Holy turn for the better, Batman

I've been stressed a lot lately... if it's not work it's something else. I felt less than refreshed coming into work today after the long holiday weekend. However it all turned around after having a delicious conversation with little sis #2... she mentioned a possible change in our upcoming camping plans, scheduled for just after the San Francisco HM. The change involves the camping location.

The change involves now camping in Yosemite!





Uh, change approved!

Swim? Swammi? Slippy? Slappy? Swenson? Swanson?

Uh yeah, can't seem to remember crap as of late. And I'm woefully behind in noting workouts... so here's a recap in bullet point form

• I've been running, swimming, spinning and practicing yoga
• I have not been biking as much as I'd like b/c of the god forsaken rain
• I threw a bridal shower in STL (along with another of my bestest friends) last weekend for one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world
• It was not a traditional bridal shower. That's not how our crowd rolls.
• Those supa cute, corn-on-the-cob cupcakes over there to the right ----> made 'em, loved 'em
• Target is still the land of milk and honey to me. $15 for a kick ass blow up pool and hours of fun with the sibs
• Work is trying to kill me
• I registered for the Cranford Firecracker 4 Miler to be run on the 4th of July. My buddy Ben is running too!
• We celebrated my dad's 70th birthday by bbq'ing what had to be the most amount of food on the grill for one meal. Kudos to little bro for taking care of biz and getting the job done
• I really wish I had a running coach. I'm having a hard time trying to get myself primed for the San Fran HM while marathon training
• Dillon is the whiniest kitteh EVAH as of late - I hope he's just being difficult and doesn't have anything wrong with him
• Soulard Market is a fine substitute for the Union Square Greenmarket, while in STL
  

Getting my tech on

I love geeking out.  Sometimes it's quite simple and subtle but most times it's straight up nerdville.    Refer to my excitement of owning a copy of Rush Hour for just me, Me, ME!!  Anywho, after spending an intense evening in the studio at Kula I finally upgraded my iMac with several software updates and iPhone's OS 3.0.  Awwww yeah, can you say copy & paste w/shake undo, voice memos, and a bunch of other stuff I may or may not use. 

I can't hear you!!!    

So yeah back to the program ...the week got off to a great start.  I'm still tinkering with my training plans (yes, more than one) and trying to avoid "too motivating" music on my easy runs.   See Tuesday's supposed easy run.  Nutz.

Monday:  15 mins elliptical (TMs were full ...booo!), 50 mins. spinning

Tuesday:  30 mins swimming (1512 yds), 5.85 miles running (47:56) with a few hill sprints

Wednesday:  90 mins yoga @Kula

Tonight's session at Kula was particularly intense.   We concentrated on isometric exercises in every single pose performed.   It nearly blew my monkey mind into little bits all over the place.   It was just the sort of challenge Jillian regularly brings to my practice and I love her for that ...for expanding the limits of both my mind and my body.   

And because I'm riding high on tech and yoga, I'm gonna motivate to get the first quality run (in way too long) done before work tomorrow.   Go me!

All ponied up

And talking to the cat ...just like her aunt :)


The always handsome Whompie and the ever adorable Ellie

Whizzing on by

Time is passing way too quickly, I blink and another week is gonezo. While I'd love a few more hours in each day I do seem to be weathering the busy days at the office and getting my workouts done. Last week featured more days of consecutive running than I've been doing as of late and a marked absence of my other non-running stuff. It also featured so many of my favorite things...


Fig cookies from Meredith's, available from my local farmer's market


My very own copy of Rush Hour! Me = super dork


Lots of green monsters = lots of energy


Gorgeous peonies, also from my local farmer's market

And a quick recap of last week...

Monday: 5 miles running easy plus 4 x 10 secs. steep hill sprints (45:46)
Tuesday: 7 miles running as fartlek including 6 x 30 secs. bursts @10K pace (60:00)
Wednesday: 3.5 miles running (29:03) as part of the JP Corporate Challenge. Check out our cool t-shirt design





Thursday: rest day
Friday: another rest day due to poor planning
Saturday: 5 miles running easy plus 4 x 10 secs. steep hill sprints (41:45)
Sunday: 90 mins. yoga @Kula, 10 miles running (1:26)

Some thoughts to come on what I'm thinking regarding the low mileage training plan I'm on at the moment ...and also some questions. Always with the questions.

Sun, stomach aches and staches

Let's see, where did we last leave off?

Thursday: 8.4 miles running 1:10:24 (8:22/mi), sets of push-ups/tricep dips/leg swings/step-ups
Friday: Unplanned total rest day (biking was ruined by rain and swimming was derailed by a full pool)
Saturday: 5.2 miles running 46:20 (8:49/mi)
Sunday: 6.2 miles running 54:16 (8:44/mi), 65 mins biking

Sunday's NY Mini 10K was a craptastic wash out. Went to bed Saturday night with some rumblings in my tummy and woke up worse. Stomach woes continued through the race and persist even now, though to a lesser extent. I'm trying to think of something positive that came from the race experience but am coming up short ...eh, the post-race plums were tasty. ???

Anywho, after the race I got cleaned up and headed over to Williamsburg for the Renegade Craft Fair. Lots of good stuff to check out and some delicious iced tea to help keep cool. Not as cool as these supa stache pillows but cool nonetheless





I rounded out the weekend with a nice bike ride south along the Hudson and then east over the Brooklyn Bridge and back. This week brings some excitement to my regular running, Wednesday is the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge and about 45 of my co-workers and I will be taking to Central Park for a nice 3.5 mile jaunt. We have a cool t-shirt design and everything. Go Knotties!

Mid-week wrap up

The week's been good to me.  I've had some solid workouts and am feeling like everything is coming together.   I've also really refocused on my nutrition, adding in some new meals and making good decisions.  I believe it's all adding to my high energy levels.

• Monday: 1.25 miles as progression run (every .25 mi increased speed down to 8:04/mi), 55 mins spinning, 3 miles as progression run (every .25 mi increased speed down to 6:58/mi for last 1/2 mi).   4.25 miles total in 34:21 (8:04/mi)
  
• Tuesday: 30 mins swimming (1512 yds), 6.65 miles running in 57:57 (8:42/mi)
  
• Wednesday:  90 mins yoga, tons of twists
  

This Sunday I'll be running the NY Mini 10K.  It's a fantastic all-women's race, first started in 1972 (and then called the Crazylegs Marathon) when women weren't officially allowed to participate in road running races.   And although I'm still not in race shape, I'm thinking of a plan that will challenge me during the race while not hindering my marathon training.  Stay tuned.