Jenny On the Spot

I kinda wonder if I should really call this training thing “training” at all. I have deviated from my handy-dandy “plan” and am now just making things up as I go. Part of my “problem” is I am looking beyond the half-marathon in June. Preparing for the half is my main focus, but an Olympic distance triathlon is on the horizon in early August…. 6 weeks to the half and 15 weeks to the tri. I need to be sure to make more room for biking and swimming as the weeks whittle down. Especially the bike - it’s my weakest, and I have a cruiser/mountain bike - not a speedy road bike. Oh, how I long for a road bike…

Enough of the thinking - here’s what was accomplished this week. I know you’re beside yourself with curiosity…

Monday. Arm strength and cardio. I cannot remember what form of cardio it was. I just know that I burned 407 calories between the weight time and cardio time. I spent 29 minutes in my zone. My “zone” is between 147 and 189.

Can I just say I love my heart rate monitor. It has been especially helpful in my bike training. I find I easily slip into “Sunday Stroll Mode” as I am pedaling my cute mountain-cruiser bike. I use my heart rate monitor to keep me “in zone”, thus helping me push a little harder - and not enjoy enjoy the ride so much! That’s not true, but it kinda is… 

Tuesday. Leg strength and an exhilarating run on the treadmill (can you smell the sarcasm). I think I went 4 miles. 485 calories were burned and I spent 35 minutes “in zone”… When one considers a half-marathon will take me 2 hours (give or take), somehow 35 minutes “in zone” seems a bit wimpy.

Wednesday. No-flippin’-any-flippin’-thing. Rock. On.

Thursday. Arm strength and swimming. 375 calories. I swam 33 minutes… came up a couple hundred yards short of a mile, but that was because I did stroke and kick work. I really like completing even distances, but there just wasn’t time to get in those extra 12 lengths.

Friday. I liked this day. I spent about a half-hour working on my arms (I do the “arm thing” to improve my swim/stroke, and because running and biking really don’t do much for the arms of a girl whose arms can easily rival the circumference of a tree trunk)… And then I hopped on the treadmill to cover 1.5 miles in a walk/jog pattern… 222 cal.o.ries… and THEN - you’re gonna love me - I went with a friend to get a cuppa coffee! That’s right! I got a tall mocha with a half pump of raspberry. Da shizzle. Yup. I rock at calorie replacement.

Saturday. No stinkin’ anything. Hello! Snow! In April! But… I danced. And I bumped into the mic stand of the singer-chic, but it wasn’t my fault. I was puttin’ some space between me and someone who I felt could use some, well - space. It was more of an “escape move” than “dance moves”, but I made it look dance-ish, so as not to be mean. Awkward.

Sunday. Got in the 7 miles today. We almost found a way out, but the weather just didn’t “go south” enough for us to feel OK with calling it off. Katie and I both know we can skip long runs at this point. We’ve not given ourselves enough room to weasel out. So we headed out - 38 degrees… icy droplets began to fall. However, by the end of the run we were blazing hot (sweaty hot, not “hottie” hot… though “sweaty hot” is considered “hottie” hot by some, unless you take into account BO and such… I digress…). In summary - 38 degrees is actually not so bad when you’ve been running a steady pace for over an hour. I can’t believe myself. Who have I become?

I burned 586 calories in an hour and 12 minutes. I spent 1 hour and 11 of those minute “in zone”. Hmmm… in terms of calorie replacement, that may be a half-pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Hmmm…

Physical consequences: I got my little post-run belly ache, but it was minor compared to last week. My left knee hurts. And I can’t keep my eyes open.

Sweet dreams…