have you make it through the first two weeks without quitting, then they start increasing the mileage. Today called for me to run fifteen whole minutes, with a plan for using a walk/run method if need be. Fortunately I've regained a little fitness in the seven months since my son was born and I was able to run. I made it around a tiny indoor track 21 times.

Workout: Run 15 minutes
Distance: 1.3125 miles
Pace: 11:26 min/mile

It's official

2005-02-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

My training plan started today. And it was a rest day. At least my swimsuit order has come in -- the grab bag was pretty kind to me this time, with one pretty nice red and black suit and a not so bad magenta and orange suit. I've had much worse in the past, most notably the purple hibiscus flower suit. See, there are more benefits to nursing than I ever could have imagined -- having that awful suit be way to small for me!

Pictures don't lie

2005-02-17T08:42:00.000-08:00

I found pictures of myself competing in triathlons in summer 2001. I was SKINNY. And it proves to me that my rationalization "I'm skinny for having had a baby" is, well, delusional. Here I am, just before a duathon where I won my age group.

I'm now starting a training plan from Tri Newbies and revamping my diet. I can't really diet because I'm breastfeeding my son, but I can certainly remove all the unhealthy food I've been eating for the irrational reason that I am still feeding another human with my body. I'm pretty sure I can still make milk on HEALTHY food.

I'll also institute the Thursday check-in -- 152 pounds. Not so bad, considering that I weighed in at 204 when I delivered my son in July and weighed 148 before I got pregnant. Not the best, either, so there's tons of room for improvement. I'm guessing I weighed about 140 in the picture above.

Just so you know where I'm starting from, I did the Lafayette Oatmeal Festival 5k on January 8, 2005. I'd intended to train for it, but the holidays happened. I finished in 42:26 (without stopping to walk, I was proud) and surpisingly enough finished 580/1033 overall, 295/634 in women and 54/81 in my age group (20-29). I'm guessing there were a lot of slow walkers.