Getting ready for a New Year and Gear

What are you doing for New Years?!  I'm doing something that I haven't been able to do in quite a while...NOTHING.  I've been running non-stop for holidays, family shenanigans, working like a crazy woman, and making a sad attempt to make the house look orderly.  So my treat for tonight is to do nothing, I'm sitting in my sweats watching Bowl Games and pestering Red.

I'm also figuring out how to better organize my life, organize my house, and trying a few new ways to make fun workouts more visible. :)  As promised in my last post, here are a few things that I am either recently obsessed with, or have been for a while.  

Clothing:

Betty Designs pretty much everything :)  I have a pair of her bike shorts and they're probably the best cycle shorts I've owned.  I just received the Mosaic Tri Kit for Christmas, being January it hasn't been tested but I'm certain it'll hold up just as well.

Zoot tri tops have served me well.  I'm a tiny person and for some reason a lot of people make tri tops that flare out at the bottom.  I don't want to swim with a cape, and Zoot fits me well.  They tri shorts are ok, but I have found the most comfort in K-Swiss tri shorts.

I've only ever been able to find K-Swiss shorts that I like at the Ironman Muncie expo.  I bought my first pair the night before my first race there in 2011, wore them brand new (typically a big race day no-no) but they worked perfectly.  I loved them!  Then, after 2 years of training and racing it was time to replace my K-Swiss shorts.  I found another pair at my 2013 Ironman Muncie expo and loved them just as much.

Training Fuel:

After a lot of experiments (some good, some bad, some just meh), I've found what works for me.

Bonk Break bars sit very well while on the bike and last through the run.  I like to actually chew my food while I bike and train, but not everything sits well.  These all taste good, are easy to handle on the bike, and don't cause issues.  Plus, you're not a sticky mess after eating them.

Clif shots (gels) have been my go to for easy fast fuel on the bike and run.  I like them most on the run because I can just suck on them and keep moving.  I started using them in running when I first did any endurance racing, and they've worked beautifully.  I started using too many during races, which caused problems, but now I know how many I need depending on my distance.

Skratch Labs is my hydration favorite.  Tastes great, sits well, and even after being in a bottle all day it doesn't taste chalky or settle out.

Those are a lot of my go to things for most of my training and such.  I love Yurbuds for my music, I got a new ipod for Christmas (my last one died after 5 years of abuse, I mean use), and I fly through shoes.  I love Mizuno and Asics.  I also love my Oakley sunglasses, but I seem to lose them every other year or so :(

Back to organizing or attempting to be a slug :)  

Until next year!

Killer New Year's Workout or the "I Hate You" workout

So this is a new workout that I've been having my clients do the past couple of days.  I figure with everyone doing their New Years Resolutions, why not have a new workout for it?  It's easy to modify, can require very little equipment, and goes quickly.  This series you will do 30 seconds of each exercise before getting a 2 minute rest, then you start that group of exercises again until you get all the rounds in.  An easy way to progress this is each time you repeat the workout you try to beat your number of reps of each exercise, or you increase your weights.  Or do both.  Here's the "I Hate You Workout"

Warm up (4 rounds of each)
High kicks
High skips
Grape vine
Squat walk KB swing

(4 rounds)
Bicep curls
Overhead triceps extensions
Push ups
Dead lifts
Sumo Squats

(4 rounds)
Crunches
Mt Climbers
Jump squats
KB swings
KB squat and pull

Gearing up for 2014

It's that time of year again!  I've had a very run intense "off season".  I use quotes with off season because I've been doing speed work every Tuesday, relaxing runs every Thursday, then long runs of form on Saturdays and Sunday.  This was all in preparation for a 50K that I had intended on doing in February.  That may be taking a backseat.  Why may you ask?  Because I hate being cold.  That's what it pretty much boils down to really.  I can not stand being cold.  Ali and I were supposed to run 10 miles when it was 22 degrees out and I had enough when we got to 8 miles, it was time to go be warm.  When you take off your tights and your legs are redder than a stop sign, it's time to stay inside.

Meanwhile.  Back to that time of year.  It's time to make up the race calendar, figure out what gear I'll need, and essentially start becoming Type A again and get things organized.  I'm not going to over organize though because it seems that every time I don't leave a little wiggle room then the world falls apart.  I would rather leave the world intact, thank you very much.  Anyway, I started going through my dream list of races last night and wanted to see what would work best with my ultimate goal of qualifying for Kona at Wisconsin.  So far my race list is looking a little bit like this:


April 6th: Ohio River Road Runners Half Marathon

May 4th: Flying Pig Half Marathon

May 18th: Rev3 Knoxville 70.3

July 12th (option 1): Half Ironman Muncie

August 10th (option 2): Half Ironman Steelhead

Then the Grand Finale!  SEPTEMBER 7TH! IRONMAN WISCONSIN!!!!

I have a lot of work to do, but I think it's all going to be worth it!  I found out today that a friend will be doing Rev3 Knoxville as well this year.  I'm also stoked that one of my really good friends lives in Knoxville, so I'm hoping to visit a couple of times so I can check what is listed as a "challenging" bike course.  It says it has twisting and steep descents, so this will be a good practice course for Wisconsin.  I'm labeling Steelhead and Muncie as optional races because I don't know which one I want to do.  Steelhead may be too close to Wisconsin, but I've already done Muncie twice and was less than impressed with the bike course.  Seriously, who has a "no passing zone" for two miles during a race?  If I do Muncie again though, I'm definitely shooting for a podium spot.  

Time to start making training blocks, getting my butt back in the pool, and breaking out the trainer!  My next post may be my list of Ironman Wish List for training for this coming season :)  

Reaching your goals

So this morning I woke up to a 5 page novel of a text message from a client visiting family out of state. Due to weather and travel schedules we will be going 2 weeks without a formal training session. I've had some clients go "Oh well, I'll pick back up after the holidays". Or "that's why people make new year's resolutions!  To deal with all the weight they put on during the holidays". I'm not a fan of these excuses, so I try to give my people some motivation or reasons to not fall off the wagon over the holidays. The text I received this morning was the complete opposite. She said "I'm trying to keep up with my workouts while I'm out here, but I want to include family. I don't want to offend you by asking, but would you mind making a few workouts for me to do with my mom and husband? ". Sure!  I proceeded to give her two butt kicking workouts where they would be easily adjusted for the less experienced and still give a workout for everyone. See, that's what people need to do. Go ahead and enjoy family time, indulge a little bit with the traditional foods, spend more time doing nothing but talking. It is the holidays, I get it,  but still take advantage of your resources and ask for workouts, assistance with foods,  whatever you need. Include friends and family and don't wait until January 1st to kick off their healthy 2014. There's a way to get everything that everyone wants and still be fun. You don't have to say "I'm eating healthy this year" or "I'm trying to lose weight so I won't eat any blah". Use your brain and eat in moderation. If you indulge a little bit then go for a workout. Instead of eating, unwrapping presents, and napping,  go play with the kids or go for a walk and enjoy quality time with a relative you only see once in a while!  Have fun and Merry Christmas!

Functional

The time has come, the time is now, annoying breast cancer, will you please go now?

Emotional blows are the single hardest thing to process.  There are waves of uncertainty, anger, sadness, obnoxious hyper-ness (not a word, get over it), irritability, and confusion.  There is also numbness where everything hits at once and you don't know which emotion to feel, so you don't feel anything.  That's when you are just "functional".  Last night my mom and Grandma called to inform me that the time has come for major decision making.  Grandma has been fighting her evil cellular parasite (breast cancer) since January and has been doing a stellar job.  She hasn't complained, she just says "what's next?".  Well after 2 rounds of chemo, 7 weeks of radiation, and a laundry list of drugs, the cellular parasite will simply not go away.  Complications, rebounds, ups, downs, and everything in between have come to this woman and she hasn't flinched.  So yesterday they decided do we keep fighting with medicine and not guarantee anything other than a slew of doctors appointments, medications, bills, and treatments?  Or do we decide to let her do whatever the world she wants and progress from there?  It was decided that medical intervention would no longer be a thing.  She's tired of constantly planning her life around doctor appointments and treatments.  She wants to do everything on her "own".  I put own in quotations because regardless of her thought of doing things by herself, we're all still 100% behind, beside, and in front of her.  Surrounding her with love and support.  The term that the doctors and others have use to label this decision is "hospice".

Hospice has so many negative connotations that it borders suicidal in thought processes.  She's the exact same woman, her body is the exact same, her mind is the exact same, her heart and love are the exact same.  The only difference is now there will be nurses to help with her current medications, and she won't be going through any treatments.  It is an assistance in this case because the Hospice company now takes care of her bills, covers medications, and ensures that she is able to get whatever care she needs to make life easy.  She won't have to be labeled as a Home Health case to get nurses, and Home Health is where the patient is "home bound" in order to get nursing assistance.  Grandma HATES the prospect of anyone labeling her as "home bound".  Yeah right.  Not a thing.  With "Hospice" she is allowed to do whatever she feels like and not have to worry about it being "too much" for whatever coverage she has for bills and medications and assistance.  This is an organization that assists those that have a terminal diagnosis and they want to make life a little bit easier.  You can be on hospice for years.  It does not have to be a short term schedule.

I understand this, I know what it all means, but the emotions that are attached to the word "hospice" are still just as strong.  This is why I label myself as "functional".  I've run through the entire list of emotions and my body can't decide which one it wants to deal with first.  Despair?  Fear?  Sadness?  Anger?  Hope?  Stubbornness?  Hatred towards God?  Insanity?  Love?  Confusion?  Numbness?  If you see me running around like a complete crack head, doing sprints, monkey-ing on pull up bars, or just looking like a lunatic, that's because that is just about the only defense I have left.  There is nothing that I can do to stop this cellular parasite from continuing it's war against my Grandma.  There wasn't anything I could do when she was going through treatments either, but the constant treatments and doctors visits brought about the illusion of treatment.  The odds really are about the same with or without treatment.  If the tumors were able to grow during treatment, or immediately after treatment stopped, then they are just as stubborn as she is.  So there's no stopping them.  There's no stopping her either.

Yes, my family is heart broken.  Yes, our last line of hope with treatments has been cut and we're left hanging there with the cut end watching hope fly away from us.  But that doesn't change who she is.  It just takes away the mirage, illusion, figment of our imagination, whatever you want to call it, from us so we no longer know where to ground ourselves.  Before it was, "what's the next treatment?", "What't the next step?".  Now we don't know.  Do we ground ourselves in faith?  Hope?  Love?  Aliens?  Voodoo?  What?  I don't know anyone who has the answers, because there isn't one.

Do what you need to cope and deal with everything, but remember that Grandma isn't giving up and she is proud of all of us because we don't know how to give up.  We have all overcome something in our lives and have all become successful in our own rights.  She loves us and loves the fact that we are all strong.  Temporary weakness is normal, but don't let it become the overwhelming norm.  Until I figure out however I'm dealing, I will continue to just be functional.  Functional is what will get us through the day, because time will pass no matter how we feel.  Happiness is a stretch, functional is now.

A runner on the hunt for jeans

I think that Red hit the nail on the head today during our search for my newest pair of jeans.  America is getting fat and the jean design choices are proving it left right and center.  I should say that it's the lack of jean choices that are making this painfully obvious.  I realize that I am much smaller than the average bear, but the proportions on these jeans just do not make sense!  I used to swear by American Eagle jeans because I could find the perfect size every time.  Their size 2 short hit the right length, fit my legs, and my waist, and they were reasonably priced!  My most expensive pair was about $49 but I usually had a coupon or went when there was a sale, so they weren't that bad.  Then America Eagle decided to go with that stretch denim nonsense which made the fabric feel weird, not last as long, and didn't fit the same.  Red then turned me to Express jeans for 3 years.  I didn't have a huge problem with Express before trying them out, it was just that they were too expensive.  I mean, upwards of $90 per pair of jeans was just ridiculous to me.  Well he bought me a pair of jeans from there for Christmas what will be 4 Christmases ago now and they still look brand new.  They fit really well, fitting short people without having to hem them, and just felt good.  He also knew about their coupons of $25 off a purchase of $75 or more plus their Black Friday deal of about 50% off of everything.  So he was on top of the deals and could usually buy each of us two pairs of jeans for the price of one pair of jeans when it was all said and done.  Well this Black Friday was no different, and Red headed out to grab our jeans from Express, but they were made differently this year.  I tried on the jeans he grabbed and they were WEIRD.  They were a "slim boot", so virtually no flare at the end and they were the strangest cut up top  that I have ever encountered.  The legs were kind of tight, not too much, and were made out of a weird stretchy material that I wasn't much of a fan of. The kicker was the waist.  Good grief, who designed these things?!  The legs were fine, even in a zero, but the waist was so wide and ridiculous that I am positive I could have snuck a small child in the top part of my pants.  I felt like a freaking marsupial!  I know that I do squats, lunges, run, and bike which makes my legs muscular, but let's think about this shape.  The legs are tight but the waist is abnormally large.  You would have to have a beer gut to fill these jeans out.  Not even remotely attractive to think about that proportion.  Yeesh!  After the debacle in Express we ventured to the Buckle.

First off, I have found a less expensive pair of jeans in there.  They're the "Leo" or whatever, but they're about half the price of the BKE and Rock jeans and a third the price of the "vintage" jeans.  I like the fact that the majority of the jeans are sized not by 0, 1, 2, 3, etc, but more by actual measurements of 25x29 or 26x31, makes my life infinitely easier.  So about 50 pairs of jeans later I finally found a pair that I'm happy in, but the problem is that they are too long.  Not all of their cuts in the Buckle come in their short cut, which is disappointing.  The big bonus to this store though is that they offer free alterations.  We're talking hemming, not full blown dress fixing.  But still, it's quite nice!  My issue with altering the jeans is that they are so long that the amount I have to have hemmed completely ruins the cut of the jeans. So my BKE Stella Bootcuts turn more into a skinny or straight leg.  If I liked the straight leg jeans or skinny jeans then I would be in heaven.  They fit me, but I'm not a huge straight leg fan.  I've been looking on their website though and I've found a few more designs and styles that I would like to try out.  I don't necessarily need jeans, I just like to get a new pair of jeans every year.  The upside to me not growing is the fact that I don't have to buy jeans until they actually wear out, which takes a really really long time.  The downside to me never growing is that I have the same jeans today as I did when I graduated high school.  I do still have one pair of jeans that are still hanging on by a thread since my senior year in high school.  Meh, I'll find another pair of jeans eventually.  I'll just stay the same size and in a couple of years my style of jeans will come back into style.  I would say that my training and lifting is why I can't find a new pair of jeans, but jeans that I've had for years fit almost the exact same as they have since I got them.  So I'm thinking that's not the issue.  I think Red was right and America is fat and designers are taking that into consideration so now they are more concerned with people having spare tires around their middles than trying to fit short skinny people. Meh.

Snow Day!

Snowmaggedon.  Snowphoon.  Snowpocolypse.  Whatever snow terror you wish to call this, is now upon us!  Last night it was raining and just flat out cold.  Red and I went to the UC v. Louisville game and what we got to see was a really good game.  Cincinnati really needs to work on actually catching the ball, that was our GIANT problem.  I mean we had people wide open, they would touch the ball, then let it go all the way through their hands.  Gah!  We lost in overtime so it was at least a fight the whole way.

Now, when I got up to go to work this morning all that rain was on its way to becoming freezing rain.  My car was encased in a sheet of ice, but thankfully it wasn't too thick and was really easy to get off.  My 5am, 7am, and 9am clients all came in fine, must have been an odd hour happy day.  My 6, 8, and 10ams didn't want to come in because of the weather.  Meh, 50/50 for the day.  Being in a 100% commissioned position has its ups and downs and today turned out to be an up.  We are fortunate to have a 24 hour cancellation policy, so I was able to still get paid, but it was nice to see my clients who came in are the ones really dedicated.  I did have a 12p client who didn't come in, but that wasn't because of fear for the weather, it was more because every school in Cincinnati closed before a single flake hit the ground which meant that kids were home that are normally in school.  So they couldn't leave.  But that was all before the snow ever hit the ground.  Last night I was super happy to go to the UC game and knew that I was going to have very little sleep.  So when I got home early from work I decided to take a quick nap.  You know how that goes, a quick nap turns into a couple of hours.  I laid down and it was still kind of freezing rain, but there wasn't an ounce of snow anywhere.  My mom called and woke me up 2 hours later....and there was snow everywhere.  To me it wasn't enough to warrant all the chaos, worry, and cancellations that had been going on for the past week, but it was a significant amount.  I mean, considering about a half inch had coated the ground in two hours, but it's not that bad.  Right now I'm waiting for Red to get home from work and hoping that the terrible Cincinnati drivers stay out of his way.  It snows a decent amount every single year in Cincinnati, but every year they act as if it has never snowed here.

Tomorrow is going to be very very interesting.  Hopefully the crews can get around to the streets early on because I have to work from 7a-2p tomorrow.  It should be fine though because there usually aren't many people on the roads early in the morning.  After work I'm really hoping to hit Harbin Park again and get in a nice 5-6 mile trail run in.  It should be really pretty in all of the snow.  I'll be busting out my super thick winter running tights, and probably a couple of layers on top, along with my wool socks for my run tomorrow.  The high is only supposed to be about 23 degrees :/  The upside to all of this snow is that it will insulate everything a bit, so the trails will be slippery, but hopefully not horrifically cold.  I will be layered to the max though because I don't want to be cold, but I still want to train in anything that isn't a treadmill!

I don't like to be cold

So Red and I have a constant debate about how warm or cold to keep the house.  I'm am perpetually cold and couldn't be happier to be nice and toasty warm all day, every day.  Red is the complete and total opposite and would be just as happy to be cold and doesn't care if there is a chill in the room.  If I had things my way the house would be 75 degrees year round.  We "agreed" to try to decrease the energy bill by having it only at 70 for this winter, it's not working on saving energy and I'm still constantly frozen.  I am always in sweats, shorts, hoodie, t-shirt, AND socks just trying to stay warm.  Nine times out of ten I'm still covered in a blanket because I can't get warm.  When I'm cozy and warm, Red is sweating and uncomfortable.  

I partially blame this on running.  I went for a run earlier today, and it was fairly nice out, about 45 degrees when Ali and I started out.  When we were on our way home the wind had picked up and the temperature dropped significantly.  My thumbs always get cold for some reason, no matter how much I tuck them into my hands or wear gloves, but here lately they are reaching a new level of cold.  I couldn't feel my right thumb because it was so stinking cold.  I took an incredibly hot shower once I got home and finally started to get some feeling in my hands.  We only went 14 miles and were outside for about 2:15, so my hands shouldn't have been that bad.  I now stand corrected.  Poor Ali has to deal with my whining while we're outside, then Red has to deal with me once I come inside.  Last week it was 25 degrees when we took off for our 10 mile run.  About 8 miles in I still had not warmed up and was decidedly over the cold and wind and Ali ended up driving my wimpy butt home.  She fortunately lives 2 miles from me and we passed her apartment on our way to my house to finish the run, so when she offered to drive me home I was not going to turn her down.  I was wearing plenty of layers, but I forgot a hat and I wore my thinner tights instead of my thickest.  Oops.  But that didn't matter too much because I couldn't feel most of my body but when I went to get in the shower to warm up, I realized that my legs were so cold that they had turned red.  My nose was red for 2 days, my friend Miller was making fun of me because my nose was still so red.  Hmph.  

I better get used to the cold and learn to dress in different layers if I think that this 50K in February is going to happen.  I'm hoping that the really cold days are few and far between.  I should be able to tolerate 30's, but the 20's will most likely not be a thing.  Here's to a lot of hot showers and getting my layers right!